Clean Eating Moussaka

A few weeks ago I won Tosca Reno's book The Eat-Clean Diet Recharged on Fit Bottomed Girls. I don't read a lot of diet books, but this one makes a lot of sense. Out with processed foods, white flour, and sugar; in with vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and lean protein. It's a way of eating that appeals to me because, well, I like to eat. 5-6 smaller meals a day instead of 3 large meals? Awesome. It means I'm hardly ever hungry. Summer is a great time to eat like this because of the proliferation of fresh, flavorful fruits and vegetables. If you couldn't tell from my most recent posts, we're eating a lot of eggplant, and last night, Joe requested "something with meat". I had come across this recipe for moussaka and had almost everything on hand except for potatoes and evaporated skim milk.

The last time I ate moussaka was at the local Greek Festival, and it was a tasty, cheesy, greasy mess of eggplant, tomato, beef, and bechamel. This is a very different animal from that moussaka, but it's still delicious. The tomato and ground turkey (or beef, if you prefer) mixture is seasoned with cinnamon, oregano, and bay leaf, which gives it a lot of warmth. This meal takes a while; I started cooking dinner at 4 pm, and we sat down to eat at 6:15. But if this meal is what eating right tastes like then I don't want to be wrong.

Clean Eating Moussaka
source:  Proceed with Caution (originally from Clean Eating Magazine)
Yields 8 servings

Ingredients

2 lbs white potatoes, peeled, left whole
1 lb ground turkey or 12 oz extra-lean ground beef
1/2 onion, chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1 t minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
2 cups tomato puree (I pureed fresh tomatoes in a food processor.)
1/2 t cinnamon
1/4 t black pepper
1/4 t oregano
1 bay leaf
olive oil cooking spray
1 large eggplant (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled and cut into 1/3 inch slices.
1 cup low fat sour cream (or greek yogurt)
1/4 c evaporated skim milk
1 egg
2 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 425. Fill a large pot halfway with water, cover and bring to boil over medium-high heat. Add potatoes, lower heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, until firm but not fully cooked. Strain and set potatoes aside to cool.

2. While potatoes are cooking, brown meat with onion and garlic in a 2-qt pot over medium heat, breaking up meat into little pieces for about 4-5 minutes, until vegetables are tender and meat is no longer pink. Pour in tomato puree and 1 C water. Mix in cinnamon, pepper, oregano and bay leaf. Lower heat to simmer and cook, covered, 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cover 2 cookie sheets with aluminum foil and mist with cooking spray. Lay eggplant slices on sheet and lightly mist again with cooking spray. Bake in oven about 8 minutes. While eggplant cooks, slice potatoes into 1/4-inch slices. Remove eggplant, transfer to plate, raise oven temperature to 475, re-spray foil and lay potato slices on cookie sheets. Lightly mist potatoes with cooking spray and bake in oven for 8 minutes. Remove. Lower oven temp to 350.

4. Make bechamel sauce: In a separate bowl, mix sour cream, milk and egg until blended; mixture should be thick.

5. Spray a 12x9-inch casserole dish with cooking spray. Arrange 1 layer of potatoes in dish, top with layer of eggplant, then pour all of turkey mixture over top. Top again with layer of potatoes and then eggplant. Finish with bechamel. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and bake in oven for 45 minutes, until set and lightly brown. If not brown, raise temp to 400 and bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Turkey Pumpkin Chili

I didn't actually make this. You see, last week Joe worked the night shift, so our time together was short or non-existent. The original plan was that Joe would help chop things up and then I would get home and make it, but time was of the essence, so he went ahead and followed the recipe. He did a wonderful job, and I hope that he'll take the lead more often in the kitchen!

Like most chilis, this was better the second day. I loved the hint of cinnamon and thought it brought out the pumpkin flavor. I thought it looked a little thick, so I added about a cup of pumpkin beer just to thin it out slightly. There is nothing quite like coming home to a delicious pot of chili on the stove!

Turkey Pumpkin Chili
source: Cara's Cravings

Ingredients
1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 medium sized peppers, diced
1 lb ground turkey
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1 small can diced green chili peppers
15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can diced tomatoes
15 oz can pumpkin puree, or 2 cups homemade

Preparation

Spray a large pot with nonstick cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5 minutes, until just softened. Add the garlic and bell peppers, and cook about 5 minutes more until tender. Add the ground turkey and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. Season with salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, and oregano.

