Friday, November 6, 2015

Bacon wrapped turkey meatloaf with kale, apple and cheddar

This is the perfect meatloaf recipe. It combines all of the fall goodness into a tasty lean turkey meatloaf, with just a touch of sweetness from the apple, the tang of sharp cheddar, healthy kale and crispy bacon.

Hope you'll enjoy this as much as I did!



INGREDIENTS:
- 2lbs ground turkey
- 1 bunch of blanched kale
- 1 apple
- 4 oz aged cheddar
- 1 egg
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
- 4 strips of bacon
- 1 tsp each salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika (you can adapt to your taste)


RECIPE:
- preheat your oven at 350F
- grate the apple, chop the blanched kale and cube the cheddar in 1/4 inch cubes
- in a bowl, add the spices and the egg to the ground turkey and mix well

- fold in the panko breadcrumbs, apple, kale and cheddar and mix until well incorporated

- shape the meatloaf in a greased form and wrap with the bacon strips

- bake for about 45 min, or until the internal temperature reads 165F

- enjoy!

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Clear barley and mushroom soup

If you like mushrooms like I do (that is abnormally so), you will love this delicious, simple and healthy take on mushroom soup.
The porcini bring an out of this world earthy flavor and the barley brings a chewy texture. This recipe is just lovely and I make this every year. It takes no more than 30 minutes from start to finish and will never disappoint you!
Try it and let me know what you think!



INGREDIENTS (4 people):
- 1 8oz bucket of cremini or white button mushrooms
- 1 1oz pack of dried porcini mushrooms
- barley, 1 to 2 cups to taste
- 6 cups of chicken broth (you can use mushroom or vegetable broth to keep the recipe vegan)
- a splash of olive oil
- black pepper
- 1 cup of boiling water (not pictured)


RECIPE:
- rehydrate the porcini mushrooms with the cup of boiling water

- while the porcini are rehydrating, slice the fresh mushrooms and saute them in a pot until golden in the olive oil and a good pinch of black pepper (about 5-6 minutes on medium high heat)

Note: the mushrooms will exude moisture and look wet for a minute or two, but continue past that stage. The water will evaporate and the mushroom will eventually brown.
- drain the reconstituted porcini, making sure to reserve and filter the flavorful liquid, chop them and add them and the liquid to the fresh mushrooms

- add the chicken (or veggie) broth and bring to a simmer over medium heat

- add the barley and cook for the recommended time

- when the barley is cooked to your liking, the soup is ready!
- enjoy :)