Turkey Archives - Holistically Engineered

Asian Lettuce Wraps (Paleo and Low Carb)

Karen Sorenson — Fri, 19 Jun 2015 15:01:50 +0000

I’m so excited about growing a garden this spring/summer! Normally I don’t have a green thumb and end up killing everything I try and grow. This year I decided to get a Tower Garden and try it out. I like to think of the Tower Garden as “brown thumb” proof because it steps you through the whole growing process and is even on a timer so it self waters (as long as you keep the reservoir filled) using less water than traditional gardens. It has been such a fun experience and it has been so exciting to see the growth along the way.

I have been growing lots of fresh herbs, green beans, different types of squash, cucumbers, and lettuces. I had an excess of cilantro, green beans, and lettuce that I wanted to use up so I decided to make some lettuce wraps to highlight the fresh ingredients. I also had some pastured ground turkey from my meat share in the freezer so I used that as the protein, but ground chicken or maybe even ground pork would be just as great in the recipe. What I love about making lettuce wraps is that you can adjust the taste to your preferences…use some different veggies you love, add some extra seasoning…have fun with it! Plus it’s an easy weeknight dinner that doesn’t heat up the house. It’s been so hot here (definitely not turning on the oven)!

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Turkey Lettuce Wraps (Paleo and Low Carb)

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey (or ground chicken)
1 tbsp grassfed ghee or butter
2 cloves garlic
Handful green beans, cut into 1" pieces
1/4 cup bone broth (get the recipe here)
1/4 cup coconut aminos (a gluten and soy free substitute for soy sauce--get it here)
1 tbsp fish sauce (get a sugar free version here)
1/2 tsp coconut sugar (optional--get coconut sugar here or use your preferred sweetener)
Juice half a lime
1 Tbsp diced fresh cilantro
Large lettuce leaves (for the wraps)

Instructions

In a medium skillet over medium high heat, add the ground turkey and brown until mostly cooked through.
Add ghee/butter, garlic, and green beans. Cook until ghee is melted about 1-2 minutes.
In a bowl, combine the bone broth, coconut aminos, fish sauce, coconut sugar, and lime juice.
Add the liquid mixture to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce reduces and the green beans soften.
Add the cilantro to finish it off and season to taste (salt and pepper or adding additional lime juice or cilantro to your preference)
Spoon into large lettuce leaves for serving.

https://holisticallyengineered.com/2015/06/paleo-asian-lettuce-wraps.html

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7 Ways to Use Up Thanksgiving Leftovers

Karen Sorenson — Fri, 29 Nov 2013 09:30:36 +0000

Thanksgiving is a holiday were food is a major part of the festivities. People usually go all out for Thanksgiving, which means lots of delicious leftovers to munch on the rest of the week. I decided to put together a round up of low carb and paleo friendly recipes to help you use up all of those leftovers. Enjoy these 7 creative ways to use up those leftovers!

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Low Carb Thanksgiving: Roasted Turkey and Pan Gravy (Gluten Free and Paleo)

Karen Sorenson — Wed, 07 Nov 2012 10:30:00 +0000

My family always spends Thanksgiving at my parents’ house every year. My parents, brothers, fiancé, aunts, uncles, and cousins that live in the area (and those that are visiting from out of town) gather together for Thanksgiving dinner. My mom is in charge of making the turkey every year. I never actually paid attention to how she prepares her turkey. I remember one year she almost burnt the house down cooking the turkey. She saved the turkey, but the oven was destroyed and covered in fire extinguisher goop. She got a new oven out of the deal, but we never let her live that one down.

This year I decided to try my hand at making my own turkey. Since my mom handles the turkey for our family dinner I ended up making the turkey, a few weeks early, for me and my fiancé to enjoy. I figured the month of November should be filled with delicious turkey. I was proud of my first attempt because the turkey was moist and delicious.

