Blog Archives
Comfort Food: “Healthy” Sloppy Joes
With winter still persisting, it’s hard to think about anything but warmer days and summer nights. I would give up coffee for a week to be able to wear flip flops and dresses again! We just have to hang in there for a few more weeks. In the mean time, you can get cozy in the kitchen and cook up something new….. and healthy.
Comfort foods, from traditional Mac n’ Cheese to creamy pot pies – why are they all so fatty? Warm and delicious, yes. Nutritious, heck no. A generous helping of mashed potatoes and gravy would leave me anything but “comfortable”; I hate meals that leave you wanting to change into sweatpants. It would be amazing if we craved broccolini and brussel sprouts as much as we crave chocolate and sweets, but most of us don’t. Fortunately we can take a lot of the unhealthy JUNK out of traditional recipes and combine comfort with health. ;)
Turkey Sloppy Joes
- 1 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 1/4 lb. lean ground turkey (150 calories per 4 ounce serving)
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¾ Tbsp. McCormick spicy Montreal steak seasoning
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 cup chopped sweet onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 Tbs red wine vinegar
- 2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- Dash of peppercorn pepper
- 15 ounce can tomato sauce
- 4 ounces tomato paste
- In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and steak seasoning.
- In a large skillet, add olive oil and ground turkey; once meat is broken apart, add the brown sugar seasoning and mix well. Add in carrots, red bell pepper, onion and celery and combine well.
- Add the Worcestershire sauce and red wine vinegar.
- Reduce heat to medium and allow to cook for about 10 more minutes. Add in tomato sauce and paste and simmer for another 10 minutes.
- Serve over warm (whole wheat!) buns; makes 8-10
They look a lot more appealing than the “Manwich” stuff I picture in my head when I hear Sloppy Joes. These are definitely beyond comparision! I just think it’s best to add vegetables into anything you can.
Alright, time to get back to some running articles for me. I’ve been scouring pages on Runner’s World website looking at different 5k/10k training plans. Sometimes I feel like my schedule could use a little “oomph”…..we have 10 runs a week, 8 of which are “comfortable” paced runs. But I know the importance of quality over quantity and like to see some other perspectives on training plans. Interesting stuff out there!
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Sesame Salmon Stack
One of the (many) perks of having your parents come and visit: they stock your fridge! I was one happy girl when my parents brought a full Sprouts grocery bag full of things that I don’t usually buy here at school. Avocados and salmon, grapefruits and pears, more veggies and fruits and plenty of quick oats and brown rice. Definitely not your typical Top-Ramen kind of dorm-room-pantry.
I’ve been avoiding campus food in favor of my own healthy meals for the past week, and this dish has popped up twice in the past couple of days because it’s so delicious!
What I’m calling the “Sesame Salmon Stack” :) A low-carb lunch that only takes about 20 minutes to make. Plus it’s packed with so many health benefits:
- Double the Omega-3’s from salmon AND avocado
- Monounsaturated fats (the HEART-healthy fat!)
- 4 ounce salmon contains 20 grams of protein with only 3.5 grams of fat
- Low-carb
- Variety of vitamins from bell peppers including A, B6, C, E, and K
The sesame sticks are the least healthy component of this recipe, but by sticking to 2 tablespoon portion size, they still add crunch and flavor without too many extra calories.
I just prepared the salmon burger according to the package, baking in the oven for about 16 minutes. While it cooked, I mixed half of a ripe avocado with some lemon juice, pepper and garlic – Guacamole! Then I diced up 3 different bell peppers, and measured out 2 Tablespoons of Trader Joe’s Sesame Sticks.
Once the salmon came out of the oven, I topped it with some Light Asian Sesame Salad Dressing, the guacamole mixture, bell peppers, and sesame sticks. It looked pretty! Not gonna lie, I was kind of proud of myself for coming up with a recipe using all these great ingredients my parents brought me. Now I just need something that utilizes my left-over pear, broccoli, yogurt, and oatmeal….. ;)
Super Bowl Sunday: Sweet Potato Skewers with Honey Ginger Glaze
It’s finally February! So many events are packed into this little 28-day month, including that one special holiday we all look forward to each February……obviously I’m talking about Groundhog’s Day. I mean, there’s Valentine’s Day, the Super Bowl, and my birthday thrown in there too. But today a fuzzy little rodent will crawl out of the ground. Will he see his shadow? Won’t he see his shadow? The suspense is killing me!
However if you are not as enthused by this springtime phenomenon, maybe football is more of your forte. You might be a Ravens fan. You could be a 49ers fan. I personally am a sweet potato fan. I can get in the hype of the game but honestly, my favorite parts are the commercials and the snacks. Of course I have a healthy Super Bowl Snack for you and of course it involves sweet potatoes, basically one of my Top 5 favorite foods. Stick sweet potato bites on on a skewer with a sweet n’ tangy Asian sauce? GOLDEN.
Starting with the glaze. Really simple, only 3 ingredients mixed together:
- Cut 3 (washed and peeled) medium sweet potatoes into roughly 1-inch cubes.
- Toss in a bowl with 1 tbs olive oil to coat.
- Using bamboo skewers, slide the sweet potato wedges on like a kabob. (My bamboo Skewers came in a pack of 80. I foresee a few more “skewer” recipes in the future!)
- Place on a foil-lined baking sheet; drizzle the Honey Ginger Glaze over the skewers, turning them to get all sides.
- Bake in the oven at 425 for 40 minutes; rotate the skewers half way through. *Makes 6-8 skewers, depending on potato size
These would definitely be a healthy change from buffalo wings or sodium-packed potato chips. Not saying you should totally skip out on the festivities and snacks, but any chance to bring something healthy to the table should be a welcomed change : )
Funny story. Because I compete for a collegiate sports team, we are restricted from betting on any NCAA-sanctioned sport, including the Super Bowl. We even got a friendly email reminding us to refrain from any and all bets on the big game. Guess I won’t be wagering any of these sweet potato snacks tomorrow ;)
Are you hosting a Super Bowl Party & Which team are you rooting for?