Stir in remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes to blend flavors.

Or, just brown the turkey with the seasonings and combine with remaining ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Serve with your favorite chili toppings - cilantro, green onion, cheese, sour cream, etc.

White Bean Turkey Chili

October is my favorite month. It's my birthday month and the real beginning of fall. What better way to celebrate the beginning of October than with chili! I enjoyed this chili very much. It's basically lean protein and vegetables, so I felt pretty good about the health factor, and the beer added a lot of flavor. It's not too spicy and the flavor overall is very balanced and subtle. I might add another teaspoon of chili powder in there next time. Serve with avocado, sour cream, and cheese.

White Bean Chicken Chili
source: Lime in the Coconut

Ingredients
1 small onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 red pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
pinch of cardamom
pinch of allspice
1 tsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey meat
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
1/2 bottle of beer
salt and pepper

Preparation
In a soup pot or dutch oven, pour in your olive oil along with your diced veggies and garlic. Saute until tender. Add your spices and chicken meat. Cook until meat is well browned.
Add in your beans, tomatoes and beer. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Turn down to a simmer and let it stew for 30 minutes on low heat. If it's too runny you can add a little cornstarch or tomato paste to thicken it up. Once ready, serve in bowls and top with garnish.

Thai Peanut Turkey Burgers

I've never been very adventurous when it comes to turkey burgers. I remember thinking how exotic it was when Joe added apple and celery to his one time. But when I saw this recipe at Cara's Cravings, I knew it would be a big hit with both of us since it included extra veggies in the patty and a lot of flavors that we like. In fact, Joe asked me about halfway through his burger, "You only made two patties?" and then he tried to swipe the remaining few bites of mine!

Thai Peanut Turkey Burgers

source: Cara's Cravings

Ingredients

8oz ground turkey

1 medium carrot, shredded

1 large scallion, minced

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp chili garlic sauce

2 tbsp natural peanut butter

freshly ground salt & pepper

1/2 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp light mayonnaise

handful of cilantro, finely minced (I omitted since I had no cilantro on hand.)

1-2 tsp chili garlic sauce

hamburger buns of your choice

mixed greens

Combine burger ingredients a mixing bowl and combine thoroughly. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. (I cooked mine on our George Foreman.) Form the turkey mixture into two patties. Cook for about 7-10 minutes per side, until cooked through. Serve on buns with cilantro-chili mayo and greens.

South of the Border Stuffed Peppers

I'm completely aware that I just made stuffed peppers, but I had the rest of a bag of bell peppers to use up (which was cheaper than just buying the ones I specifically needed) when this popped up on my friend Melissa's blog. Besides the bell peppers, this was pretty pantry-friendly for me, and, like my dad, I don't think Joe ever gets tired of Mexican flavors.

These do take a little bit of time, but you could probably prepare the filling and stuff the peppers ahead of time. Or you can make extra and freeze it. I also love the little self-contained portions which definitely kept me from going back for more because they were so good.

South of the Border Stuffed Peppers
source: Mrs Sac's Purple Kitchen

Ingredients
1/2 lb ground turkey
3-4 large bell peppers, seeded/cored (If you don't have that many peppers, you can always eat the leftover filling in a tortilla with a little cheese.)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup onion, finely chopped
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 cup fresh salsa
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp Mexican chili powder
1/2 tsp Adobo powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp paprika
1/2-1/3 cup tomato sauce
1/2 can (3/4-1 cup) black beans, rinsed & drained
water
2% shredded Mexican blend cheese

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare rice according to directions, drain and set aside.

Meanwhile heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the turkey. While turkey is still browning, add in the onions and garlic and continue to cook till meat is browned and onions and garlic is softened and drain.

Return turkey mixture to skillet. Add in ingredients from cumin through paprika and 2 tbsp of water, stirring to coat. Add in the salsa, tomato sauce, beans and rice and heat through.

In a baking dish pour in a little tomato sauce and water to lightly coat the bottom and provide moisture. Fill in the peppers and place in dish. Add a couple of tablespoons of cheese on top and cover with tin foil.

