Zoodles with marinara turkey sauce

 

I've been eating low-carb so I made some noodles with zucchini aka zoodles.  I used ground turkey for the meat in the marinara sauce.  It was a 4-pack of 93% lean Butterball brand ground turkey from Costco.  I don't particularly like it because it seems like it's watered down but I'll eat it since I bought it.  I didn't include additional salt because there's already salt in the tomatoes and the flavor was seasoned enough to my liking.

I use a contraption called Paderno to make my zucchini noodles.  It comes with an assortment of blades to make different styles.   But this size is my favorite.  Here's the link if you want to check it out: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AW3B5MM/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ingredients:

• 2 zucchini, zoodled
  
• 2 bunches basil, chopped
  
• 1 package ground turkey
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
  
• 1 medium onion, chopped
  
• 5 sun dried tomatoes, chopped
  
• 2 cans tomato sauce
• 1 can chopped fire roasted tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  

Instructions:

1. Wash the zucchini and basil and set aside to drain.
2. Brown ground turkey.
3. Prep garlic, onions, and sun dried tomatoes (mince, chop) and add to browned turkey.
4. Add red pepper flakes, oregano, tomato sauce, and chopped tomatoes, and let simmer.
5. Prep zucchini (zoodle machine) and chop basil.
6. Add some basil to sauce and continue to simmer while prepping the noodles.
7. Place some zoodles in your dish, top with turkey sauce, garnish with a sprinkle of basil.
8. Enjoy!
   

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Zoodles with marinara turkey sauce (Reel) 
YouTube post of this video:  Zoodles with marinara turkey sauce (full video with captions)   

Stuffed Onions Spaghetti

 

I watched a video on YouTube that was all about a variety of different onion dishes.  I was inspired to experiment making stuffed onions.  I found a recipe online but didn't have all the ingredients it called for, so made some substitutions like ground turkey for lamb, dried parsley for fresh parsley and mint, brown rice for white rice, and cumin for baharat.  I had never even heard of baharat before and had to google what could be used in place for it.

The process was tedious, peeling the layers and wrapping each one up.  Needless to say, I did not like the taste and the cook time was not enough because the rice inside was still crunchy.  Additionally, I don't care for cinnamon spice in savory dishes.

The next morning, I attempted to change the flavor profile by making a spaghetti and having the stuffed onions act as the meatballs.  The spaghetti was fine, the onion layers too, but the stuffing still didn't sit well with me.  I am not trying this again.

Watch me prepare this experiment.

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Stuffed Onions Spaghetti (Quick clip) 
YouTube post of this video: Stuffed Onions Spaghetti (full video with captions) 

Beanless Turkey Chili

This is paleo-friendly. No beans included.

I usually add zucchini to this, but I didn't have any and I wasn't in the mood for a trip to the store.  I've been trying to eat less carbs, so I had the chili on a bed of mixed greens instead of rice.  Delicious!

Here's my recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 package ground turkey (approximately 2 pounds)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 3 bell peppers, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 Tablespoons cumin
• 2 Tablespoons chili powder
• 1 Tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 dashes of parsley
• 1-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, but I like the heat)

Instructions:

1. Prepare ingredients as described above (chop, slice, etc.)
2. Brown ground turkey.
3. Add remaining ingredients. Mix well, cover, simmer for 15-20 minutes.
4. Stir one more time.
5. Enjoy!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Beanless Turkey Chili (sped up for IG)
YouTube post of this video: Turkey Chili (full video with captions)

Pesto Sun-dried Tomato Turkey Meatballs

I found this tube of pesto paste on Amazon  and was excited to create something with it.  The ingredients are basil, sunflower and olive oils, salt, pine nuts, and garlic.  I was on a whole 30 journey at the time so this was perfect.

Here's the link if you want to give it a try: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0005XPC0A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Here's the recipe for my meatballs.

Ingredients:

• 5 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 pounds ground turkey
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
• 1 tube pesto paste

Instructions:

1. Prepare ingredients as indicated above (chop, slice).
2. Combine everything well.
3. Scoop balls and lay them out in a pan, spaced out 1-2 inches.
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.
5. Enjoy!

IG: @abundanceofvegetables
IG post of this video: Pesto Sun-dried Tomato Turkey Meatballs (sped up for IG)
YouTube post of this video: Pesto Sun-dried Tomato Turkey Meatballs (full video with captions)