Healthy Turkey Meatballs

I'm not going to lie, the part of me that's Italian feels a little guilty about taking the meatball and turning it clean, but I got this recipe from when I did 21-Day Fix Extreme, and they are honestly very good.  This is a great way to substitute bread crumbs with oatmeal, and red meat for ground turkey.  Just remember that meatballs do not make an entire meal, so pair it with some whole grain pasta, or some veggies, or both, but make sure you make it a meal! (And Dad, if you read this, don't be upset that I turned the meatball into a health food...please???)

Ingredients:

- 1 1/2 lbs. 93% lean ground turkey
- 1 tsp. Sea salt or Hymalayan salt
- 1 tsp. dry mustard
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3/4 c. quick-cooking rolled oats
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 12 fresh parsley sprigs, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. tomato sauce, no sugar added







Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper, or lightly coat with non-stick spray.

3. Combine turkey, salt, mustard, smoke paprika, egg, oats, garlic, parsley and tomato sauce in a large bowl, and mix well.  (I used a Kitchen Aid mixer, but you can mix by hand.)

4. Roll mixture into 30 1-inch meatballs.  Place on prepared baking sheet.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until no longer pink in the middle.

Makes 6 servings, 5 meatballs each.

The great part about these meatballs is that you can freeze them, and then defrost and reheat them whenever you want, so you're not committed to eating meatballs three days in a row.  Just remember that if you're pairing these with pasta, you should really only be eating about three servings of carbs per day, around 1/2 cup serving, so don't throw them on top of half a box of pasta and think you're eating healthy.  Portion control, and meal planning are the key to success, so make sure you're aware of what you're putting in your mouth, and also try to get your carbs in early in your day so you have time to burn them.

If you have any questions or comments please contact me at:

www.beachbodycoach.com/mlbarclay
or
mariassuperfittraining@gmail.com

EAT CLEAN. TRAIN MEAN.

Maria

Healthy Lasagna Roll Ups

I love lasagna, but the classic lasagna is typically weighed down with whole-fat cheeses, and is very rarely portion controlled. I stole this from the Clean Eating Mag site, and what I love about this recipe, outside of the taste, is that it allows you to easily portion control your meals, and helps fill that craving for pasta and cheese.  I come back to this recipe time and time again, sometimes using ground bison, and sometimes using turkey.  Each will create a different texture and flavor, but they are equally delicious.

When it comes to whole foods, and clean foods, I always tell people that you need to know what you're willing to compromise in your diet.  I use low-fat and fat-free cheeses, however, other clean eaters would argue that these are over processed and not a healthy solution.  You have to be your own gauge when it comes to what you put in your diet, and what you choose to leave out.  If you prefer whole-fat, you can still make this recipe, it will just clearly have a higher fat content.

Ingredients:
- 8 Whole Wheat Lasagna sheets (cooked to pkg. directions)
- 1 15 oz. pkg. Low-fat Ricotta
- 1 pkg. Frozen Spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 Egg
- 3/4 c. Low-fat Shredded Mozzarella, divided
- 2 tbs. Fresh Basil (chopped)
- 1 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 small Onion, chopped
- 1 clove Garlic, chopped
- 1 lb. Ground Bison
- 1 28 oz. can Whole Tomatoes
- 1 tbsp. Smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp. Garlic Powder
- 1 tsp. Cumin
- Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a skillet or saute pan, heat EVOO on medium. Add onions, lightly salt, and cooked for 3 minutes.  Add garlic, and cook for additional 2 minutes.
2. Add bison, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, and cumin to bison and break up meat, cooking until very little pink is left.
3. Add whole tomatoes to pan, cover, and allow ingredients to simmer on low for 25 minutes, occasionally stirring in order to break up tomatoes.
4. While the meat sauce is cooking, cook lasagna noodles to package directions.  In a medium bowl, combine egg, ricotta, fresh basic, salt, pepper, spinach (squeezed of all excess fluid), and 1/4 cup mozzarella and mix well.
5. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spread 1 cup of cooked tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 10-inch casserole dish.  Lay a cooked lasagna noodle flat in front of you.  Use a spoon to spread 1/8 of the ricotta mixture across the noodle, and roll it up.  Place the rolled pasta seam side down, into the casserole dish.  Repeat with the remaining noodles.  Spread the remaining tomato sauce over the roll-ups, then top with the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella.
6. Bake, covered with foil, for 20 minutes.  Remove foil and broil for 5 minutes or until roll-ups are browned and bubbly.

If you find that you are someone who doesn't know how to eat lasagna without overeating, you'll greatly appreciate how each roll-up is an individual serving running around 234 calories (this is not a solid number as it will change depending on what type of meat you use). And like any pasta, the next day leftovers taste almost better than the fresh out of the oven product.  So, good luck and enjoy!

