Super Yummy Turkey Meatballs/ Baked Ziti

Tonight we had the yummiest dinner in a while so I couldn't wait to post it. Get ready to knock your socks off!!!

You will need:

1lb Ground Turkey

1/4 c Parmesan Grated Cheese

1 egg

1/2 tsp basil

1/2c Bread Crumbs( I used Stove Top)

1/4c Fresh Parsley or 1T Dried Parsley

1/2 tsp Dried Oregano

1/2 box Rigatoni Noodles

1 jar Marinara with Olive oil

1/2-1c Shredded Cheese( did you know if you buy a block of cheese instead of already shredded you are saving yourself from cellulose! They put it in there to preserve shredded cheese. All that should be in cheese MILK and salt!

I added Marinated Artichoke Hearts and 2 diced Tomatoes, mushrooms would have been good too! Get creative and add those veggies like tomorrow!

Cook the noodles as directed on the box. While those are cooking combine all meatball ingredients and preheat oven to 375. Make small meatballs(I used a cookie dropper) cook in a skillet on stove medium heat until light brown. Watch your noodles so they don't boil over. Drain noodles and poor into small baking dish. Add Veggies and marinara sauce and mix well. Top with cheese and cook for 15 minutes until melted. I didn't combine the meatballs but you can. Enjoy this is so yummy and easy to make!

Crusted Chicken & Lemon Sauce Pasta

2-3 Chicken Breasts Cut in half length wise and pounded out

1 egg

1/2 c Italian Bread Crumbs

1/2 pkg Angel Hair Pasta

1/2c Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 Lemon Juice

salt to taste

1/4c Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 small pkg mushrooms washed and sliced

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1/2 medium onion

1 clove garlic

1T EV olive oil

Cut and pound the chicken thin, then cook at 375 for 25 minutes or until white. Do this first as the rest does not take long. Get your water for your noodles boiling follow pkg directions. Cut and slice all veggies. Place oil in skillet on medium heat. add garlic first and then other veggies cook until tender or lightly browned. Lower heat and cover. When noodles are finished I made the sauce in the noodle pot. You have to just taste and eyeball it to your liking. Add the cheese last. Mix all together and Enjoy!

Recommited

So I changed the picture above only to show all of you what I got in my basket from bountiful this weekend. Now, the avacado frenzy was because I purchased the gaucamole packet for an additional $7.50. It is fun to see if we can use all the veggies by the time the next basket comes (2 weeks) It is totally worth your money, you get all of that for $16.50.
What am I recommiting to? making my own bread! I love home made bread it tastes so much better than store bought bread and it way better for you! I will have to post the recipe that I use a friend of mine gave me.

Warm Spinach Salad (like the one at Buca)

1 package or 3-4c Spinach
1/2 medium slivered purple onion
2-3t fetta or crumbled goat cheese
1c Cherry Tomatoes ( or sliced Tomatoes)
Light Creamy Balsamic Vinigrett Dressing( you can use the non creamy kind too)
2 shredded chicken breasts

I just add all the ingredients and then put the dressing in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm it and then serve.
pair it up with home made rolls listed below and enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Pesto Pizza

1 Neopolitan pizza dough recipe

1/2c Butter
1 1/2c Skim Milk
1/2c Grated parmesian cheese
1/2c Canned Parmessian Cheese
2-3T Pesto
2T White Flour
Shredded Chicken
Sliced Mushrooms
Slivered Purple Onion

Melt butter in sauce pan, then add milk and cheeses, use a whisk to blend together. This alfredo(with out the pesto) saves you the fat of the original recipe that calls for heavy whipping cream. It tastes the exact same too. I used the creamy pesto alfredo sauce as the cheese and just added it, then the chicken, mushrooms and onion and cooked at 400 for 20-25 minutes. It was super yummy!

The Best Meatloaf Yet

Ok I know I already posted the beef cakes, but this was by far the best meat loaf I have ever made by fluke.

