turkey sausage, peppers, onions & tortellini salad

Last night I made a new version of THIS delicious tortellini salad. I added turkey-apple sausage (Trader Joe’s), cooked peppers, onions, sun dried tomatoes and mixed greens.

herbed turkey meatballs & cranberry bbq sauce

I saw this amazing recipe on Spoon Fork Bacon. Can’t wait to make these…

Ingredients:

Meatballs -

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/3 cup oats
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons Worchestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons sage, minced
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, minced
• 1 tablespoon thyme, minced
• 1 tablespoon chives, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper to taste

butternut squash soup with turkey bacon

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 lb butternut squash, cubed
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons EVOO
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 teaspoons chipotles in adobo, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken stock or broth
• 14oz white sweet corn
• 1 bunch fresh sage
• 1 strip turkey bacon, diced small
• 4 tablespoons low fat Greek yogurt

roasted squash & spicy cucumber salad

On Sunday night, I made roasted squash with Parmesan and herbs. We added spicy turkey sausage and red pepper flakes to give it some extra kick. One the side, I made a lime cucumber salad. It was a delicious, healthy Sunday night dinner.

Recipe for Cucumber Salad:  Cucumber, tomato, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and chile powder

kale, apple & turkey bacon salad

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces sliced turkey bacon, diced
•  1/4 cup champagne vinegar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or agave
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small head radicchio, shredded
• 1 8-ounce bunch kale, stems discarded, leaves shredded
• 2 tart yet sweet apples, sliced into thick matchsticks
• 3/4 cup pecans, toasted if desired

the big stack burger

 

While I was in NYC last week, I picked up the August/September issue of the magazine Clean Eating. I was drawn in by the cover photo: an amazing turkey/quinoa burger.  We cooked these burgers tonight, and they were AMAZING!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 2 medium red onions, trimmed and peeled, divided
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 18 oz extra lean turkey meat
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 3 tsp smoked sweet paprika, divided
• 1 tsp mustard powder
• 1 small clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 medium dill pickle, minced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives
• 1 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 4 medium whole-grain buns
• 2 medium vine-ripe tomatoes, sliced

greg’s ultimate turkey burger

On Sunday, Greg barbecued the rest of the turkey burgers on our grill. I had to take a photo of his ultimate turkey burger!

Greg’s Ultimate Burger: BBQ turkey burger with turkey bacon, BBQ sauce, pineapple, mushrooms, onions and pineapple…all on a toasted whole wheat English muffin.

See full recipe HERE.

First Friday

On Friday we grabbed food to-go from Sauce on Hampton. We had the chopped salad and the turkey meatloaf with quinoa and yellow sweet potatoes. So good!

turkey bacon-wrapped potato bites

My good friend Lauren got married this past weekend on the beach in Florida. It was such an amazing wedding. We ate a similar version of this appetizer at the reception (bacon-wrapped scallops), and I loved it!

clean and lean lettuce wraps

Ingredients:

• 4 leaves iceberg lettuce
• 4 slices roast turkey
• 1/2 cucumber, sliced
• hummus
• sprinkle of paprika

greg’s bbq turkey burgers with turkey bacon

The first day of Spring is tomorrow. Can’t wait to me THESE turkey burgers with turkey bacon for a Spring BBQ.

Ingredients – Makes 4 Servings:

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon seasoned bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon finely diced onion
• 5/8 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley
• 3/8 clove garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Package of turkey bacon
• Toppings for burger: Avocado, Onions, Spinach/Arugula, Tomatoes, Mustard, BBQ sauce
• Whole Wheat English muffins

light lunch wrap

When work is crazy (like it was today), I always need to pack my lunch. I need to remake this Light Lunch Wrap with turkey, shredded carrots, alfalfa sprouts, light cream cheese/hummus and tomatoes.

couscous, bean & sausage stuffed peppers

Ingredients:

• 4 large orange bell peppers
• 1/2 pound seasoned turkey/chicken sausage
• 1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup crumbled feta (4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup plain raw couscous
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• salt and pepper
• 2 cups veggie or chicken stock

smoky minestrone with tortellini & parsley or basil pesto

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 slices turkey bacon, chopped into small pieces (optional)
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 leek, trimmed and sliced thinly
• 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, chopped
• 1 zucchini, chopped
• 1 potato, peeled and chopped
• 4 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 15 oz. can of cooked chickpeas, preferably organic
• 1 28 oz. can of peeled San Marzano tomatoes, with juice
• Salt

Parsley or Basil Pesto

• 1 cup kale, chopped fine
• 1 9-ounce package of high quality, all-natural cheese tortellini
• Aged balsamic vinegar, for drizzling (optional)
• Grated parmesan cheese for garnish (optional)

BLT-A Quinoa

My family had a belated birthday brunch for me yesterday. My Uncle recreated the BLT-A quinoa salad. It was a fabulous brunch addition!