Pasta with Tomato, Sausage and Spinach

I almost thought this one was destined for the trash can.

When I pulled the spinach out of the refridgerator and realized most of it was a wilted mess, I was pretty sure I would be eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for dinner. Lucky for me, I managed to salvage just enough of the good leaves.

Then, because I used a regular stainless steel pan, the lean turkey sausage stuck to the bottom of the pan like glue and started to burn. I added a little extra oil and tried to turn down the heat a notch to keep it from burning, but it wasn't helping.

The browned bits were more like burnt bits. Things really weren't looking good.

I added the tomatoes — which helped — but the possibility of an edible meal still looked a little bleak. I'm not going to lie.

Then, came the pasta's cooking water. The browned.. er, burned bits came up with ease and the tomatoes helped create a decent-looking sauce. It was much darker than the photo accompanying the recipe, but then again when does it ever look exactly like the photo?

I added the spinach and the cheese and took a bite, hoping for the best.

And you know what? I wasn't bad. I almost would call it delicious. Maybe.

It may have not been the most successful dish, and I probably wouldn't have served it to guests. But it certainly wasn't headed for the trash can.

Next time, though, I think I'll go with fresh spinach and a nonstick pan.



Pasta with Tomato, Sausage and Spinach
Adapted from Cooking Light

1/2 pound short-cut pasta (I used orecchiette)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 links lean hot Italian turkey sausage (about 6 ounces)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved if large
salt and pepper
3 cups fresh baby spinach
Parmesan, for spinkling at the end

Cook the pasta according to package directions, reserving 2/3 cup of the cooking liquid at the end.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove the casing from the sausage, then add the sausage to the pan, breaking it up as it cooks. Cook until browned — about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant about 30 seconds.

Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper; cover and cook 2 minutes. Mash the tomatoes with the back of a wooden spoon to break them up. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 3 minutes.

Then, add the reserved liquid and the spinach, scraping up any browned bits with the wooden spoon. Cook until the spinach just starts to wilt. Sprinkle with Parmesan.

Turkey Meatballs

I think everyone has a recipe or two they keep in their pocket as a "standard" or "go-to" recipe. That one recipe you could make with your eyes closed and one hand tied behind your back.

Truthfully, I don't have many of these. Even though there's meals I make often like stir-fry, risotto or chili, I'm easily distracted by the newest recipes — whatever happens to be in a new magazine or the cookbook I most recently checked out of the library.

I don't often save the recipes or write them down and even if I do I'd probably lose it before I ever got around to making it again. So God knows if I didn't have this site to keep track of what I was making, I may never make the same recipe twice.

This is all about to change. I think I've found a "go-to" recipe. Stop the presses. Seriously.

Now, I'm not going to pretend these are the BEST turkey meatballs I've ever had in my entire life. That would be an overstatement. But, they are pretty tasty and ridiculously simple, which is really all it takes for me.

What I like about these — besides the fact it only calls for ingredients I have on hand — is that these are a dense meatball. I've made some "fluffy" meatballs, and I guess I just prefer them to be more dense.

Is that weird? I don't know. I like these better than the mystery meatballs from my freezer. I know that much.

These are excellent as meatball subs or even tossed with your favorite marinara sauce and whole wheat pasta.

Turkey Meatballs
8 servings

1 pound lean ground turkey (I used 93/7)
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 tsp kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Using a tablespoon, scoop out the turkey mixture and shape them into meatball. Place them on the parchment-covered cookie sheet. Repeat to make 32 meatballs.

Bake the meatballs, 10 to 15 minutes until cooked, turning them over every 5 minutes to brown them on all sides.

Turkey Taco Filling

After a weekend filled with pizza and ice cream, I've been craving healthier food.

I've been trying to cook what's in my pantry/freezer as much as possible to cut back on my grocery bills and when I found a 1/2 a pound of ground turkey stuffed in the back of my freezer I put turkey tacos on the menu plan this week.

When I was growing up, "taco meat" was ground beef made with a packet of taco seasoning. I'm not knocking that in any way. I fully admit I have a soft spot of taco seasoning. The problem is added sugars (yes.. sugar is sometimes in the ingredients list!), oils and sodium.

This taco filling mimics the flavors of the seasoning packet, but is much better for you. Especially if you choose no salt added tomatoes. To make it even leaner, I used lean ground turkey instead of ground beef.

