Super Easy Turkey Meatloaf

I really dislike meatloaf....my mom never made it growing up, and I think it is kind of an acquired taste!  But I've found some alternative meatloaf recipes over the years, and this is my favorite.  I use turkey instead of the traditional ground beef and it does save calories (although make sure you are getting really lean turkey, some ground turkey is mixed with dark meat and is higher in fat and calories).  The comparison is a serving of 97% lean ground beef has 162 calories and 5.4 grams of fat, and a serving of 99% lean ground turkey has 98 calories and 1.5 grams of fat.  And at least where I live, even the most lean ground turkey is always cheaper than ground beef.

So here's the recipe, it only has 4 ingredients so it is easy to grab a few things from the store for a last minute meal!  The cooking time is an hour, so be prepared to throw it in with enough time before dinner!

2 lbs. ground turkey, thawed
1 package of Stove Top Stuffing (chicken flavor works well, but the cornbread kind is yummy too!)
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of barbecue sauce (I like slightly sweeter sauce in this, not the super smoky kind)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Put the turkey, dry stuffing mix, eggs, water and half of the bbq sauce in a bowl.  Mix it together with your hands (you could use a spoon, but where's the fun in that?).  :)
3. Mold it into a bread loaf shape and put it in a glass baking dish (I use an 8" x 8" pan typically, it makes a short fat loaf).
4. Pour remaining bbq sauce on top and bake for about an hour.


Enjoy!!

Ground Turkey with Thai Peanut Sauce

This is seriously my favorite recipe ever.  We eat it monthly.  Its fast, and I never have to buy the ingredients for the sauce.  I only have to grab yakisoba noodles, a can of pineapple and some snow peas at the store, and I'm good!  It is not the healthiest of my recipes, but it is very filling and by using turkey, it is a little healthier.  Here's the recipe, seriously its super good! (I think I say that about all of these recipes!) :D 

Ground Turkey with Thai Peanut Sauce:
1 (or 2) packages (or 5 to 6 oz.) of yakisoba noodles (I get the precooked ones in the refrigerated section of Winco, this recipe also works with dried noodles, Chinese egg noodles or even linguine, you just have to precook the noodles before adding them to the pan)
1 1/2 cups snow peas with the tips trimmed
1/2 pound of ground turkey
1 can of pineapple chunks, drained
Sauce:
1/2 cup of chicken broth
4 tablespoons peanut butter
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauc
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper (you can use ground red pepper too)
3 cloves garlic, minced


1.  Put ground turkey into a large saucepan over medium-high heat.  Cook for a few minutes, then drop heat to medium and add snow peas.  Gently saute for a few minutes until tender, then add pineapple and noodles.
2. While the turkey is cooking, take a microwavable cup (you can do this over the stove, but its much faster for me to microwave the sauce) and put chicken broth, peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce, red pepper and garlic into it and stir.  Heat in microwave until peanut butter is melted (about 2-3 minutes) and whisk until everything is combined.
3. Once the sauce is warmed and smooth, add to saucepan and stir with turkey and ingredients until evenly coated.  Serve! :D

Ugh...flu....

I have not posted in a few days because I am getting over the flu.  Just the mention of food made me nauseous, so I didn't want to even type up a recipe! :D

However, I'm working on some fun ones...I have a rockin' Chinese cabbage salad recipe and an amazing new soup recipe that I just had last night!  I'll post soon and send out an update through the Facebook fan page!

Spicy Peanut Soup (its wonderful, I promise!)

I've noticed that peanut butter has become a popular ingredient in a lot of recipes, including this recipe.  It sounds weird and everyone I tell about it is skeptical, but it is tasty, quick and easy.  It is also low-calorie (less than 200 calories a bowl) and low-fat!  I serve this with bread or rolls on the side and it is filling enough to be a complete dinner!

