Bunco Pozole

On the second Thursday of each month, I join a group of eleven other women and play the game Bunco.  I love Bunco nights.  The game is easy and fun, the company is amazing, the kids are at home with their dad... but my very favorite part is the food.  Each month a different person hosts at their house and is also responsible for providing dinner, dessert and drinks.

I have been playing Bunco with this group since October of 2011, and let me tell you... these women can cook.  I look so forward to not only not having to prepare a meal for me and my family that night, but to chowing down on someones amazing creations!

Last month, the lovely Marianne hosted and made amazing pozole!  I have had pozole before, and always thought it was just so-so.  Never enough flavor and too much broth.  When I tasted this recipe though, my mouth started to do the cha-cha-cha.  I waited for a couple of days to pass, then hounded Marianne over email for the recipe.  To my delight, she quickly obliged and I made it that weekend.  It was a complete hit, times four!  I hope it is a hit at your house too.

I do have a question though... can anyone clarify this for me?  Is it "posole", or "pozole", or both?  Either way, it's delicious, healthy and easy!

Bunco Pozole
(serves 4-6)

1 T. olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
2 (15 oz.) cans white hominy, drained and rinsed
1 jalapeno chili, seeded and diced
3 c. organic chicken broth
One (14.5 oz.) can fire roasted, diced tomatoes, with juice
Half of a cooked rotisserie chickenSalt and pepper
Nonfat Greek yogurt
Lime wedges
Sliced avocados, sliced green onions, and chopped cilantro for garnish (optional)

Heat olive oil in a soup pot, add onions and saute until tender.
Add garlic, chili powder, cumin and oregano and saute for about a minute to toast spices.
Add hominy and jalapeno and stir to blend with spices.
Add chicken broth, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a simmer, uncovered, for 15-30 minutes, or until soup is the consistency you prefer.
Ladle into bowl, top with a dollop of yogurt and squeeze lime juice on top.  Stir, and if desired, add optional garnishes.

Thai Turkey Wraps

I am always looking for something new and exciting to make with ground turkey.  For me, ground turkey (we don't eat ground beef anymore unless it is a hamburger, which isn't often) gets really boring, really fast.

This dish though is something that fits my desire for the out of the ordinary, as well as the taste buds of the rest of the family.  It is quick and easy to make for a weeknight meal, and reheats well for leftovers.  You can also make this into a vegetarian dish!

Thai Turkey Tacos
(serves 4-6)

1 lb. ground turkey
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
1/2-1 tsp. minced ginger
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 c. coleslaw mix with carrots
1 T. chopped fresh mint
1/4 c. chopped cashews
Whole wheat tortillas, sandwich wraps, or large leaves of lettuce

Sauce:
1 tsp. sesame oil
3 T. soy sauce
2 T. lime juice
1-2 T. honey
1/4-1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add turkey and cook until no longer pink.  Add garlic, ginger, red pepper, onion and coleslaw mix and stir with turkey until vegetables are slightly softened.

Add sauce, stirring constantly to combine, for about a minute.  Place about two large spoonfuls onto wrap and garnish with mint and cashews.

Notes:  Go vegetarian and use tofu instead of the ground turkey!

A Healthier Tuna Salad

I love me some tuna salad, and my mom used to make the best.  Lots of sweet pickles and very heavy on the mayo.  It was so creamy that it made the bread mushy sometimes.  Over the years, my taste buds and my waistline have changed, and I have been looking for a cleaner, fresher salad without sacrificing my beloved tuna.  I think I've found it...

This tuna salad is great because it is so easily adaptable to your personal taste.  It has a great base, and you can create the rest to your liking!

Tuna and Bean Salad
(serves 2-3)

1 can of white beans, rinsed and drained well (you can use cannellini, garbanzo, black eyed peas, etc.)
1 can tuna (Use the Trader Joe's tuna packed in olive oil if you can.  If you can't, add in 2-3 T. olive oil)
1 c. chopped flat leaf (Italian) parsley
1/4 c. finely diced red onion
2 T. lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all of the above together.  Add extra olive oil if needed.
Here's where it gets fun. Add in one, or all of the following:

A dash or two of Tabasco or Sriracha
2 tsp. chopped capers
1/4 c. chopped kalamata olives
1/4 c. chopped or sliced roasted red peppers