I used 93/7 ground turkey but you could use ground turkey breast if you really wanted to. I personally prefer a little dark meat mixed in. I think ground turkey breast is a little too lean and gets dried out too quickly.

Put this taco filling in hard taco shells (like I did), soft taco shells, or even use it to top nachos. I usually make a double batch and freeze it for quick meals. It freezes really well.

Turkey Taco Filling
Serves 4
Adapted from Everyday Food

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground red pepper (use more or less based on your spice tolerance)
1 pound lean (93/7) ground turkey
8 oz. can no salt added tomato sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Warm oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the cumin, chili powder, coriander and red pepper and the ground turkey. Cook, breaking up the turkey as it cooks, until the turkey is browned — about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce. Let it come up to a boil and reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer until the sauce thickens up — about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Apparently they're turkey meatballs

Sometimes, when a recipe makes a lot of servings or will freeze well, I'll stash the leftovers in the freezer for quick meals on nights I don't want to cook.

Last night was one of those nights. I came home tired and over-hungry, which is never a good combination.

I found these in my freezer:



I love how I didn't put much information on the label at all. I'll be the first to admit I'm bad with organization. At least these were labeled. Occasionally, I forget to label things altogether. Then, I think I'm thawing a chicken breast when it's really a pork chop.

Even with a label, I was a bit suprised with what thawed. The appeared to be cooked, but they were really raw. Good thing I included cooking instructions on the bag, right? Ha. Too bad I didn't think to do that.

I ended up Googling a few recipes and found I could brown them for 10 minutes and then cook them in sauce for another 12 minutes or so until they were done.

I'm still not sure where these came from. I'm pretty sure they're the turkey meatball recipe from Everyday Food. It says to freeze them raw.. so it's a pretty safe bet that this is what I made.

I would like to say they taste as good as the day I made them, but because I didn't date the package and didn't blog about them, I'm not quite sure what day I made them or what they tasted like to begin with.

I liked them well enough, which is a good thing because I found another bag of them in there.

Nutritional info (assuming I have the right recipe.. for 5 meatballs per serving): 194 calories, 9 grams fat, 1 gram fiber

Turkey Taco Salad and a 5K

Tonight I accomplished something I have never done before. I jogged a 5K outside without walking.

Sure, I've done a 5K on a treadmill a bunch of times -- on a completely flat surface with the treadmill helping me keep pace and not burn out too early.

But tonight I finished it with hills AND by pacing myself. I think it helped to reverse my route so the hills were in the middle/end rather than in the beginning. I know that doesn't seem to make sense, but when I ran it with the hills in beginning I was pooped by the time I made it up and down the hills. The rest of the run was just harder.

This way I got to start slow and end with a downhill-ish sprint. Much better!

Then, I came home to make a Turkey Taco Salad. The key to this salad is the right salsa. There's no other seasoning other than salt and pepper so if you pick a salsa that's just OK that's what you'll end up with -- a salad that's just OK.

Good thing I lurve the salsa verde I have in the fridge. I've been dunking chips in it all week. :)

The salad had tons of veggies, too. Zucchini, red pepper, romaine lettuce, onion and tomatoes. Plus a sprinkling of sharp cheddar and tortilla chips and extra salsa verde. YUM!

I realize the fat/calories might seem high for some people. You can definitely make it leaner by choosing a low fat cheese, choosing a baked chip, and or using ground turkey breast instead of the 93/7 I used. Full nutritional info is below.

Nutritional info: 450 calories, 25 grams fat, 7 grams fiber

Sausage and White Bean Casserole and Two Buck Chuck to the Rescue

What a week. So glad it's almost over. Yesterday was a rough one. By the end of the day I found myself at Trader Joe's, Two Buck Chuck in hand, blankly staring at the freezer case looking for something heat and eat.

I chose the Mandarin Orange Chicken because I knew I had some rice and broccoli at home to make it a complete meal without much effort. I also picked up roasted red peppers and pumpkin butter - my TJ's staples. Oh, and peanut butter pretzels because, in a moment of weakness, salty crunchy goodness sounded like a fantastic idea.

"You've bought five of our most popular products," register dude informed me.

"Oh, I did?" I asked.

"Yeah, people actually buy 10 bags of the Mandarin Orange Chicken at a time. It's really good," he promised.

At that point in my day I didn't really care what it tasted like, I just wanted hot food that didn't take much effort. But I was glad others liked it. Always a bonus if it tastes good.