1lb Ground Turkey
2-3 Carrots Grated by the Cheese Grater whole washed
1 zuccini grated with the cheese grater
1/2 med purple onion grated
1 egg
Mc Cormick Hamburger seasoning

Mix in a bowl. I just used the muffin tin again I feel like it turns out better like that! I cooked it in the oven on 400 for 30 minutes or until browned on top. It was so juicy that we didn't even use ketchup or bbq sauce.

I also made the oven fries again, I believe that recipe is below.

Oven Burgers

These would be good on the BBQ too. We have just been way to lazy to go and get propane.

1lb Ground Turkey( if you are using beef make sure it is super lean like in the 95% range or Bison is good too)
1 Clove Garlic Chopped or pressed
1/4c onion chopped
1 egg
2-3 Sticks of Celery or any other crunchy veggie
1 apple peeled and chopped
3-4 Mushrooms washed and chopped ( be sure to cut the stems off)
A few dashes of Worcestershire sauce
A few Dashes of Mrs Dash
100% Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns
Sliced Tomato
Sliced Onion

Oven Fries
Cut up Potatoes, carrots or sweet potatoes and brush with olive oil, add salt and pepper and cook at 400 for 15-20 minutes( got the idea from Eat this Not that book)

Add all together in a mixing bowl and form into patties, I cooked them in the oven in a casserole dish at 375 for 30 minutes or until brown. You can add any veggies you want to it, have fun and add things you wouldn't normally.

The Rolls

These rolls are so easy to make and they are to die for in the fresh rolls department! I also got this fabulous recipe from Janette (my sister the cooking queen), I through in a few added things to make it my own. It makes about 32, so I cut it in half and we have enough for a couple meals.

2c Milk( remember we are switching to 1% or Skim)
1c Sugar
1c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2t Salt
2 Eggs
1T and 1/2tsp Yeast
8c Flour (go 1/2 whole wheat 1/2 white)
1tsp Cinnimon
1/2 c Warm Water

1. Add the yeast and 1tsp sugar to the 1/2c warm water and stir until dissolved, set aside for a few minutes until it doubles in size
2. Warm milk in the microwave for 1 minute, Add milk, sugar, oil and Salt
3.Add 2c Flour, Beat in eggs and then add yeast mixture
4. Slowly mix in flour 2c at a time, using a spoon as needed to take from the sides.
5.Once all the flour is added, Cover the bowl and let it rise for 3 hrs( or out in the az summer sun for 1 hr)
6. Once the dough has risen considerably divide into 3 balls, roll out like a pizza and use a pizza cutter to cut it into triangles, the roll into cresant roll shape
7. It says to let them rise in the cookie sheets for one more hour but I never do! I just cook them at 325 for 15-20 minutes. They won't turn brown unless they are burnt so depending on how your oven cooks you decide. I always choose an in between number because I want them cooked but soft. Enjoy

Home Made Pizza

Who doesn't love home made Pizza? Ya that's right we all do, I got this recipe for pizza dough from my sister and we use it all the time, it is simple and yummy. I usually double this recipe and it will make a pizza that fits in a sided cookie sheet, we love pizza.

Neapolitan Pizza Dough
1 1/2 tsp yeast
1/4c lukewarm water
1t plus 1 1/2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive oil
1/2c Cold Water
1 2/3c Flour( I use half whole wheat half white)
3/4 tsp Sea Salt

1. In a large mixing bowl, stir yeast into the warm water. Let stand fro 5 minutes until it is creamy. Stir in the olive oil and cold water.
2. Add Flour; mix and then knead until well blended.
3. Put in a gallon size ziploc bag( spray it with pam) then set on counter for 45 minutes to 1 hr or put outside in the warm weather for 20 minutes.
When you are ready to cook it and it has risen significantly. Roll out dough or place in greased pan and press to the edges with your fingers until even and flat. Add toppings of your choice. Bake in the oven at 400 for 15-20 minutes
There are so many ways you can personalize your pizza the sky is the limit!! We usually do the marinera instead of pizza sauce(high fructose corn syrup) and then use 100% Mozzarella cheese, Grated parmesian cheese and pepperoni. Sometimes, like this week for instance, I will do a chicken alfredo pizza.

