Turkey Meatballs with Pesto over Zucchini Ribbons {Day 3 Clean Eating}

Google and I have been BFFS this week, 

ok who am I kidding we are always BFFS, but more so this week.

I find my self googling "Is _______ clean eating?"

And not much to my surprise there is a lot of gray areas.

Based off the brand and self life, these things can REALLY change a product to clean eats.

For instance I was wondering about parmesan cheese.

Based off my google search, which lets keep it real if its online it MUST be true {hahaha}, it is in moderation.  And well duh it says to NOT purchase the shaker kind that somehow can survive outside of the refrigerated section.

So between google and the product labels I would say best advice is, buy fresh and buy items with 7 or less items listed as ingredients, and make sure they are things you know.

Turkey Meatballs with Pesto over Zucchini Ribbons:

For pesto I used Lesely's recipe, I subbed the walnuts for toasted pine nuts.

Best part is, it makes a ton and you can just have it handy in the fridge.

Meatballs:

- 1lb organic no antibiotics or pesticides ground turkey

- 1 cage free egg

- 1/2 cup Ians Panko Wheat Bread Crumbs {this is one of those google searches from above}

- 1 tsp salt

- 1 tsp pepper

- 1 tsp garlic powder

- And optional, I like to add Nutritional yeast, you can read the benefits here.

Mix all together and form balls, I usually get 8.

You can cook these two ways:

Baked at 350 for 25 mins

Or

Pan cooked with a little olive oil, sear the sides, then add a sauce cover and cook for at least 25 mins.

While the balls cook, you can cut zucchini in ribbons, with either a veggie peeler or medallion.

Then in a pan with a little olive oil sauté them until a little translucent.

Plate the zucchini and meatballs. Spoon a heaping teaspoon of pesto, sprinkle a little fresh grated parmesan and red pepper flakes if you like a little kick.

As for the kids, they are not big zucchini fans, which I am ok with, they cannot like every veggie. So I make them quinoa pasta and a little of Gia Russa's low sodium pasta sauce. 

I cannot stop thinking of what else I can use my pesto on... possibilities are running amuck in my head.

Tonight we are heading out to eat for my BIL's birthday, fingers crossed I can rest the cake! 

Flank Steak Asparagus Bundles {Clean Eating Day 2}

Someone asked me yesterday "Why clean eat, when you don't need to lose weight?"

Clean eating for me is not a diet to lose weight, but a lifestyle change.

A change to be more mindful of what our bodies are consuming.

I can pronounce and accountant for every ingredient my body took in yesterday.

Thats a winning day in clean eating for me.

Last night I made this little bundles.

Super simple and yummy.

Flank Steak Asparagus Bundles {makes 8 bundles}:

- Flank Steak around 1.5lbs

- 2 garlic cloves crushed

- 3 tsbp olive oil

- a bundle of thin asparagus

I took the flank and cut it down the middle making to flanks

Then trimming any fat, cut strips about 3 inches wide.

I laid the strips out covered with some wax paper and took my handy dandy pot and tenderized them.

Then sprinkle with some salt and pepper.

Add to a ziploc with garlic and olive oil, give the bag a good massage.

Set aside, for 30 mins.

In the meantime preheat your oven for 350.

Trim the asparagus, add to a lined baking pan, add a little olive oil and s&p.

Bake for 15 mins.

Remove and cut them in half.

I used my grill pan on medium heat, a grill would be great also.

To make the bundles, take the strips add some asparagus to one end and roll up.

You will not want any over lapping, so trim as needed and secure with a toothpick.

Grill, these are thin so not very long on each side.

I served ours with a side of tomato and cucumber.

Just tossed with a little apple cider vinegar and olive oil, then sprinkled with salt and pepper.

One thing I have noticed with focusing on clean eating, we have been eating clean for the most part. Or should I say at mealtimes.  But snacks are a completely different story.  Yesterday I snacked on a dragon fruit, apple with almond butter, Larabar, a banana, and a juice of beet, kale, carrot, and a red apple.  I am working on thinking of more out side the box snacks, any suggestions?

See you back tomorrow...

Zucchini & Sauce {fast and healthy!}

Ready for a super easy, super yummy, and very healthy recipe?

Hip Hip Hooray!

Here is what you will need:

- Zucchini {for my fam bam of four I used 4 large zucs}

- a jar of a low sodium pasta sauce {I buy Gia Russa brand, its no salt add and is 20mg per serving which is 1/2 a cup}

- organic Italian chicken sausage or ground turkey

First brown your meat.  While thats browning, cut your zucchini ends off and slice down the middle.  Then take a peeler or if you are fancy shamancy a mandolin and make thin ribbon slices.  Once your meat is browned add sauce and let simmer.

While the sauce is simmering add zucchini to a medium size sauce pan with a large dash of olive oil and pinch of salt. Cook while gently stirring for around 5 mins over medium/low heat.  

Add to a bowl with a serving of sauce.

DELISH! 

PS: adapted from my StepMomma's recipe.

