Classic Winter Whole-Wheat Spaghetti

Hey, everybody! I'm back with a really simple recipe that is perfect for school nights when you're on a time-crunch. I made this last night for my family, and it was very tasty! This recipe is so simple that it would be a good one to test for anyone of any skill level. If you've been cooking for a long time, you could change up the flavor palette and add some different vegetables or a different kind of meat to the sauce. I've seen some recipes for tomato sauce that has a bit of lemon and ginger in it.... It sounds weird, but I want to give it a try in the future. You could try adding that to my recipe and tell me what happens! If you aren't very experienced yet, give this recipe a try! It's super basic and gives you a good introduction to tasty, "normal", healthy food. This recipe is not vegetarian (shocking, I know!), but you could easily add white beans instead of ground turkey to supplement the protein.

Classic Winter Whole-Wheat Spaghetti
Serves 6

Ingredients
16 oz whole-wheat spaghetti
½ of a large yellow onion, diced
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 (20 oz) package free-range ground turkey
1 (15 oz) can organic diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz) can organic tomato sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
4 cups broccoli florets
1 large bunch chard, coarsely chopped2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
(Optional) Organic parmesan cheese, for garnish

Preparation
1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Salt the water and add the pasta. Cook according to the directions on the package, until al dente. Drain in a colander and return to the pot.

2. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and fresh herbs. Sauté for about five minutes, or until the onion is slightly translucent. Add the ground turkey. Break up the ground turkey using a wooden spoon and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about three to five minutes, until the turkey is almost lightly browned on all sides. Then, add the broccoli and chard. Sauté for another minute. Make a well in the middle of the pot and add the tomato paste. Do not discard the can. Fill the can with water, and pour the water into the well. Stir the tomato paste and water until incorporated, and then slowly work the diluted tomato paste into the rest of the ingredients. Cook until broccoli is close to bright green and the turkey has finished browning.

3. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce. Mix well and adjust seasonings if needed (you will most likely need more salt). Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce bubble for about five minutes. Be mindful that the turkey must be fully cooked and that the broccoli shouldn't be overdone (a fairly bright green color is what you're looking for). Remove from heat.

Combine the pasta and spaghetti in the large pot or in a large bowl. Top each individual plate with parmesan, if you so choose, and serve. Enjoy!

There's my recipe for today! I know I promised a post about the team's trip to Theo Chocolate, but my day has been hectic, so I didn't have time to write a big post about it. The tour was incredibly fun, though, and we learned so much! (And we bought way too much chocolate... oops...) Here's a sneak peek to the fun things you can expect next Sunday:

I'm digging my quadruple chins. So pretty.
 

Thanks for your support, and don't forget to follow Teens Can Cook, Too at all the social media handles below! This month is going to have lots of great holiday recipes and fun things for you, so make sure you keep up with what's going on and visit the blog every Sunday night for a new post.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo (@teenscancooktoo)
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Stay healthy!
- Madeline                                                                                                    

Holiday Salad with Blackberry-Cranberry Dressing

Hey, everyone! This is Madeline again, and I have some super exciting recipes and news! First of all, I had a great Thanksgiving. I didn't make much on the actual holiday because my mom made five different desserts for our gathering with our extended family, and since my kitchen is small, I figured it would be best to stay out of the way for the sake of efficiency. On Black Friday, though, I cooked a lot! My immediate family has our own mini Thanksgiving every Black Friday, so I helped with the turkey and prepared a Squash and Sweet Potato Soup. The food this year at both Thanksgiving meals was great, and I had a great holiday weekend.

My family's Thanksgiving dinner

On Saturday, my extended family gathered to celebrate some birthdays, and I was in charge of bringing a salad. I knew that I wanted to bring a classic fall/winter salad with nuts and berries and blue cheese... but then I remembered that one of my uncles can't eat nuts or anything with seeds, and that one of my aunts can't have dairy. To solve this problem without changing my idea, I separated all the ingredients and created a salad bar. The dressing I made used fresh blackberries and cranberries, but since my uncle can't have berries because of the seeds, I brought along some balsamic glaze from Trader Joe's as an alternative. My family members mixed and matched ingredients based on their preference, and it turned out really well. If you need to entertain for a party or something, bring a salad and serve it salad bar style! You can have a central flavor palette that is very unique without compromising the mix-and-match element. I, of course, put everything on my salad, and the following recipe shows you how to make the salad that I ate. I think it's the best side salad I've made in a long time, and it is perfect for the holidays! Enjoy!

Holiday Salad with Blackberry-Cranberry Dressing... Salad bar style!

Holiday Salad with Blackberry-Cranberry Dressing
Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients
5 oz  pre-washed baby spring mix (or your favorite salad greens)
1 large cameo apple, diced
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1 cup organic Gorgonzola crumbles
1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

For dressing:
½ cup fresh or frozen blackberries
½ cup fresh or frozen cranberries
¼ cup honey
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp water
½ tsp fresh thyme
The zest of half of an orange
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation
1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender or Vita-Mix. Start at a low speed, and gradually increase the speed to medium-high. Once the dressing is very smooth with little to no seeds or berry chunks remaining, your dressing is done. Add more water if needed to make it thinner. Adjust the seasonings.

2. Combine the salad ingredients in a large serving bowl and toss with the dressing. Adjust seasonings and serve.

I hope you enjoy this simple and delicious recipe! Seriously, this is my favorite recipe that I've shared on my blog all year. Try it out sometime this month for any holiday party or just for a nice family dinner. Please share your recreations with me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using #teenscancooktoo. I would love to see your spin on the recipe! Please follow Teens Can Cook, Too at all the social media handles for more exciting updates. Next week, the team is going to THEO CHOCOLATE! Yay! There will be a blog post and hopefully a video about that, and you definitely don't want to miss it!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/teenscancooktoo (@teenscancooktoo)
Instagram: http://instagram.com/teenscancooktoo (@teenscancooktoo)
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YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdiKFPsBoLhYw2W42P7LvKQ

Stay healthy!
- Madeline