Do you have any crazy Thanksgiving stories? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

Low Carb Roasted Turkey and Pan Gravy

10 lb turkey
1 lemon
1 head garlic
2 ribs celery
1 carrot
1/2 medium onion
1/2 cup melted butter, ghee, or olive oil
Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder, and Poultry Seasoning, to taste
1 cup chicken broth

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Clean out the turkey and prepare it for cooking. Place the cleaned turkey in a roasting pan with a rack. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice inside the cavity. Season the cavity with salt and pepper. Place the lemon inside the cavity. Cut the head of garlic in half (to expose the garlic) and place both halves in the cavity. Cut the celery, carrot, and onion in large chunks and place inside the cavity (no need to peel or trim).Lift the skin off the breast of the turkey (careful not to tear the skin). Rub butter (or ghee or oil) over the breast meat and season liberally with the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and poultry seasoning. Repeat on the outside of the turkey with the remaining butter (or ghee or oil) and seasoning. Make sure to tuck the wings so they don’t burn. Bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours or until the thickest part of the thigh reads 165 F on an instant read thermometer. Tent with foil if the turkey starts to get too dark. Remove the turkey from the pan and allow to rest, covered, for 20-30 minutes.

For the gravy, add the chicken broth to the roasting pan. Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour the liquid into a sauce pan and bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Allow the gravy to reduce by half. Serve over turkey.

Net Carb Count*:

Low Carb Roasted Turkey: 5 net carbs (for entire recipe–the vegetables only add flavor and are not consumed)
Low Carb Pan Gravy: 3 net carbs (for entire recipe)

*Note carb counts are estimated based on the products I used. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts and gluten information.I didn’t tie the turkey, but if you’d like to know how let the Food Network show you.

Cooking a larger turkey? You can figure it takes about 15-20 minutes per lb to cook an unstuffed turkey.

Not sure how large of a turkey you need? If go with 1 lb per person you should have enough to feed everyone plus plenty of leftovers. Also, if you are feeding a large crowd it may be better to get two smaller turkeys and cook them side by side. One large turkey takes longer to defrost and cook. Plus the meat tends to get dry on larger turkeys.

Enjoy!

~Karen

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Low Carb “Potato” Soup with Turkey (Gluten Free and Dairy Free)

Karen Sorenson — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 09:30:00 +0000

The weather here in South Carolina keeps playing tricks on me. One day it’s a crisp, cool, fall day and the next is is back in the 80’s. Although I am on this roller coaster of weather changes I have still be in the mood for soup. I’ve talked before about how I love to use radishes as substitute for potatoes (in Pot Roast or Potato Salad) and once again they are perfect in this Low Carb “Potato” Soup recipe. I used turkey in this recipe, but Italian sausage would also be delicious in this soup.

What is your favorite soup or what recipe do you use radishes as a potato substitute? I’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

Low Carb “Potato” Soup with Turkey:

1 medium head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into florets

5 pieces of bacon, chopped

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

16 oz radishes, trimmed and halved

4 cups chicken broth

1 lb ground turkey (or ground meat of choice)

Steam the cauliflower until tender. Remove any excess liquid and puree the cauliflower in a countertop blender (allow the cauliflower to cool before processing) or using an immersion blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fry the bacon pieces until crispy. Set aside and leave 1 Tbsp of the bacon fat renderings in the skillet. Over medium heat, add the onion and cook until translucent and tender. Add the garlic at the very end and cook for 1 minute.

Add the onion, garlic, half of the bacon, cauliflower puree, chicken broth, and radishes to the slow cooker. Cook on HIGH for 3-4 hours or LOW for 6-8 hours or until the radishes are tender. Brown the ground turkey and season to taste with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the ground turkey to the slow cooker at the end of the cooking time to heat through.

Net Carb Count*:

Low Carb “Potato” Soup with Turkey: 35 net carbs (for the entire recipe–yields 5 cups)

*Note carb counts are estimated based on the products I used. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts and gluten information.

Enjoy!

