Thursday, August 14, 2008

Turkey Burgers

1 package ground turkey
1 cup finely chopped carrot
1 small yellow onion or 6 scallions, chopped
1/3 cup dry oatmeal
1/4 cup low-sodium
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 whole grain dinner rolls or hamburger buns

Preheat the oven to 400.

In a small skillet, cook onions in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat, until tender, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together the meat, cooked onions, carrots, soy sauce, garlic, and pepper with a wooden spoon; the mixture will be moist. Form into 16 small patties and place them on a sheet of waxed paper or aluminum foil.

Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When the skillet is hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil.     Add the burgers and cook until golden brown on one side, 4 to 5 minutes.
(You will have to do this in batches.  Don't crowd the pan or they won't get golden brown.)  Turn the burgers, then slide the skillet into the oven and bake for 4 to 5 minutes longer, until the burgers are no longer pink in the center. (If you don't have an oven-proof skillet just wrap the plastic handle of your regular skillet with tinfoil and it will be fine in the oven.)  Serve each burger on a split roll or bun.

(You can add in any veggies you have on hand!  Mushrooms, chopped zucchini, squash, peppers.  Just saute them with the onions and proceed with the recipe.  Try different veggies in there, it's such a good and simple recipe!)

Sloppy Joes

1 Tbs. Olive Oil
 1 pound lean ground turkey or beef
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
4-6 whole wheat hamburger buns
Cheddar cheese (optional)
Sour Cream (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper. Season with a little salt and pepper.  Cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the meat and cook until browned. Stir in the tomato paste, chili powder, oregano, cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, and salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 12 minutes. Spoon onto toasted buns and top with cheese or sour cream, if desired.

4-6 servings

(You can add any veggies you have an hand!  Add in carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, spinach and kale, etc. Just saute them with the onions and peppers and proceed with the recipe!)

Monday, August 11, 2008

Spinach with Mixed Veggies and Tomatoes

This is my all-time favorite side-dish. It goes great with every meal and is so healthy! The spinach really cooks down so kids won't even know it's there. If the kids are picky just use a bag of corn in place of the mixed veggies.

2 teaspoons olive oil
4 cups baby spinach (I don't measure, I just grab 4 huge handfuls of spinach. You can't put too much spinach into this recipe and it cooks down into very little)
1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 package frozen mixed veggies, thawed (pretty much any combo of veggies is delicious if you want to mix it up. A bag of frozen corn works great or using the stir-fry Costco mix is also really good)

In a large saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the thawed veggies and cook about five minutes, until warmed through.

Slice up the spinach into fine strips and add to the veggies. Cook until spinach is wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. If it is watery, let it cook until the water has evaporated.

Season with the salt and pepper. Serve warm, cold, or at room temperature.

Turkey-Cheddar tacos

1 cup canned cooked turkey breast or canned chicken
4 teaspoons light or fat-free mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1 teaspoon lime juice
whole-wheat tortillas
Shredded lettuce
cherry tomatoes, quartered
 shredded cheddar cheese

Combine the turkey or chicken, mayo, cilantro, and lime zest and juice in a medium bowl.

Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and st over medium-high heat. Add the tortillas, one at a time, and cook until crispy, about 1 minute on each side.

Top each tortilla with 1/4 of the turkey mixture, speading it almost to the edge; top with lettuce, tomatoes, and 2 tablespoons of the cheese.

4 servings

Parmesan-Mustard Pork Chops

1 cup plain panko breadcrumb
1 tablespoon melter butter
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh italian parsley
6 boneless pork loin chops, about 4 ounces each
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350.

In a small bowl, mix the breadcrumbs, butter, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, parmesan cheese, and parsley

Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Spread the remaining mustard on one side of each chop and place the chops (plain side down) on a baking sheet. Divide the breadcrumb mixture among the chops and pat them onto the mustard.

Bake the chops until they are fully cooked and the breadcrumbs are nicely browned, about 20 minutes.

Serves 6

Whole-wheat spaghetti with Lemon, Basil, and Salmon

1/2 pound whole-wheat spaghetti
1 clove minced garlic
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 (4 ounce) pieces of skinless salmon
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons capers (in glass jars near the pickles at the grocery store)
1 lemon, zested
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cups fresh baby spinach leaves

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl. Add the garlic, extra-virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss to combine.

Meanwhile, warm the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Season the salmon with salt and pepper. Add the fish to the pay and cook about 2-4 minutes on each side (until it flakes with a fork). Remove the salmon from the pan.

Add the basil, capers, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the spaghetti mixture and toss to combine. Set out your plates and put some spinach on each plate. Top with 1/4 of the pasta. Top each mound with a piece of salmon and serve.

4 servings

Zesty Steak Fajitas

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
3 minced garlic cloves
2 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 pound beef top round steak, or flank steak, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced into strips
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
4 whole-wheat tortillas, warmed
light sour cream
salsa

Combine the lime juice, garlic, and chili powder in a large ziplock bag; add the steak. squeeze out the air and seal the bag; turn to coat the steak. Refrigerate, turning the bag occasionally, for 20 minutes. Drain the beef; discard the marinade.

Spray a large skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the steak and cook until lightly browned, 3-4 minutes. Add the soy sauce and worcestershire sauce; cook 1 minute.

Lay the tortillas out and spoon 1 cup of the beef mixture in a strip in the middle of each tortilla. Add sour cream and salsa, if desired, and fold them up.

4 servings

Lemon Chicken Tacos

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
zest of 1 lemon plus 2 T. and 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice, divided
1 large onion, sliced
1 green onion, sliced
2 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
whole-wheat tortillas

Place chicken in plastic bag; add the zest of the lemon plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate 1 to 2 hours. Saute onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Add chicken, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir 4 minutes, or until chicken juices are clear. Remove from heat; stir in tomato, cilantro, and remaining lemon juice. Spoon onto tortillas. Top with lettuce and serve with salsa. 4 servings.