Recipe

04.12.

Turkey Tenderloin w/ Blueberry Sauce

I am always looking for something different to cook for dinner. Don’t get me wrong. Sometimes, I just want to fix spaghetti or order out a pizza, but I think we can all agree that we tend to get into a “dinner rut” from time to time.

Well, the other night, I had a Turkey Tenderloin that I had been wanting to cook. I new I wanted to do something different, so I started searching Eating Well’s website. I heart that site by the way. They have plenty of healthy recipes and the ingredients are not foreign sounding names that you look at and go , “HUH???”

Anyway, I searched Turkey Tenderloin recipes and this one came up: Turkey with Blueberry Pan Sauce

Now, before you go “HUH???” again, trust me on this one. It was REALLY good!!! Normally, I would put something like this in front of my kids and they would look at it…… sniff it…. and walk around it like a curious animal before pushing it with their nose over to the side, then eating the stuff they really wanted. *Did I just refer to my kids as dogs?

But NO! They ate it up. Even the little one!

It has the most subtle sweetness to it and let’s be honest. Cranberry Sauce goes just fine with Turkey at Thanksgiving, right?…….Cranberry haters, don’t answer that!

I liked this recipe so much, that I think I may just switch out the traditional Cranberry Sauce next Thanksgiving for something like this instead.

I did notice that the longer the sauce had time to sit in the pan, the sweeter it became. To tell you the truth, I preferred it that way.

I used frozen wild blueberries in mine because I didn’t have fresh on hand. I think either would work just fine. The recipe didn’t state whether or not they needed to be fresh or frozen.

If you want to look up the nutritional info, I have put a link to the recipe here. However, if that kind of thing doesn’t interest you, you could also just look below for the recipe. Notice the *’s . This is used wherever I substituted ingredients for the things I had 😉

Turkey Tenderloin w/ Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound turkey tenderloin
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup chopped shallots (*I used regular onions)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (*I used what I had, which was dried ground)
2 cups blueberries (*I used frozen)
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F. Whisk flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge turkey in the mixture. (Discard any leftover flour.)
Heat oil in a large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add the turkey; cook until golden brown on one side, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the turkey over and transfer the pan to the oven. Roast until the turkey is just cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
Place the skillet over medium heat. (Take care, the handle will still be very hot.) Add shallots and thyme and cook, stirring constantly, until the shallots begin to brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add blueberries, vinegar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt; continue cooking, stirring occasionally and scraping up any brown bits, until the blueberries burst and release their juices and the mixture becomes thick and syrupy, 4 to 5 minutes. Slice the turkey and serve with the blueberry pan sauce.

Enjoy! and let me know what you think!

XOXO,

Esther

Tags: Blueberry, Dinner, Eating Well, Healthy Recipe, Recipe, Thanksgiving, Turkey Tenderloin, Wild Blueberries

02.23.

Dirty Rice Stuffed Collard Greens

Collard Greens have to be one of my favorite things in the world.

They have been ever since I was little and I would eat them at my Grandma’s house.

My first memory of eating collards was me wanting to try them because my Dad was eating them.

I tried a lot of things when I was little just because my Dad liked them. Perhaps, even some things I shouldn’t have when he wasn’t looking!

I did a recipe for Collards called “Easy Peasy Collard Greens” a while back.

Check them out here if you missed them.

The other night for Valentine’s Day dinner, I decided to make a recipe I had done a while back.

I made The Neely’s, Dirty Rice Stuffed Collard Greens.

I love Dirty Rice.

To my surprise, it wasn’t hard to fix. If you have never had Dirty Rice and want to try it before you make it, Bojangles make a great version.

I decided to replace the regular white rice with brown.

Personally, I don’t think you can tell a difference and it’s better for you.

To assemble the Collard Greens, I took a 1/4 cup of the Dirty Rice and placed it in the center of the Collard Green leaf that I had simmered for 5 minutes to soften.

