Crock Pot Mediterranean Turkey

Makes 8 servings
Ingredients:
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
1/2 cup sliced sun dried tomatoes
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (1/2 fresh lemon)
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 (4-6 lb) boneless fresh turkey breast
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic (bottled or 3 cloves, fresh, chopped)


gravy:
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 Tbsp flour

Combine first 9 ingredients in crock pot. Add 1/2 of the chicken broth. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or HIGH for 4-4 1/2 hours. Combine remaining broth and flour with a whisk in small bowl and add to crock pot. Cook additional 30 minutes.


Slice turkey on cutting board or shred it. You can serve it over mashed potatoes or as a sandwich on crusty rolls.

Upcoming recipes:

Lentil Soup

Corn Chowder

Whole Wheat crust BBQ Chinese CHicken Pizza

Meditteranean Turkey
Tomato Seafood Stew
Roasted Cauliflower
Roasted Asparagus with Pine Nuts, Goat Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes

Just read an interesting article that says "cruciferous vegetables",
such as broccoli, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage and kale
may help to reduce stubborn belly fat. So, I will pull out all my
cruciferous recipes and get on it!

My intent is to include mostly my own recipes but I had to include this recipe.
If you try it, let me know how you liked it. I thought it was so different and
delicious!  Don't let the long list of ingredients or instructions put you off,
it is definitely worth it!

I will include a pan pizza recipe at a later date. I make them frequently and
they're also good.

Thanks to Rachael Ray for this one. Going to make it next weekend!

Carbonara Deep-Dish Pasta-Crusted Pan Pizza
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007
Prep Time: 20 min Cook Time: 6 min Level: Easy
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients
Salt
2 packages fresh linguine, 9 ounces each
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound pancetta, cut as thick as bacon, chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, grated or chopped
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how spicy you like it
1/2 cup grated Parmigiana-Reggiano, a couple of handfuls
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs
1/2 cup cream
2 cups ricotta cheese
A handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 cup shredded provolone or mozzarella cheese
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat water for pasta in large pot, salt it and add pasta for 3 minutes.
While water boils, heat a large skillet with extra-virgin olive oil, over medium-high heat.
Add pancetta and brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes.
Drain pasta, add to pan and toss. Stir in Parmigiana-Reggiano and season with salt and pepper.
Beat eggs with cream and pour over top of pasta. Let eggs begin to set up, about 1 minute,
press pasta into even layer to make the pizza pie crust. Place in oven and cook 5 to 6 minutes.
Mix together the ricotta and parsley. Remove pie from oven and smooth the ricotta over the top.
Scatter with the provolone or mozzarella and return to oven. Bake 8 minutes more until cheese
is melted and golden at edges. Cut into wedges and serve.

WHOLE FOODS

I must say, I am in food heaven when I go to Whole Foods.
I really have to put a brake on the spending though.
My new strategy is to buy no more than a few items each time I go.
I do like their pizza as a treat for lunch! And I have discovered
their sushi is wonderful also! Their prices are similar to Wegmans,
which is not to say they are inexpensive. But, you get what you
pay for. And their quality is always spot on.

Sometimes items on sale really are a bargain and the seafood, for
example is always fresh, fresh, fresh. The woman at the cheese
counter can tell you anything you've always wanted to know about
cheese but had no one to ask. And don't even get me started about
their produce. Freshest.

PIZZA STYLE PASTA

This is my original recipe, adapted from a magazine recipe, years ago.
Its great with salad and easy to make quickly. Perfect for Monday night.

Pizza Pasta

1 pkg. Pasta, ziti, penne, rigatoni, spirals, etc.
8 oz mozzarella or provolone, shredded
1/4 pound pepperoni, sliced or sliced and quartered
1/2 jar sliced green olives
1/2 can sliced black olives
1 small jar spaghetti sauce, use any that you like, or homemade,
1 1/2- 2 cups
1/4 cup Parmesan or Romano cheese

Cook pasta. Drain and return to pot. Add sauce and other ingredients, heat a few minutes until cheese melts. For variety I have added sauteed mushrooms, roasted red peppers, sauteed onions, cooked sausage or 1/2 cup ricotta and 1/2 cup drained, chopped spinach and some garlic.

Taco Turkey Meat Loaf for a Saturday Night Crowd

Since it is still cold here and spring has not shown up yet, I am making my Taco Turkey Meat Loaf for dinner on Saturday. I like meat loaf but really wanted a way to spice it up a bit and this is what I came up with. It makes 2 large loaves. If you like, you can cut the recipe in half, but even better, make both, and freeze one after baking for a weeknight easy meal.

Taco Turkey Meat Loaf

Each loaf serves 6-8
Prep: 10 min. Cook: 60 min.
Ingredients:
1 envelope taco seasoning
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
2 eggs beaten
1 onion grated with juice
2 cloves garlic grated
1/4 cup Romano cheese
1/4 cup tomato salsa
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
1 cup cooked brown rice
3 lbs. ground turkey
topping:
1 cup tomato salsa
1/2 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
1/4 cup Romano cheese
Directions:

Mix together eggs, taco seasoning, black pepper, onion, garlic, tomato salsa, brown rice, bread crumbs and cheeses. Add turkey and mix until thoroughly combined. Grease sheet pan with 2 tsp olive oil. Form two loaves of meat mixture on pan. Top each loaf with the tomato salsa and cheeses. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.

Intro

Hello and welcome to my Red Barn Cafe'- a place to share recipes and a love of cooking. I'm a married, working mom whose love of cooking began standing next to my mother at the stove. Very often my focus was primarily on baking. I gradually progressed to cooking meals, once making my Mom chicken marsala for her birthday when I was about 12. My grandmother, who was from Italy, also greatly influenced my interestand helped pave the way for an Italian cuisine enthusiast. I vividly remember standing next to her and scribbling the ingredients as she made her famous (in our family, anyway) ravioli. They were almost the size of a dinner plate.

I will be sharing some of my favorite recipes here, inviting you to try them. I try to focus on healthy eating and use fresh, organic ingredients when I can. If it tastes good- MANGIA!!

If you try them, let me know how you like them!

Life is hectic but sharing a meal should always be enjoyable, and hopefully not from the microwave!
Bon appetit! 
~Holly