September is kicking off to be a very busy month here in the kitchen. This month, I’m joining 11 other bloggers to share the “30 Days of Family Health” program, sponsored by the American Diabetes Association. We will all be featuring recipes from five different books from the American Diabetes Association library. The ADA wants more people to recognize that the best prevention for diabetes starts early in life, through maintaining a healthy lifestyle and developing good habits at a young age. As a mom, I stress the importance of a balanced diet for my children every day when faced with making meal and snack choices, but unfortunately, sometimes it’s me that needs the nudge to make the right choice. Having a great cookbook filled with healthy options at my fingertips is the nudge I needed. Check out this tasty Turkey and Sun-Dried Tomato Meatloaf.
My first cookbook is The Stress Free Diabetes Kitchen by Barbara Seelig-Brown. Who doesn’t want to be stress free in the kitchen? Between work, school schedules, daily activities, I am lucky to be able to enjoy a small chunk of time with my family around the dinner table each night. And, while I don’t have diabetes, this cookbook is for anyone that cares about the food they eat.
The author not only features recipes but also gives great advice on stocking a useful pantry, basics to keep in your refrigerator and freezer, and helpful equipment you should have on hand in your kitchen to aid in stress free cooking. I follow this same philosophy of keeping a generously stocked pantry and freezer. Nothing bugs me more than having to run out because I am missing an ingredient for one of my go-to recipes.
Now, speaking of go-to recipes, we all have our favorites that we can make with ingredients on hand and when we are pressed for time. Sometimes these favorites need a little face lift. In our house, many of the recipes that call for ground beef have already been converted to use ground turkey, but when it came to meatloaf, I was holding fast. This turkey and sun dried tomato meatloaf was the twist I needed to push me over the edge. It was full of big flavors that were able to shine through by using ground turkey.
When I was shopping for my ingredients for this meatloaf, I ran into a tiny road block. Dry bread cubes were nowhere to be found. Granted, it’s not Thanksgiving, so I had to substitute. My local grocery store was nice enough to dice a baguette into small cubes for me, but since it was fresh vs dry, I had to forgo the extra broth/wine in the recipe. I also forgot to roast my pine nuts, but what do you expect from a harried mom, working to get dinner on the table.
To be clear, since I varied my recipe by removing the stock/wine and using fresh bread cubes, it is not exact to the ADA approved version. The printable recipe card below is identical to the cookbook’s recipe, and represents the officially approved ADA recipe for Turkey and Sun Dried Tomato Meatloaf. The meatloaf baked up perfectly, and I served it with baked potatoes, and my special garlic and parmesan green beans. This healthy entree is definitely making its way into our monthly meal rotation.
Oh, and I almost forgot!
I have two fantastic tidbits to share!
First, if you use the code: KITCHEN2013, you will receive 25% off any purchase at the ADA store through October 4, 2013!
And second, the ADA is hosting a FAB giveaway on the Kitchen PLAY Facebook page in conjunction with #30DaysofFamilyHealth! Five winners will receive their choice of three of the five cookbooks involved in our blogger review series, plus a $50 Visa gift card!
- 1½ cups dry bread cubes
- 1 cup dry red wine (Sangiovese or Chi¬anti style), or chicken stock
- 1 pound ground turkey breast
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not in oil), cut in bits
- 1–2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 shallots, minced
- ¼ cup fresh basil, chopped, or 1 tea¬spoon dry basil leaves, crushed between your fingers
- 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped or ½ teaspoon dry oregano, crushed between your fingers
- ¼ cup pignoli nuts (pine nuts), toasted and roughly chopped
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 egg whites, or 1 whole egg
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Soak bread cubes in wine or stock.
- Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl. Do not over mix. This will produce a tough meatloaf. Form into a loaf or meatballs and bake 45 minutes for meatloaf or 20 minutes for meatballs. (Do not use a loaf pan.)
1 Carbohydrate
3 Lean Meat
1/2 Fat
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[…] September is kicking off to be a very busy month here in the kitchen. This month, I’m joining 11 other bloggers to share the “30 Days of Family Health” program, sponsored by the American Diabetes Association. We will all be featuring …read more […]
my father in law has diabetes and i am passing this on to his wife (my mother in law). He loves meatloaf and so do I. Curious about the taste difference so I am trying it myself.
Let me know how you like it when you make it. 🙂
Thanks for sharing!