Ginger Teriyaki Turkey Buns

It's that time again! So far I've turned Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Oreo Raspberry Glaze into Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes, Penne Alla Vodka into Creamy Penne Alla Vodka, and some Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken into Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken Handpies. Up next on the list are what I proclaimed to be the most amazing burgers ever -- Ginger Teriyaki Burgers.

These burgers were not only made out of beef with a ginger teriyaki sauce mixed in, but also had a slice of pepper jack cheese nestled in the middle. Yum. Although today, I probably wouldn't label them as the "best burger ever", but they are pretty good. I think I was just so excited that I actually came up with my first truly unique recipe.

When it came to re-creating this dish, I knew right away I wanted to switch from ground beef to ground turkey to let the flavor of the sauce come through a bit more. While they go well together, the beef has a heavy enough flavor on its own that it somewhat overpowers and mutes the sauce. This time around I wanted that sauce to shine.

As I kept turning this recipe over in my mind trying to figure out how to change it, I decided I wanted to have it lean more towards Asian-inspired rather than American. I used the classic Char Siu Bao (Chinese BBQ pork buns) as an inspiration to wrap the flavored turkey inside a bun rather than between two halves of one. And it is so.good. I love that the buns are slightly sweet while the sauce reminds me of hibachi grill restaurants that I love so much.

Ginger Teriyaki Turkey Buns

Buns adapted from: Christine's Recipes
Sauce adapted from: Allrecipes.com

2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup very hot water
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup milk
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons water

1 pound ground turkey
1/4 cup onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Teriyaki sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon white vinegar


In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons sugar and hot water. Let sit until sugar has completely melted (may need to put in the microwave for a few seconds). Add oil and milk. Allow mixture to cool to 110-115 degrees F. Add yeast and stir well. Cover with a towel and let sit for 10 minutes in a warm, draft free spot. Mixture should be foamy on top when ready.

Stir in flour with a wooden spoon until the flour is mostly incorporated and the mixture looks shaggy. Knead dough by hand until no longer sticky, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl, turning once to coat. Cover with a towel and let rest in a warm, draft free area until doubled in size (25 minutes).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey in a large skillet over medium heat until no pink remains. Remove from heat & drain.

Combine the onion and next 5 ingredients (through Teriyaki sauce) in a food processor. Process until smooth. Pour sauce over ground turkey, tossing to make sure all the turkey is coated.

Divide dough into 6 equal portions. Flatten each section into a 4-5 inch round, leaving the center thicker. Add about 2 2/3 ounces (about 4 tablespoons) filling to the center of each disk, then fold the ends over each other. Seal the seams well. Place buns seam-side down on the baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 2 teaspoons water. Brush egg wash over each bun. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until buns are golden brown.

Yields: 6 buns

My first attempt at these sweet little buns was a disaster. Actually, I think it was my first failed yeast dough. After 2+ hours the dough had barely risen, definitely not "tripled in size" as it was supposed to. And of course, it was well past time we should have eaten, sooo it ended up being pizza night. But I knew this was the way I wanted to go, not to mention I still had turkey sitting in the fridge. A few nights and a new recipe later, and we had success. I was a little hesitant with using the recipe I did as it had such a short rise time compared to the other recipes I had come across, but trust me, it works.

You could also go the steaming route, which seems to be a bit more popular with Char Siu Bao, but seeing as I don't have the right equipment, baked it was. (And anyways, I think the baked version replaces hamburger buns a little better.) Either way, these will be delicious.

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 395	Calories from fat 117
% Daily Value
Total Fat 12.9g	20%
Saturated Fat 3.4g	17%
Cholesterol 113mg	38%
Sodium 882mg	37%
Total Carbs 40.5g	14%
Dietary Fiber 1.7g	7%
Sugars 6.8g
Protein 27.5g
Vitamin A 1%	Vitamin C 4%
Calcium 5%	Iron 22%

Asian Lettuce Cups

Spring is just around the corner. Despite the fact that there is snow on the ground, and the temps are hovering in the mid-30's, I some how know spring is on it's way. Much like I can tell winter has set in by my change in appetite towards heavy comfort food, the same kind of change happens when spring arrives. Or maybe it was just those two glorious 60 degree days that tricked me. Either way, I've noticed that I am starting to crave less heavy stick-to-your-ribs food and more bright, fresh, and lighter food.

I came across this recipe while flipping through my huge stack of food magazines this past week. I swear I always let those things accumulate for far too long before I get around to tearing out the interesting-looking recipes and throw the rest away. I think it was the concept of the "lettuce cup" that first caught my attention with this recipe, as I have always heard people rave about PF Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps.

