Best Baked Salmon- Mel's Kitchen Cafe

 Ingredients

⅓ cup soy sauce

¼ cup packed light or dark brown sugar

¼ cup water

¼ cup avocado oil, olive oil, or grapeseed oil (see note)

1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar or white vinegar

3 cloves garlic, finely minced, or 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

Pinch red pepper flakes, optional

Lemon pepper seasoning

4 to 6 boneless salmon filets, 4 to 6 ounces each (skin on or off – see note)

Instructions 

In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, oil, vinegar, and garlic until well-combined and the sugar is dissolved. (See note below if you don't have time to marinate the salmon before proceeding to the next step.)

Pour the marinade into a shallow dish that can fit all the salmon filets in a single layer. Place the salmon filets skin side up in the marinade. If using skinless salmon, flip the salmon halfway through marinating time.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 8 hours.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a half sheet pan with foil and lightly grease with cooking spray. Remove the salmon from the marinade and place it skin side down on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle each piece of salmon lightly with lemon pepper seasoning.

Bake the salmon for 10 to 15 minutes until an instant read thermometer inserted at the thickest part registers 125 degrees F (for medium-rare) to 140 degrees F (for medium-well). The exact time will depend on the thickness of the salmon – add cooking time as needed.

Let the salmon rest for 5 to 7 minutes (the internal temperature will climb a few more degrees). Serve warm.

Notes

Oil: The listed oils are my preferred oils. However, canola or vegetable oil can also be used in the recipe. 

Salmon: if using a large filet of salmon, either a) cut it into pieces of equal size before using in the recipe OR b) marinade the entire filet (in a dish that will accommodate the size), bake as one large filet (adding time as needed – may need 15 to 20 minutes in the oven), and cut into individual serving-size pieces after baking. 

Marinating Time: ideally, this salmon tastes best if it can marinate for at least 2 hours. However, if you are short on time or haven’t planned ahead, instead of marinating the salmon, place the salmon on a foil-lined, greased baking sheet. Spoon  marinade over each piece of salmon and sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning. Reserve the remaining marinade. Bake as directed. About 5 minutes before the salmon is finished baking, brush/spoon some of the reserved marinade over the salmon (then allow it to finish baking). 

Air Fryer Option: the salmon can be cooked in an air fryer instead of in the oven. Preheat air fryer to 400 degrees F. Place the salmon filets in a single layer. Cook for 7 to 9 minutes (exact time will vary based on brand of air fryer and thickness of salmon). 

 

Rio Grande Quesadillas

Ingredients: 

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

3/4 cup water

1 envelope taco season (can adjust depending on your preference)

1 cup refried beans

6 flour tortillas

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Bring chicken, water, and taco seasoning to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in beans. Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mix over 1/2 of a tortilla; top with cilantro, onions, and cheese. Fold the tortilla over. Cook quesadillas over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side. 

Chicken & Rice Soup

 Place the following in a large stock pot/dutch oven :

1.25 lbs chicken

4 carrots, diced

3 celery ribs, diced

1 cup diced onion

6 cups water

5 tsp. chicken bouillon 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 box long grain & wild rice, remove  seasoning packet and set aside

Boil til chicken is cooked. Remove chicken and boil until rice is cooked and veggies are tender.  

Cream sauce ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup flour

2 cups milk

In a saucepan melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Cook for about 1 minute.  Gradually add in milk while whisking.  Once all the milk has been added, continue to whisk and cook until thickened.  Pour into soup.  Dice chicken and add to soup. Add in seasoning packet from the box of rice. 

Crock Pot Pork Chops

 Ingredients

6 thick-cut boneless pork chops

1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce

3 cans cream of mushroom soup

salt and pepper

vegetable oil

Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of pork chops. In a skillet over medium high heat sear both sides of pork chops and place in crock pot. Add cream of mushroom soup and Worcestershire sauce over pork chops. Cover crock pot with lid and cook for 6-8 hours.  Pork chops will be fork tender and are great served with rice or mashed potatoes. 

Meatball Sliders

12 Italian meatballs, frozen

1/2 jar spaghetti sauce

12 Hawaiian sweet rolls

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

2 T. butter, melted

½ tsp. garlic salt

½ tsp. Italian seasoning

1. Heat oven to 375°. Place frozen meatballs on a microwave safe plate. Cook for 2 minutes. 

2. Place meatballs in a skillet with spaghetti sauce. Cook on medium high til meatballs are heated through and sauce is hot

3. While meatballs are simmering, cut the rolls in half, horizontally, leaving rolls attached to each other.

4. Place the bottom section of rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Place one meatball covered in sauce on each roll. Sprinkle the meatballs with cheese and place the top section of rolls over meatballs.

5. Combine melted, butter, garlic salt and Italian seasoning. Using a pastry brush, baste the top of the rolls with the melted butter and spices and sprinkle on more cheese. 

6. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for 8 minutes.

7. Remove foil and bake for another 4 minutes.

 

Korean Beef

 1 tablespoon oil

1 pound ground beef

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4-1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

salt and pepper to taste

optional frozen peas/broccoli; rice

minced green onions to garnish

Cook ground beef and drain fat.  Add sugar, soy sauce and ginger. Can add frozen peas or broccoli. Serve with rice.

Spicy Chicken Tacos

 

1 tablespoon oil

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons pureed chipotle peppers in adobo

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon cumin

3/4 cup canned crushed fire roasted tomatoes

3/4 cup chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

tortillas

cilantro, diced red onion, cheese

1. Sautee onions in oil for about 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

2.  Stir in chipotle, oregano, and cumin. Cook for about 1 minute.

3.  Add tomatoes, stock and salt. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 7 minutes.

4. Transfer to blender/food processor and puree until smooth.  Return to pan over low heat.  Add chicken and cook for 5 minutes.  Serve with warm tortillas and cilantro, red onion and cheese to garnish.

Guiltless Alfredo Sauce

I have switched to using this Alfredo sauce for chicken & broccoli Alfredo.

(taken from Our Best Bites)

2 C low-fat milk
1/3 C (3 oz) low fat cream cheese
2-3 T flour
1 t salt
1 T butter
3 garlic cloves
1 C grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Place milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.  In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, you don’t want to burn it.

Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now.

When it’s nice and thickened remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Season with additional salt if needed.  Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

One Pan Sausage and Tortellini from Six Sisters' Stuff

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound ground sausage
• 3 cups spaghetti sauce or marinara sauce
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 20 ounces fresh tortellini
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add in the sausage, crumbling it into small pieces. Cook until browned well. Drain off any excess grease.
2. Stir in spaghetti sauce, water, Italian seasoning, and tortellini. Bring mixture to a boil.
3. Then turn heat to low, cover and simmer for about 8 minutes until tortellini is tender.
4. Remove from heat and stir in mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese. It will melt in with the warm tortellini pasta.
5. Optional - you can sprinkle additional cheese on top before serving.

** The first time I made this I didn't really like it, but I decided to try it again.  The second time I made it I used Italian sausage instead of plain sausage, and I used frozen cheese tortellini from WinCo because it was way cheaper than fresh tortellini.  I liked it a lot better the second time and the family ate all the leftovers.  

Sweet Pork Chimichangas from Six Sisters' Stuff

Ingredients

• 1 (2-3 pound) pork roast*
• 2 cups chunky salsa**
• 1 (12 ounce) can Dr. Pepper**
• 2 cups brown sugar**
• 8 flour tortillas
• 1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
• nonstick cooking spray

* I shop for pork labeled carnitas or  pork shoulder butt

(**I cut the sauce ingredients in half.  It's still plenty of sauce.)

Instructions

1. Place pork roast in slow cooker and fill halfway with water. Cook 4 hours on high.
2. Drain water, cut pork into thirds, mix salsa, Dr. Pepper and brown sugar together, pour on top of pork and cook for 4 more hours on low.
3. For chimichangas: Drain liquid and shred pork. Save some liquid and mix it back in with the pork to keep it moist.
   - For tacos, shred pork and stir with sauce, do not drain.
   
   If making chimichangas:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Evenly divide pork, refried beans and cheese between 8 tortillas.
3. Fold up each tortilla into a rectangular packet around the filling and place folded side down in a 9x13-inch baking dish.
4. Spray the tops of the chimichangas generously with nonstick cooking spray.
5. Place in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes.
6. Remove from oven, turn over each chimichanga and return to the oven to cook for an additional 15 minutes. 

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

This recipe is adapted  from the following website
http://juliasalbum.com/2015/09/chicken-broccoli-alfredo-recipe/

Ingredients

·         1 bag frozen broccoli florets
   1 lb fettuccine noodles or  8 oz of penne pasta

·         1 tablespoon canola oil

·         1-2 chicken breasts, depending on their size and how much chicken you like

·         4 garlic cloves, minced

Sauce
 (Taken from Chef in Training)

• ½ cup butter
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups heavy cream
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1½ cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese (not the grated stuff from a jar/plastic container due to the celluose added to prevent clumping)

*I buy a block of parmesan cheese and grate it right before I used it

Instructions

1.      Put broccoli in a microwaveable dish.  Add 2 tablespoons of water, cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes.  After it's done cooking, keep it covered and set to the side

2.      Cook pasta al dente, (about 10 minutes) drain.  (While I was cooking the chicken and the sauce I would occasionally run the noodles under hot water to keep them from drying out and sticking together)

3.      In a large skillet heat olive oil and butter on medium-high heat (until hot but not smoking) and saute chicken breast (seasoned generously with salt and pepper on both sides) until the internal temperature is 160 degrees.  Remove the skillet from heat, cover with the lid, and let the chicken rest. Once the sauce has is ready  cut the chicken into either strips or chunks. 

