Showing posts with label Tasty Turkey Blogger Champion Recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tasty Turkey Blogger Champion Recipes. Show all posts
Sunday, 26 April 2015
You know how it all shakes out, right?
The day you have a really expensive hair appointment, spend a couple hours in the salon, and step outside, with your pretty, shiny, beautifully blow dried hair.
Cue - thunderstorm and hailstone sized raindrops. Sigh! Goodbye pretty hair. Welcome, completely chic wettus-rattus look.
And that, my friends, is what it's like to live in the metropolis of Edmonton. Summer one day, slightly chilly spring the next, winter the third day, and a few thunderstorms, you know, to break all that monotony. Maybe I am being a bit unfair on my fair city though. Summer in Edmonton is one of the best seasons, and the warm weather with a hint of breeze brings out the shorts and tee shirts and smiles in everybody.
When Kay and I lived in England he always told me about the suddenness of the changing seasons in Canada. Changing seasons are not something I was used to, having grown up in the warm sunny tropics. In England, though, spring felt like it took forever to arrive. In Canada, on the other hand, one minute it is snowing and the next you're looking at the pretty budded leaves on trees and birdsong in the air. Sure, it is unpredictable, but that's the beauty of my world now.
In the first of my brand new series of recipes for Tasty Turkey, I channel all that spring-like hopefulness, minus the hair disasters into a beautiful spring-like salad. The Waldorf salad, with its sweet, savory notes is the perfect salad for evoking warm summer evenings, stretched out on the deck with a chilled glass of white wine, the smoky scents of barbequing meat wafting into the sultry evening air.
I like to use leftover roast turkey breast to make it, however, you can also poach a turkey breast and use the moist, seasoned meat in this salad. I use crème fraîche instead of sour cream for a more delicate dressing, but you can also use low fat yogurt and mayonnaise to make it healthier. You can also substitute pecans for walnuts if you prefer. This salad is always a hit at potlucks and with kids, and is really easy to put together.
So what are you waiting for? Head on over to the Tasty Turkey website to download your recipe now!
Click for the recipe - Turkey Waldorf-Style Salad
And as usual, if you have any questions, mosey on back and I'll be more than happy to answer them for you :) Enjoy!
Wednesday, 17 December 2014
The combination of turkey, cranberry sauce and brie is, of course, a classic for many reasons, not least because it is pretty dang delicious. Last week I did a food styling job for the Dairy Farmers of Canada, and let's just say, I had a lot of cheese left over. Mmmmm, cheese. So I put my
Then it came to me - I always serve my delicious spicy-sweet date chutney with sweet pulao at Christmas, and it would be the perfect substitute for cranberry sauce in this combination. So imagine me, rubbing my hands with glee, and going ho ho ho... it is off to India we go.
I loved the combination of the deliciously moist shredded turkey, soft, creamy brie and this savoury-spicy-sweet chutney. If you are looking for something a little different, but still super easy, then these guys are for you. And the best part is, you can even make them using leftover turkey from your Christmas dinner. See, I even saved your New Year's party. Now, if you'll excuse me, it is time for me to go put on my
So what are you waiting for? Head on over to the Tasty Turkey website to download your recipe now.
Click for the recipe - Crostini with Turkey, Brie and Spicy-Sweet Date Chutney
And as usual, if you have any questions, mosey on back and I'll be more than happy to answer them for you :) Enjoy!
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
Oh this soup! This beautiful, bright, clean, fresh, spicy-hot, sour soup. Tom yum soup, or simply translated, hot and sour soup. When winter arrives - and mark my words, it's coming - this is the soup I turn to all the time. I first tasted this soup when I was living in Delhi, and a date took me to this place called Turquoise Cottage. I was fresh off the first-time-out-of-home boat, and the flavours of Thailand were a revelation to me. I was pretty addicted to Thai food from the get go, and when I had the opportunity to backpack around South East Asia, my first stop was Thailand and it's fabulous street markets.
