Spaghetti Squash with Meat Sauce

If there is one thing I love more than Mexican food, it is Italian food- specifically pasta with a hearty meat sauce. However, as we all know, it is not the lightest most healthiest meal for you. Therefore, I thought of a way where I could have my cake and eat it too (so to speak).

I decided to make spaghetti squash. One cup of it adds up to only 42 calories and only 10 grams of carbs! So much better than pasta because you save about 33 grams of carbs and 179 calories. I topped it off with my dad's "secret" meat sauce (don't worry, I'll share the recipe with his permission) and added roasted vegetables on the side. Oh, and a nice glass of red wine!

Ingredients for the Meat Sauce:
- Jar of marinara sauce (I used Organic Tomato Basil Marinara sauce. It is low in both sugar and calories and added a nice flavor)
- Ground Turkey, defrosted
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Oregano and Basil to taste
- CINNAMON (it adds the perfect sweetness. I don't measure it exactly, I just add it throughout the cooking process)
- 1tsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup water

Directions:
- Pour the oil in a large pan on medium heat, and then add the ground turkey. Brown the turkey, and the salt, pepper, and cinnamon. On another burner, empty the jar of marinara sauce and cook on a low heat. Add the water. Once the turkey is browned, add the turkey to the sauce, as well as the oregano and basil. Continue to stir the sauce (keeping it on a low heat). Do this for 3 hours so that the turkey can soak up the sauce.

Ingredients for the Spaghetti Squash:
- 2 spaghetti squashes
- Cooking Spray
- Pepper
- Oregano

Directions:
- Cut the squashes in half and take out the seeds (this is easily done using a fork). Lightly spray the halves with cooking spray and sprinkle pepper. Place in the oven at 400 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Take out and let cool for 10 minutes. Then, using a fork, scrape out the insides. You'll notice that what you'll get resembles a thin pasta! Do this to all for halves, and voila, you have your healthy and delicious spaghetti. Put all the scrapings into a serving bowl and mix in pepper and oregano.

I paired this dish with a melody of roasted vegetables (green and red peppers, sweet onion, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, and kale). Add the meat sauce on top of the squash and you've got yourself a healthy, filling, and nutritious dinner!

Squash before the oven. The seeds are removed and each piece has been sprayed with canola oil and pepper has been added to them

Squash after the oven. I have scraped each half with a fork

End product! The meat sauce has been added on top, and veggies on the side 

Cheers!

Tostadas With Ground Turkey

Mexican food is a great and filling meal, but sometimes it is loaded with oils and cheese, not to mention the extra fats and calories from the toppings that go with it. Therefore, I found a way to both indulge in my favorite mexican cuisines while also making healthy choices. Any of the ingredients can easily be added to or taken away as well.

Ingredients for the Turkey Portion:

- Ground turkey

- 2 tsp cinnamon (there's that cinnamon again!)

- 2 tsp chili powder

- 2 tsp pepper and salt

- 3 Garlic cloves (chopped)

- Oil

Directions:

- Pour oil in a large pan and brown the turkey with the chopped up garlic on medium heat. Add the spices (chili powder, cinnamon, salt, and pepper) Set aside once the meat is done cooking.

Ingredients/Toppings for the Tostadas:

- Chopped spinach lettuce (I used spinach instead of iceberg because iceberg has no nutritional value)

- Chopped tomatoes

- Black beans, they are SO good for you and are packed with fiber and protein 

- Cottage cheese (instead of sour cream)

- Salsa (I use a great "Fire Roasted" salsa from Trader Joes. It's low in sodium, and has just the right spice)

- Guacamole (my grandma brought some of her homemade guac. She makes it with avocados, tomatoes, red onion, and pomegranate seeds and some other secret ingredients... It's delicious!)

- *Could also add corn and cheese

- Grilled onion, red, and green peppers (I thinly sliced them and grilled the onions first in a medium pan with a little oil on medium heat. I then added the peppers as well as garlic powder, pepper, thyme, and the "21 Seasoning" spice from Trader Joes)

- Tortillas, toasted until they aren't flimsy

Directions:

- Layer the meat and beans on the tortilla first then add the rest of the toppings. I had a side of carrots for extra veggies :)

The toppings! In order from the back left and going right:  chopped spinach, cottage cheese, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, salsa, black beans, grilled vegetables, and then last but not least- the ground turkey.

Finished product! I layered it high with all the goodies and ate every. last. bite.

Cheers!

