Actually Delicious Turkey Burgers

My fifth experiment in the kitchen is a new turkey burger. I love Jenny-O lean ground turkey and am always looking for new recipes to use it in. I really liked this turkey burger recipe because it seemed simple and easy to make. I put the burger on a flat 100 calorie bread, added a slice of 2% American cheese, a few pieces of lettuce and dollop of ketchup. I thought this burger was full of flavor and juicy.

I read the reviews on this recipe and made a couple of changes. I decided to add some Worcestershire sauce and a few dashes of red pepper flakes. I also did not have garlic or fresh parley on hand so I substituted those for garlic powder.

Ingredients 

• 1-1/4 pounds ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons finely diced onion
•   1egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder with parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• few dashes of Worcestershire sauce 
• few dashes of red pepper flakes 

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix ground turkey, seasoned bread crumbs, onion, egg whites, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Form into 4 patties.
2. Cook the patties in a medium skillet over medium heat, turning once, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F (85 degrees C). Or on the grill over medium high heat for 5-6 minutes per side. 

Turkey Burger Recipe  

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies

My fourth test in the kitchen was a combination of two recipes- white chocolate macadamia nut cookies and chocolate chunk blondies. I created my very own White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Blondies! The flavors are fantastic together- just the right amount of sweet and savory. I wish I had cooked it a bit longer. I pulled it out at 18min because the edges were golden but the middle should have been cooked another few minutes. I will definitely try to perfect the cooking time on this one because it is so tasty! This recipe was so easy to make and took only minutes to prep.

Ingredients

1	box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® White cake mix
1/2	cup butter , melted
2	eggs
2	cups white chocolate chips (from 11.5-oz bag)
1	cup coarsely chopped macadamia nuts- unsalted

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 13x9-inch pan with shortening or cooking spray. 
2. Microwave white chips uncovered on Medium (50%) 3 to 4 minutes or until chips are softened. Stir chips until smooth; cool.3. In large bowl, mix cake mix, butter and eggs with spoon. Mix in melted chocolate chips. Stir in 1/2 cup of white chips and macadamia nuts 
4. Bake 18 to 22 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour. 
5. In small microwavable bowl, microwave remaining white chips uncovered until melted; stir. Drizzle over bars. Let stand about 30 minutes or until frosting is set. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Or for triangles, cut bars into 6 rows by 2 rows, then cut each bar diagonally in half to form triangles. Store covered at room temperature.

Chocolate Chunk Blondies Recipe  
White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies  

Homemade Crispy Seasoned French Fries

 My third experiment in the kitchen- french fries. This did not go so well. I first reduced the recipe to only one serving which seemed fine. The batter looked good. I heated up the oil and started dipping one fry in at a time...but was taking way too long. I started adding two fries. This lead to oil spitting all of over my kitchen including myself. I reduced back to one fry, but the fries were not cooking as well as I would like. The batter was browning too fast and the potatoes didn't cook as fast.

Overall, I liked the batter recipe. I just need to improve my deep frying abilities. This time the kitchen has won, but next time I will conquer!

Ingredients for 1 serving

• 5 ounces russet potatoes, peeled
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon onion salt
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon water, or as needed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil for frying

Directions 

1. Slice potatoes into French fries, and place into cold water so they won't turn brown while you prepare the oil.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. While the oil is heating, sift the flour, garlic salt, onion salt, (regular) salt, and paprika into a large bowl. Gradually stir in enough water so that the mixture can be drizzled from a spoon.
3. Dip potato slices into the batter one at a time, and place in the hot oil so they are not touching at first. The fries must be placed into the skillet one at a time, or they will clump together. Fry until golden brown and crispy. Remove and drain on paper towels.

Fry Recipe

Hershey's Especially Dark Chocolate Cake

My second test in the kitchen was to satisfy my sweet tooth- chocolate cake with peanut butter filling and chocolate frosting. I baked the cake recipe off the Hershey's Dark Cocoa Powder can. I baked two 9 inch rectangle cakes.  I then decided I wanted to add a peanut butter filling. I found an amazing recipe. I then decided on a fudge frosting. It turned out to be like a giant peanut butter cup!

As you can see it is not the prettiest cake, but I think I should have let the cake cool longer before frosting. I got really excited and just wanted to finish it. At first I didn't think I had enough frosting for the entire cake but there was more than enough. It spreads very easily. This cake is very rich and a few bites will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth. 

Ingredients for cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup boiling water

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.
   
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.
   
3.  Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.     

Peanut Butter Filling  

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1/3 cup peanut butter, crunchy or smooth
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp milk

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add a little extra confectioners’ sugar if necessary (Some peanut butters are less thick than others).
Spread peanut butter filling on top of one of the layers then place the other layer on top.

Chocolate Fudge Frosting

1/3 cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
2-2/3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat; add cocoa, stirring constantly until smooth.(Mixture will be very thick.) Remove from heat; pour into medium bowl. Cool slightly.

2 Add powdered sugar alternately with milk and vanilla, beating to spreading consistency. About 2 cups frosting.


Orginal Cake recipe
Peanut Butter Filling Recipe
Frosting

Slow Cooker Cheesy Potato Soup

My first experiment in the kitchen was a hearty potato soup. Prep for this soup took me a bit longer than the original recipe called for because I choose to use fresh ingredients. The original recipe called for 1 bag (32 oz) frozen southern-style diced hash brown potatoes, thawed and 1/2 cup frozen chopped onion (from 12-oz bag), thawed. 

Other changes to the original recipe I made included:  using bacon bits and Mexican fiesta blend cheese. I would recommend using real bacon pieces. I think it would add another level of flavor. I also would recommend using more cheese.  I did season the soup with a bit of pepper.

Overall, the soup was super easy to make and tasted delicious. I also had plenty of leftovers which I froze. I think the soup will taste great when reheated on a cold rainy night. The only negative I found the soup to be a bit runny. I wish it had been a bit thicker. I'm thinking if I used whole milk instead of fat-free it might had made a difference.

Prep Time:30 Min

Total Time: 6 Hr 45 Min

Makes: 6 servings (1 1/2 cups each)

INGREDIENTS

5 medium russet potatoes,diced

1/2 cup onion, diced

1 medium stalk celery, diced (1/2 cup)

1 carton (32-oz) reduced sodium chicken broth

1 cup water

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 bag (8 oz) shredded American-Cheddar cheese blend (2 cups)

1/4 cup real bacon pieces

4 medium green onions, sliced (1/4 cup)

DIRECTIONS

• In 3- to 4-quart slow cooker, mix potatoes, onion, celery, broth and water.
• Cover; cook on Low heat setting 6 to 8 hours.
• In small bowl, mix flour into milk; stir into potato mixture. Increase heat setting to High. Cover; cook 20 to 30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish individual servings with bacon and green onions. Sprinkle with pepper if desired.

Original recipe taken from Pillsbury.com. slow-cooker-cheesy-potato-soup