What I Ate Wednesday Week 6

The Ketelsens are officially sick. Which is why this is a day late. 


Breakfast
Chocolate Chex and Jennie O Turkey Sausage

Lunch

Salmon Patty and Elbow Noodles done Ted's Famous Style (named after my dad), Season Salt, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Italian Bread Crumbs. 

Dinner

Chicken Pasta Primavera. We made this dish up and it has become a go to quick meal. Which is difficult to have on a low sodium diet.  

~Stefani =)

 

Italian Wedding Soup

Joshua is always wanting hearty soups. This one does the trick. Especially, since I make the meatballs a little on the large side. We found this recipe in our Taste of Home Casseroles, Slow Cookers, and Soups book. The same book with the famous corn chowder recipe. This soup is great for a crowd, because it makes a large quantity.   

1 egg

3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (I used Panko, because they are lower in sodium)

1 small onion, chopped

3/4 teaspoon of salt, divided (obviously, I left this out)

1 1/4teaspoon of pepper, divided

1 1/14 teaspoon of garlic powder, divided

2 pounds of ground beef

2 quarts of chicken broth (I use homemade to lower the sodium)

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 1/4 cup cooked medium pasta shells

In a large bowl combine the egg, cheese, bread crumbs, onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder (I used fresh garlic). 

Crumble beef over mixture and mix well. Shape into 1 inch balls (or make a heartier size)

In a dutch oven, brown meatballs in small batches; drain. 

Add the broth, onion powder, and remaining salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the meatballs; bring to a boil. 

Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 5 minutes. 

Stir in pasta and heat through. 

 The ingredients.

The egg, cheese, bread crumbs, onion, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, 1/4 teaspoon of garlic. When a recipe calls for onion and garlic I just put them both in the food processor to chop. It makes life much easier. 

Crumble the ground beef over the mixture.

Mix it all together.

Make meatballs and fry them in a dutch oven or large pot. 

Add the broth/stock to the same pot the meatballs were cooked in along with the onion powder, and remaining salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the meatballs; bring to a boil. . 

Add the meatballs to the boiling broth. Heat at a simmer for about 5 minutes.

Add the pasta and heat through. 

 Served with some Parmesan cheese if you so desire. 

The recipe calls for spinach, but I am not a fan. I have tried it over and over again, but I can't make it stick. 

~Stefani =)

  

Turkey Tetrazzini

This is a great post-Thanksgiving meal. We froze one of the turkey's breasts from our Thanksgiving turkey and used it for this meal this past week. Making a roux with homemade chicken broth reduces the sodium greatly. This is another dish where I do not miss the salt. 
This recipe was adapted from the one that can be found here.


12 oz egg noodles, spaghetti, linguine or other pasta
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/4 cup cream
2 cups chicken broth
3 cups coarsely chopped cooked turkey
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (divided into 1/3 and 1/3 cups
Salt and Pepper
1/3 cup bread crumbs (panko are best for low sodium cooking)
 
Preheat oven to 375°F. 
Start heating 2 to 3 quarts of water for the pasta. Follow the package directions and cook until al dente.
In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 1/4 cup of butter. Whisk in the flour and cook the mixture over low heat, stirring, for 3 minutes.
Into the saucepan with the butter and flour, slowly whisk in the milk, cream, and broth. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for about 5 to 8 minutes.
When the pasta is ready, drain it. In a large bowl combine the pasta, the sauce, and the turkey. Stir in 1/3 cup of the Parmesan. 
Transfer the mixture to a buttered 3-quart casserole.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup of Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs evenly over the tetrazzini, and dot the top with the remaining butter, cut into bits.
Bake the Tetrazzini in the middle rack of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it is bubbling and the top is golden.

The Ingredients.

Cubed turkey breast.

The unsalted butter melting.

The flour added to the melted butter.

The broth added to the butter and flour mixture.

The milk and the cream.

The turkey and the sauce.

The pasta and cheese added to the sauce and turkey.

The mixture put into a 3 quart glass casserole dish and topped with panko bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and dotted with butter. 

The final product baked to golden brown perfection.


You can add mushrooms and peas if you so desire. I do not like mushrooms and Joshua doesn't care for peas. Hence, why we leave it plain.


~Stefani =)