• 16-20 oz ground turkey
• 1 medium onion
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 to 2 bottles not so sloppy (it all depends on how sloppy you like your joes)

Brown turkey with onion and garlic, add sauce. It’s as easy as that!

Last night stumbled arcross this blog, Kalyn’s Kitchen, looks like it has lots of great recipes and ideas I would like to try. Starting with this one, although first I will need to make a trip to Penzey’s.

Rosemary Salt
(makes about 4 cups)

3 cups sea salt crystals
1 1/2 cups dried rosemary (cracked rosemary is best)

(If you don’t have cracked rosemary, measure rosemary and put into food processor with steel blade attached. Process about 2 minutes, until rosemary is broken into small bits.)

Combine salt and rosemary in food processor and process with steel blade less than one minute, until salt and rosemary are well combined. Don’t process too long. You want this to still have a slightly chunky texture.

Suggested uses: Use sparingly, as you would regular salt. Sprinkle on fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, or avocado. An excellent seasoning for eggs, potatoes, butternut squash, or chicken. Delicious on any type of roasted or grilled vegetables.

Name: Cline Zinfandel
Type: Red Zinfandel
Country: USA (California)
Year: 2006
Price: $7.99
Worth? $15 ($30 at a restaurant)

Winemaker’s notes

Cline’s California Zinfandel displays a wide array of dark berry fruit including black cherry and raspberry, spice notes and a lasting finish of vanilla from oak aging. Firm, supple tannins add complexity to this wine.

Food Pairings:
Strong, sharp cheeses, beef and lamb, tomato-based pastas.

I liked this wine. Fruity and strong, but not to sharp. A little oakines, but still very smooth. Decanted the wine for about an hour and a half and the flavors really came out. Would go great with a burger fresh off the grill.

Hot Crabmeat Appetizer

Simple, tasty appetizer, great for parties. I have used reduced fat cream cheese (cut back on the milk if you use reduced fat), but would not recommend fat-free. Best at room temperature.

Ingredients

• 8oz. cream cheese
• 2 6oz. cans crab meat
• 2 T finely chopped scallions
• 2 T milk
• 2 T cocktail sauce

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients and spoon into a 9-inch pie plate or similar over safe dish.
3. Bake for 15 minutes or until bubbly.
4. Remove from oven, let cool to room temperature and serve with crackers.

Sweet and Sour Brisket

This brisket is so, so good. And easy.

Ingredients

• 1 (3-pound) beef brisket, first-cut or flat-half cut, trimmed of any excess fat
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium onion, cut in 1/2, then thinly sliced into 1/2 moons
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped (about 1 tablespoon)
• 15 oz. can tomato sauce
• 8oz beer or lager (or chicken broth)
• 3 tablespoons firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 6 black peppercorns
• 2 allspice berries

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
2. Pat the brisket dry and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a Dutch oven or braising pot. Sear the brisket until it is browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the brisket to a plate.
3. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and cook the onion, stirring a few times, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add beer or broth. Add the tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, peppercorns, and allspice and stir to combine well. Bring mixture to a boil, return brisket and any accumulated juices to the pot, spoon some of the tomato-vinegar mixture over the brisket, cover tightly, and transfer to the oven. Cook until the brisket is fork tender, 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
4. Remove the brisket from the oven, transfer the meat to a cutting board, and let rest for 10 to 20 minutes or, if serving later, cover and refrigerate the meat and sauce for several hours or overnight. When you are ready to serve, cut the meat against the grain into 1/4- inch thick slices.

Yield: 10 servings, serving size: 4-ounces brisket plus 3 tablespoons of sauce

Calories 360
Fat 12g
Total Carbohydrates 14g
Fiber 1g
Protein 46g

I am going to fore go the usual format with label image and wine maker notes because this wine was just plain bad. I opened the bottle of Bolla Pinot Noir and poured a bit - color was very orange-ish. Took 2 sips - terrible. I have tasted better vinegar. The good news is that I only paid $5.69 for the bottle (Haskell’s wine sale), the bad news is that I bought 2 bottles.

I love this knife. I love it so much I have 2 of them. It is a Santoku Knife, a Japanese general purpose kitchen knife. I have heard it described at a cross between a chef’s knife and cleaver. I use it for everything except bread and tomatoes (I have a wonderful tomato knife from my mom). Calphalon is the brand of my knife, and the only one I have tried, but I bet you could find good santoku knives in your favorite brand.

Protein Pancakes

These are the only pancakes you will ever need. Don’t let the name make you think they are icky tasting health food - they are absolutely delicious! Lighter than traditional pancakes - some say they are a cross between a crepe and a pancake.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup old fashioned oats (uncooked)
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 4 egg whites
• 1-2 tsp. Cinnamon
• Splenda or sugar (optional)
• Half scoop vanilla protein powder (optional)

Preparation

1. Put oats in blender or food processor and pulse to chop oats.
2. Add all other ingredients, blend well.
3. Pour onto hot griddle and cook 1-2 min per side.

Calories 320
Fat 2.5g
Total Carbohydrates 32g
Fiber 4g
Sugar 5g
Protein 34g (this doesn’t take into account the optional sugar and protein powder)

Last night I made a healthy version of shrimp scampi, taken from Healthy Appetite with Ellie Krieger. I watch the show on occasion, I like some of her dishes, I fast-forward through most of the show. This one is good - if you don’t expect it to taste much like scampi, i.e. full of butter (there is no butter in it). It should just be named “Shrimp with Artichokes”. I added aspargus as well, at the sime time as the shallots and garlic - very tasty. I also added some Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning because I can’t seem to cook without it. This recipe would also be good with some whole-wheat angel hair pasta.

Shrimp Scampi with Artichokes

This recipe would be good with some whole-wheat angel hair pasta. Asparagus optional.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced (about 4 teaspoons)
• 2 medium shallots, thinly sliced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1 1/4 pounds large shrimp (about 20), peeled and deveined
• 1 (11-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, or 1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained, and quartered
• 1/3 cup dry white wine (1/2 if adding asparagus)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed into 1-inch lengths

Preparation

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots (and asparagus) and cook, stirring until softened but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Add shrimp, artichoke hearts, wine, and lemon juice and cook until the shrimp are cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. Stir in the parsley, salt and pepper. Divide among 4 plates, garnish with additional parsley, and serve.

Organic food is good food - better for the environment, better for you. But lets face it, we can’t all afford to buy all organic all the time (that’s a lot of “all”s). I buy organic milk, and sometimes chicken. I should buy more organic fruit and vegetables, now I have a handy list (Source):

Some additional links if you would like to read more:

• Top Produce to Buy Organic
• Organic food: When it isn’t worth it
• Buy Organic Without Breaking the Bank
• The Dirty Dozen

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