Moist and Flavorful Turkey Meatballs  or Turkey Burgers

  Our baby loves ground meat in the form of a meatball or a patty. It is easy to hold, easy to chew, and, when done right, there is flavor in every bite. Unless I don't make the extra effort to keep the ground turkey moist. Then the result is a pan of brown golf balls. I experimented using simple seasoning, mushrooms and vegetables. We were rewarded with moist, flavorful versatile meatballs that can also be converted to turkey burgers. Best of all, there are plenty of pan juices, which I can then use to make baby's favorite vegetable, green beans!

Serves 4-6

1 pound ground turkey thigh (used 93% lean)

1½ teaspoons chicken bouillon, either powder or cube

Dash hot sauce

8 ounces white mushrooms (a small package), trimmed

½ onion, cut into big pieces

¼ pound carrots, about 2 long carrots peeled and cut into big pieces or 8 baby carrots

Pinch baking soda

1 tablespoon butter or butter substitute

Salt and pepper

 Optional: 6 large hamburger buns

Place ground turkey on cookie sheet or roasting pan you will use. Pulse bouillon, hot sauce, mushrooms, onion, carrots and butter in food processor until coarsely chopped, about 10-12 pulses, stopping and redistributing ingredients around bowl as needed to ensure even grinding.

Transfer mushroom mixture to cookie sheet with ground turkey and use hands to evenly combine into a rectangle. The meat mixture will be wet, with water from the mushrooms and onions seeping out. That

With lightly greased hands, divide meat mixture right in the pan into 20 balls for meatballs or 6 balls for burgers. For burgers, flatten into 3/4-inch-thick patties; press shallow indentation into center of each burger to ensure even cooking. (Shaped meatballs or patties can be frozen for up to 1 month. Frozen patties can be cooked straight from freezer.)

In a 375 degree oven, cook meat on top rack for 15 minutes. Then turn the broiler on High and cook for 3-5 minutes while remaining nearby to check for browned meat and the juices on the bottom thickening.

For stovetop turkey burgers, cook on high heat until burgers are well browned on both sides and register 160 degrees, 4 to 7 minutes per side. (If cooking frozen burgers: After burgers are browned on both sides, cover, and continue to cook until burgers register 160 degrees.)  Transfer burgers to plate and let rest for 5 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

Tip: Slow-cook some vegetables on the same pan in the warm oven using the “fond” or juices of the meat. My favorite vegetable is green beans with a little onion!

Rosh Hashanah Apple Cake and other great Autumn recipes

Jewish Apple Cake

named for its place on the table during Rosh Hashanah. I updated a family friend's recipe and have included my modifications. This is not a very sweet cake, as written. It tastes like the Apple Cake at Whole Foods, albeit with a better butter flavor! Feel free to use sweeter apples and/or increase the sugar by 1/4 to 1/3 cup for a more pronounced sugary taste, and to mirror the original recipe.

5 apples, peeled and diced (used Granny Smith)
1/4 tsp. cinnamon, plus another 1/4 tsp. reserved
1/3 c sugar
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3 C unbleached flour
2 C sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt

2 sticks butter, melted and cooled--the original recipe calls for 1 C. vegetable oil
1/2 C chunky applesauce (I added this). If it is smooth applesauce, only add 1/4 cup
4 eggs
1/4 C orange juice concentrate--(original recipe calls for 7 Tbsp OJ)
2 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Prepare apples. Add cinnamon and sugar. Toss and set aside.

Set oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans or one bundt pan-- will take a longer baking time.

Add dry ingredients. Remember to add the extra 1/4 tsp. cinnamon. Mix to combine.

In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients.

Fold the wet ingredients into the dry. When well combined, gently fold in the apples.

Pour into pans or pan. Using shallow pans will take about 50 minutes while the bundt pan will take 1 hour 45 minutes. I used 2 cake pans. You may have to switch cake between racks for even baking if cake is not in center of oven. Cake will be done when top is a deep golden brown and the buttery smell drives you near the point of insanity.

Allow to cool--warm to the touch is fine--before cutting.

It's great by itself. It also goes well with fruit compote, ice cream and creme fraiche.

