Category Archives: Forking Recipes

Interesting twists on everyday things as well as the unusual

Taco Flavored Turkey Weenies Recipe

I’ve been making a lot of snack type foods for gatherings and thought up these mini tacos. I made them out of turkey because ground turkey is very inexpensive and easy to feed a big group of people with….I also thought that instead of traditional loose meat in a taco it would be better to have it more solid so it’s easier to eat in a group and I can also make it more moist that way. I used three pounds of ground turkey and made 54 turkey weenies so that is about 54 cocktail servings or maybe 12 dinners?

Ingredients –

3 lbs. ground turkey

6 eggs – lightly beaten

1 + 1/2 cup panko

8 cloves garlic – ground to paste

7 oz mild hatch chili – (roasted, stem & seeds removed – diced)

1 cup -10 oz. roasted & diced peppers & onions

5 Tablespoons Taco Seasoning (this makes more than you need – 1/4 cup chili powder, 1 t.granulated garlic, 1 t. granulated onion, 1/4 t. cayenne, 1 t. oregano, 2 t. smoked paprika, 2 T. ground cumin, 1T+1t. sea salt, 2 t. ground black pepper.)

1/2 cup scallions – chopped

1/4 cup hatch chili liquid that came out of peppers when you roasted them. (or chicken broth)

non stick spray

olive oil for spraying weenies

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

Spray sheet pans with non stick spray.

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl.

Pack meat into pastry bag and squeeze out about pinky length weenies with a little space around them.

After about 15 minutes in the oven they will be done and you can stuff them into mini tacos and top as desired.

You can chill or freeze some for latter. When cold they need about 20 minutes in a 350F oven. I topped them with pico (tomatoes, onions, cilantro, pickled jalapeƱos, jalapeƱo brine, lime juice, salt, pepper)

Taco Flavored Turkey Weenies (1/2 got pickled avocado and other half I piped Rondele garlic herb cheese

ENJOY!!!!!!!

The Forking Truth

Pastrami Seasoned Turkey Patties (or Balls) Recipe

I saw someone on TV make pastrami meatballs and I thought it was a good idea. I didn’t like the way they made them so I made many changes. You can make them as meatballs for meals or appetizers or you can flatten meatballs so they fit better in mini buns for appetizers. Serving size is difficult to determine because I don’t know if you want an appetizer, snack, lunch, or dinner portion. I got 65 meatballs from this recipe (I made my meatballs slightly heaping when I scooped them.) . For an appetizers I would suggest 1-2 a person. For lunch about 3 a person. Dinner would be 4-5 a person.

Ingredients

Non Stick to spray baking sheets

2 tablespoons canola oil (to cook onions and bell pepper)

1 large onion – fine chop

1 large red bell pepper – fine chop

8 medium cloves garlic – ground to paste

6 eggs – slightly beaten

1+1/2 cup panko

1 Tablespoon mustard powder

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1 Tablespoon + 1 teaspoon smoked sea salt – preferably course and home made

1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

fresh ground black pepper to taste – grinders do differ – I gave mine about 30 twists

3 pounds ground meat – I used ground turkey

Light spray of olive oil for finishing meatballs

***************************************************

Spice mix for the exterior of pastrami-ish balls

4 Tablespoons ground coriander

1 Tablespoon Fresh ground black Tellicherry peppercorns

1 Tablespoon smoked paprika

Directions

Pre-Heat oven to 350F degrees.

Spray baking sheets with non stick Spray.

On medium high heat cook the fine chopped onion and pepper for about 5 minutes and then set it on the side to cool.

In a small bowl combine the spice mix for the exteriors of the meatballs (coriander, Tellicherry black pepper, and smoked paprika. Mx it up and set the small bowl to the side.

In a LARGE bowl add garlic, eggs, panko, mustard powder, db sugar, smoked sea salt, Aleppo, cinnamon, coriander, paprika, allspice, cloves, ginger, black pepper, ground turkey, cooked onions and bell pepper. Mix well.

Roll into meatball size and roll each ball lightly into the spices till lightly covered. Place on sheet trays till done. Spray lightly with olive oil.

Ovens do differ but they should only need about 15 minutes in your preheated 350F oven. (I had one more pan and 5 more meatballs to go in after these came out)

You might want to make my rye rolls or buy rye bread for the pastrami balls or patties.

Small Rye Rolls and Cocktail Size rye rolls

I blended three different mustards (brown, Dijon, Chinese, and added honey and I think that tastes best with them)

Pastrami Seasoned Turkey Patties on mini home made rye rolls

People went wild over them!

