Quinoa Taco Bake

New favorite thing. Soooooooooo yummy! There really isn't anything else I can say about it other than I'm throwing in some fresh peppers and onions next time. I'm sure this would be fabulous vegetarian too! Just include all the seasonings on the veggies instead of in the ground turkey.

Ingredients
1 lb ground turkey
3 cups quinoa (4 if not using ground turkey)
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 can Rotel
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup shredded yellow squash
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup shredded cheese
1 cup shredded cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Begin cooking quinoa according to instructions on package.
3. Begin browning ground turkey in large skillet. When turkey is beginning to brown, add minced garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes.
4. Add chili powder, paprika, cumin, and sea salt and mix thoroughly before meat is finished browning.
5. Once turkey is totally cooked, add can of Rotel and allow to cook 2-3 minutes.
6. Add shredded zucchini and shredded squash (and any other vegetable you want to add) and cook until vegetables are soft.
7. Add quinoa to skillet and mix thoroughly. 
8. Add 1/3 portion of shredded cheese and mix thoroughly.
9. Place contents of skillet into 9x13 baking dish coated lightly in cooking spray.
10. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top of the dish.
11. Bake for 15 minutes.
12. Enjoy! Seriously. So good.

Nutrition Information

Teriyaki Turkey Meatballs

These were so easy to make and super yummy. Matt probably ate at least 12 of them for dinner tonight. We paired them with stir fry veggies (I had more of those) and brown rice. Had someone not devoured them like a wild lion eaten all of them, I'm sure they would have stored really well.

Ingredients

1 lb lean ground turkey

3 chopped green onions

2 inches fresh ginger

3/4 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp soy sauce

1 cup plain bread crumbs

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 egg

1 bottle teriyaki sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Cover baking sheet with foil and a light layer of non-stick spray.
3. Place ground turkey in large mixing bowl. Add in green onion, garlic, soy sauce, plain bread crumbs, black pepper, and egg.
4. Continue by grating ginger into the bowl with fine grater.
5. Mix all ingredients thoroughly (easiest to do with clean hands).
6. Separate meat mixture and form small balls, approximately the size of a ping pong ball.
7. Place balls on the cooking sheet, evenly spaced.
8. Pour a small amount of teriyaki sauce into a separate dish. Use this sauce to brush a small amount of sauce onto each meatball.
9. Bake for 40 minutes.
10. With 5-ish minutes left of baking time, warm the rest of the teriyaki sauce in medium-sized sauce pan.
11. Add meatballs to sauce after they are finished baking and stir. Allow them to sit for 1-2 minutes so sauce glazes all meatballs.
12. Serve with rice, veggies, or just plain. They even make really great appetizers. Stick a toothpick in them for easy serving and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Avocado Spinach Pasta Sauce

I was so craving Alfredo tonight - like REALLY craving it. It's been a day full of cravings. Anyway, I found this recipe with the hopes that it would temper that need for buttery goodness. It did a pretty good job. I tried to make zucchini noodles with it, but that didn't go so well. Whole wheat penne got subbed in at the last minute. I threw in some slices of bell pepper and yellow onion along with blackened chicken, just for fun. I'm not much of a sauce person in general so I didn't totally coat my pasta. I'm sure it would be yummy with more on it too.

Ingredients
10 oz whole wheat pasta (or zucchini noodles)
1 avocado
1 cup fresh spinach
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp basil
1 Tbsp crushed red pepper
1 cup pasta water (or chicken/veggie stock)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp sea salt

Instructions

1. Begin cooking pasta and any vegetables/meat you would like to add to the pasta.
2. While pasta is cooking, add all ingredients to blender and blend until smooth.
3. Once pasta is cooked, add desired amount of sauce pasta, and vegetables (optional) to skillet and heat for 2 minutes.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Whole Wheat Banana Pancakes

I'm not much of a breakfast person, although I've been trying to change that, but I do love breakfast foods for lunch and dinner. This recipe is FREAKING PHENOMENAL. I won't take credit for it. This one came from Sally's Baking Addiction (amazing blog - check it out!). I didn't realize I was out of whole wheat flour - 4H alums tend to have that laying around, so white flour was used in the picture. Sally's are prettier, but hey, we aren't all expert bakers. Whole wheat would definitely make them fluffier and even more delicious! I've copied the recipe below to make it easier to find for down the road.