Fold over one side.

Then the other.

Then roll up.

This is what they should look like when rolled up. *Don’t be discouraged if you have some that tear.

As long as you get them into the pan semi together, you will be fine. I had one tear but it was fine.

Pour prepared tomatoe sauce (recipe to follow) into the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan.

Line the rolled up Collard Greens into the pan on top of the sauce.

Top with remaining sauce.

And bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

As you can see, it doesn’t look much different than it did before you cooked it, but it is oh soooo good!

The sweet tomatoe sauce paired with the Collard Greens is AMAZING!

This was our Valentine’s Day dinner. I did Wine Braised Oxtail paired with the Collard Greens and some Artisan Bread.

The recipe for the Oxtails, I will never share.

I didn’t care for it even though the rest of the family did.

My oldest daughter looked like a Cave Man eating hers. (It wasn’t pretty!)

Just keepin it real because some recipes work out and some don’t and I don’t share unless it is a homerun.

I DO , however, hope you will try the Collard Greens.

This one, my friends, is a GRAND SLAM!

*Note: The recipe calls for Pork Sausage, but I’m going to try Turkey Sausage next time and see if it changes the taste too much. It is better for you and has less fat.

*If you have any questions about the recipe, please email me or leave a comment.

xoxo,

Esther

Recipe: Dirty Rice Stuffed Collard Greens

Total Time: 1 hr 45 min

Prep: 15 min

Cook: 1 hr 30 min

Ingredients

Sauce:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can plain tomato sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Filling:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 pound pork sausage, casing removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 bunch collard greens, about 12 leaves, stalks discarded

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sauce:

Saute the onion in oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, until softened. Stir in the tomato sauce, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper. Let simmer for 15 minutes.

Filling:

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown. Once browned, add the garlic, onion, celery, and green bell pepper. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the chicken broth and cayenne. Stir in the cooked rice and parsley, mixing thoroughly and letting the broth reduce until there is no moisture left in the pan. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if necessary.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, over medium heat, add the collard leaves and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.

Lay a collard leaf out on a flat surface and add 1/4 cup of the dirty rice into the center. Fold both the sides into the center and the top and bottom over the center. Roll into a cylinder and repeat with the remaining leaves. If there are any remaining leaves you can chop them up and add to the sauce.

Pour a 1/2-inch layer of sauce into a 13 by 9-inch casserole dish. Arrange the collard rolls, seam sides down, on top of the sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the stuffed collards and cover with foil. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve.

Tags: Bojangles, Brown Rice, Collard Greens, Dirty Rice, Easy Peasy Collard Greens, Grandma's House, Oxtails, Recipe, Southern Food, The Neely's, Tomatoe Sauce

01.19.

Lavender Sugar Scrub

I think everyone needs a good Scrub.

Sugar Scrub that is.

Whether you are a Dude or a Dudette,

we all get dry skin in the Winter ,

AND

for some of us, Summer too! (Umm, yeah that would be me.)

I have an easy home recipe here that takes less than 5 minutes to whip up.

Most of the ingredients can be found in your pantry.

The only ingredient that most do no have is the essential oil.

Other than that, it is just Sugar, Olive Oil (I have Extra Virgin), Chamomile Tea, and your favorite Essential Oil.

The Essential Oil will give you your scent. I used Lavender which gives a Soothing quality so if you are going to bed afterwards, it really helps to calm you.

Lemon is a great scent too!

I almost did Peppermint, so when I run out of this one, I’ll probably do that next time.

You can find Essential Oils at your local craft store, but I bought mine at my local Health Store, called Bay Naturals.

Here is a link to their store: www.bay-naturals.com

The best thing about this is the fact that it makes your skin feel SOOO smoothe when you are finished.

You will have a glow to your skin and who doesn’t love that, right?

