Spinach and Turkey Meatballs with Chunky Tomato Sauce

This recipe is inspired by one of my best friends Jenna. Jenna is my twin. We work out together, we cook together and most importantly, we eat together. Jenna is alway the one to show me a new work out routine or a new diet trend and she always keeps me motivated to work out harder and improve myself. I can always count on her for advice and the honest truth.

Whenever I want to make a meal, I always call Jenna to come over and eat with me and try my recipes. We typically like to work out together and then stuff our face with delicious home cooked meals (good/bad). She also loves to cook. A lot of the recipes that I make are inspired by her own recipes. It is so great to have a friend that accepts the passion that I have for food and actually "gets it". 

Last week I went over to Jenna's house to have dinner with her and her mom and she made the most amazing greek turkey burgers with homemade tzazki sauce and sweet potato fries (right up my alley). I couldn't keep my fork down because it was so delicious and flavorful. I kept on telling her that I was going to copy the recipe and blog about it. 

Tonight I had a family dinner with my roommates and decided that I was going to make a version of her turkey burgers. Instead of making burgers though, I made meatballs and changed the recipe to make it more of my style. The meatballs were so flavorful and moist and everyone cleared their plates (Always a good sign). It was a success! 

Here is how I did it:

Spinach and Turkey Meatballs with Chunky Tomato Sauce 

Spinach and Turkey Meatballs:
- 1 package of frozen spinach (defrosted)
- 1/2 large onion (grated)
- 1.5 pound lean ground turkey
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tbs almond milk
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp parsley
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 4 tbs olive oil

Chunky Tomato Sauce:
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1 tbs chopped garlic
- 1 1/2 cans of diced tomato
- 1 1/2 tbs tomato paste
-1/4 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp oregano
- 2 tbs almond milk
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped black olives

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, combine defrosted spinach (drain the excess water out with a paper towel), grated onion, turkey, and the rest of the ingredients besides the olive oil. Once your ingredients are mixed, spoon the meatball mixture into 2 inch balls and place on a baking sheet.

When your meatballs are made, heat a large skillet up with 2 tbs of olive oil and sear half of your meatballs. Make sure you sear the meatballs on each side so you get color on each side. Use the rest of the olive oil to sear the other half of your meatballs.

Place your seared meatballs on a baking dish and bake for 10 minutes until the center is fully cooked. Let them rest while you make your sauce.

For the sauce, chop up onion and garlic and sauté in 2 tbs of olive oil. Add the diced tomato, tomato paste, chili flakes, salt, pepper and oregano. Cook for 5-7 minutes until your sauce has reduced a little. Take it off the heat and add almond milk and black olives.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil with salt and olive oil and cook whatever type of pasta you would like. I made whole wheat pasta but you can use regular angel hair pasta or gluten free pasta. If you don't want pasta, make spaghetti squash.

I garnished the dish with some parmesan cheese and fresh basil. I believe that it is important to make your dish as bright and colorful as possible. It makes the meal a little bit more special.

Here is a picture of Jenna and me at the Philadelphia Marathon Expo this past November. I ran the full and she ran the half (both our first times). This dish would have been the perfect meal to make the night before the race! CARBO LOAD! 

Anne 

Mussels with Fennel and White Wine with Garlic Rye Bread

I went on a field trip today.... to Whole Foods!!! I love Whole Foods so much, I feel like a kid in a candy store when I'm there. The food is gorgeous, the people are nice, and there is a hot food bar.. What more can you ask for? Today I went with a few of my friends and I literally spent two hours there (kind of excessive). While I was perusing the isles, I walked by the seafood market and was immediately drawn to the mussels.

I have a sick obsession with mussels. When I go to France to see my family, we have mussels at least one night of the week. They are the perfect meal for a summer night and you can make them in so many different ways. Plus, they are the easiest thing to make. Typically in France, we have mussels with french fries (moules frites). The french fries soak up the broth from the mussels and it is absolutely mouth watering.

I decided to make mussels with fennel and white wine because it is refreshing and light. I was pressured not to make French Fries because I was surrounded by all the Whole Foods health nuts so I purchased Rye bread to go along side the mussels.

This dish is perfect for any night of the week. If you want something light you can just have the mussels or if you want something heartier you can have it over pasta. It's up to you!

Here is how I did it:

Mussels with Fennel and White Wine

 with Garlic Rye Bread 

Ingredients:
-3 Pounds of Mussels
-3/4 cup white wine
-2 small fennel bulbs
- 1/2 onion
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 4 tbs olive oil
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- Salt and pepper
- 3 Pieces of rye bread
- 5 tbs chopped cilantro

Place a large pot on the stove. Add 3 1/2 tbs of olive oil. Chop onion and sauté in the olive oil. Chop up your garlic and add it to the onions. Season with salt and pepper and chili flakes. For the fennel, cut the bulb of the fennel in half and then slice thinly lengthwise. Add to the onions and cook until the fennel is tender.