Ingredients
1 1/3 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large egg (or 2 egg whites)
1 cup milk (or almond milk)
1/2 cup mashed banana (riper the better)
2 Tbsp brown sugar (dark or light)
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup of desired add-ins (none pictured)

Instructions

1. Toss the flower, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
2. In separate bowl, whisk together egg, milk, and banana.
3. Whisk brown sugar and yogurt until no lumps remain.
4. Whisk in vanilla until thoroughly mixed.
5. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well.
6. Stir gently until just combined (DO NOT overmix the batter!).
7. Add any of the mix-in's you've chosen, being careful to not over stir.
8. Heat skillet over medium-heat and coat in cooking spray (or oil or butter...but use cooking spray).
9. Once very hot, drop 1/4 cup of batter onto the skillet and cook until the edges look dry and bubbles begin to form in the center.
10. Flip and cook the other side 1-2 minutes.
11. Continue cooking until batter is gone, re-coating skillet in between pancakes.
12. Enjoy this super yummy, no syrup required deliciousness!

Nutrition Information

Mexican Vegetarian Loaf

I haven't been too keen on meat lately, so when I saw a Mexican style recipe involving all veggies, I was happy. I added a few more vegetables and chilies to my recipe. It came out a bit dry, so I would cut back on the bread crumbs/mash everything together more if I were to make it again. (This is reflected in the recipe posted here.) The best part of this one is that a serving (1/8th of a loaf) is only 300 calories, has a ton of fiber, and is packed with protein. I don't typically say this about serving sizes, but I was stuffed after dinner.

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced red onion
1 cup fresh spinach
1/4 cup mushrooms
15 oz drained can of kidney beans (trying chili beans next time)
15 oz drained can of seasoned black beans
1 cup corn kernels
7 oz drained can of green chilies
2 tsp oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
BBQ sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
3. Add onions and cook until tender (5 minutes).
4. Add mushrooms and spinach to onions and cook for another 4 minutes.
5. Add kidney beans, black beans, corn, and green chilies. Stir occasionally until beans are softened (about 5-7 minute).
6. Add oregano, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, and sea salt to skillet and stir thoroughly.
7. Mix bread crumbs and cheese in a large mixing bowl.
8. Add skillet mixture to the large bowl, stirring and mashing until the contents of the bowl can be formed into a loaf (like you would with meatloaf).
9. Place loaf in loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and cover in a thin layer of BBQ sauce of choice. Bake for 3 additional minutes.
11. Allow the loaf to cool for 5 minutes.
12. Cut, serve, and enjoy your low fat, high fiber/protein dinner!

Nutrition Information

Buffalo Cauliflower Bites

I'll start this post by saying two things: (1) I modified this recipe from what I made because my mouth is on fire it was a bit warm for my taste, and (2) don't expect this to replace buffalo wings. A lot of posts I've read claim that these things will "satisfy your buffalo wing cravings." This is a false statement. While the flavor is there, it won't replace the goodness of a fried (or baked) chicken wing.

Ingredients
1 head cauliflower
salt
pepper
garlic powder
1/2 cup hot sauce
1 Tbsp melted butter (considering coconut oil as a substitute)
1 tsp garlic

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Wash and separate cauliflower pieces from one another.
3. Cover baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Place cauliflower on cooking sheet.
4. Lightly sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder on cauliflower.
5. Bake seasoned cauliflower for 20 minutes.
6. While cauliflower is baking, mix hot sauce, butter, and garlic.
7. After removing cauliflower from the oven, lightly pour hot sauce mixture over cauliflower.
8. Bake for 5 additional minutes.
9. Serve immediately. I hear ranch or blue cheese dipping sauce goes well with these! Enjoy!

Nutrition Information

Stuffed Peppers

If you haven't noticed, I love peppers. All kinds of peppers really. Bell peppers. Sweet peppers. Poblano peppers. Jalapeno peppers. They're my favorite thing. My go-to restaurant dish when we lived in Champaign was stuffed peppers. Ever since trying them at Desthil, I constantly crave that spicy goodness. Granted, theirs is a little more flavorful and high calorie, but this one was pretty tasty tonight! (And I snuck some more kale in there!)

