Zucchini Pasta with Red Sauce and Oat-Filled Turkey Meatballs

Do you ever see a really good deal on a cookbook and feel obligated to buy it?  I'm normally not an impulse shopper, but when it comes to certain things, like cookbooks, I am!  Our local grocery store has a giant cookbook sale every once in a while, and last year this book was on sale for two-dollars.  Yes, two-dollars!!

Strangely enough, I've yet to make any of the "skinny desserts" (there is a molten lava cake that I'm planning on making soon), but I have to say I'm pretty proud of the fact that I've even used the cookbook once. I mean, with Pinterest, wonderful blogs and recipe websites, who needs cookbooks anymore?!  Well, as it turns out, I do!  This was actually the second recipe I made from this cookbook, and coincidently the first one I made was also using ground turkey (turkey meatloaf with crimini mushrooms).  Today I want to share with you a lower carbohydrate, fat, and therefore lower calorie way to make "spaghetti and meatballs".

You'll start with the "meatballs"......

Turkey Meatballs With Oats

Makes 12 balls (4 servings)

Modified slightly from a recipe found in Substitute Yourself Skinny, by Chef Susan Irby

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground turkey breast

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

2 egg white

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, combine the turkey, oats, egg, oregano, thyme, basil, salt and pepper.  Mix well.  Roll into 12 meatballs (about 2 heaping tablespoons each).  Spray a heavy ovenproof skillet (or baking sheet) with nonstick spray.  Place the meatballs in skillet and bake for 12 minutes or until done (should reach 165 degrees).

Estimated nutrition facts for 1-serving (3 turkey balls)

And if you want to have a very low calorie and low carbohydrate "pasta", make zucchini noodle pasta (or spaghetti squash is another option).  Simply shred zucchini and boil it for about 5 minutes (I used 4 zucchini for 4 servings).

Step one: shred the zucchini (1small zucchini per person)

Step two: boil water, then add zucchini and allow to simmer for 5 minutes

Step three: strain and put into a bowl 

Step five: add your favorite toppings

If you eat about 1 cup of the zucchini you will only be consuming about 20-30 calories.  Compare that to regular pasta, which is about 180-200 calories in a cup.  Yeah, now you get it!  And this is even husband approved. I reluctantly served this to Nick, but was happy to see (and hear from his "mmmmms") that he enjoyed this dish just as much as I did.  In fact, here is what he said, "What is this?" and I said, "Zucchini!!  Cool huh?!" and he said, "yeah, it's good!".  SCORE!  Now if only our future children can enjoy zucchini pasta....

** NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet look for a tomato sauce that is free of onion and garlic.  Or make your own by blending canned tomatoes, some spices, and garlic-infused olive oil.

The meatballs really tasted great, and with the tomato sauce and zucchini pasta, it was the perfect light and refreshing dinner.

QUESTION: Have you ever made zucchini pasta?  What other vegetables have you used as "pasta"?

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Clean Eating's Chicken Enchiladas

Ok, don't judge this recipe by the photo.  It was one of those recipes that I made in a state of ravenousness (yes, that's a word....look it up.....) and I had no patience to make the photo look good.  I just took the photo and devoured the enchilada.  Literally. Devoured.

Before making and....devouring....these enchiladas, I couldn't remember the last time I had eaten one.  In fact, I don't know if I could have even sat down for ten minutes and came up with a memory of eating or making enchiladas.

They are so easy, why had I never made them before? That's a question to really ponder.

I found this recipe in Clean Eating Magazine.  I haven't been overly impressed with their recipes lately, but this one was a winner (and I'm pretty excited about some of their March issue recipes too.  I have a long list of recipes to try!).  Maybe we enjoyed this recipe because it involved cheese and tomato sauce, two things that pair together quite well in my (and Nick's) opinion.

Clean Eating Magazine's Chicken Enchiladas

Serves 4

Adapted from a recipe in Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients

4 large whole wheat tortillas **

1-cup shredded extra sharp white cheddar cheese

3-cups shredded or chopped grilled chicken (~1.5 pounds)

1 cup chopped mushrooms **

4-ounces green chiles (from a can)

1 tsp. hot sauce

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. chile powder

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. sea salt

Sauce

15-ounces all-natural tomato sauce **

1 clove garlic, minced **

1.5 tsp. chile powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

NOTE**:  If you follow a Low FODMAPs diet, omit the garlic and mushrooms, and look for a gluten-free tortilla.  Also, it's hard to find a garlic and onion-free tomato sauce, so for those who are really sensitive this may not be a great recipe, period.  I had to suffer a bit to enjoy this recipe.....

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.  Combine chicken, green chiles, hot sauce, cumin, 1 tsp. chile powder, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and 1/4 tsp. sea salt in a large skillet pan over medium-high heat and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes.  Remove mixture from pan and set aside.

3.  Combine all sauce ingredients in the same nonstick pan used for the chicken.  Set over medium heat and cook until warm, about 10 minutes.

4.  Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of an 8 x 11-inch casserole dish.  Divide chicken mixture evenly among tortillas, fold right and left sides over to close and place, seam-side-down, snuggly in a casserole dish.  Top enchiladas evenly with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake on center rack for 20 minutes. 

Ummmm, that's a lot of sodium! I'm not entirely sure how accurate this estimate is, but either way it might be best to omit the extra sea salt, and look for a low-sodium tomato sauce. Just saying...yikes!

Nutrition Highlights:  Under 500 calories (really not bad for a rich enchilada!), excellent source of fiber, protein, calcium, vitamin C, and iron, good source of vitamin A.

These babies were bursting with flavor.  They were slightly messy, sure, but a good enchilada should be messy, right??

QUESTION:  When was the last time you made enchiladas? Do you have a favorite recipe? Please share it!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.