Posts Tagged ‘ground turkey’

Wee Sausage

Thursday, September 11th, 2008

wee-sausage.jpg

Always trying to change things up for breakfast in our house, I went 
to the grocery to buy breakfast sausage patties. Bad idea. The sodium in 
the frozen patties I found was off the charts! Wow. But how can I deprive Kenya of breakfast sausage? Back to the test kitchen for me.
These patties take only seconds to make because you toss all the 
ingredients in the food processor, whiz them up and form them into 
mini patties. I bought organic turkey and pork at Whole Foods since their meat doesn’t contain hormones and is excellent quality. Whole Foods is also unofficially known as 
”Whole Wallet” for their high prices, but I was 
shocked that my recipe still cost A LOT less then buying FOUR boxes of frozen patties 
that would yield the same amount.
I even added apple and spices to give them a sweet note and give a 
little zip. After cooking them, just pop the ones you don’t need into 
a labeled freezer bag and toss them in the freezer so you have them on hand any time of the day — Which is a good thing because these sausages are perfect for any meal.

Wee Sausage (Make 20 Patties)

1/2 Lb. Ground Pork
1/2 Pound Ground Turkey (I used dark meat turkey because it has more iron then white meat, but you could also use white meat )
2 Tbsp Onion, chopped
1/2 Apple, peeled and cored (gala, golden delicious and fuji are good choices)
1 Clove Garlic
1 Tsp Fresh Thyme (or 1/2 Tsp Dried)
1/2 Tsp Fennel Seeds
2 Tsp Maple Syrup

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine.
2. Using your hands, form 1 tbsp of the mixture into patties.
3. After all the patties are formed, heat a large non stick pan over medium heat.
4. Cook for 3 minutes, flip the patties and cover for 2 minutes.
5. Uncover and cook an additional minute or until patties are cooked through.
6. Cool and serve.

Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf Bites

Monday, June 9th, 2008

cheesy-turkey-meatloaf-bites.jpg

Meatloaf is THE all-American food. I always think of it as the dish that you either love or absolutely hate. I’ve also seen hundreds of recipes for it and people are extremely passionate about what they think does and doesn’t belong inside. My mother must have used an entire bottle of ketchup on hers. I’ll refrain from commenting.
My version of meatloaf is perfect for the whole family, but especially for your little one. The best part is they’re cooked in mini muffin pans, so they only take 20 minutes to bake. I pack mine with vegetables and since there’s no salt or sugary ketchup, I add some cheese which makes every bite taste heavenly. Kenya had such a grin on his face when I gave him his first one. He tried to shove the entire thing in his mouth, but luckily I cajoled him into letting me cut it up.

Cheesy Turkey Meatloaf Bites (24 Mini Bites)

1 Zucchini, chopped
1/2 Cup Onion, chopped
1/2 Cup Red Bell Pepper
1/2 Cup Baby Carrots (about 8)
1 Egg, beaten
1 Garlic Clove
1 Tbsp Worsteshire Sauce
1 Tsp Italian Herbs
1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs (whole wheat, preferably)
1/2 Cup Cheddar Cheese, white or orange, shredded
1 Lb. Ground Turkey (93% lean ground meat)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray a nonstick mini muffin tin with vegetable oil cooking spray or grease with oil.
3. Place all of the ingredients, except the turkey, in a food processor and pulse until everything is combined and the vegetables are in tiny pieces.
4. Place the ground turkey and vegetable mixture in a bowl and throughly combine (using your hands is the easiest way to do it).
5. Place about a tablespoon of the meatloaf mixture in the muffin pans and pack down with a spoon.
6. Bake until the mini turkey loaves are cooked through or an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center registers 165 degrees F, about 20 minutes.
7. Cool and serve.
garlic, worsheshire sauce, bread crumbs