mediterranean turkey wraps.
March 23, 2014 § 2 Comments
The best way to get through a mundane 8-5 work day? An exciting lunch.
exciting for me = colorful, flavorful, healthy, filling.
I was in a real lunchtime rut until a search turned up this recipe from Iowa Girl Eats for quick Greek-inspired turkey lunch wraps. I made them last week and ate one every day. They were so delicious that I made them again for this week! I’m sure I will wear them out soon, but for now, I’m enjoying them. You can totally customize these to your liking–below is what I used!
Mediterranean Turkey Wraps
Idea and Recipe adapted from Iowa Girl Eats
What you need:
- 5-6 tortillas (I use Giant Eagle brand Tomato Basil and love them!)
- hummus (I used La Sabra’s Roasted Garlic–could also use an olive, sun-dried tomato, or plain flavor)
- 3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tomatoes, sliced thin, seeds removed
- 1/4 red onion, sliced thin
- 1 cup fresh spinach
- 1 small jar of marinated artichoke hearts (I used DeLallo)
- 1/2 cup seedless kalamata olives, chopped
- 3/4 pound deli turkey (I used Dietz & Watson low-sodium turkey breast, shaved)
Note: The tortillas I bought came in a pack of 6, so I made 6 wraps. You can make more or less depending on how full you want yours to be!
What to do:
Prep your ingredients first. Slice your tomatoes as thinly as you can, and push out the seeds and goop. (You don’t want your sandwiches to get soggy in the fridge from the tomato juices.) Also slice your red onions. Chop your kalamata olives. I drained my artichoke hearts and lightly patted them with a paper towel, to absorb some of the moisture. Then, I chopped them up, too.
Now, to prepare each wrap:
Set out one tortilla on a cutting board or other surface. Spread one tablespoon of hummus over the entire tortilla. Layer on 3-4 slices of turkey. Top with several slices of tomato and red onion, a handful of chopped kalamata olives and artichoke hearts, several spinach leaves, and a sprinkling of feta cheese.
Roll the wrap as tightly as you can, and slice in half.
I wrapped my wraps (ha!) in wax paper, then put in individual baggies. I make a little lunch “station” in my fridge with my wraps and grapes ready to go and easy to pack in the morning. I feel like I am winning at lunch right now. It’s nice.
crockpot cheeseburgers.
January 28, 2014 § Leave a comment
Ground beef. It kind of perplexes me. I hardly ever buy it, cause I don’t really know what to do with it, aside from making traditional beef tacos. But, Ty came home a few weeks ago with about 15 pounds of frozen ground beef — his share from an auction. So now I feel challenged to think of how to use it – aside from endless taco nights.
I think I found the answer: these crockpot cheeseburgers. Simple? Yes. Makes a lot? Yes, so plenty to eat off of for dinner all week long. Win! Plus I love finding another go-to slow cooker recipe.
Crockpot Cheeseburgers
Recipe from How Sweet Eats
What you need:
- 3 pounds lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons milk
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 3 tablespoons mustard
- 6 ounces cheddar, cut into small cubes
- buns
- other toppings as desired, such as lettuce, tomato, and extra cheese
What to do:
Heat a large skillet over medium heat, then add a drizzle of olive oil. Put the diced sweet onion in the skillet and cook for several minutes, until it becomes translucent. Then add the minced garlic. Cook for an additional few minutes. Add the ground beef, salt, and pepper, and cook the beef just until it starts to brown. This will take about 5 minutes. Transfer the ground beef into the slow cooker, and add the milk, ketchup, and mustard. Stir in the cubed cheddar cheese. Slow cook the beef on low for 4 hours, stirring occasionally.
I prepared the sandwiches as sliders on toasted King’s Hawaiian buns, with a heaping spoonful of the beef, a little extra cheddar cheese, and some lettuce.
I’m obsessed with King’s Hawaiian rolls. They are the best, in my humble opinion.
What are your favorite ground beef recipes? I’d love to know.
slow cooker bourbon chicken sandwiches with apple slaw.
October 17, 2013 § Leave a comment
I have a confession: Sometimes I get overwhelmed in the kitchen. There are those moments when it seems I’ve used every spatula and skillet I own to prepare one simple recipe. There are times when the dish just doesn’t turn out the way I hoped. But more often than not, the recipe turns out better than I expected–and every messy utensil and dish was so worth it.
This is one of those recipes. People, these bourbon chicken sandwiches are SO GOOD. I promise.
I saw the recipe on Iowa Girl Eats and adapted it ever so slightly. What great flavors! Also, having just returned from the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky, I was looking for an excuse to cook with bourbon. Mmmmmm. There are two parts to this recipe: the slow cooker bourbon chicken, and the apple slaw. They go so good together! These measurements will amount to six generous sandwiches.
What you need:
for the bourbon chicken…
- 2 pounds of chicken breasts, sliced in half
- 1 C ketchup
- ½ C bourbon (I used Jim Beam)
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (I used low-sodium)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
for the slaw…
- 3 C thinly sliced red cabbage
- 2 small apples, thinly chopped (I used honeycrisp!)
- 2 tablespoons of lime juice
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
to complete the sandwiches…
- 6 oz. gouda cheese
- 6-pack of King’s Hawaiian sub rolls (you could use any bread, but these are amazing)
What to do:
Place all of your sauce ingredients into a large slow cooker. Whisk until blended.
Put your chicken breast halves into the slow cooker and cover with the sauce. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, until chicken is tender and pulls apart easily.
After your chicken is done cooking—and before you shred it—remove two cups of the liquid from the slow cooker and bring it to a boil in a small saucepan. Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes or so. It will begin to reduce and thicken. Set this reduced sauce aside. Shred your chicken and keep it in the slow cooker with the remaining liquid.
Blend your olive oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, and lime juice in a large bowl. Add your sliced cabbage and chopped apple to the bowl and thoroughly coat. Sprinkle with sea salt.
Now: construct your sandwiches!
Line a baking sheet with foil, and lay out your bun tops and bottoms. Top each bun bottom with shredded chicken and a spoonful of the reduced sauce, then a slice (or 5) of gouda.
Broil for 2-3 minutes, until cheese melts. Keep a close eye on them so the bread turns golden, but doesn’t burn.
cheese melting action.
Top each sandwich with a heaping spoonful of the apple slaw. Then: EAT ALL THE SANDWICHES!
grilled peanut butter sandwiches.
July 7, 2013 § 2 Comments
This post is more of a public service announcement. If you have never grilled a peanut butter sandwich, you are going to want to do that. And soon.
I made two varieties this weekend on a whim: Peanut butter and jelly. Peanut butter and sliced bananas. Want to get crazy? Drizzle some honey over the top.
All this requires, really, is some good bread, some butter, a jar of PB/jelly/bananas, and either a Panini maker (one of my favorite kitchen friends) or a griddle.
Butter your bread, spread your fillings, and heat these guys up.
You will need the knife and fork. This is about to get messy.
The Cheesy Kitchen 