Baked Turkey Croquettes

I love the traditional turkey dinner at Thanksgiving - as long as I could get my hands on some of the dark meat! However, I've always most looked forward to the turkey croquettes that my mom makes with the leftover turkey a few days after Thanksgiving. Fried turkey goodness, what's not to love? 

For the past 2 years, I haven't been able to go home for Thanksgiving, and so I got my mom's recipe for the croquettes. She's been using the same recipe that she found in a newspaper for as long as I can remember. I knew I wanted to make them slightly healthier than my mom makes them (she fries them in lots of oil).

The few healthier recipes that I found online strayed too far from the recipe that I know and love. I realized that I could just make a few simple changes and bake the croquettes rather than fry them to create a healthier, but equally delicious, meal. 

This recipe is a great way to use any leftover turkey you may have from the holidays, and they freeze well so feel free to double the recipe if you have a lot of turkey. This year, we knew we wouldn't have any leftovers from Thanksgiving because we weren't hosting, so we bought an extra turkey just to have some leftovers! 

Baked Turkey Croquettes

Ingredients:

1/4 cup margarine
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp instant onion mix
1 cup low-fat milk
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 slices white bread, shredded
2 cups cooked turkey, shredded
1/2 cup flour (for rolling)
1 egg (slightly beaten)
3/4 cup packaged breadcrumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

2. Melt margarine in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.

3. Add 1/4 cup flour, salt, pepper, and instant onion to the saucepan, and stir.

4. Slowly add in milk and Worcestershire sauce, stirring consistently. Cook over medium heat until the mixture becomes thick and bubbly.

5. Add in the shredded bread slices and the turkey, and stir until the mixture is fully blended.

6. Shape the turkey mixture into approximately 10 equal-sized balls (they should be about the size of golf balls).

7. Roll each ball lightly in flour, then dip in beaten egg mixture and roll in breadcrumbs until thoroughly coated.

8. Add each croquette to a greased baking sheet. Spray the top of each croquette with olive oil.

9. Bake the croquettes for 15 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes, and enjoy!

Serving size: 2-3 croquettes

Snickers Peanut Butter Pie

My husband's birthday was last week, so I wanted to surprise him with a special birthday dessert. Rick loves peanut butter, and we had some leftover Halloween candy in the house, so I started searching online for recipes. I found several that sounded good, so I mixed and matched from a few of the most promising ones to create this Snickers Peanut Butter Pie. 

The pie is definitely indulgent, but I did try to make a couple of healthier swaps that wouldn't take away from the taste of the dessert. I don't think reduced fat cream cheese tastes any different from regular cream cheese in a recipe, and fat free Cool Whip worked perfectly. If you want to make this even healthier, you could use reduced fat peanut butter, but I didn't have any in the house and I figured we should splurge for Rick's birthday, anyways.

It took me less than 20 minutes prep time (though it does have to freeze for a few hours), and Rick was thrilled with the result - double win! I also loved this recipe because the pie will stay good in the freezer for at least a month, so there's no pressure to eat it all immediately. (Despite this, we did actually eat the entire pie over the course of the past week!)

Snickers Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:

1 Oreo pie crust (alternatively, you can make your own crust with Oreos and melted butter)

6 oz. reduced fat cream cheese
6 oz. fat free Cool Whip
1 tsp. vanilla extract
⅓ cup peanut butter
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1 cup fun size Snickers, chopped (approximately 5 fun size Snickers)

Directions:

1. Combine cream cheese, Cool Whip, peanut butter, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy.

2. Slowly add in the confectioners’ sugar and beat on low speed until smooth and combined.

3. Spoon the mixture into the Oreo pie crust.

4. Evenly sprinkle the Snickers on the top of the pie.

5. Cover the pie and place it in freezer for a minimum of 3 hours to set before slicing.

6. When ready to serve the pie, remove it from the freezer and let it sit out for about 15 minutes, then slice. You can keep the pie in freezer for up to a month or two (if it lasts that long!).

Light Chicken & Waffles

I have a real affinity for Southern style cooking, and luckily in the DC area we have a number of amazing restaurants that specialize in Southern cuisine. Soul food is not exactly known for being healthy though, so I have to limit how often we eat out at Southern style restaurants.

