Eat Skinny Be Skinny: Easy Turkey Meatballs
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One of my favorite foods, of all time, is spaghetti and meatballs. From the first time I had “psghetti” at the age of 5, it became an instant favorite. There’s something so comforting about a big bowl of spaghetti with extra large meatballs and some freshly shaved Parmesan. As I’ve grown older, I’ve kept my love for “pshgetti’ but have found new exciting ways to eat meatballs. Whether they are in a sub on a whole wheat bun or served a la Sweden with thick, brown gravy, they’ve quickly become a new player in my protein choices. However, due to health reasons [and the fact my stomach doesn’t particularly love red meat] I’ve had to switch from standard ground beef to turkey. To be honest, I prefer turkey to ground beef anyway. There is more flavor and they aren’t as heavy. Plus, turkey has half the fat and calories as beef, which make it a guilt-free meat option. Enjoy these easy and delicious turkey meatballs over your favorite pasta for a low-fat and low-calorie spaghetti!
Easy Turkey Meatballs
What You’ll Need:
- 1 lb lean ground turkey
- 3 garlic cloves, minced [or 1tbsp garlic powder]
- 1/4 cup onion, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
How to Make it:
- Mix all the ingredients and shape into meatballs. [I made about 20 medium sized balls].
- Spray a nonstick pan lightly with cooking spray. Cook the meatballs for 5-6 minutes or until cooked through and nicely browned on the outside.
I decided to sautee the rest of my remaining onion in the meatball juices and serve with the meatballs over whole wheat spaghetti noodles and sauce!
Nutrition information for the meatballs [serving size 3.5]: 167 calories, 7.5 grams of fat, .5 grams of fiber and 15.6 grams of protein.
Superfood of the Week: Sweet Potatoes + a recipe!
Sweet potato casserole is one of my favorite holiday dishes! [via]
I like to call this super food “a white potato’s sexier, more successful brother” for a few reasons. For one, I think sweet potatoes taste better than the original with their natural sweetness and flavor. Secondly, they are packed with more nutritional benefits than the white potato. And third, I like to personify food, what of it? As much as I love these bright orange vegetables, I know a few people who aren’t as keen on the flavor. For those of you like that, I’ve included a recipe below that will convert you into a sweet potato lover in no time!
Antioxidants Galore
This orange wonders are loaded with antioxidants, so slice, dice and eat right up!
So what exactly make these sweet veggies so sweet? According to World’s Healthiest Foods, they are full of powerful antioxidants, such as vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin B6! Along with these, sweet potatoes also have strong root storage proteins which contain almost 1/3rd the antioxidant capability of glutathione, which is our body’s most impressive internally produced antioxidant! The vitamin A and vitamin C found in sweet potatoes work to eliminate free radicals, which can damage cells and cell membranes, as well as work to develop colon cancer and heart disease. The B6 in these superfoods are key to supporting a wide range of necessary activities in your nervous system, promoting proper breakdown of sugar and starches and preventing homocysteine build up in your blood.
Reducing Inflammation
Inflammation of your bronchiols [an airway in your lungs] can lead to asthma and other severe breathing issues. [Photos via].
You know those vitamins A, C and B6 I was just raving about? They also contain anti-inflammatory properties as well, which help prevent your lungs from looking like the second diagram in the photo above! If you are a smoker, or live with a smoker, filling up on sweet potatoes can help to replenish your vitamin A, which is depleted from the drugs in cigarettes. Vitamin A is imperative to help fight off free radicals in your lungs, which can cause build up and lead to blocked airways and asthma.
Body Regularity & Weight
Although they may be sweet, these potatoes are a great addition to your weight loss diet!
I’ve met quite a few people who thought sweet potatoes were “bad for you because they are sweet.” This assertion couldn’t be further from the truth. Their natural sweetness should not be confused with artificial! Like their cousin the white potatoes, sweet potatoes are full of healthy starches, complex carbohydrates, protein and fiber, which work to keep you fuller longer. These principles, however, can also cause water retention, so don’t over-indulge. Since they are full of fiber and starch, these potatoes reduce constipation and acid formation, which can lead to stomach ulcers!
If you aren’t a full convert yet, I’ve got the recipe to put you over the edge, mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar! This recipe is a perfect swap for your standard, white mashed potatoes and has significantly less fat and calories! The addition of the brown sugar gives them almost a dessert quality sweetness. Who knew, a vegetable that also doubled as a dessert!
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar
I served mine with a baked salmon filet! Delicious!
What You’ll Need:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 pound)
- 3 tablespoons 1% low-fat milk
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar, divided
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon butter, softened
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
How to Make It:
- Heat 7 cups of water in a pot to a boil. Chop potatoes into chunks and add to the boiling water. Add salt to boiling mixture.
- Once potatoes are soft, drain in a colander. Once the potatoes have cooled, peel the skins off. [I kept them on because I like the added texture!]
- Put potatoes back into pot. Add milk, butter, 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and cinnamon. Using an electric beater, beat the potatoes until they are mashed.
- Garnish with remaining brown sugar & enjoy!
Nutritional Information per 1 cup serving: 225 calories, 6 grams of fat, 5 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein.
Thanksgiving Baker’s Giveaway!
The food I most look forward to on Thanksgiving is pie. What about you?
November is the month for giving thanks and there’s no better way to say thank you to all of my amazing friends, fans and readers by hosting a giveaway! For those who don’t follow me on twitter, I sent out a poll to my followers to see which they would prefer to win; thanksgiving bakeware or table decor. The vote was close but it seems this Thanksgiving, most people would rather have new pie bakeware from Williams-Sonoma! Their new line of Thanksgiving bakeware is absolutely gorgeous, with bright, crisp colors and fun, fall designs. I especially love their collection of pie and tart pieces, since pumpkin pie is my favorite Thanksgiving indulgence! Whether you are baking for a large family or just for one, these pieces are sure to come in handy! And, as an added bonus, you’ll also win a fabulous book of recipes!
