An Olympic Effort

Olympic fever has hit our house, with the hubs reporting on and watching almost every event possible. I have to admit, even when the hubs isn't around to lord over the TV (and he was gone doing his Man Weekend thing most of this weekend), I switch on the channels to try and get a glimpse of my boy Lochte or listen to some of the inspiring stories that inevitably make me get a little choked up every time. I'm a total softy at the core. Just don't tell anyone.

While tonight's feast would certainly not make for a carb-loading pre-race choice, it was a major effort in prep work. Once all of the chopping was complete, the sprint to the finish was almost as fast as Lolo Jones. (See how I did that?!)

Rosemary-Scented Turkey Quesadillas
Source: Clean Eating, November/December 2011

Ingredients:

• 8 stalks celery, minced
• 1 yellow onion, minced
• 4 oz fresh or frozen cranberries, chopped (thaw if frozen)
• 1 large green pear, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• juice 1 orange
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp evoo
• 1 tbsp dried rosemary
• 10oz ground turkey
• 8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
• 2 oz shredded mozzarella

Directions:

• Make salsa: Combine 2 stalks celery, half onion, cranberries, pear, 1 clove garlic and OJ. Add 1/4 tsp sea salt. Set aside.
• In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on med for 1 min. Add remaining celery and onion and saute for 3 mins. Stir in rosemary, remaining garlic and 1/4 tsp sea salt and saute for 2 mins. Add turkey and cook for 5 mins. Drain turkey mix and transfer to a large bowl.
• Wipe out skillet and return to med heat. Working in batches, add tortillas to skillet (I could do 3 at a time). Top each with 1/4 c. turkey mix and 1 tbsp cheese and cook for 3 mins. Gently fold 1 side of each tortilla over to make half circles and cook for one more minute, lightly pressing the top of the tortillas down. Repeat with remaining tortillas, etc. Serve with salsa.

Yield: 4 servings (2 quesadillas and 1/2 c. salsa)
Per serving: 345 cals; 10g fat (4g sat, 1g mono, 1g poly); 42g carbs; 7g fiber; 23g protein; 523mg sodium; 65mg chol.

Reviews:
Ugh - the prep on this was annoying. I could have bought pre-minced celery and onions, but I decided to chop away. Regardless, once it was done, it was super fast to cook. I am not a big fan of cooking food in batches because we eat as a family (sans baby, who for now goes to bed way too early), and I always try hard to make sure the food I serve is very hot and fresh. As far as taste - I was kind of expecting the boys to turn their noses up at this one, due to the carefully chopped fruit - but I was pleasantly surprised as the hubs really liked the salsa. The kid? Not so much. Me? Not worth the effort, but it made the entire meal very fresh tasting. The quesadillas were good - despite the batch annoyance, I liked the overall effect once they were done.

Ranking:
Silver (Get it? Going with the medal ranking this week). Good taste, major effort.

Nothing silver about this performance! Lochte Nation!

Turkey Tuesday

Last week we had Taco Tuesday, so today we're going with Turkey Tuesday. Color me creative.

Today we could also go with Tired Tuesday as I am feeling a little spent.

Luckily, tomorrow is my last day in the office for about a week and a half, as we are heading to the beach with the fam. I'm not sure if I am going to blog while I'm being lulled to sleep by the ocean, but I do have a couple of meals planned and will catch you up on my exciting (non) adventures upon our return. So yes, peeps, this is probably your last blog for a while.

Road trip!

Turkey Tenders
Source: Cooking Light, March 2011

Ingredients:

• 1 pound turkey tenderloin
• 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup egg substitute
• 3/4 c. panko
• 2 tbsp grated parm
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt (used garlic powder)
• 1 tbsp canola oil

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Cut tenderloin in half lengthwise; cut into 20 (2-inch) pieces.
• Place flour in a shallow dish. Place egg substitute in another. Combine panko, cheese, garlic, salt in another dish. Dredge turkey in flour; dip in egg, and dredge in breadcrumb mix.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-high, swirling to coat. Add turkey pieces to pan; cook 2 mins on each side. Place turkey pieces on a broiler pan. Bake for 5 mins, then turn over and bake 5 more mins or until golden brown.

Yield: 4 servings (5 pieces/serving - I assumed 4oz)
Per serving: 227 calories; 6.1g fat (1.2g sat, 2.7g mono, 1.3g poly); 32.9g protein; 11g carb; 47mg chol; 237mg sodium

We also had:
Lemon-Herb Rice
Source: 500 Low Sodium Recipes, by Dick Logue

Ingredients:

• 2 c. cooked rice (used brown)
• 1/4 c. low-sodium chicken broth (used no-salt added)
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/3 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp dried parsley (skip - didn't have)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper (skip - don't like)

Directions:

• Stir all ingredients together in a saucepan and heat through. Eat.

Yield: 4 servings (I assumed 1/2 c./serving)
Per serving: 105 cals; 2 g protein; 0g fat; 9mg sodium; 0mg chol.