I have never had those hyped-up wraps at PF Chang's as I usually get lured away by the promise of lovely steamed dumplings and won-ton soup instead. If these cups are any indication, I think I'm missing out.

Asian Lettuce Cups
Adapted from: Cooking Light, August 2010

2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
8 ounces Baby Bella mushrooms, diced
1 1/4 pound ground turkey
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 heaping teaspoon ground ginger
2/3 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 (8 ounce) can diced water chestnuts, drained
12 Boston lettuce leaves
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons chile garlic paste (such as sambal oelek)

In a large non-stick skillet, warm 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender and just starting to release liquid, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer mushrooms to a large bowl.

In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add turkey, garlic, and ginger to pan. Cook until turkey is browned, about 6 minutes; stirring to crumble. Drain, if necessary.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the hoisin, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and chile paste.

Add the turkey mixture, green onions, and water chestnuts to the bowl with the mushrooms, tossing to mix. Drizzle with the hoisin mixture, continuing to toss until the turkey and mushroom mixture is completely coated.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of the turkey mixture into each lettuce leaf and serve.

Serves: 6

While the idea behind burrito-ing lettuce around ground meat is novel, putting it in to practice and trying to actually eat the dang thing is a whole different story in itself. I ended up with juice running down my hands and chin, looking at Adam, saying "can you pass me another napkin?". Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. Just not exactly something you probably want to do in public, or on a first date, well, unless you're trying to get rid of the guy, and then by all means, have at it. If you're not looking for that kind of mess to accompany your dinner, you could always serve the ground turkey mixture in a bowl over a bed of shredded lettuce. But, what's the fun in that?

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 360	Calories from fat 159
% Daily Value
Total Fat 17.7g	27%
Saturated Fat 3.6g	18%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 97mg	32%
Sodium 552mg	23%
Total Carbs 20.4g	7%
Dietary Fiber 1.3g	5%
Sugars 3.4g
Protein 28.6g
Vitamin A 4%	Vitamin C 22%
Calcium 5%	Iron 17%

Turkey Feta Meatloaf with Tzatziki

I am not a meat craver of any kind. I very rarely have a hankering for a big juicy steak, or dream about half pound or larger burgers, and I'm really just fine with marinara on my spaghetti -- no meatballs necessary. And meatloaf? Just one huge chunk of ground meat smushed together? No thanks, I think I'll pass.

I almost didn't check out Carolyn's post once I saw the word "meatloaf" in the title. Almost. But I did anyways because I love her site and her amazing creativity when it comes to changing regular high-carb food (like cookies) into low-carb treats without losing the flavor. Of course I was skeptical at first, it was meatloaf after all. Then I saw that it was made from turkey rather than beef, and there was spinach, and cheese. I am such a sucker for cheese. Let's not even go into the fact that it's covered and smothered in tzatziki, not ketchup.

This was a flavor profile that I could get behind. Despite the fact it was all wrapped up in a bundle of meat. Let's just ignore that fact for now. I'd rather it not get out that I will actually eat a giant slab of ground meat with no bun to help it along. Let's just keep it a secret between you and me, mmmkay? And we also won't talk about how much I was looking forward to my leftovers for dinner the next night, because, as far as everyone else knows, I don't like those either.

Turkey Feta Meatloaf with Tzatziki
Adapted from: All Day I Dream About Food

1 cup yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 medium cucumber, grated & drained
1/3 teaspoon dried dill
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 (10 ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
2 pounds ground turkey
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup reduced-sodium, fat-free chicken broth
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese

In a medium bowl, mix together the first 6 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt) to make the tzatziki sauce. Place bowl in refrigerator and chill until ready to serve.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 9 1/4" x 5 1/4" x 2 3/4" loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Sauté until onions are translucent and soft, about 15 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the turkey, bread crumbs, broth, egg, onion mixture, spinach, and Worcestershire sauce. Lightly mix together with hands just until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Transfer half the turkey mixture to the loaf pan, spreading evenly across bottom. Top with the feta cheese. Add the remaining turkey mixture, spreading out until even.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the oven and allow the meatloaf to rest 5-10 minutes. Drain the loaf pan if necessary, then place a cutting board face down over the loaf pan. Holding the cutting board against the top of the pan, flip the two over so the cutting board in on the bottom and the loaf pan is upside-down on top of it. Remove loaf pan. Slice the meatloaf and serve drizzled with tzatziki sauce.

Serves: 8

If you haven't gathered by this point, Adam and I both thought this was a fantastic spin on meatloaf. It wasn't super dense as some beef versions can turn out to be. Although making sure not to over-mix your meat is key in that as well. I loved the layer of feta in the middle -- it helps prevent those crumbles from getting lost in all that meat.

