Slow Cooker Turkey Meatball Soup

Yup! Another meatball soup. I'm clearly a meatball soup convert. Which works out well, because this one is easy and so tasty. Yay. And in the slow cooker, it's perfect for when you want a hearty meal, but you're not in the mood to cook, or don't have the time.

YIELD 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

        6 medium mushrooms (1 1/2 cups), chopped

        1 medium onion, sliced

        4 small carrots (1 cup), peeled & chopped - no bigger than 1/2" pieces

        3 large celery stalks (2 cups), chopped - no bigger than 1/2" pieces

        4 cups chicken or beef stock

        1 tablespoon coconut aminos

        1/2 teaspoon salt

        1/2 teaspoon black pepper

        Red pepper flakes for garnish (optional)

        For Meatballs

        1 pound ground turkey

        1 tablespoon minced garlic

        1 egg, beaten

        1 teaspoon dried basil

        1 tablespoon dried onions

        1 teaspoon salt

        1/2 teaspoon black pepper

        1/4 cup almond flour

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Thoroughly combine ingredients for meatballs (don't form them yet), and refrigerate to firm up

    2.    Put the rest of the ingredients, except the red pepper flakes, in slow cooker

    3.    Use a tablespoon to scoop meat balls, and spread them atop the vegetables (Don't worry if they touch a bit - they're easy to break up once they're cooked)

    4.    Cook on low for 4-6 hours

Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

A sweet spin on my chili potatoes, these are the epitome of cozy and comfy eating. Perhaps cable knit sweaters and candles should be involved. I think yes.

* Potato thoughts

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        4 medium or 2 extra large sweet potatoes

        1 pound ground turkey

        1 bell pepper, sliced

        1/2 medium onion, chopped

        2 medium tomatoes, diced

        1 tablespoon butter, ghee or coconut oil

        1/2 teaspoon dried basil

        1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

        1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 

        1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

        1 avocado, chopped (for garnish)

        1 green onion, diced (for garnish)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Bake sweet potatoes, and while they're baking add your tablespoon of oil to the skillet and heat on medium

    2.    When oil is heated and glistening, add ground turkey - break up and stir occasionally as it browns

    3.    When it's mostly browned, add in the onions and bell peppers

    4.    Give the veggies a few minutes to cook, and when they start to get tender toss in the tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and herbs and stir it all in

    5.    Cook until veggies are tender and turkey in thoroughly browned, and set mixture aside until sweet potatoes are done cooking

    6.    Cut cooked sweet potatoes in half and scoop out a little of the insides from each half, leaving about an inch border by the skin

    7.    Stir the subtracted sweet potato into the turkey and veggies (I mash it a little with a fork as I stir, so it gets all mixed in) and spoon mixture into sweet potatoes

    8.    Then top each with avocado and green onions and serve

Salisbury Steak

I had mixed feelings about taking this recipe on. Salisbury steak doesn't conjure up the tastiest memories for me, and I'm guessing I'm not alone in that boat. But I decided to see this as a fun recipe challenge, and yay for that. Because oh, it turned out soooo good. None of that overly processed, too salty, diner-y taste that I remembered. Just good ingredients, simple prep, and a dinner to be proud of. And the gravy! Can't wait for you to try this.

* If you're avoiding soy, try substituting coconut aminos in place of the Worcestershire sauce.

YIELD 4 servings (8 patties)

INGREDIENTS

        For Patties

        1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

        1/2 cup onions, finely diced (about 1/4 onion)

        1 egg, beaten

        1 medium mushroom, diced

        3 teaspoons dried mustard

        1 teaspoon salt

        1/2 teaspoon black pepper

        For Gravy

        1/2 cup onions, finely diced (about 1/4 onion)

        2 medium mushrooms, sliced

        3 teaspoons gluten-free Worcestershire sauce

        1 1/4 cup full-fat canned coconut milk

        1 1/4 cup water

        2 teaspoons salt

        1/2 teaspoon black pepper

        1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Mix ingredients for patties together with hands and form 8 patties

    2.    Heat oiled skillet on medium heat and place patties in, 4-5 minutes on first side, then about 3 minutes on the other side, or until center is no longer pink