~Karen

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Whole30-Day 7 and Turkey Pesto Meatballs

Karen Sorenson — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:30:00 +0000

I have now completed Day 7 of Whole30. I tried cutting back on snacks today and it feels like I should be snacking especially when I’m sitting at my desk at work. I need to find something to replace the snacking and so far I’ve been drinking water instead. I went out to dinner on Day 7 to celebrate my birthday that was last week. It is the one planned time I am going out to dinner during the 30 days so I can better control how my food is prepared. Also, I am down 5 lbs this week which is great because for a while I was gaining weight no matter what I did.

My meals for Day 7 were:
Breakfast: Homemade Breakfast Sausage and sautéed zucchini
Snack: No snack
Lunch: Leftover Italian Chicken with sautéed zucchini noodles and mushrooms
Snack: Olives and cucumbers
Dinner: Steakhouse to celebrate my birthday. I had a Ribeye with broccolini and sautéed spinach.
Snack: No snack

Time for a new week and a new meal plan!

Day 8:
Breakfast	Turkey Pesto Meatballs (Recipe Below) and Sautéed Spinach
Dinner	Spinach and Mushroom Chicken Roulade with Steamed Broccoli and Pesto Roasted Cauliflower
Day 9:
Dinner	Rosemary and Thyme Chicken Thighs with Roasted Zucchini
Day 10:
Dinner	Pork, Broccoli, and Carrot Skillet with a side salad
Day 11:
Dinner	Spiced Chicken Thighs with Roasted Zucchini and Yellow Squash
Day 12:
Dinner	Pesto Shrimp with Broccoli
Day 13:
Dinner	Ranch Chicken Skewers with Sautéed Mushroom and a side salad
Day 14:
Dinner	Steak with Ranch “Fries”

I used the following ingredients for Whole30 Turkey Pesto Meatballs:

2 lb ground turkey (85% lean)

2-3 Tbsp prepared Pesto (recipe below)

Heat oven to 350 F.Mix the pesto into the ground turkey. Form into balls using a mini scooper and place in a baking dish. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through.Served with sautéed spinach.Spinach Pesto:
1 oz fresh baby spinach
1/2 oz fresh basil
3 sprigs fresh rosemary (the leaves from about 3 sprigs of rosemary)
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
2-4 Tbsp olive oil

Net Carb Count*:

Whole30 Turkey Pesto Meatballs: 2 net carbs (for the entire recipe-I made 49 mini meatballs)
Whole30 Spinach Pesto: 5 net carbs (for the entire recipe–makes about 1/2 cup)

*Note carb counts are estimated based on the products I used. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts.

Comments: I’m definitely in the mood for Pesto this week. I had a lot of plans for tomato based dinners, but since I gave up nightshades the tomatoes were out. I remembered I had a recipe for Pesto that doesn’t contain nuts so I modified it a little and added it to ground turkey for an easy make ahead breakfast. There is just a light hint of Pesto in these meatballs, but if you are making them for dinner either add more Pesto to the turkey or toss the cooked meatballs in 1-2 Tbsp of Pesto. Enjoy!~Karen

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[Update] Sloppy Turkey Joes (Low Carb and Gluten Free)

Karen Sorenson — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 01:06:00 +0000

[Updated 07-26-12]

Tonight’s cooking adventure was inspired by Rachael Ray’s recipe. The recipe is a play on sloppy joes. I made the following modifications to make the recipe lighter and lower in carbs.

Ingredients:

1.5 lbs of ground turkey

1 cup of beef broth

1/2 cup sugar free ketchup

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp of worchestershire sauce

2 Tbsp of sugar substitute (I used Swerve)

1.5 Tbsp of red wine vinegar

Black pepper, to taste

Mix all of the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly. Meanwhile, brown the ground turkey in a skillet and cook through. Once cooked through, add the sauce to the ground turkey and incorporate.

Net Carb Count*:

Low Carb Sloppy Turkey Joes: 15 net carbs (entire recipe)

*Note carb counts are estimated based on the products I used. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts.