Reviews:
I changed up the turkey recipe a smidge. Because I am not the most adept at pan searing, and I don't like smelling my my kitchen after I do it, and I was being lazy (please refer to song selection "A" above), I instead just put all of the tenderloins on a baking sheet and sprayed them with cooking spray, then flipped after 10 mins and sprayed again. I think the result worked. I also think these are like pretty much every other tenderloin/finger/nugget recipe I have - nothing special, but tasted good. The rice was also nothing special - a nice little switch-up from plain brown rice, but it did not garner any oohs or aahs from the crowd.

Ranking:
Turkey: Three forks
Rice: Two forks

See you in a few!

Unbelievable

To know me is to know that I love cheese. In fact, I love it so much that I don't keep it in the house unless absolutely necessary for recipes, with the exception of swiss slices (low sodium) and cheese sticks for the kids (low taste).

This unabashed, lifelong love of cheese was going to be fulfilled tonight when shredded Mexican was to serve as a topper to the main event. Except that I forgot to add it. And just realized it as I was sitting down to type this post.

Who forgets the cheese?

Luckily - I pretty much had nothing to say, so this omission served as the jump-start to tonight's post.

In addition to cheese, I love dark chocolate. Luckily I can manage to keep that in the house without shoveling it in by the fistful (thanks to those ingenious pre-packaged individual chocolate squares from Ghiradelli). I don't often bake with dark chocolate, but a few days ago I happened upon an amazingly easy fudge recipe that catered to my dark chocolate needs. So we'll start with that because honestly peeps, it is so so so easy to throw together that you must make it immediately. And bring me some.

Peanut Butter and Dark Chocolate Fudge
Source: Cooking Light (not sure of issue)

Ingredients:

• 1 (14oz) can of fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 3/4 c. semisweet chocolate chips (used dark chocolate)
• 2 tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder (used regular unsweetened)
• 1/4 tsp instant coffee granules
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 3/4 c. peanut butter chips
• 1/4 c. salted, dry-roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Directions:

• Line an 8-inch square dish with wax paper.
• Place 9 tbsp milk in a microwave safe bowl. Add chocolate chips, cocoa and coffee. Microwave at high for 1 min or until melted. Stir in 1/2 tsp vanilla. Spread into prepared pan.
• Combine the remaining milk, peanut butter chips and peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 min or until melted. Stir in remaining vanilla. Spread evenly over chocolate layer and sprinkle with peanuts.
• Cover and chill 2 hours (I chilled overnight). Cut into 25 squares.

Yield: 25 servings (1 square)
Per serving: 123 cals; 4.7g fat (3.1g sat, 0.7g mono, 0.1g poly); 3.5g protein; 47mg sodium; 2mg chol

For tonight's (cheese-free) meal, we had:
Charred Corn Chop Salad with Chipotle Cream Dressing
Source: Clean Eating, August/September 2011

Ingredients:

• 2 c. fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears corn)
• 1 med. poblano pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 lb ground turkey
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 15-oz can no-salt added black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 c. low-fat sour cream
• 1/2 c. low-fat buttermilk
• 1/2 tsp chipotle chile powder
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
• lettuce of choice
• 1/2 c. low-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss corn, poblano and potato with oil. Spread mixture onto a 9x13 baking sheet and roast for 30 mins, tossing every 10 mins.
• In a large pan cook turkey until browned. Add 1/4 c. water to pan and scrape browned bits from bottom. Add cumin and beans and stir to combine. Cover, reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.
• Make dressing: In a small bowl, whisk sour cream, buttermilk, chile powder and white scallions. Cover and chill until ready to use.
• Plate: Divide lettuce among plates and top with turkey, veggies, etc. Sprinkle with remaining scallions and cheese, and top with dressing.

Yield: 4 servings (2 c. lettuce; 1/2 c. turkey-bean mix; 1/2 c. veggies; 3 tbsp dressing)
Per serving: 470 cals; 11g total fat (3.5g sat; 3g mono; 1g poly): 61g carbs; 10g fiber; 31g protein; 220mg sodium; 40mg chol.

Reviews:
Fudge: My family went a little insane about the fudge (it was for a 4th of July gathering) - to the point that I had to fight them to bring some leftovers home for me us. I made the fudge on one of those super-hot nights, and it was so fast and easy, and the results so stellar that this is a must-do for pretty much everyone.

Salad: The kid requested a salad for dinner, so a salad he received. He did not appreciate the sweet potatoes, and the hubs made a nasty face when he saw the veggies sullying his turkey/bean combo. If it wasn't for the annoying chopping associated with this dish, it would be very easy to throw together. I liked it a lot - despite the lack of cheese - and we have enough leftover for lunches this week.

Rankings:
Fudge: Four Forks
Salad: Three Forks

Did you really think I'd use the "clean" version of this song?



Rated R

For all my younger fans (!) out there, this blog post might not be the most appropriate of reads tonight.

