Five Spice Turkey Bowl

I made this recipe a few weeks ago and we really enjoyed this noodle bowl.  I had been seeing a ton of recipes, everything from cookies to meatloaf, that used Chinese 5-spice powder.  I thought about just mixing up my own, but realized that the jar from McCormick's cost $3, significantly less than it would have cost to find some of the missing, yet integral flavors, to the Chinese 5 spices:  anise, cloves, cinnamon, sichuan pepper, and ground fennel seeds.  Plus, I've already made a few recipes that used the powder so at least it is getting put to use. 

This noodle bowl was great.  It was very quick to make and the spices made the dish so tasty.  There were definitely spices in the dish that I had never used or eaten before, so it was a nice change of pace.  Next time, I might cut out some of the mushrooms though.  I'm not the biggest mushroom fan so I kept forcing them down to make sure there was no waste.  The only confusing thing about the dish was how to eat the noodle bowl.  The noodles needed a form, but the broth needed a spoon.  Ron and I ended up using both :)

Five Spice Turkey Bowl

Greens and Chocolate

Ingredients

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 (20 oz) package ground turkey breast
• 2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder, divided
• 8 oz fresh button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp fresh minced garlic
• 1 (32 oz) pkg vegetable broth
• 2 Tbsp sweet chili sauce
• 1 tsp kosher salt (optional)
• 2-3 cups broccolini, rinsed and chopped
• 8 oz WW spaghetti or soba noodles
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh green onion

Instructions

1. In large skillet, heat 1 tsp of olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add ground turkey and cook until lightly browned and cooked through.  Stir 1 tsp of 5-spice powder in turkey, then remove and set aside.
2. Heat the remaining 1 tsp of olive oil and cook the mushrooms until softened.  Add the minced garlic and remaining 1 tsp of 5-spice powder.  Stir fry for about 1-2 minutes.  Add vegetable broth, turkey, sweet chili sauce, salt, and broccolini.  Cook over medium heat until warmed through, about 10 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, prepare noodles as package direct.  Add cooked noodles to turkey broth mixture.
4. Serve in bowls and sprinkle with green onions as garnish.