Zucchini & Yellow Squash Spaghetti

Credit: Jen Cochran
Recipe:
1 zucchini
1 yellow squash
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
2 Tbsp of Kosher salt (to taste)
Ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp of olive oil
1 29oz can of tomato sauce (Target brand only has 2g of sugar)
1 cup of water
4 Tbsp of onion chives (or to taste)
7-8 garlic cloves (or to taste)
1 tsp of Rosemary
1 handful of fresh parsley
1 Tbsp of Tarragon
1 package of Jenny-O Turkey Italian Sausage (20oz)
1 package of Jenny-O lean ground Turkey (20oz)

Zucchini & Yellow Squash Noodles
- Use a potato peeler to make long noodle like slices of the zucchini & yellow squash. Stop when you reach the seeds and discard unless you have a use for them. I put them in my compost.
- Put zucchini and yellow squash noodles in a strainer in the sink. Give a good coat of salt (1/2 to 1 Tbsp of Kosher salt) to release water & gently mix (I used my hands). Let sit. Mine sat about 10-15 mins, I guess.
- While noodles are sitting, bring a pot (pasta pot) of water to boil. And chop bell peppers.
- When water starts to boil, rinse the noodles in cold water to remove some of the salt and put noodles in boiling water for one minute.
- After one minute, remove, strain, and immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.
- In the pot, heat a Tbsp of olive oil and 2-3 sliced garlic cloves. Heat just long enough to soften the garlic, you don't want to brown the oil or garlic.
- Add noodles to olive oil and garlic pan. Toss right away. Add bell peppers to noodles and stir occasionally on medium heat for 5 mins.
- You can serve as is. For this meal I also completed the following steps to make spaghetti.

Ground Turkey & Italian Sausage
- Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil (to help the turkey from getting too dry as it cooks) in a large pan or pot.
- Remove the sausage from the skin tubing so it can be ground and mixed with the lean ground turkey.
- Once pan is hot, add sausage and ground turkey.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Continue to mix and cook until meat is thoroughly brown.

Sauce
Note: I typically chop my own tomatoes and make my sauce from scratch, but I was running low on time and decided to doctor a low sugar canned tomato sauce. Premade spaghetti sauces I found were loaded with sugar and unnecessary ingredients.
- Pour 29oz can of tomato sauce into a large food processor or blender.
- I added a cup of water by filling the tomato can 1/4 of the way twice so I could get all of the tomato sauce out of the can. Pour water into food processor.
- Chop about 4 Tbsp of onion chives (it was fresh in my garden; feel free to use what you like). Add to food processor.
- Add a handful of parsley to the food processor (again, it was fresh in my garden).
- Add 4-5 garlic cloves to the food processor.
- Toss one tsp of Rosemary in the food processor.
- Include 1 Tbsp of Tarragon in the food processor.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Mix ingredients in food processor until you have your desired consistency.
- Pour ingredients from food processor to sauce pot on the stove and lightly heat and stir occasionally.

Now just build it... Noodles, then turkey, then pour sauce on top. Using the amounts above, I was able to make 8 servings, which included 5oz of turkey with each serving. Feel free to add, remove, change any of the herbs used to suit your liking. I just used what was on hand, and my family really enjoyed it! I hope you do, too!

Don't be intimidated by the meal. It came together quickly (something I did while home alone with my 2 year old) and was very easy. Enjoy!

Turkey & Barley Soup

Credit: skinnytaste.com
Recipe: http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/09/beef-barley-soup.html?m=1

Comments: Making this for dinner tonight. I'm substituting beef with ground turkey. Stay tuned.

Turkey Pot Pie

Credit: Carla Hall, The Chew
Reciepe: http://beta.abc.go.com/shows/the-chew/recipes/Thanksgiving-Carla-Hall-Turkey-Pot-Pie

Cochran Review: Hoping to make this tonight.

Mini Turkey & Veggie Meatloaves

Credit: One of my best friends, Marianne, found this through Perdue
Recipe: http://m.perdue.com/recipes/details.asp?id=143&titile=Mini

Cochran Review: This is my 100th post! Crazy to me that I've posted so many recipes! Thank you to all of you for having interest in what I'm cooking! My blog gets over 1,000 hits per month, which I find very humbling.

We are having these cute little mini turkey meatloaves for dinner tonight. I decided to throw a broccoli bunch and a carrot in the food processor to mix into the loaves. I like to sneak extra veggies in for our family in dishes like these where they go undetected.

These were good. My son (almost 2) helped with dinner. So, we served it with mac n' cheese. I don't know if it is because Thanksgiving is around the corner of what, but I'd like to try something fun and different with this. I'd like to put green beans in the food processor and mix with the turkey, seasonings, cheese and add stuffing instead of bread crumbs. Then I'd serve it on a bed of mashed potatoes and drizzle with gravy. I may have to try this soon! LOL! Enjoy!

