Zesty Chili and Black Beans Bow-Tie Pasta

PREP 5 MIN COOK 15 MIN SERVES 6

2 tsp olive oil
1 lb (454g) ground turkey
1 cup chopped onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1 cup green bell pepper
1 cup diced carrots
1 1/2 cups no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 can (19oz / 540ml) no-salt-added black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
12 oz (340g) uncooked whole-grain bow-tie pasta (about 7 cups dry)
1/2 cup light (5%) sour cream
1/2 cup packed shredded light old (sharp) cheddar cheese (2oz / 57g)
1/2 cup chopped green onions

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add ground turkey. Cook and stir until turkey is no longer pink. Break up any large chunks with a fork.
3. Add onions, garlic, green pepper and carrots. Cook and stir for 4 to 5 minutes, until vegetables begin to soften.
4. Stir in tomato sauce, salsa, beans, chili powder, cumin and oregano. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain well.
6. Divide pasta among six serving plates. Ladle chili over pasta. Place a dollop of sour cream in the centre, then sprinkle with cheese and onions. Serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 506 CAL, 11.9G FAT (3.7 SAT FAT), 31G PROT, 68 CARB, 15.4G FIB, 71MG CHOL, 399MG SOD

Well this recipe was SUPER filling (at least I thought so!). I was simple to make and was pretty good too! I'm pretty sure we'll probably end-up trying this one out again! :)

Baked Spicy Cavatappi Pasta

PREP 10 MIN COOK 40 MINS SERVES 6

12 oz (340g) uncooked cavatappi pasta (corkscrew-shaped macaroni) or medium shell pasta pasta (about 4 cups dry; look for whole wheat)
2 tsp olive oil
1 lb (454g) ground turkey or chicken
1 cup chopped onions
2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 cup each diced red and green bell peppers
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
2 cups low-sodium tomato pasta sauce
3/4 cup salsa (mild, medium or hot)
1 tsp each dried oregano, ground cumin and chili powder
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 cup 1% cottage cheese or part-skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup packed shredded light Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (2oz/57g)
1 Tbsp minced fresh cilantro or parsley

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add turkey, onions, garlic, green and red peppers and jalapenos. Cook and stir until turkey is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Drain off any fat. Add pasta sauce, salsa, oregano, cumin, chili powder and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.

3. Spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spreed a bit of pasta sauce over bottom, followed by 1/2 the pasta and 1/2 the remaining sauce. Spread cottage cheese evenly over sauce. Spread remaining pasta over cottage cheese, followed by remaining sauce. Top with shredded cheese.

4. Cover and bake at 350'F for 30 minutes, until completely heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve hot.

PER SERVING: 423 CAL, 9G TOTAL FAT (3.1G SAT FAT), 30G PROT, 57G CARB, 6G FIBER, 69MG CHOL, 662MG SOD

Believe it or not our little grocery store didn't have any ground chicken or turkey - today! So I just opted to use ground beef. Also in some of the other choices - I opted to using ricotta cheese instead of the cottage cheese and use the parsley instead of the cilantro.

Tex-Mex Cobb Salad

Prep 15 min Cook - min Serves 8

1 (10 oz) package torn romaine lettuce
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 of a 9 oz. pkg. of any Deli Fresh Shaved Smoked Turkey Breast, coarsely chopped

1 (15 oz) can no salt black beans, rinsed
1 cup 2% shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup chopped red onions
1/2 cup Light Ranch salad dressing
1/2 cup thick, chunky salsa

1. Cover a platter with lettuce and top with next 6 ingredents (corn, tomato, turkey, black beans, cheese, and onions).
2. Mix together the ressing and salsa. Drizzle over salad just before serving.

Per Serving: (1-1/2 cups) Cal 180, Carbs 21g, Fat 6g, Fib 5g, Prot 11g
Points Plus Value: 4

This was quick and easy. We had this as a supper summertime meal - would also be great as an afternoon salad!

3 Meat Barbecued Burgers

3 Meat Barbecued Burger

PREP 10 MINS COOK 18 MINS SERVES  6

2 Tbsp soft bread crumbs
2 tp refrigeratred or frozen egg product, thawed
1/4 tsp barbecue seasoning or barbecue spice
8 oz raw ground chicken
1 lb uncooked ground turkey breast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
6 slices turkey bacon
1/3 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese (optional)
6 whole wheat English muffin, split and toasted
2 Tbsp bias-sliced (slanted / but on an angle) green onions

1. In a medium size bowl, combine bread crumbs, egg product and barbecue seasoning. Add chicken; mix well. Shape chicken mixture into six 1/4 inch thick patties.

