Dinner: low carb, gluten free. oh, and really yummy.

I never expected to post about dinners again so soon, certainly not two in a row!  But this second one I made tonight, and was soooooooooooooo yummy, I just had to share it.

So this dinner is for Kari, who did NOT ask to be signed up for the Blessed Table Challenge, but who has two blogs that inspire me.  : )

Kari, you rock, and since I can't really make you dinner, please take this post as a bit of friendly encouragement from the West coast.  This meal was so yummy my family ate it almost all up in one sitting, and even the finnicky toddler ate every bit on his plate, with relish!  If Bean or Java will balk at the texture of the kale, try chopping it very finely. And in case you are not yet cooking with kale, be sure not to let it overcook--try to watch the pot to make sure it does not get dull "army" green, at which point it is officially dead and won't taste nearly as good (or have as many nutrients).

(oh, and yes, this was me using up things that needed to be used up--when it works, it WORKS)

**Don't forget to check out my disclaimers on Dinner #1, esp. about gas vs. electric stovetops!

Winter Turkey, Potato and Kale Soup

Ingredients:
--3 large leeks, trimmed and washed and sliced crosswise into quarter-inch rounds
--1 package ground turkey
--about 5 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
--1 heaping teaspoon "Better Than Bullion" (veggie)--(can also just use broth, or what you think is a right amount of another type of bullion)
--ground cloves and black pepper
--milk or cream


In a large pot, saute the leek for a few minutes in olive oil.  Then add the ground turkey. 

(And if you forgot to thaw it or are making this at the last minute, like I did tonight, no worries, just chuck the frozen meat into the pot and crank up the heat, making sure as much meat as possible is touching the bottom of the pot.  Let it cook, turning over the turkey every few minutes and using your spoon to scrape off the cooked meat from the frozen.  When the meat is all crumbled, cook it well, even putting the lid on the pot to get the turkey cooked all the way through.)

When the turkey is done, add a couple of inches of water to your pot, along with bullion (or just use broth instead of water).  Toss in your potatoes and put the lid on the pot and keep the heat on high to get it cooking quickly.  When the water is starting to simmer, stir, toss in your kale, put the lid back on, and lower heat until the food is just simmering. Let it all simmer for a few minutes, until the potatoes are just done but before the kale is overdone.  Turn off heat.

Stir in some ground cloves (don't know how to tell you this one, since I just eye-balled some out in my palm--start with a little over 1/2 tsp. and then taste) and black pepper.  Stir well, and then add some milk (the creamier the better--I used whole. a little half and half would work too) until it is as soupy as you like.

*I was making a bean salad on the side, otherwise I would have added one or two cans of cannellini (white kidney beans) to the pot when I added the kale--a perfect compliment to all the other things in the pot.

On the Side:  Mediterranean Chick-pea Salad

Ingredients:
--2 cans garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
--some red cabbage
--one big fresh tomato
--a handful of  fresh parsley, snipped
--a little green onion
--one large clove garlic, pressed
--some vinegar and oil salad dressing (I used Newman's Own, any balsalmic would also work great)
--black pepper

Mix it all up and serve!  This was really good to compliment the turkey soup.  Not entirely from scratch, but so quick and yummy--those are the dishes I am relying upon these days. : )

You can also use this salad on top of a bed of lettuce greens for pretty presentation and more of a traditional salad feel. 

The way I made these dishes tonight was gluten free (check your salad dressing labels though), and I think Kari--who is also trying dairy free, for the health of her kids and herself--could figure out how to make it "milky" without the milk, or could just omit it and have a yellow broth (I put the milk in not so much for its flavor, but really more for its aesthetic appeal).


Wishing you all a new week of eating well!