Taco Raviolis

Recently we went to a friend's house for a birthday party and I wanted to bring a snack. I did not want to go to the grocery store, so I was limited to the items I had on hand.

After some brainstorming, I came up with these little taco raviolis. Dippable (a party-must), portable and delicious.


Taco Raviolis
Yield: 15+ (It really depends on how full you make the raviolis. You can stretch this pretty far.)

1/2 lb ground turkey (or beef)
2 or 3 green onions, chopped
1/2 packet taco seasoning
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
2 pie crusts (I use the refrigerated kind & keep them in my freezer)


-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

-Brown the ground meat on the stove. Add the taco seasoning and water, as directed on the package. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped up green onions.

-Roll out the pie crusts to about 1/8" thickness. Use a biscuit cutter to cut the dough into circles about 3" in diameter.


-Put a spoonful of taco meat on half of each circle of dough. Top the mounds with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese. Be careful to not overload the dough- you will not be able to close them!

(Too full.)

-Fold the dough in half over the meat to make a half moon shape. Use a fork to pinch the dough closed. If the dough is not staying closed, use your finger to spread some water on the edges of the inside before closing the dough- this will help "glue" the ravioli closed.

-Once all of the ravioli are folded and sealed, lay them onto a sprayed cookie sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the dough is golden.

-Serve warm or room temperature with salsa for dipping.

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Sweet and Sour Turkey

This sweet & sour turkey has been a staple in our house since first trying it. I can't remember where I got the recipe though! It was definitely in one of the "diet" cookbooks that I got from the library. I photocopied the recipe, but the page it was on doesn't say the title. Boo.

Anywho.. for 337 calories this is a delicious, quick meal. I love that this recipe easily lets you sub in a variety of veggies. We don't keep pea pods on hand so I threw in broccoli. Instead of red sweet peppers, I used a green bell that we had and then I tossed in a bit of diced onion. Delicious.


Sweet & Sour Turkey (Chicken)

1 8-oz can pineapple chunks (juice pack)
1/2 cup bottled sweet & sour sauce
12 oz skinless, boneless turkey breast (or chicken breast)
1 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 medium red sweet pepper, cut into bite size strips (1 cup) (I usually just use a green pepper since that is what I have on hand)
1/2 cup thinly sliced carrot (1)
4 tsp cooking oil
1 cup fresh pea pods, tips & stems removed (I substituted broccoli)
2 cups hot cooked rice

-Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tbsp of the juice; set pineapple chunks aside. In a small bowl stir together the reserved pineapple juice and the sweet & sour sauce; set aside. In a medium bowl toss turkey with soy sauce; set aside.

-In a large nonstick skillet cook and stir sweet pepper and carrot in 3 tsp of the hot oil over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add pea pods. Cook and stir about 1 minute more or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove from skillet; set aside.

-Add remaining 1 tsp oil to skillet. Using a slotted spoon, add turkey to skillet. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink. Add sweet & sour sauce mixture, vegetable mixture, and pineapple chunks; heat through. Serve chicken mixture with hot cooked rice.

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Stuffed Zucchini

This was delish. Even John didn't complain too much (which is AMAZING given the amount of veggies that this meal contained). I pretty much just used Annie's recipe. I used 97% fat free ground turkey in lieu of sausage. Also after I hollowed the zucchini, I sprinkled a little steak seasoning in the shell. I love some steak seasoning.


C&P from Annie's Eats:

Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Ingredients:
1 zucchini, about 12 inches long (or 2 6-inch)
2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
½ cup onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup mushrooms, chopped
1 lb. turkey sausage or ground turkey
2 tbsp. dry white wine
2-3 tomatoes, seeded and diced
3 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper

Directions:
Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Scoop out insides, leaving a shell about ¼-inch thick. Reserve about half of the insides.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the onion and garlic until tender, about 4-5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and reserved zucchini insides to the skillet and sauté another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble in the sausage or ground turkey and cook until lightly browned on all sides, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cooked onion and mushroom mixture. Add the wine to the pan along with the tomatoes, basil and rosemary. Cook for 1 more minute. Drain of any excess fat, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Once the turkey mixture has cooled a bit, mix in the Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper. Fill the zucchini shells with the mixture. Fill a baking dish with ¼-inch of water. Place the filled zucchini shells in the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, until golden brown. Remove the zucchini from the pan and serve immediately.

Source: adapted from Simply Recipes

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Healthy Turkey Parm

As part of my quest to eat more naturally/healthier, last night we had a turkey parm. John actually made it since I wasn't feeling well after getting home from work.