Enjoy!!!!!

The Forking Truth

Falafel Flavored Ground Turkey Balls Recipe

I’m on a roll creating different flavors of meatballs. I use ground turkey for most of my meatball and meatloaf recipes but you can use whatever ground meat that you want. With this recipe I made about 90 meatballs. I don’t know if you want to use them for appetizers, lunches, or dinners so I can’t determine the amount of servings. I would suggest 1-2 meatballs a person if using for appetizers. 3 meatballs a person could be lunch, and 4-5 meatballs a person can be a dinner serving. They came out really delicious. You’ll be glad to try them. I would suggest serving with hummus and either pitas, rice, or couscous.

Ingredients for about 90 meatballs

3 pounds ground turkey

1 cup panko

1/2 cup chickpea flour

6 eggs – slightly beaten

1 Tablespoon canola oil

1 large onion – diced

1-2 red bell peppers – diced

8 cloves garlic – ground to paste

1 bunch parsley – remove leaves from stems and chop

1 bunch cilantro – remove most of stems and chop

1+1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper

1 slightly heaping Tablespoon cumin

1 slightly heaping Tablespoon ground coriander

1+1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon

non stick spray

black sesame seeds for finishing

white sesame seeds for finishing

sea salt flakes for finishing

olive oil for spraying

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray sheet pans with non stick spray.

In a sautƩ pan on medium high heat cook up the peppers and onions or you can cook them off in your oven on a sheet pan but it will take a little longer. When the peppers and onion are room temperature you can add them to you large bowl with the ground turkey, panko, chickpea flour, eggs, garlic, parsley, cilantro, cayenne, cumin, coriander, and cardamon and mix well.

In a small bowl mix together black and white sesame seeds and add some sea salt flakes (I didn’t measure but it seemed like about a cup of sesame seeds and maybe a tablespoon of sea salt flakes)

Scoop the balls and roll them in the seed mixture and place on the pre sprayed pans.

They need about 15 minutes in the oven if you made them the size I made them.

After I made them I froze a good amount. Then I saved some for a gathering and reheated them on a nonstick sprayed sheet pan with dipped in water wonton wrappers and served them up with hummus I whipped up.

Falafel Flavored Ground Turkey Balls

To reheat 20-30 minutes in a 350F oven (with or without wonton wrappers) These were a great big hit!

Enjoy!!!!!

The Forking Truth

Tomatillo with Zhug Salsa Recipe

This is a twist on Chef Bud Dudhia’s recipe for Tomatillo Salsa. I often have extra Zhug leftover from visiting Mediterranean Restaurants. Zhug is usually a flavor BOMB of Cilantro, Parsley, HOT peppers, garlic, cumin, coriander, and lemon. So naturally it can enhance salsas. This salsa came out FORKING CRAZY DELICIOUS!!!!! I have no idea how many servings it actually makes. It’s delicious you can always freeze some if desired.

4 lbs tomatillos – remove skins, wash, and quarter

2 medium onions – remove skin and quarter

2 Tablespoons or to taste green zhug

2 pickled jalapeƱos – remove stems and chop

7 garlic cloves – grated

7 oz almonds ground or use almond flour (same thing)]

1 large or 2 medium avocados (remove skin and pit ) chopped

1/4 cup cilantro – chopped

1/2 cup jalapeƱo brine

1 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Set Oven to 400 degrees F.

The tomatillos and the onions go on a sheet pan and you put them on the upper rack of your oven for abut 45 minutes or until they char a bit.

Then you blend (hand blender is safer and works better) and blend. Then add all the rest of the ingredients (Zhug, jalapeƱos, garlic, almonds, avocado, cilantro, jalapeƱo brine, and sea salt.

It’s FORKING Delicious!

Tomatillo with Zhug Salsa Recipe

A Special Thanks to Chef Nud Dudhia so I could make what I got here.

The Forking Truth

Asian Inspired 5 Spice Turkey Meatballs Recipe

Something different. Some of the meatballs I used for appetizers and just wrapped wonton wrappers around them. Serving size is difficult to determine. I made 69 meatballs. I think for dinner depending on your appetite you need 4-5 meatballs for a dinner serving per person. Maybe three meatballs for a lunch sandwich. And only one or two a person if you are serving them as appetizers.

