Turkey Time
I swear every time I make meatballs I forget to write down what I threw into them. Ohhhh, the elusive turkey meatball recipe… changes every time. Yet, always tastes delicious.
I bring you spaghetti squash with turkey meatballs and garlic mushroom marinara:
Easier than it looks, I promise!
(Check out this post for some tips on cooking up your spaghetti squash)
While my spaghetti squash was doing its thang in the oven, I got to work on the meatballs. Here’s what went into them:
Your guess is as good as mine. 
Alriiiiiiiiight, here’s approximately what went into the meatballs:
- 10 ounces 99% fat free ground turkey breast
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp bread crumbs
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp marjoram
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp dried oregano
This mix gave me 10 2-bite meatballs:
I sprinkled each meatball with a little olive oil (about 1 tbsp for all 10 meatballs). I cooked these in a 400 degree for 15 minutes, flipped them over and cooked for another 10.
Meanwhile, I sautéed 2 cloves minced garlic and a couple handfuls of sliced baby bella mushrooms in a sauce pan:
Then added 1.5 cups of Prego sauce to the pan along with some garlic powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and dried oregano. I popped a lid on the pan and let it simmer away on low heat until the meatballs and spaghetti squash were done cooking:
I promise you–this dish will totally satisfy your pasta cravings. Look how tasty:
As an added bonus, I was able to get 3 servings out of this batch. Hello tomorrow’s lunch and the day after tomorrow’s dinner!
Stats on 2 cups Spaghetti Squash with 3 Turkey Meatballs and 1/2 cup sauce: 320 calories, 37g carbs, 10g fat, 27g protein, 7g fiber. Molto bene!
Since the ground turkey comes in a 20 ounce package, I decided to use the remaining 10 ounces to make up some of my beloved Turkey Meat Muffins 
Only thing I did different this time was to omit the oil. I didn’t notice much of a difference, so I think I’ll stick with the oil-free version in the future.
I LOVE these guys for several reasons.
- They are pre-portioned and super cute.
- They satisfy my belly in a healthful way.
- Leftover meatloaf sandwiches rock my socks off.
- Saying “meat muffin” brings an unavoidable smile to my face 😀
Nom.
Szechwan Shrimp
Whelp, I haven’t been doing much blogging lately BUT I have been doing a decent amount of cooking! Time to play catch up!
Three things that I look for in any good recipe:
- Easy.
- Healthy.
- Onions.
ok… The recipe just has to be friggin delicious (usually that comes with the addition of some onions, but not always).
This recipe for Szechwan Shrimp has been a favorite of mine for a couple years now, simply because it meets my three criteria (even the onions!). Even though it has lots of ingredients, most of them are things I always have on hand. Can’t complain about that!
First up, I mix up the sauce ingredients in a small bowl:
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp ketchup
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp honey
- 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
- 1/8 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp olive oil
Then I sprayed down a skillet, heated it over medium heat, and added 1 large sliced green onion and one clove minced garlic. I let these sauté for a bit, then added 3 large raw shrimp:
Once the shrimp was cooked through I added the sauce and used a rubber spatula to combine.
I let the mixture heat up until it started to bubble and thicken and then tossed on top of 1 serving of brown rice. I also added some steamed oriental veggies and a Chung’s veggie spring roll:
So pretty!
So delicious…
Eggcellent.
My kitchen is no stranger to eggs.
Shortly after starting this blog, it dawned on me that I really do eat an excessive amount of eggs. So I started thinking about possible substitutions I could make. Something healthy, clean, and full of protein. Something filling and delicious that gave me energy without spiking my temperamental blood sugar.
I searched high and low and ended up right where I started.
Eggcellent.
One of the MANY things I LOVE about eggs is that I can make them in a big batch. Typically, I cook up a 5 serving egg scramble Sunday night and that serves as my breakfast #1 for the workweek. Each serving of my scrambled eggs consists of 1 whole egg and 3 egg whites, which I season up with S&P, Red Pepper Flakes, and some Franks Red Hot.
I was feeling lazy Sunday night, so I ended up pushing back the egg-makin til Monday night this week. After work I headed to the grocery store to get the goods. I typically have some roasted broccoli alongside my eggs, but made a last-minute produce aisle decision to use up some of the frozen veggies in the freezer instead.
Low and behold I didn’t have any frozen veggies (dangit). You know, I actually think this was co-worker karma come back to haunt me. Recently, I discovered that roasted broccoli heated up in the community microwave makes the ENTIRE floor smell like butt. Apparently, I was oblivious to this smell for the last 9 months… Whoops! I guess it’s just pay back for those afternoon snackers who always burn their popcorn in the microwave leaving us with a 3pm funk. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE! 😉
Luckily, I had 1 lonely large potato on hand (leftover from my Zuppa Tosacana). Eggs and potatoes. Can’t go wrong with that!