Try it with Riesling, dessert wine or sparkling apple cider...or even some apple brandy or chai.

Additional Fall menu suggestions:

Farfalle with Roasted Butternut Cream Sauce
Roasted Beet Salad, Sauteed Beet Tops and Bleu cheese with Orange Dressing
Brown Butter Chicken with Parsley and Garlic
Jewish Apple Cake

Wine: Off-dry Riesling (next time, Pinot Grigio or Sancerre to cut the richness)

Farfalle with Roasted Butternut Cream Sauce
Serves 6

1 1/2 pounds farfalle, or bow-tie pasta. Cook according to package directions.

2 small or one large winter squash (used butternut), seeded and halved
1/2 stick butter
10 leaves fresh sage, chopped
5 stems parsley, minced
Dash nutmeg, optional
1/2 small onion or 1 shallot, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tbsp flour
1 bouillon cube or 1/2 tsp. salt
1 pint half-and-half
1/3 cup pecans
1/4 C grated Parmesan cheese

Roast seeded and halved squash, face down on cookie sheet or glass pans, in 400 oven for 40 minutes, until tender and "scoopable" from their skins. Allow to cool, then scoop into bowl. Mash if necessary until smooth. You will need at least 1 1/2 cups. Set aside.

In a skillet over med-high heat, melt butter. When bubbly, add fresh sage and parsley. When the leaves have darkened, add onion and optional nutmeg. Cook and stir until onion starts becoming translucent and glossy. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add flour, and stir often until flour turns a very light brown. Reduce heat to medium. Add salt or bouillon.

Over medium heat, add milk slowly, stirring often, until you have used about half. Add squash and stir and smush to even out texture. Add the rest of cream while stirring. Add pecans. Turn off heat. Then add cheese, stirring until combined. The sauce will be quite thick and will sit on top of pasta. I prefer to toss the sauce and pasta together, with a little extra sauce on top.


Roasted Beet, Sauteed Beet Tops and Bleu cheese Salad with Orange Dressing
Serves 8-10
Roast 5 or 6 peeled beets wrapped in foil, with squash or by themselves--400 for 40 minutes in the oven should be enough.
Slice in disks or in small wedges.

Reserve beet tops. Rinse well 2 times under running water. Discard red stems; save the leaves. Sautee with a dash butter or olive oil and a dash of salt and pepper until wilted. Remove from pan and put in serving bowl. If you don't have the beet tops, use kale, spinach or mustard greens.

Throw in a few apple pieces and pecans from the other recipes into the bowl. Thinly slice some leftover onion from the squash into the bowl-about 20 small pieces.

Dressing- Mix 1/2 C orange juice, 1/4 c olive oil, dash vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, parsley and remaining onion in food processor. Mix until smooth. Pour over salad. Top or toss in crumbled bleu cheese, maybe 3 oz total.

Poulet a la grenouille-Chicken, frog-leg style
Don't get freaked out--it's just chicken sauteed in butter with parsley and garlic. I saw this on Jacques Pepin's Fast Food My Way a few years back. I think I made it that same day!

Really simple!
Chop skinless chicken breasts into cubes. Or, leave them whole or in large strips for a more formal presentation.

Coat them with flour and pepper, but do not add salt yet. For a Gluten-free alternative, try corn starch.

Sauté in melted butter. Or, you can mix butter and olive oil about 50/50. After they’ve lightly browned, add salt, garlic and chopped parsley to taste. Cook about 2 minutes longer.

If you are using rather large pieces, finish them off in the oven, so as not to have a burnt crust and an undercooked inside.


THANKSGIVING PREVIEW~
Here's a recipe for the best turkey I ever made: Turkey with Sage Butter. It was just a few of us at a get-together, so I just used a 2- or 3-pound breast. I cut and rolled them into individual cutlets, like Chicken Kiev, but I didn't bread it. Turkey and butter may sound like they'd make strange bedfellows, yet it turned out very well and was not too hard. Brine the turkey. This means soaking it in a salt-seasoning-water solution for a few hours or, even better, overnight. Then let the meat dry a little on the surface. Prepare as usual. The original recipe calls for bacon. I didn't use any bacon, and it was still great.