For the mussels, make sure that you either buy the mussels already washed and de-bearded or you do it yourself. I bought mine already prepped and just made sure to rewash them when I got home and check for any open ones. Once they are washed, add them to the fennel and add your white wine. Cover your mussels and cook for around 3-5 minutes or until your mussels are open.

While your mussels are cooking, turn the oven on to broil. Place three pieces of rye bread on a baking dish, sprinkle with the remaining olive oil and salt. Broil for 2 minute until the bread is toasted. Cut a piece of garlic and rub it on your bread once you have taken it out of the oven.

When your mussels are open, sprinkle chopped cilantro and serve!

Anne 

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Patties with Tahini Slaw

One thing that confuses me about vegetarians is that they refuse to eat meat but will eat soy products that taste like beef, chicken and other meats. I am always so confused when I go to the grocery store and I see tofurky, vegan chicken, or seitan that resembles steak. I eat chicken, turkey and fish but typically don't eat any other meat because of taste preferences and for health purposes.

I stopped eating red meat in high school because I didn't like the taste anymore. Literally one day after swim practice my mom made me a steak and I physically couldn't bring myself to eat it.  Ever since then I stopped eating red meat and haven't missed it at all. This is why when I see vegetarian and vegan products that mock actual meat, it doesn't make sense to me why vegetarians and vegans would crave that taste.

Maybe it's just me but when I want to eat a veggie burger, I want actual vegetables in it and it should taste like vegetables. Not some fake beef tasting "veggie burger". I decided to make a veggie patty that is filling like a regular burger, but doesn't taste like a burger at all.

Here is how I did it:

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Patties with Tahini Slaw 

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Patties
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes
- 1 can of chickpea (drained)
- 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 whole wheat flour plus 3 Tbs for dipping
- 1/4 cup egg white
- Salt and pepper

Tahini Slaw
- 1 1/2 cups cabbage
- 1/4 cup tahini paste
- 1 juice of a lemon
- 2 tbs chopped basil
- Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Place your sweet potato, skin on in the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Let the sweet potato cool completely. Peel the skin off the sweet potato and set to the side.

Heat a skillet with olive oil. Sauté onions, garlic, cumin, paprika and chili flakes. Add salt and pepper to taste and set to the side.

In a blender or food processor, add sweet potato, chickpea and onion mixture. Pulse the mixture until slightly chunky but also smooth. Spoon the filling out into a bowl. Add Panko, whole wheat flour and egg white and mix until everything is incorporated. Place the mixture in the fridge and let it sit for 30 minutes. 

Spray a baking pan with non stick spay. Spoon out 1/2 cup of the sweet potato and chickpea mixture and form it into a patty. Dip the mixture in some whole wheat flour that you set aside to keep its form. Place the patties on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Flip the patties half way through to get it crisp on both sides. 

For the slaw, mix cabbage with tahini paste, lemon juice, basil and salt and pepper. Let it set for 1-2 hours before serving. 

Once the patties are done and the slaw has set, put a patty on top of a bun or salad like I did and add the slaw on top. I sprinkled some toasted sesame seeds for some extra crunch and for presentation. 

These patties are great to serve as an alternative to your regular beef or turkey burger. If you don't like tahini you can always replace it with greek yogurt or if you prefer typical cole slaw, you can use mayonnaise (I can't stand mayo). I definitely recommend you add some type of slaw or salsa to pair with these patties to add an extra layer of flavor.

Enjoy!

Anne

Baked Coconut Shrimp with Mango Salsa

Since Cinco De Mayo is this weekend, I decided to make one of my favorite salsas. I love salsas because they are so simple to make and they are great to share. They are also super healthy for you which I love. I have been making this salsa for a couple of years now and it is definitely a crowd pleaser. As I mention a lot in my blog, I love the combination of sweet and salty. The mango pairs so perfectly in this dip because it adds the perfect texture and just enough sweetness. You can make this for dipping purposes or add it as a side to your main dish. I decided to make coconut shrimp to pair with this dish because mango and coconut go so well together. If you don't like shrimp, you can use chicken and if you are a vegetarian, you can make a killer coconut rice dish.

Here is how I did it:

Baked Coconut Shrimp with Mango Salsa

Baked Coconut Shrimp: 
- 1/2 unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
- 3 tbs whole wheat flour
- 2 egg whites
- 2 dashes of hot sauce
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Salt and pepper

Mango Salsa: 
- 2 mangos peeled and diced
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1/2 cup diced red onion
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tbs cilantro
- 1 hot pepper (add more or less depending on how hot you want it)
- Salt and Pepper

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. In a shallow bowl, combine coconut, panko and whole wheat flour. In a separate bowl, add the egg whites and hot sauce and beat until frothy. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp to the egg whites and then place in the coconut mixture. Once the shrimp are coated, place on a baking dish and bake for 8-10 minutes until shrimp or fully cooked and the coating is toasted.

For the salsa, dice the mango, red pepper and red onion into small pieces like you would see for regular salsa. Add the juice of 1 lime. Finely chop cilantro and hot pepper and add to the other ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.

The longer you let your salsa set, the more the flavors develop.

Anne