Today at lunch, me and two of my co-workers had an extensive conversation about cups. Not the kind of cups that you drink from, mind you, but the kind of cups that - as a female - I have no experience with. Side note: We had this appealing discussion at the NEO famous Melt. Yum. Good thing I saved my run for after work today.

I digress. The cup conversation continued with a couple of follow up text messages tonight to confirm some of our sneaking cup suspicions (i.e., husband consultations). These messages happened to come in when I was making tonight's dinner... meat balls.

You know you love it. Class act all the way.

"I'm A Boy" from The Who album "Meaty Beaty Big and Bouncy" Of course

Every Day is a Meatball Day!

Source: The Eat-Clean Diet Cookbook by Tosca Reno

Ingredients:

• 1.5 lbs lean ground turkey
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 c. oat bran or breadcrumbs (used oat bran)
• 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tsp seat salt
• 1 tsp pepper

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• In a large bowl, place egg and oat bran. Add spices and mix well. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Using an ice cream scoop (I used a smaller scoop) make meatballs and place on a prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 20 mins or until golden.

Reviews:

Super easy, super fast. I liked baking the meatballs instead of pan frying them. Because I am not great at pan frying anything. While they balls were a-bakin, I prepared the pasta (whole wheat rotini), garlic bread for the boys and steamed broccoli, so everything was timed perfectly. They tasted great (except for being a little too "crusty" for the kid) and there are a bunch of leftovers.

Ranking:

Three Forks

Soccer, baseball, soccer, baseball

That's right sports fans. We are in the midst of travel soccer and travel baseball season. So when we don't have rain outs or wind outs (like last night), we have a commitment many nights of the week. Whether or not I cook will depend on timing and location.

Tonight we had a soccer game. I decided to cook - despite the fact that we weren't going to do the family meal because of timing. I wanted the boys to have something hot to eat when they came home. Side note: I attend as many games as possible, but when certain little women hit the hay at 6:30, it makes it difficult during the week.

Southwestern Skillet Mac & Cheese
Source: Weight Watchers "Make It In Minutes" 2001

Ingredients:

• 1 c. elbow mac
• 1 lbs ground skinless turkey
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1/2 c. chopped green pepper (skip)
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes with juice (used no-salt added)
• 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce (used no-salt added)
• 1 (4.5oz) can chopped green chiles
• 1/2 c. water
• 1 c. shredded cheddar (used mozzarella b/c I had it on hand)

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and set aside.
• Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add turkey and cook until no longer pink. Stir in onion, pepper, chili powder and cumin. Cook for 3 mins. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, chiles and water.
• Simmer, uncovered for 10 mins. Add in pasta and cheese, stirring to combine.

Yield: 6 servings (1 c./serving)
Per serving: 297 cals; 13g fat (5g sat); 73mg chol; sodium in original is too ridic to include; 22mg carbs; 22g protein

Reviews:
Fast, easy, hearty, bit of a kick. Win win win. Just like our soccer boys - they brought home a 7-0 win tonight (and the kid scored 2).

Ranking:
Three Forks

Ballsy

Homemade turkey meatball sub sandwiches. 'Nuff said.

(In all honesty, I just don't have any witty ideas for this post tonight.)

Saucy Turkey Meatball Sub
Source: The Carb Lovers Diet Cookbook, by Ellen Kunes

Ingredients:

• 2 c. marinara sauce (used no-salt added from TJs)
• 1 lbs ground turkey (used lean)
• 3/4 c. fresh bread crumbs (yes, I took a piece of bread and crumbed it up in the processor. Really.)
• 1/3 c. grated cheese
• 3/4 c. finely grated carrot (skipped - ran out of carrots)
• 1/4 c. finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• salt, pepper, cooking spray, buns

Directions:

• Place sauce in a med saucepan and keep warm on low.
• Combine turkey through pepper in a bowl and mix with hands until well combined. Form into 16 equal meatballs.
• Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over med-high heat. Brown balls on all sides, approx 5-6 mins.
• Add meatballs to sauce, increase heat to medium and simmer until meatballs have absorbed some of the sauce and are heated through, approx. 10-15 mins.
• Spoon 4 meatballs and some sauce onto a bun and sprinkle with 1 tbsp cheese (used mozzarella instead).

Reviews:
I very rarely make sandwiches for dinner, but even with this whole recipe no-repeat challenge thing I have going on, I often find myself making the same types of dishes. This def switched things up a bit, much to the delight of both boys - they loved the sub. Much to the dismay of both boys I paired this with zucchini fries. Yum-o for me, Sun Chips for them.

Ranking:
Three Forks

Plop, Plop

No, the title of this post is not about that old Alka-Seltzer commercial, nor is it indicative of my cooking.

Rather, "plop, plop" is in reference to the following conversation that actually took place today:

Kid: "What are you making for dinner?"

Me: "Turkey."

Kid "What do you mean? You're just going to plop down some turkey and call it a day?"

After I finished biting my tongue, I calmly explained that my refined cooking requires much more than plopping food down.

