Friday night I felt like having a nice, warm meal for dinner. Last Christmas I got a vegetable spiralizer and I had yet to use it. Since I had the day off on Friday and had some extra time (and some zucchini in the fridge), I thought it would be the perfect time to use it. The extra time wasn’t even needed, as the spiralizer was super easy to set up and use!
I also discovered that making your own chunky tomato sauce is super easy! I added olive oil to a pot on medium heat and sautéed some garlic, onions, crushed tomatoes and spices. To make the sauce a bit chunkier, I chopped a fresh tomato and added it to the sauce as well. With all the zucchini and tomatoes, my meal was loaded with potassium. Potassium is important for your body as it helps regulate mineral and fluid balance in and out of our body cells. It also reduces the effect of sodium, helping to maintain normal blood pressure.[1]
Servings: 9
Serving Size: ¼ cup
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 1 tomato, large, chopped
- 1 can (28 oz) tomatoes, crushed
- 1 teaspoon basil, dried
- 1 teaspoon thyme, dried
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Heat olive oil in a pot on medium heat.
- Add garlic and onion and sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Add tomato, crushed tomatoes, basil, thyme and sugar and bring to a boil.
- Simmer sauce for 30 minutes.
Nutrition Facts
Calories: 60; Fat: 1.57 g; Carbohydrate: 2.4 g; Protein: 1.81 g
I always include protein sources in all meals. For this meal, my protein source was turkey meatballs. Turkey, an animal source of protein, is considered high quality because it has all of the essential amino acids. I also chose the extra lean ground turkey as it has less fat and cholesterol because I was adding cheese and egg to the meatballs.
Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra lean ground turkey
- 1/3 cup whole wheat seasoned bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup Onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons parmesan, asiago and romano cheese, shredded (I used Mama Francesca Premium Cheese)
- 1 egg, large
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic power
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Add all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, mix well. Be sure to wash your hands well before and after mixing if you are using your hands to mix.
- Roll 12 meatballs, each a little larger than a golf ball.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Nutrition Facts (per meatball)
Calories: 64.6; Fat: 1.44 g; Carbohydrate: 2.4 g; Protein: 10.13 g
I grabbed the zucchini out of the fridge, washed it well, and quickly created some zucchini noodles. Zucchini are a good source of Vitamin C. They also contain Vitamin A, and fiber, which can help you feel full for longer. To cook them, I sprayed a pan with olive oil, added the zucchini and sautéed on medium heat. I topped with garlic and onion powder for extra flavor.
I put a cup of zucchini noodles on a plate, added three meatballs and topped with tomato sauce! It only took me 30 minutes to make this whole meal. If you’re craving spaghetti and meatballs, but don’t want all the added calories from loads of pasta, try this healthier (but still delicious) meal!
[1] What Is Potassium? (2014, February 3). Retrieved December 7, 2015, from http://www.eatright.org/resource/food/vitamins-and-supplements/types-of-vitamins-and-nutrients/potassium