About Me

A mom of one (so far) and a wife to an Irishman. I LOVE to cook - but most of all I love my job as a mother. And as a mom I have become very conscious of my health & nutrition and that of my family and feel the best way I can help is to make sure I prepare good healthy foods. When I'm not cooking, cleaning or having fun with Aodhan, I am doing hair! And I love it. It's another way I can get creative and make people happy. (see more in the "my turn around" post.)

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Sneaky Pasta & Meatballs

Something quick and easy! And is a bit more healthy than your kids might think!

Whole Wheat Pasta - in the amount that you need
(I like Rotelle pasta - easier for my son to eat with his fork, but you can use whichever!)
Stock pot of boiling water - like 6 cups? (depends on how much pasta - I always eyeball it)
Tomato Sauce (find the organic or low sodium version) - 3-4 cups - enough to cover your pasta! (again, I eyeball this - use your best judgment! I like alot of sauce, if you don't, scale it down)
2-3 tbsp Olive oil
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup steamed broccoli
1/2 cup peas
1 cup steamed carrots (very soft!)
1/2 finely chopped yellow squash

Meatballs:
1/2 pound ground turkey
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp Italian seasonings
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 large egg white
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs


Make your meatballs first. Combine all meatball ingredients with your (clean) hands and mush all together. Roll 10-12 balls. Stick on a cookie sheet and place into the fridge.

1. Add your pasta to boiling water and keep boiling until pasta is softened.
2. In a sauce pan, heat Olive oil, fresh basil and Tomato sauce on low heat.
3. Take broccoli and carrots and finely chop in your chopper, food processor or blender as fine as possible- so small it is hidden in the sauce, then add to the sauce.
4. Add garlic, peas and yellow squash.
5. Get your meatballs and add to the sauce and let simmer for 15-20 minutes until meatballs are cooked.
6. Drain your cooked pasta, add to the sauce, stir & serve!

1 comment:

  1. I do this all the time, but not for a toddler...just for us. Anytime we don't finish the veggies from dinner, no matter what they are, how they've been prepared, I save them in the fridge or freezer depending on when I will have time to make sauce, and toss them in the cuisinart with cans of stewed tomatoes to make marinara with lots of hidden veggies. I've used veggies that have been bbq'd or stir fried...once you get them mixed in with the tomatoes you won't taste what they were originally seasoned with. And the easiest way to trick a kid into his full servings of veggies with no complaining!

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