Spicy Peanut Soup:
1 teaspoon butter
A couple of stalks (3-5) chopped celery
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 big onion, chopped into smallish pieces
1 or 2 chicken breasts, chopped into small pieces
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken broth
4 tablespoons whole milk (we always have some in the house, but I'm sure 2% would be ok too!)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1.  In a medium soup pot, melt butter.  Saute the celery, onions, garlic and chicken pieces until veggies are tender and chicken is cooked.
2. Stir in flour to make a roux, cook for one minute.
3. Add chicken broth, peanut butter, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.  Bring to a low rolling boil and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons of whole milk right before you serve it.

Its good.  I promise.  No, seriously it is.  Go ahead, I dare you to try it! :D  Please feel free to comment and let me know how it turned out!  Enjoy!

Wonderful Amazing Chocolate Raspberry Mousse

Kraftfoods.com has the best recipes.  I found this recipe for chocolate raspberry mousse several years ago and I have made it numerous times for events.  It is seriously yummy and easy.  The original recipe has 230 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving, but I make several changes that make it healthier!  You can find this directly at http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/chocolate-raspberry-mousse-dessert-54314.aspx.

Here's the original recipe (my changes are in bold):


Chocolate Raspberry Mousse


Prep time 20 minutes, total time 3 hours 20 minutes, Makes 12 servings

 

10 OREO Cookies, finely crushed (about 1 cup) *I use reduced-fat Oreos

2 Tbsp.  butter or margarine, melted *I use margarine

3/4 cup cold milk *I've used 1% and 2% milk, both work equally well

1 pkg.  (4-serving size) JELL-O Chocolate Instant Pudding *I use sugar-free, fat-free, still good!

1 tub (12 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided *I use low-fat Cool Whip

3/4 cup  raspberry jam *This much jam makes it very rich, I often use more like 1/2 cup of jam.  I'd add 1/2 cup first, then add more jam if you'd like it stronger.

 

Directions

MIX cookie crumbs and butter (margarine) in 8-inch square dish; press firmly onto bottom of dish.
POUR milk into large bowl. Add dry pudding mix; beat with wire whisk 2 min. Gently stir in 1/3 of the whipped topping; spoon evenly over crust.
SPOON jam into medium bowl; stir until smooth. Gently stir in remaining whipped topping; spread evenly over pudding layer. Cover. (I put fresh raspberries on the top to make it more "fancy"). Refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to 24 hours. Cut into 12 pieces to serve. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

Try this out, it is so tasty and everyone's shocked that I make it with low-fat everything!
Enjoy!

Crispy Oven-Baked Fish

I got this recipe from this amazing cookbook.  I got the "Better Homes and Gardens 75th Anniversary Edition" cookbook as a gift a few years ago, and I've made a ton of great meals from it!  The cool thing too is they have their recipes online, so you can print them out easily!

The website is www.bhg.com/recipes and its awesome!  The link to this specific recipe is www.bhg.com/recipe/seafood/crispy-oven-fried-fish/.


This oven-baked fish recipe is awesome if you find a great deal on cod or tilipia or halibut.  It is cheap, fast and only has 9 grams of fat per serving.  It is definitely a nice alternative to fish and chips!  Enjoy!


Crispy Oven-Baked Fish

1  pound fresh or frozen skinless fish fillets, 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick
1/4  cup milk
1/3  cup all-purpose flour
1/3  cup fine dry bread crumbs
1/4  cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2  teaspoon dried dillweed
1/8  teaspoon black pepper
2  tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

1. Thaw fish, if frozen. Rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. Cut into four serving-size pieces, if necessary. Measure thickness of fish; set aside. Place milk in a shallow dish. Place flour in another shallow dish. In a third shallow dish combine bread crumbs, cheese, dillweed, and pepper. Add melted butter; stir until combined.
2. Dip fish in milk; coat with flour. Dip again in milk, then in crumb mixture to coat all sides. Place fish on a greased baking sheet. Bake, uncovered, in a 450 degree F oven for 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2-inch thickness or until fish begins to flake when tested with a fork.
3. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Facts
Calories 242, Total Fat (g) 9, Saturated Fat (g) 5, Cholesterol (mg) 71, Sodium (mg) 423, Carbohydrate (g) 13, Fiber (g) 1, Protein (g) 24, Vitamin C (DV%) 2, Calcium (DV%) 14, Iron (DV%) 8

Roasted Cauliflower

This is such an amazing side dish if you like cauliflower.

