Turkey Mince with Paprika and Allspice

This dish came about because I had turkey mince, a few bits and pieces of veg and the spice cupboard, and not much else that was useful to go with it. So I just went with my instincts and came up with something unexpectedly amazing. It’s a rich, creamy dish, somewhat reminiscent of Moroccan cuisine, sweet and spicy and warming.

It’s low-carb and therefore correspondingly protein and fat-rich – not great if you’re on a low calorie diet, but perfect if you’re not dieting or on a low-carb regime (as I am).

This recipe will make 2 big serves if you’re eating it by itself, or it could easily be stretched to 4 with sides of rice or couscous and some extra veggies. I had it by itself and it was fabulous, but I'll relish it with rice when I'm allowed some again.

Ingredients:

500g turkey mince (ground meat)

1 brown onion, thinly sliced

1 red pepper (capsicum), diced

1 courgette (zucchini), grated

Double handful thin fresh green beans, ends cut off and beans cut in half

Splenda (or sugar)

½ a chicken stock cube

2 tsp freshly grated ginger, or ginger granules to taste

Paprika, allspice, turmeric, garlic granules to taste

1-2 tbsp lemon juice, to taste

Butter

A good glug of fresh double cream

1. Melt some butter to coat the bottom of a large frying pan. Cook the onions in the butter with some Splenda (or sugar) on high heat until soft and translucent. Add the capsicum and beans and cook until the capsicum starts to soften. Add more butter when necessary to keep the mixture moist.

2. Add the ginger (if using grated) and the turkey mince. Fry stirring frequently until the mince is browned. Add more butter when necessary to keep the mixture moist but don’t make it too greasy.

3. When the mince is browned, add the courgette and fry until it starts to go translucent.

4. Add the lemon juice – just go with your instincts – and the crumbled stock cube. Mix well to incorporate. Then add plenty of paprika, a good scattering of allspice and turmeric, and a few dashes of garlic (plus a good scattering of ginger if using granulated), a shake of splenda or sugar and a small shake of salt. All this is to taste – add, check, adjust if necessary. You can’t go too far wrong. Make sure you use plenty to give the dish loads of flavour.

5. When the meat and veggies are coated with spices and everything tastes great, turn the heat down to the lowest setting. When the sizzling calms down add a good glug of cream to the frypan, enough so that when you stir it in all the meat is coated. Cook until the cream is heated, stirring constantly. When the cream is hot, serve immediately.

Spicy Mushrooms in Coconut Sauce

A nice side dish that is easy to make and is an alternative to potatoes and rice. Recipe from here.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon oil
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 lb (~200 g) mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 teaspoon red pepper (or more, to taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large saucepan heat the oil and sautee onion and bell pepper.
Add mushrooms and sautee.
Add coconut milk and red pepper.
Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until coconut milk is reduced to half.
Take off heat and add salt and pepper to taste.
Sprinkle with cilantro leaves.

Stuffed Bell Peppers

The idea is the same as in sarmas, but those are much faster to make.

Ingredients (for 6 servings, so adjust accordingly):

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup rice
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 pound (500 g) ground (minced) meat
diced raisins, optional
diced mushrooms, optional
salt, pepper, thyme to taste
~ 6 large bell peppers or 12 small bell peppers

For the sauce:

1 cup yogurt
2 tablespoons flour
1 egg, beaten

You can skip the meat and make them vegetarian.

Directions:

In a skillet heat olive oil.
Saute onion, raisins and mushrooms.
Add ground meat and cook until it divides into crumbs and is no longer pink.
Add rice.
Cook for 5 more min until rice gets translucent.
Remove from heat, add spices.

Wash and deseed bell peppers.
Spoon rice/meat mix into each pepper. Do not fill them more than 3/4, as rice expands when it cooks.
Arrange stuffed peppers lying on one side in a baking dish.
Poke each pepper with a fork (so that any steam may escape).
Pour enough water to cover the bottom half of the peppers.
Bake on 350 F/175 C for 60 min or until rice is fully cooked.
To ensure even cooking, rotate peppers to expose a different side on top on the 15th, 30th and 45th minute.

For the sauce:

When peppers are done cooking, spoon the leftover water into a saucepan.
Put over medium heat.
Stir flour into yogurt and carefully pour into hot pepper broth.
*Slowly* pour beaten egg into mixture, stirring continuously.
Bring to a gentle boil and cook, stirring continously, for 2 more minutes or until the sauce reaches desired density.
Pour over peppers before serving.

* Or, skip the sauce and use plain yogurt :).

Skillet Sausage and Peppers

This is one of my ultimate comfort foods. My mom used to make this time-intensive version but I changed it up to be a one-dish wonder.

3 mild (or spicy if you prefer!) Italian sausage links - sweet gives it an off flavor to me, but I guess you could use it; casings removed and crumbled
2 or 3 green peppers, chopped
half an onion, chopped
minced garlic or powder if you don’t have any (or fresh. whatever. just give it some garlic.)
a little over a quarter of a large jar of traditional marinara-style tomato sauce
1 small can diced tomatoes
1 cup of rice or a pouch of instant

This is really easy.
1. Brown the sausage crumbles.
2. Add veggies and saute for about five-seven minutes. Cook the rice.
3. Add sauce and simmer for another five-ten.
4. Stir in the rice.
5. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired (and you should).

This feeds two ridiculously starving people or three to four normal ones. Can you guys tell I adore onions and garlic? Yah... I promise to post something that doesn't require it. Like my favorite chocolate cake. ;)