This week is turkey week. If you still have a turkey in the freezer from the holidays, it can stay in the freezer up to twelve months, according to the USDA Food Safety of Turkey webpage. However, when the weather is still wintry, as it often is in February, a roast turkey can be a treat. If you don’t have another turkey in the freezer, try buying a couple of turkey breast roasts and cooking them in the crockpot.
Roast the turkey on the first day, and use the bones to make stock. You’ll need several hours at home to do this. You can roast it using my Perfect Every Time Turkey Roasted in Foil recipe. You might also want to try Brined Roast Turkey Breast in the crockpot. Have a turkey and roasted root vegetable meal the first night. Cut up the rest of the turkey and store it in plastic freezer bags. Put the stock in the refrigerator and make the soup with it within the first three days.
Click here for the Dinner Magic Shopping List for February Week 4 menus.
Perfect Roast Turkey and Roasted Root Vegetables
Roasted Root Vegetables
Turkey and Rice Soup
Turkey Gratin with Potatoes and Swiss Chard
Turkey Pizza on an Italian Herb Crust
Turkey Waldorf Salad
Follow my Chicken Waldorf Salad recipe, substituting turkey for the chicken.
Bake a loaf of hot bread to go with it, and finish up any leftover Turkey and Rice Soup.
Pasta Primavera with Turkey
Ravioli and Spinach Gratin
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Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Dinner Magic Shopping List February Week 4
This shopping list is for the Dinner Magic Menus February Week 4.
Meats:
1 whole turkey to roast or 2 turkey breast roasts
Dairy:
6 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
½ to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Butter (real butter, not margarine)
Frozen Food:
1 small package frozen peas
1 package (about 16 ounces) frozen ravioli
1 small package frozen spinach
Fresh Produce:
1 bunch celery
1 bunch carrots
2 yellow onions
1 clove of garlic, or a jar of crushed garlic
1 bunch parsley
4 russet potatoes
1 parsnip
1 head Swiss Chard
2 apples
½ cup of walnuts
¼ cup of raisins
1 head of iceberg lettuce
1 head of broccoli
Canned Food:
1 can or jar of artichoke hearts
1 small can sliced black olives
1 jar pizza sauce
1 jar of skim evaporated milk
Dry Food and Staples:
Rice
Olive oil
Flour for the bread machine
Yeast
1 pound of fusilli pasta
Olive oil cooking spray
Spices and Condiments:
Salt and pepper
Sugar
Italian herb mix
(oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage)
Mayonnaise, mustard
Other items for your own personal shopping list:
Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.
Meats:
1 whole turkey to roast or 2 turkey breast roasts
Dairy:
6 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
½ to 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Butter (real butter, not margarine)
Frozen Food:
1 small package frozen peas
1 package (about 16 ounces) frozen ravioli
1 small package frozen spinach
Fresh Produce:
1 bunch celery
1 bunch carrots
2 yellow onions
1 clove of garlic, or a jar of crushed garlic
1 bunch parsley
4 russet potatoes
1 parsnip
1 head Swiss Chard
2 apples
½ cup of walnuts
¼ cup of raisins
1 head of iceberg lettuce
1 head of broccoli
Canned Food:
1 can or jar of artichoke hearts
1 small can sliced black olives
1 jar pizza sauce
1 jar of skim evaporated milk
Dry Food and Staples:
Rice
Olive oil
Flour for the bread machine
Yeast
1 pound of fusilli pasta
Olive oil cooking spray
Spices and Condiments:
Salt and pepper
Sugar
Italian herb mix
(oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage)Mayonnaise, mustard
Other items for your own personal shopping list:
Never miss a post! Follow me on Twitter as @Dinnermagic. Subscribe to the RSS feed for the Sacramento Easy Meals Examiner and the Sacramento Budget Wine Examiner or have the articles emailed to you.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Ravioli and Spinach Gratin
1 small package of frozen ravioli
1 jar of pasta sauce
1 small package of frozen spinach
1 cup of Mozzarella cheese
Olive oil cooking spray
Parmesan cheese and parsley for garnish
Preparation
Cook the ravioli in boiling water according to package directions.
Drain the pasta and lay on paper towels to dry.
Thaw the spinach and squeeze all the moisture out using paper towels.
Spray a casserole dish
with olive oil cooking spray.Lay the spinach on the bottom of the casserole.
Place half the ravioli on the spinach.
Pour half the pasta sauce over it.
Spread half the cheese on it.
Repeat the layers with the rest of the ravioli, sauce, and cheese.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes until the cheese is melted.
Garnish with Parmesan cheese and parsley.
