treadmill workout + spinach spaghetti squash bake

this was today's 30 min treadmill workout:

Time Incline Speed
0-2 warmup 2.0 4.0
2-3 walk 4.0 4.0
3-5 run 4.0 7.0
5-6 walk 5.0 4.0
6-8 run 5.0 7.0
8-9 walk 6.0 4.0
9-11 run 6.0 7.0
11-12 walk 7.0 4.0
12-14 run 7.0 7.0
14-15 walk 8.0 4.0
15-17 run 8.0 7.0
17-18 walk 9.0 4.0
18-20 run 9.0 7.0
20-25 walk 10 4.0
25-30 walk 15 (highest) 3.0
3-5 min cool down 0.0 2.0

print it, cut it out, and take it with you! burns over 400+ cals.

and this was tonight's dinner: spinach spaghetti squash bake.

the stuff:

  • 1 shallot
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 cups of 2% or low/no fat mozzarella shredded cheese
  • 1 log 99% lean ground turkey
  • 1 bag frozen spinach
  • 2 chopped tomatoes OR 1 can diced tomatoes
  • 1 red pepper
  • 1 can Amy's low sodium chunky tomato bisque
  • 1 spaghetti squash
  • salt, pepper, tony's c's to taste

do this:

first and foremost, turn on your oven (350 deg) and throw the squash in there. it needs to cook at least 45 min first. in the meantime,

brown your shallots, onion, and turkey in a pan, and season it with the salt, pepper, and tony c's.

chop up all your veggies and toss them in.

microwave the spinach for about 5 minutes, then put it in a colander and press all the water out. add.

finally, pour in the soup.

grab your pan(s) and start with the squash- that'll be your 1st layer.

then, meat sauce.

and finally, my fav, plenty of cheese.  now, repeat until you run outta stuff.  remember to top it with cheese!

ready after 15-20 min in a 350 deg oven. so good, so healthy, so light, so filling.

we killed this pan but thank goodness i made two.  hitting the sack NOW- weights class in the early am!

le

le's lean turkey spaghetti meat sauce

friday is HERE.  we have a super busy weekend and i'm ready to dive right on in.  sooooo glad it's a long holiday weekend at that.  here's the turkey spaghetti recipe, finally.  nutritional stats included; pow. le's lean turkey spaghetti meat sauce

the stuff:

  • 1 lb 97% or 99% lean ground turkey
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 1 small red bell pepper
  • 1 med shallot (or garlic if you prefer)
  • 2 med tomatoes
  • 1 zucchini OR fresh/ 1 cup frozen spinach
  • 1 cup mushrooms (white or portobello)
  • couple sprigs of fresh cilantro
  • couple sprigs of fresh parsley
  • couple fresh basil leaves
  • 1 can all natural tomato sauce of your choice
  • 2-3 tbsp Liquid Aminos
  • 1 1/2 tbsp Garlic & Herb no salt seasoning

*you can switch out the vegetables for your fav kinds just as long as you add them!  fresh is always best. they make the sauce more filling so you're not just eating tons of meat (and/or pasta) in addition to providing their own special nutrients (various amounts of vitamins A,B,D, E, etc.)

do this:

in a med-high heated pot, throw in the chopped onions and shallots and let them simmer a moment, about 2 min. go ahead and throw in the meat so they can cook together.

completely cooked after about 10-15 min or so.  i still drained off the liquid, but it wasn't that much of course since i used 99% lean meat.

while the meat and onions cooked, i chopped up all the veggies and fresh herbs, then added the aminos and seasonings.

  i didn't even want to stir this- it was so pretty. (i only used half the red pepper cause it was pretty big.)

eventually, i combined everything.

  i do have a recipe for my own sauce, but i use the canned stuff too.  this giant can is less than a dollar and taste just as good if not better than the fancy jarred varieties. *all natural sauce is preferred though and can be found at any health food store. one down side to the canned and jarred stuff is the sodium content. and the low sodium sauces have ZERO flavor.  this is where the liquid aminos come in handy.

i always forget to start boiling my water from the beginning! i made pasta for Sonny i let my sauce simmer on low for about 10 min while i waited...and waited.

 a watched pot never boils, indeed.

pasta down first, then meat sauce. i have never liked them combined together initially!  let me mix them myself on my own plate.  any kind of cheese is cool (almond cheese, parmesan, shredded cheddar, etc.).  i cut up 1 babybel cheese wheel and sprinkled it on top.  oh and fresh basil as garnish.

this (and all other gumbo/ragu type dishes) tastes even better the next day and the day after that.  after five or so though, smell it first.

Nutritional stats for the entire pot of meat sauce:

cals : 615

fat : 2g

carbs : 52g

protein : 30g

fiber : 15g

sodium : 450mg

i estimate the whole pot to be around 7-8 cups.  so, 1 serving (1 cup) of sauce is approximately:

cals : 90

fat : 0.2g

carbs : 7g

protein: 4g

fiber: 2 g

sodium : 64mg

remember, the nutritional stats vary according to what you put in there.  if you'd like to keep your meal stats nice and low, stick with spaghetti squash for 'pasta'.  however, the meat sauce is so low cal, whole wheat pasta is still a great option.

enjoy your long holiday weekend- make some spaghetti while you're at it!

le