Stews and Soups: Peanut Butter Chicken Stew

Ingredients

2 medium yellow onions, diced
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, cut in half, seeds and ribs removed (leave them in if you're feeling adventurous)
1 green pepper
2 bay leaves
1 thumb of ginger
4 cups water
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each cut into 4 pieces (reserve bones for poaching)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, each cut into 4 pieces
2 smoked turkey necks
1 cup unsalted peanuts
1 tablespoon coconut  oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups roughly chopped canned and peeled tomatoes
2 teaspoon salt (divided)
1 pound spinach, tough stems removed, washed, drained, and chopped

Directions

Combine the onions, carrots, chilies, green pepper, ginger, and bay leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, smoked turkey neck, thigh bones (if reserved), and water in a medium pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, add the chicken thighs, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add the chicken breasts and simmer for another 15 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.

While the chicken is simmering, toast the peanuts in a small dry sauté pan over medium heat until golden brown and fragrant. Let cool, then grind 1 cup of the toasted peanuts in a blender. Slowly add coconut oil until peanuts are blended into a smooth paste.  Set aside.

Remove the chicken, turkey neck, bones, and bay leaves from the broth. Set aside the chicken and turkey neck. Discard the bones and bay leaves.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the vegetables from the broth.  Strain the broth, separating the broth from any excess fat from the chicken. Set aside the broth and discard the fat.  Transfer the vegetables to a food processor, and puree the vegetables until smooth. Add a little bit of the broth as necessary to make the paste as smooth as possible.

Place the broth back into the pot with the vegetable puree and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium heat, and add the peanut puree, whisking until well combined. Add the, tomatoes, chicken, and turkey neck, and simmer until heated through.

Remove from the heat. Add the spinach and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir until the spinach is wilted.

NOW LET'S GET COOKING!

Extraordinary Entree: Sweet Turkey Shepard's Pie

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 sweet onion, peeled  and grated
2 cloves of garlic
2 pounds ground turkey
Salt and pepper
5 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup light brown sugar
2 celery stalks from the heart, diced
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups chicken stock
A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
2 cup mixed vegetables, thawed
2 very ripe banana, mashed


Directions

Preheat the oven to 425°F.  Lightly grease a 13 X 9 glass baking dish with butter flavored nonstick cooking spray.

In a deep skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat. Add the onion and garlic and saute until the onion becomes soft and translucent. Do not allow the garlic to burn.  Add the turkey and break it up with a wooden spoon; season with salt and pepper.

Place the peeled sweet potatoes in a pot with brown sugar and water to cover. Cover the pot, bring to a boil, then cook the potatoes for 15 minutes, or until fork tender.

Add the carrots and celery into the skillet with the turkey. Stir and cook until the vegetable have wilted into the meat.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a small pot over medium heat. Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk for 1 minute, then whisk in the stock and season with salt, pepper, and 

Worcestershire. Cook for a few minutes, until thickened, then add to the turkey mixture. Stir in the thawed mixed vegetables into the turkey mixture and turn off the heat.

Drain the potatoes and return the hot pot to the heat turn down to low.  Add the remaining tablespoons of butter.  Add the 2 bananas to the pot of potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes and banana until they are well combined, and adjust the seasoning as necessary. You're looking for a good balance between the savory (from the salt and pepper) and the sweet (from the banana, sweet potato, and the syrup it was boiled in).

Spoon half of the the mashed potatoes onto the bottoms of the glass baking dish, spreading them evenly with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Then add the turkey filling, spreading that evenly over the mashed potatoes. Top the turkey filling with the remaining half of the the mashed potato.

Bake uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the mashed potato begins to slightly brown.  Let stand for about 10-15 minutes before serving to allow the dish to set.

LET'S GET COOKING!

Extraordinary Entree: Spinach and Turkey Penne Pasta

Ingredients

1 tablespoon  olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 pound ground turkey
Alfredo Sauce (try this recipe)
1 pound penne pasta
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Directions

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite.  Pasta will become al dente during final cooking stage. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the starchy pasta water.

Heat oil in large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onions, and fennel seeds and sauté until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add ground turkey. Sauté until cooked through and beginning to brown. When completely cooked, adding spinach in batches and tossing until wilted.

In a separate pot prepare or heat the Alfredo Sauce, and bring to simmer.  Add pasta to the Alfredo  sauce. Cook over medium heat.  Add the meat-spinach mixture and toss until completely coated with the sauce.

Stir in 1/2 cup cheese and enough cooking liquid to moisten. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese; serve.

Extraordinary Entree: White Sauce Lasagna Muffins

Ingredients
1 cup Alfredo Sauce
1 lbs ground turkey (1 pkg may be a little more than 1 lb and that's ok. The meatier the better.)
12 wonton wrappers (should be found in the produce section of your supermarket. Each package makes 25 muffins).
1/2 lb spinach or broccoli florets (stems cut), thawed and drained
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Asiago/Parmesan cheese blend
1/2 cup Ricotta cheese
Olive Oil flavored cooking spray
6-muffin baking tin (I think the 12-muffin baking tin makes them too small and the wonton wrappers don't fit as nicely in that tin.)

Directions
Brown turkey and season as you normally would. Drain of excess fat.

On med-low heat Stir defrosted, uncooked, and drained spinach or broccoli florets into ground turkey until spinach is wilted or broccoli is well combined. Set aside.

Warm the Alfredo sauce and stir into turkey-veggie mixture. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

Start layering your muffins. Begin with a wonton wrapper and press it into the bottom of each muffin tin. The edges will rise up the side and that's ok.

Using about 1/2 tablespoon of each ingredient layer the wonton in the following order: a) spread Ricotta cheese on wonton wrapper; b) top with 1 tablespoon of meat sauce mixture; c) sprinkle with Asiago/Parmesan cheese blend; d) scoop Alfredo sauce only; and 3) top with mozzarella cheese.

Repeat 2nd layer.

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until edges are brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. To remove use a knife to loosen the edges then lift and pop each muffin out with a spoon.