By the time I actually heated it up and ate it, I realized I'm nothing like "most people." It just didn't rock my world. It was just fried nuggets of chicken with some thin, somewhat flavored sauce. Not my most favorite by a mile, and certainly not good enough to buy TEN bags.

But it certainly passed the hot food that didn't take much effort test. If anything, that's a reason to keep some around. The Two-Buck Chuck on the other hand — oh how I love thee. And the pb pretzels? You were the salty crunchy goodness I craved. If I was feeling more gluttonous I would have slathered extra peanut butter on you.

Has anyone else tried this Mandarin chicken from TJs? What didja think? The reviewers on this site mostly raved. I tend to think they've just never had good Chinese takeout.

Anyhow, even though yesterday wasn't exactly my finest nutritional moment, Wednesday I made this Sausage and White Bean Casserole dish that was really just beans and greens with a turkey sausage link. Yum, yum, yum.

It was hearty, fallish and tasty — exactly what I've been craving this entire gloom-tastic week. Next time, though, I might remove the sausage from the casing and cook it, crumbling as I go, then add in the beans and such.. and simmer it down with a little chicken stock on the stove top rather than throwing it in the oven.

I kept wishing the beans had just a hint more of sausage flavor. The other way to accomplish more sausage flavor would be to use a regular sausage that would let off more fat when you brown them up. But that's not exactly the healthy route. Crumbling the sausage would also allow you to use less if you're so inclined. (I'm not.)

Don't have swiss chard or just scared of it in general? Use spinach or any other green for that matter. I used the chard, though, because they had some good-looking organic rainbow chard at the store this week.

Today's another nasty weather day, so I'm thinking tomato soup and grilled cheese for dinner tonight.

Do you have a favorite rainy day meal?

Fresh Tomato, Sausage and Pecorino Pasta

Today's run on the treadmill was actually enjoyable. And, I actually ran a little faster and didn't get winded as quickly. The interval training is definitely helping increase my speed. Unfortunately, I often have just a half hour, so if I'm ever going to actually run a full 5K I have to speed it up some.

I can do it slowly, but I just don't have that kind of time. Apparently, what I'm doing is working.

Plus, I pretty much maintained today even though I ate out all weekend long. I'm getting better at not overeating when I eat out. I've always been a member of the clean plate club to the detriment of my stomach and my waistline. I never liked the feeling of beached whale syndrome (lying belly up on the couch, over full, after a big meal) so I'm not sure why I did it to myself.

Overall a pretty good day on the diet/exercise front.

I also ordered some shoes for my sister's wedding tonight. They aren't half bad. Hopefully she'll like them, too. With shipping they came out to $49 and I was lucky to even see a pair of shoes for $50 and that's without the tax.

Then I came home and made Fresh Tomato, Sausage and Pecorino Pasta. It totally hit the spot. Mmmm.. I love my carbs. My version had turkey sausage and whole wheat pasta, otherwise I stuck to the recipe this time! Not pictured was some roasted asparagus. I bought a 2.5 pound bag at COSTCO a week or so ago and I'm slowly finishing up the last few spears.

Alright, off to start addressing the invites for my sister's bridal shower. They have to go out this week! Eek.

Sausage and Peppers with Polenta

In the past, I haven't been such a fan of Real Simple's recipes, but lately, I've had a couple of decent ones. Tonight I made Sausage and Peppers with Crispy Polenta and it wasn't bad. It was really easy to make and it came together in about half and hour. It didn't even require much attending to, so I was free to chop at my leisure and sip a glass of wine along the way.

Now, that's my kind of dinner prep. I like my evenings to be relaxing.

The onions were the best part. Maybe they're supposed to caramelize, or maybe it's the magic of my cast iron skillet (which is perfect for a dish like this, by the way), but they were brown and soft and delicious.

Overall, I wouldn't say this is much different than your average sausage and peppers. The only difference is really the addition of

white wine and thyme and, of course, serving it over polenta rounds.
To make this healthier I used half the oil and used turkey sausage links rather than regular sausage. The nutritional info is on the recipe as written, and with my tweaks it came out to 7 points per serving, which makes it probably somewhere in the 250-300 something calorie range.

If you have a favorite sausage and peppers recipe I won't try to sway you. I'm sure this version isn't necessarily better. But if you're like me and have never really made Sausage and peppers, well then, this one is a good start.

Sausage and Chickpea Stew

This doesn't look all that appetizing, but I swear it was good. Maybe a little heavy on the spinach, but otherwise good.