Comments: Ok, so I forgot to make some oopsie rolls to use as buns for the Turkey Joes. Next time I will definitely be making oopsies and I know it will make a delicious sandwich. Second, sloppy joes are usually….well…sloppy! The sauce covered the turkey nicely, but there was no excess sauce. I liked the coverage, but if you want it to be really sloppy then I suggest doubling the batch of sauce. Also, I would suggest that you add the sweetener a little at a time. The sauce had a nice sweet taste, but you will want to make sure it has the sweetness you prefer by tasting the sauce as you add the sweetener.

Next Dinner: Low Carb Parmesan Ranch Breaded Pork Chops

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Low Carb Crockpot Turkey Minestrone Soup

Karen Sorenson — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:23:00 +0000

Tonight’s cooking adventure was Low Carb Crockpot Turkey Minestrone Soup. The recipe was inspired by the following recipe: https://www.lowcarbcrock.com/2011/12/low-carb-crock-pot-minestroni-soup.html?spref=fb. I used the following ingredients for my soup:

1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped green beans
1 cup quartered radishes
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 Tbsp of minced garlic
1/2 tsp of dried sage
1/2 tsp of rosemary
4-5 cups of low sodium beef broth
1 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup grate parmesan cheese

Place the vegetables in a crockpot and add enough beef broth until the vegetables are just covered. Cook on LOW for 8 hours (or cook on HIGH for 4 hours). Brown the ground turkey in a skillet and season to taste. Set the turkey aside until needed. When there is 1 hour left (for HIGH) or 2 hours left (for LOW) remove 2-3 cups of the broth/vegetable mixture and blend the mixture until smooth. Add the blended mixture to the crockpot and stir to combine. Next, add the cooked turkey to the crockpot and allow the mixture to cook for the remaining time. Right before serving add the parmesan cheese and stir into the soup.

Net Carb Count*
Low Carb Crockpot Turkey Minestrone Soup 30 net carbs (entire recipe)

*Note carb counts are estimated based on the products I used. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts.

Comments: This was a really easy soup to throw together and the crockpot does most of the work! The ground turkey adds some real heartiness to the soup. Once again I am pleasantly surprised that by simmering the radishes in the broth the strong flavor mellows and they are a great substitute for potatoes. Spinach could also be added to the soup for additional variety.

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Quick and Easy Low Carb Turkey and Mushroom Helper

Karen Sorenson — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 19:58:00 +0000

Last night’s cooking adventure was Quick and Easy Low Carb Turkey and Mushroom Helper. This recipe is inspired by hamburger helper and is made using the following ingredients:

1-2 Tbsp of oil
1.5 lbs ground turkey
1/3 lb mushrooms, chopped
1 can of Campbell’s Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Heat oil in a skillet and brown the ground turkey. Next, add the chopped mushrooms and cook until the turkey and mushrooms are cooked through. Season to taste. Add the Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup. Stir to combine and heat through.

Net Carb Count*
Low Carb Turkey Helper 18 net carbs (entire recipe)

*Note carb counts are estimated based on the products I used. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts.

Comments: I serve my Turkey Helper over sauteed zucchini, but you could also mix in some low carb pasta to make it more like hamburger helper. Also, I do not put cheese in my recipe, but adding some cheese into the mixture would add some great flavor. This is a really quick and easy dish to throw together and tastes delicious! Make sure to use the Cream of Chicken AND Mushroom soup (not separate soups) since it has the lowest amount of carbs.

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Low Carb Spinach and Olive Tapenade Turkey Meatballs

Karen Sorenson — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 03:06:00 +0000

Tonight’s cooking adventure was Spinach and Olive Tapenade Turkey Meatballs. The original recipe can be found here: https://www.pamperedchef.com/quick-and-easy-recipes/turkey_meatballs.jsp and page 10 of PC’s Fall/Winter 2011 Season’s Best cook book. I made some changes to lower the carbs.

