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!