What Goes Well With Turkey Burger

No-o-oh! Summer's not yet over! It's still grilling season, I can still feel the warm weather! And what better way to spend the remaining days outside with some burger patties! :D

Mmm... It's my first time to try the Jennie-O Original Turkey Burgers and I sure was hesitant at first because I am used to using ground pork. Well, I hope I didn't wait that long because they really tasted great! Better than I expected actually because I thought 'lean' foods taste bland. Guess I was wrong!

My husband prepared these foods and he even cooked my favorite dish - pork soup with tamarind, but I didn't touch it! I indulged myself with my new food pairings and I loved it!

Now this is eating healthy. That was my first plate but in reality, I was able to finish three servings of them all! The combination might look weird but they all worked together and made my tummy happy! :D

DISCLOSURE

I was given a sample of Jennie-O Original Turkey Burger for review but everything was based on my honest opinion.

The Intruiging No Boil Pasta

Have you ever felt so busy or tired that you feel like cooking is a burden? I am a stay-at-home mom but I usually feel that, especially now that I am expecting and is almost at the end of it. I love cooking easy to prepare meals (though not necessarily frozen foods) and I think I found one answer to that problem. The usual pasta brand I use, Barilla, has introduced a new line of easy-to-prepare pasta that is ready in minutes, the Barilla Pronto. So, what's in it for me or us?

One pan preparation | No waiting for water to boil | No draining required

Seems impossible, right? But I have tried it (I just was not able to take a photo of the food because we were too hungry that time) and I have one more thing to add - I love that it doesn't stick to my pan! LOL! Or maybe it was because I use a coated pan? 

There are also several recipes posted on their websites, there's at least one for each type.  I made the regular Sweet Meatball Spaghetti and the other Pesto Penne which my husband prepared. But there are more tasty ones:

Just follow these simple steps:

1. Pour the whole box of pasta into a large skillet (approximately 12 inches in diameter). Pour 3 cups (750mL) of cold water into the pan ensuring the water covers the pasta.
2. Turn the burner to high and start your timer. (Optional: Add a bit of salt to taste.)
3. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until most of the water is absorbed (about 9 minutes but may vary by stove). Add your favorite sauce.
4. Continue to stir and cook in the sauce until desired sauce consistency and pasta texture are reached.

Here are the other types of their Pronto pasta lineup:

1. Penne
2. Spaghetti
3. Elbows Macaroni and Cheese
4. Linguine
5. Puttanesca

By the way, now until June 30, 2015 you can save 10% off at Target using their Cartwheel app.

Happy easy cooking!

DISCLOSURE

To facilitate my review, I was provided a sample of each product shown above. However, all the opinions expressed here are my own.

Pepperoni Recipes

If you thought pepperonis are can only be used for pizza, then you are not being creative with food. Sometime last week I got tired of the usual taste of our red and white pasta, until I discovered a twist to make it more exciting! And it's by adding Hormel Pepperoni Original in the sauce and using it as a topper!

I tried it first with the spaghetti we served during my mom's birthday. Some guests noticed that we used a different kind of sauce, and it was because of the pepperoni topping. They said they never knew it could be added in the sauce and that it turned out good. Well, I just noticed that in the last few months, my imagination is starting to get a bit creative with food. 

Besides using it spaghetti, I also used it as a topper in Pasta Carbonara. This pasta has mushrooms and chicken strips added to it, but the pepperoni, having a bit salty taste, made it even tastier! My husband loved it and he even asked me to put more pepperoni toppings on his pasta.

The day I served the pasta carbonara, I was not able to buy garlic bread to pair with it. I did not know what kind of bread to serve and this one immediately popped in my head. A "Mini-Pepperoni Carbonara Pizza". I just thought about that name. LOL! 

Here's how I did it:

1) Flatten white bread with a rolling pin.

2) Cut the edges if you do not want it, or use sandwich cutter just like I did. You can do just about any shape with this. :)

3) Spread carbonara sauce.

4) Top with pepperoni and cheese. Use whatever kind of cheese you like, I prefer pepperjack. 

5) Bake at 350F for 10 minutes. I only used a toaster oven in this case.

Doesn't it look good? My husband loved my mini-pizzas! He already requested it for breakfast. LOL! I think this would be great to serve as an appetizer during parties too.

I am going to try pepperoni with more recipes next time so stay tuned! ;)

DISCLOSURE

I was not paid in any way to do a review of the product/s mentioned above. I was given a sample to facilitate my review. Everything was based on my honest opinion of the product.

Turkey Spaghetti and A Mexican Treat!

I was never used to eating turkey but I made a switch a few months ago after discovering ways on how to incorporate them in our regular family meals. I have other ground turkey recipes in my previous post and now I continue to think of ways to cook it.

My daughter loves spaghetti and that's when I thought of using Jennie-O Lean Ground turkey as part of the sauce. I must admit it is a bit bland than beef or pork meats (possibly because they made it lean and there's also extra lean) but hey, I can always add more spices. After that, there's no telling what it is! Seriously. There's no smell, if you ought to think about it. Look how tempting it was!

For the last Cinco de Mayo, we had a mini-celebration with a few close friends. I thought that would be the perfect time to use Jennie-O Taco Seasoned Ground Turkey. Honestly, I was surprised they have flavored turkey too! I think my husband was more excited than I was to try using it for the first time! He was even the one who prepared our tortilla. He just sauteed the Taco Seasoned Turkey with very little olive oil (you bet you can use any other kind of oil) and some fresh minced garlic.

I have to tell, I really don't like burritos, tacos or tortillas, but this was really really really good (I rarely say a "really" thrice)! I am not kidding, after one bite I knew I would be getting another one!!! I didn't even have to ask my friends how they liked it, one of them told me it was really tempting! The other said it tastes like the ones you order at Chipotle! Geeee! Now I know what to serve a big group next time. Those ingredients can feed more than a dozen and it's not really expensive to make! You'll even save time because it's also seasoned and the other ingredients are easy to find.

After all this, I can share 4 reasons why you can switch to turkey just like I did:

1) IT'S DELICIOUS - The tender, juicy and mouthwatering flavor of turkey is hard to resist. Jennie-O products make it easy to create satisfying meals you family will love.

2) YOU CAN FEEL GOOD ABOUT IT - It's easy to eat well without sacrificing the taste. This delicious, smart and versatile protein works great in recipes that typically call for ground beef.

3) IT'S EASY TO FIND - I buy mine at Target, Safeway and Weis at their refrigerated section. Look for Jennie-O Lean Ground Turkey in convenient pre-seasoned Italian and Taco varieties for quick and simple meals.

4) IT'S VERSATILE - If you can make it with ground beef, you can make it with ground turkey! That simple!

For more recipes and a list of their products, visit Jennie-O.com, You'll be surprised how much you can make with turkey!

Now, the most amazing part of this post... Just so I can prove what I told you about Jennie-O turkey is, they are sponsoring a $20 worth of Jennie-O products! Only one lucky winner will be chosen. Join now! Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLAIMER

I was given samples to review but everything was based on my honest opinion.