Basic Turkey Sausage

Basic Turkey Sausage

I am kind of kicking myself for not trying to make my own turkey sausage at home sooner.  In the past, I have purchased Johnsonville brand pre-cooked turkey breakfast sausage (it comes in patties and links).  The packages are 9.6 ounces in size and cost a whopping $4.79 at my local grocery store when they are not on sale.  That's a lot of dough per pound when you do the math; I'll let you do the math because math is not my forte.  

In the recent past I've made four different kinds of turkey sausage and it is so simple.  I am enjoying the fact that my homemade turkey sausage is much less expensive (I can usually get ground turkey under $3.00 per pound) and I like that can control the ingredients in my sausage when making it at home.   

Here is the recipe for Banger Sausage with lemon and herbs (Click HERE).

Here is the recipe for Spicy Italian Sausage (Click HERE).

Here is the recipe for Turkey Blueberry Sausage (Click HERE).

Here is my latest turkey sausage:

BASIC BREAKFAST TURKEY SAUSAGE

1 pound ground meat (pork, turkey, or chicken... I use turkey)

1/2 teaspoon dried sage

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup finely minced onion (I opted to use about 1 teaspoon of dehydrated onion flakes)

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.  Form into 12 or 13 equal size patties. 

Heat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat.  You will be cooking the patties in 2 batches so as to not crowd the pan.  I use a non-stick skillet and I find no need to add oil to skillet; however, if desired or necessary, drizzle in a scant amount of preferred cooking oil in the skillet (coconut, olive oil, avocado oil) and swirl it around.  Add 1/2 the patties to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes; turn patties and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes until cooked through and no pink remains.  Repeat with remaining patties. 

In the photo at the top, you can see some of those yummy turkey sausages along side some fingerling potatoes, avocado, and some scrambled eggs with broccoli.  This is one of my favorite breakfasts! 

Enjoy!

Fajita Chicken Spice Rub

Fajita Chicken Spice Rub

Fajita Chicken Spice Rub

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid.  Sprinkle spice blend generously on chicken (both sides) before grilling. Store spice blend at room temperature in container with a lid.

Over the years, I've been finding recipes for my own spice blends. When you look at packets of seasoning at the store, you'll find a bunch of salt, MSG, sugar, and additives (words I can't spell or pronounce).  No need to buy the packets any more... make your own blends.  A few days ago, I shared my spice blend to make blackened fish.  The recipe above is the spice rub we put on chicken tenderloins before grilling.  This chicken is great by itself, but also really good in tacos or burritos or on salads.  

Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Curry with Chicken and Potatoes

Slow Cooker Curry with Chicken & Potatoes

I cannot believe how seriously easy this recipe was.  I found this recipe on a blog I used to follow years ago.  The blog name is www.365daysofcrockpot.com 

The recipe is called Slow Cooker Yellow Chicken Curry and I had it in my slow cooker (Crock Pot) in just minutes.  It's not the most attractive dish in my photos, but the flavors are great!  

Since I am currently on Week 3 of a Whole30 Challenge, I left out the brown sugar.  In my recipe, I used little fingerling potatoes, which worked out great.  I just cut the larger potatoes into a few pieces so that all potato bits were similar in size. I did not have any cilantro or lime juice so I left that out and it was still very flavorful.  I served my yellow chicken curry over steamed green beans which was a surprisingly good combination.  Here is the recipe from www.365daysofcrockpot.com

YELLOW CHICKEN CURRY

Scale

Ingredients

• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced or 2 Tbsp dried onion flakes
• 1 lb yellow potatoes (about 3–4 medium potatoes), cubed (I left the skins on)
• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 (13.5 oz) can full fat coconut milk
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander seed
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 lime, juiced–optional
• Cilantro, for garnish

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Instructions

1. In your 4-6 quart slow cooker place the onions, potatoes and chicken.
2. In a bowl, stir together the coconut milk, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, turmeric, curry powder, coriander seed, salt and red pepper. Whisk until combined. Pour the mixture over the contents of the slow cooker.
3. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours (some slow cookers may take only 3 hours). Test potatoes for tenderness.
4. Gently stir. Stir in the lime juice, if desired. Add in more turmeric and curry powder and salt to taste.
5. Serve curry with cilantro over rice, if desired.