Ingredients
2 poblano peppers (or bell pepper if you don't like heat)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup yellow onion (chopped)
1 cup red bell peppers (chopped)
2 cups kale (optional)
1/2 can seasoned black beans
1 cup brown rice (cooked)
8 oz choice of meat (steak, chicken, or pork)
2/3 cup mozzarella cheese

Seasonings for Meat
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Paprika
Black pepper
Sea salt

Instructions

1. Begin cooking rice according to instructions on package.
2. Season meat using equal parts garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper with a little sea salt. Set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 325 F.
4. In large pan, bring 8 cups of water to boil.
5. While waiting on water to boil, slice peppers in half down the length and remove all seeds. (If working with bell peppers, slice the top off of the pepper to form bowl.) 
6. Place pepper halves in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.
7. Remove peppers from water and place on paper towel to dry. Place peppers so that they curve downward, facing the paper towel.
8. Heat oil in skillet over medium-heat and add onions and red bell peppers. Cook for 5 minutes.
9. Add kale and black beans to onion and red pepper mixture.
10. Mix vegetable mixture with cooked rice. Cover and set aside.
11. Cook meat to desired temperature. (If steak, I recommend cooking to medium rare, as baking will continue to cook. Always thoroughly cook chick and pork before baking the peppers.)
12. Slice meat (cube if working with bell peppers).
13. Place peppers on baking sheet (covered in foil for easy clean up). Layer each pepper half with meat of choice, rice/veggie mixture, and then mozzarella cheese.
14. Bake for 20 minutes.
15. Serve with knife and fork for easy eating! Enjoy!

Sausage, Kale, & Lentil Stew

I've been trying to find ways to incorporate kale into my diet more often. I'm not overly fond of the taste or texture, so I wanted to find a way to get the nutrients it provides. I found this recipe online, but modified it to reduce the carbohydrate and sodium content. Warning: This recipe makes a LOT of stew. You'll likely have leftovers depending on how many people you're serving. (In my house, it's typically just me, so this makes lunch/dinner for days.)

Ingredients

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 lb sausage (medium heat)

1 cup chopped yellow onion

32 oz sodium free chicken stock

2.5 cups water

5 cups kale (washed & torn)

1/2 bag baby carrots

1 cup dried lentils

3/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add sausage and cook thoroughly, breaking up with a spoon (8-10 minutes).
3. Add onions and cook, tossing occasionally until soft (3-5 minutes).
4. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (1 minute).
5. Add broth, kale, carrots, lentils, salt, and pepper to pot.
6. Bring to boil while stirring occasionally.
7. Reduce heat and simmer partially covered. Stir occasionally until lentils and carrots are tender (30-35 minutes).
8. Enjoy!

No Sauce Pasta

This recipe can be modified in a million different ways. The ingredients listed here are my preferred combination of vegetables. (You'll notice a lot of my recipes have similar ingredients. Like it says in the "blog description" for this site, I keep things simple. That includes my shopping list.)

Serving
1 person (multiply ingredients as needed)

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 cup whole grain pasta
1/2 cup sweet peppers
12ish asparagus spears
4 oz of lean meat (Picture is a lean pork sausage. Chicken works wonderfully too!)
1/3 cup mozzarella cheese
Salt and pepper to liking

Instructions

1. In skillet, heat olive oil and add vegetables (any veggies you enjoy will work - the key is proportion to the pasta).
2. Once vegetables have warmed a bit, add garlic powder, onion powder, and pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Remove vegetables from heat once they are able to be cut with a fork. Set aside in covered dish to keep warm.
4. Begin to boil pasta according to instructions on the box.
5. While pasta is cooking, cook lean meat in skillet (can be same skillet that cooked the vegetables) seasoning to taste (just avoid salt if possible).
6. After meat is cooked through, slice into small pieces.
7. Combine drained pasta, mozzarella, vegetables, and meat into serving bowl and stir.
8. Enjoy! The cheese and seasoning from the vegetables will flavor the pasta. No sauce needed.

Turkey Taco Wraps

This recipe can be found all over Pinterest, blogs, and anywhere else you may see "healthy eating" recipes hiding on the Internet. As with all of my recipes that will be posted here, this is my version - a combination of all the ingredients I like from others' posts.

Ingredients

1 lb ground turkey

3/4 cup onion (chopped)

1/4 cup celery (chopped)

4-5 small, sweet pepper (sliced)

1 Tbsp paprika

1 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp sea salt

Romaine lettuce leaves

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions

1. Saute onion, celery, and peppers in skillet with a small amount of olive oil.
2. Add ground turkey and brown meat over medium-high heat while combining with onion, celery, pepper mixture.
3. Combine seasonings in small bowl and mix before adding to ground turkey mixture. (If meat mixture is dry, add a little water until seasoning covers meat.)
4. Wash and dry romaine lettuce leaves.
5. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of mozzarella onto each lettuce leaf.
6. Top mozzarella with warm turkey/veggie mixture (will melt the cheese).
7. Enjoy by rolling sides of lettuce leaves around meat and veggies and eat like a taco!

Note: If you prefer more or less seasoning, you may adjust amounts. I recommend staying away from extra salt.