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In other food news, there are a few "we play with our food" plates I have done for Bean over the past couple of weeks...

 

Making food fun can lead to kids trying all new foods.

Chicken and Fried Quinoa

You may or may not know my feelings about quinoa.

But lets just say, I love it.

Which basically makes me think about different ways of using it during the week,

This week I made a Chicken and Fried Quinoa dish.

And the best part of this dish, the chicken can easily be replaced with tofu for a veggie dish.

Here is what you need:

- 1 cup uncooked quinoa

- 1lb to 1 1/2lbs of fresh chicken tenders - chopped

- 1/2 cup chopped onion

- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots

- 2 eggs

- 1/3 low sodium soy sauce

- 2 cloves chopped garlic

- 1 teaspoon grated ginger

- 1 teaspoon sesame oil

- canola oil

Cook the quinoa per bag instructions.

Once quinoa is cooked, heat a tsp of canola oil in large skillet over medium high heat.

Add garlic and ginger a cook until garlic starts to turn brown, then add chicken with sesame oil.

Cook chicken through about 5 mins.

Add eggs and scramble.

Remove from pan.

Heat some more oil and add onion, carrots, and peas, cook for 5 more mins.

Then add quinoa  and soy stirring, for another 5 mins.

Lastly add back chicken and eggs {with any juices}.

Serve right away with a little chopped scallion and sriracha. 

ENJOY!

Quinoa Corn Cakes

We are quinoa addicts. 

Honestly, like the whole family.

I try to make it at least three times a week.

We even have a insider name for it, "the poop grain".

I mean lets keep it real, or in this case regular, anything with that much fiber is helping out if you know what I mean.

But I digress. 

What you will need:

- 2 cups cooked quinoa {and if it is your first time making it MAKE SURE TO RINSE IT OUT!}

- 3 tbsp all purpose flour

- 1 egg slightly beaten

- Juice from half a lemon

- 2 tsp pepper

- 1 tsp salt

- Corn from to ears

- Olive oil

For dressing:

- 1/4 cup sour cream or greek yogurt

- 2 tbsp of lemon juice

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Scallion

-Mix all ingredients except oil olive.  Set to the side for about 5 mins. Heat about 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.  Form patties about 1/4 in thick, if your patties are too wet add a little more flour.  Then fry them about 5mins per side. Just keep an eye and adjust the temp as needed. I worked in batches and  used the oven to keep them warm.

For the dressing mix the sour cream, lemon and s&p. 

Spread on warm cake then sprinkle with scallion.

Makes about 9 cakes.

These turned out super yummy.

I hope to play around some more and come up with other varieties.

Enjoy!

And eat your quinoa on the "regular"!

Homemade Turkey Sloppy Joes.

Like I said yesterday, we had Turkey Sloppy Joes planned for Tuesday night din din.

So here is my from scratch, no jarred stuff here, Slop Sloppy Joes.

{advance apologies for the crap iphone pics}

Ingredients:

- 1 lb ground turkey

- 1/4 cup brown sugar

- 1 tbsp Adobe seasoning

- 1 medium onion chopped

- 2 medium carrots chopped into small pieces {now most people will use a bell pepper, my fam bam is not bell pepper fans, so carrot it is}

- 1 & 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar

- 1 & 1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

- 2 cups tomato sauce

- 2 tbsp tomato paste

- potato rolls to serve

First brown the turkey with the brown sugar and adobe seasoning over high medium heat.

Once browned add onion and carrots. Then add red wine vinegar and worcestershire sauce and reduce heat to medium and cook for 5 mins.

Mix in tomato sauce and paste, reduce to a simmer and cook another 5 mins.

And bam!

You have homemade Turkey Sloppy Joes!!!!

For a side I made cucumber salad:

Ingredients:

- cucumber

- shallot diced small

- 2 dollops of sour cream

- 1 tsbp red wine vinegar

- 1 & 1/2 tsp dry dill weed

Mix everything together, add salt and pepper to taste.

Add a little kick with a jalapeno pepper or

if you can't handle the heat, a sliced pickle will be nice.

BUT for the love of everything DO NOT FORGET THE TOTS!!

Enjoy.

Two Minute Salsa.

We planning this for this upcoming weekend, I wanted to make a lot of stuff in advance.

When you are going to have 6 extra people around for 5 days, planning is key to a stress free weekend.

One thing I knew right away to make was this salsa recipe passed to me by my girlfriend Jenni.

It really is beyond easy.

What you will need:

- 3 cans stewed tomatoes {original}

- 3/4 onion {diced}

1/2 bunch of cilantro

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 1/4 tsp ground cumin

- 1/2 tsp garlic powder

- jalapenos {to taste}

- 6 shakes of red wine vinegar

- salt {to taste}

Ready for this, combine in food processor and push button.

And now you have salsa!

This recipe filled a large 24 oz mason jar AND a smaller 12 oz.

Which worked out perfect, filled the 24oz jar up, then add some more jalapeno blended for a hot version.

This is better after a day or so in the fridge.

Add chips and enjoy!

Off to check something else of my list.