Tuscan Bean Skillet

Hi! It's been awhile since I shared a recipe; and I'll be honest: it's because I haven't been really making anything new. When the pandemic first hit, I had even stopped my weekly meal prep because I was home so figured I'd just prepare each meal as the time came.

...That started turning into me just grabbing whatever was handy for a lot of my lunches, and I started feeling sluggish and bloated.   BACK TO meal prep I went! However, like I said, I went back to my standbys because they are easy and the family (for the most part) likes them.

I pulled out this recipe at the recommendation of a friend and WOW it is so flavorful! Now, I didn't have any kale on hand so I subbed zucchini. I also double-batched the recipe to make 6 lunch portions and enough for my family of 4 to have it for dinner.

Hope you enjoy!

TUSCAN BEAN SKILLET

~1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth 

~1/2 tsp unflavored gelatin

~1 1/2 lbs lean ground turkey

~4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

~1 Tbsp ground paprika (+ 1 1/2 tsp)

~1 Tbsp cold water

~3/4 tsp ground black pepper (+ 1 dash)

~3/4 tsp fennel seeds

~3/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

~1/2 tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt (+1 dash)

~1 Tbsp olive oil

~6 cups shredded kale, stems removed

~3 cups canned cannellini beans drained, rinsed

~1/4 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese (or Parmesan) (+ 2Tbsp)

~6 lemon wedges

Sprinkle broth with gelatin; set aside. To make sausage, combine turkey, garlic, paprika, water, 3/4 tsp pepper, fennel, pepper flakes and 1/2 tsp salt in a medium mixing bowl;  mix well with hands until sticky and well blended. Set aside.  Heat oil in large skillet over high heat until fragrant. Add sausage; cook, breaking up into small pieces, for 5-7 minutes, or until cooked through.  Add kale; cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes or until slightly crispy. Reduce heat to medium.  Add beans, broth mixture, remaining dash salt and pepper; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until pan is almost dry.  Divide into 6 servings. Top each with 2 Tbsp cheese. Serve each with a lemon wedge.

Mason Jar Southwest Burrito Bowl Salads

Seriously mason jar salads are amazing, They have made my lunch this week extra special!

This one is great because it has all the ingredients of a Chipotle burrito bowl but way HEALTHIER. Ground turkey instead of beef, a heck of a lot less sodium, and a clean eating southwest dressing.

Here's the recipe:

-1 tablespoon of southwest salad dressing (see below)

-1/4 cup of black beans

-1/4 cup of brown rice

-2 tablespoons onion, finely diced

-1/4 cup of orange pepper, diced,

-1/2 cup of taco seasoned lean ground turkey

- 1 1/2 cups shredded leafy green lettuce, -1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro.

Southwest Salad dressing:

Per salad use:

- 1 tablespoon of T Marzetti simply dressed ranch dressing

-1/2 teaspoon of homemade taco seasoning

-add hot sauce to taste.

Directions:

1. Cook ground turkey in a skillet with taco seasoning until golden brown


2. Cook brown rice in a saucepan until soft


3. Chop onions, bell pepper, lettuce, and cilantro


4. Prepare salad dressing and set aside


5. Arrange in mason jars by this order: 1 tsp salad dressing, black beans, brown rice, bell pepper, turkey, lettuce

** For the homemade taco seasoning, check out this post:

http://www.trishzfitness.com/homemade-taco-seasoning/

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Stuffed Acorn Squash

I wanted to make a stuffed squash recipe before winter was over (although now I'm starting to think winter is going to hang around just a ~little~ bit longer

... and this one is perfect because it has some of my favorite things: turkey, salsa, onion, and a little bit of cheese for extra yum .

It's a quick & easy meal and perfect for your weekend meal prep

Ingredients:

-4 small acorn squash, seeded and cut in half

-1 tsp olive oil

-1 pound lean ground turkey

-1 small onion, diced

-2 tablespoon taco seasoning

-5 ou fresh baby spinach

-1/2 cup salsa

-1/4 c + 1 tbsp shredded mozzarella cheese

-green onion (for garnish)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°.


2. Cut four small acorn squash in half. Scoop out seeds and discard. Spray with olive oil and place facedown on a cookie sheet and roast in oven for 30 minutes.


3. While the squash are roasting start preparing the stuffing. Cook 1 pound of lean ground turkey in a skillet. Add in one small diced onion and cook until onion is translucent.


4. Add 2 tablespoons of homemade taco seasoning. Chop 5 ounces of fresh baby spinach and add to skillet. Stir until spinach is wilted.


5. Add half of a cup of salsa and 1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Stir till cheese is melted. Scoop 3/4 of a cup of stuffing into roasted acorn squash. Garnish with 1 tablespoon of shredded mozzarella cheese and green onion.


6. Enjoy warm or allow to cool and put into meal prep containers to enjoy a week full of delicious clean eating lunches for work.

Big Batch 3 Bean Turkey Chili

When the weather is cold, I always enjoy making a big pot of chili. This recipe is great because of you can make a big batch of it and freeze it for quick dinners 

Plus, it's super fragrant and fills the whole house with some wonderful flavors due to the cinnamon, coriander, and cumin.

Here's the recipe~ I hope you make it this weekend!

BIG BATCH 3 Bean Turkey Chili

*This recipe makes two family-sized meals OR you could use this recipe as a family sized meal and then have enough for meal prepped lunches for the week to come :)

Ingredients

~2T of olive oil
~One Large onion, diced
~2 lbs. Lean Ground Turkey
~3T Chili Powder
~2tsp Cumin
~2tsp Cinnamon
~1tsp Coriander
~1tsp Salt (more or less to taste)
~2 cans of dark red kidney beans, rinsed
~1 can of white cannellini beans, rinsed
~1 can of black beans, rinsed
~2 28oz cans of pureed tomatoes
~1 can of petite diced tomatoes

Instructions

1. Sautee diced onions in olive oil until translucent and set aside.


2. Cook lean ground turkey in a LARGE dutch oven pot or other large pot until brown. Pull apart into small pieces.


3. Add sautéed onion into pot with cooked turkey on medium heat. Mix in all spices and cook until meat and onions are fragrant….a few minutes.


4. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.


5. Heat and enjoy for a meal. We like to top ours with shredded cheese and green onions.


6. Portion up remaining chili into individual portions and freeze for a fast and healthy individual meals OR put the remaining portion into the fridge for a second family sized meal in the next few days.