Turkey-Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Another low-carb recipe that I love! I haven't had this for years, but my mom made these occasionally (with ground beef and lots more cheese) when I was a kid. Along with tuna boats and jello salad, these are a comfort food dish for me. 

I used the recipe from Skinny Taste as a guide, and it turned out absolutely delicious, although for this recipe I've decreased the cooking time so next go-around my zucchini won't be as soft.

Turkey-Stuffed Zucchini Boats

modified slightly from here

2 medium zucchini

1 tsp olive oil

1/2 cup diced onion

3-4 cloves garlic

10 oz lean ground turkey

1 large egg white, or 2 Tbsp Egg Beaters

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp chopped rosemary

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp marjoram

1/2 tsp dried basil

Salt and pepper

2 Tbsp shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 400°. Cut zucchinis in half lengthwise and using a spoon, scoop out flesh, leaving 1/4" thick. Arrange halves in a baking dish. Chop the scooped out flesh of the zucchini in small pieces. Set aside on a paper towel to absorb the moisture.

In a large saute pan, heat olive oil and add onion and garlic. Cook on a medium-low flame for about 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Add chopped zucchini and season with a pinch of salt, cook about 2-3 minutes. Add ground turkey and season with salt and pepper, cooking until turkey is white, breaking up in smaller pieces. Add paprika, rosemary, garlic powder, marjoram and basil. Mix well and cook another minute.

Place turkey meat in a large mixing bowl and set aside to cool. When cooled, add parmesan cheese and egg white, mixing well. Using a spoon, fill hollowed zucchinis with stuffing, pressing firmly and top with shredded cheese. Pour chicken broth in bottom of the baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake 25-30 minutes.

Serves 2 (2 halves each).

Enjoy!

Ugly Stuffed Chicken

Guess what? I don't even care that this turned out to be ugly. It was delicious. In the course of my low-carb meal search, I realized that stuffed chicken is a no-brainer. No, not extremely original (see this recipe), but I was proud of myself nonetheless. And it's super easy. I will be trying countless varieties with different sauces and veggies in the future.

Ugly Stuffed Chicken

4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (About 4-5 oz each)

1/2 cup chopped cooked broccoli (or other vegetable)

2 Laughing Cow light swiss cheese wedges

2 cloves minced garlic

2 Tbsp alfredo sauce (I used Classico)

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Pound chicken breasts between wax paper until about a 1/2 inch thick, then salt and pepper both sides. Set aside.

In a small bowl, microwave cheese wedges with alfredo sauce in 20-second intervals, stirring until combined. Add garlic, salt and pepper, and chopped broccoli and mix well.

Spoon broccoli mixture evenly onto one side of chicken breasts, then wrap the breast around. Using toothpicks, secure the seams of the chicken together. Place stuffed chicken breasts on a prepared cooking sheet lined with foil and cooking spray and bake for 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through. 

Serves 4. Enjoy!

Low-carb Veggie and Beef Lasagna

So there are those of you out there who may think I'm crazy, since it's obvious from what I post that I LOVE carbs. But the past two weeks I've been on a low-carb kick, eliminating refined sugars and starches from my diet and focusing on lean protein and vegetable-based meals. I still get a reasonable amount of carbs from fruit and a bit of dairy each day, but overall I cut out pasta, breads, rice, and all treats. My go-to dessert was sugar-free Jello. The verdict? I feel great, and lost a few of those pesky pounds lingering from the cruise. I was rarely hungry and actually didn't crave junk food. Unless, of course, I got onto Pinterest and looked at all the desserts I want to make with the onslaught of pumpkin season. 

But back to low-carb. It was fun because it forced me to get creative again with my meal planning. This is just like most other lasagnas you might make, I just subbed the pasta with a layer of spinach and zucchini. With the richness of the ricotta and ground beef, I didn't even miss the pasta!

Low-carb Veggie Lasagna

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

6 oz lean ground beef

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried parsley

Salt and pepper

1 cup fresh spinach

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 roma tomato, sliced

1/2 cup pasta sauce of choice

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook onions for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute before adding the ground beef. Cook until the pink is gone (drain the beef if desired to reduce fat content). Season with basil, oregano, parsley (or Italian seasoning), and salt and pepper to taste.

In a small baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, layer a spoonful of pasta sauce (just enough to lightly coat). Spread zucchini slices evenly on bottom, then layer the ground beef mixture, spinach, ricotta, and more pasta sauce. Top with sliced tomatoes and shredded cheese.

Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Enjoy!

Serves 2 generously.