Healthier Swedish Meatballs

Here is my typical "I am craving Ikea cafeteria food" meal....minus the huge crowds and flat-packed furniture (and the horse meat!).

These are lightened up by using a method I discovered a while ago in Cooking Light for cream gravies...a cream cheese and flour roux mixed with milk and broth. To me, the flavor and the texture is perfection...minus all the calories and fat. This is one of my favorite healthified tricks, I use it here, also.

I stuck to beef for the meatballs, but feel free to sub in turkey if you want. And me, being a pathetic creature of habit, always serves these with whole wheat egg noodles (and cooked carrots and cranberry sauce...always). Feel free to serve them with rice or mashed potatoes if that is your thing.

Swedish Meatballs
Makes 6 Servings
230 cals / 6g fat / 20g carbs / 22g protein

1 lb lean ground beef (96/4)
1 egg
1/2 small onion (1/3 cup minced)
1-2 stalks celery (1/4 cup minced)
2 cloves garlic
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp salt
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups beef broth
1 TB fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
1 cup skim milk
3 TB flour
4 TB reduced fat cream cheese

1. Mince celery, onions, and garlic. Combine with ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Roll into small balls, 1-2 TB in size....you should end up with 28-30 meatballs.

2. Heat a large pan over medium heat and coat pan with cooking spray. Cook meatballs on all sides until cooked through and brown on all sides, about 10-15 minutes.

3. While meatballs are cooking, chop parsley and set aside. Whisk cream cheese, flour, and milk until smooth.

4. Once meatballs are done, remove from pan and increase heat to medium high. Add beef broth and parsley to pan, stirring up any browned bits. Bring to a boil and stir in milk mixture, whisking until smooth. Continue to simmer until sauce thickens slightly, about 5-10 minutes, then return meatballs to the sauce and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Garnish with more parsley, if you want.

Family Dinner: Turkey and Rice Soup

I think Thanksgiving doesn't happen often enough....or really, that turkey dinner doesn't happen often enough. To solve this problem, I started buying the bone-in turkey breasts when they were on sale to keep in the freezer. You see, not only do you get an awesome turkey dinner....you also get turkey carcass, hence turkey stock. Sooooo many meal options from this animal part.

Here's where I'm going with this: the other day I made roasted turkey breast. We had that for dinner and then lunch the next day. I saved the bones and made stock. I used the stock to make soup. We had that for dinner a couple days later, and then lunch the next day. The moral of the story? Don't throw your bones away. Also, I appreciate leftovers.

First, I made stock. There really isn't a "recipe" for this. I put my leftover bones/carcass (turkey, chicken, lamb, beef....whatever) in a large pot. I quarter an onion or two, cut a couple stalks of celery and carrots in half and add those. Toss in a couple whole garlic cloves and a couple bay leaves. Then I cover it all with water, bring it to a boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer for hours. At least 3, usually 4, sometimes more. Then I strain it, let the stock cool, skim off the fat, and keep it in the fridge or freeze it. It's really not that hard. And the taste is way better than what you get at the store. Plus you get to control the salt content. The next time you have leftover bones....do this. Seriously.

Now, for the soup....I made turkey, but this can easily be swapped out for chicken (another use for rotisserie chicken, anyone?)

Turkey and Rice Soup
Makes 8 servings
150 cals / 2g fat / 25g carbs / 9g protein

5-6 cups turkey stock (or chicken)
2-3 cups water
Any leftover breast meat, plus the meat picked off the turkey bones
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion
6 carrots (about 1 lb)
3 celery stalks
2 tsp dried tarragon
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup dry wild rice
3/4 cup dry long grain brown rice
Salt and Pepper

1. Dice onion. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, and add onions. Cook until soft, about 10 minutes.

2. While onions are cooking, peel and chop carrots and dice celery. Add these to the cooking onions.

3. When onions are done, add tarragon and wild and brown rice, and sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add meat, stock, and water and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium low and simmer until rice and vegetables are cooked through and soft, 45-60 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. You can add more stock if you want a looser soup, or continue to boil uncovered if you want it less liquidy.

Stock in-the-making? Not so pretty to look at, eh?

Family Dinner: White Bean and Sausage Stew

Part of me thinks I might have a problem with stews. Like an addiction? But then the rational and awesome part of me steps in and tells the stew-hating hooker part of me to shut up.

Who could possibly hate on stews? I don't need to worry about sides, so less cooking.  Plus they can be so healthy.  And the idea that I only have to dirty one pot appeals to me as well...I don't know why, since B is in charge of the dinner dishes. But hey, I like to make his life easier too.

This one gets most of its flavor from the sausage, which is already cooked. This helps, because it means that this stew cooks up in a hurry. Total cooking time for me, including the chopping, was about 35 minutes.