Recipe: Lavender Sugar Scrub

Ingredients:

– 1 Cup Granulated Sugar

– 3/4 Cup Olive Oil

– 1 Chamomile Tea Bag

– 1/2 Teaspoon Essential Oil such as Lavender

Directions:

– Cut open tea bag and pour into medium sized mixing bowl.

– Add Sugar and mix well.

– Using 1/4 Cup at a time, add Olive Oil to Sugar mixture until it is the texture of “wet sand”.

– Add essential oil. *If you would like to use more than recipe suggests, that is fine. Add to your liking, but be careful! A little goes a long way and may end up being too strong if you are not careful.

– Store in air tight container.

In shower:

– Wet skin and using scrub, gently massage onto body.

– Allow to sit on skin for 2 to 3 minutes before thoroughly rinsing.

*Be careful, shower floor may be slightly slippery afterwards, so use caution and REMEMBER: A little goes a long way!

Have fun with it! Try your favorite essential oil!

( * This was not a paid advertisement for Bay Naturals. I simply bought my ingredients there. )

Tags: Bay Naturals, Calms, Chamomile, Craft Store, Dry Skin, Easy, Essential Oil, Health Store, Lavender, Lemon, Olive Oil, Peppermint, Recipe, Sugar Scrub, Summer, Tea, Winter

01.17.

Herbed Chicken Parmesan (Picky Eater Style)

I consider myself pretty lucky.

I have children who aren’t that picky when it comes to food.

Well, 2 of my 3 children aren’t that picky.

My four year old is actually in the “picky” faze right now and I’m counting the days until it passes.

While I hold my breath for that,

I decided to try a version of Chicken Parmesan that he and the girls might like.

I call it Herbed Chicken Parmesan…… Picky Eater Style!

I figured anything over Colorful Bowtie Pasta for my little ones is a Homerun any night.

Usually, I will have a little bit of left overs when it comes to most meals.

This, however, had nothing!

Not a crumb!

Not even an itty bitty bowtie.

When my 4 year old cleaned his plate, I knew I had a winner!

So, if you have picky eaters, try this recipe.

Even if you don’t, you’ll love it!

AND! It’s done with Chicken tenders, so Portion control is easy!

Recipe: Herbed Chicken Parmesan (Picky Eater Style)

Ingredients:

1/4 Cup Dry Breadcrumbs

1 Tablespoon Chopped Fresh Parsley

1/2 Teaspoon Dried Basil

1/4 Teaspoon Salt, Divided

1/3 Cup Grated Fresh Parmesan Cheese, Divided

1 Large Egg White, Lightly Beaten (I use Egg Beaters)

1 lb. Chicken Breast Tenders

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 (14.5 oz) Can Tomato Sauce

2 Teaspoons Balsamic Vinegar

1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper

1/3 Cup Shredded Provolone Cheese (I folded 4 slices in half twice, then sliced very thin)

Directions:

– Preheat broiler.

– Combine 2 Tablespoons Parmesan Cheese, Breadcrumbs, Parsley, Basil, and 1/8 Teaspoon Salt in a shallow dish.

– Place Egg White (Or Egg Beaters) in another shallow dish.

– Dip each chicken tender in Egg White, and then dredge in Breadcrumb mixture.

– Melt butter in a large Nonstick Skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, making sure not to over crowd the pan. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until done. Chicken should be golden brown.

– Transfer Chicken to a broiler pan or oven safe dish large enough to hold all of Chicken Tenders. Set aside.

– Combine 1/8 Teaspoon Salt, Tomato Sauce, Vinegar, and Pepper in a microwave-safe bowl.

– Cover with plastic wrap, and vent on one side.

– Microwave on high for 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Spoon over Chicken. Do not discard extra sauce.

– Sprinkle evenly with remaining Parmesan Cheese and Provolone Cheese.

– Broil 2 minutes or until cheeses melt.

– Serve over Tri Colored Bowtie Pasta, drizzled with Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper.

*I say do not discard the sauce because everyone wanted extra to go over their chicken. 🙂