Tag: dinner

Big Little Bites > dinner

Summer Bowtie Pasta

Posted on by biglittlebites

Busy summer days at the pool or park, call for quick and easy family dinners. This pasta dish serves up all the fresh summer flavors in one bowl! Getting out the door and into the pool, with four kids, can be quite the event in itself… so we really are in no rush to get back inside once we “settle in.” Often, we find ourselves swimming well into dinner time, and with the idea of getting four littles into showers and baths, the last thing I want to worry about is what to cook for dinner.

I literally crave the fresh and healthy flavors of basil, olive oil and lemon in the summer, and the bowtie pasta lends a great texture and “chew” to the dish – it’s really perfect. Pasta is low on the food chain as far as nutritional benefits go, so I don’t cook with it often, but the simple carbs and fresh flavor is perfect in this Summer Bowtie Pasta dish.We enjoy this as a meal in itself, or as a side dish to another entree. We all love Summer Bowtie Pasta hot OR cold, which makes it ideal for leftovers too. If you’re growing basil in your garden – bonus points!  I just buy organic fresh basil from the grocer or Amazon Prime. Either way will do, just avoid dried basil in the jar because it won’t taste quite the same for this summery, fresh vegetarian bowtie pasta recipe! * When you click on my favorite product links, I may earn a tiny commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting Big Little Bites blog*

Pasta Alternatives for Summer Bowtie Pasta

Are you gluten-free, or just trying to choose more nutrient-dense real foods? If you wanted to make this dish more nutritious and gluten-free, you can easily substitute the bowtie noodles with whole grain or alternative pasta options.

My top choices for whole grains that substitute well in Summer Bowtie Pasta are:

When substituting pasta for whole grains, I add more olive and lemon juice to taste. 

farfalle bowtie noodles with fresh basil and sautéed cherry tomatoes and garlic in a pasta bowl with fresh lemon

How to Maximize Flavor

As a last note, I’ll just say that a quality olive oil and salt make a world of a difference! Not all are created equal, and I talk more about why, and how to choose quality, in my recipe post for Black Bean Soup.

My favorite, reasonably priced and safe olive oil is made right here in the United States and I trust the brand based on research, a clear harvest date label on their bottles and their certifications. 

For salt, I only use Redmond Real Salt, and you may have heard me talk about this before. Redmond Real Salt is unprocessed, unrefined, unbleached real salt with 60+ trace minerals that are essential for your optimum health. If you want to give it a try, I talked them into giving me a discount code to share with my followers! Shop Redmond Real Salt (and their other great products!) with code “BLB” for 15% off  your order. 

farfalle bowtie noodles with fresh basil and sautéed cherry tomatoes and garlic in a pasta bowl with fresh lemon
Print Recipe

Summer Bowtie Pasta

A great, fresh tasting pasta recipe that is simple to throw together for a family meal.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 4

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Large skillet

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp + 1/8 C olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 c grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 pkg bowtie (farfalle) pasta
  • 2 stems fresh basil, thinly sliced
  • fresh squeezed lemon juice or zest of 1 lemon, optional

Instructions

  • Set a large pot of water over high heat until it boils. Add the package of bowtie noodles and cook according to directions. When you drain the noodles after cooking, reserve 1 tablespoon of the starchy water.
  • Heat a skillet over low for 5 minutes.
  • Add 3 tbsp of olive oil to the skillet, along with sliced garlic. Allow to sizzle for 1 minute.
  • Sprinkle in the salt and tomato halves. Continue to cook, stirring once in a while, until the the tomato halves begin to wilt and slightly change color.
  • Remove the skillet from heat and add the reserved pasta water to the tomato and garlic mixture. Pour drained bowtie noodles into the skillet, along with the remaining 1/8 cup of olive oil. Stir to coat.
  • Empty the contents of the skillet into a pasta serving bowl and add more salt, and some pepper, to taste.

Butternut Squash Soup

Posted on by biglittlebites

I absolutely love a good butternut squash soup this time of year and I find myself stocking up on squash like I imagine our ancestors may have prepared for the long winters prior to the introduction of grocery stores!

There’s just one problem I have with traditional butternut squash soup – it never seems to fill me up enough to feel like a meal! Admittedly, I have a huge appetite… anyone that knows me, knows I could I’m always hungry no matter how much I eat! Fortunately or unfortunately, our children have inherited this same salacious appetite and never seem to be satisfied. I need soups with staying power! Soup that gives me all the warm and cozy feelings, but doesn’t leave me feeling hungry an hour later. Butternut squash soup can be an easy meatless and plant-based meal, even once my secret high-protein ingredient is added to it!

Butternut squash on its own is so nutritious, being that it’s extremely high in vitamin A, vitamin C and antioxidants. Naturally creamy when roasted, butternut squash makes a perfect thick and hearty base for soup, without needing to add cream or milk. What butternut squash doesn’t have a lot of, is protein. This is where my secret ingredient comes in!

How to Add Protein to Butternut Squash Soup

I had been trying to consume more protein, to put on weight after I finished nursing the youngest of my three girls. Every time I nursed a child, I would end up under my normal weight even though I was consuming more calories than I normally do. We now have four children including a one year old (it’s a boy!) whom I still nurse exclusively, so I need to work harder at getting more protein in my diet. The idea was sparked to increase the protein in butternut squash soup, by adding red lentils.

Lentils are a super lean, plant form of protein, and women should get around 40 grams of protein a day – which I guarantee most of us aren’t getting!

The addition of lentils, makes this soup a fiber AND protein-rich, grain-free, nutritious meal that will carry you over to your next meal of the day! Choosing red lentils over brown lentils, ensures they blend in seamlessly with the color of the butternut squash and are virtually invisible. 

How to Make Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

Sautéing a little onion and garlic with nutmeg, gives the butternut squash soup all the Fall feels and creates the delicious flavor base. I love that this soup can be made in one big pot from start to finish.

Once the onion becomes tender and the garlic fragrant, add some maple syrup to round out the sweetness in the squash with a caramel-like finish. I add the lentils, squash and liquid all at the same time, heat it up to a boil and reduce it to a simmer to meld the flavors. 

When the soup is finished cooking, an immersion blender makes it easy to puree right in the pot and achieve the silky, smooth, naturally creamy finish that butternut squash soup always has. 

Just prior to serving, crack some black pepper over top and sprinkle on pepitas of choice. I love sprouted pumpkin seeds, which are easy to digest and even more nutritious than conventional. If you’re serving kids, try allowing them to dress up their soup themselves! This little trick always makes my littles more curious to give their meal a taste! 

butternut squash soup in a white bowl with pumpkin seeds being sprinkled on
a pot of butternut squash soup on a wood table with a bowl of soup
creamy non-dairy butternut squash soup in a white bowl and pumpkin seeds on top
Print Recipe

Butternut Squash Soup

Not your run-of-the-mill butternut squash soup! This savory and sweet soup packs protein to make it a well-rounded meal suitable for dinner.
Course: Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: lentil soup, red lentils, vegan, vegetarian, soup recipe, meatless, nondairy, vegan
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • Immersion blender

Ingredients

  • 1 butternut squash
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1/4 large onion (or 1/2 a small)
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 c red lentils
  • 5 c water or broth of choice
  • freshly cracked pepper to taste
  • pepitas for serving

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Cut the stem end off of the butternut squash, stand it up on on the cut end, and slice down the middle of the squash to split it in half. Scoop out the seeds, brush the tops of the squash with 1 tbsp olive oil and place faceup into a rimmed sheet pan with an inch of water in it. Place the pan into the oven and allow to cook for 45 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the tops with a fork.
  • In a Dutch oven or stock pot, add the remaining olive oil and heat on medium. Add minced onion and cook until translucent and starting to brown.
  • While your onions are cooking, scoop the flesh from your butternut halves. Add garlic, nutmeg, salt, maple syrup, butternut squash and lentils to the pot with 5 c of water or chicken broth. Bring it all to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer for 20 minutes until lentils are cooked.
  • Add more water as necessary - the soup should be thick, but also “soupy!” Turn off heat and purée with an immersion blender or allow it to cool and add in batches to a food processor.
  • Sprinkle the soup with plenty of freshly cracked pepper and pepitas to serve!

 

 

Perfect Red Lentil Soup

Posted on by biglittlebites

I grew up eating this perfect, delicious and healthy red lentil soup, and it’s now a staple in my home with my family. Lentils are rich in protein (equivalant to a steak!), folate, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. They’re such a great, nutritious substitute for meat, whether you’re doing a meatless Monday, or cooking vegan or vegetarian meals. This warm, cozy red lentil soup is perfect for lunch or dinner and especially easy to throw together when you’re short on time to get food on the table, because it takes minimal effort!

As with all of my recipes, I recommend aiming to choose organic ingredients whenever possible. I look for vegetable stock or broth made from real foods and free of flavoring, to get the cleanest ingredients into our bodies. When time allows, consider sprouting the lentils prior to using them, as this will ease digestion and enhance the nutrient profile of the soup.

I hope you enjoy this recipe, born from my Armenian heritage, as much as my family does!

How I Make it

What I love about this Perfect Red Lentil Soup, is that it’s flavorful yet super easy. On a busy school night, this takes 15 minutes to prep, 30 minutes to cook and maybe another 15 minutes to cool and puree! I will note, pureeing is not totally necessary, and more of a preference. The photo below, of the finished soup, is how it looks without pureeing. The texture is soft and airy, making the soup almost fluffy!

I begin by sautéing the minced onion in a little olive oil, until the onion begins to turn clear about five minutes later. Next, I add in the cumin, salt and pepper and give it all a good stir before mixing in the tomato paste. At this point, the soup won’t be soup at all -it will just be a clumpy mix of onions and seasoning! Toss in the quinoa and lentils and pour in the broth to make a more soupy mixture (below). Now you bring it to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer and cover, letting it cook undisturbed for 30 minutes. That’s basically it!

When you remove the lid… voila! You are left with this perfect lentil soup, which you can then puree if desired!

Perfect Meatless Meal

red lentil soup in a bowl with cilantro leaves on top
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Perfect Red Lentil Soup

This red lentil soup is excellent for a plant-based, meatless meal, if you use vegetable stock. It's hearty, filling and full of flavor!
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time45 mins
Course: Soup
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: lentil soup, red lentils, vegan, vegetarian, soup recipe, meatless, nondairy
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • Dutch oven pot
  • Immersion blender

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, minced
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cracked pepper
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 c red lentils
  • 3/4 c quinoa
  • 7 c vegetable or chicken stock
  • Optional: fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Optional: sprinkle of cayenne pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat a dutch oven over medium-low heat for 5 minutes.
  • Add olive oil and minced onion. Cook the onion, stirring every now and then, until they turn transparent.
  • Add salt, pepper, cumin and tomato paste to onions and stir to combine.
  • Add lentils, quinoa and stock to dutch oven with onion and spice mixture. Stir and raise temperature to high.
  • Once the soup is boiling, reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Allow to simmer for 30 minutes.
  • Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until smooth and creamy.
  • Add another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, to enhance flavor.

Rich People Chicken

Posted on by biglittlebites

My grandparents were from Provence, so the combination of lavender and thyme is no stranger to me and has always been a favorite in the kitchen. It wasn’t until more recent years, when a friend used it on dark meat chicken in conjunction with honey, and my mind was blown. There’s just something about bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, that work so well with this flavor combo!

Lavender Thyme Chicken smells so good when it’s roasting, your mouth will be watering. Affectionately referred to as “rich people chicken,” it looks even more beautiful than it smells… and you’ll see what I mean, when you feast your eyes on the golden, crispy crust that forms. 

So why and how did lavender thyme chicken become “Rich People Chicken?” It all started when I attended an annual Blogger Brunch here in Atlanta, hosted by my friend Meghan at Donut Worry Be Healthy. I met some amazing new blogger friends that also love to eat (imagine that!) and we were sitting around, each sharing one recipe that we’d love for each other to try making. I started talking about my Lavender Thyme Chicken: “it’s SO good, and looks so delicious on a platter… wait until your dinner guests smell how amazing it is…. they’ll think you spent hours making it… it’s really super easy and is just SO yummy… it’s with lavender, and sounds and smells really fancy…” To which one friend responded jokingly, “oh, so people will think you’re rich if you make it for them?” YES. It’s rich people chicken! You’re super fancy if you make this. Just saying.

How to Make Easy Lavender Thyme Chicken

Stock up on these ingredients and stash them in your pantry! Lavender Thyme Chicken is such an easy, delicious and savory recipe, you’ll want to make it again. I buy dried, culinary-grade lavender buds here, or from a gourmet grocer (like Whole Foods) in the bulk herbs and spices section. Fresh thyme works well (double up the quantity) but for ease, I stick with dried thyme most of the time. 

I love that this Lavender Thyme Chicken recipe works great with any bone-in chicken. Whether it be bone-in thighs, drumsticks, breasts or the whole shebang – start by trimming any fat and seasoning both sides with salt and pepper. I prefer bone-in to boneless because it yields more flavor and is less prone to drying out during cooking. I love prepping poultry on this butcher tray (pictured below) and has a rim to catch any drippings. The butcher tray also fits perfectly onto a fridge shelf and I also use it to defrost meats or chicken, because the lip catches any packaging leaks as it thaws, preventing contamination in my fridge.

* When you click on my favorite product links, I earn a tiny commission from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you*

raw chicken thighs and legs on a butcher tray

If you’re hosting a dinner party, go ahead and prep the lavender, thyme, honey, lemon and oil mixture the day before. Baste the chicken in the marinade, wrap it well and let it marinate overnight in the fridge. The next day, simply transfer the pieces to a parchment paper lined baking sheet and drizzle any juices from the butcher tray, on top. Don’t cook the chicken on the butcher tray! Drizzle the Lavender Thyme Chicken with more olive oil and honey before placing it in the preheated oven, to ensure that crispy, golden crusted skin.

If you’re just throwing together a quick family dinner, it’ll be just fine to make it all the same day! Marinating overnight just allows the maximum flavor to develop.

herb crusted lavender thyme bone in chicken thighs and drumsticks on a butcher tray

I am very conscious of trying to never char our food and I hope you will be too. I know in America, we have this whole thing about blackened grill marks, and extra-crispy food – but guess what? Those black marks? They’re literally chemicals forming, that are carcinogenic! I don’t want you to feed that to yourself, or your littles – so please keep an eye on your food and recognize the exact point to give it a flip, a baste or lower the temperature so you get the perfect bronzed dish, without the char!

herb crusted chicken thighs and drumsticks on a plate

roasted lavender thyme bone-in chicken thighs on a plate
Print Recipe

Lavender Thyme Chicken

Affectionately reffered to by friends, as "rich people chicken," this dish will make you feel and look fancy. Minimal effort. It's a promise.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Servings: 6

Ingredients

  • 5 lbs bone-in chicken thighs, drumsticks, breasts or a whole chicken (butterflied)
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1/2 lemon, juiced
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 3 tbsp dried lavender buds
  • salt + pepper, to taste

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees farenheit.
  • Line a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan with parchment paper.
  • In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil and honey, whisking with a fork briefly.
  • Add dried thyme. Working in small batches, roll lavender buds between your fingers to crush them as you add them to the mix. Stir well and let the flavors meld while you trim any fat from the chicken.
  • Arrange the chicken flat in a storage container or bag if you're marinating overnight. If you're cooking that day, arrange the chicken side by side on the baking sheet. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken pieces, and using a basting brush, apply the marinade all over. If it's a roasting chicken, get your fingers up under the skin to loosen it, so you can apply the mixture as a rub underneath (the skin).
  • Prior to roasting, drizzle additional olive oil and a little more honey, all over the top of the chicken.
  • If roasting a whole chicken, stuff the cavity with one lemon cut into quarters and a couple of garlic cloves. Roast for 45-60 minutes.
  • If roasting chicken drumsticks, cook for 45 minutes.
  • If roasting thighs, cook for 30 minutes.
  • If roasting breasts, cook for 40 minutes.
  • * Always check to ensure chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees *

Stuffed Grapeleaves

Posted on by biglittlebites

When I was a little kid, we would pick up my great-grandmother once a week to take her grocery shopping. I have vivid memories of her ordering my mom to pull over randomly on the side of the road at least once every trip, because she spotted roadside grape leaves she just needed to pick ? My little Armenian great-grandmother, kept plastic grocery bags bunched up inside of her little purse, just for these happenstance sightings!

Now, here I am today, a mom of three, picking grape leaves in my neighborhood as Liz and I take the kids on a walk! Hey, they are organic, and they are local! Wild food! ? So… when nature gives you grape leaves, you make dolma, right? I didn’t invent this recipe, it’s centuries old! But try it, love it, and please never order that restaurant dolma again – it just doesn’t compare!

Ingredients: 

About 35 grape leaves (maybe one jar)

1 lb of grass-fed ground lamb, beef or mixture of the two

1 large onion, minced

1/4 -1/2 c uncooked brown rice

Handful of parsley, chopped

1/4 c tomato sauce

Salt & Pepper to taste

 

Directions:

If you picked your leaves fresh, you’ll need to first blanch them – plunge them into boiling water and then rinse under cold water. If you’re using grape leaves from a jar, they are in brine, so you’ll want to give them a good rinse. I usually just dump out the liquid while leaving the leaves in the jar, and then repeatedly refill the jar with water and strain it out about 3x.

Set up a rolling station with a colander/plate to hold your wet grape leaves flat, a small knife for trimming stems, a medium bowl for the meat mixture, a soup/stock pot to cook them in, and a clean plate or cutting board for rolling and a platter of some sort to put your rolls onto.

Make the meat mixture by combining all the ingredients (except for the leaves) in the medium bowl – mix well but don’t get too crazy kneading, or you’ll end up with tough meat.

Once you start rolling, as you go through your stack of leaves, whenever you find one with holes in it, or too small to roll with, use it to line the bottom of your pot (this prevents your dolmas from burning as they cook). Roll your dolmas as the photos above indicate, by folding over certain parts of the leaf at a time. Once you’re finished rolling them all up, line them side by side on top of the layer of castaway grape leaves on the bottom of your pot. Make sure they are all nice and snug against each other! Find a plate just big enough to fit inside your pot, and place it on top of your grape leaves. Now pour in water or broth, some tomato sauce and half a lemon juiced, just to the rim of the  plate. Cover your pot, bring it to a boil over medium-high heat, and reduce to a simmer for one hour.

Serve with yogurt! Yum! By the way, these are just as delicious served cold the next day, right out of the fridge!

 

Vegan Banh Mi Pockets

Posted on by biglittlebites

I had a Banh Mi sandwich once at a Vietnamese restaurant.

Seriously – that’s it! That’s all it took ?? The flavor is indescribable, tangy and fresh, I was in love at first bite! Now I’ve created my own plant-based banh mi, that is SUPER delish and hits the spot on any warm day!! This sweet and spicy vegan banh mi sandwich hits all the right notes and can be thrown together in a pinch, or prepped the day before. Feel free to substitute lettuce wraps for the pita pockets – you could serve these taco-style or wrap-style!

We always make sure to use organic ingredients when possible (to avoid toxins), and especially pay close attention to looking for non-GMO soy products like tamari and tempeh. Why? Soy is one of the top genetically modified foods in the USA and a 2 year study of lab rats fed genetically modified corn, developed aggressive tumors and died early. These reactions were observed in rats exposed to Monsantos herbicide at “safe levels” per regulators standards. One of the active ingredients in the herbicide was also deemed to be possibly carcinogenic by the World Health Organization. That’s reason enough for us to avoid GMO’s!

Tempeh Time

When I open a package of a tempeh, I cut the whole loaf in half and put it in a small pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, to remove any bitter taste.  Afterwards, I transfer it to a cutting board to cool, and then thinly slice it. Similar to tofu, tempeh absorbs flavor from marinade well, so I try to marinate at least 20 minutes to a day before I’m using it. I combine the tamari, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic in a flat, glass, rectangle shaped tupperware and let rest while I’m working on the vegetables in this recipe.Tempeh is a less processed form of tofu – it’s fermented soy, and is really more nutritious than it’s sister tofu. I stopped using tofu years ago, since I try to avoid processed foods as much as possible and I like the higher nutritional value found in tempeh.

thin sliced tempeh in a glass dish

sliced tempeh cooking in a skillet

Veggie Prep

I wash all of my veggies first, and then thinly slice them, skin on, with a mandolin. I toss them into a medium sized mixing bowl, as I’m going, because that’s a great place to marinate them too. Simply pour the marinade on top and give a quick stir every few minutes while you start the rest of the meal.

raw sliced veggies in a stainless steel mixing bowl

When you’re ready to cook the tempeh, make sure to baste it in a little bit of the spicy sauce prior to adding it to the heat – it adds so much more flavor. When you’re ready to serve these babies, go ahead and coat the inside of your pita with this spicy sauce also – your vegan banh mi will have some kick! To make the spicy sauce, you combine veganaise and sriracha. Follow your Heart grapeseed oil veganaise is my favorite because it’s made with grapeseed oil, which has some health benefits and has cleaner ingredients than other veganaise varieties I’ve seen out there. Now you could use standard sriracha, but if you compare the ingredients to Wildbrine smokey jalapeño sriracha, you will see why I always choose the latter! Plus, the tangy, spicy, smokey flavor is just second to none, AND it has probiotics in it!!

pita bread stuffed with vegetables and tempeh with a lime wedge on a plate

pita bread sandwiches stuffed with vegetables and tempeh on a plate with a lime wedge

Vegan Banh Mi Pockets

Ingredients:

Tempeh:

Tempeh, boiled for 10 minutes and sliced thin

1/4 c tamari

1/4 c rice vinegar

1/2 tsp minced ginger

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Quick-Pickled Vegetables 

3 radishes (I like using  2 red, and 1 black, for contrasting color), 1 carrot, 1/2 English cucumber and 1 shallot all thinly sliced with a mandolin

1/4 c rice vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

Spicy Sauce

1/4 c veganaise, 3 tbsp sriracha, mixed together

Extras

Pita pockets, small

Lime wedges

Cilantro

Black sesame seeds

Directions:

Marinate sliced tempeh in soy, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic while prepping the vegetables for pickling.

Marinate vegetables in a bowl with rice vinegar, salt and sugar for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, mix your veganaise and Sriracha.

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Remove tempeh from its marinade and brush on a thin layer of spicy sauce. Place tempeh slices side by side into a hot skillet and let sit for 3 minutes, then turn off heat.

Toss pickled vegetables with black sesame seeds.

Brush spicy sauce along inside of pita pocket, then stuff with pickled vegetables, and a few slices of tempeh. Garnish with a drizzle of spicy sauce, a squeeze of fresh lime and cilantro. Enjoy!

Middle Eastern Chickpea Burgers with Harissa Aioli

Posted on by biglittlebites

Eating vegan doesn’t have to mean a salad for every meal, or a plate of plain vegetables (although, we love that too ♥️)! These mid-east spiced chickpea burgers will shock your tastebuds with a flavor explosion ? We eat ours on top of zucchini noodles to keep the grain content of the meal low, but they would be just as yummy served up in a bun or on top of a bed of rice or greens! Want to make them grain-free? Just sub the quinoa for mor chickpeas! Ever make aioli? It’s not as scary as it seems – I promise it doesn’t take long, it’s really simple and it beats using store-bought mayonnaise in place of the real-deal! Try our easy recipe that turns the traditional sauce into a spicy fiesta!

Chickpea Burgers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Ingredients:

15 oz chickpeas (we used our sprouted chickpeas, but any chickpeas will do!)

3 garlic cloves, sliced in half

1/2 c red quinoa, cooked

1/2 c chickpea flour (we used sprouted)

1 c spinach

1 1/2 tbsp curry

1/2 tsp cumin

1/4 cup cilantro

2 egg whites (reserve the yolks for the aioli!)

1/4 c sliced red onion

1 tbsp olive oil

 

Directions:

Throw it all in a blender and purée! Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and form into patties by making a meatball shape and pressing down with your palm. Line them up on the pan and bake for 22-25 minutes.

 

Harissa Aioli

Ingredients: 

2 yolks

1/2 a lemon, juice

2 1/2 tsp harissa spices (we buy the Whole Foods dry blend that combines paprika, caraway, chili pepper, cayenne, coriander, cumin, garlic, peppermint and salt)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 c olive oil

1/2 c grapeseed oil

 

Directions: 

Put the yolks and lemon juice in your food processor and give it a whirl until it becomes frothy and opaque (takes just a minute). Add the spices and salt, and continue blending. While the food processor is still running, slowly add the oil one by one, in a slooooow, steady stream. After just a few minutes, your aioli will be forming! How will you know? It gets thick! Just like whipping cream ?? Store it in the fridge until ready to use!

 

Healthy Turkey Meatballs

Posted on by biglittlebites

Looking for an Alternative to Beef Meatballs?

In our family, we limit red meat consumption to just a couple of times a month and talk a lot about balancing foods and nutrients. I’ve seen for myself that eating more plant foods is the best thing I can do for my health, but giving up beef, feels impossible to me. I could never do it! I love the flavor and the countless recipes that use red meat – including meatballs. Swapping beef for turkey in a this Healthy Turkey Meatballs recipe, is an easy way to make a healthier meal with lean protein. I use Healthy Turkey Meatballs as an opportunity to sneak in some vegetables that contribute to flavor and moisture. Then I top the meatballs with microgreens to amp up the nutrient profile with plants.  

Why Should you Limit Red Meat?

Red meat provides some essential nutrients such as iron and vitamins, but it also comes with health risks. With your iron and vitamins, you’re also getting a dose of saturated fat and cholesterol. Studies show that long-term consumption of red meat carries increased risk of mortality, cardiovascular disease, cancer and diabetes.

It’s important to practice balance when it comes to food. Limit red meat consumption to twice a month and strive to add other sources of protein into the rotation. 

Other Sources of Nutrients Found in Beef

You can enjoy red meat less frequently and get IRON from other sources such as legumes, pumpkin seeds, spinach, quinoa, shellfish and… TURKEY!

PROTEIN is an important factor in a well-balanced diet, and can be found in other animal foods as well as plant foods. Some of my favorite sources of protein are legumes, quinoa, nuts, seeds, eggs, turkey, chicken, wild salmon and red meat. Getting your protein from plants whenever possible, is the best thing for our planet and the healthiest for your body. Poultry (turkey and chicken for example) and wild salmon are also good options. In the case of meatballs, turkey makes a great option!

Another nutrient in red meat that is essential for wellbeing, is ZINC. Our bodies need zinc on a daily basis to metabolize nutrients, repair tissue and keep our immune system strong. Unfortunately, our bodies don’t store zinc, so it’s one of those things you need to make sure to add into your diet every day. A great, plant-based alternative source of zinc is hemp seeds! Including hemp seeds in Healthy Turkey Meatballs adds up to 43% of a women’s daily need for zinc, as well as healthy fats, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

B VITAMINS help your body make energy, and include thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), biotin (B7), folate (B9) and cobalamin (B12). Similarly to zinc, most of these cannot be stored by your body, so to achieve a balanced diet you need to obtain them through a variety of foods. We aren’t using red meat for Healthy Turkey Meatballs, but turkey is a great source for B vitamins! Cook up some spinach to eat along with it, and you’re increasing your vitamin B consumption, along with adding more iron. 

Meatballs without Grains or Eggs

When I make Healthy Turkey Meatballs, I always choose organic ground turkey to ensure we aren’t getting pesticides through the animal feed in our diet. I mix the ground turkey with spices and herbs, hemp seeds, and finely cut veggies to round out the nutrient profile.  I make these grain-free and skip the breadcrumbs traditionally added to meatballs, so expect them to be a little “wet” when shaping them. Since turkey dries out easily when cooking, skipping breadcrumbs also helps retain moisture and keeping the texture similar to beef meatballs. 

Whole 30 Entree

Are you following a Whole 30 diet? Healthy Turkey Meatballs are free of trigger foods like dairy, grains and legumes and it’s easy to make this into a complete Whole 30 approved entree. Instead of eating Healthy Turkey Meatballs over pasta, I serve mine with steamed spinach and simple roasted golden potatoes. You can still add red sauce if you’re a traditionalist, but be sure to check the ingredients and avoid added sugar as that would not fit into the Whole 30 plan. Thinking about trying Whole 30 for the first time, or wondering what it’s all about? Check out The Kitchn for an easy to read list of do’s and dont’s. While I am not a fan of any kind of dieting, I am a fan of paying attention to which foods feel good and which don’t. Trying a Whole 30 diet for 30 days, can be a good way for those with digestive upset to “reset” and see if eliminating trigger foods helps them feel better. 

Print Recipe

Healthy Turkey Meatballs

Ingredients

  • 12 oz ground turkey
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4 yellow onion, minced
  • 6 tbsp hemp seeds
  • 1/2 bunch of parsley, leaves chopped and stems discarded
  • 1/2 zucchini, grated
  • 3/4 c carrot, grated
  • 1/8 tsp cracked pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp italian seasoning blend (marjoram, savory, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, basil)

Instructions

  • Set your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
  • Throw all the ingredients into a mixing bowl, and using your hands, mix just until combined.
  • Shape the mixture into 1.5" meatballs and place 1/2" apart on the sheet pan.
  • Bake for 20 minutes, then broil on high for 3 minutes. Keep your eye on the broil segment, so you don't burn them - you just want to lightly brown the tops.
  • Toppings can include: your favorite red sauce, microgreens or other sprouts, grated Parmesan, crumbled goat cheese, crumbled blue cheese... be creative!