Throw Sh*t in a Pot

I just can't think of a good name for this recipe. This is one I came up with all on my own. You'd think with over 130 recipes in my ChefTap app we wouldn't have to ask the question, "What's for dinner?" But we do. Almost every day. Maybe it's a problem of too many choices, who knows.

I came up with this one night when I was attempting to replicate some type of Stroganoff. I just started digging through the refrigerator, pulling out what I could find and hoping it went together. I grimaced as I called everyone to dinner, hoping it wasn't a colossal failure.

As my BF was eating it, he said, "What is this?" I told him, "I call this Throw Sh*t in a Pot, because that's exactly what I did." He replied, "So you don't have a recipe for it?" No, I didn't. I figured these questions were leading up to some sort of hint that I should never put these particular ingredients together again. He has never, ever complained about anything I've made, so it's difficult to tell if he doesn't care for something. My kids, on the other hand... there's no guessing what's on their minds. But I digress.

He finally said, "Well, did you write it down? Because this is amazing!" I immediately pulled out my phone and started jotting down the concoction I had just created.

Because I had literally just "thrown sh*t in a pot," I wasn't sure how much of each seasoning I put in. The great thing about it, though, is that it's cooking, not baking, so it doesn't have to be exact. The measurements in the recipe will get you close, but you will definitely want to adjust for taste.

Ingredients:
1 sweet onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
Drizzle olive oil
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 Tbsp beef bullion granules
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup milk of choice (I use unsweetened soy)
15 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp McCormick Montreal Steak seasoning
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast
1 tsp arrowroot powder

Directions:
Drizzle a small amount of olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and pepper. Saute until soft and just starting to brown. Add ground turkey and stir to break it up.

Add the remaining ingredients, from beef bullion granules through salt & pepper, stirring to combine. Continue cooking and stirring until the turkey is cooked through, then check for taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary. When you have it tasting almost right, stir in the Nutritional Yeast. Note, this is not yeast in the traditional sense. It's inactive, so it's not the kind of thing that will make bread rise. Nutritional Yeast is high in Vitamin B12, and adds almost a cheesy depth to dishes. It's optional, but I highly recommend using it. Check again for taste, adjusting if needed.

Stir together arrowroot powder and a small amount of cold water until no lumps remain. Stir into turkey mixture. It will thicken slightly. If not thick enough, use additional arrowroot. Keep in mind, though, arrowroot thickens more quickly than corn starch, so don't overdo it or you'll have a gelatinous blob on your hands. I speak from experience.

Serve over brown rice or zucchini noodles.

Ah, zucchini noodles. Perhaps the garden's most amazing gift. To make them, simply shred a couple of medium-sized zucchini with the large holes in a cheese grater at a 45 degree angle. Heat a little coconut oil (or olive oil) in a large skillet over medium heat, dump in the squash, season with salt and pepper, and stir until they are warmed all the way through. Zucchini cooks quickly and you don't want it mushy, so watch it close. Zucchini noodles are a great base for all sorts of yummy recipes.