Category Archives: Appetizers

I have had a few followers ask for more recipes with meat involved. Is it that obvious that I don’t make it very much? The truth is, I don’t love cooking it at home- too many rules with cutting board, washing hands, etc, and my body feels just fine without it. But that doesn’t mean I don’t eat it from time to time- and enjoy it!

Eating meat or choosing not to eat meat is a big topic these days, and one that has strong proponents and followers either way. So what’s the deal?

Many people need more meat in their diet to feel energized, while others feel much more energized without it, relying upon vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds and fish. Which type of person are you?

Try a little experiment if you want. For 3 days, take the meat out. Feel free to eat all other kinds of real foods, like the ones I listed above when you’re hungry. Have some meat on the 4th day. How do you feel- better or worse? If you didn’t notice a difference, try going meatless more often- it’s cheaper and lot better for the environment for reasons of sustainability.

Like everything else, I think being so strict one way or the other probably isn’t the best, all the time. Many vegetarians miss a lot vital nutrients if they solely rely upon vegetables, legumes and grains, and many meat eaters miss out on a lot of vital nutrients in the same categories of food if they never expand upon their meat = dinner philosophy.

That said, not all meat is made the same, so please be careful. In fact, most of it is pretty horrific. Organic is the way to go, even if you do not choose organic for your fruits and vegetables. Hormones, soy and corn feed, antibiotics and massive chemicals are present in most of the sources  of meat in this country today- all fueled by Big Agra companies funded by the government to produce more quantity, less quality. Poor quality of life for the animals, on top of the “plumpers”, chemicals and hormones, makes for one large bite of stuff you did not ask for. (If you have not seen the film Food Inc, I do recommend it if this topic intrigues you).

If you’re just here for the food, I’ll get right to it.

Presenting: The {Organic} Turkey Stuffed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

25 large capped white button mushrooms- as big as you can find. They shrink! You can also use Portabello mushrooms and make fewer (5-6).

2 granny smith apples, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 lb organic ground turkey (or chicken, or beef)

2 tsp fennel seeds (optional)

3 tsp dried sage

sea salt and pepper to taste.

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350. Wash the mushrooms and dry with a paper towel to rid of all the grime. Pop the stems off, so you have a little hole to add your stuffing.

2. On a baking sheet, line up the mushrooms, top side down. Drizzle some olive oil and rub each mushroom so it’s fully coated. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and pop in the oven.

3. On the stove top, add olive oil in a pan. On medium heat, add the chopped onion and chopped apple pieces. Saute for a few minutes, until they soften.

3. Set aside. Add more olive oil to the pan, and add the ground turkey. Break up with a fork and let all sides cook evenly. Add more fennel and sage if you wish. Add the apple/onion mixture and stir to combine.

4. Remove the mushrooms from the oven and drain any juice out of the middles. Stuff the mushrooms with the apple/turkey mixture and place back in the oven for another 10 minutes. Serve warm.

Other suggestions: grated parmesan, gouda or sharp cheddar as the stuffing finishes cooking; using quinoa or brown rice instead of the meat- just cook it before hand and mix with the apples, onions and spices; using tomatoes or bell peppers if you don’t like mushrooms.