Turkey Tamale Casserole

I made 8 servings of a Turkey Tamale Casserole adapted from a Cooking Light recipe.  --JT
My adapted recipe...

Turkey Tamale Casserole
Yield: 8 servings
1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chili pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
1 20-oz pkg of ground turkey breast (98%lean), crumbled and browned

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 6 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with cooked turkey; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces. Top with avocado or FF sour cream. (didn't have any sour cream, so I used avocado.) Calories per serving: 300, 330 with a serving of frozen veggies. Cost per serving (including the veggies) = about $2

I ate one serving and pacakged the rest with a side of green beans or broccoli. I liked the meal a lot. It filled me up and satisfied my craving for Mexican food.  However, the green chili flavor wasn't as strong as I would have liked. Future options:  Add black beans to chicken mixture.  Make without meat, veggies (onion, pepper, mushroom, beans).  Serve with a salad.

could have used less cheese.

packaged for freezing.

Roasted Green Tomato Salsa.

The Veggie Roast
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp Mexican oregano (Regular o. is fine too.)
1/4 tsp Black peppercorns
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Vidalia (or other sweet) onion Make it a big one.
8 oz assorted mild chiles (like banana and poblano). Roasted (see notes).
4 oz jalapeno chiles Roasted (see notes).
4 lbs green tomatoes Quartered with stem ends removed (renders ~ 3 lbs usable).
The "Dressing"
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp Kosher salt
2 tsp cilantro Dried; use twice as much if fresh.
2 Tbsps tequila
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 Tbsps demerara (raw) sugar
2 Tbsps key lime juice
2 cloves raw garlic minced
10 cloves roasted garlic That's about 1 bulb's worth.
1 fresh jalapeno chile A big one; minced with seeds removed.
1/4 cup green onion minced

For the veggies, preheat oven to 450F. With a mortar & pestle or spice grinder, grind 1 tsp of salt, black pepper, fennel, cumin, oregano, and black peppercorns. Toss with the onions. Put into a large stainless steel oven-safe pan & drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Roast onion for 15 minutes. Add tomatoes and roast for another 30 minutes. If you're needing to roast your garlic, wrap it in foil and throw it in the oven now as well. After time has elapsed, remove everything to let cool. This is a good time to roast and prep the chiles.

For the dressing, whisk 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, cilantro, tequila, cider vinegar, demerara sugar, lime juice, minced garlic, roasted garlic, and diced jalapeno.

Dump broiled veg and dressing into a food processor. Buzz long enough to incorporate, leaving some chunks. Stir or pulse-in minced green onion. Chill for 3-5 hours (overnight would be better) and adjust seasoning (if necessary) before serving.

From SOmethingEdible

AMAZING flavor for just about anyhting that needs some zing!  -JT

Asparagus and Baby Artichoke Quinoa Salad

(makes 4 servings)
Ingredients:
8 baby artichokes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup quinoa
2 cups vegetable broth (or water)
1/2 cup asparagus and ramp pesto (regular pesto!)
1/2 pound asparagus (trimmed, cut into 1 inch pieces and blanched)
1 cup chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup feta (crumbled)
1 splash lemon juice

Directions:
1. Peel the leaves from the artichokes until you get to the paler tender inner 2. leaves. Cut the top third off and discard and cut the artichoke in half.
2. Heat the oil in a pan.
3. Add the artichoke hearts and saute until tender, about 6-8 minutes.
4. Add the quinoa and broth, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the quinoa is tender, about 15-20 minutes.
5. Mix everything and serve

Lebanese Stuffed Zucchini (Mom!)