While this soup might seem pretty ubiquitous, with a version in every Thai place, for me this is the ultimate comfort food. And it's certainly addictive with its clear spicy soup broth and is also a great vehicle for a lot of proteins. The most popular version of this soup is tom yum goong, or with shrimp, but a lot of places serve it with other meats as well. When my brief from the Turkey Farmers of Canada arrived for this month, with it's request for soup, I knew immediately that this was the soup I was going to make, especially with the leaves floating down from the trees, that characteristic nip in the air and the birds flying south (take me with you, birds...)
The recipe for tom yum soup varies from family to family, and this is my version of it. The Thais are all about balancing flavours, and this soup is certainly a prime example. I start with a chicken or turkey stock, preferably unsalted. I then add the classic aromatics of Thai food, lemongrass, hot red bird's eye chillies, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, kaffir lime zest, lime juice and fish sauce. I let the aromatics infuse, after which I poached the turkey straight in the broth, to maximise its flavour. Once the turkey is cooked, and the broth strained, I add freshly shredded lime leaves, lemongrass hearts and shimeji mushrooms (my favourite kind, though you can substitute these with pretty much any other variety of mushrooms) and then it's all about balancing the soup the way you like it. You can stir in the chilli sauce for added heat and spice, and a pinch of palm sugar calms everything down beautifully.
The ingredients may feel like they are difficult to source, but any Asian grocery will have them, and I have also seen them in larger Superstores. A lot of these ingredients can be bought fresh, then frozen. The strained broth can also be frozen, just thaw, season and add your fresh ingredients for the perfect easy supper.
So what are you waiting for? Head on over to the Tasty Turkey website to download your recipe now.
Click for the recipe - Turkey Tom Yum Soup (Thai Hot and Sour Soup)
And as usual, if you have any questions, mosey on back and I'll be more than happy to answer them for you :) Enjoy!
Friday, 19 September 2014
I love these little bites. The warmly spiced ground turkey, with its hints of Moroccan spice, works perfectly with filo pastry to make for the perfect snacks. Both the filo shells and the turkey filling can be made in advance, plus you can also fill these an hour or so before your guests (or family) arrive. These are incredibly addictive. When mom and I were testing this recipe, I had to swat off mom, because she just wouldn't stop eating them.
I made the shells by flipping a mini muffin tray upside down and cutting out squares of pastry, buttering them and placing them on the upside down molds. I find that it works better than tucking them into the muffin holes, but it does look prettier if you so it that way too. Just make sure to have dry hands while doing it that way, so you can tuck the pastry in without tearing it. These shells are pretty delicate, but you can very easily make a whole bunch and store them in an air tight container. I've also made mini meat pies with this filling and they're absolutely gorgeous as well.
Tuesday, 9 September 2014
Canadian Thanksgiving is right around the corner. Every holiday, I give thanks that we are able to put together a beautiful meal on the table and enjoy it with family and friends. But holidays are also a good time time to reflect on how we can help people around us and we know that they can be hard on families who are not well off.
For the past six years, the Turkey Farmers of Canada and their member organizations, have been assisting thousands of Canadian families in rural communities during the Thanksgiving period, and throughout the calendar year. The funds are divided up among rural food banks in ten provinces and three territories, with over 90 food banks receiving money to purchase turkeys for Thanksgiving (some even have money left over to also use at Christmas). TFC targets rural food banks for two reasons: because a lot of their members all live in rural communities, and also because rural food banks are so often struggling to find sufficient food to share with their clients. But more can be done, and they’re challenging Canadians to participate in a Buy One Give One campaign.
So they are launching a BOGO campaign – Buy One, Give One – today. In order to help as many families as possible to continue to enjoy a family tradition even during difficult times, when buying your own family’s turkey purchase a second one to give to your local food bank. Canadians will also have the option to donate through Food Banks Canada.
To raise awareness of this very important issue, TFC is using the hashtag #BOGOTurkey for the campaign for the few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving which is Monday, October 13th this year. We hope that you will all be able to join the conversation and help us out by donating. You can also join the #BOGOTurkey Pinterest Board here, and pin some of your favourite Thanksgiving turkey recipes (you can email for an invitation)
You can find your nearest Food Bank by accessing this tool on the Food Banks Canada website.
