By Spring officially nearly here. Daffodils pushing in the front bed. The ash trees still bare but considering their options. Drove a short Omaha run Tuesday. Home Wednesday. Wrote the rest of the week.
Book two at 33,000 words. I finished the profile of Doris Meeks from my road encounter last Fourth of July. The profile is good. Sarah read it. She said, "Brenda. You are going to make her cry." I said, "I hope I make her happy." Doris is the book's first driver. Carla Rinaldi is the second. Lynette Carroll will be the third. The shape is real.
Gayle had a little cold Saturday. I took her temperature (99.4, low-grade) and called the doctor. We waited. She drank fluids. I made chicken soup from scratch. By Sunday afternoon she was better. I had been worried. Gayle's colds now are not just colds. But this one was a cold.
Dave's back has been okay — not perfect, but steady — for three weeks. The chiropractic has helped. He is being careful. He bought a back brace I have not seen him wear but which I know he wears when I am not home. I will not mention it. He would hate that.
Josie's 12th birthday is this Saturday. She wants a girls' sleepover — six friends, all the pizza, all the movies, all the ice cream. I said yes. She also wants the chocolate sheet cake. Of course she wants the chocolate sheet cake.
Amber called Sunday. "Mom. I passed all my midterms." I said, "Of course you did, baby." She said, "I am working the shelter summer job in three months." I said, "You are going to be great." She said, "I know." I love it when my 18-year-old daughter says "I know" about her own competence. That is a mother's dream.
The chicken soup got Gayle through the worst of it, but by the time Dave’s back had held steady for three weeks and Amber called with her midterm news, I wanted something that felt like the week landing right-side up — still warm, still one pan, but with a little more color and brightness to it. This ground turkey and sweet potato skillet is what I keep coming back to when the house has asked a lot of everyone and I want dinner to be the easy part.
One-Dish Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Skillet
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground turkey
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Par-cook the sweet potatoes. Add the cubed sweet potatoes to a microwave-safe bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, until just beginning to soften but not fully cooked. Drain and set aside.
- Brown the turkey. Heat olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until no pink remains, about 6–7 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Drain any excess fat if needed.
- Build the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced onion and bell pepper to the skillet with the turkey. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Season and combine. Stir in the cumin, smoked paprika, chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Add the par-cooked sweet potatoes and drained diced tomatoes. Stir to combine everything evenly.
- Simmer to finish. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10–12 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are completely tender and the flavors have come together. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
- Serve. Scatter the chopped fresh parsley over the top and serve directly from the skillet.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 370 | Protein: 28g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 430mg