Ingredients:
1 kilo medium zucchinis (Or some giant overgrown ones!)
½ pound ground beef
½ cup short grain rice
3 ripe tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups stock
4 garlic cloves crushed
2 tbsp dried mint

Wash the zucchinis, cut off stem and hollow them with an apple corer. Wash them again and drain them. Wash the rice then drain it.
Prepare the stuffing by combining the rice, the ground meat, the diced tomatoes, the salt, pinch of pepper and spices. Stuff the zucchinis with this mixture to within 1/2 inch of the top. This can leave a space for the rice during the cooking. Place the zucchinis in a large pot, add the stock to cover. Bring it to a boil then reduce heat, and simmer covered for around 45 mn to 1 hour. 5 mintues before the end, add 2 tbsp of tomato paste and the crushed garlic combined with the dried mint. Rectify the seasoning and serve hot.

Sweet Potato & Edamame Baked Burrito

This unusual burrito recipe was inspired by the traditional samosa filling of sweet potatos and sweet peas but had been dressed up with spicy salsa, vegetables and a non-dairy cheese sauce for a wonderful combination of textures and flavors. Baking the burritos seals the toritillas, giving this handheld entree a rich golden color and making it easier to eat. The filling can be made several hours ahead, but the burritos should be assembled just prior to baking to keep the torillas from getting soggy.

Makes four large burritos

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, or 4 cups sweet potato puree
2 T. olive oil, divided
1 large onion, sliced in large strips
1½ t. cardamom
1½ t. salt, divided, plus more to taste
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed
(Replacement for vegan cheese sauce...)
1 4-oz. bag baby spinach, stems removed
1 cup chunky spicy salsa, either homemade or store-bought
4 large whole-wheat tortillas
Hot sauce and spinach leaves, for topping (optional)

Preparation:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and set aside.

2. Heat a large pot of boiling water. Chop the potatoes into small chunks and boil until tender, about 10 minutes and drain. Carefully, using gloves if necessary, remove the skins from the potatoes (they should slip off rather easily, but they will be extremely hot). With a fork or potato masher, mash the potatoes well. Set aside.

3. In a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, heat 1 T. of the oil, adding the onions and cardamom once hot. Stirring frequently, cook the onions for about 10 minutes or until translucent and fragrant. Remove from heat and mix the onions, 1 t. of the salt and the edamame with the mashed sweet potatoes. Set aside.

4-6. Cheese Sauce nonsense.

7. Assemble the burritos. Place the tortillas on the prepared baking sheet. Spread approximately ¼ of the sweet potato mixture on the center of each of the tortillas, leaving about 1 inch on each of the sides and about 2 inches on the top and the bottom of the tortilla. Top mixture with about ¼ of the spinach leaves but reserving a few, followed by ¼ cup of the spicy salsa and ¼ of the cheese sauce. Top the cheese sauce with the reserved spinach leaves (this will keep the tortillas from getting soggy).

8. Roll the burritos. Fold the 1-inch sides of the tortillas toward the center of the tortillas, just barely folding over the edges of the filling. Pull the "bottom" of the tortilla up over the filling mixture, tucking the edge of the tortilla just underneath the filling while continuing to hold in the sides. Roll the tortilla until the "top" of the tortilla now forms a seam at the bottom. Push in the sides with your fingers if necessary.

9. Bake burritos for about 20-25 minutes, carefully flipping half-way through. Serve hot with hot sauce and more spinach leaves if desired.

Chicken Afritada

1 whole chicken, cut up
1 14-oz or 28-0z can diced tomatoes (you can use tomato sauce, too)
1 onion, cut in large pieces
olive oil, for sautéing
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces
1-2 pieces broccoli cut into florets
Chopped cilantro (optional)
1-2 tablespoons fish sauce

Start by heating a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the rinsed chicken pieces to the pot and lightly brown the sides. This would take about 4-5 minutes. Add the chopped onion and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add the fish sauce then the diced tomatoes. Stir all together then cover the pot and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 30 minutes. Keeping the pot covered with a lid will help to create a sauce for the stew. Taste midway through cooking for additional seasonings. You can add a bit of salt or more fish sauce. Add the carrots about 2o minutes before the stew is cooked and the broccoli about 5-10 minutes before. Stir in the cilantro (if using) a few minutes before serving. Serve with rice or fresh bread.