Ingredients for around 15 dinners

3 lbs ground turkey

4 oz mushroom powder

4 Tablespoons soy sauce

4 Tablespoons shaohsing

3 Tablespoons sesame oil

1 oz garlic cloves – ground to paste

4 oz grated ginger

1 cup scallion slices

2 Tablespoons 5 spice

6 eggs

1 cup panko

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

non stick spray

Sauce

1/2 cup hoisin

2 Tablespoons sriracha (to taste they all taste different)

2 Tablespoons tahini

2 Tablespoons date syrup

2 Tablespoons ketchup

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 Tablespoons mirin

1 Tablespoon black vinegar

cilantro, scallions, chives for finishing

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 and spray sheet pans with non stick spray.

In a large mixing bowl mix together the ground turkey, mushroom powder, soy sauce, shaohsing, sesame oil, garlic, grated ginger, scallions, 5 spice, eggs, panko, and dark brown sugar. Use a meatball scooper and space them slightly. They need 15-20 in the oven.

In a small mixing bowl mix together the hoisin, sriracha, tahini, dare syrup, ketchup, ginger, mirin, and black vinegar. You can warm it up to go on fresh meatballs or apply it when cooking or serve it on the side.

Finish with cilantro and more scallions or chives.

Enjoy!

Asian Inspired 5 Spice Turkey Meatballs

Or you can add a wonton wrapper and re-heat in oven at 350F for about 30 minutes from cold and serve like appetizers. Then top with warmed sauce.

Asian Inspired 5 Spice Turkey Meatballs with Hoisin Sauce – just wet wrapper and wrap around meatball and reheat at 350 (when chilled) for about 30 minutes
The Forking Truth

Potato Pierogi Recipe 2nd UPDATE Based on Cooks Country Potato Pierogi Recipe

Maybe due to the Egg Shortage Problems I really think that the eggs I buy are smaller and the dough recipe for Potato Pierogi comes out too dry. I altered the recipe so my dough will come out. My first update was only to make the potatoes the day before because I found that the pierogi were much easier to stuff with cold hard filling. This recipe will make around 20-30 pierogi. It will make up to 24 pierogi if you are a perfectionist and don’t reuse your dough ends. If you reuse dough ends you will get around 8 more pierogi but they will come out thicker no matter how good you roll the dough. (remember for best results the filling should be made the day before)

Ingredients for around 24 pierogi.

2 1/2 cups bread flour – dough

1 teaspoon baking powder – dough

1 cup sour cream – dough

2 eggs – dough

1 Tablespoon water – dough

1/2 teaspoon course sea salt – dough

1 pound potatoes – boiled in salted water and peeled and mashed well – filling

4 oz sharp cheddar – grated (or as much cheese as you feel like) – filling

2 Tablespoons butter – filling

sea salt to taste – filling

black pepper to taste – filling

white pepper to taste – filling

cayenne pepper to taste – filling

Directions

Get out your stand mixer and attach the dough hook. In the bowl goes the flour, baking powder, sour cream, eggs, water, and salt. Mix low to get it together and then – Mix on medium high 8 minutes.

(For best results the filling should be made the day before) For the filling in a large bowl combine the mashed potatoes, cheese, butter, and seasonings. Mix and mash well till smooth.

Take about 1/3 of the dough. Lightly flour the surface of table, board, or rolling sheet.

Add dough ball and cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and roll it as thin as possible. Cut 3 inch circles. Use a rolling pin and get the circles a little thinner.

Stuff each circle with a meatball size scoop of potato filling. Pinch them shut. Use a fork to get the pinched shut ends better.

Repeat till done.

Reuse dough ends only if you don’t mind them coming out thicker.

Boil pierogi till they float.

You can eat them now or take it a step further and either sautƩ them with caramelized onions or fry them in butter with some canola oil.

You can serve the pierogi with sour cream and or apple sauce if desired.

Potato Pierogi

A Special THANKS!!! To Cooks Country so I could do what I got here!

Enjoy!!!!!!!!

The Forking Truth

Strawberry Chocolate Mascarpone CHOCOLATE Pastry Idea Recipe The pastry recipe is based on from www.ItalianRecipeBook.com

People went NUTS over this one. I usually just make pastry cream for the pastries (called Pate A Choux……like eclair or cream puff) and top with a cherry. Due to a series of events (you know like what’s on sale) I came up with topping the pastries I made with a thin coat of chocolate, a mound of chocolate marscapone, and a lightly macerated strawberry.

For the Pate A Choux (make about 3 inch circles and space well on parchment paper. Pre heat oven 375F

285 ML water

200g flour

4 oz sweet butter

4 eggs

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Directions

Boil butter and water and turn down to low. Slowly add flour. Cook on low heat a few minutes. Take off heat and slowly whip in eggs one at a time.

