Turkey Chili that Tastes Like Beef

Turkey Chili that Tastes Like Beef

Yes, Turkey Chili can taste as hearty as Beef  My recipe for Turkey Chili was an experiment.  Could I make a chili as satisfying as a beef chili but using turkey? Often I find ground turkey lacking a lot of flavor for my palate and usually prefer the heartier flavor of beef over either ground chicken or ground turkey. My addition of low sodium soy sauce in this recipe picks up the umami flavor for that heartier taste more like a beef chili. The exact soy sauce I used is by Lee Kum Kee.  This soy has become my new go to because it isn’t as salty as other low sodium brands I have used and the flavor is deep and rich. This is a great recipe for a beginning level cook too. Quick, very simple to make, no need for take out and will reheat very well as most stew type dishes do.   Cutting cholesterol for better health? Go leaner with the ground white meat only turkey. Another option is to substitute ground white meat chicken in this recipe would work well also for watching cholesterol. If you use all white meat ground turkey the cholesterol is less

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Rainy Day Grilled Cheese Surprise

Rainy Day Grilled Cheese Surprise

Rainy days and Tuesdays in New York City… Today has been a dark very rainy cool day in New York City. Lunch for me today was very late.  Starting the New Year super busy!  Busy is wonderful!   I’m not one to just slack off. Sometimes you just need a change of pace for lunch.  This was one of those, “wonder how it would be if I add….” moments in the kitchen.  This will be definitely a make again lunch and a favorite.  If I can I will lay out the Swiss cheese and ham for a bit till they get closer to room temperature to aid the melting of the cheese.   If not and the cheese isn’t runny enough I will often cover the pan till it’s gooey.  Enjoy!! Rainy Day Grilled Cheese Surprise Zesty pickled jalapeños, oozy gooey Swiss cheese, and very thinly sliced ham!   Other versions of this sandwich could be prepared and very tasty with thinly sliced turkey or chicken for sure! Rainy Day Grilled Cheese Surprise Serves 1 2 slices of Swiss Cheese (about the size of the bread slice) 2 ounces thinly sliced ham pickled jalapeño slices 2 slices of whole wheat bread 1 Tablespoon

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Dessert in a hurry….Baked Cranberry Orange Rice Pudding

Dessert in a hurry….Baked Cranberry Orange Rice Pudding

Baked Cranberry Orange Rice Pudding This baked cranberry orange rice pudding recipe was one of those on the fly creations. Just headed into the kitchen to see what kind of quick dessert I could create!  It’ is always fun for me to just wing it in the kitchen! Get your creative on When I head to the kitchen I love to change recipes up or make them up as I go along based on what is on hand.  Kind of like a kid in the candy store!  Life should be fun as often as possible. It’s good to play with your usual recipes with new ingredients, update the technique and adjust quantities.  Always great to have a change of pace in life whether it’s wearing something new, trying a new restaurant, or even traveling. . Not everything created on the fly turns out as perfect as it sounded in your head but can be amazing too!  Some creations are better than others My Inspiration Leftover Rice Inspiration for this recipe was a large container of white rice from the local Chinese restaurant that was leftover.   I could have turned this into a quick fried rice but had a sweet tooth

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Baking Bread 101….The Basics

Baking Bread 101….The Basics

Baking Bread 101…The Basics Whole Wheat bread, bread 101 When I was 10 years old when I taught myself how to bake bread. I’d already been cooking by that time for the family on a daily basis. Baking bread isn’t all that difficult at all! There are some basic steps and techniques to follow. Once you understand those basics, the rest is fun and so rewarding with the way the aroma drifts through the house. After the bread cools down to room temperature who could resist cutting into the loaf and slathering it with a favorite spread, butter or even an herbed butter or, maybe even some olive oil with infused herbs? This is one of my very favorite recipes that I’ve made for many years and the one my kids loved growing up.  A nice basic whole wheat bread that works well for sandwiches and for toasting too.  This will make 3 smaller loaves or 2 good sized loaves. The bread once fully cooled and after about 6 hours can be frozen very well wrapped and air tight in plastic bags such as these.  Use this trick….stick a straw into the bag and suck out the excess air to

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Hearty Chunky Beef Chili with 3 Beans

Hearty Chunky Beef Chili with 3 Beans

Hearty Chunky Beef Chili with 3 Beans I just love that warming feeling during the winter weather with a spicier stew like chili.  It really is in the stew family. When you think of Super Bowl or cold snowy days, what could be better than a nice steaming pot of chili? I’ve been playing around with chili recipe ideas for a while and this one is hearty, flavorful, spicy but not so overtly spicy.  All people don’t like spicy foods.  It is more kid friendly than many recipes for chili that I have seen so the kids may not turn their nose up at it. Kids are more sensitive to strong flavors then adults usually. This recipe can always be spiced up even more by serving your favorite hot sauce when serving so everyone is happy. Lately I’ve been using Frank’s hot sauce because I like the heat plus tang it has. Always err on the side of less salt and less heat in a recipe, you can bump it up later. Isn’t that one of the best parts of from scratch cooking?   It’s to your taste!   Chunky Beef Chili with 3 Beans This is a chunky version

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