This isn't anything special or fancy. We dipped turkey breasts into egg whites and then lightly breaded them. They breasts were baked until done (maybe 15 minutes at 350?). While the turkey was baking, John saute'd diced tomatoes (half of a can- fresh would be perfect too), half of an onion and some garlic. The juice from the tomato should be enough liquid for cooking that you won't need any oils. After the turkey is done, pour the tomato "sauce" onto the turkey and top with just a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. I had a side of green beans with this.

This was super filling and as you can tell, not "saucy"- the worst ingredient, I would say is the bread crumbs, possibly the parmesan cheese, and these were both kept to a minimum!

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Parmesan Chicken

John made this for me last week, while I was shredding. It was really good- nice and crispy. The only thing I would suggest is baking it on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet- the bottom side got a little soggy and wasn't as crispy as the top. Otherwise- delish! We had this with a side of peas.

Parmesan Chicken
Kitchen Parade

6 Servings

Dressing:
3 tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Coating:
1 1/2 English Muffins (we used wheat bread)
3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp additional pepper
1 tbsp melted butter
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each) (we used turkey breasts)

1- Whisk together dressing ingredients in a low, flat dish suitable for dipping chicken breasts.
2- Process the English muffin halves in food processor until finely ground. Add parmesan, pepper and butter and pulse two or three times until well blended.
3- Transfer coating mixture to a second low-flat dish. Dip each breast in the dressing, then the coating, covering completely with each.
4- Place on a baking sheet and bake 450F for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot or cold.



Nutrition Estimate Per Serving:
300 Calories (26% from fat)
46 g protein
8 g Total Fat
4 g Saturated Fat
2g Mono Fat
8g Carbs
1g Fiber
222mg Calcium
3mg Iron
693mg Sodium
114mg Cholesterol

Weight Watchers: 6 Points

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Turkey Goulash with Pierogies

I saw this on Rachael Ray's 30 minute meals several years ago and this has become a family favorite. Since our "family" is just John and I, this really means that I like it and like cooking it... and John hasn't completely rejected it.


Turkey Goulash with Pierogies
adapted from Rachael Ray

makes 4 servings

Ingredients

2	tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1	tbsp I can't Believe its not Butter Light
1/2	lb ground turkey
1/2	lb white mushrooms, sliced
2	cloves garlic, chopped
1	medium onion, chopped
1	bell pepper, seeded and chopped
2	tsp paprika
1	Salt and pepper
1	cup chicken broth
1	cup tomato sauce
1/2	cup fat free sour cream Chopped Flat leaf Parley
12	Potato and Onion Pierogies
2	tbsp chives

Directions

1. Heat the extra-virgin olive oil and butter in a large, deep skillet over medium to medium-high heat.
   
   
2. Add the ground turkey. Brown the meat 3 to 4 minutes, push it off to the sides of the pan then add mushrooms, garlic, onions and peppers to the center of the pan.
   
   
3. Cook the vegetables 5 minutes then mix them together with turkey and season with smoked paprika, salt and pepper.
   
   
4. Stir in broth and tomato sauce and bring to a bubble.
   
   
5. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 5 minutes then stir in sour cream and turn off heat.
   
   
6. Add parsley. Adjust seasonings, to your taste.
   
   
7. While goulash cooks, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Salt boiling water and cook ravioli until they puff up like pillows and float, 5 minutes or to package suggestions.
   
   
8. Drain ravioli and add to turkey just after you stir in the sour cream.
   
   
9. Ladle goulash with ravioli into shallow bowls and garnish with chives.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 698.2g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 465 Calories from Fat 205

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 22.8g 35%

Saturated Fat 3.5g 18%

Cholesterol 76mg 25%

Sodium 1883mg 78%

Total Carbohydrates 114.7g 38%

Dietary Fiber 6.0g 24%

Sugars 11.6g

Protein 36.7g

Vitamin A 48% • Vitamin C 125% Calcium 15% • Iron 39%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet Nutritional details are an estimate and should only be used as a guide for approximation.

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Lunches

Every week on Sunday, I make a big batch of something for lunch all week. I add to this a veggie of some sort (carrots & fat free ranch dressing, a cucumber, etc) and a snack that is around 100 calories (100 cal pack of chips/cookies, homemade cookies, trail mix, etc).

I package up the entire lunch (in re-usable containers!) and then the night before, or even morning of if I forget the night before, I can just grab all of the components to my breakfast, lunch and snacks and go!

Last week for lunch I made a delicious concoction: asparagus rolled up in turkey with strawberry jelly & gorgonzola crumbles. I had 3 of these each day, but since they were so low in calories, I also had a couple of club crackers (yum!) and Alouette/garlic herb cheese spread.


I adapted this from Au Bon Pain's Perfect Portions. They use cranberry chutney, but I just used strawberry jelly since that's what I have.

Spreading on the strawberry jelly.

The finished rollups. Yum.

My crackers in their containers.

