Main navigation

Turkey Spinach Taquitos {with Black Beans and Mascarpone}

Turkey Spinach Taquitos | Gather & Dine

In my freezer, I almost always make sure to keep some variety of taquitos prepared so that I can quickly take them out and heat them in the oven whenever I need a quick meal.  As much as I love to cook, the reality is that I do not have time to cook everyday, especially now that it’s summer vacation. Having fun takes up so much time!

I make a few different versions of taquitos and although I’m not sure which one stands out as my favorite, these Turkey Spinach Taquitos are SO GOOD.  Mascarpone cheese adds creaminess to the delicious filling of cumin-scented ground turkey, fresh spinach, and black beans.  The original recipe from Giada de Laurentiis adds grated cheddar cheese to the top of the taquitos, but I omitted the extra cheese to keep things a bit lighter and also to make these more freezer-friendly.  Instead of the cheese, I brushed the taquitos with some olive oil and sprinkled some fleur de sel salt on top.  I usually double the recipe and freeze the extra taquitos on a big baking sheet.  Once the taquitos are frozen, I transfer them to gallon-sized ziploc bags and take the taquitos out as needed.  Taquitos can be heated directly from the freezer, just add a few extra minutes to the baking time.  Serve with guacamole and salsa.

Print
Turkey Spinach Taquitos {with Black Beans and Mascarpone}
Serves: 6-8
 
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion, minced
  • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 pound ground turkey thigh
  • 1 tablespoon cumin
  • 2 packed cups baby spinach, chopped
  • 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
  • ¾ cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature (6 ounces)
  • 12 8-inch whole wheat or spouted grain tortillas
  • olive oil for brushing on the taquitos
  • fluer de sel salt or other course sprinkling salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400.
  2. Heat the oil in a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-hight heat. Add the onions, salt, and pepper. Saute until the onion softens and starts to become translucent, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the ground turkey and cumin and continue cooking until turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Drain about half the fat from the ground turkey mixture and discard.
  4. Add the spinach and cook until spinach is just wilted, about 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the black beans. Use a pastry cutter to mash some of the beans and then add the mascarpone and mix thoroughly.
  5. Spoon about ¼-1/3 cup of filling onto the middle of a tortilla. Roll up taquito and place seam side down on a lightly oiled baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
  6. Use a pastry brush to brush a light coating of olive oil onto each taquito. Sprinkle with some fleur de sel to finish.
  7. Bake at 400 for about 25 minutes, until taquitos are lightly golden brown.
Notes
adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

 

 

Continue Reading

Kale, Tomato, and Parmesan Pizza

Kale, Tomato, and Parmesan Pizza | Gather & Dine

 We eats lots of kale around here.  It’s such a versatile green; I can hardly imagine how I ever got along in the kitchen without it.  Just in case you didn’t know, kale on pizza is marvelous.  This Kale, Tomato, and Parmesan Pizza is one of my favorite vegetarian pizzas.  Along with a garlicky crust, the kale gets nice and crispy, and the tomatoes add a bright pop of color and contrast in texture.

It is important to lay the kale on the pizza in a single layer otherwise the kale will not become crispy.  Better to have a single layer of kale and not use up all of the kale, than to cram all of the kale onto the pizza just to use it up.  If there happens to be a little extra kale leftover, roast it at 350 for 10-15 minutes to make kale chips.  Also, slicing the tomatoes extra thin will ensure that they do not make the kale (and rest of the pizza) soggy.  After all of the components are prepared, this pizza comes together fairly quickly.  This recipe is enough for two medium pizzas and can easily be halved if you just want to make one.  I hope you enjoy this kale pizza as much as we do!