Grilled New Potatoes with Lemon Aoili and Chives

As I return to writing my Clean Eating blog, there seems like there is so much to catch up on, I don't know where to start.  So, I'll start with stating the obvious: when spring hits in New England, there is nothing I want to do more with my food, than throw it on the grill!  My father would say that grilling is a year round event, and he'll snow blow around his Weber in mid-January to make sure that chicken wings are served at a family gathering.

That being said, I'm not a snowshoe girl, and I rarely make an appearance in front of my grill until the trees start budding, and the birds start chirping...sorry dad! So, when I was staring at the pork tenderloin that sat lonely in my fridge, I needed to decide what kind of sides I wanted to prepare with it, and I immediately went to the guru of grilling himself (no not my dad, although he'll argue otherwise), Bobby Flay.

I have referenced his Grilling for Life book before, and I went straight to this book again to choose which starch would accompany my grilled pork tenderloin.  This day, I chose the Grilled New Potatoes with Lemon-Garlic Aioli and Chives.  Although aiolis typically are high in fat because of the mayonnaise, it's important to remember to choose an olive oil based mayo, and to substitute part of the measurement with plain non-fat Greek yogurt.  Although it can be a little tart, the texture remains the same, and very little change occurs in the delicious taste.

Grilled New Potatoes with Lemon-Garlic Aioli and Chives
Serves 6

Ingredients:
3 lbs. small New Potatoes, unpeeeled
1/2 c. olive oil based Mayonnaise
1/4 c. plain non-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
3 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 c. chives, finely chopped

 

Directions:
1. In a large pot of salted water, boil the potatoes until just cooked through but not completely soft, 10-15 minutes depending on size.  Test by piercing a potato with a thin bamboo skewer; when the skewer meets some resistance but can slide all the way through, the potatoes are ready. Drain the potatoes and set aside until cool enough to handle.
2. Combine the mayo, Greek yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, zest, 1/4 tsp. of salt and pepper each, and place in a blender and blend until smooth.
3. Heat your grill to high.
4. Cut the potatoes in half, brush the cut sides with olive oil, and season with the remaining salt and pepper. Grill the potatoes cut side down until golden brown and just cooked through, 2-3 minutes.
5. Place the potatoes on a platter, drizzle with the aioli, and sprinkle with the chives.  Serve warm.

Comments:
I absolutely LOVED this dish!  I am a huge fan of citrus, especially when it's not overpowering.  The lemon-garlic aioli adds a nice, light flavor to the dish, and brings a new characteristic to these starchy potatoes.  The pictures that you see above are not a serving for six, so don't be surprised when you make this dish and it seems like you have a ton of potatoes.  The full recipe is a great idea for cookouts, where you'll have more than a few guests over to enjoy your lighter, cleaner version of a potato salad.

I also chose to toss my potatoes in the aioli itself, rather than just drizzling the sauce on top.  I did this to ensure even coverage, and because I wanted to avoid having one potato with a ton of flavor, and one that barely had any.  This is a great example of how you can modify whatever recipe you're making to tailor your food preferences.  Appearance wise,  placing the potatoes on a platter, drizzling them with aioli, and then topping them with sprinkled chives, I'm sure looks beautiful and amazing.  However, you can make the choice as to how you would like to present your fancy potato salad to your arriving guests.

3 Bean Turkey Chili

I had a friend ask me on Facebook if I could share this recipe with her, and I automatically sent her here to my blog, and told her to search under 'turkey' or 'chili'.  Well, turns out, despite the fact that I've made this dozens of times, brought it to Chili Cookoffs, family cookouts, and football games, I somehow have never managed to get it blogged.  WEIRD!  Especially since this is one of my favorite dishes to cook, and one of my favorite fall dishes to eat.

Again this recipe was based off of something I came across on The Eat Clean Diet website, however I never truly followed the recipe, and it's definitely changed and evolved almost every single time that I've made a batch.  I always start with this base recipe that I'm providing here, and then depending on the occasion, or who I am feeding, I might spice it up, or change the toppings to suit the crowd.  What I particularly LOVE about this recipe is that it makes about 8 servings, so it's great to batch for a week, and it really only takes about 20 minutes of working prep time.  Super easy, suuuupppeeerrr yummy!