Super simple:
Get a head of raw cauliflower.  Chop off the florets and make sure they are fairly separated (you don't want one big clump).

Toss them in a bowl with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

Roast on a cookie sheet at 400 degrees until crispy/cooked (about 25-30 minutes)!

We've added all sorts of weird seasonings too.  Curry powder is good on top of these, as well as grated Parmesan or garlic powder.  It is a great snack alternative and a great way to add cauliflower to your diet.  It has Vitamin C and folate and is very good for you.  Enjoy!

Amazing Green Enchiladas

I actually had these this weekend and they made wonderful leftovers for work the next day.  This is a great, fast, easy dish and everytime I make it, people love it!  The whole thing takes maybe 20-30 minutes.

Here goes:
1/2 pound ground turkey (turkey makes it a little healthier, make sure you get lean ground turkey)
1 big can green enchilada sauce
1/4 block of cream cheese (neuftachel is better since its lower-fat)
Assorted veggies (whatever's on hand) - 1/2 cup frozen corn, can of chopped olives, 1/2 small chopped onion, one can of black or white beans, one small can of green chiles (for a little punch)
Shredded cheddar cheese (about a 1/2 cup)
7-8 Small tortillas (I use flour) *makes enough for about 3-4 people, double everything to make a bigger pan


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Take a rectangle glass pan (I think mine's 8" x 11.5") and pour a little bit of green enchilada sauce in the bottom of the pan, enough to coat it thinly.
2. Heat up a pan to med-high heat and throw the 1/2 pound of ground turkey in.  I have really non-stick pans, so I don't put any liquid to heat it in (turkey leaks enough oil to cook itself), but if you have not-great pans, use a little cooking spray or tiny bit of oil.  Throw in the onions about 2 or 3 minutes later (so there's enough grease to cook them as well).  Saute until turkey and onions are cooked.
3. Turn stove down to medium heat.  Pour in most of can of enchilada sauce into pan with turkey and onions (leave a little bit in can, maybe a 1/3 or 1/2 cup for top of enchiladas).  Put in frozen corn, diced green chiles, chopped olives, and can of black or white beans.  Heat those up.
4.  Take 1/4 block of cream cheese (I use the neuftachel cheese because its lower fat) and chop into small pieces.  Throw into pan and stir until it melts (this creates a slightly creamy texture).
5. Once cream cheese is melted and everything's heated, spoon filling into small tortillas (about maybe 2 or 3 tablespoons, I usually make sure its enough to fill the tortilla but not so much that its dripped out the sides).  Roll tortillas up, place in pan (on top of green sauce you put in earlier).  I can normally fit about 7-8 in my pan.
6. Take remaining green enchilada sauce and pour over enchiladas.  Try to evenly spread it over all parts of tortillas (or the exposed "dry" parts get really crunchy).  Sprinkle cheese on top.  Bake for about 10 minutes (you're basically just heating the sauce and melting the cheese since everything's pre-cooked).  I typically throw the oven on "broil" for the last minute to crisp up the cheese a little.
7.  Pull out of oven and serve!  Yum!

This is healthier because you use lots of veggies to make it more filling, the turkey has less fat than ground beef (and its cheaper!), and you only use a small amount of cheese to save fat.

Yeast-less Dinner Rolls

I have an issue with yeast.  For some reason I always struggle with getting my dough to rise.  I have created many loaves and rolls that are dense enough to kill someone!  For me, this wouldn't be a huge issue, except I married a man who LOVES carbs.  He'd eat bread or rolls with every meal if he could.  So I'm always looking for quick dinner roll recipes that I can't screw up!