Here's a pic from our dinner:

Sausage & Kale Soup



Credit: Taste of Home
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Sausage-and-Kale-Soup

Cochran Review: It is simmering on the stove now. Super easy to put together and smells wonderful on this cold, rainy day. We will let you know. -- This was great! I used turkey sausage, but followed the rest. Hearty, tasty, easy to make, and pairs well w/ fresh made bread! Enjoy!

Picture of our meal simmering:



Bacon & Sweet Potato Turkey Burgers

Credit: Fast Paleo
Recipe: http://fastpaleo.com/bacon-sweet-potato-turkey-burgers/

Cochran Review: Very easy to make and lots of flavor. We put the burgers on the grill to cook instead of back in the pan with drippings. I served it with mixed lettuce and a balsamic vinegar dressing. We really enjoyed these and would be happy to make them again. Enjoy!

Healthy Turkey Stuffed Bell Peppers

Credit: Allrecipes.com
Recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Stuffed-Peppers-with-Turkey-and-Vegetables/Detail.aspx

Cochran Review: These were great! Healthy, tasty, and didn't make us feel overly full... which we are aiming for in preparation of our vacation. I read a few recommendations posted on the original recipe and this is how I made them.

I used two green peppers and two yellow peppers. When selecting my peppers for stuffing I chose ones that were larger in size and stood upright on their own. I believe this saved me some frustration during the filling and cooking process.

My square casserole dish broke this week, and I haven't replaced it yet. So, I threw a little olive oil in my Dutch Oven, placed the four peppers upside down (w/ top cut off and inside cleaned) in the pot, and cooked the initial time. They turned out great and didn't stick or burn.

I put all of the veggies in my food processor to make quick work of the chopping. Also, this made the mushrooms less obvious. Helpful, because my husband doesn't think he eats mushrooms. He does. ;) I didn't include the additional red and yellow pepper in the mixture. Instead, I just chopped and included the tops of the peppers I filled. This was a recommendation posted on the original recipe.

Also, I opted to omit the tomatoes and tomato paste, and substitute a 15 ounce can of tomato sauce. Cheaper, less work, and we don't feel the taste was compromised.

We had more mixture than would fit in the peppers. So, I filled the peppers and put the extra in the pot around the bottom of the stuffed peppers. Once again, worked out well.

We made angel hair pasta in a separate bowl. Cook noodles as directed. Drain. Return to pot. Add olive oil to taste to prevent sticking (like a light dressing). Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Plate the Noodles. Put stuffed pepper on bed of noodles. Distribute additional mixture between plates or save for leftovers (we distributed). Sprinkle meal with Parmesan cheese. Enjoy!

Easy Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Credit: American Family
Recipe: http://www.americanfamily.com/recipes/easy-slow-cooker-jambalaya/43136/RL

Cochran Review: Making this tomorrow for Mardi Gras! I'll let you know! -- Really good! My husband and dinner guests used descriptive words like, "Really good!", "DEE-lish!", and of course our Rachael Ray fan "Yumm-O!" :) This was so easy to put together and very flavorful. We really enjoyed it.

I did a few things different. I added whole canned tomatos instead of stewed, b/c my family enjoys the flavor tomatoes provide, but not eating them. I cubed the onions in chunks for easy removing, instead of dicing it. Also, I bought the average size shrimp on sale. They ended up the size of a dime when the dish was done. Here is a pic of my meal all in the hot tub and ready to cook:

Here is a picture of our final producted plated... or bowled, rather:

Creamy Spinach Ravioli

**Picture taken of cook book page. I will take a picture of our meal next time we make it.**
Credit: The Pampered Chef, It's good for you
Recipe: Pulled from paper cook book. See below.

1 pkg (8 ounces) mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
2 pkgs (9 ounces each) refrigerated light cheese-filled ravioli
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese
1/3 cup fat-free evaporated milk
1 pkg (10 ounces) frozen creamed spinach in low-fat sauce, thawed
Fresh grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Slice mushrooms, chop onion, and dice bell pepper.

Cook ravioli according to package directions. Drain and return to dish to keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly spray skillet with nonstick cooking spray; add mushrooms, onion, bell pepper, pressed garlic, and black pepper. Cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until vegetables are tender and all liquid is absorbed.