So imagine my delight when I stumbled across a healthy chicken 'n waffles recipe in my other new Hungry Girl cookbook! Chicken 'n waffles is one of those meals that always looks so delicious in restaurants, but typically too calorie-laden for me to justify ordering. (Instead, I make Rick order it so that I can sneak bites off of his plate!)

I was skeptical that this shortcut healthier version would taste good, especially when I picked up the box of Fiber One bran cereal at the grocery store - it honestly looked like something I would put in a bird feeder. I trust Hungry Girl though, so I followed her recipe and was very happy that I did!

The bran cereal made for a delicious, crispy coating for the chicken, and the flavor worked perfectly with the waffles and syrup. I often have difficulty with cooking chicken on the stove, because it seems to take forever for the chicken to cook through, but the key here was to use very thin-cut chicken breast cutlets (you can also pound the chicken very thin if the grocery store doesn't sell the thin-cut ones). 

This recipe only made 2 servings, but you can easily double or triple the recipe. I made 4 servings, and Rick enjoyed the meal so much that he agreed to have the leftovers the very next night, which is rare! The entire meal took less than half an hour to make, and while I won't claim that it is a match for the chicken and waffles at Marvin, it is definitely healthier and worth making!

Light Chicken & Waffles

(from Hungry Girl "300 Under 300" Cookbook)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup Fiber One Original bran cereal
1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
2 5oz raw boneless skinless thin-cut chicken breast cutlets (the thinner, the better!)
2 tbsp. liquid egg whites
2 frozen low-fat waffles
1/2 cup lite pancake syrup (I used Aunt Jemima lite syrup)

Directions:

1. Place cereal in a Ziplock bag and seal. Crush cereal with a meat mallet until it is a breadcrumb-like consistency. Add 1/8 teaspoon each of salt, black pepper, and garlic powder to the crumb mixture and shake well. Pour the crumbs onto a plate and set aside.

2. Place chicken cutlets in a bowl and season with remaining 1/8 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Pour liquid egg whites atop of chicken, then flip cutlets over to evenly coat. Transfer cutlets one at a time to the breadcrumb plate and evenly coat with the mixture on both sides.

3. Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray and bring to medium-high heat on the stove. Add breaded chicken and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and the outside is crispy, approximately 4 minutes per side.

4. While the cutlets are cooking, toast the waffles and place each on a separate plate. Pour syrup over each waffle, and when finished, place one of the chicken cutlets atop each waffle. 

Light Caramel Apple Cupcakes

One of the things that I love most about the fall is apples. I typically eat an apple every day, and I enjoy applesauce and apple butter, but I also love the not-so-healthy apple desserts. Apple pie, apple crisp, apple cake...my mouth is watering just thinking of the options!

This fall though, after a month of pretty unhealthy eating, I am on a mission to find apple desserts that won't be so detrimental to my waistline. My sister got me the Hungry Girl "Just Desserts" cookbook as an early birthday present, so I figured that I would start my search there. (Side note - I highly recommend the Hungry Girl cookbooks; the author is all about easy-to-make recipes with few ingredients.) And my first recipe attempt was a success!

Inspired by my in-laws' purchase of caramel apples during our recent apple picking adventure, I decided to try the Caramel Apple Cupcakes. The most time-consuming part of the recipe was peeling and dicing the apples, but otherwise it was a very easy process. Hungry Girl called for the cupcakes to be topped with chopped peanuts, but I didn't think they would add much so I left them off of the recipe, and I didn't hear any complaints! 

The result was delicious, low-cal cupcakes with just the right amount of apple flavor and enough sweetness to satisfy my dessert craving.

Light Caramel Apple Cupcakes

(adapted from Hungry Girl "Just Desserts: 200 Recipes Under 200 Calories")

Ingredients:

2 cups peeled and diced apples (approx. 2-3 apples; I used a combination of sweet and tart apples)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 3/4 cups moist-style yellow cake mix
1/2 cup egg whites
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 tbsp. fat-free, low-fat, or light caramel dip

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with foil baking cups, and spray with nonstick spray. *Note - don't forget to spray the cups with spray, because otherwise the cupcakes will stick!

2. In a medium bowl, sprinkle apples with 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and toss to coat.

3. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, egg whites, baking powder, vanilla extract, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and 3/4 cup of water. Whisk until smooth. 

4. Stir in the apple mixture. Evenly distribute mixture among cups in the muffin pan.

5. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean, approximately 14-16 minutes.

