Curried Turkey Salad

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I took advantage of a sale on bone-in turkey breasts at one of our local supermarkets today. I bought several to feed the freezer and another to make this lovely turkey salad. The recipe won an honorable mention in a recipe contest several years ago. While I poached the turkey for tonight's salad, it can be made with freshly roasted poultry or even leftovers, if they are not too dry. Chicken also works well. With warm weather rapidly approaching, I thought some of you might like to have the recipe for this easy main course salad. It works well for luncheons and it is perfect for a light summer meal. I think those of you who try this will really enjoy it. Here's the recipe.

Curried Turkey Salad...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 to 4 cups cooked turkey, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1-1/2 cups chopped celery
1-1/2 cups seedless red grapes, halved
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/4 cup chutney
1 to 2 tablespoons mild curry powder or curry powder to taste
1 teaspoon kosher salt or salt to taste
1/2 cup salted roasted peanuts

Directions:
1) Combine turkey, celery and grapes in a large bowl. Set aside.
2) Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, lime juice and chutney in a small bowl. Add curry powder and salt to taste.
3) Pour dressing over turkey mixture and toss gently to combine. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Just before serving fold peanuts into salad. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Thai Tuna Salad - One Perfect Bite
Pistachio Chicken Salad with Goat Cheese Medallions - One Perfect Bite
Asian Chicken or Shrimp Salad - One Perfect Bite

Green Curry Turkey Burgers with Asian-Style Cucumber Relish - Outdoor Wednesday

Blue River Oregon

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This was intended to be a competition burger but our travel plans assure that, even if chosen, we'll be no where near the Napa Valley when the Build a Better Burger cook-off is held. A person younger than myself might decide to save the recipe for another year, but I've reached an age where that doesn't make a lot of sense, and I'd rather share it with you now than see it sit in limbo for another year. This is really easy to do. While the relish is best made several hours before assembling the burgers, their actual construction takes minutes and uses ingredients that can be found in any large grocery store. While the burgers look all-American , they are really Thai-inspired and capture the hot, sweet, sour and salty tastes that are the hallmark of Thai cooking. I have fudged a bit here and have used a range of measures for the green curry paste that's used to flavor the sauce and add heat to the burgers. Commercially made curry paste tends to be very hot and can kill the taste buds very quickly. If you are not familiar with it, start with the smaller amount and taste carefully as you go along. The goal here is a warming heat, not fire. The burgers can be cooked stovetop or on a grill. They should be turned only once. They are moist burgers and will fall part if you play with them too much. I usually serve these on a brioche-type roll, but any bread with a soft crust can be used. I think you'll like these burgers. Here's the recipe.

Green Curry Turkey Burgers with Asian-Style Cucumber Relish...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 large English cucumber, cut in 1/4 to 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup finely minced red onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh hot green chilies
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt, divided use
1 cup mayonnaise
1 to 3 teaspoons Thai-style green curry paste
1-1/4 pounds ground turkey meat (I prefer thighs)
4 lightly toasted brioche-style rolls
Garnish: Cilantro sprigs

Directions:
1) Combine vinegar, water, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a medium sauce pan and cook, stirring occasionally, over moderate heat until sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
2) Combine cucumbers, onions and chiles in a small bowl. Cover with cooled dressing and chill for several hours.
3) Combine mayonnaise, green curry paste and reserved 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Mix well. Remove 1/4 cup of sauce to another small bowl and stir 1/2 cup drained cucumber relish into it.
4) Add relish mixture to ground turkey and mix just until combined. Shape into 4 patties. In a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat, cook patties for 4 minutes on each side. Spread reserved mayonnaise mixture on top and bottom of warm rolls. Place a pattie on bottom half of each roll and cover with relish and sprigs of cilantro. Set roll tops in place and serve. Yield: 4 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes;
Salmon Burgers with Chipotle Aioli and Pineapple Salsa - One Perfect Bite
Grilled Pork Burgers Indochine - One Perfect Bite
Chimichurri Turkey Burgers - One Perfect Bite

This is being linked to:
Outdoor Wednesday - A Southern Daydreamer

Beggar's Chowder - A Crock-Pot Recipe

Who said beggars can't be choosers? This plain Jane recipe won the last Rival Crocktober competition - my first big win. As a matter of fact, it's my only big win. Despite that, I've kept my sense of humor and a sure belief that lightening can strike twice if you're willing to fly kites and stand under tall trees in thunderstorms. I do dumb stuff like that. I've made this recipe, in one form or another, for decades. It first simmered on a two burner stove in the basement apartment that was our first home. In those days the chowder was made with turkey necks and truly was a beggar's chowder. It stayed in my recipe rotation as we moved uptown and ended up in the kitchen of the Institute for Culinary Education where it was judged best of show. If you're always on the lookout for crock-pot recipes, give this one a try. It will not disappoint.

Beggar's Chowder

Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 skinless, bone-in turkey thighs, trimmed of visible fat
Cooking spray
2 (14.75-ounce) cans creamed style sweet corn
1 (10.5-ounce) can condensed chicken broth, undiluted
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1 cup diced green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion
1 pound cleaned, stemmed white mushrooms, halved or quartered if large
1 (14.5-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup cilantro or parsley
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1) Combine butter, flour, garlic salt, pepper, thyme and paprika in a small (1 quart) mixing bowl. Using the back of a wooden spoon, work the mixture to form a smooth paste. Rub the paste into all sides of the turkey thighs.
2) Spray the stoneware insert of a 5 1/2 - 6 quart slow cooker with a nonstick cooking spray. Place peppers and onions in stoneware. Toss with 1 tablespoon oil and microwave, covered, on HIGH power for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender. Put the turkey thighs in the bottom of the stoneware; cover with the the creamed corn and the undiluted chicken broth. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 hours or until the turkey is fork tender.
3) Remove the turkey thighs from the pot and set aside until cool enough to handle. While the turkey cools add the mushrooms and diced tomatoes to the liquid in the stoneware; cover the pot and continue to cook for 1/2 hour more.
4) While the mushrooms are cooking, remove the turkey meat from the bones in bite size pieces.
5) When the mushrooms are tender, return the turkey to the chowder; add the heavy cream and the cilantro or parsley and cook, covered, until heated through, about 15 minutes more. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste. Yield: 8 servings.