I lightened this up by using turkey sausage and just a little oil. Feel free to add a different kind of sausage to suit your tastes.

White Bean and Sausage Stew
Makes 8 servings
240 cals / 6g fat / 35g carbs / 18g protein

1 link smoked turkey sausage (~14 oz)
2 cans white navy or northern beans
3 large russet potatoes
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
4-5 cups kale, tough stems discarded
3 cups chicken broth
1 can petite diced tomatoes
2 tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup shaved parmesan cheese

1. Chop onion and mince garlic. Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are soft and clear, about 10 minutes. While onions are cooking, peel and cut potatoes in 1/2 inch chunks. Add potatoes to onions and continue to cook.

2. Slice sausage into 1/2 inch thick half-circles. Add sausage to potatoes and onions and cook until potatoes begin to soften. Stir in chicken broth and simmer over medium heat until potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, remove stems from kale leaves and tear into pieces. Add kale to simmering potatoes.

3. Once potatoes are cooked through, drain and rinse beans, and add to the pot. Cook 5 minutes more, then drain tomatoes and stir those in. Cook until heated through, another 5 minutes. Then season to taste with salt and pepper. Top each serving with 1 TB parmesan cheese.

Family Dinner: Hawaiian Turkey Meatballs

These meatballs are made healthier by using lean ground turkey (chicken would work too) and tropical tasting by adding some pineapple and ginger. I made a quick orange teriyaki sauce and served them with some brown rice and sugar snap peas with shiitake mushrooms for dinner, but they would also make great appetizers.

It came to my attention that I might need to try a new format writing out these recipes to make the steps a little more clear. I guess people aren't mind readers. But if you are, call me...you know why. So here is my attempt at clarity. Let me know what you think....

Hawaiian Turkey Meatballs
Makes ~6-7 servings
160 cals /  2g fat / 15g carbs / 20g protein

1 lb lean ground turkey
1 bunch green onions
3 cloves garlic
1 2-inch piece ginger (for 1 TB grated)
1 egg
2 TB soy sauce
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 cup crushed pineapple
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 and spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray.

2. Place the turkey in a large bowl. Lightly beat the egg and add that to the bowl. Add the soy sauce, salt, pepper, and pineapple.

3. Thinly slice the green onions and add those to the bowl. Mince the garlic cloves and add to the bowl. Grate the ginger to get 1 TB and add to the bowl.  Lastly, add the breadcrumbs.

4. Using your hands, mix the turkey with all the ingredients, until combined well, and start rolling it into small meatballs, about 1 - 1 1/2 inch in size (I got 40 meatballs). Place the rolled meatballs onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake meatballs ~35 minutes until done.

Family Dinner: Turkey Chili and Healthier Cornbread

We are big chili fans in this house, and there are several different types in rotation. This is a more traditional version, made healthier by using lean ground turkey and upping the fiber content with two types of beans.

There are so many advantages to chili...the kids will eat it, it is full of lean proteins and fiber, and even a few vegetables, it makes a ton so there is plenty of leftovers to eat for lunch throughout the week, it is relatively easy to make and can be converted to a crock pot recipe no problem.

It turns out that making cornbread from scratch is every bit as easy and better tasting than a boxed mix, so cut out some processed foods and make your own. For this recipe I used half all purpose flour and half whole. Wheat flour. If you don't have whole wheat flour, you can use all regular flour.

Turkey Chili
Makes 10 Servings
215 cals / 4g fat / 24g carbs / 17g protein

1 lb lean ground turkey
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, diced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 cups water
1 12 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can navy beans, drained and rinsed
2 TB chili powder
1 TB smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, brown the turkey, breaking it up into small pieces. Add the onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft, about 10 minutes. Add the green pepper and continue cooking until pepper is soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining ingredients, and let simmer, partially covered, over low heat for ~2 hours. Adjust seasonings and serve.

Wanna make this in your crock pot? Follow the steps above through cooking the pepper and jalapeño, then mix everything together in your slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours.


Low-Fat Cornbread
Makes 8 servings
176 cals / 4g fat / 29g carbs / 5g protein

1 cup fat-free milk
1 TB apple cider vinegar
1 cup corn meal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 TB sugar
2 TB butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 whole egg plus 1 egg white

Pre-heat oven to 400. Spray a 9" pan or baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Combine the milk and vinegar and set aside. Meanwhile, in a smaller bowl, mix together the flours, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and sugar. In a larger bowl, beat the eggs with a spoon, then add the applesauce and butter, stirring until mixed evenly. Add the milk, then stir in the flour mixture, mixing until just barely combined. Pour into your prepared dish and bake until golden, about 15-18 minutes.