Ground Turkey and Mushroom-Pine Nuts

Ground Turkey Couscous & Mushrooms with Pine Nuts

In lieu of my usually horridly unhealthy baking post of the week, I though I’d share with you two of my more recent weekly dinner meals. Normally I try to aim for something mildly healthy – with a good mix of starch, vegetables and protein. The first meal pictured is delicious stir-fried mushrooms,tomatoes and garlic with pasta. While it doesn’t have the main protein element of chicken or turkey – it’s a quick meal that tastes absolutely delicious (and can be home to any number of sauces: whether you are leaning towards a hearty tomato-base or a more creamy broth). If you’re hanging out with friends during the winter months, it’s a great way to spend time together in the kitchen. The second recipe is a couscous mix with ground turkey, broccoli and tomato sauce. There might be some bias towards tomato sauces… (they are my favourite after all).

Mushroom Pine Nut Pasta

• 1 package of white mushrooms (or shiitake), sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• pasta of your choice (but you know it’s evidently fettuccine)
• 20ish cherry tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
• 1 cup of pine nuts, toasted
• seasonings of your choice (salt, pepper, thyme)
• sauce (tomato based or cream based)

1. I like to start with the most difficult part of the recipe (if it can even be called that) which is toasting the pine nuts. Preheat the oven to 375 and place in pine nuts on a sheet 5-10 minutes with olive oil (dry roast if you want – but you will run the risk of burning).
2. In the meantime, slice up your mushrooms, mince your garlic, and slice your tomatoes
3. To speed up things, I’d recommend using a water heater to boil water and deal with prepping the pasta at this point too
4. Take out your pine nuts and NOW you can start with the pan
5. Start out with the mushrooms – and add whatever spices you’d like at this point (i.e. salt, pepper or maybe even some onion powder). Let them hang out for 5-8 minutes before adding in the tomatoes and the garlic – re-season and decide what kind of sauce you want.
6. I am being lazy at this point and opting for a cream sauce, which consists of adding some cream (Schlagsahne in German) and being done with it.
7. Mix it all together, re-decide if you’re happy with the taste and ta-da: dinner done.

Ground Turkey Couscous

• 1 package of ground turkey
• 1 stalk of broccoli, chopped
• 1 portion of couscous
• tomato sauce

1. Easiest of easy: Prepare a pan with olive oil as it is heating: add in the ground turkey along with spices (paprika is highly recommended, as is garlic powder and some additional rosemary). This will take some time… and I generally recommend using a top for the pan (as this allows the turkey to be more juicy (yum)).
2. Put some water in a pan: boil. Then add in your chopped up broccoli. You should expect couscous to take around 8ish minutes and broccoli to take around the same time: so you can add them together. Multiple plus: you don’t have to super worry about losing the nutrients of the broccoli to the water since the couscous will take them up!
3. Drain out your broccoli and couscous when done, and wait until the turkey is just about finished (15/25ish minutes) – and then add in your broccoli/couscous to the turkey. Mix them together: taking care to taste everything again and decide if you want more or less of different spices or flavours as you go.
4. Last step: add in the tomato sauce (or don’t – the dish is flavourful enough due to the addition of the turkey that you really don’t have to).
5. Yumz.