I tossed the potato into a bowl and seasoned it up with a drizzle of EVOO, some S&P, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper:
Then I popped them into a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes to get their roast on. Once everything was done cooking, i evenly divided the goods up into four containers:
Tuesday through Friday B#1:
Now repeat 52 times and you have B#1 for the whole year… hahahah 🙂
QUESTION OF THE DAY: What are your go-to workday breakfasts?
Healthified Slop Sloppy Joes
Sloppy joes are a fall food staple in my family, and I have been craving a big fat sloppy joe since the start of football season! This was my first attempt at making a healthified version of the sloptastic treat:
Looks pretty good, eh? To start things off, I sprayed a skillet with cooking spray and tossed in:
- 1/3 cup chopped white onion
Once the onions started to soften, I added:
- 8 ounces 99% lean ground turkey
- S&P
I cooked the turkey til it was no longer pink. I don’t know about you, but I’m not exactly a fan of rare poultry… bleck!
Nice and brown:
Next I added:
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup Reduced Sugar Ketchup
- 1 tsp mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
Once everything was combined, I popped a lid on and let the joes simmer for about 25 minutes on very low heat. Then I spooned half the mix on to a Pepperidge Farm 7 grain deli flat and topped with some chopped raw onion.
A thing of beauty:
Ohhhhh yesssss….
That is one happy joe.
These sloppy joes were super easy to throw together and pretty tasty — I think the only change I’ll make for next time is to use the ORGANIC Heinz Ketchup instead of the reduced sugar version (which oddly has this crazy sweet taste that I am NOT a fan of).
I’m still craving a good old-fashioned Manwich sloppy joe… so I’m sure those will be making an appearance on an upcoming Sunday game day menu 🙂
Stats on the sloppy joseph: 256 calories, 27g carbs, 3g fat, 35g protein, 6g fiber
Sausage & Caramelized Onion Pita Pizza
Last weekend, I caught 5 minutes or so of Giada’s cooking show on the Food Network on which she made a sausage and caramelized onion calzone. Are you drooling yet? Ever since then, I’ve had this image of sausage and caramelized onions floating around in my head, beckoning to me. I just so happened to have a leftover sausage from last Sunday’s cookfest, so I decided to put it to use today:
YUMMMMM….. I haven’t made a pita pizza in AGES! Jennie O’s mom and pop would be so darn proud! 😀
First up, I cranked the heat on the oven to 350 degrees, sprayed a small skillet with cooking spray, and placed it over medium high heat. Once the skillet was hot, I added:
- 1/4 cup sliced white onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
Onions & garlic. Anytime you start a recipe off with these two ingredients, there’s an unwritten guarantee it’s going to be delicious. Didn’t you know??
I reduced the heat slightly at this point just to make sure I didn’t burn the garlic or onion. Then I just let the onions do their thing, stirring them occasionally.
Meanwhile, I topped a Joseph’s low-carb pita with 1/4 cup Classico Fire Roasted Tomato & Garlic Sauce and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.
Once the onions were soft and a nice light brown color, I added them on top of the pita along with 1/2 a link of pre-cooked & chopped up Jennie O’ Hot Turkey Sausage.
I cut up a light Sargento Mozzarella string cheese into small sticks and tossed those on top then seasoned with a sprinkle of dried oregano and some black pepper:
Then I popped this beauty into the oven for 10 minutes, until everything was heated through and the cheese was melty:
I also fixed up a small side salad, which consisted of romaine lettuce, 1/2 a roma tomato, some chopped red onion, and 2 tbsp Ken’s Steakhouse lite Caesar dressing: 
I REALLY like Ken’s Lite Caeser by the way.
Nom nom nom!
Sometimes the simplest of ingredients combine to make the most amazing meals. It is the best of both worlds!
Ingredients List: Sausage & Caramelized Onion Pita Pizza
- 1/4 cup sliced white onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 Joseph’s low-carb pita with flax
- 1/4 cup Classico Fire Roasted Tomato & Garlic Sauce
- Red Pepper Flakes
- 1/2 link Jennie O’ Hot Turkey Sausage
- 1 light Sargento Mozzarella string cheese
- Dried Oregano
- Black Pepper
Stats on my pita pizza: 236 calories, 17g carbs, 11g fat, 22g protein, 6g fiber