4.      Add minced garlic to the same skillet and cook it in chicken juices and oil remaining in the pan, scraping up the chicken bits from the bottom of the pan, on medium heat for about 30 seconds until garlic is fragrant, making sure to avoid burning. Drain any liquid from the broccoli  and mix in with garlic. Cook for about 1 minutes. Remove from the pan.

To make the sauce:

1. In a  clean medium sauce pan over medium heat melt butter. Add garlic, cream, pepper, and salt.
2. Bring to a low boil and reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 8 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Remove from heat and slowly add cheese.
4. Return to stove on low and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

     Add cooked pasta to the creamy sauce, then add broccoli. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Top with sliced, cooked chicken.

Red Chile Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe- these are sweeter than most enchilada recipes I have tried. I left out the jalapeno pepper.

 

Red Chile Sauce Chicken Enchiladas

Yield: Makes 12 enchiladas

Ingredients

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped fine
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 2 (8-oz) cans tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large chicken breasts)
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
• 12 (6-inch) soft corn or flour tortillas (fajita-size for flour tortillas)
• cooking spray
• salt and ground black pepper

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a simmer.
2. Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 12-20 minutes, depending on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts you are using. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool. Continue to simmer the sauce over medium heat until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Strain the sauce through a strainer into a medium bowl, pressing the onion mixture to extract as much liquid as possible. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the leftover onion mixture from the strainer to a large bowl and set aside.
4. Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Add to the onion mixture in the large bowl. Also stir in 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Monterey Jack cheese and the cilantro. Toss to combine.
5. Stack the tortillas on a plate and cover with plastic wrap; Microwave on high until warm and pliable, 40-60 seconds. Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
6. Heat oven to 400 F. Pour the enchilada sauce evenly over the top of the enchiladas. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil and bake 20 minutes, or until heated through.
7. Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.
8. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, if desired.

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: Follow the recipe, letting the sauce, onions and chicken come to room temperature before assembling the enchiladas. Finish following the recipe instructions and instead of baking, cover the pan with a layer of tin foil and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. Bake covered for 20 minutes, uncover and bake an additional 5-10 minutes. Alternately, the assembled enchiladas can be covered with a double layer of tin foil and put inside a jumbo-size ziploc bag (if you don’t have a jumbo-sized bag, make sure the edges of the pan are sealed well with tin foil). Freeze for up to 2-3 months. Bake from frozen, baking for 1 1/2 hours covered at 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake an additional hour until hot and bubbly.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

From Mel's Kitchen Cafe
* After making this recipe, it made way more than six wraps.  I would probably cut the amount of rice in half the next time I make it.  I used chicken that I had pressure canned and left out the bell pepper. 

Yield: Makes 6 wraps

Note: This is one of the most adaptable recipes on here (reading through the comments will prove that – your variations sound amazing!). Feel free to up the cilantro, add in a different meat of your choice, eliminate the pepper, add green chilies – seriously, the options are endless.

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
• 1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef)
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
• 1/2 red or green pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combination of Monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
• Sour cream (optional)
• 6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

Directions

1. Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to dollop little bits of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don’t fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.

Recipe Source: original recipe from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

BBQ cups

1 lb. ground beef
1/2 c BBQ sauce
1 T. minced dried onions
1 can grands jumbo biscuits (biscuits made from scratch work well)
2 T. brown sugar
3/4 c shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef. Drain off any fat. Add onions, BBQ sauce and brown sugar to meat and mix well. With a rolling pin roll each biscuit flat. You want a nice big flat circle. Press each biscuit into a muffin tin making a nice "bowl" to hold the meat mixture. You will have a little of the biscuit sticking on top. Fill each biscuit with the meat mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese.

Lasagna

1 lb. ground beef
1 16 oz. container cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (approximately)
1 jar spaghetti sauce
3 lasagna noodles broken in half

*I like the oven ready lasagna that I don't have to cook ahead of time.

Brown ground beef. Add spaghetti sauce and mix well. In bottom of pan spread 1/2 cup meat sauce.
First layer: 3 pieces of lasagna noodles on top of sauce (each piece is really 1/2 regular noodle so it will fit in the 8x8 pan).
Second layer: 1/3 of meat sauce
Third layer: Spoon of cottage cheese (you can use more or less depending on how much cottage cheese you want in each layer) over the meat sauce
Fourth layer: Sprinkle approximately 1 cup of cheese over the cottage cheese. Again, adjust to fit how much cheese you want.

Repeat layers 2 times: noodles, meat sauce, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese

Cover tightly and bake at 425 for one hour.