2. In another medium size bowl, combine turkey, garlic powder and pepper. Shape mixture into six 1/2 inch thick patties. Place chicken patties on top of turkey patties. Shape the edges of the turkey patties up the sides of the chicken patties, pinching the patties together to seal. Wrap a bacon slice around each patty and secure with a wooden toothpick.

3. For a charcoal grill; grill patties on lightly greased rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium hot coals for 14 to 18 minutes or until an instal read thermometer inserted into the side of each patty registers 165'F. turning once halfway through grilling. If desired sprinkle cheese on patties for the last minute of grilling. (For a gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place patties on lightly greased grill rack. Cover and grill as above).

4. Remove toothpicks. Place patties on top of muffin bottoms.
Top with green onion and muffin tops.

PER SERVING: (1 BURGER AND 1 ENGLISH MUFFIN) 331 CAL, 10 G FAT, 83 G CHOL, 28 G CARBS, 5 G FIB, 34 G PROT
PointsPlus Value: 8

Another great chicken burger! ...well 3 meat variation burger, but still good. It's huge and filling too!
The turkey bacon is great since it's wider than regular pork bacon which is too thin and narrow, which made it so much easier for the wrapping part. I grilled these on my BBQ and so cooking time may varie (as long as you make sure that your instant read thermometer reads 165'F they'll turn out great!

Fresh Linguine with Sausage and Spinach

PREP 7 MIN COOK 13 MIN SERVES  4

1 (9-ounce) package fresh linguine
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 lbs hot Italian turkey sausages, casings removed
2 Tbsp pine nuts
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (9-ounce) bag baby spinach


1. Cook the linguine according to the package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the water.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

3. Add the pine nuts and garlic to the skillet; cook, stirring frequently until the nuts are lightly browned, about 2 minutes; add to the sausage. Add the spinach to the skillet and cook, stirring just until wilted, about 3 minutes.

4. Return the sausage and pine nuts to the skillet; cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the pasta and reserved cooking water; cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute.

PER SERVING (1 1/2 CUPS): 333 CAL , 13 G FAT, 3 G SAT FAT, 0 G TRANS FAT, 74 MG CHOL, 418 MG SOD, 36 G CARB, 4 G FIB, 18 G PROT, 89 MG CALC.
PointsPlus Value: 9


Another success. This was single menu meal was great! 
This was enjoyed by everyone, my teenage boys even came back for more!

Middle Eastern-Style Turkey Burgers

PREP 5 MIN COOK  15 MIN SERVES 4

1 lb ground skinless turkey breast
1 egg white
1/2 small onion, grated
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted and cooled
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
4 (7-inch) whole-wheat pitas, warmed
1 large tomato, cut into 8 slices


1. Spray the rack of a broiler pan with nonstick spray and preheat the broiler.

2. Mix together the turkey, egg white, onion, pine nuts, oil, cumin, paprika, salt, allspice, and crushed red pepper until well combined. With damp hands, shape the mixture into 4 (1/2-inch thick) patties.

3. Place the patties on the broiler rack and broil 4 inches from the heat until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the side of a burger registers 165'F, 5-6 minutes on each side.

4. Cut off the top third of each pita (save for another use, if desired). Stuff each pita with 2 tomato slices and a burger.

PER SERVING (1 GARNISHED BURGER): 356 CAL, 9 G FAT, 2 G SAT FAT, 0 G TRANS FAT, 75 MG CHOL, 653 MG SOD, 35 G CARB, 6 G FIB, 35 PROT, 36 MG CALC.
PointsPlus Value: 9


These were delicious. Obvious from the picture posted - we added some iceberg lettuce to each burger combination.


It was somewhat different, but tasty, to have the toasted pine nuts included within the burger. It was also a little awkward eating the burger in the pita; maybe it was the pita selection we purchased - they seems a little dry, and so we simply end-up kind-of wrapping the burger in them in stead of stuffing it inside (kept ripping the pita when I was trying to stuff the burger inside).


This recipe was enjoyed.

