HeaVy on the Veg!

This is a great recipe if you have never made a turkey or have only done a few. I don’t stuff my turkey as we don’t eat a ton of stuffing. I sure do enjoy my mom’s inside the bird stuffing, which I only get once a year. I highly recommend the Never Any Young Turkey from Aldi as it has a clip on the legs so no twine needed and a temp gauge.

I also recommend purchasing a roaster as covering the Turkey after you brown it is key to locking in the moisture.

1 12-14 lbs Turkey

3/4 stick of butter

1/4 cup of evoo

1 tablespoon of fresh – thyme, sage, rosemary and parsley plus a few stems of each for inside the bird

S&P

1 lemon cut into 4ths

4 gloves of garlic

3 carrots roughly chopped

4 stems of celery roughly chopped

1 onion cut into 4ths

2 cups of chicken or Turkey broth

Move your oven rack to the bottom 2/3rds of the oven and preheat to 425.

Remove giblets from bird, rinse with water and pat dry. Let sit to air dry.

Meanwhile put butter and tablespoons of herbs into a small food processor. Purée and add evoo through the top.

Rub butter all over the bird and under skin. The add S&P to the top of the butter.

Place chopped carrots, celery and onions at the bottom of roaster. Place bird on top. Put garlic, rest of herbs on stems and lemons inside the bird.

Add broth to bottom of pan.

Roast for 30 minutes with no cover at 425. Reduce heat to 350. Cook for 145 minutes or 2 hours. Check temp, should register at 165-170. Remove and let rest for 30 minutes.

This has been one of my favorite things I’ve created and it is super easy. I love when a dish is even better reheated because I do a lot of my cooking on Sundays while we all watch football.

1 large chicken breast grilled- I used the cilantro lime marinaded chicken from Aldi – diced

2 cups of minute quinoa or 1 cup of regular quinoa cooked according to package

1/2 an onion- diced

1 small red or orange pepper- diced

2 cloves of garlic- minced

1 teaspoon of cumin

1 teaspoon of chili powder

S&P

1 small jar of green chiles- drained

1/2 can of black beans drained and rinsed

1/2 cup of frozen corn

Package of taco sauce- which we never use in our kits or a 1/2 cup from a jar

1/2 bottle of mild salsa

1/2 cup of shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Cilantro

1 avocado

1 Roma tomato- seeds removed and diced

Evoo

Spray a round casserole dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350.

Add evoo to a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and peppers and cook until slightly brown. Add garlic and cook 30 more seconds. Add spices plus S&P.

Add diced chicken, green chilies, beans, corn and cooked quinoa.

Stir in taco sauce and salsa. Then place in casserole dish. Top with cheese and cook for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with diced tomatoes, avocado and cilantro.

3 slices of bacon

1/2 a large onion- diced

2 cloves of garlic- minced

1 package of French style green beans – cook in a vented bag in microwave for 3 minutes

1/2 cup of beef broth

S&P

1 tablespoon of butter

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Once done remove to a paper towel lined plate. Add onions to bacon fat and cook until lightly brown. Add garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add beans and broth and bring to a boil. Simmer until broth is almost reduced. Add back crumbled bacon, butter and a little S&P.