Stuffed Turkey Burgers

This week's pick for Craving Ellie in my Belly was Stuffed Turkey Burgers, chosen by Peggy of Pantry Revisited. I was pretty excited to make these as I have never made stuffed burgers or any type of burger that was healthy before.

The burgers turned out just okay, a lot better than they look in the photo though! These burgers were not very photogenic. I don't know if they weren't better because I didn't use a grill (I don't have one, I used a grill pan) or maybe I didn't season them well enough (although I did season the meat before I formed the patties so they'd be seasoned inside and out) but the burgers just didn't have that wow factor. They definitely needed more cheese, the amount called for didn't seem like enough. However, I will admit that forming these patties was kind of messy for me and mozzarella did end up in a lot of places besides inside the patties.

Either way, I served them to my mom and brother and they still enjoyed them. I'm sure after a few tweaks and learning some better and neater patty forming skills, this recipe would be a lot tastier. The nice thing is, though, that this recipe is cheap, quick, easy, and adaptable.

Note: I used Sara Lee Whole Wheat Buns with these which I later realized was a mistake: the third ingredient is High Fructose Corn Syrup! Third! Gross. I've realized that pretty much all Sara Lee bread products has high fructose corn syrup.

Stuffed Turkey Burgers
From The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

• 1 1/4 pounds lean ground turkey breast
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Divide turkey into 4 equal sized rounds. Make 2 equal sized patties out of each round so you have 8 patties total. Sprinkle 4 of the patties with 2 tablespoons red peppers and cheese, and top with remaining patties, working the turkey around the edges to seal burgers closed. Season with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Grill or broil until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Nutella Ravioli

If you have read any of my previous posts, you know I am a fan of nutella. So when I saw that the lovely Paula of bell'alimento created an entire food blogging challenge dedicated to 101 ways to use nutella, I had to join. The Nutella Challenge is a monthly challenge that begins this month.

For the first month of the challenge, I wanted to make something with nutella that I had never made or eaten before. While staring at a jar of the stuff, I remembered watching an episode of Everyday Italian where Giada made fried nutella ravioli. Perfect. I ran to the store to get wonton wrappers and an entire bottle of vegetable oil. Finally I had an excuse to make something that's fried AND with nutella... not exactly the most health conscious food in the world.

These came out great and apart from the time it takes to individually make each ravioli, it was fairly easy. There was something just so perfect about the smooth, warm nutella oozing out its crunchy wrapping which was sweetened by powdered sugar and freshened up with candied mint leaves. Amazing! Check out what Paula and everyone else has made with nutella so far!

Nutella Ravioli
From Giada de Laurentiis

• 16 wonton wrappers
• 1 egg, beaten to blend
• 1 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (recommended: Nutella)
• Vegetable oil, for frying
• 16 fresh mint leaves
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• Granulated sugar for dredging
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Place 1 wonton wrapper on the work surface. Brush the edges of the wrapper lightly with egg. Spoon 1 tablespoon of chocolate-hazelnut spread into the center of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper diagonally in half over the filling and press the edges of the wrapper to seal. Place the ravioli on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining wonton wrappers, egg, and chocolate-hazelnut spread.

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Add enough oil to a heavy large frying pan to reach a depth of 2 inches. Heat the oil over medium heat to 350 degrees F.

Working in batches, carefully add the ravioli to the hot oil and cook until they are golden brown, about 45 seconds per side. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ravioli to a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Then, transfer the cooked ravioli to another baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven while frying the remaining ravioli. (The fried ravioli can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool them completely, then cover and refrigerate. Before serving, place them on a baking sheet and rewarm in a preheated 375 degrees F oven just until they are heated through, about 7 minutes.)

Spray the top side of the mint leaves very lightly with nonstick spray. Working with 1 leaf at a time, dredge the coated side of the leaves in sugar to coat lightly.

Arrange 2 fried ravioli on each plate. Dust the ravioli with powdered sugar. Garnish with the sugared mint leaves and serve.

Orzo with Sausage, Peppers, and Tomatoes

This past week I wanted to put my money and time spent in the kitchen on something that would provide leftovers for lunch and dinner for at least 3 days since everyone else I live with was out of town. I thought pasta would be great because its cheap, easy, and easily portion controlled. Also, I just love pasta.

This dish, which is featured in Giada's Kitchen by Giada de Laurentiis, is actually in the "Not Just for Kids" section of her cookbook because of the small noodle shape. However, I thought that if I switched out mild Italian turkey sausage for spicy Italian (pork!) sausage and maybe some red pepper flakes, it would be more grown up.

The verdict: the dish was fairly flavorful but something was missing. Maybe next time I'll add more garlic and more fresh herbs. Luckily this dish is very adaptable and can be easily changed without compromising anything. It did keep well for leftovers for lunch and dinner for a few days which is why I made it. I would definitely try this dish for kids who enjoy pasta!

Note: I used spicy Italian pork sausage (pork > turkey) and plum tomatoes (that's what I had).

Orzo with Sausage, Peppers, and Tomatoes
Giada's Kitchen by Giada de Laurentiis

3 cups chicken broth
1 pound orzo pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 links (7 ounces total) mild Italian turkey sausage, castings removed
1 garlic clove, minced
2 jarred roasted red bell peppers, cut in 1/4 inch strips
2 plum tomatoes, chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, bring the chicken broth and 3 cups of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the turkey sausage and saute until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the bell peppers, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes (if using) to the pan and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid, and transfer it to a large serving bowl. Add the sausage mixture, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss well to combine, adding the reserved cooking liquid if needed to loosen the pasta. Top with the Parmesan and sprinkle with remaining parsley.

Healthier Carrot Cupcakes

This week's pick for Craving Ellie in My Belly was Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, chosen by Leanne over at Enjoying my Favorite Things. I'm very glad she picked this recipe because I don't think I would have ever made it otherwise. These cupcakes were awesome! Moist, flavorful, and healthy! They perfumed the entire house with the warm scents of nutmeg and cinnamon while they were baking in the oven. The frosting contrasted the cupcakes perfectly: smooth, sweet, tangy, and fresh.

Sara from CEiMB and several Food Network reviewers mentioned that when you exclude the frosting from this recipe, these cupcakes are really more like muffins. They're not as sweet and cake-like as regular cupcakes. I frosted half and left the other half as muffins and either way they still turned out delicious. I happen to have a sweet tooth so the frosted ones won me over, but the un-frosted ones make a yummy and quick breakfast!

I'm very much looking forward to every single one of this month's CEiMB picks: Stuffed Turkey Burgers, Grilled Thai Beef Salad, and Chicken Sate with Spicy Peanut dipping sauce. Yum and yay!

Side note: I used regular whole wheat flour and these were still soft and moist.

Carrot Cupcakes with Lemony Cream Cheese Frosting
The Food You Crave by Ellie Krieger

• 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or whole wheat flour
  
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup natural applesauce
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  
• 1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots (about 2 medium carrots)
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts
• 4 ounces 1/3 fat cream cheese (recommended: Neufchatel)
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
Sift together the first 6 ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar and eggs until well combined. Whisk in the applesauce, vanilla and carrots. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Stir in 1/4 cup of the chopped walnuts.
Divide the batter between the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Frost the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts. The cupcakes should be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 days.