Wild Rice Hot Dish

Apparently this is a popular casserole in Wisconsin.  I saw the recipe here and thought that it would be really good, but I made some modifications so that there's more grains and less meat and so the prep goes a little bit faster.  And dang, it's good.  As a warning, it does take a seriously long time to bake, and I think it took me about 35 mins to put it together (but I'm a super slow cook). 

Wild Rice Hot Dish

• 1 1/2 cups wild rice (I actually used a packaged blend of wild and other rices)
• 1  pound ground turkey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced (I use as many as I have on hand--last time it was 10 oz)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 2 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon seasoning salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds

Directions

1. In a small bowl, cover the wild rice with cold water and let it soak for 15 minutes while you prepare the rest of the dish.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
3. In a large non-stick skillet (12-inch) begin browning the ground turkey with the salt and pepper After a few minutes, add the onion, garlic and mushrooms. Cook until the onions are translucent and the most of the liquid has evaporated from the mushrooms, about 5-7 minutes (turkey should no longer be pink). Sprinkle the flour and spices over the meat/vegetables and stir to combine. Continue stirring and cook the mixture for about 1 minute over medium heat until it is cooked and golden.
4. Slowly pour in the broth and milk and whisk to incorporate. Cook until liquid boils, continuing to stir.
5. Drain the wild rice. Stir it in to the sauce with the browned hamburger. Transfer the mixture to a lightly greased 9X13-inch baking dish.
6. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove the foil, sprinkle with the almonds and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the almonds are golden and toasted and the rice is tender. Serve immediately.

Turkey Paninis: Three Ways

A few months ago I discovered that you can kind of use a George Foreman grill as a sandwich press, and so we have been eating a lot of paninis.  I always use the individual-sandwich-size ciabatta rolls from Walmart--not the healthiest, but they taste so good in these sandwiches.  These aren't really recipes, just a list of ingredients (because who measures stuff for a sandwich?), but you get the idea.

Apple Gruyère

turkey deli meat

thinly sliced apples

sliced Gruyère cheese (If you don't have Gruyère, I would probably use Moriah's variation which includes cranberry cream cheese instead.  The Gruyère gives it a lot of flavor. )

mayo

ciabatta rolls

Sun-Dried Tomayo Cheddar

sun-dried tomatoes, drained

mayo

turkey deli meat

cheddar cheese

spinach

Pulse like a 1/4 of a cup of sun-dried tomatoes in the food processor.  Mix with mayo and use as a spread. (This is based on a sandwich I had at the cafe at Ellis Island--one of the best sandwiches of my life.)

Cuban--kind of 

turkey deli meat

ham (or turkey ham, I use thicker slices)

sliced pickles

swiss cheese

mayo

After typing these, I feel like they may be kind of obvious, but they taste good :)  Let me know if you have any whole wheat ciabatta alternatives. 

Moroccan Roasted Carrot Quinoa Salad

This is one of Steven's very favorite meals, and I usually make it about once a month (which is a lot for me!).  It's very healthy and quick to throw together--just chop prep the rest of the ingredients while the carrots are roasting and the quinoa is cooking.  As a sidenote, it's also vegan, if you ever need to cook for a vegan.  I make the Moroccan spice mix in larger batches and then store it in a little tupperware so that it is even faster to make. Recipe is from here.

Moroccan Roasted Carrot Quinoa Salad

4 large carrots (peeled and slices 1/4 inch thick)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon moroccan spice blend
1/2 cup red quinoa (red quinoa is a  harder to find and it's pretty expensive, but I think it really makes a big difference in this recipe)
1/2 cup white quinoa
2 cups water
2 teaspoons moroccan spice blend
1 cup chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
1/4 cup red onion (diced)
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup pine nuts (toasted)
1/4 cup fresh parsley (chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon, zest and juice (I actually just forgo the zest and add lemon juice and olive oil to taste)
1 teaspoon moroccan spice blend
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Toss the carrots in the olive oil along with the spices.
2. Arrange the carrots in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Roast in a preheated 400F oven until tender, about 20 minutes, turning them once in the middle.
4. Simmer the quinoa in the water along with the spices until the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
5. Mix the carrots, quinoa, chickpeas, onion, raisins, pine nuts and parsley in a bowl.
6. Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, moroccan spice blend, salt and pepper in a small bowl and then toss the salad in it.

Moroccan Spice Blend

2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper