Mexican Turkey Stew

I made this up last night for my kids and one of their friends, and they all loved it... they even asked for seconds! It's a fairly thick stew, definitely something you could eat with a fork, so if your kids like something closer to soup, this may not be for them.

1 - 1 1/2 lbs. ground turkey (or use roasted turkey cut into small pieces, about 2 cups)

1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced or crushed

1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes

1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles

1 cup corn

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. coriander

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

1. In large sauce pan, brown the turkey and break it into little chunks as it cooks. Remove from pan and set aside.
2. Add oil and saute onions until soft. Add garlic and continue cooking for 1 minute.
3. Put turkey back in pot and add tomatoes, black beans, corn, green chilis and spices.
4. Heat to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve with corn bread on the side and grated cheese on top. (Some of us also added some Hot Giardiniera and it tasted wonderful).

Stuffed Shells

When I've made stuffed shells in the past, Meriel usually complains if there's "TOO MUCH" cheese. In this version, I've reduced the amount of cheese and added some ground turkey. If you don't have time to stuff the shells, skip 'em and mix the filling with any shape of cooked pasta -- it'll taste just the same.

1 lb ground turkey

12 oz package of pasta shells

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. basil

1 tsp. marjoram

1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers

salt & pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic, crushed

8 oz. cottage cheese

2 eggs

16 oz. grated mozzarella

26 oz jar pasta sauce (you probably won't use the whole thing)

1. Brown the ground turkey over medium heat, breaking up into little pieces. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Cook shells (or other pasta shape) according to directions. Add a bit of oil to the water so they don't stick together. Drain.
3. In a large bowl combine cottage cheese, eggs, herbs, salt & pepper, garlic, 1/2 of the mozzarella and the ground turkey.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" x 13" lasagna pan.
5. Stuff each shell with the cottage cheese/turkey mixture and place in pan. (Or, mix the cooked pasta into the cottage cheese/turkey and spread around pan.) Spread sauce over top (don't feel like you need to use the whole jar) and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese.
6. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese starts to brown, about 10 more minutes.