Tag Archives: Turkey

protein, recipe

Moroccan Turkey Meatballs

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Every Monday morning I make my lunches for the week. They usually consist of some variation of ground turkey with a bunch of vegetables. I go between Mexican flavors and Italian. Sometimes I do Asian lettuce cups. Today I tried something different!

Here’s a great weekday lunch recipe for you- Moroccan turkey meatballs! They’re delicious with curried cauliflower.

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Ingredients:
for the meatballs
1 lb ground turkey (or beef or chicken or lamb)
1 big handful fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 tbs paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

for the sauce
1/2 tbs coconut oil
1 onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c tomato paste
1 c chicken stock
1 big handful fresh parsley, chopped

1. Mash up all meatball ingredients in a bowl until well incorporated. Form 1″ balls using wet hands and set aside on a baking sheet in the fridge while you make your sauce.

2. Sauté onion in the coconut oil until translucent in a large, deep stock pot. Add the garlic and spices and sauté just a moment longer. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, and parsley. Bring to a boil and dissolve the tomato paste. Reduce heat to simmer.

3. Carefully place the meatballs into the sauce in a single layer. This might be tricky, so use a spatula to gently push the meatballs to make room for all of them. Cover the pot and simmer for 40 minutes. Take the cover off and simmer for another 15-20 mins to allow the sauce to thicken.

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Love this dish! The base recipe came from the book Well Fed by Melissa Joulwan. I simply halved the recipe and made some minor adjustments. Whether you’re eating paleo or not, I highly recommend this cookbook for flavorful recipes!

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protein, recipe, vegetables

Shepherd’s pie – tasty, easy, healthy

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A few weeks ago one of my coworkers made a brilliant shepherd’s pie with cauliflower mash. I decided to make my own shortcut version:

Ingredients:
1 lb ground lamb, turkey, chicken, or beef
2 cups frozen diced vegetables
1 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
1 head cauliflower
1/2 c shredded white cheddar
1 egg
1-2 tbs butter (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Break the head of cauliflower into florets and stream in a steamer basket until tender (approx 10 mins).

2. Make the meat filling by sautéing onion in the olive oil. Add garlic. Once fragrant, add the ground meat. Once browned, add the frozen veggies, tomato paste, and seasonings. Spread the mixture in a large casserole dish or a series of small ones.

2. Purée the cauliflower and egg in a food processor or blender. Add salt, pepper, and butter (if desired). Top the meat in the casserole dish with this cauliflower mash. Sprinkle cheese on top.

3. Bake for about 20 minutes and broil for a few mins longer at the very end. Serve with sliced chives on top.

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Yum! This recipe is husband approved.

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protein, recipe

Turkey Lettuce Cups & Homemade Hoisin Sauce

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Hoisin sauce is easy to make at home! This recipe beats the bottled kind with stabilizers and artificial ingredients:

Combine:
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tbs low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
1 tbs almond butter (or peanut butter)
1/2 tbs agave or honey (or leave it out)
1 tbs sambal olek (chili paste)
1 tsp sesame oil

Begin by browning 1 lb of lean ground turkey in a pan. Add 1 can diced water chestnuts, 1 tbs minced garlic, and 1/4 cup chopped green onions. Stir in the hoisin sauce. Serve in lettuce or cabbage cups.

This dish is easily packed for weekday lunches- just store the lettuce leaves separately from the seasoned turkey.

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Ugh- what a terrible picture! I hate fluorescent lighting. I’m excited to work on improving my food photography in the coming months. For now, trust that these recipes taste better than they look!

protein, recipe

Southwestern turkey stew

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Today is Day 3 of the sugar detox and no cravings yet! I’ve had a good amount of energy for working out, too.

I teach an exercise class at work every day. It’s nice to have a break from seeing patients to lead the class for our employees. I’m always pretty hungry after class.

Here’s what I usually pack for lunch:

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It’s a recipe I came up with after buying a ton of ground turkey at Costco. I call it southwestern turkey stew- it’s similar to chili.

1. Brown 1 lb ground turkey in a pan and season to taste with taco seasoning or chili powder, salt, pepper, and garlic.

2. In a separate pan, sauté 1 chopped onion with 1 chopped green bell pepper in a bit of olive or coconut oil.

3. Add a can of diced tomatoes and a can of roasted green chilis to the onion and bell pepper and simmer until bubbling.

4. Add the browned turkey to the vegetable mixture and cook through.

This recipe makes 4-5 servings and is ready in 20 minutes! It’s a great weekday lunch because you can whip up a whole week’s worth on a Sunday night in no time. Serve with a dollop of plain greek yogurt and shredded cheese!

protein, recipe

Shepherd’s Pie with Cauliflower Mash Recipe

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My coworker made the most amazing sugar detox meal! I’m pretty excited to share this genius idea of hers.

Over the weekend, she went out to Cheesecake Factory and really wanted to try the shepherd’s pie, but decided to make her own healthy version at home. Here’s the result!

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This dish is so good, I could eat it every day! Thanks for letting me have some and for sharing the recipe:

1. For the cauliflower mash: steam cauliflower florets until tender. Mash them with 1/4 cup of cream and butter to taste. Add a bit of shredded mozzarella and one egg to get the mixture to bind. Season with a bit of garlic.

2. For the base: brown 1 lb of ground turkey in a pan. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. In a separate pan, sauté shredded carrots, shredded green beans, shredded onions, and shredded tomatoes. All this shredding can be done in a food processor! Combine the turkey and veggies in a casserole dish.

3. Top the meat and veggie mixture with cauliflower mash and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Broil to get the cheese golden and bubbly for the final 2-3 minutes.

Can’t wait to make this! It’s so satisfying and you won’t even miss the potatoes.

protein, recipe

Easy lunch

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Hello! It’s a very slow day at work, so I thought it would be nice to share my recipe for an easy, tasty lunch!

curried turkey patty
8oz lean ground turkey meat
1 tbs plain bread crumbs
1 tbs egg whites
1 tsp fresh cilantro
1 tsp Calcutta heat (or curry) seasoning
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp minced garlic

Mush all the ingredients together and form into two patties. Pan fry with high-heat canola oil spray, flipping after 3 mins. Cook until no longer pink inside.

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spinach salad

2 cups organic baby spinach
1/2 c sliced grape tomatoes
1/4 c sliced English cucumber
1/4 c sliced yellow bell pepper
1 tbs lite Italian dressing (I like Annie’s naturals)

Layer the sliced veggies in a glass tupperware and drizzle with dressing. Place the spinach on top. When you’re ready to eat, just shake it up!

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I hope you enjoy this tasty dish! It’s yummy with brown rice on the side and maybe even a bit of mustard.