Paleo Ground Turkey Stuffed Peppers

Typically, I liken eating ground turkey to chewing the rubber at the bottom of a gym shoe. So, when turkey stuffed peppers Paleo style were requested, I was less than thrilled. I mulled over several recipes, tweaking the typical bread crumbs for ground almonds, quadrupling the amount of garlic, (again, plain  ground turkey is just NASTY) and then kinda mashed them all together and made these bad boys. They are not only edible, but I can honestly say I will be making them again. I made extra turkey mix, rolled them into meatballs, and browned them for a few minutes in a hot pan, then finished them for 15 minutes in the oven.

Stuffed Peppers

4 peppers (any color you like)
2 lbs ground turkey
1 small can chipolte peppers
1/2 cup carrots
1/2 cup zucchini
1/2 cup squash
lots of garlic
1 egg
1/2 cup ground almonds
1 or 2 jalapenos
1/2 mushrooms
1/2 cup onions
salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

Put all the veggies (except the peppers) in a food processor and grind until it looks like baby food. Add this mix to ground turkey, add egg, seasonings and ground almonds and mix with your hands. Cut the tops off of your peppers, take the seeds out and stuff your turkey mixture in the pepper. I put a can of crushed tomatoes and garlic on the bottom of a baking dish, and baked the peppers for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.

If you are making this meat into meatballs, roll the meat into balls, cook in a dab of olive oil and brown on all sides, then finish in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Paleo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

2 lbs Ground Chicken
1 red pepper
water chestnuts
scallions
tons of fresh garlic
lots of fresh chopped ginger
bamboo shoots
celery
carrots
salt and pepper
gluten free soy sauce
splash of sesame oil
cashews
sirachi hot sauce
bibb lettuce

Brown Chicken. In a food processor, grind garlic, red pepper, celery and carrots. Add this to browned chicken...add everything else except the lettuce and bamboo shoots. Season to taste. I love it really hot, you could also throw some chili peppers or jalepenos in this. Steam the bamboo shoots (I threw a little water in a bowl, with some soy and nuked it for 1 min) Put chicken mixture in Bibb lettuce pieces and top with bamboo shoots.

I swear this is better than P.F. Changs, sans msg, sugar and half the calories. This is sooo good!

Martha, Martha, Martha

I Love Martha Stewart.

No, really, I do. I religiously sported my FREE Martha tee shirt while she was *cough* at Club Fed. I absolutely adore Carrot Cake, and have tried several different recipes, but this one takes the cake,(no pun intended). My twin boys, Luke and Chase, have requested this for their last 4 birthday's. This carrot cake is dense, moist and hearty. It is paired with the most delicious cream cheese frosting I have ever tasted. This cake is a bit time consuming, lots of layers, frosting, etc...but worth every minute. I have friends that still request it. I may make this tomorrow for no reason at all!

Ingredients

Serves 10

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 pound carrots (8 to 10 medium carrots), peeled and shredded on a box grater or in a food processor (about 2 3/4 cups)
• 2 cups pecans (1 cup finely chopped for batter, 1 cup coarsely chopped for decorating sides of cake)
• Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions

1. Make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper, and butter parchment. Dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger, and nutmeg.
2. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat 3 minutes. Add vanilla, water, and carrots. Beat until well combined, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, and add flour mixture, then finely chopped pecans.
3. Scrape batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen, and turn out cakes onto rack. Turn right side up, and let cool completely.
4. Using a serrated knife, trim rounded top of 2 cakes. Place one trimmed cake, cut side up, on a serving platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with second trimmed cake, cut side down. Spread 1 cup frosting over cake. Top with remaining cake. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides. Gently press coarsely chopped pecans onto sides of cake. Refrigerate 1 hour (or up to 1 day, covered) before serving.

Winner,Winner Chicken Dinner........

For Sarah, with much Love


Sunday morn...8 ish...off to Bristol Farms to get my ingredients for today's Paleo Chicken Chopped Salad. Pull the beemer right next to the sickest Ferrari convertible, (damn, next time I'll take a pic)...and am ready for my leisurely stroll through my favorite store. Peet's coffee in hand, on the look out for the potential Ferrari owner (one of my favorite personal games at Valet's..."Who's car is this?"). 


I am smelling, feeling, touching, tasting everything in that store. I am in there so often that they pull out things for me to look at and taste (took a pass on the herring), love that place. I am in the checkout and this little orange man (George Hamilton tan) with a baaad combover, wearing a Bob Hope Celebrity invitational jacket starts chatting with me...(aha...Mr. Ferrari owner found me). I should have asked him his name, but I didn't want to insult him, as obviously this was someone I should recognize (which naturally I didn't). We had a brief chat about my chicken salad and walked to our cars (yep)... Anywhoo....my salad...


Chopped Chicken Salad:


chicken breasts


super chopped romaine

carrot
celery
cucumber
red, yellow and orange pepper 
broccoli
cauliflower
hearts of palm
artichoke hearts
green and yellow squash
yellow and red tomatoes
grilled chili lime corn
avocado 


-all chopped in confetti like squares


I always season everything and taste as I go. The chicken breasts were marinated in balsamic vinegar (and a boatload of garlic) and grilled. I typically serve with a balsamic emulsion. First press garlic oil, an excellent balsamic vinegar, garlic and salt and pepper.


Enjoy:)

Wow

Ok, I finally have a blog! Thank You, Sarah!!!! Stay tuned as I blog my culinary journey. I hope to record all my successes....and laugh about all my failure's!

Welcome!

Welcome to The Sunny Gourmet! Hope you're hungry;)