However, in reality, the kid kind of had it right tonight. This meal required little more than dumping some basic ingredients into a dish, plopping and rolling the turkey around and then baking it. Maybe the kid is onto something.

Turkey Tenderloin with Rosemary

Source: American Heart Association Low-Salt Cookbook, 3rd Edition (2006)

Ingredients:

• Cooking spray
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fresh rosemary or 1 tsp dried (used dried)
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced
• 3/4 tsp lemon pepper (skip)
• 1 lbs turkey breast tenderloin
• 1/4 c. chicken broth (used no-salt added)
• 1 tbsp dry white wine or chicken broth (used wine)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a 12x8x2 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Put the olive oil, rosemary, lemon juice, garlic and lemon pepper in the baking dish, stir. Roll (or plop) the turkey in the mixture, coating well. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn and bake for 20-25 more mins.
• Transfer turkey to a cutting board, retaining liquid in baking dish and leaving oven on. Let the turkey stand for 5 mins and cut.
• Meanwhile pour the broth and wine into the baking dish, scraping to dislodge browned bits. Stir well. Return to oven for 3-4 mins or until broth is heated through. Pour broth over turkey slices.

Yield: 4 servings (3oz turkey per serving)

Per serving: 161 cals; 4.5g fat (1g sat, 0.5g poly, 2.5g mono); 77mg chol; 52mg sodium; 1g carb; 27g protein

Reviews:

After being uber-excited about the turkey possibilities and requesting approximately a 10oz serving (which he did not get), the kid decided he did not like the rosemary and attempted to pick it all off before giving up on the meal. I liked the rosemary and thought the flavor was nice and light. The hubs thought it was good, albeit a little bland. This gets major props for weeknight ease and super healthy goodness.

Ranking:

Three Forks

Meat

After torturing the boys the past couple of nights with uber-healthy fare, I decided they needed a break and went with good, old fashioned meat and potatoes (Ack! No potatoes for the kid!). Of course, there's no lard or deep frying or anything particularly unhealthy involved, and this version still fits in my healthy qualifications. Shhh - just don't let them know that.

In my ongoing quest to fill our house with as many recipes as possible, I have started purchasing the Food Network Magazine. I am one of those fools who watches things like Cupcake Wars, Chopped, bake-off anything and Guy Fieri with reckless abandon. I can while away hours watching chefs I've never heard of creating bounties of deliciousness. So of course this magazine needed to find its way into my collection.

Sweet & Spicy Meatloaves
Source: Food Network Magazine, March 2012

Ingredients:

• 2 slices whole-grain bread, torn into pieces
• 1/2 small onion, quartered
• 1 medium carrot, quartered
• 1/2 lb lean ground turkey
• 1/2 lb lean ground meat
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp
• salt/pepper
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp peach chutney or apricot jam (used jam)

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Pulse the bread in a food processor until finely ground, transfer to a large bowl. Add the onion and carrot to the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to bowl with bread and add turkey, beef, egg, and 1/2 tsp curry powder, salt and pepper.
• Mix by hand (negative) until just combined. Shape into 4 small oblong meatloaves on a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet (I used mini meatloaf pans). Mix the ketchup and chutney in a small bowl and brush over the meatloaves. Bake until just cooked through, about 20 mins.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving (this includes potatoes and broccoli from the original recipe): 367 cals; 15g fat (4g sat); 123mg chol; 459mg sodium; 32g fiber; 29g protein

Reviews:
Kid. Potatoes. Need I say more. But, while I didn't really get a super "sweet" or "spicy" vibe from the meatloaf, I did find the overall flavor interesting in a good way. The boys also both really liked the loaves. This was also a super-fast meal to prepare.

Ranking:
Three Forks

Little loaf love

Hey Now

Hey there peeps. I bet you thought I'd abandoned this blog and challenge, right?

Ah - not so, ye of little faith. Last week, as noted by Chef Hubs, I battled a fierce stomach virus that left me kitchen-free in every way possible. Then... hello spring! Due to the amazingly warm (and amazingly un-CLE-like) weather, we broke out the grill and fired away. In the future, when I can plan a little bit better, I will unleash many grill recipes for your reading pleasure, but this time we stuck to turkey burgers and such, courtesy of our local markets.

This week will be equally lackluster in blog posts for you. This will be the only one until probably next weekend, due to basketball and a work trip for me. Luckily, I have two meals to share with you tonight, thanks to yet another new baby in the 'hood.

If you have never participated in a meal train, you should. They are awesome. Especially if you are on the receiving end, which we were fortunate enough to be on when I popped out the babe last year. While I don't foresee another meal train for us in our near future, I still enjoy participating.

Meal Train meal:
Cheesy Beef Spirals
Source: Taste of Home Casseroles, Slow Cooker & Soups, Winter/Spring 2009

I also brought a lovely salad (IMO), ciabatta bread and dessert (not homemade - not enough time)

Reviews:
The meal looked awesome and it made a lot. I think Chef Hubs was salivating as I was making it. It is kind of like a deconstructed lasagna.

