Hot diggity dog

I read a lot of blogs written by the so called “healthy food bloggers”. Mostly they inspire me. See, as a child I ate my weight in chicken cutlets, rice and corn for dinner and PB&J for lunch. I mean I would still eat sauce on my pasta and plenty of gold fish but I did not branch out. If we went out to dinner it was fish and chips or chicken fingers and I was not a fan of eating at friends houses. Then one day, I went to home depot with my dad. I was eight at the time and up until this point I was not a meat eater. Well sort of. My family definition of meat excludes chicken and lamb. However red meat or any pork products were never on my menu. So back to Home Depot. My dad takes me and my bro (6 at the time) and we go to get some stuff for the house. I can’t remember what we bought but on the way out there was a hot dog stand and Sami boy and I had our first franks. My dad dropped us off at my Moms later that day and we were so excited to tell my mom that we A) went to Home Depot (because it’s so cool) and B) ate hot dogs from a man selling them just outside the doors. She was horrified. Her babies who didn’t drink soda, had been kept away from processed meat (and a lot of other processed), had been put in freaking cloth diapers, had eaten hot dogs from Home Depot.

 

( The bro and I at his Senior Prommmm, June 2010 )

Let’s just say, I never looked back. Pork, steak and various other meats followed. I have dabbled in hamburgers but they have never topped the charts like a good fenway frank. Now, everyone has an opinion about meat (and well, pretty much every other food). Eat red meat, don’t eat red meat. So in my effort to balance both eating meat and eating veggies, I have been taking recipes and replacing half the meat with some kind of veggie. Did I mention I only ate cucumbers and carrots as a child? Not to worry, this has also expanded now that I am not seven fifteen.

My latest creation is Ground Turkey Stuffing. (Modified from this awesome foodie blogger: http://www.eatliverun.com/turkey-and-feta-stuffed-peppers/)

Ingredients:

1 large green bell peppers, chopped

.75 lbs ground turkey

1/2 28-oz can diced tomatoes (I know this annoying, freeze the rest!)

1 yellow onion, small diced

1 tbsp olive oil

2 stalks celery, small diced

2 tsp minced garlic

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tsp salt

1 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1. Olive oil in pan. Onion, celery in pan. After about 4-5 minutes add garlic and tomato pause and stir it all in.

2. After it’s all mixed together, add turkey and brown it. About 6-7 minutes (if oven is on heat of 7 on my stove for reference).

3. Add the diced tomatoes, salt, basil, oregano and red pepper flakes. Put stove on low and leave it there for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

( Worst picture of ever of this in a bag )

It reads: Ground Turkey for Peppers or over Rice.

I like to have options. Pop about a cup of it inside a green pepper and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Or make some white rice and have it over that. Only takes about 30 minutes and then you have 6 servings. BAM… lunch X4 and dinnerX2.

Have a good week (let’s see how long I can keep this regular posting thing going! No NYE resolution, just a challenge..)

( My new Russian Bear Friend, name to follow )

XO

 

~ by Meels on Wheels on January 6, 2013.