Here's a great one (these aren't true dinner rolls, they are more like biscuits, but they are tasty, light and easy!):

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons light mayonnaise (yes, mayo, seriously - its in place of oil and eggs)

1. Preheat your over to 350°F.  Lightly grease 6 cups in a muffin pan with light cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, milk, and mayonnaise. Spoon dough into the 6 muffin pan cups.
3. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes in the oven, keeping an eye on them until they are golden brown.

Makes 6 dinner rolls.


I have a much more complicated but wonderful dinner roll recipe as well, that I'll post soon!

Super Easy Egg Drop Soup

This is one of favorite lunches.  I make it at least once a week.  It is fast, tasty and has only a few ingredients.  You can totally mix and match the veggies.  Even just the eggs and thickened broth are tasty.  Its definitely a comfort food!   It is also only has about 150 calories for a huge bowl. Yum!

Egg Drop Soup:
4 c. chicken broth (I use 4 bouillon cubes and 4 c. water)
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 eggs, beaten
Lots of salt and pepper to taste!

There are two ways to do this recipe:

If you do have canned chicken broth:
1. You can put 3/4 c. of the chicken broth in a small bowl with 1 1/2 Tbsp. of cornstarch.  Whisk it together.  Set aside.
2. Put the remaining broth (3 1/4 c.) into a saucepan on the stove and heat up.  Throw in the ground ginger while its heating up.
3. Bring broth to boiling and pour in the beaten eggs slowly, while slowly stirring in one direction (that makes those nice long strands).
4. You can throw in the veggies at this point.  Things like mushrooms and green onions get mushy if cooked too long, so throwing them in at this point means they'll be soft, but have their shape.
5. Bring broth (with eggs and veggies) to boiling again.  Slowly pour the broth/cornstarch mixture into the soup.  Stir until thickened (a minute or two).  Serve!  Top with lots of salt and pepper!

If you DON'T have canned chicken broth:
1. Put 4 c. water and 4 chicken bouillon cubes in a saucepan and heat until cubes are dissolved.  Add ground ginger.
2. Take a measuring cup and scoop out 3/4 c. of the broth.  If you mix the cornstarch into the super hot broth immediately, it will cook into these chewy weird balls.  So I put the 3/4 c. broth into the freezer for a few minutes.  Once its lukewarm, I pull it out and mix the cornstarch into that broth and then set aside.
3. Bring broth to boiling and pour in the beaten eggs slowly, while slowly stirring in one direction (that makes those nice long strands).
4. You can throw in the veggies at this point.  Things like mushrooms and green onions get mushy if cooked too long, so throwing them in at this point means they'll be soft, but have their shape.
5. Bring broth (with eggs and veggies) to boiling again.  Slowly pour the broth/cornstarch mixture into the soup.  Stir until thickened (a minute or two).  Serve!  Top with lots of salt and pepper!


Coming soon...
Turkey with Peanut Sauce
Quick Paella
Spicy Soup
Green Enchiladas
Thai Noodles with Pork and Cabbage
Healthy Lime Chiffon Pie
and more...

Welcome!/Easy Fruit Dip

Hey everyone!  My name's Hilary.  I'm a part-time social worker, stay-at-home mom, and an obsessed cook.  I've always cooked, but in the last year I've had more free time and have started experimenting in the kitchen.  I don't claim to be a great cook - I still struggle to chop onions evenly and I can't mince at all, but I can make food work.  I can stare at a bare cupboard and still pull out enough to create a meal for my family.  I can take recipes from cookbooks, the internet, friends and make them either healthier, tastier or both!

I will always put the original recipe link if possible and then add the changes I make!  My changes and measurements aren't always exact but I'll try to make them easy to follow!


To begin, here's one of the fastest, simplest dessert dips you can make.  Super healthy, and everyone loves when I bring this to a party!

Fruit dip:
1 small container low-fat cool whip
1 1/2 pack of sugar-free, fat-free instant vanilla pudding
2 small vanilla yogurts (preferably low-fat to make the dip a little healthier)

Stir together by hand or mixer.  Chill for an hour.  Serve with any fruit (I like strawberries and apples).  Serves about 6-8 people.

Enjoy!