Pasta with artichokes and sundried tomatoes

Most of the family really enjoyed this.  The pine nuts added a great little crunch.  and the flavor was top notch.  We added chopped chicken from a rotisserie chicken to the dish, and added a fruit salad.  

• 8 oz (GF) Pasta penne or rotini 

• 2 TBS olive oil

• 3 cloves garlic minced

• 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

• 1 cup artichoke hearts, chopped

• 3 TBS capers

• 5 oz spinach

• 1 TBS olive oil

• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

1. Cook pasta until al dente. Drain.
2. In a large skillet, heat 2 TBS olive oil on medium heat. Add minced garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, chopped artichokes, and capers. Cook for 2 minutes.
3. Add spinach. Continue cooking until the spinach wilts, stirring frequently.
4. Add cooked pasta and 1 TBS olive oil. Cook on medium-low heat, for about 1 minute.
5. Add salt to taste, if desired. Top with toasted pine nuts.

Shannon's Butternut Squash and Sausage Risotto

A friend invited me to a Girls Dish Night where we all brought a main dish and recipe and shared.  So yummy.  This was one of the dishes served.  Delicious, not too long to make, and pretty healthy.  The kids enjoyed it too.  We doubled it for our family.

• 10 oz raw lean ground turkey
• 2 Italian Chicken Sausage Links
• 1/2 cup + 2 TBS dry white Jasmine rice
• 1 1/2 cup vegetable stock
• 2 cups spinach, chopped
• 1 shallot, sliced
• 1/2 clove garlic, minced

Toppings:

• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• grated Parmesan cheese
• cilantro, for garnish

1. Cook the rice according to the directions on the package, using vegetable stock for the liquid
2. Preheat oven to 400.  Peel and cube butternut squash.  Place on a baking sheet, lined with parchment paper.  Spray the tops with cooking spray and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.  Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, flipping halfway.  Set aside.
3. In a large skillet or pan, brown the ground turkey over medium heat.  Once browned, add shallots and garlic, sliced chicken sausage, and chopped spinach.  Cook until the garlic is fragrant, the sausage is browned, and the spinach is wilted.  Turn heat down to low. 
4. Add the cooked rice and roasted butternut squash to the skillet and stir until well combined.  Serve and garnish as desired.

Thanksgiving Turkey

I got this from my sister in-law. Once you cook your turkey this way, you'll never be able to even stand other turkeys.

BRINE:
1 1/2 cup lemon juice
1 1/4 cup organge juice
1 1/2 cup kosher salt
1 1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
3 oranges, cut in half
3 jalepenos, minced
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 TBS chopped garlic
4 1/2 tsp chili powder
4 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 gallon water

Combine water and salt, mix, then add remaining ingredients. Soak partially thawed turkey in brine for 12-24 hours.

Preheat oven to 375. Remove turkey from brine and place in large roasting pan, breast up, dry with paper towls. Rup with 1 1/2 TBS vegetable oil and sprinkle with emeralds essence (recipe below). Cook according to traditional directions. Allow to sit 15 minutes before cutting.

**I'd never used a brine before, and wasn't quite sure how to do it. I used a sturdy kitchen sized trash bag, and dumped the ingredients and turkey into it, then tied it off and put it in the cooler overnight. Worked wonderfully.**


Emerald's Essence:
5 TBS paprika
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup garlic powder
2 TBS ground black pepper
2 TBS onion powder
2 TBS cayenne pepper
2 TBS dried oregano
2 TBS thyme

Mix together.