Casserole in a Clay Pot

I finally received the clay pot that I had ordered from Macedonia. I have never been that happy to see the UPS man – or was it the FedEx man?!? Who cares – the package is here!

I really wanted an authentic, hand-made Macedonian clay pot. Most of Macedonia’s national dishes are actually cooked in clay pots. So, I immediately unwrapped it, washed it, and I cooked in it! Those of you that have tried a casserole in a clay pot definitely know the difference in taste. The food inside the clay pot loses some of its moisture, which then creates a very tender and flavorful dish. I should also add that unlike boiling, nutrients from the vegetables cooked in the clay pot are not leaked out into the liquid in which the food is cooking in. Therefore you get a tasty yet very healthy meal.

To begin, I went into my assortment of vegetables to see what I could put together. I remember my grandma used to just take a bunch of veggies, throw them in the clay pot, put the pot in the clay oven and the result was a finger licking meal, literally. No really, we would pinch off a piece of bread, pick up the bite of food with that piece of bread and end up licking our fingers as the food approached our mouth. In the end our plate looked as clean as before the food was put into it. Easy clean-up! 🙂

So here’s what I found: some zucchini, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes. These will do.

You will need:

• 2 zucchini, peeled, diced in cubes
• 1 cup of green beans, cut (you can also use frozen green beans)
• 3/4 cup rice (not minute rice)
• 2 medium-sized onions, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4 russet potatoes, peeled and diced in cubes
• 2 fresh tomatoes, diced
• 1 cup of vegetable juice or tomato juice
• water
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

For the roux:

• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven at 450.
• In a large saucepan pour in the EVOO and set the pan over medium-low heat.
• Put in the zucchini and cook it for about 2 minutes before adding in the green beans.
• Allow to cook together for a couple of minutes, then add in the rice, onions, and garlic.
• Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt, black pepper, and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
• Sautee the mixture for about 4 minutes.
• Pour the mixture into the clay pot.
• Layer the diced potatoes over the mixture.
• Mix in the tomatoes.
• Pour the cup of vegetable juice over the entire mixture, add in 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and mix.

• Pour enough water to cover the mixture.

• Put the clay pot in the oven for 30 minutes.

In the meantime prepare the roux:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
• Add flour and stir with a wooden spoon for about 2 minutes.
• Add the cayenne pepper and stir continuously until fragrant.

Take out the clay pot after it has cooked for 30 minutes, stir in the roux, and put it back in the oven for another 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked.

Allow the casserole to cool for about 15 minutes before serving.

Mushroom & Mozzarella Turkey Patties

 

Even after all that turkey for last week’s Thanksgiving, I’m still talking about turkey! I can’t help it though, it’s the only time of the year that I have so much turkey to deal with. Yesterday was Stuffed Peppers with Turkey, today it’s going to be about Turkey Patties! These are seriously delicious. I change them up all the time, but I always go back to my original recipe; mozzarella and mushrooms – marriage made in heaven!

You will need:

• 1/2 pound ground turkey
• 1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
• 4 fresh mushrooms, diced
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper flakes
• 1/8 teaspoon dried mint
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic pepper
• 1/2 cup shredded low-moisture part-skim mozzarella cheese

For the sandwich:

• 2 slices of Honey Whole Wheat Bread
• 1 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard, divided
• 1 slice of Fat-Free Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 slice of tomato
• 1 leaf of lettuce

Directions:

• Preheat oven at 350.
• Put all of the ingredients into the ground turkey and mix well with your hands.
• Divide the mixture into 4, and form 4 patties.
• Line a baking sheet with foil, spray with non-stick cooking spray, and arrange the patties.
• Put in the oven for 10 minutes – flip to the other side – and back in the oven for another 10 minutes.
• Get two slices of Honey Whole Wheat Bread and spread 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon Mustard on each slice.
• Build the rest of the sandwich with a slice of fat-free mozzarella cheese, lettuce, tomato and the turkey patty.