Picky Palate's Quick Weeknight Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

We have an over abundance of lettuce in our garden right now, so we try and have a salad either for the main course or side at just about every meal. This meal was definitely a winner! I don't usually cook with Ground Turkey, so this was new for our family. Because of all the lettuce we have I have been racking my brain for recipes to try. I remembered these lettuce wraps I had seen on Picky Palate's site and was excited to try them. Jenny is a very talented cook. She always amazes me with her inventions. Check out her site at www.picky-palate.com . These are delicious! If you have ever had lettuce wraps, you eat like ten of them before you are full. They are a great way to use lettuce. We have romaine lettuce, which worked out great. The meat mixture is a little spicy, crunchy, and so good. Try it out...they won't dissapoint you! My boys devoured them. I will be back with another lettuce wrap recipe soon...that is if I don't have my baby!

Quick Weeknight Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps
From: Jenny at Picky Palate

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Cup finely chopped onion
1 lb ground turkey breast
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic salt
1 12 oz bag of Broccoli Slaw
1 small can drained water chestnuts
½ Cup Yoshida’s Teriyaki Sauce (I used Kikkomen)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Approximately 15 Butter Lettuce leaves (you can also use iceberg lettuce leaves)

1. Place oil into a large 5 qt skillet or other large pan over medium heat. When hot, add onion and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add ground turkey, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Brown and crumble until cooked through.
2. When turkey is cooked, stir in broccoli slaw, water chestnuts, teriyaki sauce and sesame oil. Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Reduce heat to low until ready to serve. Serve spoonfuls inside lettuce leaves. Enjoy!

Triple-Layer Banana Cream Pie Bars

We have a favorite ice cream place that makes the best Banana Cream Pie Shakes. We love a good shake, and I love the Banana Cream Pie shake because it is light and honestly...I can eat it all and not feel so bad as opposed to the Hot Fudge shake, with extra hot fudge. Anyhow this post is not a Banana Cream Pie shake, but Banana Cream Pie Bars that taste so close to the yummy shake that I love. It is so tasty, light, and delicious for a summer dessert! It is definitely a favorite at our house. I found this recipe in another Kraft Food & Family Magazine.

***Sorry for the lack of posting. I am 3 weeks away from having a baby, and have this huge desire to clean, organize, remodel, and do the things that would have been a lot easier 1 year ago when I didn't have a basketball in my tummy and could move a lot quicker without so much pain. My sister on the other hand is now pregnant, and sicker than ever. She doesn't even want to think about food, let alone look at our blog. We will do our best to keep up on the posts... in the meantime hang in there with us...please!!!

Triple-Layer Banana Cream Pie Bars
Kraft Food & Family - Jeff DeLong

1 1/2 cups crushed Nilla Wafers (about 60 wafers)
1/2 cup Planters Chopped Pecans
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
3 bananas, sliced
3 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) Jell-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
2 1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix wafer crumbs, pecans and butter in 13X9-inch baking dish; press firmly onto bottom of dish. Bake 8 min. Cool 10 min.

Top crust with banana slices. Pour milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Spoon 2 cups of the pudding over banana layer.

Gently stir 1 cup of the whipped topping into remaining pudding; spoon over pie. Top with remaining 1 1/2 cups whipped topping. Refrigerate 3 hours. Store leftovers in refrigerator.

Quick Chicken Fettucinne Cacciatore & Speedy Summer Fruit Salad

This Pasta dish is one of my family's favorites. It is packed with veggies, chicken marinated in Italian dressing, tossed with fettucinne noodles, and seasoned with fresh basil & cheese! It has the perfect zing, and is great for a quick summer dish. I found this recipe in the Kraft Food & Family magazine years ago, and have been making it for my family ever since. The breadsticks on the side will have to be posted another day...but I will tell you that they were delicious!

Quicke Fettucinne Cacciatore

1/2 lb. fettuccine, uncooked
2 tsp. oil
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup each: green pepper strips and sliced fresh mushrooms
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup KRAFT Zesty Italian Dressing
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Italian* Mozzarella-Parmesan Cheese Blend
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil


COOK pasta as directed on package.
MEANWHILE, heat oil in large skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir until no longer pink. Add peppers and mushrooms; cook 3 min., stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes and dressing; simmer on medium-low heat 5 min. or until chicken is done.
DRAIN pasta. Toss with chicken mixture; sprinkle with cheese and basil.

***I like to marinate my Chicken with about 1/2 cup Italian Dressing prior to cooking the chicken. It adds a bit more flavor to the cooked chicken.

We have been enjoying strawberries for a good month now, and I found a way to whip up a fast fruit salad with whatever fruit you have on hand. We eat a lot of fruit, and probably serve it at every meal so this was perfect for us. At the end of the day I usually have a half eaten banana and an apple with a few bites in it that need to be used. I cut them up and combine them with whatever berries I have. My boys also love yogurt, and would eat it all day if I let them. This is a perfect combo, and it took just minutes to have a fabulous, healthy fruit salad.

Speedy Summer Fruit Salad

1/2 cup each of bite size fruit (strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries with bananas, & apples)
Vanilla Yogurt

Combine fruit and enough yogurt to coat the fruit & serve!

***I make just enough for the family to eat at that meal. That way the bananas won't go brown. We always eat it all up! You could try different flavors of yogurt. Strawberry or Lemon would be wonderful!