I would definitely make this again. It satisfies Adam's "comfort food" craving while not weighing me down like I just ate a ton of bricks. If you are looking for an even lower carb version of this recipe, head on over to All Day I Dream About Food, and you can check out all the other amazing goodies she has as well!

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 409	Calories from fat 200
% Daily Value
Total Fat 22.2g	34%
Saturated Fat 7.5g	38%
Cholesterol 161mg	151%
Sodium 876mg	37%
Total Carbs 12.3g	4%
Dietary Fiber 1.5g	6%
Sugars 5.3g
Protein 38.5g
Vitamin A 69%	Vitamin C 21%
Calcium 24%	Iron 22%

Turkey 'n Taters

With just days until Christmas I figured I would share a couple more recipes we tried out this year for Thanksgiving that would also work beautifully on the Christmas dinner table.

I am simply going to direct you to each of the sites for the recipes (straight there, you won't have to search, don't worry) as we pretty much followed them as written.

Alton Brown's Brined Turkey

No more dried out bland turkey. This one is super juicy and delicious. There's a reason it's the #1 recipe on Food Network.

Pioneer Woman's Creamy Mashed Potatoes

For years we have done the old standby of potatoes mashed with milk and butter, but after seeing The Pioneer Woman dump cream cheese into her mashed potatoes on a Throwdown with Bobby Flay I was sold. These smooth, creamy, fluffy potatoes are not for the faint of heart -- or those trying to stick to a diet. But then, that's not what the holidays are all about, are they?

Turkey Burger Pitas with Tahini Sauce

Let's have a chat for a minute about wasting food, shall we? I HATE wasting food, and I am SO bad about it! Something calls for 1/2 cup of cream? Sure, buy the pint-size carton, use 1 1/2 cups, and then the rest just sits there. And sits there, and sits there, and then eventually gets thrown away accompanied by a disgusted face and the thought "how far past the expiration date is this?" It's not just cream, it's cheeses, milk, herbs, lettuce, spinach... basically, if you can buy it in the produce or dairy section, it's gone bad in my fridge.

Usually though, things go bad because I use what I need for a recipe and then forget about the rest. Or it's leftovers that we just don't feel like eating. But this time it was the worst. A whole pound of ground turkey, never opened, slowly slipped past its expiration date and I had to throw the entire thing out. Gah! I originally had planned to use up my remaining pita bread from the falafels by making these Turkey Burgers. But then we ran out of time, or didn't feel like burgers on that particular night, or hey, I am missing the greek yogurt and don't feel like running to the store... you get the idea. The pitas, smartly, were frozen. The turkey, not. So when I pulled out the pitas to make the burgers, it was only then I realized it was too late.

Well, I wasn't going to waste my pitas AND the turkey, so off to the store we went. By the time we got back from our monster marathon shopping trip (we did the week's grocery shopping, not just a quick pick-up) I once again did not feel like making these. Tough luck, suck it up, and do it anyways. So instead of cooking these in a pan, I decided to pull out the George Foreman (it's the only grill we can have, don't hate) so I could throw them on there and forget about 'em. Turns out these are super easy to throw together anyways and you can probably make the sauce while your burgers cook. Win-win.

Turkey Burger Pitas with Tahini Sauce
Adapted From: Cooking Light, September 2010

1/2 cup plain 0% Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1 pound ground turkey (lean, not extra-lean)
Cooking spray

2 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas, cut in half
1/2 cup green lettuce leaves

In a small bowl, combine first 5 ingredients (through 1/4 teaspoon salt).

In a large bowl, combine onions, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt, onion powder, and turkey. Separate mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add patties to pan, and cook for 4 minutes on each side or until done.

To each pita half, add 1 patty, 2 tablespoons tahini sauce, and abou 1/8 cup lettuce.

Serves: 4

Despite my crafty attempt at trying to cut off some hand-on cooking time, using the George Foreman was a mistake. The patties turned out a little on the dry side. The little fat/juice catcher with the grill was almost full of juice (let's be honest, it was turkey, so we know it wasn't fat). All that tastiness... gone. Which is why I left the original instructions for you to cook these with oil on the stove-top.

My pitas were a little on the thin-side in the middle, thus, I was unable to made those nice, neat little pockets out of my pitas, and instead ended up just quartering them instead. I think it worked out just fine. The tahini sauce is definitely something unexpected (Adam was wondering why his burger had a peanut butter flavor at first) but, you know, it works.