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Notes

I used my 6 quart slow cooker for this recipe.

Click here for the INSTANT POT version of this recipe.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @365dayscrockpot on Instagram

Find it online: https://www.365daysofcrockpot.com/slow-cooker-yellow-chicken-curry/

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14 days of My Whole30 Challenge

What does a Whole30 Challenge look like?

Melissa's Chicken Hash and banana

Sweet Potato, broccoli, and fish

Grilled chicken thighs, cut green beans, and Moroccan Cauliflower rice

I have shared in the last few posts that I started a Whole30 Challenge.  You can read more about Whole30 here:  https://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/

I am currently on Day 15 and it's going great!

I have really enjoyed creating healthy and well balanced plates and I have taken a snap shot of everything I have eaten for the past 14 days (with a few exceptions... there was a day where I had a peach between lunch and dinner and a few other times where I ate a few pecan or walnut halves).  So I am putting all 14 days of photos here.  Each photo is actually a collage of the three meals I've ate in one day.

What's missing from my plates? Dairy, grains, legumes (no peanut butter!), added sugar, additives/preservatives (MSG, carrageenan, sulfites)… and also no alcohol.  And I've made it for 14 days and it hasn't been too terribly hard.

Egg scramble topped with avocado and tomato with berries and banana on the side

Avocado and tuna mash with Moroccan Cauliflower rice on the side

Steak and bell pepper kabobs, butternut squash, and sautéed kale with toasted almonds

Mexican cauliflower rice over diced onion and iceberg lettuce topped with over easy eggs

Slow Cooker Yellow Chicken Curry with oranges on the side

Egg, turkey blueberry sausage, sautéed spinach and sweet potato

Egg scramble with broccoli, mushrooms, and tomato with a failed attempt at cauliflower hashbrowns

Lunch to go was Banger Sausage, Moroccan Cauliflower rice, and watermelon

Sweet potato topped with grilled chicken, avocado, and tomato with orange slices on the side

Egg, spicy Italian sausage, sautéed spinach, avocado, and watermelon

Curry Tuna salad with homemade mayonnaise, green beans, and sliced peach

Melissa's Chicken Hash with green beans on the side

Zoodles topped with egg and sweet potato on the side

Turkey Blueberry Sausage, sweet potato, and Moroccan Cauliflower on the side

Mexican Cauliflower rice, grilled fajita chicken, iceberg lettuce and avocado

Turkey Blueberry Sausage, butternut squash, and cut green beans

Egg, Spicy Turkey sausage, sweet potato, strawberries, and avocado

Mexican Cauliflower rice, avocado, diced grilled chicken, and onion over iceberg lettuce

Eggs, Banger Sausage, and steamed butternut squash

Grilled Salmon, steamed broccoli, and Moroccan Cauliflower rice

Sweet potato and zoodles sautéed with chopped Banger Sausage

Over easy eggs, Moroccan Cauliflower rice, and berries on the side

Tuna salad with homemade mayonnaise and lots of veggies with watermelon on the side

More Moroccan Cauliflower Rice, steamed broccoli, and grilled fajita chicken

Egg scramble topped with tomato
Grilled Chicken Thighs, Moroccan Cauliflower rice, and red bell pepper strips
A horrible dinner of zoodles, chopped Italian Sausage, way too much parsley and what was I thinking when I added all that fresh lemon juice.  Yuck!