I know I will definitely be donating a turkey when buying my own. I hope all my Canadian readers will also consider it. Please join us fighting hunger at Thanksgiving and at all time.
Wednesday, 13 August 2014
Turkey thighs lend themselves to an array of dishes, and they are one of my favourite cuts of the bird to use in my everyday cooking. Everyone loves fried chicken, so I decided to make this delicious variation using turkey instead.
I added a unique Indian twist by spicing up and frying my nuggets using rice and cornflour instead of regular breading. If you skip the plain flour in the recipe, it works well as a gluten free recipe too. This recipe worked so well, that even my notoriously finicky foodie friend Addie loved them. He was surprised at how moist the turkey nuggets were, especially as I hadn't brined them at all. The spiciness of the marinade can be adjusted to your preference, especially if you are making these for kids. You can also subsititute sliced turkey breasts, if you don't want to bone out thighs (though thighs do have better flavour and stay moister)
I serve these nuggets simply with lime wedges to squeeze over, but you can also make a yogurt dip, with plain yogurt seasoned with a little salt, cumin and garlic. This is a perfect dish to take on picnics and as a appetizer with drinks too.
Thursday, 17 July 2014
This month's brief from Turkey Farmers of Canada was to create a delicious recipe for the barbeque or grill. Turkey cuts are fantastic for everyday and special grilling, and indeed, one of my first recipes for them was this delicious Tandoori Turkey.
I wanted to go a little off beat for this recipe and my inspiration struck when I was chatting with my friend Jamie, also known as Cook With Sumo. Jamie was, ahem, yakking about his famous Yakitori Chicken and Miso Yakitori Potatoes, and I, being the opportunist that I am, immediately saw the potential of that yakitori tare (sauce). I love Japanese food, especially Jamie's cooking, and it was a cool opportunity to do something different from my usual.
Jamie and I threw around some ideas for how we could adapt the recipe using turkey cuts. He mentioned that yakitori essentially used all parts of the bird, and there was no reason why I couldn't use anything that grabbed my fancy. Jamie uses thigh meat, but I wanted to keep the recipe simple, so I used breast fillets instead. Jamie also cuts his meat into smaller cubes, and you can certainly do that if you're making traditional yakitori. I sliced the turkey fillets in half, because I wanted to keep them moist on the grill. It certainly worked brilliantly, and we loved the delicious sweet/ salty/ umami taste of this turkey yakitori.
Monday, 5 May 2014
You might have been wondering why you haven't heard from me for a few weeks. Blogging is a commitment I don't take lightly, and as you already know, I make sure that I always put my best foot forward (or should that be, my best recipes forward?). Its been a slightly crazy month, if by crazy I mean, starting a new job, working quite a few private and scheduled cooking classes and conferences, balancing my recipe development work for The Kitchn, writing articles for FBC and also somewhere in the mix realising that I have a family that needs attention. So, first off, my apologies for the silence here. I needed a short break while I figured my life out, and started to think about a
work-life balance. I hope I've figured it out, and I am happy to be
back, doing what I do best, writing, cooking and photographing.
This website is also in the process of being redesigned just to make it a little more modern and streamlined (don't worry, it will be just as easy and simple to access, and the content will stay the same). I also have a few great projects that I have started working on... and I think you'll find them all delicious.
To start off - you should all now see that cute little badge added to my sidebar. I was approached by the Turkey Farmers of Canada to be their Blogger Champion for this year, and of course, there wasn't even a smidgeon of hesitation on my part. As a result, you'll be seeing some fabulous new and original recipes featuring different ways to use various cuts of turkey. I'll be posting up teaser pictures and notes on all the recipes I create for them, and you can download and print them from their beautiful Tasty Turkey website here (a direct link will also be provided, and of course, they have so many recipes on there, don't blame me if you get erm... gobbled in)
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