My New Easy Go-To

So I know I said I would be posting more back in September... 

Yeah. 

That didn't happen. 

BUT - GRADUATION DID! 

I now have my bachelors in nursing science!  GO ME!  And then the holidays came and went.  They were super fun filled with super foods and super drinks.  In a way though I am glad they are over.  The partying can get to be a little much and my body was definitely screaming for me to get my act together.  That's where this post comes from.  Getting my act together. 

I wanted to share with you my new favorite go-to meal.  Curry Turkey Bites with Apricot-Ginger Sauce from Nom Nom Paleo is like a spicy-sweet dream!  Not only is it super easy, your family and/or friends will think you slaved for hours while also begging for you to make them again tomorrow.  I also like to double or triple the batch as they make excellent leftovers all week. 

When I do make these I usually only make the turkey bites and the sauce because the bites are loaded with veggies.  Also - confession (kind of), though Matt and I have drastically changed the way we eat (I have lost 40.4 pounds total since mid-August - that's just over 18 more pounds since I saw you last which included ALL the badforyou holidays including Halloween, Thanksgiving, Festivus, Christmas Eve-Eve, Christmas Eve, Christmas, the day after Christmas, Uncle Ron's Birthday, NYE, and Grandma's New Year's Day Party.  What?  You and yours don't celebrate all the time at the end of the year?  I told you the partying had to come to an end....)

WHOA!  I got way off topic.  What I was confessing was that the way I make these and the way Michele, the original author, makes these is slightly different because I use an apricot preserve with added sugar.  It's all I could find in my neck of the woods.  But it's local so I figured its good enough.

Now, lets get to the FOOD!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.  Then combine 1 pound of ground turkey, 2 cups of shredded sweet potatoes, 1 cup of finely chopped swiss chard (or any kind of chard really - I have tried them all), and one large whisked egg.

I also add 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 teaspoon of minced ginger, 1 serrano pepper, seeded and minced, 2 thinly sliced green onions, 1 tablespoon of good quality curry powder (I like Penzeys), 2 teaspoons of salt, and finally the juice and zest of 1 lime.

A smidge off topic again, there are certain items I have discovered that I love to cook with, kind of like the hot curry powder.  I have recently discovered this ginger "paste" at my grocery's produce section.  This stuff totally works, tastes great and is soo easy!  Go buy it for extra-awesome convenience!

I mix everything with my hands until I have one HUGE turkey bite.

I then make the turkey into 1-2 tablespoon balls, placing them about 2 inched apart on the parchment paper.  Taking my hand I smash the balls into about 1/2 inch thick patties.  (Your hands really are a wonderful tool for this particular recipe!)

Per the directions I only cook one tray at a time.  I just do it that way because that's the way Michele says to do it.  I'm obedient like that sometimes. 

I cook each tray for 15 minutes, rotating the tray half way through.

While the turkey bites bake, it's time to start the sauce.  In a saucepan I combine 2 tablespoons of coconut aminos, 1/2 cup of apricot preserves, and 1/2 teaspoon of minced ginger.  I stir the sauce over medium heat until simmering, remove the pan from the heat source and stir in 1/4 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

Coconut aminos is made from a coconut tree's sap.  It is very similar to soy sauce and very common in paleo cooking.  I can only find it on amazon because every time I have made the trip to Whole Foods on the other side of town they have been out. 

This is the good part of the recipe:  EAT!  Plate up your turkey bites and serve with a side of the sauce.  These bites have a spicy kick and honestly it's a bit too much for my kids.  But they are soooo delicious and Matt and I eat them up every time!  I hope they become your next go-to too!  You won't be disappointed!

I promise I will begin to post more recipes.  I have been taking tons of pictures and just need to take the time to load.

Till next time!

(After re-reading my post I realized it feels like I am getting paid for some of these products.  I'm not.  At all.  (Though that might be cool.)  I just really liked this stuff, know it can be difficult to find, and wanted to share!  HAPPY COOKING!)

After a long search, I finally found one!

I am embarrassing myself a bit here and admitting that I never had Indian food till I met my fiance. Yeah, I know - a Cincinnati native where there are Indian restaurants on every corner downtown and on the east side... But somehow I never got around to trying it.

For our first official date out (2 years and 9 months ago - crazy how time moves), Matt took me to Clifton's Ambar India on Ludlow and ever since then I have been completely hooked! Seriously, I feel like I could eat there at least once a week, but my pocketbook won't allow it as the prices aren't that cheap! So, not too long ago I thought I would try preparing Indian food myself. My first attempt went horribly wrong and it was a long time till I tried it again. Trying recipe after recipe, I could never get the authentic taste to happen in my own kitchen. Then I found this recipe: Spicy Vegan Potato Curry. Not only does this recipe give me that Indian flavor that I have grown to love, it is also SUPER easy (it's almost no prep - you only chop potatoes and onions), and SUPER tasty! I serve the curry over rice and have nan bread on the side for the extra sauce!!!

To start out, I cube about 5 potatoes and boil them in salted water for about 15 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, I heat some olive oil in my wok (woks: not just for Chinese food!) and add 1 medium chopped onion and a couple spoonfuls of minced garlic.

Here is something kind of different I like to do, when preparing a recipe that requires a lot of spices, I like to get them all measured and mixed together in a small dish so I am not reaching for different things in my cabinet while also trying to measure and stir. It just seems to make the job a lot easier for me when I am trying to do 7 different things at once. Here you'll find all the different spices that make this curry wonderful: cumin, cayenne, curry powder, garam masala, ginger, and salt. It really is a perfect combination for a homemade curry!

Once the onions are tender, I add the entire mix of spices. I let the spices cook together for about 5 minutes before I add the remaining ingredients. Be sure you keep the mixture moving in the pot, otherwise it starts to stick and burn, which is never good!

The first addition to the curry in an undrained can of diced tomatoes.

After the tomatoes have been mixed in, I add in a can of drained and rinsed garbanzo beans, and about 3/4th's cup of thawed and drained frozen peas. This is also about the time I drain my potatoes in the colander...

And then I dump those into the curry mix! Mmmm - potatoes! The kitchen is really starting to smell good as everything starts to cook together. Also - while all of this is going on, I am cooking some rice as well (didn't think a picture of cooked rice was necessary).

I mix everything quite well, and some of the soft potatoes start to mash a little - you want this! It helps make the curry have a nice creamy texture!

And now for the final touch - I add a 14 oz can of coconut milk. If you are planning on making this (and quite frankly you are silly if you don't) DO NOT, and I repeat DO NOT substitute regular milk. The coconut milk is key to the curry's texture and flavor. I let this all simmer for about 10 more minutes and then it is time for dinner!!!

As I stated before, I serve this curry over rice with some nan on the side. This particular recipe makes a HUGE batch. Enough for Matt and I to have dinner and lunch the next day, along with freezing some for later. I cannot be more serious when I say this dish is FABULOUS! If you are like me and have failed at Indian cuisine before - try this tonight and I promise it will be a win!!!

Next post, a truly original Luckey's Lunch sandwich - Jalapeno Melts!!! See ya soon! (And wish me luck! I started the new term at Cincinnati State yesterday!)