Turkey and Corn Quesadillas

PREP 15 MIN COOK 5 MIN SERVES 4

4 (7-inch) whole-wheat tortillas

1 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded cooked turkey breast

1 (8 3/4 ounce) can corn kernels, drained

1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red pepper, drained and chopped

4 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

1/4 cup prepared salsa

1. Top half of each tortilla with 1/4 cup of the cheddar, 1/4 cup of the turkey, one-fourth of the corn, one-fourth of the roasted peppers, and 1 Tbsp of the cilantro. Fold the unfilled tortilla half over the filling, lightly pressing down.

2. Spray a large nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add 2 of the quesadillas and cook until the tortillas are crisp and the cheese begins to melt, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Repeat with the remaining 2 quesadillas.

3. Cut each quesadilla in half and tranfer to a platter. Serve with the sour cream and salsa.

** Time Saver Tip: Use a griddle instead of a skillet and you can cook all the quesadillas at the same time. **

PER SERVING (2 WEDGES, 1 Tbsp SOUR CREAM, AND 1 Tbsp SALSA): 224 CAL, 4G FAT, 2G SAT FAT, 0G TRANS FAT, 36 MG CHOL, 893 MG SOD, 28 G CARB, 4 G FIB, 22 G PROT, 243 MG CALC.

PointsPlus Value: 6

Absolutely delicious & filling!

We will definitely be making these again! 

Sausage and Onion Fajitas

PREP 5 MIN COOK  15 MIN SERVES 4

1 tsp canola oil
1/2 lb italian-style turkey sausages, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
4 (8-inch) reduced-fat flour tortillas, warmed


1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.
Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the bell peppers and onions; cook, stirring, until tender, about 8 minutes.

2. Spoon the sausage mixture evenly onto the center of each tortilla
and roll up to enclose the filling.

PER SERVING (1 FAJITAS): 241 CAL, 7 G FAT, 1 G SAT FAT, 0 G TRANS FAT, 52 MG CHOL, 735 MG SOD, 28 G CARB, 5 G FIB, 18 G PROT, 100 MG CALC.
PointsPlus Value: 6


Before rolling  up the tortillas, top each serving with 1/4 diced medium avocado and 1/2 cup shredded romain lettuce. The PointsPlus value increase by 2.


Great recipe ~ Quick and Easy and delicious!!


Tonight our local small-grocery store didn't have any turkey sausages so I purchased regular pork sausages. We opted to serve them with iceberg (regular) lettuce, instead of the recommended romain lettuce - and we no avocado on ours (since I didn't have any).

Hearty Stuffed Peppers

PREP 20 MIN BAKE 55 MIN SERVES 4

1/2 lb ground skinless turkey
1 cup cooked brown rice
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/3 cup crumbled fat-free feta cheese
2 Tbsp tomato paste
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp minced fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried
4 any-colour bell peppers, tops cut off
1/2 cup tomato puree


1. To make filling, combine (uncooked) turkey, rice, onion, peas, feta, tomato paste, garlic and thyme in large bowl.

2. Spoon filling evenly into bell peppers.
Preheat over to 350'F.
Transfer peppers to 9-inch square baking dish.
Pour tomato puree over peppers; add enough water so that liquid comes one fourth up sides of peppers.
Cover with foil and bake, basting occasionally with juices, 35 minutes.
Uncover and bake until peppers are tender and until instant-read thermometer inserted into filling registers 165'F, 20-25 minutes.

** Turkey will cook during bake time specified above. **

3. Let stuffed peppers stand 5 minutes before serving.

PER SERVING (1 STUFFED PEPPER WITH ABOUT 1/4 CUP SAUCE):  CAL, 6 G FAT, 2 G SAT FAT, 0 G TRANS FAT, 37 MG CHOL, 385 MG SOD, 27 G CARB, 4 G FIB, 17 G PROT, 79 MG CALC.
PointsPlus Value: 6


Filling Extra: Instead of using only peas in the stuffing, up the veggies by substituting 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots in step 1.


This one turned out to be a 50/50 hit in the house. 
It'll probably get done again, but we might change things up a little in it.
For example - instead of the tomato puree, we had add tomato pasta sauce.
There might have been too much added in our version (tonight) --> comment from my 14 yrs son.
Also my spouse mentioned that he could taste the feta cheese, so this might get opted-out next time, since feta is an acquired taste, and I personally prefer it in my Greek salads!