Pudding Cake aka "Icebox Cake"

I. Love. Dessert. I'm not even halfway through with my dinner before I start planning what I'll have for dessert. My sweet tooth is a serious problem, and my usual "fix" is froyo (frozen yogurt) However, seeing as how I have been there every night this spring break (and once even during the day) I decided that I should branch out and try something new.

My goal was to make something that is just as good and just as healthy as frozen yogurt because I ALWAYS over indulge, but I don't feel bad if the dessert is "healthy."

I decided on an "icebox cake." It is so simple to make, and is not too filling.

Ingredients:
- Box of graham crackers (you could get two boxes, it just depends how many layers/big you want to make the cake) The average layer is 8 pieces
- Pudding (again, the amount depends on how many layers and how big your cake is) The average layer takes 2 pudding cups
- Optional: small fruit slices

Directions:
- In a baking pan, layer the bottom so that it is covered with graham cracker pieces (you may have to break a piece in half so that it all fits. Then start slowly pouring the pudding on top so that the whole layer of crackers are evenly covered with pudding. Once the crackers are all covered, place the second layer on top (make sure to place in the same patter as the first. It makes it easier to cut the pieces this way.) Again, cover again with pudding (I mixed chocolate and vanilla for this layer) and again, cover with another layer of crackers. I only did two layers, however, you can keep going, and also adding thinly sliced fruit with the pudding as well. Place in the fridge until the cake is soft (usually 5 hours).

Pudding Cups

Graham Cracker (I obviously got them from Trader Joes)

Step 1: Layer the pan with graham crackers 

Pudding evenly spread

Finished product!

Cheers!

Mashed Cauliflower (and a great chicken recipe to pair with it)

Mashed cauliflowers are a great substitute to mashed potatoes. They are more nutritious, and in my opinion, delicious. But I am a huge cauliflower fan so that could explain it... Anyway, they are made with simple ingredients, and are ready in twenty minutes or less.

Ingredients:

- Head of cauliflower (Trader Joes sells the perfect size and amount)

- 1/4-1/3 cup of plain Greek yogurt

- Tablespoon of garlic olive oil (found at Trader Joes)

- Cup of chicken broth (I used Trader Joes low sodium)

- Cup of water

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Rosemary or thyme (I used rosemary)

- Optional: 1/4 cup cream cheese

Directions:

- Cut the cauliflower florets and boil in a pot with the cup of chicken broth and cup of water. Boil until the cauliflower is VERY soft, and drain the liquid out. Pour the cauliflower back into the pan and mash until you reach how smooth or thick you want them, while also adding the yogurt, salt, pepper, and either rosemary or thyme. You can also add the cream cheese at this time.

I paired the "potatoes" with chicken and boiled asparagus.

Chicken Recipe:

Ingredients:

- 3 chicken breasts

- Cup of white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)

- Tablespoon of garlic olive oil

- sliced mushrooms

- "21 Seasoning Salute" (It's this AWESOME new spice that I found at Trader Joes. It adds so much flavor and mixes well with anything)

- 1/4 cup fresh parsley 

Directions: 

- Slice chicken pieces in half and then again to make them less thick. (At least I had to because the chicken breasts I had were huge and fat) Plus, it's recommended to have your chicken pieces be the size of a deck of cards... Anyway, brown the chicken in a pan using the tablespoon of garlic olive oil on medium heat. Then, add the cup of wine and mushrooms, as well as the "21" spice (I added a generous amount to each chicken piece. Place a lid on the pan and let the chicken marinate in the spice and wine, then flip the chicken pieces and again, add a generous amount of the "21" spice to this side of the chicken. Add the parsley and cover the pan again to allow the chicken to cook and marinate more.

I also paired this meal with steamed asparagus and peas. It was all in all a filling and oh so healthy meal.

Cheers!

Cauliflower boiling 

Cut chicken pieces browning with the garlic olive oil

Chicken pieces cooking with the added wine, mushrooms, "21" spice, and parsley

Finished product! Mashed cauliflower, chicken with mushrooms, and steamed asparagus and peas

Crock Pot: Southwest Chicken

Here's another easy and healthy crock pot recipe! It took me all of 30 minutes to put it together, so it's a great recipe to do if you're busy and on the run.

Ingredients:
- Chicken breasts (I used three)
- Sweet onion
- Peppers (I used a bagful of the mini red, yellow, and orange peppers)
- Can of black beans
- Can of corn
- Salsa (as much or as little as you want)
- Garlic powder

Directions:
- Cut the onion and peppers into bite size pieces. Place all ingredients in the crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Cheers!