Spinach and Olive Tapenade:

1 6 oz package of frozen spinach, thawed

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

2 garlic cloves

2 Tbsp of capers

12 large green olives, pitted

¼ cup of fresh basil leaves

¼ cup oil

¼ tsp salt

Juice from half a lemon

Blend the garlic, capers, and olives in a food processor until chopped. Add the spinach, basil, cheese, oil, lemon juice, and salt and blend until a chunky paste is formed.

Turkey Tapenade Meatballs:

¼ cup pork rind crumbs

1-2 cups of Spinach and Olive Tapenade, divided

1 egg

¼ tsp salt

1.5 lbs of ground turkey

Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix together the pork rind crumbs, ¾ cup tapenade, egg, and salt until combined. Then add the turkey and mix until combined. Form mixture into meatballs and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the meatballs reach 160 F. Drain excess liquid after 15 minutes of cooking. Once the meatballs are cooked, place ½ cup of tapenade and the meatballs in a large bowl and toss to coat. Add more tapenade to coat if necessary.

Pictures of the tapenade, meatball mixture, and scooped meatballs (pre-baking):

Net Carb Count*

Spinach and Olive Tapenade Turkey Meatballs: 21 net carbs (entire recipe)

*Note carb counts are estimated based on the products I used. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts.

Comments: I recently received my pampered chef products and I couldn’t wait to make the lower carb version of this recipe. These meatballs were so tasty! It was a different spin on old classic. The tapenade gives the meatballs a wonderful flavor. I left my tapenade a little chunkier, but you can process it until it is the consistency you prefer. I baked them in my PC Ridged Baker and they came out really juicy. I also used a small scooper (like an ice cream scoop) to form 45 meatballs. If you make larger meatballs, they may have a longer cooking time. If you like to have a sauce with your meatballs, some low carb marinara or gravy would be good with these meatballs.

UPDATE: I recently made the meatballs for a party and made a variation of the recipe. I added a few slices of red bell pepper to the tapenade and I added a little extra tapenade to the meatball mixture. I cooked them as normal, but once cooked I added the meatballs to a crockpot with 2 cups (or enough to coat very well) of marinara sauce (instead of coating in more tapenade). I simmered the meatballs on LOW to keep warm. The marinara sauce I use has 8 net carbs for 2 cups. Even the non LCers loved them!

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Turkey Mushroom Meatloaf Patties

Karen Sorenson — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 02:31:00 +0000

Tonight’s cooking adventure was Linda Sue’s Low Carb Turkey and Mushroom Meatloaf Patties found here: https://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/turkey_mushroom_meatloaf_patties.html. The only things I did differently with the patties was use dried sage (2 tsp) instead of fresh and I left out the shallots.

Also, I used a mushroom sauce to go on my patties.

Mushroom Sauce:

1 strip of bacon

¼ lb of mushrooms

½ cup of beef broth

1 Tbsp of heavy cream

1 Tbsp of Dijon mustard

Cook bacon until crispy in a skillet over medium high heat. Remove the bacon, but leave the renderings in the pan. Sauté the mushrooms until browned. Add the beef broth, heavy cream, and mustard and allow the sauce to come up to a boil. Let the sauce simmer until the sauce has thickened. Season to taste. Add chopped bacon to the sauce before serving.

Picture of the Low Carb Turkey Mushroom Meatloaf Patties (with Mushroom Sauce):

Net Carb Count*:

Turkey Meatloaf Patties 15 net carbs (entire recipe—I made five patties)

Mushroom Sauce 5 net carbs (entire recipe)

*Note carb counts are estimated based on the products I used. Check nutrition labels for accurate carb counts.

Comments: These were absolutely delicious! Linda Sue created an excellent recipe for low carb meatloaf patties! Check out some of her other recipes too! The patties were juicy and so flavorful. Very filling too! I made a sauce with mushrooms since I cannot each regular cheese and because I love mushrooms! You could make the sauce without the mushrooms (since there are so many in the patties) by bringing the beef broth, heavy cream, and mustard to a boil and then letting it simmer until thickened. I would cook the bacon separately if you wanted to add that into the sauce. Also, this made enough sauce for two servings. If you need more sauce the recipe can easily be double.

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