Turkey Meat Sauce

Turkey meat sauce is a recipe I have been making for years but I never make it the same way I am always doing some editing, until now! Why I hadn’t thought to utilize my food processor before is beyond me! This quick easy delicious and not to mention healthy recipe is sure to please even the pickiest of eaters. 

Ingredients:

- 1 28oz. can of Whole Plum Tomatoes with Juice

- 2 carrots, chopped

- 1 clove garlic

- 2 tbsp. EVOO

- 1/2 cup sweet onion, chopped

-1/2 cup celery, chopped

- 1 package of ground turkey meat (can substituent with any ground meat)

- white wine

- basil (if desired)

- oregano (of desired)

- salt and pepper

-heavy cream (if desired)

Directions:

Pulse the carrot and garlic in a food processor until the garlic is finely chopped. Add the tomatoes and their juices, oil and a 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper and pulse until finely chopped.

Transfer sauce to a pot and simmer until thickened 20-25 minutes.

Meanwhile heat 1 tbsp of EVOO in large pan. Saute celery and onion until tender, about 5 minutes. 

Add turkey meat to pan and break up into small pieces, about 4 minutes. Next add in 1/2 cup dry white wine and bring to a simmer.

Next stir in the tomato sauce (this is when you would add the cream as well if you so choose) next season with oregano and basil and it is ready to be served.

I prefer to eat this dish prepared with zucchini linguine or occasionally some whole wheat pasta with of course some leafy greens or other green vegetable.

Healthy Shrimp Paella

I am always looking for a healthy spin on my favorite dishes and I recently came across this recipe by Daphne Oz in People Magazine. 

Growing up I loved eating Paella, it was a dish my mom would make every month or two and I thoroughly enjoyed it. While it is filled with fresh vegetables and seafood it is not always the healthiest of meals, so this recipe was a great find as it really fills the void I had for my rice heavy Paella.

Ingredients: 

- 1 cup pearl barley
- 3 cups water
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped (1½ cups)
- 1 cup thin red pepper strips
- 1 cup thin yellow pepper strips
- 1 small fennel bulb, stalks removed and cut into strips (1½ cups)
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ tsp. smoked paprika
- ½ tsp. ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 pinch saffron
- 2¼ cups hot vegetable stock
- ½ tsp. salt 

- ¾ lb. shelled large shrimp (about 16 shrimp)
- 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6 marinated artichokes, drained and quartered (1 cup) 

-15 pitted Kalamata olives, halved (¼ cup)

Directions:
Bring barley and water to a boil in a small saucepan. Cover and boil for 2 more minutes. Turn off heat. Let sit, covered, for an hour, until water is absorbed.

Heat oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat and cook onion until softened, 5 minutes.

Add peppers and fennel. Cook until vegetables soften, 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.

Add bay leaves, paprika, turmeric and cayenne. Mix in barley and cook for 2 minutes. Add vinegar, saffron, 2 cups stock and salt. Bring to a vigorous simmer.

Stir and cook until liquid reduces by half, 5 minutes. Reduce heat and simmer until most liquid is absorbed, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves and discard.
 

Stir in shrimp, peas, tomatoes, artichokes, olives and remaining ¼ cup stock. Simmer for 2 minutes, then turn off heat. Cover tightly and let rest 10 minutes until shrimp are just cooked through. Divide among 4 bowls. Serve.
 

Brussels Sprouts Two Ways

I came across this recipe in January's issue of Bon Appetit Magazine and have made it a dozen times since reading it. As a child I did not grow up eating Brussels Sprouts so now that I know I love them I am always looking for a new recipe to spice them up and this recipe really hit the mark.

Stir-Fried Brussels Sprouts with Garlic and Chile

Ingredients:

- 4 cups halved brussels sprouts

- Kosher salt

- 1/4 cup vegetable oil

- 2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic

- 1/4 cup oyster sauce

-  4 teaspoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla)

- 2 teaspoons soy sauce, preferably Thai thin soy sauce (such as Healthy Boy)

- 2 teaspoons sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon (or more) 1/8"-thick slices of red Thai chiles

- Pinch of ground white pepper

- 1/2 cup low-salt chicken broth

Directions:

Blanch brussels sprouts in a large pot of boiling salted water until bright green, about 15 seconds. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and stir until light golden brown, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a small bowl.

Increase heat to high; add brussels sprouts. Stir-fry until they begin to soften, 2–3 minutes. Add oyster sauce and next 5 ingredients. Stir-fry for 30 seconds; add chicken broth. Bring to a boil; cook until liquid is reduced slightly, about 2 minutes; add more chiles, if desired. Stir in garlic.

If you are looking for something a little less spicy then here is a recipe for you...

Brussels Sprouts with Apples and Shallots

Ingredients:

- 1 pound Brussels sprouts

- 2 large shallots, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings

- 2 medium crisp, firm apples (such as Gala, Honeycrisp or Braeburn), cored and cut into 1/2-inch chunks

- 1/2 cup water, divided

- 1/4 cup cider vinegar, divided

- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

- 4 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions:

Rinse Brussels sprouts well and pull off any loose or yellowing leaves. Trim the stem ends and then quarter each sprout. Set aside.

Heat a large high-sided sauté pan over high heat. Add shallots to the very hot pan and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Add apples and 1/4 cup water, scraping any brown bits from the bottom as the water sizzles. Cook until the liquid reduces by half, about 2 minutes. 

