a meatloaf makeover

My newest obsession is library cookbooks.  I could spend hours looking through them for ideas.  I don't, because I have a two year old and my time of pouring over books leisurely is limited to nap time.  And because our trips to the library usually consist of me running after him as he explores the ins and outs of every row of books.  But I digress.

Awhile back I checked out a copy of one of the Cooking Light cookbooks and found a lot of recipes I wanted to try.  The only one I actually did was the Barbecue Meatloaf.  I have never been a huge fan of meatloaf (I mean, just the name is enough to scare you off...), but this was really good.

As usual, I changed it up, mostly by adding a few nutritious extras to make it even more worth eating.  This is a really good dish - my husband absolutely loves it (he asked me today if it was okay to eat for breakfast).  So here it is, folks.  Enjoy!

1.5 lbs extra lean ground beef (ground turkey is great, too)

1/2 cup breadcrumbs (I quickly put one large slice of multigrain bread in the food processor)

2 T wheat germ (optional)

1/2 large onion, roughly chopped

1/2 cup shredded carrot

1 garlic clove

1/2 cup barbecue sauce, divided (watch labels for high fructose corn syrup)

1 T prepared mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 large egg white + 1 whole egg

cooking spray

Put onion, garlic and carrot in the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Or mince by hand if you don't have one.

Combine meat, crumbs, wheat germ, onion mixture, mustard, salt, pepper, eggs and 2-3 tablespoons of the barbecue sauce.

Line an 8x8 pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Shape mixture into a loaf.

Pour remaining sauce on top and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until a meat thermometer registers at 160 degrees in the middle.

Let stand about 10-15 minutes.  Slice into 10-12 slices and serve!

(makes great leftover sandwiches... or breakfast)

Enjoy!

light, healthy, delicious...tortilla soup

I love all the ideas coming in - and I am going to work on some good pizza recipes very soon, I promise.  In the mean time, here is some soup I whipped up last week that I think was a big success.  I hope you think so, too...

Tortilla Soup (and it's good for you!)

1 lb. cherry tomatoes

2 med. carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

2 tablespoons pickled jalapenos**

32 oz chicken broth

2 cups water

1 t. salt

2-3 T taco seasoning (this is what I use - so easy and no MSG)

1.25 lbs ground turkey breast

1/2 lg onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

15 oz. frozen corn 

15oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 avocado, sliced

shredded reduced fat cheese (I use a mexi-blend from TJ's)

4 whole wheat tortillas, toasted and crumbled (I did this in my toaster oven, but you can also do it under the broiler)

1 lime, sliced into wedges

**Before we get to it, I used 2 tablespoons of jalapenos from the jar in the fridge.  This was one spicy soup.  You can use one fresh jalapeno (seed it if you want to cut down on the heat) or if you don't like too much spice, dice up 1/2 of a bell pepper instead.  

Place tomatoes, carrots and jalapeno in the food processor or blender and pulse until coarsely blended.  Make it as smooth as you'd like.  (I like to see little bit of tomato and carrot in there, but use some creative freedom.)

In a stock pot, brown ground turkey (I used ground turkey breast because it's lower in fat and calories, but use what you like) with onions and garlic.  Once cooked through, add taco seasoning and let simmer for one minute.

Add in tomato/carrot mixture, broth, water, beans, corn and salt, if needed.

Simmer 30-45 minutes.

Ladle soup into bowls, and sprinkle each with toasted tortilla strips, 2 tablespoons of cheese, and 3 slices of avocado.  Serve with a wedge of lime, and squeeze over the top just before serving. 

This is one of our new favorites - enjoy!

© One Healthy Mama 2009