Tag: baby spinach

Crock Pot Italian Sloppy Joe

Turkey sausage, peppers and onions slow cooked in the crock pot with crushed tomatoes and spices for an easy weeknight meal. Serve this on a roll with baby spinach and melted cheese if desired for a sloppy yet delicious sandwich.

This is good stuff! We all gave it a thumbs up, and I will surely be making this again. Next time I may even serve this over spaghetti squash or pasta.

For those of you on Weight Watchers, the filling alone is 4 points plus, with the bun and cheese it comes to 8 for a filling complete meal; perfect for lunch or dinner. This is easy, inexpensive and perfect for football; you can double the recipe for more servings. If you want to do this on the stove top, simply simmer in a heavy pot for 30 minutes.

For a more traditional Sloppy Joe, made on the stove, try my Skinny Sloppy Joe Recipe^[1]!

Crock Pot Italian Sloppy Joe
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 6 • Size: 1 sandwich • Old Points: 6 pts • Weight Watchers Points+: 8 pts*
Calories: 316 • Fat: 11.4 g • Protein: 27 g • Carb: 27.4 g • Fiber: 14 g • Sugar: 7.6 g
Sodium: 461.5 mg (without the salt)

*without cheese: 6 pts plus • filling only: 4 pts plus

Ingredients:

1 lb Italian turkey sausage, removed from casing
1/2 cup chopped onions
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 red bell pepper, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, chopped in 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/3 cups crushed tomatoes (Tutorosso)
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

For serving:

6 whole wheat 100 calorie potato rolls**
6 slices reduced fat provolone (Sargento)
1 cup baby spinach

Directions:

In a medium non-stick skillet, cook the sausage over medium-high heat, breaking up as it cooks into small bits until cooked through, about 5-6 minutes. Add onions and garlic, and cook another 2 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker and add the bell peppers, crushed tomatoes, rosemary and fresh cracked pepper.

Cover and cook on low 4 hours. Makes 3 1/2 cups.

To serve, place heaping 1/2 cup of meat on a roll and if desired, top with cheese and baby spinach.

Makes 6 servings.

**Use gluten-free bread to make this gluten-free.

References

^{^} Skinny Sloppy Joe Recipe (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)

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Spinach Prosciutto and Mozzarella Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Pork tenderloin stuffed with prosciutto, mozzarella, baby spinach and sun dried tomatoes; a wonderful dish for the Holidays. Serve this with potato parsnip mash^[1], skinny garlic mashed potatoes^[2], or creamy cauliflower puree^[3] and some roasted vegetables on the side.

Are you ready for the holidays? I’m so behind but I did get around to seeing Santa this weekend. A very excited Madison didn’t cry and even gave Santa a list of what she wanted (which included a pony). I just love this innocent age, I wish I could freeze time.

These next few weeks I’m going to focus on Holiday dishes, sides, appetizers and desserts. I’m still running my mile a day until the New Year (lost track of how many days it’s been), it’s a nice balance to some of the baking that’s happening around here.

Pork tenderloin is perfect for the holidays, and it’s just as lean as chicken breast. I love how the colors of the spinach and sundried tomatoes look so festive when you cut it open. You can easily double this recipe to serve eight. If you’ve never butterflied a tenderloin, it’s not very hard. I found this video on how to cut a pork tenderloin ^[4]which you may find helpful, although I cut mine a little different as described below. Either way is fine.

Spinach Prosciutto and Mozzarella Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 4 • Size: 2 slices • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 5 pt
Calories: 208 • Fat: 8.5 g • Carb: 3 g • Fiber: 1 g • Protein: 29 g • Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 219 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 (1 lb) pork tenderloin
1 1/2 oz reduced fat mozzarella cheese (Polly-o)
2 cups fresh baby spinach
2 tbsp chopped sun dried tomatoes
1 oz thin sliced prosciutto
salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste

Directions:

Combine crushed garlic, lemon juice, mustard, olive oil, and pepper; mix well.

Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of the tenderloin to within 1/2- inch of bottom (careful not to cut all the way through). Open tenderloin so it lies flat. On each half, make another, lengthwise slit down the center to within 1/2-inch of bottom; cover with plastic wrap. Flatten to 1/4-in. thickness with a mallet.

Remove plastic wrap; spread 1/2 of the garlic/Dijon mixture on the inside of the pork. Layer the cheese, spinach, sun dried tomatoes and proscuitto on top, press down gently.

Roll up pork jelly-roll style, starting with a long side. Tie the roast at 1-1/2-inch to 2-inch intervals with kitchen string.

Season lightly with salt, and remaining garlic/Dijon mixture. Place on a rack in a shallow baking pan.

Bake, uncovered, at 425° for 25-30 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 160°. Place under the broiler to brown the top for 5 minutes, then transfer to a serving platter or cutting board. Let stand 10 minutes before removing string and slicing. Slice in 8 pieces.

References

^{^} potato parsnip mash (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} skinny garlic mashed potatoes (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} creamy cauliflower puree (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} video on how to cut a pork tenderloin (www.youtube.com)

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Pasta with Butternut Sauce, Spicy Sausage and Baby Spinach

Spicy chicken sausage is the perfect compliment to this creamy pasta dish made with butternut squash, baby spinach, parmesan and a touch of sage. It’s filling and comforting on a chilly winter night.

Since making Spaghetti with Creamy Butternut Leek Sauce^[1] a few weeks back, I am officially hooked. I love how the butternut squash feels like a decadent creamy sauce without the need for heavy cream. And with the addition of parmesan and hot sausage, the end result is savory and delicious.

I am also loving Giada’s new line of organic pastas sold at Target. I’m picky with my pasta and love the taste and texture of this pasta when cooked al dente. I always go for unusual pasta shapes, here I used a shape called casarecce… love!

As part of the Target Inner Circle, I got to meet Giada in person a few weeks ago at Fun and Fit in the City. Isn’t she beautiful!
She was so sweet in person, I also got an autographed cookbook and a goody bag full of her new food products sold at Target. My favorites were of course the organic pastas. I tried a few shapes, but plan on going back to Target to try the whole wheat.

A few more things: This week I teemed up with 11 other bloggers to host a HUGE HOLIDAY giveaway… Two winners, one will win an iMac Computer! A second winner will win a $500 gift card. Hey, you never know! You gotta be in it to win it… click here for a chance to win^[2]!

And most importantly: Starting today I am making a commitment to run at least 1 mile a day until New Years. You in? It’s part of the 2012 Holiday Running Streak from Runner’s World^[3]. The way I see it, why wait till New Years? Let’s start now, with all the baking and indulging that goes on during the Holidays, this is the perfect way to find a balance. I ran a mile this morning, I’ll be running again tomorrow… if you prefer to walk, that’s fine too, I would love it if you joined me. It could be inside, outside, morning, lunch time, evening… whenever you can squeeze it in. Tell me you’re in, it will help keep me motivated!

Pasta with Spicy Sausage, Baby Spinach and Creamy Butternut Sauce
gordon-ramsay-recipe.com
Servings: 5 • Size: 1 1/4 cups • Old Points: 7 pts • Points+: 9
Calories: 362 • Fat: 8 g • Carb: 55 g • Fiber: 5 g • Protein: 20 g • Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 419 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

11 oz (4 links) spicy chicken Italian sausage
1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
1 tbsp light butter
10 oz casarecce, or pasta of your choice
1/4 cup shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh shaved parmesan cheese
4 sage leaves, sliced thin
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft. Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth.

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserving at least 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, sauté sausage over medium heat until browned, breaking up with a spoon as it cooks. When cooked through, set aside on a plate.

Reduce heat to medium-low and melt the butter, sauté the shallots and garlic until soft and golden, about 5 – 6 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash, season with with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add a little of the reserved pasta water (I used about 1 cup) to thin out the sauce to your liking. Add baby spinach and stir in parmesan cheese and sage.

Toss in cooked pasta and sausage and mix until well coated.
Serve with additional parmesan cheese on the side if desired.

Makes about 6 cups.

References

^{^} Creamy Butternut Leek Sauce (www.gordon-ramsay-recipe.com)
^{^} click here for a chance to win (www.skinny-bits.com)
^{^} 2012 Holiday Running Streak from Runner’s World (www.runnersworld.com)