Spicy Turkey Ragu Bolognese
A traditional Italian ragu is commonly made with red meat and treated with white wine. We break from tradition to make an amazing turkey ragu simmered with red wine. Delicious spooned over wedges of baked squash, rice, or quinoa.
2 Tbsp (30 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp (30 mL) unsalted butter
1 large sweet onion, very finely diced
4 carrots, very finely diced
4 celery stalks, very finely diced
2 large garlic cloves, finely minced
2 lb (1 kg) lean organic ground turkey
1 cup (250 mL) dry red wine
2 cups (500 mL) milk
1 - 28 oz (796 mL) can diced tomatoes and their juice
1 cup (250 mL) low-sodium turkey or chicken stock
1 Tbsp (15 mL) cider vinegar
1 tsp (5 mL) each oregano, ground cumin, crushed chilies, and brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Shaved Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil
Heat oil and butter in large heavy saucepan. Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic; sauté over medium heat until soft, about 7 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add half the ground turkey and sauté until crumbly and no pink remains. Add remaining turkey and continue to sauté, stirring often until crumbly and no longer pink.
Continue to sauté, slightly caramelizing the meat and evaporating any pan liquids, about 10 minutes. Stir often and reduce heat to medium if necessary.
Add wine and deglaze pan, stirring to dislodge any crumbled dark bits in bottom of pan. Continue to cook, stirring steadily to evaporate wine, about 2 minutes. Add milk, tomatoes with juice, stock, vinegar, and seasonings. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low and, keeping lid ajar, simmer ragu for 2 hours or longer, or until sauce is completely thickened and no liquid remains. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir often near the end of simmering to prevent sticking.
Serve ragu on wedges of baked butternut squash for a new twist. Top with shaved Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Makes 8 cups (2 L) or 8 servings.
Each serving contains: 322 calories; 26 g protein; 15 g total fat (5 g sat. fat, 0 g trans fat); 17 g total carbohydrates (7 g sugars, 3 g fibre); 335 mg sodium
What is deglazing?
Deglazing involves pouring a little cold liquid into a hot pan that’s been used to brown meats and vegetables. This is where much of the flavour resides. The liquid will sizzle up. Then use a wooden spoon to scrape the caramelized bits loose and stir them into the recipe.
source: "Cooking With Wine", alive #376, February 2014
Spicy Turkey Ragu Bolognese
Directions
READ THIS NEXT
SEE MORE »
Turkey Enchilada Stuffed Poblano Peppers
In this enchilada riff, we stuff everything into a roasted poblano pepper shell, rather than tortillas, to pack an extra veggie serving into your meal and trim the starchy calories. If you can’t find poblanos, which are mild, dark green Mexican peppers, you can substitute green bell peppers. Flour power Made from nixtamalized corn (corn soaked in limewater), masa harina flour adds a touch of corny flavour to enchilada stuffing or a pot of chili.
Crab Cap Salad
These crab-stuffed portobello mushrooms can do double duty as a fancy starter for a casual dinner party or a light main course on any given night. Meaty and umami-rich portobellos serve as a holder for a light-tasting seafood salad. Gills begone Even though the gills of mushrooms are edible, they will darken and discolour everything they touch. Besides, after you scrape out the gills, you’ll have more room for stuffing. And don’t discard the stems; they can be saved and used when making veggie stock.
Curried Lentil Stuffed Squash
Serving saucy lentils in squash halves is a sure-fire way to elevate your plant-based menu. And, yes, the whole bowl is edible, skin and all. If desired, you can add dollops of Greek yogurt or sour cream. Spice of life Garam masala, a blend of spices traditionally used in Indian cooking, usually includes cardamom, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, fennel, cumin, and coriander. It’s great on roasted meats and vegetables.
Kartoffelknödel Potato Dumplings Stuffed with Toasted Bread and Spinach
“Germans do potatoes in general very well,” says Canadian expat Chris Gilles, who now lives in Munich and has celebrated many an Oktoberfest there. “Knödel seem kind of rubbery. You don’t really think it’s potato when you first see it, but it’s tasty.” But he might be surprised to find that this alive -inspired version of Bavarian potato dumplings is made with a combination of potato and cauliflower, because as anyone who’s eaten cauliflower gnocchi knows, the low-carb vegetable is a great way to lighten up starch-heavy foods (and Biergarten menus). Happy Knödelfest! The original version of these snacks are so popular that it even gets its own food fest: Knödelfest, which happens in September in Austria, about a 1 1/2-hour drive from Munich. If alive threw a Knödelfest, these dumplings would definitely be on the menu, served simply as snacks with sliced radishes and fresh parsley or dill, or topped with butter, beer gravy, or mushroom sauce. The dumpling test You can test one dumpling by shaping it and then boiling it before shaping the rest. If the water is lower than a boil and it still falls apart, add more starch to the batter before shaping another ball and testing again.