Our dinner:
Pasta Roll-ups with Turkey and Spinach 
Source: I'm not sure (was saved on my computer) - I think EatingWell?

Note: I did not include the cooked spinach because it makes me vom. I love raw spinach, but for some reason, I can't eat the green stuff cooked.

Reviews:
Tonight the hubs and I are on our own (with the exception of the snoozing baby) because the kid has baseball, so you won't get the benefit of his review. The hubs and I both liked this meal. It is a good weekend meal because it took about an hour (from start to completion, including cooking time).

Ranking:
Three Forks

Tortilla Thursday

Tonight it was "tortilla Thursday" in our house. Creative, right? This meal came to us at the request of the kid, who offered his typical helpful "tacos!" when I asked for meal suggestions.

Usually I pair Mexican meals with either brown rice or canned refried black beans (low sodium, obvs). I have a long-standing love affair with refried beans, starting when my father introduced me to this delicacy by way of the fine dining establishment -Taco Bell - many, many moons ago. He is a man of refined taste, obvs.

Luckily for my arteries I haven't had Taco Bell in at least 15 years. Luckily for my heart health I continue to love all thing beany. That's why I decided to attempt to make homemade refried beans for tonight's food fiesta.

Turkey & Bean Burritos
Source: Heart Healthy Magazine, date unknown (this magazine is no longer published)

Ingredients:

• 8 flour tortillas (I used whole wheat from La Tortilla Factory)
• 12 oz ground turkey
• 1 c. chopped onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1-15oz can black or pinto beans, rinsed and drained (used no-salt added black)
• 1/2 c. salsa (used Newman's Own)
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 c. shredded cheddar
• lettuce, sour cream, etc. for toppings (I had guac. I love guac)

Directions:

• Warm tortillas.
• In a large skillet, cook turkey, onion and garlic over med heat until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain fat. Stir in beans, salsa, chili powder. Heat through.
• Spoon about 1/3 c. filling on each burrito and top with cheese, etc.

Yield: 8 burritos (1 burrito/serving)
Per serving: 231 cal; 8g fat (3g sat); 41mg chol; 439mg sodium; 25g carb; 4g fiber; 15g protein

Refried Beans
Source: The America's Test Kitchen Healthy Family Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 3 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained (used no-salt added)
• 1 c. water
• 1 onion, minced
• 1 jalapeno chile, minced (I used canned)
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro (skip)

Directions:

• Process beans and water in a food processor until smooth, about 2 mins, scraping down the sides as needed.
• Combine onion, jalapeno and 1 tsp of oil in medium saucepan. Cover and cook over med-low heat, stirring occasionally, until veggies are soft, approx 8-10 mins.
• Stir in garlic and cumin and cook for about 30 sec. Stir in pureed beans until combined and heated through, about 10 mins. Add remaining oil and cilantro. Season with hot sauce to taste.

Yield: 8 servings (1/2 c/serving)
Per serving: 120 cals; 2.5g fat (0g sat); 0mg chol; 19g chol; 7g protein; 6g fiber; 300mg sodium

Reviews:
The burritos went over very well with all of us. They were very filling, and there's enough left over for lunch. The refried beans, on the other hand, did not go over as well. The kid did not like the beans at all, and grudgingly ate three bites simply to gain an after-dinner treat. The hubs thought they were bland. I liked them, but since I'm all about the beans, my opinion might be a little skewed.

Ranking:
Three Forks for the burritos
Two Forks for the beans

Hello, beautiful

Special Post: Twinsicles Side-by-Side Comparison

A couple of weeks ago, the babe and I had a playdate with my self-anointed "awesome-sauce" friend (and her truly awesome-sauce daughter) when she mentioned that she had tried a recipe she found in Cook This, Not That! After further discussion, we determined it was the same exact one I had tried a few weeks before. While she and her family really enjoyed it, we were not that impressed.

Cue light bulb moment!

We came up with the brilliant idea of selecting another recipe from this very same cookbook and cooking it the same night, to see how we fared this time. We often agree on a lot of things - hence the "twinsicles" note above (her word, not mine) - so we knew this would prove to be an interesting little experiment.

Here's how it went down:

• I selected a recipe I thought we would all like and she agreed to make it.
• Our schedules did not allow for same-night cooking, so I made this tonight, and she made it earlier in the week.
• She prepared a review - which I have not read until I posted it below - and sent it to me.

Turkey Sloppy Joes
Source: Cook This, Not That by David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding, 2010

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced (used pre-diced yellow, red & green)
• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1.5 c. tomato sauce (used no-salt added)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste (used no-salt added)
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tbsp chili powder
• Salt/pepper to taste (skip)
• 10-12 shakes Tabasco or other hot sauce

Directions:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over med heat. Add onion & bell pepper and cook for about 2 mins, until softened. Add the turkey and cook, suing a wooden spoon to break up the meat, until the turkey is lightly browned. Add the tomato sauce, paste, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire, chili powder, salt/pepper, and hot sauce.
• Turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 10 mins, until liquid has reduced and the sauce fully coats the meat. Divide among four rolls.