Taco Soup

2 cans corn
2 cans dark red kidney beans
2 cans Mexican style stewed tomatoes
1 lb. ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning

In large pot/sauce pan brown ground beef. Add taco seasoning and stir. Add corn, kidney beans and tomatoes. DO NOT DRAIN JUICE.
Mix well and heat through. Serve with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and tortilla chips.

*** I like more liquid than this recipe provides. I add about 1/2 can of water using the kidney bean can.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

*Serves 4-6 (depending on if you are serving adults or kids)

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (about 4-5 cloves)
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips or chopped
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
6 ounces fresh spinach
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 cup lowfat milk
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound fettuccine

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a shallow pie plate or similar dish, combine the flour, salt, pepper, basil and oregano. Dip each chicken piece in the flour mixture until both sides are well coated.

In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. Carefully place the chicken breasts in the pan, cooking them for 2-3 minutes on each side, until they are golden and browned but not cooked all the way through (they’ll finish up in the oven). Don’t scoot the chicken around once you lay it in the hot oil! Let the oil work it’s magic to sear the crust on the chicken. If you get all antsy and try flipping too early and/or moving the chicken around the pan, the breading is lightly to fall off. Gently remove the chicken to a foil-lined, lightly greased baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside and tent with foil until ready to use.

While the chicken is cooking, heat a large pot of water to a boil and add the noodles, cooking until al dente. Also, wipe out the skillet with a couple paper towels and return it to medium heat, adding the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and bell pepper, sauteing for 2-3 minutes.

Stir in one tablespoon flour and stir constantly while cooking for another minute. Add the chicken broth to the skillet and bring the mixture to a low simmer, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes. In a small liquid measure, whisk together the cornstarch and cream. Add the spinach, milk and cream mixture to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and sauce is slightly thickened, about 2-4 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.

When the pasta has finished cooking, drain and return it to the pot. Toss the pasta with half of the cheese sauce. Place some of the coated pasta on each plate. Top with a breaded chicken breast and spoon some of the sauce over the top of the chicken and pasta. Serve immediately.

Recipe Source: adapted from More of America’s Most Wanted Recipes

***Changes I made while trying the recipe. My family does not like pepper so I only used about half the pepper called for in recipes. I used whole wheat linguini instead of fettuccine. I used half the amount of parmesan cheese called for.

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta from Chef-in-training.com

Taken directly from website:
10-12 oz penne pasta
2 cups cooked and chopped chicken
3/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups heavy cream (milk would be fine, too)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/3 cup ranch dressing I used Lite House
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions

Cook pasta according to its package's directions. Drain. I always add a little olive oil after I drain it and stir in around so the pasta noodles don't stick together or the pot.
Toss in cooked and chopped chicken as well as cooked and crumbled bacon into the pasta.
TO MAKE RANCH ALFREDO SAUCE: Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and stir to combine. Once you have your roux, add heavy cream (or milk) stir constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in Garlic salt, onion powder and ranch dressing until well combined.
Pour ranch alfredo over pasta, chicken and bacon. Stir to evenly combine.
Add in shredded cheddar cheese and stir to combine.
Pour into a casserole pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.

*We tried tonight and liked it. I used whole wheat pasta (generic wal mart 13oz box) and milk instead of cream. It could use some type of vegetable like corn or broccoli. I used pressure canned chicken, but the husband suggested that chunks of chicken would have been better than the shredded texture of pressure canned chicken.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

1 lb. extra lean ground turkey
2 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 crown broccoli, chopped fine
1-2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 can water chestnuts, chopped fine
1-2 tsp. grated fresh ginger root
2-3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 tsp. sugar
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 peanuts, chopped
lettuce leaves (butter lettuce works the best, but iceberg is also fine)
Thai peanut sauce
Cilantro (optional)

Brown turkey with cooking spray. Add vegetables and rest of ingredients and simmer a few minutes. Wrap a few Tablespoons of mixture in lettuce leaves with a little cilantro and peanut sauce. Yum!

*I left out the red pepper flakes. The Thai peanut sauce was very spicy for us, so we just used a little bit with each serving.

Corn and Squash Soup

Ingredients

12 bacon strips, diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
6 cups mashed cooked butternut squash
2 cans (8-3/4 ounces each) cream-style corn
2 cups half-and-half cream
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Sour cream, optional

Directions

In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings.In the drippings, saute onion and celery until tender. Stir in flour until blended. Gradually stir in broth. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until slightly thickened.Reduce heat to medium. Stir in the squash, corn, cream, parsley, salt, pepper and bacon. Cook and stir until heated through. Garnish with sour cream if desired. Yield: 8 servings (2-1/2 quarts).Nutritional Facts1 serving (1-1/4 cups) equals 381 calories, 26 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 53 mg cholesterol, 1,021 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 6 g fiber, 9 g protein.