    3.    When patties are finished cooking, set aside and keep the juices in the skillet

    4.    Turn heat down to med/low and add onions and mushrooms

    5.    While giving them a few minutes to begin to get tender in the skillet, dissolve your arrowroot powder in water (this is to prevent clumping in the heat of the skillet)

    6.    Now add the rest of the gravy ingredients to skillet; coconut milk first, then stirring in arrowroot/water, Worcestershire, salt and pepper

    7.    Allow to cook for 3 or 4 minutes, until it thickens up a bit, and spoon over plated steaks

Chili Potatoes with Crispy Prosciutto and Avocado

"This is one of the best things you've ever made!" Thad, as he was munching this down for dinner tonight (and without any questioning from me at all!). He's not a hard man to please, but still... I make a LOT of things. So on the Thad scale of tastiness, this is definitely rated near the tippy top. All to say, I hope you munch it down too, and love it.

* Potato thoughts

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        Turkey chili or Bolognese Sauce

        2 medium/large golden potatoes

        1 avocado, sliced

        4 slices (2 ounces) prosciutto, chopped into roughly 1" pieces

INSTRUCTIONS

    1    Bake the potatoes 

    2    While the potatoes are baking make the chili or Bolognese

    3    While chili simmers, crisp the prosciutto: Heat a skillet on medium/low and allow pieces 5-8 minutes to crisp up, flipping occasionally - Do your best to spread them out in the skillet, and if the skillet surface gets too dry, just add a little coconut oil

    4    When the potatoes are done, cut in half, place each half in a bowl with a healthy serving of chili, 3-4 avocado slices, and a sprinkle of prosciutto

Chunky Turkey Bolognese over Zucchini Noodles

I could eat this by the spoonful all the livelong day. It's so darn good. In fact, it doubles quite nicely as chili on a baked potato with avocado and sautéed onions mmmm... another post, another day.

I used to be intimidated by Bolognese sauce, but no more. I think I was put off by the time it takes. But really, it's just a matter of getting the ingredients in your pot in the right order, and then letting it slow-cook for an hour. Not scary at all!

* If you absolutely must have Bolognese (which I completely understand) but you don't have the time, just cook until the veggies are tender to your liking, and it will still be plenty tasty.

YIELD 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

        1 pound ground turkey

        4 medium zucchinis (for noodles)

        4 large mushrooms, sliced

        1 onion, sliced

        2 stalks celery, chopped

        1 large carrot, chopped

        2 medium tomatoes, diced

        12 ounces marinara

        1/4 cup tomato paste

        1 tablespoon butter, ghee or coconut oil, plus a little extra to coat the pan

        1/2 cup red wine (I prefer a cab or merlot with this)

        1 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

        1/2 teaspoon pepper

        1 teaspoon dried basil

        1/4 teaspoon oregano

        1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

        1 tablespoon minced garlic

         1 teaspoon honey

         Red pepper flakes to garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Prepare super easy zucchini noodles and set aside without cooking

    2.    Melt oil in large pot on medium/high heat, and add garlic, salt, pepper, onions, carrots and celery - sauté until veggies are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes

    3.    Add ground turkey and cook until browned and crumbly, then pour wine into the mixture and allow to cook for a few minutes to reduce and thicken

    4.    Stir in the rest of the ingredients (tomatoes, mushrooms, tomato paste, marinara, honey and seasonings - basil, oregano and cinnamon), cover and allow to cook on the very lowest heat for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally

    5.    About 10 minutes before your sauce is done, heat a skillet on medium/low for the zucchini noodles and cook them for about 5 minutes until crisp-tender, and serve sauce over noodles with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes

Italian Wedding Soup

Confession: I've never been much for Italian Wedding Soup. Meatballs in soup... are weird to me. Right?? Just me? Well, the other night it was a million degrees below zero, which meant I was more than happy to stay in my cozy home and scrounge for what in the world we were going to eat for dinner, based on the odd assortment of things in our fridge. Turkey burger, a few veggies, eggs, a ton of condiments... half of a sad lemon. Ahhhh! Italian Wedding Soup! Sans-dairy and grains (and sad lemons), of course. It was something new I'd never made before, and felt like a fun challenge. And I'm soooo glad I tried it out. You guys, this soup is yummazing. Enjoy.

