New Recipes

One of my mini-goals this month is to try out new recipes. See, previously, when I had cable, I "didn't have time" to research recipes, buy the ingredients, and then try making them. Obviously, that was just a dumb excuse I was telling myself because I've created two new dishes so far and each one took less than 10 minutes to do. 

The first recipe I attempted is from PBFingers.com. Since it's so hot out in Texas right now, I went with her Grape Blueberry Mint Popsicles. First, I had to order some popsicle molds. If you don't have any, or are too impatient to wait for them to arrive, you can always freeze the recipe below in a ziploc storage container and eat it like a sherbet. 

Here's the recipe (credit PBFingers.com).

Grape Blueberry Mint Popsicles

Makes 6 popsicles (in my molds)

Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup fresh red grapes
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 7 fresh mint leaves
- 1/4 cup light coconut milk

Directions:
- Blend everything in a blender until smooth
- Pour mixture into popsicle molds (or storage container) and freeze for a minimum of 4 hours.
- If you have trouble getting the popsicles out of the molds, run them under warm water to help loosen     them. 
- Eat up! 

These are amazing little treats after coming back from a hot run or pool day! I did the math and each one is under 25 calories and costs less than .50 cents each. 

For my second recipe, I was on a mission to find a legit replacement for pasta. I LOVE pasta, but know it's not the healthiest option out there. So I searched around and found Spaghetti Squash. I vaguely remember hearing about it before, but thought it would require too much effort and time for what it was worth. After checking out different variations and ways to make it, turns out it takes the same amount of time (or less) as cooking pasta. Below I did my own spin on a healthier version of spaghetti with meat sauce. 

Here's the recipe.

Spaghetti Squash with Ground Turkey and Diced Tomatoes

Makes one serving (I got a small squash, so if you're feeding more people or want leftovers, make sure and buy a bigger one or two small ones)

Ingredients:

- 1 Butternut Squash or Acorn Squash - whatever your store has in stock (but don't get regular yellow       squash) 
- 1 lb Ground Turkey (99% lean)
- 1 can Diced Tomatoes

Directions:

- Wrap the squash in a damp paper towel and microwave for 5-7 minutes (maybe 10 if it's on the larger     side). If you have more time, you can cook the whole squash in the oven for 20-25 minutes on 400         degrees. 

- While the squash is in the microwave, season and brown the ground turkey until cooked. Set aside. 

- Carefully cut the squash in half (long-ways) - it'll be hot! Scoop out the seeds.

- Scrape out the inside of the squash with a fork and heat in a skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes.     This will remove some of the extra moisture so it won't be soggy.

- Quickly heat up the diced tomatoes (microwave or stove) until warm.

- Serve like normal spaghetti and enjoy! I topped mine with a little parm. 

The squash makes the dish a bit sweeter than normal pasta, but I was still a big fan and will be recreating this often. Especially since it only has 40 calories and 8 grams of carbs, compared to 200 calories and 40 grams of carbs for regular pasta (1 cup comparisons). I also went with plain diced tomatoes and seasoned them myself. Most jars of pasta sauce have way too much unnecessary sugar added. 

I think the next recipe on my list will include a crockpot meal of some kind. I've had one for a while and it has yet to leave my cabinets.