Layered Brussel Sprout & Turkey Mac n Cheese
PIN IT!Today brings you another recipe found in the depths of my Iphoto. Guys, this layered brussel sprout & turkey mac n cheese was made this in the fall. Like, last fall. In 2014. And I TOTALY FORGOT TO SHARE IT.
Can I blame something other than my pure stupidity? Crazy travel schedule? Out of town guests? New job? Okay, great. I’d much rather do that than admit I made an amazing comfort food classic that I just totally spaced on sharing.
However, my mentality is very “better late than never” and with the 8 inches of snow we got yesterday, this dish is still perfectly & very seasonally appropriate. Honestly, I don’t mind the snow. I got a work from home snowday yesterday and it’s really beautiful to look at. I’m sure I’m in the minority here with the rest of DC-MD-VA, but I definitely don’t mind the beautiful, fluffy white stuff. BUT, that doesn’t mean, mother nature, that you can snow anymore this season. I like you now, but I can promise I will not like you if you try to pull this winter stuff in April or something. Crazier things have happened, but I have a zero-tolerance policy for temperatures below 60 degrees in springtime. If I wanted snow in April, I’d much back to northern Indiana.
Now, I should probably get to sharing this recipe since I held off so long on it, right? The main star of the show are the brussel sprouts, obviously, which came in my Farmbox Direct delivery.
If you guys haven’t heard of it, check out Farmbox Direct asap! You get a box of organic, fresh, seasonal veggies delivered right to your door! I love grocery shopping, but you can’t always get some of the best produce where I live. Which is why Farmbox is a dream come true. They provided me with a box to play with in the fall and I was so hooked, I’ve been getting them ever since! Plus, when you get brussel sprouts to your door every few weeks, that’s more of a reason to indulge in this mac n’ cheese more frequently. Huzzah!
Brussel Sprout & Turkey Mac n’ Cheese
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves 6 – 8. Adapted from Betty Crocker.
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: About 45 minutes
Total time: 65 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 cups uncooked macaroni noodles
For the roasted sprouts:
- 4 cups brussel sprouts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- Salt and pepper
For the turkey layer:
- 1 pound lean ground turkey breast
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 cups low-fat (1%) milk
- 1/2 cup light cream
- 1 3/4 cups shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup shredded Cabot extra sharp white cheddar
- 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 1 cup bread crumbs
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Remove stems from brussel sprouts. In a large baking dish, toss the sprouts with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast, whole, for about 30 – 35 minutes, or until slightly crispy and browned. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. While still warm, chop into small pieces and place in a large bowl.
- Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Grease a 2-quart casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil. Add a dash of salt and the pasta. Cook until al-dente, about 8 minutes. Rinse in cold water and set aside.
- Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, crumbling with a spatula, until golden brown, at least 7 – 8 minutes. Remove from heat and place in another bowl. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the meat juices and add the shallot and garlic cloves. Heat until just fragrant, about 3 minutes. Remove and mix with beef.
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Once fully melted, whisk in the flour. Reduce heat to medium and whisk in the milk and light cream. Continue stirring until mixture thickens (it should coat the back of a spoon). Remove from heat and immediately stir in mozzarella and white cheddar (it’ll melt quickly). Mix in the pasta noodles and evenly coat with cheese sauce.
- Spoon about 1/3 of the macaroni noodles into the bottom of the casserole dish. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the chopped brussel sprouts and half of the ground turkey mixture. Layer with another 1/3 cup of macaroni mixture, another 1/3 of brussel sprouts and remaining turkey. Top turkey with the rest of the macaroni, the rest of the brussel sprouts, the breadcrumbs and the parmesan.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, uncovered, or until golden and cheesy.
Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 406
Fat: 13.5 grams
Carbohydrates: 32 grams
Fiber: 3.5 grams
Protein: 27.75
Weight Watchers Points: 9
Sesame, Soy & Honey Glazed Chicken Wings
Remember my last post where I talked about how I watched the movie Chef and instantly felt inspired to cook? Well, these incredible sesame, soy & honey glazed chicken wings also came from that giant bout of inspiration. In fact, I made 4 recipes that day in the span of just 3 hours.
It was pure magic, my friends. Sadly such bouts of productivity have since disappeared, but I’m hoping for another big day so I can get back on track with my blog, my job and all of my freelance obligations.
There just isn’t enough time in the day to get everything I need done. Actually, scratch that, there isn’t enough DAYLIGHT in the day for me to get everything done. If I could just get home from work and have amazing light until 11pm, that would be awesome. Sadly, enough in the middle of summer we only have light until 7.
I think in order to get my life in order, I should just move to Iceland. During the summer, they have daylight until 2 – 3 am. It’s utterly insane yet completely amazing. I remember walking to dinner at 8pm and it was sunnier than it was at 3pm.
I think I could probably change the world if I had that much daylight. Until then, I’ll dream of my new life in Reykjavik while still trapped in Washington, DC.
