Ground Turkey Norwegian Stew

 Jess's parents recently returned home from their mission in Norway, and his mom occasionally makes NORWEGIAN STEW

for Sunday Dinners.

Jess is not a fan of soups and I wouldn't say they are my favorite but THIS soup for some reason always hits the spot.  Eilene says in Norway they usually make this soup with ground beef but she always uses ground turkey.

So today I begged her to finally give me the recipe so I could make it for dinner,

she gladly shared,

and I happily devoured.

This soup is both hearty and healthy and has a VERY beneficial ingredient that is not commonly consumed.. at least not by me anyway! Here is an actual picture of what the soup looks like before it was cooked, gotta love crappy iPhone pictures!

Ground Turkey Norwegian Stew
Yield: ~ 6 adult servings
Calories per servings: ~ 250,  5g. fat, 18g protein


Ingredients:
1 lb. ground turkey
1 c. chopped onion
4 medium carrots
4 stalks celery
4 medium red or gold potatoes
1/2 head of cabbage, shredded
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
3-4 cups of chicken broth (can also use broth powder + water)


Directions:
Cook ground turkey and chopped onion together in a large pot over med/high heat.  Chop carrots, celery, potatoes, and cabbage and add to pot.  Pour in chicken broth and add all seasonings. Mix well and bring to a boil.  Cover and reduce head to low, let simmer for 15-20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking!

Enjoy with a fresh green salad and some whole wheat dinner rolls! Or just eat it plain like me :)

Kim's Notes:
-Use 93/7 ground turkey instead of EXTRA LEAN 99/1 turkey to get more flavor 
-You can buy pre-shredded cabbage at the store, I bought an 8 oz bag at Fresh & Easy
- If using a BROTH POWDER, use McKay's brand from Sprouts or buy chicken broth WITH NO MSG!
-BENEFITS OF CABBAGE!
More Vitamin C than Oranges: Powerful Antioxidant and Immune Booster
Rich in Fiber: Good for your digestion
Rich in Sulphur: Fights Infection
Great detoxer: Purifies the blood and removes toxins
Rich in Iodine: Good for the brain
Also contains vitamin E, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, etc!

Turkey Tacos

This recipe came from Jess's family.  For the longest time EVERY SUNDAY they would have tacos and ranch for dinner. It is a SERIOUS favorite in their household.  I had them many times over there when we were dating and was flabbergasted when i found out the ground meat was actually turkey! I didn't even know turkey came in any other form besides Thanksgiving style! I was hooked! So when we got married I was scared to say the least, that I would not be able to live up to his mother's tacos. So here is my version which Jess has grown to love even more :) 

Turkey Tacos

1 package of Jenny-O LEAN ground turkey (must be LEAN not EXTRA LEAN)

1/2 medium onion

1 package McCormick original Taco seasoning

3/4 c. water

2 T. granulated garlic 

1/2 or whole can refried beans (I've done both and they are both delicious, just depends how many you have to feed!)

3 T. milk

Toppings:

lettuce

tomatoes

mexican cheese blend

taco shells or soft white corn tortillas

*secret ingredient*- RANCH! (Buttermilk recipe)

Over medium heat add chopped onions and ground turkey and let it brown, stirring occasionally. (I always drain the pan of the excess oil before continuing on) Next, stir in seasoning mix and water. Add granulated garlic, stir thoroughly. Turn heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes. 

While the meat is simmering, combine refried beans and milk in a small saucepan over medium low heat until beans are warm.  Add beans to meat mixture for the last 2 minutes of simmering. Make sure beans are fully mixed with the meat and you are ready to serve!!!

Choose your style of taco shell or tortilla and load on all your favorite toppings. But most importantly... do not forget to top it off with a few dollops of ranch. I promise you won't be disappointed

-Kim