Thanksgiving Pasta Bake

Here I go again with the Thanksgiving food...

This dish actually wasn't planned out to be Thanksgiving themed; however, a quick exploration of the fridge and pantry led to its creation. Darn tasty too! Sorry about the one (and only) terrible photo.

Thanksgiving Pasta Bake Recipe:

• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 red chilies, diced (optional)
• 2 tsp fennel seed
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• salt, black pepper
• 1 tbsp Greek oregano
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary 
• 2 cups chopped frozen broccoli, thawed
• 1/2 pkg cooked spiral pasta 
• 1 can cream of chicken
• 1/2 can water
• 1 tbsp brown mustard
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries

Cook pasta according to package instructions. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, add ground turkey, garlic, chilis, seasonings and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over medium until turkey is cooked through and garlic has softened. Add the remaining ingredients and mix until well-combined. 

Pour into 9x13 baking dish, cover with foil and bake in oven until warm and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

The turkey + fennel seed + cranberries really do make this dish taste like a Thanksgiving spread!

Broccoli Beef

I love Broccoli Beef, but sometimes find the Chinese take-out varieties too drenched in sticky, flavorless brown sauce. No thank you. I purchased some wafer thin round steak at the grocery store this week (because it's super cheap), and decided to use it for some tasty Broccoli Beef. This recipe is a little different than the traditional, since it incorporates Thai chiles, lime and tomato, but I recommend.

Broccoli Beef Recipe:

• 1 lb Thin Round Steak
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 lime
• 2 tsp fresh ginger, minced
• 4 Thai chiles, diced
  
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tsp red chile paste
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
  
• fresh black pepper
• 1 head of broccoli, chopped
• 1/4 yellow onion, chopped

Lay the steak in the bottom of a shallow dish and tenderize with a fork. Top with the minced garlic, ginger, tomato and chiles. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy, vinegar, honey, chile paste, sesame seeds and black pepper. Pour over the steak. Squeeze the lime half over top. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let marinate for at least 4 hours.

Heat a skillet over medium-high. Lay the steak on the pan and cook until no longer pink. Remove the steak and slice on a cutting board into strips. Set aside. Add some of the marinade and the onions to the pan and cook over medium low heat.

Meanwhile, blanch the broccoli. When ready, add to the pan with the onions. Let that cook for a couple minutes and then add the meat and remaining marinade. Simmer until everything is heated through. Serve with brown rice.