Turkey Flaxseed Muffins and Veggie-Packed Egg Bites (So good!)

We typically go grocery shopping every weekend, buying just enough food for the week ahead of us. But sometimes we don't eat through all that food so we put it off for a few days, which inevitably leaves us lacking come mid-week. Such was the case this week, and as I contemplated what to pick up from from the store on my way home from work, I remembered the November 2011 issue of Oxygen. (Yeah, I'm obsessed.) Now, if you read this magazine, you know that it's super good at combining fitness content with clean, wholesome and healthy recipes. Two of which I ended up making for dinner last night.

Boy, did I sure make the right play. Even the hubs loved 'em—he didn't even add hot sauce! (He adds it to everything, especially meals he doesn't particularly care for).

Let's start with the Turkey Flaxseed Muffins.

Yep, you actually make them in a muffin pan. I followed their recipe exactly. You'll get 12 muffins. A single serving is just one, but at only 123 calories each, you can probably get away with eating two.

TURKEY FLAXSEED MUFFINS
Source: Oxygen, November 2001

Ingredients
• 1 lb ground turkey breast meat
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
• 3 tbsp grated Parmesan
• 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
• 1 large sweet potato, quartered and cooked
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 tsp coarse sea salt
• Cooking spray

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 375F.

2) In a food processor, combine all ingredients and pulse until everything is well blended. If you don't have a food processor, mash the sweet potatoes with a fork and combine well with other ingredients using clean hands.

3) Spray a 12-muffin tin with cooking spray Evenly divide mixture amongst muffin tins. Bake for 30 minutes. Let cool before serving.

On to the Veggie-Packed Egg Bites.

What I loved the most about this recipe was its adaptability. Seriously, you could put any veggie (or bean) in and they'd still taste good. For dinner OR for breakfast! What I didn't love about this recipe: The amount of salt, which I ended up cutting in half. One serving size clocks in at 190 calories, which makes it the perfect side dish for the muffins above.

VEGGIE-PACKED EGG BITES
Source: Oxygen, November 2001 (although, I've made a few small changes)

Ingredients
• 4 bell peppers (any color, just make sure they stand up)
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 1 cup carrot slices
• 4 whole eggs
• 4 egg whites
• 1 cup skim milk
• 4 drops Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp each of dried oregano, basil and thyme
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions
1) Preheat oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2) Slice the stems off the top of each pepper, then clean out the guts. Take care not to puncture the bottom or sides of the pepper. Place on the baking sheet.

3) Combine broccoli, peas and carrots in a microwave-safe bowl and warm slightly. (The peas thaw, which sort of steams the other two.) Stuff evenly into each pepper. If you do end up with a hole somewhere, try and block it with one of the veggies.

4) Mix the remaining ingredients, then pour evenly into the peppers. Bake for an hour, or until a knife comes out clean. (If, after an hour, they aren't done...microwave them in one-minute increments to get the job done.)

While it's true that these take a long time to bake, you can certainly place the Turkey Flaxseed Muffins in the oven at the same time. But you'll want to place them in at least 20 minutes in so that they get at least 40 minutes in the oven—you know, since they'll be working with a cooler oven temp than required.

Or make them on two separate occasions and forget I even mentioned it!

Cheers to the freakin' weekend!