Tag Archives: pasta

gobble these

by

what else can you do with ground turkey logs!?

make some turkey meatballs and serve them over fibergourmet penne pasta with a light cream sauce.  this was my last box:( ordering again soon.

 next time i’ll use reg. chicken broth- the garlic flavor in this kind was waaaaaaaaaaay too strong.  you might try a different brand though.  start boiling your pasta water now.

lite cream sauce:

  • 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup fat-free half and half
  • 1-2 tbs light butter (optional)

turkey  meat balls:

  • 1 ground turkey log 93/7 or 99% lean
  • 1 diced yellow onion
  • 1 med shallot OR 3-4 garlic cloves, diced
  • couple sprigs of fresh basil and parsley, chopped
  • 1/4 cup low sodium Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 egg whites OR 1/4 cup liquid egg whites
  • 2 slices (torn) Natures Own double fiber wheat bread (optional!)
  • tony c’s and fresh cracked pepper to taste

extras:

  • fresh spinach
  • fresh mushrooms

incorporate the meatball mix together by hand.  get in there.  shape them into balls.   you certainly don’t have to add the bread, but it just makes for a more moist and fluffier meat ball. if you don’t mind a dense meatball, skip it. we didn’t mind at all.

drop them in, put the top on, and let them pan ‘fry’ in just a little extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil, my new fav!!

i used 97/3% lean ground turkey.  as always, you can use 99% lean, but your meatballs won’t be as juicy since there’s not a lot of fat present.

once the meatballs are done, take them out of the pan, drop the butter in, and stir it around to activate those pan drippings. it seriously brings your sauce to life.  add the broth and cream. once it starts to simmer,  add your fresh spinach and mushrooms.  cover the pan again and cook them on low-med heat until the spinach just starts to wilt and the mushrooms get tender, less than 4-5 min.

combine the pasta with your sauce, veggies, and meatballs.  finally, top it with some fresh parmigiano reggiano.  i’ve been asked why i use this cheese so much- it has such a sharp fruity/nutty taste and a little goes such a long way in terms of flavor.  AND, 1 tbs is only 20 calories. *gasp* i know!!!

gobble.

le

pasta lover? this kind loves you back

by

my air popper has finally arrived!!!

it took so long to get here i forgot i ordered it.

i put it to the test immediately.  the instructions say no oil is needed (which is what sold me on it) but i love the flavor coconut oil adds, so i put juuuust a lil bit in with my unpopped kernels anyway.

 4 minutes to perfection! i doused it with some ’i can’t believe it’s not butter’ spray and killed the entire bowl. 100 cals and plenty of fiber.  i bought this thing on amazon- so worth the 9 dollar investment.

salmon was on sale last week at HEB for the absolute lowest i’ve ever seen @ 3.97 per lb.  i know right?! i honestly thought it was a typo. that’s last night’s dinner with sautéed creamed spinach and cherry tomatoes,

  and this is today’s lunch with some butternut squash.  i’ll be making soup with the rest of that squash later.

i made a healthy dinner the other night i’d like to share with you guys- chicken parmesan spinach pasta.  but not just any pasta- Fiber Gourmet pasta. i’m pretty sure i found them through hungry-girl; i really can’t remember.  their stats are pretty impressive, and the pasta tastes just like the real thing! cause it is the real thing.

it has loads of fiber and lower cals than regular pasta- im a stan.  i usually order a trio (6 boxes) 2 boxes each of the penne, rotini, and mac n cheese.  but they also have spaghetti, lasagna, fettuccini, etc.- the ‘regular’ stuff.  i created this for dinner using what i had in the fridge… i.e. the measurements are approximate:)

chicken parm spinach pasta

the stuff:

  • 2 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (seasoned however you’d like)
  • 1 8oz. box cooked rotini pasta
  • 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 1 bunch fresh spinach
  • cilantro, chopped
  • salt/pepper/tony c’s to taste

lite sauce: 175 cals

  • 1/2 cup no-fat half and half  (80 cals)
  • 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth (7 cals)
  • 1/2 cup real crumbled/grated parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not the canned, powdered kind!) (88 cals)

do this:

cook your pasta and bake the chicken (50 min in a 350 deg oven) as normal.  in a big pan on med. heat,  add the shallots and stir until they are translucent (2-3 min).  pour in the half n half and chicken broth. *if you need more flavor here (butter, chicken bouillon cube, full fat cream, etc.) you have a little room to play, but dont get crazy!* i kept mine super light.  once it starts to simmer, throw everybody into the pool! the chopped chicken breast chunks, fresh spinach, mushrooms, tomatoes, the cooked pasta, and the cheese.

 toss everything until it is coated evenly, and continue to do so for about 7-10 minutes or until the spinach is cooked.

plate it up and sprinkle with more cheese if ya like.

fiber, protein, fresh veggies, and low carb pasta. try it!

le

get like me- i’m clump free!!

by

am i late??? i specifically didn’t google this before posting so i wouldn’t burst my own bubble.  i made some angel hair pasta night before last.  after draining the noodles and putting them back on the stove (still in the colander and inside the pot) i wondered what the heck else i could put on them so they wouldn’t eventually clump together into one big mass by the end of our meal.

  • sure i could run water on them, but that’ll wear off and they’ll stick again…eventually.
  • sure olive oil enhances the flavor and lubes them up, but noodles are already calorie and carb loaded enough.  why add fat into the mix? remember that olive oil is 120 cals and 14 grams of fat (3 saturated) per ONE table-spoon.

solution?

spray some no-stick cooking spray on them.  the butter flavor doesn’t hurt, either.  it felt like i was in a hair salon for a sec, but it worked SO well. 2-3 short sprays was all it took, and i only had to apply it once.

they had a pretty, shiny gloss to them.  now don’t spray so much that your sauce doesn’t stick to your noodles! if that even matters to you.

thought i would just throw that out there. you didn’t know this already, stop it!

le

back to it

by

yesterday everything FOOD repulsed me!! although i certainly wouldn’t mind, no, it’s not what you think.  i’m guessing it was some crazy 24 hour bug because Sonny ate the same things i did the night before.  here’s what we had:

groud turkey, carrots, corn, kidney beans, tomatoes, spinach, asparagus

sometimes i’ll have a log of ground turkey that i have no idea what to do with.  so, i’ll brown it up with some onions and shallots and throw in as many vegetables i can find.  i never had a name for it, but i recently read that what i’ve been making all this time is referred to as ragu. threw it over some pasta, sprinkled it with some cheese and avocado, and called it dinner.

the only thing i had to eat all day friday was the 6in. turkey subway sandwich my hubby brought home for me.  it stayed down, and i’m back to normal today. i took friday off from exercise as well, so i was anxious to get up and get moving this morning.  to the track!

i did one of my two fav running workouts.

‘sprint the straights, walk the curves’.  i’m sure you’ve heard that track jargon before.  this is definitely a workout that a beginner can start with.  no track available?  you can also do this running through your neighborhood and use either a light pole or any  other landmark as your start and end points.  or, you could just could use a stop watch or count the 10, 15, or 20 seconds in your head as you sprint.  3 miles of that (12 laps) and i was toast. beginners, start with 1 mile and add on from there.  with anything, you get out what you put in. so SPRINT!!!  after all, it will be over in a couple of seconds.

Q: which is better, sprinting or long distance running?

totally depends on what your goal is, but for weight loss and/or maintenance, both.  fast or slow, your body will get use to whatever type of exercise you do no matter what. it’s important to do a combination of speeds just to shock your body and keep your workouts different and exciting.

le