Yield: 4 servings
Per serving (includes rolls, I think): 340 cals; 12g fat (2.5g sat); 820mg sodium

Compared to (according to the authors): Subway 6-inch meatball marinara sandwich at 580 cals, 23g fat and 1,530 mg sodium. That's more sodium than I eat in a day, btw.

Reviews:
I don't know if the kid was super hungry, but he pretty much swallowed his sandwich whole. The hubs and I also enjoyed. This was much better than the other recipe I tried, and I'd like to think I cut down on the sodium by using no-salt added products. And, IMO, this makes more than four servings (kid and I each had one sandwich, hubs had two, and we have enough left for one more). Plus, it was ridiculously fast to throw together.

Ranking:
Four Forks

REVIEW FROM TWINSICLE:

Going into this dinner, I didn’t have high hopes considering the Tuch told me the last time he ate Sloppy Joe’s (2 years ago) he got the stomach flu later that night… and I’m sure you can figure out where the story goes from there. However, the recipe looked super easy and I didn’t feel like putting much effort into dinner, so if he ended up puking again, it would’ve made a really awesome story (except, he didn’t… bummer). I followed the recipe pretty much exactly – I replaced the lean ground turkey with lean ground beef, though. (Ground turkey makes me want to vom.) I also thought I had brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce in the cupboard, but I was mistaken… so really, the recipe wasn’t “pretty much exact” but it was close enough, IMO.

Surprisingly, I enjoyed the meal, though I think it could’ve used a little more salt. And maybe more chili powder. And maybe would’ve been fun with some garlic. But regardless, I ate it, and I’m not the biggest Sloppy Joe’s fan. The Tuch, on the other hand, wasn’t into the meal (though he did have seconds). “How many forks can I give this?” “Four.” “I give it two.” Two forks because it wasn’t a dreadful meal, but he never wants me to make it again.  But, I really didn’t think it was that bad. Methinks it goes back to the night two years ago.

Quickie

Get your mind out of the gutter peeps. Quickie blog post for a quickie meal.

You might remember that the kid has a thing for turkey tacos, and went into a small tailspin when I announced the challenge to him re: the lack of turkey tacos in his future.

Luckily for him, I have many taco recipes at hand - including tonight's main event. I actually scheduled this meal for tomorrow, but I had my days totally confused (play date! basketball practice! oh my!) so I pulled a quickie (ha) switcheroo b/c this one required so little prep work and time. My kind 'o meal!

Turkey Soft Tacos
Source: Eat Better America (downloaded this 2/2/11)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 c. chicken broth (used no-salt)
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 diced red pepper (or green - I like red)
• 1/2 c. frozen corn
• 1/2 lb ground turkey (used 1 pound)
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped (used minced)
• 1/2 c. salsa (used 1 c. b/c of extra turkey)
• 1/4 c. chopped cilantro (skip)
• Sour cream, cheese, etc. to taste
• Tortillas (used whole wheat low-carb, low-cal tortillas)

Directions:

• Heat broth to boiling over high heat. Cook onion, bell pepper and corn in broth 2-3 mins. Reduce heat to med-high.
• Stir in turkey and garlic. Cook 2 mins, stirring occasionally. Stir in salsa. Cook about 5 mins, until turkey is no longer pink. Add cilantro.

Yield: 4 servings (approx 1/2 c. turkey mixture and one flour tortilla and sour cream)
Per serving: 390 cals; 7g fat (2g sat, 1g trans); 40mg chols; 710mg sodium (! no way in my version, btw); 58g carbs
Remember: These nutritionals are based on the original recipe. I used low-sodium salsa, 50 cal tortillas, extra-lean turkey, etc. MV, don't fret!

Reviews:
Yum - good, fast and filling. The kid gave it a thumbs up. I don't like corn that much, so although I added it in and took one for the team, I picked most of it out. What I really liked about this recipe? SO quick to prepare. We had it with low-sodium refried black beans.

Ranking:
Three Forks

Fall Flavor

My sister-in-law and I have very different food tastes. For example, she loves all things lemon, whereas the thought of lemony anything makes my tastebuds hurt. So when I discovered her love of pumpkin, I kind of categorized it in the lemon-coconut-sister-in-law-icky-taste category, but was I wrong (just don't tell anyone!).

While I'm not a big fan of pumpkin spice lattes or overly sweet pumpkiny flavors, like cooking and baking with it. And, according to my friend Google, pumpkin has a lot of nutritional benefits, including a good source of dietary fiber, low in calories, no cholesterol or saturated fats, loads of anti-oxidants, etc. Bring on the pumpkin!

