Project Turkey: Day 4

Why shouldn't your baby get to join in on the thanksgiving festivities this year? If you haven't already introduced your baby to poultry other than chicken, turkey's a great place to start.

Hmm, let's see...we need something healthy (so that baby gets his nutrients), tender (so that baby can handle it no matter how many teeth he has), and super flavorful (so that baby keeps eating).

Someone say meatballs?

Turkey Meatballs
(yield: about 30 balls)

1/4 cup golden raisins
1 lb ground turkey
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs (white bread)
1 medium yellow onion, grated
2 tbsp milk
1 egg
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped

Place the raisins in a small bowl, and cover with boiling water. Let stand 5-10 minutes, until they soften. Drain the raisins and combine with remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

Roll tablespoonfuls of the mixture into small balls. Simmer meatballs in  turkey or chicken stock, for 8-10 minutes. If your baby can't handle solids yet, break the meatballs up with a fork and moisten with some of the stock.


So, you're telling me that you're in the mood for some meatballs yourself? Don't worry, mama chef's got ya covered. 
Here's the adult version:


Pumpkin Penne with Turkey Meatballs
(yield: 4-6 servings)

 

Season the above meatball recipe with 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp of black pepper.

Make a bread crumb mixture for the meatballs: Mix 1/4 cup of Italian breadcrumbs, 2 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese, and 1/2 cup of finely choppd parsley in a bowl.

Dredge the meatballs in the breadcrumb mixture, shaking off excess. Coat the bottom of a large sauté pan with olive oil, and place the pan over medium-high heat. Fry the meatballs, 3 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.

Pumpkin Penne
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs pumpkin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 ln Penne rigate
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Using the pan in which the meatballs were fried, reduce heat to low, add olive oil and saute onions and garlic, 1-2 minutes. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and red pepper flakes. Sauté over medium heat 5-6 minutes, until pumpkin gets slightly golden. Deglaze the pan with water. Bring to a simmer, and cook, covered, over low heat for 10-12 minutes, until pumpkin is tender.

Cook the Penne until it is almost al dente. Add 1 cup of the pasta water to pumpkin sauce along with heavy cream. Add the pasta and reserved meatballs to the sauce, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Mix in parmesan, and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if necessary.

Rustic Spinach Gnocchi

Fall is here, and though my menu hasn't taken a complete 180 toward soups and stews just yet, I do find myself in the mood for something warm and comforting a lot lately.

Enter the gnocchi - a rustic potato dumpling pasta that's satisfying all year round. I decided to lighten mine up with some greenage.


Rustic Spinach Gnocchi with 10-Minute Marinara
(yield: 4-5 servings)
 

1, 10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed
2 large Idaho potatoes, peeled & cut into medium dice
1 egg
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 of a small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups (16 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup basil leaves, chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
3 oz goat cheese

Place potatoes into a medium pot filled with cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to low simmer, and cook 12-14 minutes, until fork tender. Drain and Transfer to a large bowl. Drain the thawed spinach, squeezing out every last drop of water, and add to potatoes. While the potatoes are still warm, mash together with the spinach. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly, and mix in the egg. Begin to incorporate 1 cup of the flour, until a dough forms and ceases to stick to your fingers. Divide the dough into 4 pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Make the Marinara Sauce: Warm a saucepan over medium-low heat, and add olive oil. Add onions and garlic to the pan, and sweat 2-3 minutes. Place crushed tomatoes and basil into the pan. Simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and use either an immersion blender or potato masher to smooth out any chunks of tomato that remain.

Roll the dough: Working with 1 piece of dough at a time (keep the rest refrigerated in the meantime). Flour your work surface and hands with some of the remaining flour, and gently roll the dough with the palms of your hands to form a long cylinder, about 1 inch thick. Cut the cylinder into 1-inch pieces, adjusting the shape of the gnocchi with your fingers. Repeat with remaining dough. Place gnocchi into a large pot of boiling, salted water. You may have to cook them in batches so as not to overcrowd the pot. Cook 3-4 minutes, until they begin to float. Drain gnocchi and toss with the marinara sauce. Crumble some goat cheese over the top, and dig in.

The Chopstick Diet

Ever since I started eating sushi, I've convinced myself that the use of chopsticks as opposed to a fork promotes weight loss. Sort of a bold thing to declare, but if put less literally, I just assumed that using chopsticks allows you to pace yourself during a meal, and in effect consume less food than you would otherwise. 

Apparently, I'm not the only genius out there, and such a theory already exists...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/4271430/Eating-with-chopsticks-helps-lose-weight.html

In any case, I love food that gives me an excuse to use anything other than a fork and spoon. And now with my theory officially confirmed, I have reason to use chopsticks all the time, yay!

Soba Noodles with Japanese Eggplant & Tofu
yield: 6-7 servings


canola oil, as needed
1 lb (3 medium) Japanese eggplants, sliced on the bias into 1/2-inch slices
3 scallions, sliced on the bias
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 inch piece ginger, finely chopped
3 tbsp peanut butter
4 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp brown sugar
1 lb tofu, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups enoki mushrooms
1 1/2 cups hot water 
1 lb soba noodles
1/2 cup bean sprouts
3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

Fill a large, deep pot with canola oil to reach 1/4 inch up the sides. Heat over medium-high heat. Brown the eggplant, about 4 minutes per side. With a slotted spoon, remove the eggplant from the pot, lower the heat, and add scallions (reserving 1/2 cup for garnish), garlic, and ginger. Saute 1-2 minutes.
Stir in peanut butter, oyster sauce, and brown sugar. Cook 1-2 minutes, until everything dissolves. Place the browned eggplant, tofu, and enoki mushrooms into the pot, and add water. Bring to a boil. Cover, and simmer 25-30 minutes, until eggplant is completely tender.

Cook the soba noodles: Place noodles into a large pot of boiling salted water, and cook 6-7 minutes.
Transfer noodles to the pot with vegetables. Add bean sprouts and sesame seeds and stir to combine. Garnish with reserved scallions.

Grab some chop sticks, and go.

Hemp - the unsung supercrop

Contrary to what many may think, hemp is not marijuana. The list of functions which industrial hemp can serve goes on and on, but what intrigues me most about this super crop is its unique flavor and versatility as an ingredient.

Recently I've been working on some recipe development and testing for Hemp.com. I was amazed to learn how many different culinary forms hemp takes on. Hemp seeds, hemp flour, hempseed oil, and hemp protein powder are among the many hemp products currently on the market.

Its delicious nutty flavor makes hemp an awesome ingredient to work with. But beyond flavor, hemp's nutritional value is something truly noteworthy. An incredible source of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, this super food is great for pregnant or nursing women, let alone anyone.

The other day, I cooked up a storm of hemp-based recipes for a photo/video shoot. They will all eventually be up on Hemp.com, but here's a little taste:

Penne with Spinach & Hempseed Pesto
yield: 5-6 servings

              























4 cups baby spinach
2 cloves garlic
1 cup hulled hemp seeds
1 cup grated parmigiano regianno, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup hempseed oil
salt & pepper, to taste
1 lb Penne
1 cup heavy cream

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a food processor, until a smooth puree forms. With the machine still running, slowly drizzle in the hempseed oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Cook penne  to al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

3. Place prepared pesto into a pan that is large enough to fit all of the pasta. Place pan over medium-low heat, and stir in the heavy cream and reserved cooking water. Once the sauce is completely smooth, add the pasta and mix gently to coat. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Sprinkle with more parmigiano reggiano.