High Protein, Low Carb, All -together Awesome Turkey Meatballs with Four Vegetable Pasta Sauce

You know, I really cannot stop singing the praises of ground turkey. You can use it virtually anyway you use ground beef, but with WAY less fat and calories. Yes, it doesn't taste exactly the same, but personally, I think it tastes better. So, when I was plotting how to use my tray of ground turkey goodness this morning, meatballs came right to mind.


I've never watched The Sopranos, but I still managed to become obsessed with The Sopranos Family Cookbook, where I first stumbled across the recipe that served as the inspiration for this recipe.Using turkey, these meatballs turn out juicy and delicious, come in under 400 calories and are super high in protein and low in bad carbs. I hope you enjoy!

High Protein, Low Carb, All -together Awesome Turkey Meatballs with Four Vegetable Pasta Sauce

Turkey Meatballs

1 20oz package 99% fat free ground turkey (I use Zacky Farms)

½ plain bread crumbs (or low-fat croutons, finely ground)

2 large eggs

2 cloves garlic, crushed

½ cup fresh parmesan cheese, grated

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

1 tsp dried parsley

1 tsp salt

A few dashes of ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

Four Vegetable Sauce

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 large celery rib, finely chopped

2 medium carrots, finely diced in food processor if you have one (optional)

1 ½ tsp fennel seeds

4 cloves garlic (more or less, depending on your preference)

2  14.5 oz cans petite diced tomatoes with juice(salt free, if you can find it)

1 tsp each oregano, basil, and Italian seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

To make:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Beat the eggs in a large bowl, then use your hands to combine them with the turkey, the bread crumbs, garlic, parmesan, herbs, salt and pepper. Using an ice cream scoop (or whatever works!) form the meatball mixture into balls, about 2.5 inches across. This should make around twelve meatballs or so.

 When you’ve got all your meatballs ready and the oil is hot (but not smoking) place half the meatballs in the pan, turning to brown on all sides. This won’t cook them all the way through, but don’t worry, they’ll cook later! When they’re nice and evenly browned, remove and place on a plate; repeat with the remaining meatballs.

Browning up nicely!

When all the meatballs are done cooking, toss in the onions, celery, carrots and fennel seeds. There should be enough oil left over from the meatballs to keep them from sticking, but if you need to, spray them with a little non-stick cooking spray. Cook over medium heat until the onion is softened and golden brown; the celery and carrots will probably be a still a little crunchy. Add the garlic and sauté for about thirty seconds or so. Add the tomatoes and about ¼ of a tomato can’s worth of water, then add the oregano, basil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, stir to combine. Then, add the meatballs, covering them with some of the sauce, then cover with a lid and let simmer for 20 minutes. When the twenty minutes are up, insert a food thermometer into a meatball; if it’s 165 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, then the meatballs are good to go! If not, cook for a few minutes more until the meatball’s internal temperature is 165 degrees. Serve with a little grated parmesan and your favorite whole wheat pasta or my favorite, spaghetti squash!

Yumyumyum

Makes 4 servings

Nutritional Info (Calculated on Fitday)

Calories: 397      Fat: 13g      Saturated Fat: 4g        Cholesterol: 173mg        Carbs: 25g           Fiber: 2.5g    Protein: 45g

Recipe Time! Greek Grilled Chicken Salad with Yogurt Dressing

So, I've recently started a new workout program which has me eating low-carb, high protein for one week. I don't usually eat a lot of meat (more of a bean person) because I'm extremely close-minded about it. Generally I like to stick to things with feathers and that's about it,  so I've had to get creative with force feeding myself animal protein. Meanwhile, I had been thinking about the Greek place I'd been wanting to try when this salad miraculously appeared in my mind!

This super yummy salad is loaded with protein, low carb and yes, a bit higher on the fat side at twenty grams. But hey, this is mostly from the olive oil, so it is the good-for-your-heart kind. If it is really bothering you, feel free to cut the amount of oil in half, though I can't guarantee it will be as yummy. At around 525 calories, this makes a great lunch or dinner with several servings of vegetables in one meal! Also, it's super easy to double...or triple...or  quadruple...

Glorious Greek Goodness!!!

Grilled Chicken Greek Salad with Yogurt Dressing

Makes 1 serving

For the chicken:

4 oz boneless skinless chicken breast, defrosted if frozen

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried rosemary

2-3 cloves garlic (more or less, depending on your preference)

1 Tbsp Lemon juice

For the dressing:

1 6oz tub of fat-free Greek yogurt (I use Zoi)

¼ peeled cucumber, diced

A dash of dill weed

½-1 tsp cumin (or to taste)

½-1 tsp garlic powder (or one clove)

For the salad:

One roma tomato, chopped

2 tablespoons red onion, chopped

¼ peeled cucumber, chopped

1-2 cups romaine lettuce, shredded

1 oz low fat feta cheese (Trader Joes has a great one!)