YIELD 4-6 servings

INGREDIENTS

        For Meatballs

        1 pound ground turkey

        1 egg, whisked

        1/4 onion, diced and sautéed

        2 teaspoons minced garlic

        1 teaspoon salt

        2 teaspoons dried parsley

        1 teaspoon dried basil

        1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

        Shredded parmesan (...or mozzarella, as pictured above because that's what I had in the fridge ;))

        For Broth

        6 cups low-sodium chicken stock

        2 teaspoons ghee (I add ghee for flavor and richness, but if you're strictly non-dairy, coconut oil can be added or the oil can be omitted entirely)

        2 celery stalks, chopped

        1/4 onion, chopped

        2 small bunches of bok choy (about 1/2 pound), chopped into bite-size-ish pieces (separate white stalk pieces from leaves)

        Salt and pepper to taste

        Pinch of cayenne (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    In a large pot combine chicken stock, salt, pepper, cayenne and ghee - heat on medium until it reaches a gentle boil

    2.    While broth is heating up, dice and sauté onions

    3.    While keeping an eye on the onions, thoroughly combine rest of ingredients for meatballs - mix in sautéd onions when they're ready

    4.    When broth reaches a boil, use a teaspoon to scoop meatballs and drop into the broth

    5.    When they're all in the pot, add in the celery, onions, and chopped white stalks of bok choy

    6.    Next stir the soup as you drizzle the whisked eggs into the moving broth. That's what creates strands of egg, instead of clumps (also it's fun).

    7.    As soon as the veggies begin to get tender, add in the bok choy leaves and allow to cook a few more minutes

    8.    This is great served with B&B Cashew Flatbread and some shredded cheese on top, if you eat dairy

Prosciutto Pineapple Turkey Burger

A fun and delicious play on a Hawaiian burger!

* If you're avoiding soy, try substituting coconut aminos in place of the Worcestershire sauce.

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        For Burger Patties

        1 pound lean ground beef

        1 teaspoon gluten-free Worcestershire sauce

        1 teaspoon dried parsley

        1 tablespoon minced dried onions

        1/2 teaspoon salt

        1/4 teaspoon black pepper

        1 egg, beaten

        Toppings

        4 large lettuce leaves

        8 to 12 small slices of prosciutto

        2 to 4 rings of pineapple

        1 large tomato

        Mayonaise

        4 slices of cheddar or swiss (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Preheat oven to 375F

    2.    Thoroughly combine all burger patty ingredients with hands in a mixing bowl

    3.    Shape four patties with your hands

    4.    Bake 30 minutes (until internal temp reaches 165F) and if you eat dairy, as soon as they come out of the oven top each with a slice of cheese

    5.    Place a couple slices of tomato on a lettuce leaf, spread burger with a touch of mayo, place on tomato and top with several chunks of pineapple and a few slices of prosciutto

NOTE

If you prefer your prosciutto crispy, just oil and heat a skillet on medium/high and let them cook on both sides for a minute or two

Hearty Turkey Chili

I love how inviting and cozy chili makes the house smell! Know what else I love? It's so easy. I think of this sort of recipe as a “dump” dish, because you can pretty much dump in the ingredients, let it cook and you’re good to go!

YIELD 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

        2 bell peppers, diced

        2 tomatoes, diced

        1 1/2 pounds ground turkey

        1 - 2 cups chicken stock (start with one, and keep the second on hand to add into the pot, in case it reduces to quickly)

        1/4 cup tomato paste

        1/4 cup dried currants (trust me)

        1/2 cup fire roasted green chilies

        1 tablespoon dried minced onions

        2 teaspoons chili powder

        1 teaspoon cumin

        1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

        1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

        1/2 teaspoon oregano

        1/2 teaspoon basil

        2 teaspoons salt

        2 teaspoons honey

        1 can red kidney beans (optional, for those who eat legumes)

        Cheddar cheese, shredded to garnish (optional)

        Oil to coat pot (coconut is my favorite, but if you use olive oil, just make sure the heat doesn't get too high)

INSTRUCTIONS

    1.    Brown the turkey in a large pot on medium heat with onions and a bit of oil

    2.    Once turkey browns, pour in your chicken stock, stir in the tomato paste and add in all the rest (except cheese): veggies, beans, currants, honey and seasonings and allow to simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally

    3.    Garnish with a sprinkle of cheddar on top if you eat dairy or a few slices of bell pepper