Sesame & Soy Glazed Chicken Wings
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 5 – 6. Adapted and inspired by Six Sisters Stuff and Damn Delicious.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 8 hours
Total time: 8 hours, 10 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds frozen chicken wings
- 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 1 1/2 teaspoon sweet ginger garlic spice mix (I used this brand)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 chives, chopped
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Directions:
- Grease the basin of a slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.
- Toss the wings into the crock pot.
- In a large bowl, whisk the honey, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, shallot, sriracha, sweet garlic spice mix and one chopped green onion. Pour 3/4 of the sauce over the wings.
- Whisk the corn starch with 1/2 tablespoon water. Mix with remaining sauce to thicken.
- Cook on low for about 4 – 5 hours, or until the wings are fork tender.
- Once done, remove from crock pot and place in a bowl. Top with remaining sauce, chopped green onions and sesame seeds.
Nutritional information per serving (about 4 wings):
Calories: 513
Fat: 26 grams
Carbohydrates: 35 grams
Fiber: 1.2 grams
Protein: 32 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 13
Creamy Sausage Pesto Pasta
I’m not even going to apologize for my absence. Or go into this long diatribe about why I was gone. I was in New Zealand on the trip of a freakin’ lifetime and couldn’t tear myself away from the incredible views and epic adventures that were bestowed upon me every single day. For a snippet of my adventures, here’s my Instagram handle!
But I’ll be honest, I missed you guys A TON. Even though it may seem like I let this blog get dusty in the attic without much thought while I’m away, I actually think about it every single day. As fun as my life can be, I miss my daily posts. I miss cooking, to be frank. I miss editing photos and staging dishes like this creamy sausage pesto pasta.
I can’t promise a two week hiatus won’t happen again, so I won’t try to. Instead, i’ll just jump into this dish that completely blew my mind. Actually, the creation of it came the day I returned from a week-long work trip to Miami.
My husband was gone at a Super Bowl event and I was home alone. Since I already missed the eclectic and vibrant city scene of Miami, I decided to watch Chef. (PS: If you haven’t seen it, watch it now). While most are inspired by the cubanos in that movie, I was inspired by the pasta dish he made at the very beginning for Scarlett Johansson’s character.
When he was making it, he had this incredible passion in his eyes. And the moment she took her first bite and had this look of, well, ecstasy was inspiration enough for me to make my own version of it.
Not only is this one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever had, I also haven’t had that much fun in the kitchen in a long time. I was dancing, singing and smiling. For some people, that comes daily. For me? I sort of lost it. But it’s finally coming back!
Creamy Sausage Pesto Pasta
Serves about 6.
Prep time: 10 – 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 – 20 minutes
Total time: About 35 minutes
Ingredients:
For the pesto:
- 2 cups fresh basil leaves
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated, if possible)
- 1/3 cup walnuts, chopped
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Dashes of salt and pepper
For the sausage/vegetables:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 orange sweet peppers (the smaller peppers), chopped
- 1 red sweet pepper, chopped
- 2 cups crumbled turkey sausage (I love these Jimmy Dean crumbles)
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
For the pasta:
- 1 pound linguine or fettuccine pasta
- Fresh basil as garnish
Directions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a rapid boil and add a dash of salt. Add the noodles and cook, on medium high heat, until al-dente, about 7 – 8 minutes. Rinse in cold water and set aside.
- To make the pesto, add everything into a food processor and pulse until smooth. Reserve 3/4 cup for this recipe and save the rest for later.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and heat until slightly translucent, about 2- 4 minutes. Mix in the chopped peppers and cook until softened, another 3 minutes. Mix in the sausage and cook, over medium heat, until golden brown. Mix in the pesto, pasta and cherry tomatoes.
- Heat another 2 – 3 minutes until everything is heated through. Serve with a dusting of fresh parmesan and basil leaves.
Nutritional information per serving (about 1/2 cup):
Calories: 560.5
Fat: 22.6 grams
Carbohydrates: 60 grams
Fiber: 7.1 grams
Protein: 20 grams
Weight Watchers Points:
Claire
Tags:creamy recipes, pasta recipes, pesto recipes, quick and easy recipes, sausage recipes
Surf N’ Turf (Steak with Shrimp)
If you want to win me over for life, serve me surf n’ turn. There’s nothing I love more than a big juicy steak topped with shrimp. Well, maybe that and a big glass of Côtes du Rhône wine. And maybe a slice of cake.
I mean if I’m being completely honest, the way to my heart is through food that will probably stop it.
Which is completely hilarious and oh so ironic since my blog is technically supposed to be only healthy, good for you foods. But, as I’ve been saying for the past 2 years, I’m going through a slight crisis, er, rebrand, and I’m going to focus less on only healthy dishes and more food that I love to eat.
