Turkey Muffins

I had the neighbor boys over tonight and I knew I wanted to use my ground turkey meat. The boys are good eaters, but not quite as healthy as my kids are (yet). A friend gave me this recipe but I added an extra vegetable. The boys didn't like them at first, but I gave them a little ketchup and the muffins disappeared! I paired the turkey muffins with baked veggies (frozen mixture with a bit of olive oil and salt).

• 1-2 lbs ground turkey (I used 1 lb)
• 3 egg whites
• 1 cup quick oats
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 2 tsp ground yellow mustard (I ran out and didn't have any tonight)
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 1 pepper, chopped

Preheat oven to 375. Spray regular muffin pan with nonstick spray. Combine all ingredients. Press into muffin cups. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Makes 12+ muffins.


Thanks for the recipe, Jen!

Egg Muffin? Yes Please!

I've never had an egg muffin from McDonald's, so I'm not sure what I'm "missing" but I decided to make my own version a few months ago. Slowly I've morphed it to what I eat now. This morning my husband was working at a local office, meaning he had time to wait for me to cook, and asked that I make him one, as well.

Ingredients:

• 1 Ezekial Muffin, halved
• 1 thin slice of cheese (I sprinkle a little bit of shredded provolone today)
• 1 egg, remove yolk if desired
• handful of spinach (mine is frozen)
• oil to grease pan
• Optional: 1/2 tsp chia seeds

Directions:

1. Heat oil in pan, add spinach. Cook until wilted. In the mean time, cut your muffin and toast it. 
2. Remove spinach from pan and add egg. If you want to add the chia seeds, add them to your cooking egg. I like my yolk hard so I can remove it. Steve likes his runny. 
3. Place cheese on warm toasted muffin, add spinach, then egg, and top with the other half of the muffin.

Husband Wanted Meat

So I gave him meat. I made pepper turkey burgers. The kids ate them up! I still very much dislike meat burgers. I never liked them. Never. Anyway, these are good and worth sharing, according to Steve and Colton.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground turkey
1 pepper, finely chopped
1/2 package mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 Tsp olive oil
2 Tsp garlic powder
3/4 Tsp cumin
1 Tsp oregano
1/2 Tsp parsley
1/2 Tsp pepper

Directions:
Mix turkey, pepper, mushrooms, onion and oil together. I used a chopper for the pepper and onion. Set aside. Mix together all the spices. Mix spices into meat mixture. Form patties and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Heat oiled skillet to medium. Cook each side for about 5 minutes.

We topped our burgers with a thin slice of provolone cheese, mustard. We chose not to have a bun tonight, but if we did, I would have used Ezekial Muffins, lightly toasted. We had a side of steamed veggies and a salad.

Enjoy!

Cold days...Mmm Soup!

I'm a little behind! I'll try to catch up on a few days since I slacked over the holidays.

We've had plenty of cold days recently! Try this veggie loaded soup to keep you warm and healthy! I think soups are the best when they are reheated. Remember to freeze extras for another day!

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
2 peppers, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 c. carrots, chopped
1/2 package of mushrooms
2 zucchini, chopped
2 cans tomatoes, no salt added
32 oz chicken or veggie broth, low sodium
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 tsp basil leaves
1 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp marjoram (optional)
1 Tbsp olive oil

Directions:
Heat large pot with oil. Saute onions, peppers, celery, and carrots until veggies start to become tender. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Cover and cook for about one hour.

Optional: Cook quinoa in separate pot. Add quinoa to soup when it's cooked.

NEED SUGAR!!

The past few months I've been a candy monster. Seriously. I ate all chocolate candy in sight. A new year, an old me. I'm going back to eating healthy and eating healthy treats. Of course I'll still have a peanut butter cup when I visit the Quentin Antique Shoppe (which is often since my parents own it). Here is a recipe I follow for the family favorite treat: Black Bean Cookies. Yum!

http://www.yankeekitchenninja.com/2013/01/black-bean-chocolate-cookies.html
FYI - I omit the flour so it is gluten free
Note - I do not add chips to the batter. I put a few chips on top of each cookie before it goes in the oven.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup sugar (you can substitute honey or agave syrup if you prefer)
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 15-ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons skim milk
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.

In a food processor, combine the beans, milk, peanut butter, olive oil and vanilla and process until smooth. Working in small batches, add the dry mixture to the food processor and process until fully incorporated (it will resemble mousse). Fold in the chocolate chips (do not process).

Drop heaping soup spoonfuls onto a prepared baking sheet (you should end up with 16 large mounds). If you like, sprinkle a couple of extra chips onto each cookie mound. Bake for about 12-15 minutes (the cookies will still be a bit soft). Cool the cookies on the pan for a few minutes and then move them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Juicy Burgers!

This time of the year, we are often low on Vitamin D. Mushrooms provide a small percentage of this important vitamin. It's also a good source of potassium. I didn't get time to make my own Worcestershire sauce but I hope to make it soon because I love it!

• 1/3 cup Olive Oil
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce (http://www.foodrenegade.com/homemade-worcesterschire-sauce/) 
• 2 tsp garlic
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 6 large portobello mushrooms
• 2-3 cups spinach or kale
• hamburger ingredients (I prefer Ezekial bread, mustard, tomato slices, pickles).

1. Mix the oil, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, and pepper and pour over the mushrooms.  
2. Marinate for 1 to 3 hours.  
3. Grill for 4 to 6 minutes on each side.
4. Sautee the spinach with a bit of oil and garlic. 
5. Load your "burger" with your favorite toppings! My husband added a little bit of mozzarella cheese. 

Crock Pot Chili

Can you believe that I didn't use my crock pot for the first four years after we received it as a gift for our wedding? Now I use it at least once a week, if not more. Last night, while waiting for Steve to get home from the game in the bad weather, I decided to make the chili instead of waiting until the morning. I don't usually follow a recipe. I just use the ingredients I have on hand. I try to add as many vegetables that I can fit into my pot! Here is what I used last night:

Ingredients:

• 1 package of ground turkey
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 Tbsp chili powder (http://www.food.com/recipe/chili-powder-16892)
• 3 bell peppers, 1 red, 1 orange, 1 green (I would have used more but that's all I had), chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 package of mushrooms, rinsed
• 3 cans diced tomatoes (no salt added) - use fresh if available!
• 3 cans beans (low sodium), 1 black bean, 1 kidney bean, 1 Black Eye Peas, rinsed
• 1 Tsp garlic powder

Directions:

1. Brown meat in heated oiled pan, add half of the onion and half of the chili powder. Drain.
2. Put all ingredients in the crockpot and cook on low for about 5 hours. 

I cook most of foods slightly bland because the kids eat it. Feel free to add more chili powder to your crockpot if you want more of a kick!