Ingredients:
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 stalk of celery, diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper, diced (with seeds if you want spice)
- 1 habenero, diced (with seeds for EXTRA heat, or leave this out entirely if you don't want it super spice)
- 1 tbsp. extra-virgin Olive oil
- 1 lb. lean ground turkey
- 1 15 oz. can Red Kidney beans
- 1 15 oz. can Pinto beans
- 1 15 oz. can Black bleans
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups tomato puree
- 1 tbsp. tomato paste
- Salt and Pepper to taste
-1 tsp. smoked Paprika
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1 tsp. Red Pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup shredded low-fat Cheddar cheese, divided
- 1/2 cup non-fat Greek yogurt, divided

Directions:
FOOD PREP:
1.  Dice yellow onion, celery, jalapeno pepper, habenero pepper, and chop garlic.  Keep all ingredients separate.
2. Rinse Red Kidney, Pinto, and Black beans and let drain until needed.
COOKING:
3. Heat olive oil in 4-quart pot.  Add onion and garlic, and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.
4. Add celery, jalabeno, and habenero pepper to pot.  Cook additional 4 minutes.
5. Add ground turkey, salt, pepper, smoke Paprika, cumin, and Red Pepper flakes to pot.  Mix spices in, and break up ground turkey.  Cook until almost all pieces are browned through, about 5-7 minutes.
6. Add tomato paste, tomato puree, chicken stock, and all three types of beans to pot. Stir.
7. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let simmer for 45 minutes.
8.  Top each serving with a tablespoon of Greek yogurt and low-fat Cheddar cheese.

A couple things to discuss in preparing this dish.  If you like it spicy, keep all of your pepper seeds in, but be aware that when you're cutting peppers, the oils will linger on your hands if you don't make sure to wash them very well.  Therefore, every cut, hang nail, or cracked part of your hand will burn for hours if you're not careful with how you prep them.

Also, I put a separate section for 'food prep' because it is getting everything diced up and ready to go that makes this dish feel super easy to execute.  If you're trying to dice while cooking other ingredients, you'll feel like you running around your kitchen like a madman.  Do youself the favor, dice everything first, rinse your beans, and open all your cans.  You'll be shocked at how fast and easy this dish is when all you have to do is keep adding ingredients to the pot, and stirring.

This is an AWESOME fall dish, and no matter where I bring it, people are usually shocked that it's a healthy dish, because it tastes better than the average beef chili, and doesn't sit quite as heavy in your body.  If you're going to pick just one dish to try on this blog, honestly, this would be the one I suggest.  ENJOY!!

 <3 MARIA

Chicken Penne with Sun-Dried Tomato & Fresh Red Pepper Sauce

What I'm about to tell you, might shock you...I LOVE PASTA!!!  In any form, with any cheese, I'm pretty much sold on most pasta dishes.  The biggest problem that I run into with pasta recipes, both at home, and when I dine out, is that no red sauce is EVER comparable to my father's sauce, so I rarely attempt to make, or order it for dinner.

What initially drew my attention to this dish was that the sauce was not a typical red sauce, and also that with my recent withdrawal from most dishes with chicken, I am forced to start looking for new ways to prepare this protein.  As with most people who eat clean, when you're limited to certain lean proteins, at some point you start to get bored with the way you habitually cook a particular protein.  I was reaching the point that I had about as much desire to eat chicken, as I did to lick a cardboard box.  Sooooo...time to switch it up.

This recipe started as a by-the-book dish, meaning I was't planning on altering it at all.  But, as I started to really prepare the dish, I realized that it was supposed to be served room temperature, the sauce wasn't hot, and the yellow pepper was tossed raw.  Ummm...NOPE!  I'm like a 90 year old woman. I need my food so hot that I can barely stand to eat it, and so I took this recipe from The Best of Clean Eating 3, and modified it to how I wanted it to be built.  AND...IT WAS AMAZING!!!

Ingredients:
- 2 5 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp low-sodium dry rub
- 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked whole-wheat penne
  (or other small whole-wheat pasta)
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 garlic clove finely diced
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil



Red Pepper Sauce:
- 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 2 tomatoes, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup unsalted raw cashews
- 1/4 cup whole fresh basil leaves
- 1 garlic clove
- fresh ground pepper to taste
- 3 oz. shredded Romano cheese, divided evenly

Instructions:
1. Preheat saute pan with chicken stock to medium-high.
2. Prep chicken breast with a thin coating of olive oil (1 tsp.), black pepper, and seasoning of choice.  Cook chicken in preheated pan for about 7 minutes per side, until juices run clear when pierced with a fork.  Set aside to cook for about 10 minutes, and then slice chicken.
3. Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions.  Rinse in cold water to remove sticky starches; drain well and set aside.
4. Prepare Red Pepper Sauce: In a blender or food processor, add all sauce ingredients; blend until very smooth.
5. Dice yellow bell pepper, yellow onion, and garlic, and saute in a pan heated to medium-high with 1 tsp. of olive oil.  Saute vegetables for about 5 minutes.
6. Add chicken, pasta, and Red Pepper Sauce to the pan with vegetables, and toss until everything is heated through.
7.  Divide evenly, and top with 1.5 oz. of shredded Romano cheese, and garnish with freshly sliced basil.

