Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Mom, Where’s the Meat Loaf!!!

Aww Wedding Crashers, what a great flick, but seriously, my mom did make the best (and healthiest) meatloaf and bean salad last night! Call me a nerd, but I find it highly entertaining to take an otherwise off-limits meal and turn it into a nutritional masterpiece. There are so many healthy swaps you can make to a recipe that nothing is off limits, that includes meatloaf! (recipes based off of Fitness magazine’s “the last bite” and “recipe makeover” with subtle changes)

· 1 pound lean ground turkey

· 1 cup cooked brown lentils

· 2 cups packed spinach leaves, steamed, drained, and chopped

· 1 cup of finely diced red peppers, green peppers, celery and onion

· ¼ teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

· ¼ teaspoon chopped garlic

· ¼ cup of parmesan cheese

· 1 large egg

· Seasonings to taste

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a pan and sauté veggies (except spinach) over medium heat. In a large bowl, break up turkey then add cooked veggies, parmesan, broth and the egg. Next add the lentils and mix everything together. Add spinach and mix again. Spray cooking spray in a 3-by-8 pan and push the meat down in the pan. Bake for about 35 minutes, cool and enjoy!

To pack even more veggies into this meal my mom paired it with a bean salad:

1 red bell pepper (halved and seeded)

· 1 yellow pepper (halved and seeded)

· 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

· 1 pound green beans (trimmed)

· 2 15 - 16 ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

· 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

· Salt and pepper to taste

Lightly brush pepper halves with extra virgin olive oil and grill for 8 to 10 minutes. When thoroughly cooked, cool and cut into bite-size strips. Meanwhile cook green beans until crisp and tender, drain and let cool in cold water. Finally, mix peppers, green beans, cannellini beans, capers in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, and salt and pepper. Pour the dressing over the veggies, cool and serve. (129 calories, 5 g protein, 18 g carbs, 5 g fat, 5 g fiber)

3 comments:

  1. Mmm that meatloaf sounds so good right now...even at this early morning hour haha.

    I'm not sure what the benefits of nuking fruit are...I feel like as long as you drink the juice that comes out you're still getting it all? Not sure.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hey Jessica! I heard that nothing is better than your momma's meatloaf! I love Wedding Crashes!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I also love healthifying meals too :) Oooh, and that meatloaf sounds fabulous and chock full of veggies and lentils!

    ReplyDelete

Comments, questions or ideas are always welcome!