The recipe is Sausage and Chickpea Stew Real Simple. And it was pretty points friendly to begin with. I swapped the regular sausage for turkey sausage and used less oil, but otherwise, it's chockful of veggies and with all the beans and greens, it's a really hearty stew. I also ended up adding more broth than it called for because I wanted a soupier texture, but I kept the rest the same.

I liked the addition of fresh parsley and cilantro. It gave the soup a lot of flavor -- without it would have been a tasteless soup. But if I make it again I'll skip the frozen spinach in favor or fresh spinach. I love spinach as much as the next gal, but honestly, it was just too much.

Another thing I tried with this soup was dried beans. I cooked up the amount I needed for the soup yesterday. And I usually hate chickpeas. The texture weirds me out. But the dried beans weren't as mushy as canned beans and had a good bite to them. Definitely like dried beans better.

Do you take the time to prepare dried beans or do you prefer canned?

Turkey-Sausage Paella

I first wrote about this Turkey-Sausage Paella about a year ago, but I made it again tonight. I'm writing about it mostly because I think I've got my lighting solution solved for the most part. It still needs some tweaking, but overall I think it's vastly improved.

I've built my own light studio out of a box and some fabric. I used this tutorial. My lamps are hodge-podge, but I'm going to salvage old lamps at my parents tomorrow.

I'd still love to get a digital SLR, but for now, this will do. What do you think?

Turkey Sausage and Pepper Frittata

I have been super tired lately. I just can't seem to get any sleep. I'm averaging just under 5 hours a night and I'm seriously dragging by midday.

Tonight was just one of those nights where I could hardly think straight. It's not even 10 p.m. and I'm seriously thinking about going to bed! Good thing I had the ingredients for a version of the sausage and bell pepper frittata I saw in a magazine this month. I don't think I could handle much else.

It doesn't have many ingredients and can be easily customized. You could use any kind of bell pepper — green, red, yellow, orange. And it calls for goat cheese, which I love, but if you don't you could use feta for the same type of consistency or go with something that melts well if you prefer, like a fontina or a sharp cheddar. Reduced-fat cheddar would also work.

On the side I made roasted tomatoes (roasted them in the oven along side the frittata for about 10 minutes or so) and a slice of Great Harvest Bread's 10 grain.

Love their bread. Pricey, but delicious. I buy a loaf whenever I run out. I don't eat much bread, so I end up freezing the loaf in four slice increments and thaw only what I need. A loaf lasts me for weeks that way.

Turkey Sausage and Pepper Frittata
Serves 2

1 link of sweet Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 medium onion
2 whole eggs
3 egg whites
2 tbsp fat free milk
2 tbsp goat cheese, crumbled

Preheat oven to 425.

Heat an ovenproof 8-inch skillet sprayed with cooking spray over medium heat; brown the sausage and the red pepper flakes. Once the sausage is done, remove it from the pan and set aside in small bowl.

Recoat the same skillet with cooking spray and add the bell pepper and onion, cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the sausage back to the pan. In the same bowl, combine whole eggs, egg whites, milk, salt and pepper and whisk to combine.

Add the eggs to the pan and stir until nearly set, but still runny on top. Top with two tablespoons goat cheese.

Put the pan in the oven and bake until the top is set and the cheese is slightly melted, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cut into four wedges. One serving equals two wedges.

Monte Cristo Club Sandwiches

Sometimes food at home can be just as good, if not better, than restaurant food. Especially when you're talking about food at a casual dining chain.

The ex and I, while not dating again, have been hanging out as friends. Friday, rather than going out, I made a version of his favorite sandwich at Claddagh's Irish Pub. They have a monte cristo sandwich that he orders just about every time we're there.

And when I saw this recipe for Monte Cristo Clubsandwiches, I knew this would probably taste even better. And it did.

Because I had eaten light earlier in the day, I made the recipe as written and it was fantastic -- full of flavor. And I've had jam with monte cristos before, but I definitely liked the applesauce better.

Even those these were pretty much full of fat and calories, you can easily lightened them and make them healthier overall. For one, you could use whole wheat bread. Instead of pepper bacon you could use center cut bacon or even turkey bacon if you wanted to. (I would personally opt for the center cut bacon.) Also, swap regular sharp cheddar for 2% sharp cheddar and use less. If you shred it from the block you could get a little bit all over the sandwich. Finally, you could always cook in cooking spray rather than butter.

Even though these were delicious, I'm always looking for better ways to make a monte cristo -- what's your favorite recipe?

