You can kiss mah grits, or else stuff mah lettuce!

Bibb lettuce wraps stuffed with turkey and hoisin-peanut sauce  A filling dish that favors veggies over bread

Ingredients:
-1 teaspoon olive oil
-1 tablespoon minced shallots
-1/3 cup water
-2 tablespoons peanut butter
-4 teaspoons hoisin sauce
-1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
-1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

-1 pound ground turkey
-1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
-6 thinly sliced green onions
-1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
-3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
-1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
-2 teaspoons sugar
-1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce
-1 cup matchstick-cut cucumber
-1 cup matchstick-cut carrot
-2 cups hot cooked sticky rice
-8 Bibb lettuce leaves

Directions:

-To prepare sauce, heat a small saucepan over medium heat. Add olive oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallot and saute for 2 minutes. Add 1/3 cup water and next 3 ingredients (through red pepper), and stir with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in lime juice.

-Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add 1/3 cup green onions; saute 1 minute. Add turkey; cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons cilantro, soy sauce, ginger, sugar and Sriracha; saute 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in cucumbers, carrots and remaining green onions.

-Spoon 1/4 cup rice into each lettuce leaf. Top with about 1/2 cup turkey; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon cilantro. Serve with sauce. Yields 4 servings. Serving size = 2 lettuce wraps and 2 tablespoons sauce.

Cheers! Try a full-bodied Merlot.

Nutrition info: 355 calories per serving.

Notes: If you hate cooking rice, I would recommend Uncle Ben's or the Target brand brown rice. It comes in little packs that you can microwave for 90 seconds. It isn't quite as good as the real thing, but with all this delicious meat and sauce you won't even notice.

It's like a Mexican pizza exploded in my mouth...

Chicken Quesadilla Casserole  A pleasing blend of spicy, cheesy goodness

Ingredients:
-1 pound ground turkey
-1/2 cup chopped onion
-1 15-oz can pizza sauce
-1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
-1 small can whole kernel corn, undrained
-1 small can chopped green chiles, undrained

-6 8-inch flour tortillas
-1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

-2 teaspoons chili powder
-1 teaspoon ground cumin
-1 teaspooon minced garlic
-1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350.

-Brown turkey and sautee onion together in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add pizza sauce, beans, corn and green chiles; mix well. Stir in all the spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Add more red pepper, if desired.

-Spread 1/2 cup of the turkey mixture on the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Top with 3 of the tortillas, overlapping as needed. Layer with 1/2 of the remaining turkey mixture and 1/2 of the cheese. Repeat with remaining tortillas, turkey mixture and cheese.

-Bake for 15 minutes or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Yields 8 servings.

Cheers! How about a summer sangria? Yes!

Nutrition info: About 400 calories per serving.

Source: Inspired by a McCormick spice recipe, but it is my own.

Notes: The original recipe calls for ground beef, but I find that turkey gives it a more interesting flavor, and is healthier. The original also called for two cups of Cheddar cheese, but I think substituting one cup of mozzarella gives it a more of a pizza taste, which works well here.