To prepare:

In a glass dish (I use a bread loaf pan), combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, thyme and rosemary. Add the chicken breast, turning to coat both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least four hours to marinate, though overnight is best.

Crustified yumminess

Mix it all together!

When you’re ready to grill your chicken up, heat a skillet up at medium heat for a minute or so. Don’t worry about greasing it, the oil on the chicken will be more than enough. Add the chicken breast, allowing it to grill on one side for a few minutes until it gets nicely browned. Turn it on the other side, until it is browned and the herbs form a nice crust. At this point, you might want to cut the chicken into the strips to speed up the cooking time. Stick a food thermometer into a larger piece; if it reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit, it is safe to eat.

While you’re waiting for the chicken to cook, whip up the dressing and chop up the veggies. Dump the dressing onto the veggies and toss to coat, add the chicken and feta. Toss to coat, grab a fork, and enjoy!

Nutrition Info (rough guide from Fitday)

Calories: 525      Fat: 20g     Saturated Fat: 4g         Carbohydrates: 32g         Fiber: 4g     Protein: 54g

When you decide it’s time to lose weight, a lot of the time it can be confusing what direction to take. After all, there are literally hundreds of workout programs suited for all sorts of levels of fitness. It can be overwhelming and frustrating, especially when there is money involved. Who wants to spend hundreds of dollars on workout DVDS only to find out you can’t stand the instructor, or really don’t care for the type of exercise involved (say, like you think you might really love Pilates or yoga, but you find out halfway through the workout that you’re much more of a circuit training person)? No one, that’s who!

So, to save you some $$$ (or €, £, or ¥), I have some awesomely free links and suggestions for you!

1. Bodybuilding.com

Don't let the name put you off, this is not just a site for bronzed skin speedo enthusiasts. It has hundreds of great workouts that you can do at the gym or can easily modify to do at home. There are workouts and programs  for beginners, intermediates, and of course, those who are looking to seriously build their bodies!  

A favorite program of mine on this website which I recently completed (and lost 15 lbs thanks to it) is Jamie Eason's LiveFit  program. This is a great program for any fitness level in my opinion, as Jamie walks you through three 4 week phases in which you learn how to train with weights to build muscle (not bulk) and burn fat. She also includes a meal plan (and a few recipes for yummy homemade protein bars), but that does takes a little creativity and discipline on your part to make it doable. 

Here's the link!

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-easons-livefit-phase-1.html

2. Military.com

Now, don't be scared by this. While there are certainly lots of hardcore workouts for current military folks to follow, there are programs for those who need to lose weight in order to get in shape for their PTs. There hundreds of articles pertaining to fitness, as well as diet and weight loss tips. 

http://www.military.com/military-fitness/

3. The Gym

Ok, so this is seems like an obvious one. A lot of people complain about gyms being too expensive, but consider what your needs are. Do you really need a pool, sauna and tanning beds? Or can you be content with a more basic gym that has your essential cardio equipment and weights? If you can do without the extras, there are loads of great gyms out there where you can get a fantastic workout on the cheap. I pay $5 a month for my gym. Seriously.

4. The Library

If you don't feel comfortable working out in public (like the YMCA, gym, exercise parks, etc.), consider looking no further than your local library. A lot of libraries have many workout videos in their DVD section, so check it out the next time you take the kids or go to study. Check out their online catalogs as well; you can often request videos from neighboring libraries. If you end up liking a particular video, then it might be worth investing in. 

5. Fitday.com

Now, I am sure there are a lot of other sites that are similar to Fitday which work great, but this is the one I am familiar with. I think that for me, keeping track of what I eat is really important or else it is way too easy to be delusional about how many calories I eat ("oh, that cheesecake? It probably only had, oh, a hundred calories in it..."). Don't delude yourself! Keep track of what you're eating and you'll not be more honest with yourself about how many calories you're eating, you will become more conscientious about what you eat. 

Another reason I like this site is because it is mostly free (there is a premium edition, but the free one is pretty good) and it tells you exactly how many calories you need to eat to maintain your body weight. You select your lifestyle (anywhere from "Seated all day" to "Very Active") and it will tell you what your base line metabolism is, and how many calories you need to cut out to lose weight. From there you can add activities; just be certain to include sleep as an activity or else your calorie allowance will be WAY too high. You can also add your foods and see a breakdown of your nutrition. It's not perfect, but it is a very helpful tool in weight loss. Did I mention, it's free?

http://www.fitday.com/