Breakfast scramble with Banger Sausage, broccoli, and chopped tomato
Chopped kale salad with grilled salmon and strawberry balsamic vinaigrette (not a good combo)

Avocado Tuna mash with lots of veggies and fruit on the side

Sweet potato, sautéed spinach, egg, Banger Sausage, tomato and avocado

Curry Tuna Salad made with homemade mayonnaise with red bell pepper strips

Spicy Italian Turkey Sausage, sweet potato, steamed broccoli, avocado, and raw veggies on the side

Eggs, Moroccan cauliflower rice, and sliced banana

Melissa's Chicken Hash with extra walnuts and parsley

Grilled chicken thighs, broccoli, avocado, sweet potato

Sweet potato stuffed with banana, toasted pecans, cinnamon with Banger Sausage on the side

Zoodles topped with poached eggs with watermelon on the side

Avocado tuna mash with extra veggies, Moroccan Cauliflower rice, and kale salad

These photos are NOT in order (Day 1 to 14).  You can see I have definitely found some favorite recipes.  Moroccan Cauliflower Rice!  I feel as the days have gone by, making my meals has gotten easier and easier. I've never eaten so many vegetables in all my life so I felt I was going to the grocery store too often for more vegetables.  I did not want to buy too much and have things go to waste.  Some folks might look at all the cooking involved and think, "No way do I have time for this!"  But the reality is that my meals come together really quickly and the key is food prep ahead.  I would say each day I pretty much do three things at once.  Here are some examples:

• make hard boiled eggs, cut up celery and carrots and store in the refrigerator, make grilled chiken
• steam broccoli, steam butternut squash, make a slow cooker dish
• make cauliflower rice, make some kind of sausage, make a salad dressing
• make sweet potatoes in the slow cooker, chop up fruit, make a tuna salad
• chop up zoodles, toast nuts, try another new recipe

So this is what the first half of my Whole30 Challenge has looked like.  I hope you are finding some recipe inspiration along the way.  I am looking forward to trying some new recipes very soon!

Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs

Grilled Marinated Chicken Thighs

This a super simple recipe that just sort of happened when I got home from the grocery store the other day.  We had planned to grill up a few items and I grabbed a few boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 pounds) at the meat counter.  I trimmed the excess fat from the chicken thighs and plopped them in a Pyrex pie plate. To the chicken thighs, I added...

• the zest and juice from one lemon
• about 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
• a handful of Italian flat leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
• 3 small garlic cloves
• about 1/8 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, more if desired
• about 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, more if desired
• a little salt and a little black pepper

Using kitchen tongs, I tossed the chicken thighs around in the marinade to coat all of the chicken and let it sit in the refrigerator for about 20 to 30 minutes.  My husband grilled them over charcoal and they were seriously delicious.  Chicken thighs are a very inexpensive source of protein and are excellent on the grill.  I will make this again very soon!

Turkey Blueberry Sausage

Turkey Blueberry Sausage

Yes! You read that correctly!  Turkey Blueberry Sausage.  I tried another homemade turkey sausage this week and I liked this one too. This recipe comes from Ambitious Kitchen which is one of my favorite cooking blogs.  Since I am currently undertaking a Whole30 Challenge, I left out the maple syrup called for in the recipe and it was still delicious.  I used frozen berries in my sausage patties which I think made it easier to stir the berries in to the ground turkey.  I also did not use any cooking fat in the pan; I used a non-stick skillet.  I made my patties a little smaller than suggested in the original recipe.  Overall... a great recipe!  I will definitely make these sausages again.

Here is the recipe link:  Click 

https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/maple-blueberry-turkey-sausage-breakfast-patties/

Ingredients

• 1 pound 93% lean ground turkey (do not use extra lean)
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup (I omitted for Whole30)
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage (I used 1/2 teaspoon dried sage)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• ⅓ cup fresh or frozen blueberries
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil or olive oil (for cooking; may omit if using a non-stick skillet)

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients besides the blueberries and oil in a large bowl and use your hands to mix until well combined. Add in blueberries and gently incorporate them into the meat. Form into 8 even sized patties, about 1/3 inch thick. Make sure the blueberries are tucked into the meat or they may pop out upon cooking.
2. Add 1 teaspoon coconut oil to a nonstick skillet and place over medium heat. Add turkey patties and cook for about 5 minutes then flip and cook for another 4-5 minutes or until fully cooked.

