Rosemary Turkey Sausage Links

ROSEMARY TURKEY SAUSAGE LINKS

Printable Recipe

• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, or 1/2 dry
• 1/2 teaspoon dry sage 
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 
• salt & pepper

1. Mix the ground turkey with the 5 following spices well by hand.

2. Roll about 2 tablespoons of the sausage mix into links by hand.

3. On a lightly oiled cast iron skillet or non-stick pan, brown all sides.

4. When all sides are brown bring sausages toward the center of the skillet & slightly cover to fully cook through about 3-4 minutes.

Plate Finished Product

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

  I am not much of a breakfast person but I do like sausage links & bacon of course. So I decided to create a healthier version of my Dad's breakfast links. 

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

  This is whole30 & paleo approved but the recipe can be modified to your palate. If you like spicy you can add some red pepper flakes to this dish. You can serve these with eggs & sweet potato hash.

Turkey & Spinach Meatballs

 TURKEY & SPINACH MEATBALLS 

Printable Recipe

• 1 lb lean ground turkey 
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach 
• 1 yellow or green Italian squash, chopped 
• 1/2 onion, diced 
• 1/2 slice whole wheat bread, crumbed 
• 1 sprig fresh parsley, chopped 
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning 
• 1 teaspoon onion powder 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1 teaspoon salt & pepper to taste 
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 jar marinara sauce
• 4 servings spaghetti, cooked

1. In a food processor, add diced onions, chopped squash, spinach, garlic, & parsley. 
Pulse until finely chopped.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add turkey, spinach puree from processor, bread crumbs, & all seasonings. Mix by hand until all ingredients are well combined.

3. Using a large spoon, scoop turkey mixture & roll into an even ball. Place on foil.

3. Heat olive oil in a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add meatballs & brown 2-3 minutes on each side.

4. In a large pot, bring your favorite marinara sauce to a light boil. I personally like a homemade sauce or Trader Joe's Three Cheese Marinara. 

Stir the meatballs into the sauce, cover & simmer on low for 20 minutes.

5. When sauce is done, toss with cooked spaghetti & serve warm.

Plate Finished Product

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

There is something about comfort food like spaghetti and meatballs that makes dinner so amazing. The only problem is the massive amount of carbs & calories! I created these meatballs in hope of decreasing the calorie intake, yet keeping the classic comfort taste. I think they are a perfect twist on make a comfort classic on the healthier side.

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

This recipe can be modified to your food needs. If you want to make this a Paleo approved, Whole30, or Gluten Free dish, you can remove the breadcrumbs & use spaghetti squash or zucchini in place of the pasta. I like these meatballs with or without the spinach, the zucchini holds in the moisture & still makes for a great meatball. You can also use fresh herbs which will make this dish even more delicious! If you want to add some heat add a 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. If use no pepper at all if spicy is not your thing ;)

Turkey Zucchini Burgers

 TURKEY ZUCCHINI BURGERS  
Printable Recipe

• 1-2 lbs ground turkey 
• 1 small zucchini
• 1/2 medium red onion 
• 2 garlic cloves 
• 1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs,(use a piece of wheat bread & break into pieces)
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
• 1 teaspoon salt & pepper

1. Roughly chop the zucchini, onion, & garlic. 

2. Put the zucchini, onion, & garlic in a food processor & roughly chop. If you don't have a food processor just finely chop.

3. Put ground turkey, bread crumbs, veggie mixture, & red pepper flakes, in a mixing bowl and mix by hand until all ingredients are well combined.

4. Roll turkey mixture into a ball, 1/4 cup for sliders or 1/2 cup for burgers, place two small plates on the counter facing down, on top put a sheet of wax paper. Place the meat on one plate in the center, top with second piece of wax paper, then use second plate to press down meat into a patty. You can always do this by hand with no plates but I like the consistent shape for cooking evenly.

5. Lightly salt & pepper both sides of the patties & cook them on an outdoor or indoor grill at medium-high heat for about 3 minutes on each side or until there is no pink in the middle. Longer for full burger size.

6. Toast the buns, spread with mayo or ketchup, & top with gouda cheese, lettuce, tomato, & avocado. 

PLATE FINISHED PRODUCT 

7. Plate & serve while they are still hot.

 

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

I have posted turkey sliders/burgers a few months ago but I wanted to create a healthier version. A few years ago my sister added some zucchini to some ground turkey & they turned out so delicious. I decided to add bread crumbs to the mixture for a better consistency & some red pepper flakes for a little kick.

MODIFICATIONS/Whole30

The burgers can be topped with anything of your choice,provolone cheese is also goes well, onions, arugula, BBQ sauce, etc. You can also add some Worcestershire or seasoning salt to the turkey mixture.To make these turkey burgers whole30 or paleo approved, do not add bread crumbs to the mix, you can add a tablespoon of homemade mayo to some fat content to help bind the meat & obviously you cannot use cheese as a topping & you can make this burger protein style by using lettuce or grilled sweet potatoes in place of the bun.

Turkey Sliders

TURKEY SLIDERS

TURKEY SLIDERS 

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 onion, dices small 
• 1 garlic clove, minced 
• 1 tablespoon chives, diced 
• 1 teaspoon mayo 
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco 
• 1/2 teaspoon Seasoning Salt
• 1 teaspoon Salt & Pepper 

1. In a mixing bowl add turkey, diced onion, minced garlic, chives, mayo, Worcestershire, Tabasco, seasoning salt, salt, & pepper. Mix by hand until all ingredients are blended together. 

 2. Roll turkey mixture into a ball, 1/4 cup for sliders or 1/2 cup for burgers, place two small plates on the counter facing down, on top put a sheet of wax paper. Place the meat on one plate in the center, top with second piece of wax paper, then use second plate to press down meat into a patty. You can always do this by hand with no plates but I like the consistent shape for cooking evenly. 

3. Lightly salt & pepper both sides of the patties & cook them on an outdoor or indoor grill at medium-high heat for about 3 minutes on each side or until there is no pink in the middle. Longer for full burger size. 

4. Toast the buns, spread with mayo or ketchup, top with gouda cheese, lettuce, arugula, & avocado. 

PLATE FINISHED PRODUCT 

5. Plate & serve while they are still hot. 

SUGGESTED SIDE DISHES 

SWEET POTATO HASH

KALE SALAD

PLATE FINISHED PRODUCT 

TURKEY SLIDERS, SWEET POTATO HASH, & KALE SALAD 

STORY BEHIND THE DISH

I recreated this dish from a dinner I enjoyed at True Food Kitchen in Newport Beach. This dish is originally a turkey burger but I like sliders.

MODIFICATIONS 

The sliders can be topped with anything of your choice, any type of cheese, onions, tomatoes, BBQ sauce, etc. You could use fingerling potatoes or another small potato in place of the sweet potato or yam. The kale salad dressing can be tossed with any green.