All in all, this lunch was about 300 calories. And it was super filling!


Turkey Asparagus Wraps

Makes 1 lunch serving.

3 stems (stalks?) of asparagus, steamed
1 tbsp strawberry jelly
6 slices low fat, deli turkey breast
3 tbsp gorgonzola crumbles

1- Lay out double layers of the turkey breast- you should have 3 sets of turkey.
2- Spread 1/3 tbsp of jelly on each stack of turkey
3- Put a stem of asparagus on each stack at the edge of the turkey.
4- Spread 1 tbsp of gorgonzola on each stack.
5- Wrap and pack!

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Southwestern Skillet Mac & Cheese

Southwestern Skillet Mac & Cheese
Adapted from Weight Watchers

Makes 6 servings
From Weight Watchers- 6 points/serving.

Ingredients

1	cup Elbow pasta
1	lb Ground turkey
1/2	cup Onion, chopped
1/2	cup Bell pepper, chopped
2	tbsp Chili powder
1	tsp Cumin
1/2	tsp Salt
14	oz Diced tomatoes
8	oz Tomato sauce
1/2	cup Water
1	cup Reduced Fat Cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Cook the macaroni according to package directions omitting the salt, if desired; Drain.
   
   
2. Meanwhile, spray a large nonstick skillet with a nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, about 8 minutes.
   
   
3. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, chili powder, cumin and salt. Cook, stiring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 3 minutes.
   
   
4. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 10 minutes.
   
   
5. Add the macaroni and the cheese, stirring to combine.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 258.8g

Amount Per Serving

Calories 334 Calories from Fat 134

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 14.9g 23%

Saturated Fat 5.1g 25%

Cholesterol 90mg 30%

Sodium 623mg 26%

Total Carbohydrates 21.5g 7%

Dietary Fiber 3.2g 13%

Sugars 4.7g

Protein 30.1g

Vitamin A 39% • Vitamin C 39% Calcium 22% • Iron 19%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet Nutritional details are an estimate and should only be used as a guide for approximation.

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Divine Turkey Divan

I loved this recipe. I halved it, so we had exactly the amount needed for the two of us & there was no guessing on portion sizes.

Rachael Ray- Chicken (Turkey!) Divan

• 1 quart chicken stock
  
• 8 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I used 2 turkey breast/chops)
  
• 2 shallots, chopped (I used 1 small onion)
  
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup dry white wine (I replaced this with chicken broth since we don't ever have or like wine)
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream (I used fat free evaporated milk)
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg or the equivalent of freshly grated (omitted)
  
• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound broccoli spears
• 8 ounces Gruyere, shredded to 2 cups (I used a couple of slices of Provolone that we were trying to use up)

Bring 1 quart chicken stock to a boil in a wide, deep skillet with lid. Add chicken breasts. Return broth to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, cover, and poach the chicken 8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Reserve the broth for the sauce.

In a skillet, saute shallots in oil and butter for 2 minutes. Sprinkle in 3 tablespoons flour and cook 1 minute. Whisk in 1 cup wine and reduce by half, 1 minute. Ladle in chicken broth, whisking sauce as you do. Stir in 1/2 cup heavy cream. Season sauce with nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Bring to a bubble and reduce heat to low.

Slice the chicken into 1/2-inch strips and add to the pan. Coat chicken in sauce. At this stage, in order to have enough for 2 meals, remove half of the chicken in sauce and transfer to a container with a tight fitting lid. Cool the chicken, cover, and freeze for later.

To assemble Divine Divan: simmer broccoli spears in 1-inch water, covered, for 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Top with half the grated Gruyere and half of the base chicken recipe. Top chicken with remaining Gruyere and brown until bubbling and golden under preheated broiler, about 2 minutes. Serve with dressed salad greens and bread.

To assemble tetrazzini: reheat defrosted base chicken recipe in microwave oven. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small pan. Saute mushrooms 5 minutes, until tender. Toss drained hot egg noodles with chicken and mushrooms. Transfer mixture to a baking dish and top with bread crumbs, cheese, and almonds. Brown under preheated broiler until topping is even golden brown. Place pan 6 inches from heat source. Topping will brown in 2 to 3 minutes.

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Individual Lattice Top Pot Pies

I got this recipe from Joelen. It was SO good! I loved that I felt like I was eating SO much, but since it was mostly veggies, it was A-OK. :) The most unhealthy part of the dish was the puff pastry, but since there was so little of it, it barely mattered.

I substituted turkey for the chicken (as I always do- I don't eat chicken), and got a good deal of protein from the dish.