Notes

Leftover turkey patties can be frozen, just place in a freezer safe container and reheat when needed.

Blackened Fish

I don't have a lot of fish recipes. I'd like to learn more ways to cook fish.  This is my husband's favorite fish; my son loves it too!  I was inspired to try making blackened fish after we had taken a family trip to New Orleans.  Blackened catfish was my husband's favorite meal in New Orleans.  It was easy enough to make up my owned blackened seasoning blend with spices I had on hand when we got back home.

Blackened Seasoning Blend 

Store in an air tight container at room temperature

2 teaspoons paprika

1 1/2 teaspoons to 2 teaspoons dried (the original recipe called for 4 teaspoons)

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

1/2 to 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar (omit for Whole30)

1 to 2 teaspoons salt (I use just 1 teaspoon)

2 teaspoons black pepper

1 teaspoon red pepper/cayenne (use less for less spicy)

1 teaspoon dried oregano

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Here's a little photo tutorial to show you how to make blackened fish.  In our kitchen, we have used flounder, tilapia, and swai.  I've not tried this spice rum with catfish but I bet it would be good (if you like catfish).  I'm comfortable pan frying fish such as flounder/tilapia/swai because it is sort of thin and easy to cook all the way through on the stove top.  I've also heard of blackened chicken but I've not yet tried that.  This might be a great spice rub to use on boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs on your outdoor grill.  You might just chose to omit the sugar, as I wonder if sugar would burn.  I'm no grilling pro.

Heat about two teaspoons of cooking fat in a large skillet over MEDIUM HIGH heat.  I typically use butter but we've run out of butter and have been using extra virgin olive oil; my husband says he notices no difference in taste in this recipe.

Blot both sides of the fish dry with a clean paper towel.  Brush the warm cooking fat on ONE SIDE of the fish and then sprinkle the blackened seasoning blend generously over the oil coated fish.

Place the fish in the skillet *seasoned side down*.  Reduce the heat from MEDIUM HIGH to MEDIUM.  Brush a little more cooking fat onto the SECOND SIDE of the fish in the skillet and then sprinkle the blackened seasoning blend generously over the unseasoned side of the fish.

Try to not move the fish around in the pan. Let it cook undisturbed on one side for about three minutes.  Carefully flip the fish over to cook the second side.  Add a little more cooking fat if that seems necessary.

Cook about three more minutes on the second side or until the fish is cooked through and flakes easily.  

ENJOY!

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes

SLOW COOKER SWEET POTATOES

I love sweet potatoes. I remember reading an article a few years back that basically said sweet potatoes are about the most nutrient dense or healthy thing you can find in a the produce section at the grocery store.  I am glad I like them so much.  My mantra during Week 1 of my Whole30 Challenge has been "a sweet potato a day keeps the headache away".  

During the very first part of this week, I was really focusing on vegetables and proteins.  I kind of forgot about having something with a little carbohydrate.  I started to have a weird nagging headache in the area of my forehead.  I had a sweet potato for dinner and, almost immediately, my headache went away.  I am thinking it might have had something to do with not having any sugar in my diet for a few days as well.  Interesting.  This week I've been cooking my sweet potatoes in the microwave oven and I just don't care for the texture when I cook them this way (dry and over cooked in some spots and under cooked in other spots). I much prefer sweet potatoes chopped up and roasted in the oven or baked whole in the oven.  It's been too hot outside to be cranking up my oven, so this week I decided to make a few sweet potatoes in my slow cooker (Crock Pot).  It's super simple and I like the texture so much better.