Tortellini Soup

Right now I'm eating a bowl of Campbell's Select Harvest Healthy Request Italian Wedding Soup. But I wish I was eating Tortellini Soup, instead. This canned soup is not all it's cracked up to be. It's just missing *something*. Possibly salt. Or just flavor in general. I might as well be eating plain broth with pasta in it.

I bought it to have quick lunch in the event there are no leftovers to eat and because at 110 calories per cup, it's a points bargain. But for $2.50 a can it's not a price or taste bargain. The canned soups the serve in the cafeteria at my office are tastier (which isn't saying much) and cost about the about the same.

I had my doubts about this tortellini soup, but I was wrong. My mom saw this recipe and asked me to make it, but I needed to go work out and it turns out.. they didn't want to wait until 8 p.m. to eat. So my parents put together the meal while I was gone and when I got back it was ready. While I love having my own place, staying at their house hasn't been so bad. A gal could get used to being cooked for more.

We used sweet Italian turkey sausage instead of regular sausage and used less than a pound, cut the amount of green pepper by half and used jarred marinara because I didn't buy enough plain tomato sauce. I think the marinara sauce was an excellent swap, it could have been too bland using plain tomato sauce.

I'm not sure that this makes 11 servings, maybe more like 8 servings? I can't imagine that given less sausage and healthier sausage.. that the nutritional info is much different from the recipe so that's what I went by.

I'm not obsessing over points or calories this week so I wasn't too concerned. My goal on all holiday weeks isn't to lose but maintain, and I'm sure I'll do just that.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

I made this spaghetti and meatballs recipe for the first time shortly after the ex and I first decided to make the leap from "just dating" to "relationship." I made it with a salad (which he hated but pretended to like) and then made these apple turnovers for dessert.

Then the date ended early because we ended up eating two apple turnovers in addition to splitting an entire bottle of red wine. Drunk + stuffed = felt like I was going to puke.

That was his first and most certainly not last introduction to “beached whale” syndrome, which is short for lying belly up on the sofa groaning in discomfort.

So when my mom requested spaghetti and meatballs for dinner last weekend, I figured this one would go over fairly well.

Making your own spaghetti sauce can be fussy and time consuming, especially this recipe. Having it simmer for 45 minutes and then adding the meatballs for another 15 minutes of simmer? Ugh. For an hour-long process, this sauce needs to be tastier, in my opinion. Don’t they know I have a short attention span?

This isn’t quite as good as my favorite marinara, but my mom liked it because it was lighter and fresher tasting than many jarred sauces. You could certainly use jarred sauce. You’ll need at least a jar if not more, basically enough to cover the meatballs for simmering.

The meatballs, though, are the shining star of this recipe. A mix of sweet Italian sausage and ground sirloin, these little babies are a snap to make and are full of flavor. The only change I made was using dried basil and whole wheat pasta. Otherwise, I made everything as written.

Next time, though, I’ll make different sauce. The meatballs are a keeper.

Rotini with Sausage and Spinach

My pants are falling down and I need a belt desperately. To get a pair of pants fit in the behind, they’re often too big in the waist.

At least that’s the case with the pants I’m currently wearing. On the other hand, I have a pair of jeans that fit in the waist and look big everywhere else. Go figure. Shopping for pants is ridiculously difficult no matter what size or shape you are.

Tonight’s dinner: a pasta dish with spinach and sausage, kind of similar to the one I tried several months ago.

This one was adapted from Cooks Illustrated. It needed a few tweaks to make it more healthful. I reduced the amount of hot Italian turkey sausage, less cheese, and I used sun dried tomatoes NOT packed in oil, and well, that was about it. It also originally called for penne, but eh, when do I ever actually use the type of pasta the recipe calls for? Usually not often.

So it’s whole wheat rotini tonight. I was actually short on rotini, but I found a partial box in my mom’s cupboards (thanks Mom!). Otherwise it would been a mix of rotini and macaroni.

This was so good. Simple and delicious, just the way I like it.

Rotini with Sausage and Spinach
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 hot Italian turkey sausage links
3 cloves minced garlic
2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 1/4 cups water
8 ounce rotini (2 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (soak them in water until they plump first.. then measure them)
salt and pepper
A 6-ounce bag baby spinach
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage,breaking it up as it cooks, until no longer pink. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Stir in broth, water, rotini, tomatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring often, until rotini is tender and liquid has thickened, 15 to 18 minutes.

Stir in spinach and cook until wilted. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan and nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.