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 412	Calories from fat 168
% Daily Value
Total Fat 18.6g	29%
Saturated Fat 4.7g	24%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 117mg	39%
Sodium 771mg	32%
Total Carbs 23.4g	8%
Dietary Fiber 3.4g	14%
Sugars 1.8g
Protein 38.0g
Vitamin A 4%	Vitamin C 6%
Calcium 8%	Iron 21%

Creamy Taco Mac

When Adam first moved to Pittsburgh (sans me) he was skilled at making two things: pizza rolls and hamburger helper. Well, I guess and going out to eat. :) Once he dragged me out here, things changed a bit -- first I refused live off of pizza rolls and hamburger helper, and I also refused to go out to eat every night as well. As much as I like dining out, it tends to get repetitive after a while, not to mention $$$.

However, I know every once in a while Adam misses his dinner-in-a-box hamburger helper, so when I ran across Annie's Eat's twist on it, I figured, why not?

Creamy Taco Mac
From: Annie's Eats

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
8 ounces dry pasta shapes
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
4 tablespoons taco seasoning
3 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet or sauté pan, cook the ground turkey over medium-high heat until no longer pink. A few minutes before the turkey is cooked through, add the chopped onion to the skillet. Once the turkey is cooked through, mix in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit. Remove from the heat and top with shredded cheddar cheese.

So it's not exactly your typical hamburger helper, but it is fairly close. I like the use of ground turkey (or chicken) to make it a little bit healthier, although I'm sure you could always substitute it with beef. I'm not sure why I was a little surprised by how "taco-y" it turned out -- the only seasoning you add is taco seasoning. I guess I just had "hamburger helper" stuck in my mind. Overall, it's a pretty good dish... fairly hard to mess up for those transitioning from the box to an actual meal. However, if it's time you're looking to save on this dish, I think the box still wins on that one.

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 782	Calories from fat 339
% Daily Value
Total Fat 37.6g	58%
Saturated Fat 16.4g	82%
Cholesterol 195mg	65%
Sodium 968mg	38%
Total Carbs 54.3g	18%
Dietary Fiber 3.5g	14%
Sugars 6.3g
Protein 53.3g
Vitamin A 29%	Vitamin C 24%
Calcium 22%	Iron 33%

Artery Clogging Goodness

Originially, I had planned to try out a tasty-looking Ham and Macaroni Bake recipe from my new Cooking Light magazine, but as I ended up being the only one around for dinner... You know, casseroles just don't work for one person. So what was I to do with all this leftover ham from Easter? My housemates have run off, leaving it up to me to eat it all.

A few days ago, a post for ham recipes prompted me to start thinking about what all I could use the leftover ham for. I immediately thought of Kentucky Hot Browns, before remembering that the base meat is turkey -- not ham. Now, I must admit, even though I grew up in Kentucky I have never had a Kentucky Hot Brown, much less even heard of one until a few months ago (thanks to Throwdown with Bobby Flay).



An original Kentucky Hot Brown consists of toast topped with turkey, tomato, cheese gravy, and two strips of bacon. Well, I had ham. Not turkey. And I don't like tomatoes. So instead, I put a little spin on the good ol' Hot Brown and ended up with something pretty fantastic.

The D.C. Hot Brown

	Start with a piece of toast.
	Fry up a little bit of ham and place on top.
	Fry thin-sliced turkey, and add to top. I used regular deli-style turkey slices.
	Smother with cheese gravy.
	Top with a sliced apple. I used a quarter of an apple per Hot Brown.

In other words, this basically isn't a Hot Brown at all. But I honestly have no idea what to call it. Therefore, it becomes the D.C. Hot Brown.

I wasn't really sure about the whole apple-on-top idea, but I was looking for something to replace the tomato on the original Hot Brown. Turns out, it was an excellent idea. I used Granny Smith apples, and I would definitely recommend using them, as they add just the right amount of sweetness and bite to the dish.

While I did come up with the ingredients, I borrowed the cheese gravy recipe from the Original Hot Brown from Allrecipes.com.

Original Hot Brown
(just the Cheese Gravy part)

2 Tbsp. butter

2 Tbsp. flour

3/4 c. milk

1 Tbsp and 1 1/2 tsp. parmesan cheese, grated

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 tsp. heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour with a whisk or fork, and continue to cook and stir until it begins to brown slightly. Gradually whisk in milk so that no lumps form, then bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Mix in the parmesan cheese and then stir in the beaten egg to thicken. Do not allow the sauce to boil once the egg has been mixed in. Remove from heat and stir in cream.

**I added in about 1/2 an egg (since 1 egg is used in the full recipe for 4 servings) and I probably added in too much.

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
Calories 626	Calories from fat 269
% Daily Value
Total Fat 29.9g	46%
Saturated Fat 14.3g	72%
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 308mg	103%
Sodium 1987mg	83%
Total Carbs 46.6g	16%
Dietary Fiber 3.2g	13%
Sugars 11.0g
Protein 41.5g
Vitamin A 17%	Vitamin C 7%
Calcium 30%	Iron 28%