Zesty Turkey-Avocado Pitas

This recipe is one of our standbys. Thanks to my sister, Mimi, for sharing it with me. It's fast, fresh, light, and we all love it. The secret ingredient is Good Seasons Italian salad dressing mix. I now use the Kroger brand Italian dressing packets--much cheaper and they taste the same. You can play with the proportions; the list of ingredients below feeds our little family once, plus generous leftovers.

1 lb. ground turkey

2 slices of whole wheat bread, crumbled
1 packet salad dressing (my sister uses half a packet--I like more zing)

Cook the turkey in a skillet. Crumble bread into the turkey while you're cooking it. Add the dry salad dressing and mix. You're done with the turkey part.

1 large cucumber

2-3 roma-sized tomatoes

1-2 TBS vinegar (any kind you have on hand; I like balsamic)

1-2 TBS olive oil
I packet salad dressing (again, you can play with how much you put in)

Chop the cucumber and tomato into small pieces. Toss these five ingredients until nice and juicy. 

Sliced avocado 

About 4 pieces of pita bread, sliced in half (total of eight pieces)

Fill the pita pockets with a layer of the turkey mixture, then cucumber-tomato mixture. Top with shredded cheese (optional) and avocado. 

Tuscan Tomato Soup and Focaccia (Aunt M)

Tuscan Tomato Soup

The Chef’s Table Restaurant

3 T. Olive Oil

2 Onions finely diced

5 cups Canned Tomatoes (3 - 14 oz. cans or home canned)

2 cups Chicken Broth

1 cup Heavy Cream

½ - 3/4 cup Pesto

Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook onions in oil until translucent. Add tomatoes and allow to warm and simmer. Add broth and simmer about 15 minutes. Add whipping cream and pesto. Blend to desired consistency. Salt and pepper.

Focaccia

2 Tbs. yeast

¼ cup olive oil

5 - 6 cups flour

1 Tbs. salt

2 cups warm water

Mix above ingredients into a soft dough.  Let rise one hour.  Roll the dough flat to 1/3” thickness and you can shape it into 2 pizza round pans or 1 large flat baking sheet.  Let rise again, about 20 minutes.  Press with fingertips to dimple the surface and then drizzle with ¼ cup olive oil.

Sprinkle on top of bread:

Coarsely ground salt

2 Tbs. chopped or crushed garlic

2-3 Tbs. fresh minced Rosemary

Bake at 375 for 17-20 minutes or until done.

Michelle's note: I just made this Tuscan Tomato Soup and Focaccia for dinner Sunday.  I have made the soup before and it is Keith's favorite!  It was my first time making the focaccia and it was so easy and yummy.  I cut it into squares and made it into chicken paninis with roasted red peppers.  Yummmmmm!  Maybe you will want to put it on the family blog, or at least give the recipes a try!

Anna's note: I made this combo on 4/24. It is awesome. Miles said it was his favorite soup in the world and Mia wasn't getting it fast enough with a spoon so she drank most of hers. The focaccia was a hit, too. Matt took a couple of pictures. I only added five cups of flour, instead of six, because my dough was so stiff after five--maybe because I used white whole-wheat. I accidentally doubled the pesto, and we still loved it. Can you tell I had two little helpers? Thanks, M, for the delicious recipe.

Mozzarella-Tomato-Pesto Grilled Cheese

I'm not listing exact quantities here, except for in the pesto recipe. You can estimate based on family size. Looks pretty tasty, no?

Good, crusty bread

Quarter-inch slices of fresh mozzarella
Plum tomatoes, cut into thick slices
Fresh basil pesto, recipe follows (or use the store-bought stuff)

Avocado

Freshly-ground black pepper

Olive oil

Basil pesto:
1/2 cup pine nuts (we've also used pecan and almonds)
3 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup Parmesan or Romano
2 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup olive oil

1. Toast pine nuts in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Combine pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well combined but still rough-textured.

2. If you have a panini press, turn it on to warm up; otherwise, set a skillet over medium heat.

3. Assemble sandwich by smearing insides of bread slices with pesto. Arrange a layer of sliced tomato and season with a few turns of fresh pepper. Layer the mozzarella slices over the top and then place another piece of bread on top to make the sandwich.

4. Drizzle olive oil in skillet and place sandwiches on the hot skillet. Place another heavy skillet over the top to form a "press." Turn after 2 to 3 minutes and replace weight. The sandwich is ready when golden brown and mozzarella has melted around the edges.

Original recipe found here.