White Bean Chili

I read a lot of food blogs. A LOT. I can hardly keep track of them all. Sometimes the writing draws me in, sometimes it's the photos, and sometimes it's the recipes. Even a combination of the three.

I found this "white" chili on a blog, although mine doesn't nearly look as white as hers. But it was really, really good. Even with my tweaks it was 9 points, which is probably more points than most are looking to spend.

I cut the olive oil down to 1 tbsp, because my soup pot is nonstick. And, I only used two turkey sausages. I also used pinto instead of white beans, because it's what I had in the fridge. To cut points, maybe it would be better to cut it down to one sausage per 4 large servings (about 2 cups) or you could leave it out -- although I think it adds a ton of flavor. You could also just eat a smaller serving. If you make it six servings instead of four, which makes it just over a cup per serving, it's 6 points. Either one works when cutting back on points.

I had it with not one, but two rolls leftover from my parents dinner. Probably not the healthiest, but I came home starving from working out and it really hit the spot.

Southwestern Turkey Burger with Chili Oven Fries

Do you have extra points to spend? I don’t this week. I gobbled up my flex points and then some at the beginning of the week. Stress eating got the better of me. I’ll spare you the drama but I got into a minor fender bender with an uninsured driver (they’re at fault) and the boyfriend may lose his job.

There has been more, but I think even those two instances might drive a normal person toward a snacking binge. I probably won’t show a loss on the scale this week, but I’m fine with that. I’m proud of myself for salvaging the week as best I could.

Last week, though, I had plenty of time to work out and for some reason I ended up with a bunch of flex points toward the end of the week. Wasn’t I lucky?

So I used them to make a burger I had on my list for a while – the southwestern turkey burger. And because I had so many points, I could make chili fries that are baked in a little more oil than I typically use. And — this was possibly the best part — I could wash it down with my most favorite beer. Octoberfest.

The boyfriend complained about the burgers falling apart a little on the grill. Maybe because they didn’t have much of a binder? But they were delicious anyhow. And those chili fries never disappoint. I can’t believe I haven’t shared this recipe yet.

The burger, with a “typical” generic wheat hamburger bun was 11 points and the fries are 3 points per serving. More than many oven fries, but totally worth the extra point in my opinion. My mouth is watering just thinking about how good they were.

Chili Oven Fries
Adapted from Everyday Food

1 ½ pounds russet potatoes
1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut potatoes into wedges.

In a large bowl, mix together the olive oil, chili powder, salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and toss to coat.

Put the potato wedges cut sides down on a baking sheet coated in cooking spray. Bake, turning potatoes halfway through, until they are tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Risotto with Italian Sausage, Caramelized Onion, and Bitter Greens

Leave it to Cooking Light to have yet another great lower calorie risotto. This one is full of onions, turkey sausage and spicy arugala. And appropriately, it's called Risotto with Italian Sausage, Caramelized Onions, and Bitter Greens.

Risotto is honestly one of my favorite foods. Just about as much as polenta. What can I say? I love my carbs.

For more of my favorite risottos, check out Pumpkin Risotto, Monterey Jack, Corn, and Roasted Red Pepper Risotto, and Beet Risotto.

Turkey and Cheese Panini

Fridays are good days for simple food. Nothing seemed simpler than a Turkey and Cheese Panini. Turkey, provolone, jarred pesto, mayo, tomato, and voila, a panini better than those silly Lean Cuisines from a box. And it didn't take a whole lot more time to make.

I didn't even need a fancy panini press or a George Foreman grill to make those grill marks. Just a grill pan (a staple for apartment cooking when no actual grills are allowed) and a heavy pan (a cast iron skillet). YUM.

On the side I roasted potato wedges with grill seasoning. Like I said, simple.

Turkey and Sausage Paella

It has been a while since I've had a chance to post. Honestly, I haven't even had much time to cook. I was out of town with job #1, then I had Christmas errands and job #2 to worry about. Then, I found out I got a new job and the past few weeks have been trying to get things wrapped up at old job #1 and getting things ready for the new one.

The good news is that I have quit job #2 altogether. Now that I'll only have one job, I'll have more time to eat healthfully, exercise, and of course, post.

Above, is a turkey sausage paella I made from a Cooking Light recipe. Of course, it looks nothing like the photo, but it's really good, and a great use for leftover cooked turkey or chicken. If you can't find spanish chorizo (precooked kind) you can use a smoked turkey sausage as a substitute.