6. Let the cupcakes cool completely (about 10 minutes in the pan and 30 minutes after being removed from the pan).

7. Spread cupcakes with caramel dip.

*Makes 12-14 cupcakes

Pappardelle with Sausage, Peppers, & Onions

I love this recipe. I was originally drawn in by the picture of the meal on The Cozy Apron's website, despite my ambivalence towards spicy Italian sausage. But I was totally sold on Italian sausage after taking my first bite of the finished product.

I was a little nervous that the recipe would be time-consuming to make because of the number of ingredients, but it was extremely easy and quick to throw together. I sliced the onion and peppers in advance so that I just had to throw everything together in the pot when I got home from work. And once you cut open the casing of the Italian sausage, the meat will easily come out in chunks, ready to be added to the pot. 

Rick and I were both thrilled with this fun twist on the standard sausage and peppers, and I can't wait to make it again!

Pappardelle with Sausage, Peppers, & Onions

(adapted from The Cozy Apron)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Olive oil
3 spicy Italian sausage links, casings removed and crumbled into large chunks
1 onion, sliced
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp black pepper
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup white wine
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice (or fresh tomato, diced)
2 Tbsp parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil leaves, julienned
8 oz Pappardelle noodles, uncooked

Directions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan or pot over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, brown the sausage for a few minutes on each side. Once the sausage is browned, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and place into a bowl. 2. Add the onion into the pot with the sausage drippings, and allow it to caramelize for approximately 5 minutes, stirring constantly. 3. Once the onion starts to become golden, add the salt, Italian seasoning and black pepper, and stir to combine. Then add in the bell peppers, and saute with the onion for about 2 minutes. 4. Add in the garlic, and once it becomes aromatic, add in the white wine and allow it to reduce for a few minutes, until almost completely reduced. 5. Add in the diced tomatoes with the juice, return the spicy Italian sausage back into the pot, and gently stir the mixture to combine. Allow it to simmer for about 3-4 minutes , then turn the heat off. 6. Add in the chopped parsley and about half of the basil; stir, and keep warm while you prepare the noodles. 7. Prepare the pappardelle noodles according to instructions on package. Drain the noodles and add them directly into the sauce, tossing the noodles with the sauce. 8. When serving noodles, garnish with a sprinkle of the remaining basil, and if desired, an extra drizzle of olive oil.

*Serves 4

Toby's Public House

It's about time that I write a post about one of my favorite places in Brooklyn, Toby's Public House. Ryan and I often go here on a night when we don't have plans and want really good food. It's a bar with a casual atmosphere and a brick oven stove where they make delicious food. We went there this weekend and it was as amazing as I remembered from my last visit there. There is also another location in Manhattan, which I haven't made it to yet, but I'm looking forward to trying. 

Toby's Public House in Brooklyn, is a small restaurant, on a residential street in South Slope. The service is relaxed, but always very friendly. There is usually about a half hour wait on the weekends. The bar is often jam packed and it's pretty noisy inside. I don't mind the noise, as I think it makes the place even more lively and fun. They have a full bar and a bunch of craft beers on draft. 

The menu changes frequently and there are often specials. We have tried a lot of the dishes and pizzas there. Our usual order, involves one of their small plates, a salad, and a pizza to share. On this particular night, we started with a chopped salad, which had romaine lettuce, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, chickpeas, red peppers, cauliflower, fennel, and feta, with lemon dressing. It's a nice size and the salads are great to share. For our small plate, we had meatballs, that were homemade and very flavorful. And then for our pizza, we tried something new and different to us, and got the Fig pizza, with fig, mozzarella, gorgonzola cheese, and prosciutto di parma, making it sweet and salty all in one bite. I would recommend any of the pizzas, as they have lots of different kinds of cheeses, vegetables, and meats as toppings and are all served on a fresh, crispy crust. We were already stuffed, but couldn't pass up dessert, and ordered homemade s'mores. The s'mores were perfectly cooked in the brick oven to melt the chocolate and marshmallow all over a homemade graham cracker. 

I would definitely encourage people to try out Toby's for a casual meal out. They use some fancy ingredients and everything is homemade, which makes it expensive for pizza and beer, but well worth it. Please let me know if you are going, so I can meet you there, since it's about five blocks from my apartment. 

*Toby's Public House - 686 6th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY