Spicy Pink Turkey Bolognese over Quinoa Pasta Shells served with Cheesy Balsamic Garlic Bread

Green Girl Goodies, November 2012

This sauce is a tasty spicy twist on your traditional Bolognese sauce.  Ground Turkey is a healthier option than your typical ground beef and I added some crushed red pepper to the onions and garlic while they were sweating to give the sauce a little kick.  While it isn’t the healthiest option, I added a little cream as well to add some richness to the sauce.  The sauce would be delicious in a lasagna or over any sort of pasta but I chose to serve it with Quinoa pasta shells hoping the added nutritional value of the quinoa pasta would slightly offset the heavy amount of dairy and carbohydrates already in the meal  :)  I paired the pasta with some delicious Cheesy Balsamic Garlic Bread and topped it with some grated parmesan for a pleasant and satisfying meal; great in the cold winter weather!

Spicy Pink Turkey Bolognese Sauce

Yield approximately 4 ½ c

1 lb Ground Turkey

2 ½ c Diced Tomatoes in Juice

1 1/3 c Yellow Onion, small dice

6 oz Tomato Paste

2/3 c Heavy Cream

2 tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 ½ tb Garlic, minced

1 tb Crushed Red Pepper

1 tb Kosher Salt

12 Turns Freshly Ground Black Pepper

-     Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil.  Once the oil is hot, add the onions, garlic and crushed red pepper.

-     Sweat the onions, garlic and crushed red pepper then add the ground turkey.  Add a ½ tb of salt and all the pepper.  Stir to cook, using a spoon to break up the turkey as it cooks.

 

 

 

-     Once the meat is cooked thru reduce the heat to medium and add the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and remaining ½ tb of salt.  Stir well to mix and thicken the sauce.

 

-     Slowly add the cream, stirring to mix.  Reduce the heat to low and bring the sauce to a simmer briefly to finish cooking the sauce.

 

-    Serve immediately over your choice of pasta or cool completely and refrigerate for up to a week.

Cheesy Balsamic Garlic Bread

Yield 2 to 4 servings

2 tb Butter

1 tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 tb Slice Garlic

1 tb Dried Oregano

1 tsp Balsamic Vinegar

2 pinches of Sea Salt

3 Turns of Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

1 large slice of Muenster Cheese

1 6 inch Baguette

-     Combine all the ingredients in a small sauté pan and bring to a simmer over medium low heat, being careful not to burn the butter.

-     Simmer the ingredients until fragrant then spread them onto your bread.  Then top the bread with the sliced cheese.

-     Broil the prepared garlic bread for approximately 2 ½ minutes or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.  Enjoy immediately!

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER:

Additional Ingredients:

Quinoa Pasta Shells, cooked according to package instructions and held hot

-     Divide the pasta accordingly and add your preferred amount of sauce.  Top the dish with grated parmesan cheese as desired and complete the meal with the Cheesy Balsamic Garlic Bread.

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Cleansing Diet, Day 9: Grilled Summer Vegetables over Quinoa Spaghetti with Almond Pesto

Green Girl Goodies, October 2011

Serves 4

FOR THE VEGETABLES:
1.7 lb Zucchini Squash, cut ½ in thick and 3 in long

13 oz Red Pepper, quartered

8 oz White Sweet Onion, cut in ½ in rounds

1 ea Japanese Eggplant, ½ in thick
1 c Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 ½ tb Garlic, minced
3 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper

- Preheat the grill on high.
- Combine olive oil, garlic, sea salt and black pepper and mix well.

- Coat all cut vegetables with the olive oil mixture and place on a platter.

- Reduce the grill to medium high heat and place vegetables carefully on the grill.

- When grilling, be mindful of your hot spots and flip items accordingly!

- All grills vary in temperature so keep an eye on your vegetables to avoid burning. Cook vegetables until tender to the touch but not mushy.

- Once all the vegetables are done, wrap in foil to keep warm and begin preparing the pasta.*

FOR THE PASTA:
1 18 oz box Quinoa Spaghetti
3 tb Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tb Lemon Juice
½ tsp Sea Salt
1 c Almond Pesto
1 c Cherry Tomatoes, cut in quarters

- Cook pasta according to package directions* and cool completely with an ice bath. Set aside until ready to use.
- Heat a large sauté pan over high heat; add 2 tb oil and heat briefly.
- Reduce heat to medium and add pasta, remaining olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pesto. Stir to mix well quickly so as not to overcook the pasta but gently to avoid a mushy texture.
- Remove from the heat, stir in tomatoes and serve immediately with the grilled vegetables.

*Cook the pasta before you begin grilling to allow for adequate cooling time.


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Cleansing Diet, Day 8: “Pizza” with Almond Pesto and Vegetables

Green Girl Goodies, October 2011

Serves 4 to 6 Entrée Portions or 8 to 12 Appetizer Portions

1 bag Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Pizza Crust
- For the crust: 2 tb Flax Seed Meal + 6 tb Purified Water, let stand one minute
1 ½ c Almond Pesto
1 c Yellow or White Onion, small dice
1 c Red Onion, small dice
1 c Red Pepper, small dice
2 tb Garlic, sliced
1 c Spinach, hand town*
1 c Cherry Tomatoes
1 tb Basil, hand torn

- Prepare the crust according to package directions, using the suggested flax meal for egg substitute. Bake until golden brown and slightly crispy**

Watch it rise! When split in two as you see in the picture above, you can make 2 smaller pizzas.

Pre-Baked Dough

All Done!

- Preheat the oven to 425 and gather all your prepared ingredients.

- Once the crust is cooled, spread it with a layer of almond pesto.

- Sprinkle 1 even layer of ½ the onions, ½ the peppers and all of the garlic over the pizza.

- Layer half of the spinach over the vegetables then add the remaining onions and peppers.

- Place small dime size dollops of the remaining pesto over the vegetables and bake for approximately 15 minutes on the top rack of the oven.

- Once the onions look opaque, remove the pizza and sprinkle the remaining spinach and all of the tomatoes over the pizza.

- Place the pizza back in the oven on the top rack and cook for approximately 5 minutes until the spinach is mostly wilted.
- Top with basil and serve immediately with a side green salad of your choice.

*Tightly Packed Cup
**Since you won’t be adding cheese and the vegetables are cut very small, I baked the crust a bit longer than the directions said to avoid a doughy crust.
***You aren’t supposed to eat fungi while cleansing but if you aren’t cleansing, mushrooms would be a great addition to the pizza…and so would olives!

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