Pipe batter in 3 inch circles on parchment paper and put in preheated 375F oven until done about 30 minutes. To make harder leave in turned off oven about 10 minutes more.

Make macerated strawberries. For best results make the day before. Strawberries in a bowl with sugar and a splash of bitters. (leave this sit out for an hour and then refrigerate)

When cool enough to handle

Dip tops in melted chocolate or a combo of melted chocolate and butter.

Top THAT with some chocolate marscapone

Top with macerated strawberry

Strawberry Chocolate Mascarpone CHOCOLATE Pastry

A special THANKS!!!! to www.ItalianRecipeBook.com so I could do what I got here.

Enjoy!!!!

The Forking Truth

Easy Rye Rolls Recipe with Slight Update

These Rye Rolls are very easy to make as long as you have a stand mixer and the right ingredients. I think the rolls come out slightly better in my new oven when I make the dough into 16 small rolls.

Ingredients for 16 servings

2 cups + 2 Tablespoons Bread Flour

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons Dark Rye Flour

2 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar

1 ( heaping) Tablespoon Course Sea Salt

1 package Active Dry Yeast (2+1/4 teaspoon)

2 Tablespoons Caraway Seeds + MORE to top rolls

1+1/2 Cup (100-109 degree) water

1/2 Cup Canola Oil

semolina or corn meal (maybe 1/4 cup) just for rolls to sit on

1 beaten egg white to paint rolls for seeds to stick

caraway for tops of rolls

a few pinches Sea Salt Flakes to top rolls

Directions

In medium bowl add the 100-109 degree water and add the brown sugar and yeast. Stir it up and cover with plastic wrap. Let this sit out an hour. Use only if foamy. If not foamy your yeast is dead. Then you need new yeast. After that works out get out your stand mixer with a dough hook.

Add- flours, Course Sea Salt, Foamy Mixture, 2 T Caraway Seeds, & Canola Oil. Mix it with a fork till it’s not dry anymore and then work your mixer up to medium/high and let it mix for TEN MINUTES.

Gather your dough ball out and place it in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let this sit out at least 4 hours. After 4 hours-

Preheat your over to 425F and get tw large sheet pans and cover them with parchment paper.

Divide your dough into eights and cut each 8 in half so you have 16 pieces of dough. Roll each into a ball and space well on each pan.

Let sit out on hour and cover loosely with plastic wrap.

Each ball gets painted with egg white, sprinkled with caraway seeds and add a pinch of sea salt flakes. Slash each roll twice on the top.

Put one pan on bottom rack for about 15 minutes. Repeat.

Rye Rolls

Enjoy!!!!!!!

The Forking Truth

EASY Basic Barbecue Sauce Recipe

I don’t usually purchase barbecue sauce. I only needed enough for two dinners so this is how I made barbecue sauce for 2 servings of barbecued brisket.

1/2 cup ketchup

1 teaspoon molasses

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon hot paprika

Just mix the above together. That’s how you make a delicious quick very basic Barbecue Sauce.

I happened to have a 1/2 cup of caramelized onions so I added them to the barbecue sauce.

ENJOY!!!!

The Forking Truth

Corned Beef & Cabbage Hand Pies Recipe Idea

I thought Corned Beef & Cabbage Hand Pies would be a good idea for a St Patrick’s Party. I bought a brined corned beef from the supermarket and boiled it adding some garlic, onion, carrots, and some leftover pastrami spice. I used the cooking liquid from the corned beef to braise the cabbage When the corned beef was cold it got sliced and some cabbage got chopped. Then I made the dough. Brushed the inside of the dough with beaten egg whites.

Filled the dough with some corned beef and cabbage. Closed the dough and brushed with egg yolks. Baked till light brown.

These went in the 350F oven for around 30 minutes.

Hand Pie Dough Recipe – Makes 12 (divide dough in 12 balls) Lines pans with parchment paper.

2 cups flour

1/2 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon course sea salt

1/3 cup water

2 egg whites for brushing and sealing the dough before stuffing it

2 egg yolks for glazing the top of hand pies.

Directions

Mix together with a fork the flour, canola, vinegar, salt, water, and baking powder.

Divide into 12 balls

Roll out ball and brush with egg white

stuff

pinch together

When done brush with yolks

Bake till light brown

Corned Beef & Cabbage Hand Pies

ENJOY!!!!

The Forking Truth