Photo/Suzanne Pitner, DinnerMagic
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Sunday, February 21, 2010
Turkey and Rice Soup
Simple and quick, and a revisit of the delicious roast turkey.
Ingredients
4-8 cups of turkey broth, made from bones
2 cups of cooked turkey
2 celery stalks, chopped, with leaves
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 cup of rice
1 small package of frozen peas
Preparation
Simmer the broth with the vegetables for 10 minutes in a stock pot
.
Add the rice to the broth and cook for another 20 minutes.
Add one package of frozen peas and cook for five more minutes.
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Photo/Suzanne Pitner
Ingredients
4-8 cups of turkey broth, made from bones
2 cups of cooked turkey
2 celery stalks, chopped, with leaves
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
¼ cup chopped parsley
1 cup of rice
1 small package of frozen peas
Preparation
Simmer the broth with the vegetables for 10 minutes in a stock pot
.Add the rice to the broth and cook for another 20 minutes.
Add one package of frozen peas and cook for five more minutes.
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Photo/Suzanne Pitner
Pasta Primavera with Turkey
Ingredients:
2 cups of turkey, cut into chunks
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1/2 red bell pepper chopped fine
2 carrots, grated
½ cup of mozzarella
½ cup of parmesan
¼ cup of butter
1 Tbsp of flour
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon crushed garlic, or one crushed garlic clove
1 can of skim evaporated milk
1 pound of fusilli pasta
Preparation:
Set the table with pasta bowls
.Put water on to boil for the pasta.
Make the cheese sauce by melting the butter in a pan.
Add the flour, and stir until it is mixed.
Gradually stir in the evaporated milk until the mixture reaches the creamy consistency of a sauce.
Add the garlic.
Stir in the cheeses to the white sauce until they melt and add a dash of salt and pepper.
Put the pasta in the pot to boil.
One minute before the pasta is done, throw the broccoli and carrots in with it.
Drain the pasta and vegetables. Return them to the pasta pot.
Pour the sauce over the top of the pasta.
Add the turkey chunks and stir until the pasta is well coated and the turkey is heated through.
Serve in bowls with extra cheese to garnish the top.
Photo/Lilhelen on Flickr
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Turkey Gratin with Potatoes and Swiss Chard
This can be made using leftover roasted root vegetables from the roast turkey dinner, or it can be made with potatoes, parsnip, carrots, onion.
Ingredients:
2 cups of chopped turkey
4 cups of leftover roasted root vegetables, OR
4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut
1 parsnip, peeled and cut
2 carrots, peeled and cut
1 onion, cut into quarters
1 head of Swiss Chard, with the spines cut out and the leaves chopped
2 cups of grated Monterey Jack cheese
Preparation:
Mix the turkey and vegetables together.
If you are using fresh vegetables, toss with 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Stir in the Swiss Chard and place in a baking casserole dish
.
Cover with the Monterey Jack cheese.
If you are using leftover roasted root vegetables, cook in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.
If you are using fresh vegetables, raise the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes in a covered casserole dish. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer to brown the cheese.
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Ingredients:
2 cups of chopped turkey
4 cups of leftover roasted root vegetables, OR
4 russet potatoes, peeled and cut
1 parsnip, peeled and cut
2 carrots, peeled and cut
1 onion, cut into quarters
1 head of Swiss Chard, with the spines cut out and the leaves chopped
2 cups of grated Monterey Jack cheese
Preparation:
Mix the turkey and vegetables together.
If you are using fresh vegetables, toss with 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
Stir in the Swiss Chard and place in a baking casserole dish
.Cover with the Monterey Jack cheese.
If you are using leftover roasted root vegetables, cook in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes.
If you are using fresh vegetables, raise the temperature to 375 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes in a covered casserole dish. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer to brown the cheese.
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Turkey Pizza on an Italian Herb Crust
Ingredients for the pizza dough
1 cup and 2 tablespoons of water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups of flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Italian herbs (oregano, thyme, rosemary, sage)
1 package or 2 ½ teaspoons of yeast
Preparation
Place the dough ingredients in the bread machine.
Set the machine to the cycle for dough.
Ingredients for the pizza toppings
1 cup of turkey
½ cup of artichoke hearts
1 small can sliced black olives
1 jar of pizza sauce
2 cups of mozzarella cheese
Other toppings you might like
Preparation
When the dough is ready, form it into a ball and roll it out to a large circle.
Lay on the pizza pan
or pizza stone
and let it rest for 20 minutes.Spread the pizza sauce on the dough.
Place ½ the cheese on the sauce.
Cover with toppings.
Put the rest of the cheese over the toppings.
Bake at 400 degrees for 18-22 minutes. The crust should be lightly browned and the cheese bubbly.
Photo/Dana McIsaac
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