SLOW COOKER SWEET POTATOES

Scrub your sweet potatoes and poke a few holes in them with the tip of a sharp knife.  No need to dry them, just place them in the slow cooker (Crock Pot).  Cover and cook on LOW until done.  I cooked 2 SMALL sweet potatoes on LOW for 4 hours and they were perfectly done.  MEDIUM sized sweet potatoes will likely take about 5 hours.  To check doneness/tenderness, just poke with a fork or sharp knife.  When they are done, the fork or knife will slide into the sweet potato easily.  Cooking time will also vary depending upon your slow cooker.  

Here's a great article discussing the virtues of the sweet potato.  If you are interested, click HERE.

Spicy Italian Turkey Sausage

Spicy Italian Turkey sausage sautéed with spinach and served with eggs, sweet potatoes, avocado, and tomato.

Spicy Italian Turkey Sausage

I really enjoyed a turkey sausage I made last week (Banger Sausage: click HERE for the recipe).  I found another recipe that looked good as well so I made it yesterday. It's very flavorful and easy to make.

Spicy Italian Turkey Sausage

Adapted from www.realfoodwithjessica.com

1 pound ground turkey (93 percent lean)

1 to 2 teaspoons cooking oil (I used avocado oil)

1/2 tablespoon dried parsley

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed

In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.  Form into 8 equal size patties.

Heat a large skillet over medium to medium high heat.  You will be cooking the patties in 2 batches so as to not crowd the pan.  Drizzle a scant amount of preferred cooking oil in the skillet (coconut, olive oil, avocado oil) and swirl it around.  Add 4 patties to the skillet and cook for about 3 minutes; turn patties and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes until cooked through and no pink remains.  Repeat with remaining 4 patties.

Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Toasted Walnuts and Raisins

Gluten-Free

Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Toasted Walnuts and Raisins

There are so many recipes out there these days using all sorts of flours. Almond flour, coconut flour, chickpea flour.  It's a little expensive to purchase some of these flours especially if you are not sure if you will like them or how you will use them.  I bought some chickpea flour several months ago after I saw a particular blogger posting tons of great looking recipes using the ingredient.  You can find many chickpea flour recipes on Camilla Saulsbury's blog "Power Hungry". 

Janet, a gal in my Tuesday knitting group, is sensitive to gluten so sometimes we chat about gluten-free cooking and baking.  I mentioned to here I was finding lots of coconut flour and almond flour recipes but I had not yet taken the plunge and purchased the flours.  She told me she was not a fan of coconut flour so she brought me what she had on hand so I could experiment with it. I think Janet said she found baking with coconut flour to be tricky or finicky.  I can't recall for sure.

This past week, I decided to try out a chickpea and coconut flour recipe. I was hoping they would turn out well so I could bring them to the Tuesday knitting group.  As I was whisking together the batter, it occurred to me that Janet had told me she would not make it to knitting this week!  Whoops! I brought the muffins to the knit shop and the gals liked them. I'll have to make them again for Janet!

Gluten-Free - Apple Cinnamon Muffins with Toasted Walnuts and Raisins

Ingredients:
¾ cup chickpea flour 

¼ cup coconut flour 

¼ teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

⅓ cup oil (I used soybean oil) 

1 egg  

4 ounces unsweetened applesauce

½ cup unsweetened soy milk, whole milk or almond milk

1 teaspoon almond extract

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped (if desire, toast walnuts in a dry skillet until a few shades darker)

a few tablespoons of raisins

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Place paper or foil muffin liners in 8 spaces of muffin pan.  Spray the muffin liners with non-stick spray such as "Pam".

First, combine chickpea flour, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl. Stir with a whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl, place oil, egg, applesauce, soy milk, almond extract, and maple syrup. Stir well with a whisk.  Next, add wet to dry ingredients, and stir or whisk until smooth. Because the batter is gluten-free, it's ok to whisk vigorously to get any lumps out. 

  

Fill the 8 muffin liners evenly with batter. Bake for 22 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned on edges. Remove muffins from the tin and cool.

This recipe is based on a recipe I found on line which can be found HERE.