Turkey Meatballs

Spinach Parmesan Turkey Meatballs

Makes 36 small meatballs

Ingredients 

1.25 lbs ground turkey

1 egg

¼ cup flax seed

½ tsp garlic powder or two cloves minced

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ tsp dried thyme leaves

½ tsp dried oregano

½ tsp chili powder

3 cups spinach, chopped fine

½ cup shredded parmesan

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil and then spray with cooking spray.

2. In a bowl, mix all ingredients together by hand until well combined. Alternatively, combine all in a food processor - I usually add everything but the turkey first and then combine all. 

3. Form mixture into 1½ inch balls and place evenly on foiled baking sheet - I like to use my cookie dough scooper. 

4. Bake for 25 minutes until tops are golden brown. 

Pear Oatmeal Bowl

Ingredients

1/4 cup instant oats

1/2 cup water

1 small pear, diced

1/4 c Greek yogurt 

1 Tbsp Flax Seed

1 serving Orange Greens

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/2 tsp vanilla

Directions

1. Mix together oats, water, and pear in a large cereal bowl, microwave for 2 minutes until water is absorbed and pear softened

2. Mix in remaining ingredients

Razzleberry Syrup

2 cups frozen berry mix (such as blueberry, raspberry, blackberry)

1 cup water

1 TB cornstarch + 1 TB cold water 

2 TB honey

1/2 tsp maple flavoring

Directions

1. Add berries and 1 cup of water to small sauce pan over medium heat and bring to simmer. 

2. Dissolve cornstarch into 1 TB cold water in small bowl. Once berries have started simmering, slowly spoon some of the berry juice into the cornstarch to bring temperature up. 

3. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the pan, breaking down some of the berries in the process. Let simmer for a few minutes until it begins to thicken. 

4. Remove from heat then mix in honey and maple flavoring. Allow to cool. 

This method will also work for other frozen fruit, though you will need to increase water amounts for less juicy varieties. 

Zucchini Bread

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour 

1 cup almond flour (I filled my Ninja single serve cup half way with raw almonds and pulsed until floury)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 eggs 
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup applesauce (I used a pouch of Cinnamon Sweet Potato Carrot Applesauce)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups grated zucchini (about 1' long & 3" diameter squash)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).

2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl. If needed, make almond flour and mix in separately before flour. 
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in zucchini and nuts/chocolate until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool

One Pot Italian Pasta

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/3 pound spaghetti
• 1 chicken breast, diced
• 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
• 2 cups halved grape tomatoes
• 2-3 cups kale, coarsely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1T Italian seasoning
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup grated Parmesan

Instructions

• In a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat, combine spaghetti, chicken, onion, tomatoes, kale, garlic, seasonings, and 2 cups water; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until pasta is cooked through and liquid has reduced, about 8-10 minutes. Stir in Parmesan.
• Serve immediately.

Adapted from: http://damndelicious.net/2014/05/16/one-pot-pasta/

Italian Sausage and Ravioli Skillet

3 Italian sausage links

1/2 cup diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup diced onion

1 can tomato paste Italian style 5oz

1 1/2 cups water

1 tsp Italian seasonings

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (unless it is spicy sausage)

15-20 spinach and cheese raviolis

1. Sauté pepper and onion over medium-low heat. Meanwhile slice sausage into 1/4" thick pieces. Add to skillet and brown each piece on both sides. 

2. Mix together tomato paste, water, and seasonings. Add to skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, add ravioli and simmer 10 minute until ravioli is heated through. 

3. Serve and top with Parmesan. 

Raspberry Almond Shortbread Cookies

These are Ground Almond thumbprint/shortbread cookies. I have been into using ground almonds lately in place of flour, both for added texture and health (or so I'd like to think). This worked really well in my previous pancake recipe. I just pour them into my Ninja blender and pulse it up a few times until it is powdery with a few small pieces left in there. 

Raspberry Almond Thumbprint Cookies

Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup toasted almonds (1/3c ground)

1/3 cup seedless red raspberry jam
1 cup powdered sugar
3 teaspoons water
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions:

1. Mix together the butter with the extracts, then add sugar and mix until well combined.

2. Grind almonds into a fine meal using a blender then combine with the flour. Add to the butter mixture and cut together until just combined. 

3. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour. 

4. Scoop out 1 tablespoon of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten slightly and make a small indent in the center. Add a small amount of jam to the indent, about 1/2 teaspoon. 

5. Preheat oven to 350*F and place cookies back into the refrigerator until oven is heated. Bake for about 10 minutes until the edges are slightly browned. Let cool on wire rack. 

6. For icing, mix together the powdered sugar, water, and remaining almond extract. Drizzle over the cookies and enjoy!

This first time around I substituted the ground almonds by weight, but I think it should have been by volume, so I have updated the recipe here to be by volume. The weight of 2/3 cup of flour was 3.4oz. While baking, the bottoms started melting out and spreading too far. Once they cooled and set up they were crumbly, buy not gooey like I was worried about. Next time I'll try to sub by volume and replace 1/3 cup of ground almonds with 1/3 cup of flour and see if they have a better consistency. 

Get your kids involved too! My three year old loves helping measure and pour the ingredients. She had fun pressing the dent in these thumbprint cookies and scooping in jam is great for perfecting fine motar skills.