One lucky winner will receive:
Emile Henry Artisan Ruffle Pie Dish [in brown, white or red]
Fall Forest Piecrust/Cookie Cutters [set of 4]
Claire
Tags:cooking giveaway, giveaway, healthy pies, pie bakeware, thanksgiving, williams sonoma, Williams-sonoma giveaway
Eat Skinny Be Skinny: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Happy November! I know, I can’t believe it either. It feels like it was just the beginning of October! I hope you all had a fabulous Halloween weekend. Mine was amazing, actually. I spent the weekend with my family and fiancé, completely disconnected from the entire world on a remote island. There is something so therapeutic about not being slaved to the Internet or cell phone! The weather was perfect and the scenery was absolutely breath taking. The trees were speckled with bright red, orange and yellow leaves and the air had a perfect fall crisp and scent. [See above photos of the scenery around my cottage!] Both made the trip [7 hours each way] totally worth it! [Oh and seeing my amazing family did too, obviously].
I’m not sure about the rest of y’all, but the weather here is CHILLY! Since the weather gods predict that the cold will be here to stay [well, until the end of January] it’s time to bust out the warm, feel good winter recipes. My number one remedy to freezing outside temperatures is spending the day making home-made chicken noodle soup. This winter favorite of mine is also perfect for winter’s other notorious gift: cold and flu season! Nothing makes me feel better than a hot bowl of soup that has been stewing for hours. Not to mention, it also makes your house smell delicious! Since I use only low-sodium broth and organic vegetables, this recipe is also naturally low in fat, sodium and calories!
[I make the chicken and broth first, then add in the ingredients for the soup.]
Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
What You’ll Need:
- 1 whole chicken (3 1/2-4 1/2 lbs), defrosted
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppar
- 1 carrot, cut up
- 1 stalk of celery, with leaves
- Some fresh parsley
- 1 whole onion
For the soup:
- 2 carrots
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 onion [medium yellow]
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup egg noodles [I used Farfelle instead]
How to Make It:
- Remove excess fat from chicken. In a large Dutch oven, place chicken. Add remaining chicken and broth ingredients; heat to boiling.
- Skim foam from broth; reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer about an hour or until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut.
- Remove chicken from broth. Cool chicken about 10 minutes or just until cool enough to handle.
- Strain broth through cheesecloth-lined strainer; discard vegetables. Remove skin and bones from chicken. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces
- Cut carrots and celery into bite size pieces.
- Chop onion.
- Add enough water to broth to measure 5 cups.
- In another pot, boil pasta until tender. Drain and set aside.
- In Dutch oven, heat broth, sliced carrots, sliced celery, chopped onion and bouillon granules to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer about 25 minutes or until carrots are tender. Take soup off heat.
- Stir in chicken and noodles and enjoy!
Nutritional Information (per 1 cup): 185 calories, 6 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber and 25 grams of protein.
Hallo-week: Five Years of Costumes
Seriously, isn’t he just ADORABLE?
Today concludes my Hallo-week posts and thought there was no better way to wrap up a fabulous week then share with you five years of costumes. [As well as share my adorable puppy in his pirate costume, how cute!]. I’d happily share more photos from my youth, but many of them hide in the pages of photo albums at my grandmothers,since back in the day we didn’t have digital cameras. And yes, I also walked 25 miles in the snow, uphill, without shoes, to school. Halloween has always been a big deal to me and I pride myself on my creative costume ideas. Sure they aren’t always trendy or super elaborate, but they are ME, and that’s really all that matters. Some of these were the product of hours of hard work, some were purchased online. Regardless of their manufacturing, these costumes represent some of the best nights of my life. Now, I bet you are wondering “what does any of this have to do with nutrition or health?” A lot! Life is not worth living if you don’t let loose, have fun and laugh it up. Having great friends and a fantastic sense of humor will get you very far! In fact, studies have shown that laughing reduces the major stress hormones cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline) and dopamine, as well as can burn up to 60 calories an hour! So this Halloween, stop worrying about your age, your weight, work or your shortcomings. Instead, grab a costume, grab your friends and go have a spook-tacular good time! [I had to throw in ONE cheesy thing, right?]
Sophomore Year: Construction Worker
- This bad boy did’t take much time at all and was a really cheap costume to make! All you need is a plastic hard hat, a denim mini, a wife beater, a construction vest [party city], a tool belt and some dark make-up!
Junior Year: Sexy Scientist
- Another easy, DIY costume! I bought a lab coat from the school bookstore, had a test tube from an old science class, bought cheap tights at Wal-Mart and heavily teased my hair! I also stuck some pencils and a calculator in my pocket. And yes, those are safety goggles on my head!
Senior Year: Strawberry Shortcake
- One of my, err, sexier costumes! This year, due to a heavy class workload, I had to borrow this “hand me down” costume from a friend. I got quite a few compliments on it though, so it didn’t matter!
Super Senior Year: Legends of the Hidden Temple
- This is, hands down, my favorite costume thus far. Not to mention the cheapest! This night also represents one of the very best nights of my life and those silly folks are some of the best coworkers a person could ever have.
First Year Out of School: Zorro
- That creepy adult Mario next to me would be my fiance. This was one of the more expensive costumes I’ve had, but that’s because it was bought online. I have to say though, I was the only female Zorro in Georgetown!
What are you going to dress as this year? If you aren’t, what’s your favorite costume of all time?
Claire
Tags:best halloween costumes, Halloween costumes, Happy Halloween, sexy halloween, women costumes