Pumpkin Pasta Surprise
Source: Clean Eating, May/June 2010

Ingredients:

• 1 13-oz package of whole grain pasta
• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped (used minced)
• 1 large carrot, shredded
• 1 roma tomato, chopped (used 1/2 can no-salt added diced)
• 1 small zucchini, diced with peel on
• 1 roasted red pepper, chopped (didn't roast)
• 15 oz. pumpkin puree
• 1 tbsp low-fat plain cream cheese

Directions:

• Cook pasta according to directions. Undercook slightly or it will get mushy later.
• Meanwhile, brown turkey until no longer pink. Drain fat, return to pan and add onion and garlic. Saute turkey mixture until onions are translucent. Add carrot, tomato and zucchini and saute for 3-5 mins until tender.
• Add red pepper, pumpkin puree and pasta sauce. Cover and simmer for 7-10 mins, until zucchini is soft. Add cream cheese, then turn off heat and let cream cheese melt.
• Add pasta and mix, cover and let stand for 2 mins.

Yield: 6 servings (1 c. per serving)
Per serving: 402 calories; total fat: 3.5g (0.5g sat); 62g carbs; 6g fiber; 29g protein; 72mg sodium (!); 36mg choles

Reviews:
Clean plate club all around! Even though the hubs complained it appeared to have too many veggies, every single one of us chowed down - including the kid. I've made this one in the past, so I knew it was going to be good. Plus, it makes a ton, so the hubs has leftovers while I'm tripping the light fantastic (i.e., traveling for work).

Ranking:
Four Forks! I love that this has tons of nutritional value but kind of feels like pasta with meat sauce. It was very easy to prepare, didn't take too long to throw together - a great dish for a busy weeknight. Try it!

Surprise - it's pumpkin!

Happy Day!

We've had our ups and downs. You've broken my heart. But yet, when you promise me new recipes and comfort food, I fall in love all over again.

Yes, dear readers, I'm referring to (once again) Clean Eating. Because today the brand new "Clean Eating Classic Comfort Foods" hit the shelves! And there I was, ready and waiting at 6a to purchase my very own copy.

OK - not really, but I am pretty excited over this new special edition. So much so I haven't even opened it up because I want to ensure that I have the time to savor every new recipe option.

I think I have out-geeked myself with this post, btw. But the wannabe clean eater in me just can't help it.

So, to celebrate, I made a couple of Clean Eating recipes today. The first I whipped up earlier as I worked from home (2 hour delayed start for the kid - WTF?), the second for dinner.

And in case you're wondering why I didn't use a recipe out of my new cookbook - remember peeps, I plan our meals ahead. Look for some updates next week.

Hearty Lentil Soup
Source: Clean Eating, Sept/Oct. 2010

Ingredients:

• 1 c. dried red lentils (just used regular that I had on hand)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped (used a 1/2 on had on hand)
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 c. brown rice
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (skip)
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice (skip - forgot)

Directions:

• Rinse and drain lentils
• Heat oil in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper and saute until brown. Stir in cumin and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Add 4 c. water, lentils and rice. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook for 20 mins. Add salt, stir and cook for an additional 30 mins. Stir in lemon juice.

Yield: 4 servings (1c/serving)
Per serving: 290 cals; 9g fat (sat: 1g) carbs: 41g; fiber: 9g; protein: 14g; sodium: 248mg; chol: 0mg

Southwest Meatballs
Source: Clean Eating, October 2011

Ingredients:

• 1 lbs ground turkey
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/4 c. while wheat bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp sea salt (skip)
• 1 c. frozen corn
• 1 can black beans (I use no-salt added), drained and rinsed
• 2 c. diced tomatoes (I used a can of no-salt added)
• 1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth (used no-salt added)
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/4 c. fresh cilantro (skip)

Directions:

• In a large bowl, combine turkey, egg whites, bread crumbs, salt and pepper and mix well. Shape into 16 meatballs (I got 15), each about the size of a golf ball.
• In a large skillet heat oil on med-high heat. Add meatballs and cook for 3-5 mins, until browned on all sides. Add corn, beans, tomatoes, broth, lime juice and cumin and mix well. Reduce heat to medium, partially cover and cook for an additional 3-5, or until meatballs are cooked through. Stir in cilantro.

Yield: 4 servings (4 meatballs and 1c. corn-bean mix)
Per serving: 320 cals; 4.5g total fat (0g sat); 32g carbs; 7g fiber; 37g protein; 340mg sodium; 55mg chol

Reviews:
Despite my high hopes for both of these recipes, neither are my faves. The soup is kind of a user-error issue: I didn't really read the directions and dumped all of my lentils in (instead of measuring out one cup), therefore making it basically cooked lentils with some other stuff thrown in instead of soup. Bah. The southwest meatballs tasted fine, but the hubs thought they were going to be a little spicier and I kind of agree - I think they needed more seasoning. The very positive of the dinner was that it took no time, which is imperative on a Tuesday evening due to our schedules.

Ranking:
Two Forks

As pretty as a cover shot - I bet K-Skull will approve!

Rush, Rush

Confession time - I used to have a kind of crush on Emilio Estevez, and was more than a little annoyed when he and Paula Abdul got together. Cue obscure song reference from the early 90s.