Add Brussels sprouts, remaining 1/4 cup water, 2 tablespoons vinegar, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until the sprouts and apples are tender enough to be pierced all the way through with a fork, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Uncover, stir in remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar and the leaves pulled from sprigs of thyme. Scrape any bits from the bottom of the pan as liquid sizzles and reduces until nearly gone. Transfer to a serving bowl with any of the remaining liquid and serve immediately.

15 Minute - Healthy Bowl

This high fiber, low sodium, dairy free dish takes just 15 minutes to prepare and you will be wondering why you never made it before. 

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
1 cup Organic Sprouted Green Lentils
1 bunch kale, stemmed, chopped 

1 bunch mustard greens, stemmed, chopped

1 head broccoli, cut into florets and steamed 

Choice of chicken, salmon, or tofu (optional)
1 avocado, cut into wedges (optional)

1 tbsp EVOO
Low sodium chicken broth
For serving:
Bragg Liquid Aminos 
Bragg Organic Sprinkle Seasoning 
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Directions:

Cook quinoa and lentils separately according to package instructions. (I cook in chicken broth instead of water)

While that is cooking chop up the greens and sprinkle protein with Bragg seasoning. Heat pan with 1tbsp of EVOO add chicken and sautee until cooked and then toss in greens. 

Divide quinoa among four bowls. Top with lentils, kale and mustard greens and your choice of tofu, chicken or salmon, if using. 

Garnish with avocado if you choose. Serve at the table with liquid aminos, seasoning and lemon wedges.

15 Minute Baked Salmon

Here is an easy to make Salmon recipe that will even please people who aren't big cooked salmon fans (like my mother and I... who happened to make the meal. 

While down in Florida this weekend my Grandma made sure to pick up some food to have in the house, one item was a GIGANTIC piece of salmon. Of course my mother and I NEVER cook salmon but hey, can't let good food go to waste. So we headed out to whole foods and grabbed some ingredients to make the best meal possible, and let me say we were both pleasantly surprised and my grandparents flipped over the meal!

Baked Salmon with Lemon-Thyme Flaky Salt 

Ingredients (Serves 4):

1 shallot, finely chopped

4 salmon fillets, skinless

4 teaspoons olive oil, divided

Sea salt and pepper

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon flaky salt, such as Maldon sea salt

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sprinkle half the shallot in a baking dish large enough to hold all of the fish in a single layer. Rub each fillet all over with a teaspoon of olive oil. Lightly season one side of each fillet with cooking salt and pepper. Place fillets on top of shallots in the baking dish, seasoned side down, and sprinkle with remaining shallot. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until flesh is opaque and flakes with a fork.

While fish bakes, prepare the seasoning salt by combining thyme, flaky salt and lemon zest in a small bowl. Mix gently. The salt mixture will be slightly wet and clumpy. When fish is done, sprinkle a little bit of the seasoning salt over each fillet, making sure each portion gets a bit of salt, zest and thyme.

Serve immediately with any remaining seasoning salt if desired.

This simple dish of baked fish topped with a fresh citrus-herb salt mixture can be easily prepared on a weeknight. Serve with your favorite grain and vegetables.  

We opted for orzo with sautéed mustard greens (my favorite) broccoli rabe (my moms favorite) and cherry tomatoes (who doesn’t love those). 

This is a dish I will definitely be making again and again...

15 Minute Pasta Dish

It's starting to get cold and what is better than a hearty pasta dinner after a long day? In my opinion, not much, but eating pasta all the time isn't a very healthy, so now I introduce you to my new favorite find DeBoles Pasta.

Skip the white pasta, or even the whole wheat and try out one or all of there many options ranging from spinach, to rice to quinoa and much more, some even come enhanced with flax seeds!

For my dinner I chose to use the Spinach Fettuccini because as you know by now, I love my Hints of Green!

 

Sausage and Spinach Fettuccini with Sautéed Greens

 Ingredients

- 1 Chicken Apple Sausage Link (can be substituted)

- Handful of Broccoli Rabe

- Handful of Mustard Greens

- 2 oz Spinach Fettuccini

- 1.5 tbsp EVOO

Remove the casing from the sausage and add to hot pan with EVOO, sauté until cooked through about 3 minutes.

 

 Dice up greens and add mixed greens to the pan and sauté for 3 minutes when greens wilt.

While the sausage and greens are cooking be sure to have the pasta cooking. Once the pasta is done strain and then add into the pan with sausage and greens. Add in a half a teaspoon of EVOO if needed and mix and serve. 

 Feel free to top with some grated parmesan serve and enjoy!

12 Minute Talapia

What I love about Tilapia is that it can’t take on many flavors, and what I love even more is its easy on the wallet!

This fish can be prepared with any side dish. As you know by now I love to try all sorts of greens so I paired it with Asparagus, Swiss Chard, Arugula and Cherry Tomatoes and Harvest Grains. 

Ingredients:

- 1 pc. Talapia

- 1/3 lb Cockles

- 1 cup Chicken Broth

- Oregano, Sea Salt and Pepper for seasoning

- 1 tbsp EVOO

Vegetables and Grain:

- Asparagus

- Swiss Chard

- Arugula

- Cherry Tomatoes

- 1/4 cup Harvest Grains

While oil is heating in a pan lightly season the fish. Place fish in the pan and lightly pan sear on each side. 

Once both sides are lightly browned add cockles as well as chicken broth. Cover and let cook until the clams open.

While the fish was cooking I followed the directions and cooked the Harvest Grains in a pot. I also sliced up all of the green veggies and sautéed them in a pan with EVOO and Sea Salt.

 

Once the fish was finished cooking I placed on top of a bowl filled with grains and veggies.