Reduce heat to low; add cream cheese and evaporated milk. Stir until cream cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in creamed spinach. Simmer over low heat 1-2 minutes or until heated through. Pour vegetable mixture over ravioli; stir gently. Serve immediately. Serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Yield: 6 Servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 340 (27% from fat), Total Fat 10g, Sat Fat 6g, Cholesterol 45mg, Carbohydrate 44g, Protein 18g, Sodium 580mg, Fiber 4g

Cochran Review: My husband actually makes this meal most often. We love it so much! Definitely one of our winter time comfort foods! We typically add grilled chicken or sliced pan cooked turkey sausage. I have also used chicken cheese ravioli in the past, and it worked well.  Hope you enjoy this meal as much as we do!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Credit: Creating Through Life
Recipe: http://creatingthroughlife.blogspot.com/2011/10/crock-pot-lasagna.html

Cochran Review: I haven't had this particular recipe, I don't think, but I've had several from dinning at friend's homes and that I've made myself. Some call for adding spinach or brocolli. I made a recipe from Parents or Parenting Magazine a while back, but can't find it now. Anyway, point being, they all have tasted about the same... amazing! Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Turkey Meatballs

2 bags of premade turkey meatballs
2 12 oz jars of apple jelly 
Chipotle Tabasco Pepper Sauce to taste (we use 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 oz jar)

Put meatballs in slow cooker. Pour two jars of apple jelly over meatballs. Note: apple butter is completely different than apple jelly. You want apple jelly. Pour Chipotle sauce into slow cooker. If we are serving to a large crowd including children, I keep it closer to 1/4 of a bottle. When we are entertaining an adult crowd I go for the 1/2 jar. Anything more and look out! We like hot food, but more than half a bottle is HOT! Cook on high for 3-4 hours.

This recipe is something my husband and I have been making forever, and is quickly a party favorite! My grandma used to make beef meatballs with grape jelly. I'm not a huge fan of beef or grape. So, I just mixed it up a little. Enjoy!

Crescent Pepperoni Roll-ups

Credit: Plain Chicken
Recipe: http://www.plainchicken.com/2011/12/crescent-pepperoni-roll-ups.html

Cochran Review: These were very easy to make and very tasty! The recipe calls for warm pizza sauce to dip them in, but we ended up not dipping them. We didn't feel like it needed the sauce. Our party guests enjoyed these quite a bit! Enjoy!

Pepperoni Penne Carbonara

Credit: Tast of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Pepperoni-Penne-Carbonara

Cochran Review: This was FAN-freakin-tastic!!! So much flavor! Yum! And this was so easy and quick to make! I paired it with the Zesty Broccoli, and it went very well together. I prepped and cooked both meals in 30 mins! Perfect for a quick, yummy meal on a busy night! The turkey pepperoni has a little spice to it. So be aware of that if you serving to kids who aren't used to it.

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Asian-Turkey-Lettuce-Wraps

Cochran Review: Oh my goodness! I will make these again, and again, and again! AH-mazing! So simple, too! I chopped the stir-fry veggies by hand, because my son was napping. However, next time I will chop them in the food processor (another one of my fav kitchen toys) to save time! Also, I used natural peanut butter, because that's what we like and keep in the house. When we were at the grocery that day the Boston lettuce wasn't looking so fresh. So, we used iceberg lettuce. I'd like to try Boston lettuce with it next time! We had Boston lettuce with the slow cooker brisket and it was delish! Enjoy!

Turkey Scallopini

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Turkey-Scallopini

Cochran Review: This was quite tasty, but won't be a staple for us. I have never used so much butter to cook before... 4 tablespoons! My husband thinks it is very good and enjoys the breading didn't completely fall apart. I think this is a nice substitute when he has a hankering for fried chicken (Yuck! LOL!). I paired it with Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Soy Browned Butter. My husband enjoyed the asparagus sauce on the turkey, too!

Pasta & Broccoli Sausage Simmer

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious

Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Pasta---Broccoli-Sausage-Simmer

Cochran Review: Wow! So easy and very good! True to it's claim, this meal literally took me 30 mins, and that included kicking an occasional soccer ball with my son, cleaning up as I cooked and changing laundry! This meal makes SO much! Seriously! I will make this again, but I will cut the recipe in half. I guarantee even cooking a half recipe we will have leftovers!

Like I've mentioned before, my husband doesn't care for the texture of tomatoes and I'm allergic (can only handle in small doses). So, I opted out of the canned tomatoes. Instead, I used a 12 ounce can of tomato sauce & filled it with water and added a can of water. I think this was a great substitute for our family!

A note about this meal for leftovers: It is a little dry and appears to have less flavor. You might need to add some olive oil and salt and pepper.

Although this was good, I think I prefer the Pepperoni Penne Carbonara. It has a lot more flavor! Enjoy!

I will make this again. It is inexpensive, fast, easy, and we liked it. However, I will be making a half recipe unless I'm feeding an army! Enjoy!