Turkey Cutlets with Tomato, Asparagus and Capers

Turkey Cutlets with Tomato, Asparagus with Capers

1 pound of turkey cutlets

2 T olive oil

1 lemon

2 cloves of garlic minced

¾ C of chicken stock

1 pint of grape tomatoes

2-3 tablespoons of capers

8 large asparagus spears

Salt and pepper both sides of the cutlets. Heat the oil in a large sauce pan on medium high heat.

Cut 4 thin slices from the lemon and use the other half of the lemon for juice  adding it to the chicken stock.

Brown the cutlets over medium high heat on both sides.

Add the garlic and the chicken stock, lemon juice mixture and as soon as it is simmering add the remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer on medium low heat for 20 minutes.

A Pantry Upgrade

A Pantry Upgrade

There are a handful of items that you should have in your pantry at all times that can upgrade a meal from average to upscale. I’ll start with 5 of the best:

Oil Cured Olives

Found in the Italian section of almost all grocery stores oil cured olives add zip to anything and everything from salads to pasta sauces. They need to be pitted most of the time, but it’s a fairly simple process – just squeeze the pit out and chop.

Capers

Capers come in a wide variety of sizes these days so experiment and see which ones work best for you. They have a delicious salty, briny flavor and are great in sauces and pasta dishes.

Wok Oil (Flavored with ginger and garlic)

This stuff is amazing! And it can be used for so much more than stir-fries. Toss  broccoli flowerets and red pepper strips with wok oil and roast at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Use wok oil instead of olive oil in a salad dressing. Sautee mushrooms in wok oil and serve with won ton crisps.

Grainy Mustard

Grainy mustard had a less powerful taste than Dijon mustard and can be used as a substitute for any mustard. Mixed with mayo and a little milk it serves as a hollandaise like sauce or heated with apricot preserves it can be a tasty glaze for pork chops or roast.

Artichoke Hearts

Artichoke hearts (marinated or not) are a delicious addition to almost any dish and have an almost universal appeal. A jar of marinated artichoke hearts, thin sliced lemon and a few tablespoons of capers and you have a great sauce for chicken or pasta.

First Nook Book

Chicken Lettuce Wraps

1 lb of ground chicken, turkey or pork

2 T of oil

2 cloves of garlic – chopped

½ medium white onion diced

2 medium carrots diced

2 celery stalk diced

1 medium red bell pepper diced

1 small zucchini diced

1 1 inch piece of fresh ginger grated

2 T soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 T Oyster Sauce

2 T of Thai basil - chopped

2 T cilantro – chopped

1 head of romain, bib or iceberg lettuce separated into lettuce “cups”

Brown the ground beef with the onion and garlic in the oil over medium high heat until cooked through.

Add all the chopped veggies and cook for 5 minutes until soften. Add in the ginger, soy, sesame oil and oyster sauce. Cook 5-10 minutes more or until veggies are at desired doneness.Toss in basil and cilantro just before removing from the heat.

Serve in lettuce cups or over shredded lettuce as a salad.

Serves 4

Pasta with Peas, Mushrooms and Sausage

2 links of sweet Italian sausage
2 T olive oil
3/4 C of frozen peas
1/2 tsp of dried oregano
1 C chicken stock
1 T fresh parsley chopped
1 C of sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 t cornstarch
1 T butter

1/2 pound of wide flat pasta

Cook pasta according to directions and while the pasta is cooking start heating your skillet.

Heat oil over medium high in a large skillet. Remove the sausage from the casing and crumble into the skillet. Brown sausage while breaking into small pieces add the mushrooms and oregano. Add half of the chicken stock and cover. Continue to cook over medium heat for ten minutes.Add in the peas and cook until the peas are heated through - about 5 minutes.

Mix the cornstarch into the remaining chicken stock and add to the skillet along with the butter. Stir until well mixed and thickened. Toss the drained pasta in the skillet with the sausage mixture and top with the fresh parsley.

Makes 2-3 servings