Kale, Tomato, and Parmesan Pizza | Gather & Dine

Print
Kale, Tomato, and Parmesan Pizza
Serves: 4-6
 
Ingredients
  • 20 ounces pizza dough
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • dash sea salt
  • 6 ounces shredded mozzarella, about 1½ cups
  • 2 ounces grated parmesan, about 1 cup
  • 4 ounces coarsely torn kale pieces, about 4 cups lightly packed
  • 2 roma tomatoes, very thinly sliced
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven and pizza stone, if using, to 500.
  2. In a saute pan, mix the garlic, red pepper, olive oil, and dash of salt. Warm over low heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally and do not allow the garlic to brown. Transfer the olive oil mixture to a separate dish.
  3. Without washing, use the same saute pan to saute the kale over medium heat until kale is slightly wilted, about 3 minutes.
  4. Using half of the dough, roll or press dough until crust become thin. Brush a layer of the garlic olive oil over the entire crust.
  5. To assemble, layer half of the shredded mozzarella on the crust. Continue by adding a single layer of kale, half the tomatoes, and half of the parmesan.
  6. Repeat steps 4- 5 with the remaining ingredients.
  7. Bake at 500 for 8-10 minutes.
Notes
adapted from Annie's Eats

 

Continue Reading

Greek-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Tzatziki

Greek-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Tzatziki

If you ask my daughter where her favorite place to eat is, without hesitation she’ll answer Nordstrom.  Random, huh?  Not sure if it’s actually the food for her, or simply that we usually meet there with a fun group of friends, but she loves going there.  If we eat lunch at the mall, Nordstrom is always her first choice and mine.    They seriously have great food and cater so well to kids.  This recipe comes from the Nordstrom Family Table Cookbook.  Since I like the cafe so much, I figured I would give their cookbook a try and everything I’ve made out of this cookbook has been wonderfully delicious.

The original recipe for this Greek-Marinated Pork Tenderloin calls for slicing and skewering the meat before grilling, but I thought it was simpler to grill the pork tenderloins whole and slice afterwards.  The pork is served in a pita and topped with a tomato and artichoke salad and a creamy tzatziki sauce.  The combination of the lemon-scented pork along with these accompaniments is something to be relished.  I tried taking a picture of the pork assembled in the pita, but didn’t get a good one because I was in a rush and dinner guests were waiting to be served.  This is a great meal to make for company since all of the components can be made ahead of time and the meat can be put on the grill as the guests arrive.  Everyone can assemble their own pitas to their own liking and there you go, an easy dinner party!

Print
Greek-Marinated Pork Tenderloin with Tzatziki
 
Ingredients
  • For the Pork Tenderloin:
  • ¼ cup red wine vinegar
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 2 pork tenderloins (about 1¼ pound each)

  • For the Tzatziki:
  • ½ English cucumber, coursely chopped
  • 1½ cups plain Greek-yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon minced fresh dill
  • kosher salt
  • ground black pepper

  • For the Tomato and Artichoke Salad:
  • 5 roma tomatoes, diced into ¾-inch pieces
  • 1 14.5 ounce can artichoke hearts, quartered
  • ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled
  • ½ cup pitted and sliced Kalamata olives
  • 2 tablespoons minced red onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon minced fresh dill
  • kosher salt
  • ground black pepper

  • Whole wheat pita bread for serving
Instructions
  1. For the pork marinade, place the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper into a gallon sized ziploc bag. Close the bag and use hands to mix the marinade together in the bag. Add the pork and marinate for up to 4 hours. Allow pork to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.
  2. For the tzatziki, place the diced cucumber in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. In a mixing bowl, mix together the cucumber, yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, and dill. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
  3. For the tomato and artichoke salad, gently combine the tomatoes, artichokes, feta, olives, onion, garlic, oregano, and dill in a mixing bowl. Season with kosher salt and pepper to taste. Let stand at room temperature for at least an hour before serving.
  4. Grill the pork on medium heat for 20-30 minutes, rotating the pork every ten minutes or so. Allow the pork to rest for 10 minutes before cutting into ½ inch-thick slices.
  5. To serve, place a few slices of pork in the middle of the pita and add some of the tomato and artichoke salad and tzatziki sauce on top. Fold up pita and enjoy!
Notes
slightly adapted from the Nordstrom Family Table Cookbook

 

Continue Reading