The recipe directions claim that this serves 2, and that a 2-cup serving is 648 calories.  I'll be honest when I say that I actually split this into three servings because it was a little too high, calorie and carb wise, so it will largely depend on how big of a portion you want for your lunch or dinner.  Where some people really try to avoid pasta, I recommend this:  always make sure you know what one portion looks like, and try to eat your carb-heavy meals early in your day so that you have hours to burn those carbs off.

I also want to point out the importance of recognizing what your food preferences are when you're trying a new recipe, and learning how to modify the recipe so you can fully enjoy it when all of your hard work is done.  I know I don't like luke warm food.  I also know that I don't like raw vegetables in my hot pasta.  So, I changed the recipe.  Get creative, step outside of your comfort zone, know what you like and don't like, and learn to modify your recipes according to your nutritional desires.  If you're going to try something new, wouldn't you rather fully enjoy it, rather than go in knowing there are certain things you're not going to like right off the bat?  So, if you're reading through this recipe, and you decide there's something you want to change, go ahead a mix it up to suit your needs!  ENJOY!!!

<3 MARIA

BAKED EGGPLANT CHIPS

I hate to waste food!  I literally make questionable food choices at least once a week, meaning I'll eat something that's probably past it's shelf life, but most likely won't make me sick, just because I don't want to see it go to waste.  Don't try this at home, but I have to openly admit that this happens on the regular...

I bring this up because the Baked Eggplant Chips were a direct result of not wanting to waste the beautiful eggplants that I had snagged at Spring Brook Farm, and at the same time, I had absolutely nothing to go with the burgers that I was making for dinner.  My husband is a HUGE fan of chips, or anything crunchy, especially with burgers and sandwiches, so I wanted to make something that was chip-like in consistency to satiate that desire.  Eating well is all about substituting healthy foods in place of those that you know are laden with fat and calories.  There is always another option, you just have to get creative and find it.

Ingredients:

- 1 small eggplant, thinly sliced
- 3 egg whites
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- Various seasonings (salt, pepper, smoked paprika, Italian blend, etc)



Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

1. Whisk egg whites in a container separate from the bread crumbs.
2. Mix Panko with desired herbs. (It really depends on what herbs you like, dried or fresh, and what you are eating the chips with).
3. Dip each eggplant slice into the egg whites, and then immediately into the bread crumbs, coating each side generously. Place each slice onto a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray.
4. Cook for 15-20 minutes depending on the size of the slices, and the amount on the tray.  You should see the Panko brown slightly, but not burn.
5. Remove from oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving.

They may not be potato chips, or french fries, but they are much healthier, make you feel like you're eating something similar, and are darn tasty!  If you like a sauce with your chips, try mixing together a little Dijon mustard and Non-fat Greek Yogurt (1 to 2 ratio) with some smoked paprika or black pepper.  It will make you feel like you're indulging when you're really just upping your veggie and protein intake!  ENJOY!

FROZEN GREEK YOGURT BLUEBERRY POPS

I'MMMM BAAACCKKK!!!  I have been missing for such a lengthy amount of time because I took on Personal Training almost full-time, and I'm learning how to adjust my schedule accordingly.  Well, that and I've taken on the third job of the summer: working on my epic tan which requires true dedication and a lot of SPF reapplying.  It's not easy...it's really not...

So, with summer in full force, and what is now the THIRD week of ridiculous humidity and heat, I think it's important to post something a little more refreshing, and easy to make, that is still healthy and low-fat.  I found this recipe while flipping through Real Simple Magazine by the pool (I told you I've been working hard), and was totally pumped to see how simple and easy it could be to make frozen pops with Greek yogurt.  I have seen suggestions and advertisements for many different brands of these in several different health magazines, but I have an issue with spending that much money, and usually there's some sort of preservative in order to keep the product through shipping, and so I have stayed away from purchasing them.   This recipe is stupid easy, tastes amazing, and can be modified with any fruit that you prefer, so mix it up and try different flavors and sweeteners!!!

Ingredients:

- 1 cup Non-fat Greek Yogurt

- 1 1/2 cup of Blueberries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries,etc.)

- 2 tbsp. Honey (agave nectar, maple syrup)

Directions:

1. In one bowl whisk the Greek yogurt and 1 tbsp. of honey.

2. In a separate bowl mash the blueberries and the remaining 1 tbsp. of honey.

3. In a 8-section pop tray layer yogurt, then fruit, and repeat until each each pop is full.

4. Take a toothpick or skewer and mix the Greek yogurt and fruit together to give it a swirled effect.

5. Freeze for at least 3 hours, or up to 3 days.

A word to the wise when removing your pops from the tray.  If you aren't eating them all at once, you should run warm water around the single pop you want to remove, and it will pop right out.  I originally tried to let them sit out to defrost a little, but then the inside got too warm as well, and the stick kept coming out.  Also, if you don't have a pop tray, you can always use small cups and pop sticks to make them.  High protein, low-fat, TOTALLY amazing and delicious!