Tag: turkey

Turkey Meatball Pho

My husband absolutely loves vietnamese pho and it is one of the few stove top dishes he will help me make (he prefers cooking on the grill). While I eat vietnamese food every chance I get, it is difficult to find a restaurant where they have gluten free options. Even though the noodles are gluten free (rice), many restaurants marinate their meat in either soy sauce or hoisin sauce, which are not gluten free. I have even been places where they added soy sauce to the broth. So I make it at home!

Traditionally, pho is made with sliced meat. However, we prefer a meatball version, which I have seen on menus before. It’s great because because you can mix in extra flavorings there too. Also, ground meat is cheaper! This time around, we decided to make it even less traditional and go with  a leaner ground turkey, instead of beef.  Since I used poultry for the meat, I also opted to use chicken stock instead of traditional beef stock. You can easily change the recipe back to the beef, using like quantities of each.

Ingredients

1 quart gluten free chicken broth

2 shallots – 1 quartered, 1 sliced

1 piece star anise

1 tsp cilantro, dried

1 tsp sugar

1 inch piece of ginger, fresh – slice half, and mince the other half

2 shallots – 1 quartered, 1 sliced

1lb turkey, ground

1/2 cup gluten free bread crumbs (or crushed GF crackers)

1 tsp garlic, minced

1 medium jalapeno pepper (optional)

1/4 cup white onion, minced

6 oz rice noodles

1 oz bean sprouts, rinsed

Optional Garnishes: 

1/2 bunch Thai basil, shredded

1/2 bunch mint, shredded

1 lime, sliced in wedges

1 tbl peanuts, crushed

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To start, pour chicken stock into a 3 to 4 qt pot. Add the quartered shallot, sliced ginger, the star anise, and the cilantro. Simmer, while you make the meatballs.

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Next, heat up a frying pan with some oil. Mix turkey with the breadcrumbs, minced ginger, garlic, jalapeno, and onion. Roll into balls, preferably bite sized. *My husband made these much too large, so we had to cut them up to eat.*

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Brown the meatballs on all sides. They do not have to be cooked all the way through, yet. While they are browning, skim the shallot, ginger, and anise out of the broth.

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Once the meatballs are browned, add them to the broth and simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked through. While that simmers, boil some water in a large pot and cook the rice noodles. They cook very quickly, usually 6-10 minutes, so keep an eye on them. While the water is boiling, quickly fry the sliced shallots in the hot oil left over from the meatballs, then set them aside.

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Drain the noodles and divide them between two bowls. Top with bean sprouts. Add some meatballs and broth. Add desired garnish. We used basil, jalapeno slices, and the fried shallot. Lime wedges, mint, and peanuts are other great traditional options.

Gluten-Free Fall Shepherds Pie

This recipe is great for the fall and holiday season. For me, shepherds pie is a comfort food. It is a simple, but filling meal and it is great to have on a chilly day. I thought I’d try something a little different this time around and my results ended up being really tasty! I pretty much made it up as I went along, so by all means, adjust it to your tastes. I also think you could make this by utilizing your Thanksgiving leftovers! You could substitute shredded turkey for the ground turkey, leftover sides as the vegetables, leftover yams/sweet potatoes for the sweet potato topping, and cranberry sauce for the garnish.

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I also made a couple mini pies for my husband and I to take for lunch the next day!

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Ingredients

2 Tbl oil (I used grape seed oil, but you can use whatever you prefer)

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 lbs sweet potatoes

1.5 lbs turkey, ground

1 Tbl poultry seasoning

Salt & pepper, to taste

2 – 15oz cans of vegetables (here, I used 1 can of green beans and 1 can of corn)

1 Tbl butter or buttery spread (I used Earth Balance)

1 Tbl milk or milk substitute (I used soy milk)

1/4 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp clove

1/4 tsp allspice

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp maple syrup

1/2 cup dried cranberries, soaked in warm water (optional)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325˚F
  • In a large sauté pan, heat oil and add onion.
  • While the onions are cooking, cook your sweet potatoes, then set aside to cool. I used the potato option on my microwave (make sure you poke holes in the skin to prevent the potato from exploding).
  • When your onions are starting to turn translucent, add in the garlic. When the onions are done remove them from the pan.
  • In the same pan add the turkey, poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper. Cook until brown, then drain.
  • Mix the turkey and the onions together and place them at the bottom of your desired baking dish.
  • Next, layer your vegetables on top of the turkey.
  • Scoop out the insides of your sweet potatoes into a medium sized mixing bowl and mash them with the butter, milk, spices, and syrup.
  • Top your shepherds pie with the sweet potato mixture. You may need to use a knife or the back of a spoon to spread it evenly.
  • Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until heated all the way through.
  • Top with cranberries and enjoy!

Makes about 4 servings