Light Lattice Topped Chicken Broccoli Pot Pies

Serves 2 hearty individual crocks
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart (and again via Joelen's Culinary)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter (I used I Can't Believe its not Butter Light)

1 medium shallots thinly sliced (I used a small onion)

1 garlic clove, minced

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup reserved chicken stock from poaching chicken (I used a cup of chicken broth)

1 tablespoon whole wheat flour

1 small carrot, diced (I used 2)

1 medium celery stalk, cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch-thick slices (I used 2 stalks)

1 cup fresh broccoli florets, steamed

1 poached boneless, skinless chicken breast, shredded (I used 2 turkey breasts)

1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley (about a tsp of dried)

1/2 sheet frozen puff pastry, cut into long strips, thawed

-Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

-Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots (onions), garlic, salt and pepper to taste.

-Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots (onions) are translucent, about 3 minutes.

-Stir in 3/4 cup of the stock into the saucepan and whisk the remaining 1/4 cup stock into the flour in a small bowl.

-Whisk the flour mixture into shallot (onion) mixture.

-Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes, whisking occasionally.

-Add carrots, celery and broccoli, then bring to a boil. Stir in the shredded poached chicken and return to a boil. Remove from heat.

-Stir in chopped parsley and tarragon. Let cool.

-Spoon cooled mixture into individual baking crocks. (I don't have crocks or rammekins, so I used Pyrex storage containers that I have)

-Cut the strips of puff pastry to fit over the chicken pot pie mixture in the crocks and either lay over the top to cover entirely or create a lattice pattern to cover.

-Bake until crust is golden brown and juices are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately. (I think ours was done closer to 20 minutes.)

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Turkey Enchilada Dip Pinwheels

I used this recipe as inspiration, with some modifications. They were a hit.

1 pound of turkey breast (whatever came in a package.
2 (8oz) packages of light cream cheese, softened

4 green onions, chopped

1 (8oz) jar of mild salsa

1 clove minced garlic

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

4 or 5 tortillas

1- Saute and then shred the turkey breasts.

2- In a large bowl (I used my new stand mixer!) combine the shredded turkey, cream cheese, green onions, salsa, and garlic.

3- Season with cumin and paprika.

4- Microwave the tortillas between two damp papertowels for about 30 seconds (this helps the toritllas roll better).

5- Spread the tortillas each with the mixture, then roll up as you would an enchilada.

6- Wrap the rolls in saran wrap and then refrigerate for an hour or two.

7- When the rolls have become a bit harder, unwrap them and slice into pinwheels.

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Mexican Stuffed Peppers

This was yummy. I've never had stuffed peppers, but was craving Mexican so I came up with a fusion. This combines taco meat, enchilada sauce and Spanish rice. And a ton of cheese :)

Spanish Rice:
1 cup of rice, uncooked (I used brown)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and rice. Stir constantly until browned. Remove from the heat and add the water, tomato sauce, chili powder and salt. Combine and place back on high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil- when it does, reduce the heat to continue bubbling. Stir occasionally until the mixture thickens.

After the rice is done, pour it into a large bowl. I used the same skillet to cook my meat.

While the rice is thickening, start your enchilada sauce.

Enchilada Sauce:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp flour
several shakes of chili powder (I don't like things TOO spicy- the recipe I based this off of called for 1/4 CUP, but many of the reviewers disagreed with this, so I just shook some in)
1 cup water
1 cup tomato sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
salt to taste

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the flour and combine to create a paste. Add the chili powder and stir for a couple of minutes- until this starts to lightly brown. Add the water, tomato sauce, garlic powder, paprika and salt. Combine, and stir occasionally until the sauce thickens.

When you are ready to start the taco meat, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Taco Meat
1/2 lb ground turkey
1/2 packet of mild taco seasoning
a splash of water

Brown the turkey in the skillet used for the rice. Add the 1/2 packet of taco seasoning, along with enough water to thoroughly mix the seasoning with the meat (about 1/3 cup?). Mix until the meat and seasoning thicken and the water is gone. Stir the meat into the large bowl containing the rice. Mix thoroughly.

To stuff the peppers:

2 peppers- I had 2 relatively large ones and ended up with just a bit of leftover stuffing. If you have smaller ones, I would recommend using 3-4
Cheddar Cheese
Sour Cream

Cut the tops off of the peppers and remove the seeds and ribs (the white parts that are sticky-outy).

Line a glass pan with aluminum foil (to help cleanup) and place the peppers inside the pan. If the peppers are tipsy, cut a bit off of the bottom to level them out.

Add a few handfuls of the cheddar to the bowl containing the meat and rice. Scoop the meat mixture into the peppers. After the peppers are filled to the brim, spoon over the enchilada sauce. Top with a bit more cheddar cheese.

Stick the pan with the peppers into the 400 degree oven for about 20-30 minutes. Take the peppers out with they start to brown and get soft.

I topped my peppers with sour cream and a bit more cheese... I might like cheese.. a little.

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