Also cue very poor planning on my part tonight. When I was determining our weekly meal plan, I decided to forgo Thursday because the kid has soccer than football back-to-back, and I thought he'd get home too late for a family meal (i.e., I'd eat a veggie or salmon burger). But, my mental timing was off, and he was going to be home in plenty of time for us to sit down together.

When I figured this out, I decided to scour my cookbooks (in keeping with this week's cookbook theme) and see what I could together with ingredients I had on hand. Although I had to make a few substitutions, I managed to pull it off. This entire process - from light bulb "family can eat together moment" - to completion took about an hour (including taking a break to put the baby to bed). Rush, rush... (btw, kind of over Emilio these days.)

Farfalle Bolognese
Source: Weight Watchers Make It In Minutes (2001)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 1 small carrot, chopped (used a hand full of baby carrots that I chopped)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 lb lean ground veal (used 1 lbs extra-lean ground turkey)
• 1/2 lb ground skinless chicken breast (see note above re: ground turkey)
• 1 (28oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped
• 1/2 c. red wine (used cooking wine)
• 1/4 c. grated Parm cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt (skip)
• 1/4 tsp pepper (skip)
• 1/2 lb farfalle (used whole-wheat angel hair)

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, onion, carrot and oregano; cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the veal and chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes longer. Add the tomatoes and wine, bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the sauce begins to thicken, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in parm cheese, salt and pepper (we just added the parm cheese to our completed meals).
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the farfalle and cook according to package directions. Serve sauce over pasta.

Yield: 4 servings (this reflects the original recipe with the chicken, veal and farfalle)
Per serving: 480 calories; 11g total fat (3g sat); 84mg choles; 777mg sodium (yikes!); 56mg carbs; 5g fiber; 36g protein

Reviews:
I don't know if it was because of all of the sports, but the kid ate almost his entire portion. I thought this was really good for a fast, simple meal - the toughest part was chopping the onion and garlic.

Ranking:
Three Forks

Best. Picture. Ever.

The Boys and Broccoli

Every Saturday, when I'm planning our weekly menu, I ask the boys if there's anything in particular they'd like. The standard response is either "chef's choice" (hubs) or grmphr-DS-iCarly-grmphr (kid). Much to my surprise, however, this week the kid proactively requested "Chinese chicken stir-fry."

One thing I've noticed about a lot of my recipe sources is that they looooove to publish healthier versions of stir-fry options, so this request was pretty easy to fulfill - at least from the kid's perspective. The issue is typically the hubs, who doesn't love most veggies, therefore limiting some of my choices.

Tonight, I decided to go with a recipe chock-full of broccoli, knowing that although the hubs might not totally appreciate it, the kid would go for it because he loves broccoli. Without sauce. Or cheese. I guess I've done at least one thing right so far.

I'm not going to even wax poetic about broccoli. You know it's good for you.

BTW - I really like the new Pepsi commercial that was shown during the X-Factor with old-school Brit, Mariah, Kanye, etc. Fun! (This is not an endorsement. I do not drink any soda, as an FYI. Not for health reasons - I just don't like it.)

Turkey and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Source: American Heart Association Low-Salt Cookbook (1990, 2001, 2006)

Ingredients:

• 1 c. uncooked brown rice
• 1/2 medium red bell pepper, sliced
• 1/2 large onion, sliced
• 1/4 c. water
• 2 c. small broccoli florets
• 2 c. diced cooked turkey breast (I used extra-lean turkey tenderloin)
• 3 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2-3 tsp lime juice
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

Directions:

• Prepare rice according to package directions.
• Meanwhile, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly spray with cooking spray. Cook bell pepper and onion for 5 minutes or until beginning to lightly brown on the edges, stirring frequently. Transfer to a plate.
• Return the skillet to the heat. Pour in 1/4 cup water. Add broccoli. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the broccoli is just tender-crisp, stirring constantly.
• Stir in the bell pepper mixture and the turkey. Remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, for 3 minutes, or until turkey is heated through.
• Meanwhile, in a small microwaveable bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce, honey, lime juice and sesame oil. Heat in microwave for 20 seconds or until hot (I just added it to the turkey/pepper mixture and heated through).
• To serve, spoon the rice onto plates. Spoon turkey mixture over rice, top with sauce.

Yield: 4 servings (approx. 1.5 c. per serving)
Per serving: 265 calories; 3g fat (sat: 0.5, poly: 0.5g; mono: 1g); cholest: 66mg; sodium: 81mg; cars: 30g; protein: 29g

Reviews:
First, I don't get how this dish can be only 81mg sodium, considering that the hoisin sauce is pretty high in sodium, but whatevs - I'll go with it - the American Heart Association doesn't lie! The hubs picked out his veggies and even tried to sneak some extra broccoli on the kid's plate, but gave it high-marks overall. The kid enjoyed, although he did note that he prefers his broccoli plain. I thought it was good - nothing special. There wasn't much of a kick to it, which would have been nice.

Ranking:
Three Forks - easy, healthy

Pic is blurry from the steam, not my shoddy photog skills