Which will be primarily healthy, low fat, low carb and high in fiber, but it’ll also include dishes like this that aren’t something you could eat everyday. Unless you’re a 1950’s mobster or on the Atkins diet. In that case, eat up my friends.
I’m still playing with new branding ideas and coming up with new website designs, so you probably won’t see a fresh new “me” until later this year. But in the meantime, you can expect to see more meals like this one grazing this little blog.
And is there really any better time to share an easy DIY surf n’ turf than the week of Valentine’s Day? Thanks to the amazing folks at Certified Angus Beef Brand for providing me with a box of amazing steak in all sorts of cuts, like rib-eye, flank and, my favorite, filet mignon. If your husband, wife or partner is a carnivore like myself, this is the meal to make them and these are the steaks to use.
Not only that, this is the perfect meal to make yourself if you find yourself alone on VDAY because you won’t have to share and can drink the entire bottle of wine yourself. Plus, nothing cures a broken heart like a big ol’ steak. At least that’s what helps me.
Surf N’ Turf (Steak with Shrimp)
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves 2.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
For the steak:
- 2 (5 -6 ounce) filet mignons
- Liberal dashes salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter*
For the shrimp:
- 1/2 pound shrimp, deveined
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- Fresh cilantro or parsley
- Fresh parmesan
*For more flavor, use a compound butter. Here’s an easy recipe for one on SheKnows.
Directions:
- For the steak. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Heat a grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Increase the heat to hight. (You want the pan very hot. Turn on the vent in your house to avoid smoke).
- Rub the steaks liberally with salt and pepper. Then rub the butter all over the steaks and add additional salt and pepper.
- Add to the pan and sear on both sides until browned, about 2 – 3 minutes.
- Remove the entire pan from the skillet and then place in the oven. Bake for an additional 6 – 7 minutes for medium rare. Let rest about 10 – 15 minutes before slicing.
- While the steak is baking, prepare the shrimp. Coat the shrimp liberally with seasoning.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until browned, or about 3 – 5 minutes.
- Top the steaks with additional compound butter and shrimp. Serve with a dash of fresh parmesan and herbs.
Nutritional information per serving (steak with 5 – 7 shrimps):
Calories: 700
Fat: 36 grams
Carbohydrates: 1 gram
Fiber: 0 grams
Protein: 60 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 15
Claire
Tags:dinner recipes, easy Valentine's Day recipes, shrimp recipes, steak recipes, Valentine's Day recipes
Fudgy Double Chocolate Brownies
Valentine’s Day is less than 2 weeks away! For me, this means one thing: chocolate. Well, I guess love and that sh*& too, but in the sake of being honest, I’m mostly looking forward to the chocolate.
Dessert isn’t something I eat frequently, primarily because I’m always on a diet. In fact, I tried to think of the last time I wasn’t on a diet and the date 1998 rang a bell. Which makes sense because that’s the year I turned 13. I’ve been on a perpetual diet since then.
However, I will also say I use the word diet very laxly. Like, my diets sometimes include bottles of wine for dinner, frosted donuts for lunch and two slices of cold pizza for breakfast. My diets also often include cheese, carbs, cheese, salt and more cheese. This could also be why my 13 year diet hasn’t prove all that fruitfull. I will say that in that time period I have lost (and subsequently gained) 30 pounds.
And even on past Valentine’s Days where I was sitting pretty 30 pounds lighter, I was so worried about everything I ate. I was so anxious about every little calories. And now, weighing much more than I’d prefer, I will say my relationship with food has never been healthier. I indulge when I want and celebrate every morsel. That’s why I don’t feel bad about eating (or posting) these rich and fudgy brownies. Sure they’re not healthy, but Valentine’s Day isn’t about healthy. It’s about being with the ones you love, and if the one you love is made with butter, cocoa powder and slathered in chocolate frosting, who am I to say you can’t enjoy every second (or taste) of it?
Fudgy Double Chocolate Brownies
CLICK HERE FOR THE PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE!
Serves about 24.
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 1/4 cups brown sugar
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Dash of salt
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8 x 8 baking sheet with parchment paper and then spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the sugar, vanilla, butter and unsweetened applesauce together until smooth and creamy. Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- In another bowl, whisk the flours, cocoa powder and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until fully combined. Using a spoon, carefully fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish. Bake for about 38 – 42 minutes, or until browned and crackly on top.
- Let cool completely then remove from the pan.
- To make the frosting, beat the butter, cocoa powder, sugar and vanilla in another mixing bowl. Spread the frosting over the top of the brownies and garnish with additional chocolate chips.
Nutritional information per brownie:
Calories: 350
Fat: 14 grams
Carbohydrates: 50 grams
Fiber: >1 gram
Protein: 3.8 grams
Weight Watchers Points: 9
Claire
Tags:brownie recipes, chocolate recipes, double chocolate recipes, fudgy recipes, Valentine's Day recipes