Anslea's Tortellini Salad

This was introduced to me by little miss Anslea, who tries to stay away from healthy food!

1 Pkg Baby Spinach or 2-3c
1-1 1/2 c Skim Motzarella Cheese
1/4c Real Bacon Pieces
1-1 1/2c Cherry Tomatoes
Tortellini ( I buy the spinach cheese)

Ranch Dressing
Little fact: Did you know that ranch dressing has MSG in it? What is Msg? It is that mono sodium glutimate that makes you feel hungry a little bit after you eat. It is not super harmful, but what are you going to do when you are hungry? EAT AGAIN. Here is recipe for home made ranch that has natural ingredients. Don't we all feel good when we know exactly what it is we are eating?

Homemade Ranch Dressing
1 cup of real mayonnaise
1 cup of Milk ( i use 1%)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder

I made this tonight and it was so good! It was thinner than your normal ranch but it was tasty! I mixed all the ingredients together and then whisked it to get it smooth.
We are also having home made rolls, these are super yummy and easy to make. I will post that recipe later.

Meat Ball Sandwiches

Here is what we are having tonight!

Costco Meatballs (figure about 3 or 4 per sandwich/person)
1/2 Jar Barilla Spicy Marinara made with olive oil
100% Whole Wheat Sub Rolls Toasted

See we are human! I love costco meat balls! Preheat broiler for toasted rolls. I usually just add the meat balls and a little bit of water into a medium size sauce pan and cover on medium heat. Check on it until they are soft, drain the oil and water. Then add the marinara cook for a few more minutes. Put rolls on a cookie sheet and in the oven for about 4-5 minutes(watch them) Add the meat balls to the rolls, we add sliced cheese to ours

We are also having steamed broccoli with these! Gotta love the Ziploc Veggie Steam Bags! my kids like to add the nacho cheese popcorn salt to their veggies sometimes since" vegetables make Brexton's throat itch!" LOL

Sloppy Joes

1 lb ground turkey ( are you starting to notice a trend? NO BEEF)
1 can Tomato Sauce ( READ THE LABEL does it have more than just tomatoes and herbs in it? if so put it back)
1-2 tsp Garlic Powder
1-2 Chili Powder
1/4c Chopped Onion
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
Opt( diced peppers, jalepenos)
Brown ground turkey in a skillet on medium heat. Add onions cook a minute or so until softened(not mushed) add tomato sauce and other ingredients. Turn heat down and cover for 5 minutes.
Serve on 100% Whole Wheat Buns( READ THE LABEL: Do they contain high fructose corn syrup? if so put them back!)

Califlower Faux Mashed Potatoes
1 head of steamed califlower
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. If you want, you can add milk and a little bit of butter, but I thought it tasted ok with out. Don't get carried away with it! This is a healthy food. You will be surprised by the taste it is yummy!

Just by making the sloppy joes on my own with out the canned manwich sauce it saves a whole lot of sodium, sugar, and high fructose corn syrup! That crap is in everything.

Beef Cakes ( meat loaf)

I love meat loaf, I know there are not a whole lot of people out there that do , but my entire family does!


1lb Ground Turkey thawed (if you use beef make sure it is very lean!)
1 clove Garlic
1 egg
1/2 box Stove top stuffing mix
1/4c Chopped Onion
1/2c Oatmeal
a pinch of garlic salt
a pinch of pepper

Preheat oven to 375 .Mix all ingredients together in a mixing bowl, Grease muffin tins. Place mixture in muffin tins cook for 35-40 minutes or until light brown on top.

Fried Potatoes

3-4 Medium sized Potatoes
Olive or Conola Oil Spray
Mrs. Dash

Wash and slice potatoes, Spray an even coat of olive oil on pan( not a massive spray!) Place in skillet over medium heat. Cover and stir every few minutes, add mrs dash toward the end. Serve.