After 30 minutes, remove foil and spoon juices over the peppers. Bake another 15-20 minutes, add a little more cheese on top if desired and bake another 5 minutes or so until melted.

La Bamba Casserole

I'm sure by now it's no secret that Joe and I really enjoy meals with a Mexican flavor profile, and I really like Cooking Light recipes, so the best thing is when they're combined! I liked this Mexican casserole much better than the Rachel Ray Mexican Lasagna, and it's better for you too. The refried beans are a nice touch and make the whole thing taste much richer than it is.

Oh, and I turned on the broiler for a few minutes at the end of cooking because Joe's favorite part of casseroles is the crunchy cheese.

La Bamba Casserole
source: Cooking Light

Ingredients

• 1 (5.25-ounce) can whole green chiles, drained
• Cooking spray
• 1 pound ground turkey breast
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles, undrained (like Rotel)
  
• 2 cups frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed
• 1 (16-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
• 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup chopped tomato (I omitted)
  
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Cut green chiles in half lengthwise. Arrange chiles in a single layer in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add turkey, onion, chili powder, cumin, salt, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes, stirring to crumble. Add diced tomatoes; cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates.

Spoon turkey mixture over chiles. Top with corn. Carefully spread beans over corn. Sprinkle cheese over beans. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes; top with chopped tomato and green onions.

Yield: 6 servings

Calories: 344 (28% from fat), Fat: 10.7g (sat 6.3g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.8g), Protein: 32.2g, Carbohydrate: 30.7g, Fiber: 7.4g, Cholesterol: 77mg, Iron: 3.2mg, Sodium: 902mg, Calcium: 269mg

Florentine Turkey Meatloaf with Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes

This wasn't a terribly appropriate dinner for one of the hottest days of the year so far, but it was a lighter version of delicious comfort food. Unfortunately, Joe ended up having to work later than I thought he would, and I was relying on him to be able to pop this in the oven before I got home. We didn't end up eating until 8:45, and we were hungry, especially with the smell of this permeating the house.

I'm not very particular when it comes to meatloaf. I don't think I've met a meatloaf I didn't like, but I thought stuffing it with spinach was a nice touch, and I'm a big fan of stuffing as many vegetables as possible into things. If you like meatloafs that stay together, this is not the one for you, though maybe it was my fault for not sealing it well enough on the sides. These pictures are not very flattering, but it was good.


Florentine Turkey Meatloaf (recipe from here)

Ingredients

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey
1 cup spaghetti sauce, divided
1/2 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 eggs (or 1 egg and 2 egg whites), slightly beaten
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed, crushed (optional)
1 package (10 oz) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained (I used fresh spinach and cooked it down.)
3/4 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8- or 9- inch loaf pan with foil with dull side toward food.
Combine ground turkey, 1/4 cup spaghetti sauce, bread crumbs, onion, eggs, Parmesan cheese and fennel seed in medium bowl.
Press half of turkey mixture into foil-lined pan. Press a 1-inch indentation down center of mixture, leaving 1-inch thickness on all sides.
Toss spinach and mozzarella cheese together; spoon into indentation, mounding in center. Press remaining turkey mixture evenly over top, sealing edges.
Bake 45 to 50 minutes. Spoon remaining spaghetti sauce over meat loaf. Bake 15 minutes longer. Let stand 10 minutes.

Sour Cream Mashed Potatoes (recipe from here)

Ingredients
2 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and quartered (I used redskin potatoes and left the skins on because that's how I like them.)
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 cup sour cream (I used reduced-fat.)
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter (I used light margarine.)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
(I also added about 2 tsp of parsley.)

Directions
Place potatoes in a bowl and wash under cold, running water until water runs clear. Place in a medium saucepan with salt. Add enough water to generously cover. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, until soft, about 15 minutes. (Drain the water. I don't know why the recipe doesn't mention this, and it made me a little confused.) While potatoes are still warm, mash with a fork, in a food mill, or gently in a food processor.

In a medium saucepan, warm sour cream and butter. Fold warm sour cream mixture into potatoes, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately. Garnish with cracked pepper.

These potatoes are so easy that I don't know why anyone would make them with those awful flakes. I just love having the skins in there and the little chunks of real potatoes. Honestly, I probably could eat these potatoes even without the sour cream and butter; they're so smooth and creamy.