Meatball Pho

The last time I made Pho was with Salmon and it was great although nothing compares to Pho with meatballs!  I was having a Vietnamese soup craving (weird, I know) and decided to use some of the leftover meatballs I made in this Florentine Mac and Cheese with Meatball recipe.  I wasn't sure if the meatballs would stay together in the soup, but sure enough they did and the dish was just what I wanted!  The recipe below is basically a merge of the two linked above, but with smaller meatballs.  To make things easier you can find the two recipes below.

Ingredients for Meatballs:

-1.5 lb of ground turkey (or chicken)
-2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (or about 1 Tbsp dried)
-2 tsp fennel seeds
-3 cloves of garlic, grated
-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-1 cup of low-fat ricotta cheese-1 1/2 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese
-1 cup of bread crumbs (maybe more)

-1 egg

Ingredients for Pho:

-1 1/4 cup thinly sliced white onion

-1 Tbsp minced ginger

-1 Tbsp minced garlic

-1 Tbsp vegetable oil

-2 cups water

-4 cups low-sodium chicken broth

-2 Tbsp fish sauce

-1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce

-3 whole cloves

-1 Tbsp sugar

-1 bunch fresh cilantro

-Fresh or dried Shiitake mushrooms

-1/2 cup shredded carrots

-1/4 cup chopped green onions

-1 cup cooked rice-stick noodles

Optional for garnish:

-fresh bean sprouts

-additional chopped green onions

-torn fresh mint leaves

-torn fresh basil leaves

-sliced jalapeño pepper

-lime wedges

-Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce aka "Cock" Sauce

-Hoisin Sauce

Turkey Sliders

Did you know turkey has about 40% less fat than ground beef? That's what it said on the package of the turkey!  Don't quote my numbers, but I do know it's leaner.  These burgers are a much lighter version than a huge juicy cheeseburger and I promise they have just as much flavor!

Ingredients:

-1 lb ground turkey

-3 green onions, chopped

-1 Tbsp dried minced onion

-1 tsp sea salt

-2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

-1/4 cup bread crumbs

-1 tsp roasted garlic, minced

-1 Tbsp dijon mustard

-ground pepper to taste

-whole wheat slider buns

Light Mac and Cheese Florentine with Turkey Meatballs

Ask my college roommates (or current)...I LOVE mac and cheese.  Let's just say it's my "morning-after-a-late-night" meal.  My ultimate comfort food.  So when I saw this on Rachael Ray on the food-network while getting my nails done (so cliche, i know) and learned it was LIGHT, I had to make it. 

Rachael Ray and I have a a love-hate relationship.  Love her name, hate how she spells it.  Love some of her recipes, and not the biggest fan of some of her others.  I haven't given up on her yet (although my mom may have tossed her cook books in the trash).  This recipe is a winner.

Ingredients:

-1 lb cavatappi pasta (corkscrew)
-1.5 lb of ground turkey (or chicken)
-2-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
-2 tsp fennel seeds
-3 cloves of garlic, grated
-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-1 cup of low-fat ricotta cheese
-1 1/2 cups of shredded Parmesan cheese
-1 cup of bread crumbs (maybe more)
-2 (10 oz) boxes of frozen spinach
-3 Tbsp of butter
-2 Tbsp of flour
-1 cup of chicken stock (not broth)
-1 cup of whole milk
-1/8 tsp of ground nutmeg
-1 egg