turkey & split pea soup

turkey foodcoma? figuring out what to do with all that leftover turkey from thanksgiving dindins? here’s an easypeasy slowcooker recipe that will have you coming back for yet another helping of turkey! it’s that good. :)

add some pantry basics and some fresh produce to the turkey leftovers, and you’ve got all the ingredients you need to cook up a hearty turkey & split pea soup. yummers.

slowcook the soup:
add the following ingredients into a medium slowcooker and stir to combine well.
simmer on high heat in the slowcooker for approx 4-4.5 hours.

- 1 large can (approx 800mL) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup organic baby potatoes (rough chop)
- 1.5 cups organic baby carrots
- leftover turkey meat (with bones)
- 3-4 cups water (divided)
- 1/2 cup fresh italian parsley (finely chopped)
- sprinkle 1 tsp quatre épices (spice blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves & black pepper)
- dash of sea salt
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- splash of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar

slowcooked bison stew

i spy… bison fingers? well, not really — more like bison ribs, where the meat just falls off the bone in a stew.

so… bison fingers, you ask? well, that’s what the label read on the package of meat from local alberta organic producer, sunworks farm. always on the hunt for new ingredients for my next culinary experiment, i couldn’t help but be intrigued by the ‘bison fingers’ and thought these meaty ribs would make a great addition to a hearty slowcooked stew. perfect for a cozy sunday dinner at home.

slowcook the stew:
add the following ingredients into a medium slowcooker and stir to combine well.
simmer on low heat in the slowcooker for approx 8 hours.

- 1 large can (approx 800mL) crushed tomatoes
- 1.5 cups organic baby carrots
- 1.5 cups organic potatoes (rough chop)
- 2 red bell peppers (pitted, sliced into chunks)
- 500g organic bison ‘fingers’ or ribs
- 1 clove garlic (peeled, diced)
- 1 cup fresh italian parsley
- 4 cups water
- splash of red wine (i used some leftover cabernet sauvignon in this recipe.)
- dash of sea salt
- season w/ ground black peppercorns

at the 6.5 0r 7-hour mark, add the following ingredients:
- 1 cup organic yellow split peas

note: recommend not leaving the slowcooker unattended. you will need to stir ingredients occasionally and lift the slowcooker lid slightly to release steam occasionally during the slowcooking process, so it’s best to stay nearby. be sure to follow the safety instructional manual that came with your particular model of slowcooker.

chipotle turkey & tomatillo fajitas

tomatillos. green tomatoes. whatever you call them, they are pretty fantastic.

i was surprised to stumble upon some fresh tomatillos in the produce aisle the other day. intrigued by the vibrant green hue beneath the husk, the tomatillos quickly became the inspiration for my weeknight culinary experiment. tomatillos are a staple ingredient of mexican cooking, so i thought fajitas were just the ticket that night. olé!

the turkey:
- heat up 1.5 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil (evo0) in large saucepan on high heat
- sauté 1/4 white onion (peeled, diced) until slightly browned
- add 500g extra-lean ground turkey to pan
- add a dash of salt
- season w/ 1 tsp dean & deluca chipotle bayou blend (combo of spices incl chipotle powder, ground paprika, cumin, coriander, granulated onion, garlic powder)
- add 1 cup crimini mushrooms (diced)
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- divide & fold the ground turkey into pieces as it cooks for approx 4-5min until no longer pink. reduce heat to medium.

the tomatillo:
- add 1 tomatillo (husk removed, rough chop) to turkey, onions & mushrooms in pan
- sprinkle 1 tsp dean & deluca chipotle bayou blend
- season w/ ground black peppercorns
- drizzle hot sauce over turkey & tomatillo (optional)
- fold ingredients & simmer on medium heat, until well combined and meat is cooked
- remove from heat & set aside