Next Day Turkey Primavera

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked penne pasta

8 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

2/3 cup julienned carrot

3 tablespoons butter

4 large fresh mushrooms, sliced

1/2 cup chopped yellow summer squash

1/2 cup chopped zucchini

1-1/2 cups shredded cooked turkey

1 medium tomato, chopped

1 envelope Italian salad dressing mix

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute asparagus and carrot in butter for 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, yellow squash and zucchini; saute until crisp-tender.

Stir in the turkey, tomato, dressing mix and cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.

Drain pasta; add to vegetable mixture and toss to combine. Sprinkle with cheese and toss again. Yield: 4 servings.

Originally published as Next Day Turkey Primavera in Taste of Home December/January 2008, p28

Roasted Garlic & Tomato Spread

  Bold flavors and a creamy consistency make this spread a crowd-pleaser. Serve it warm or chilled with pita chips, crackers or breads. 

Ingredients

2 whole garlic bulbs

3 teaspoons olive oil, divided

3 plum tomatoes, quartered

1 carton (8 ounces) spreadable chive and onion cream cheese

1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/4 teaspoon salt

Crackers or snack breads

Directions

Remove papery outer skin from garlic (do not peel or separate cloves). Cut tops off of garlic bulbs; brush each with 1/2 teaspoon oil. Wrap each bulb in heavy-duty foil. Place garlic and tomatoes in a foil-lined 9-in. square baking pan. Brush tomatoes with remaining oil.

Bake at 425° for 30-35 minutes or until garlic is softened. Cool for 10-15 minutes; squeeze garlic into a small bowl. Drain any liquid from tomatoes; chop and add to garlic. Stir in the cream cheese, Italian seasoning and salt. Serve with your favorite crackers or snack breads. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.

Bruschetta Appetizer Tart

Best not think I'll be leaving out the Independence Day appetizers! Here's a Bruschetta Appetizer Tart from Pillsbury sure to keep everyone's hunger at bay until the main course.  The refrigerated pie crust makes this recipe a lot easier to prepare.  Total Time: 25 minutes  Yield: 16 appetizers

INGREDIENTS:

1 box Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crusts, softened as directed on box

1 cup chopped plum (Roma) tomatoes (3 medium)

1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese (2 oz)

DIRECTIONS:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Remove pie crust from pouch; unroll on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 6 to 8 minutes or until light golden brown.
• Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except cheese.
• Remove partially baked crust from oven. Spread tomato mixture over crust; sprinkle with cheese.
• Return to oven; bake 7 to 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted and crust is golden brown. Cut into wedges. Serve warm.

Italian Chicken Burgers

Ingredients:

1 heaping cup panko bread crumbs

1 TB dried Italian seasoning

2 TB finely grated hard Italian cheese, like Parmesan

1/2 tsp coarse salt

1/2 tsp finely ground pepper

1 1/3 lb ground chicken

1 egg

1 TB fresh, finely chopped basil or oregano (optional)

1/2 tsp coarse salt 

1 TB olive oil

4 burger buns, preferably Kaiser or a soft Ciabatta

4 large slices tomato

4 oz low-moisture mozzarella cheese, sliced thinly

1/2 cup arugula

8-12 large basil leaves

Mayonnaise 

Directions:

First, make your seasoned breading. Mix the panko, dried seasoning, grated cheese, salt, and pepper. Set aside on a large plate.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix the chicken, egg, salt, and oregano, if using. Add about 1/4 cup of the bread crumb mixture, mixing gently, and careful not to overwork. Patties should hold together at this point; if you need a little more panko for it to hold it together, add about 1 TB at a time, using no more than an additional 2 TB. Shape it into 4 patties roughly 4" in diameter, and dredge it in the panko mixture, pressing the panko into the chicken patties. You may have some panko left over.

In a large, nonstick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the patties. Cook until medium golden brown on the bottom, and chicken appears cooked halfway up, about 4-5 minutes. Flip, and continue cooking until the other side is the same color, another 3 minutes or so more. (Now's a good time to put the buns in the toaster.) When bottoms of chicken patties are light golden brown, with about 1 minute to go, add a thin layer of cheese on the top, and let cheese melt.

To serve, spread a little mayo on each side of your kaiser bun. Lay a few pieces of arugula, basil, and tomato slice on the bottom bun. Top with the patty and serve.