Aldi Challenge: Turkey Tenderloin Salad with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

Before I tell you about the salad I made with the leftover turkey, I have to share something I learned about Aldi last night that surprised me greatly.  Aldi is owned by the same people who own Trader Joe's.  Actually, it is a bit more complicated than that, as wikipedia told me, there were two brothers who owned Aldi in Germany and one had the north and one had the south and they split the international business, the brother who doesn't own all the Aldi's in America owns Trader Joe's.  Probably more information than you really wanted, but there it is, and in my Lifetime addled mind, it's all very dramatic with corporate espionage and affairs and sinister plots for world domination.  Anyways, back to the salad.  I was a bit nervous about it due to the fact that I didn't like the turkey and it is a key component to the salad.  BUT, when you combine it with homemade blue cheese dressing and tons of fresh veggies, it was so so much better, the strange flavor of the marinade and the dressing worked together somehow.  Also, the Aldi blue cheese crumbles are not very strongly flavored, just a heads up, they are a more mild blue cheese than I am used to.

Star by making your blue cheese dressing.  My dad made this and didn't measure anything, so the recipe is approximate, just taste as you go and adjust as needed.  Combine mayo, blue cheese crumbles, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper in varying proportions until it tastes good.  

As for the salad just chop up whatever veggies you have on hand, the more the better.  We had a mix of lettuces, peppers, and cucumbers, all from Aldi.  Since this was all we ate for dinner, we made the salad nice and big.

Top the salad with the leftover turkey that has been shredded, the blue cheese dressing and some blue cheese crumbles.  In my family we all dress our salads ourselves as some people claim that others are chronic overdressers, but you could dress it and toss it before serving if that floats your boat.  And if you forget that the dressing is mayo based, it feels like an incredibly healthy yet satisfying meal.

Turkey Tenderloin Salad with Creamy Blue Cheese Dressing

So I am not actually going to give you a recipe for this, make the salad with whatever veggies float your boat, top with the leftover turkey or any turkey or chicken you may have on hand.  Add your favorite blue cheese dressing, or make one, this, this or this are all good looking recipes.  Enjoy.

Aldi Challenge: Turkey Tenderloin and Roasted Cauliflower

I was a bit unsure about the second Aldi meal, a turkey tenderloin with roasted cauliflower.  The cauliflower was basic enough, grocery store cauliflower is after all grocery store cauliflower, it is all the same sort of hearty factory farmed stuff, so that was fine.  It was the turkey tenderloin that worried me.  Especially because the leftovers were going to be added to a salad the next day.  My main concern was that it was premarinated, don't get me wrong, unless I am in a control freak/want to make a feast all on my own type of mood, premarinated meat can be really tasty.  It was the flavor of the marinade, rotisserie, which I had always thought was more a method of cooking than a flavoring, but we gave it a shot.  Let's just say that was not the best idea.  The meat itself was tender, but the marinade left a bit to be desired, it was kind of spicy and salty and rather strong when eating the meat by itself.  I would definitely recommend using it as an ingredient in something instead of as the star of the meal.  

The turkey was easy, just toss it on the grill and cook it until it's not pink anymore.

As for the cauliflower, core it and remove any little leafy bits that you wouldn't want to eat.  Now, you could cut off the florets and go that route, but I wouldn't recommend it.  I like to cut the cauliflower into slices, being sure to scoop up all the little bits and cutting any of the larger slices into more manageable chunks.  Put it all in a bowl and toss with enough olive oil to coat it lightly and salt and pepper.

Put the cauliflower on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast in a 400 degree oven until it is golden and tender.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar before serving and snag all the little crispy pieces for yourself, they are the best part.

Roasted Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower

about a tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

balsamic vinegar to taste

Core and trim the leafy bits off the cauliflower.  Slice into about inch thick pieces, cutting the larger slices in half.  Scoop up all the cauliflower, including the little bits that fell off during the cutting, and place in a large bowl.  Toss with enough olive oil to coat and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Put in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 25 minutes or until golden and tender.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar before serving, or set the vinegar out and let everyone add it themselves.