5 Spice Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Ok, so THIS was a surprise hit. Mostly with me. Hubs had rice in his wraps, the boy had meat on rice on his plate, and a lettuce leaf filled with BBQ sauce (yes, really), and the toddler just had meat and rice. 

You can drizzle any sauce you like over the top...I preferred a Bloody Mary seasoning sauce. So tasty! 

One tip: To shred my cabbage, I hacked it into chunks, cored it, and put it in my Vitamix with enough water to make it all float. Turn it on, then quickly turn it to high, JUST until you hear the last hunk hit the blades. It takes about 2 seconds. Drain, and you have perfectly minced cabbage! 

5 Spice Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Serves 3-5

Ingredients: 

1 package ground turkey meat (close to a pound)

1 large onion, chopped (optional. My kids asked me to leave that out next time. I used a Vidalia onion I had roasted with some burgers the other night)

Minced cabbage (3-5 cups. I used 3/4 of a small head)

3 tsp. Chinese 5-spice powder

2-3 Tbsp. soy sauce (I used gluten free)

3 Tbsp. minced garlic

Salt to taste

Lettuce (to wrap) (I used romaine)

Garnish: 

hot sauce, bbq sauce, etc.

1/4 cup chopped green onions

In a large dutch oven, brown the turkey and onions together. When the meat is cooked and the onions are soft, add the rest of the ingredients (cabbage, 5-spice powder, soy sauce, garlic). Cook until everything is soft and tasty, season to taste with salt. 

Serve in a lettuce leaf, topped with green onions and any sauce, if desired. 

Enjoy! 

Eggplant with Marinara and Mozarella

I'm really not sure what to call this, other than delicious. It is warm, comforting, low-carb, and completely more-ish. Make sure to find (or make) a marinara sauce that you love, since it will be a major player in this dish!

I came up with this one afternoon when I wanted something hot and yummy for lunch. I set this up on the stove to bubble away. It simmered, covered, while I made some lunch for the kids. Once they were set up, my lunch was good to go! You can cook this either on the stove, covered, over medium low heat, or in the oven, at 300. Be careful in the oven, as the cheese can burn!

Slice yer eggplant. 

Smother yer eggplant.

Cover yer eggplant. 

Cheese yer eggplant. 

Cook yer eggplant.

Devour yer eggplant. 

Yer welcome. 

Eggplant with Marinara and Mozzarella

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 eggplant (Chinese, or American)
Marinara sauce (enough to cover the eggplant)
2 cups part-skim mozzarella cheese

Slice eggplant, and layer in a cast-iron skillet. Cover with marinara sauce, and top with cheese. Simmer over medium low heat, or bake in 300 degree oven, until cheese is warm and melted, and the eggplant is cooked through - about 20 minutes.

Enjoy!

Breakfast "pizza"

This came together quickly and made a really satisfying lunch! 

Aunt LoLo's Breakfast "pizza"

Ingredients:

1 cup (100 g.) cauliflower, diced or grated (2 greens)

1 egg (1/3 lean)

2 oz. low fat mozarella, shredded (1/3 lean)

2 oz ham, chopped (1/3 lean)

In a cast iron skillet, stir fry the diced cauliflower until dry and just golden. Dump into a heat-resistant mixing bowl. Add 1 egg and stir to combine.  

Spray pan with Pam and dump your batter in. Spread it around until it is approximately 9" across. Cook over medium heat until cooked through, flipping it once. 

Remove to a plate, top with cheese and ham, and microwave 30-60 seconds, until cheese is melted. 

Enjoy! Serve with 1 cup of romaine lettuce to round out a balanced lean and green meal. 

Turkey "Pasta" Casserole

This meal was what happened when I wanted to do a simple pasta bake for the family...while still being able to stick to my low-carb meal plans. Turns out, cauliflower is an incredible substitute for most starches - noodles, breads, rice, mashed potatoes, etc. There are a lot of ways to prepare it, and each more delicious than the last!

To chop the cauliflower quickly, with zero mess, I used my Vitamix blender. I filled the canister half full of cauliflower, topped it off with water, pushed it to medium speed, and turned it off nearly immediately. The result was finely diced cauliflower that cooked quickly in my sauce.

Enjoy!

Aunt LoLo's Turkey "Pasta" Casserole
Serves 6
(Each serving equals 1 Lean, 3 Green, .33 Condiments)

Ingredients:
24 oz. ground turkey (measured AFTER cooking and draining) (4 Lean)
29 oz. canned tomatoes with their juice, pureed (6.5 Green)
8 oz. low-fat mozzarella cheese (2 lean)
20.25 oz. cauliflower, finely chopped (11.5 green)
4 wedges Lite Laughing Cow Cheese (4 healthy fats)
Salt & Pepper to Taste
1 tsp. smoked paprika (1 condiment)
1 tsp. granulated garlic (1 condiment)

1. In a skillet, brown your turkey. Drain and measure out what you need for your casserole. Set any extra aside for another meal.

2. Return meat to the pan, add your pureed tomatoes, cauliflower, salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and granulated garlic.

3. Cook over low heat until the flavors are well blended, about 20-30 minutes.

4. Add your Laughing Cow cheese and stir to combine.

5. Sprinkle with mozzarella, cover, and cook on low until the cheese is melted. (Optional - stir the cheese in, if you like.)

Enjoy!

PS - I told my kids this was Pizza Soup, and they enjoyed it quite a bit. *Grin*

Summer squash with cottage cheese tomato sauce

I am not sure really what to call this. Hearty, toothsome, savory, cheesy, healthy, comfort food. All of the above? 

If you are doing a Medifast program, this counts as a complete lean and green meal. 

Ingredients: 

1 cup diced summer squash (2 greens)

1/2 cup diced tomato (1 green)

1 cup low fat cottage cheese (2/3 lean)

1 egg (1/3 lean)

Salt and pepper

Spray a large nonstick skillet with Pam, and sautée your squash with a little salt and pepper. Remove to a bowl when done. 

In the same pan, combine your tomatoes, cottage cheese, and egg. Stir to combine. Continue to stir occasionally, until the cheese is melted, then continue to cook until the sauce has thickened to the consistency you want. 

Pour your sauce over your squash, and enjoy!