what's for dinner?

since we started our journey to a healthier lifestyle, i have made a few changes in my diet. i am a lover of the carbs, but this was one of the first things that had to go.  

goodbye bread, goodbye bagels, goodbye cereal, goodbye pasta. 

 that's all well and good for some people, but in this house, pasta is a staple.  it is usually my go-to meal when i don't know what to make for dinner. (it's also one of the few things that my husband loves).  

but i stumbled across this recipe & friends, we are back in business.

hubby can still enjoy his pasta, with lots of added veggies, and i can maintain my carb-free meal plan.

(well, not carb-free, more like less carb....still gotta have a donut every once in awhile...on cheat days of course!)

it does require a few more dishes, however, it is worth it because it is really delicious!

{this would also be great if you are gluten free!}

i typically use grape tomatoes when making pasta dishes, but this was the only tomato i had on hand at the time.  i just love the combination of grape tomatoes and parmesan cheese!

since i'm preparing this portion of the dish for just me, i use one small zucchini.

and because mike is having pasta we throw in some peppers as well.

our favorites are red, yellow & orange.

then to top it off, i add spinach and of course, parm cheese because you know, everything is better with cheese.
(unless you are my husband...weirdo)

i have made this once with sausage and once without, but we are a turkey sausage family if we eat sausage.
it's fantastic either way.


so there you go. 
if you're looking for something new to try, looking to cut some carbs, or just a way to boost your veggie intake, find your friends with the abundance of zucchini and invite them over for dinner!

enjoy!

dinner is served.

i really enjoy cooking.  

my favorite is to cook for a lots of people.

don't get me wrong, i do enjoy cooking for mike, but i like making lots of food.  

it makes me happy & feel fulfilled when i can provide yummy food for hungry bellies.

tonight i made my favorite recipe.

it's kinda my signature meal.

i made it up a few years ago & it's made its way onto many a friends' dinner table.

i have decided that i would like to share it. 

i think it's worth sharing, so here you go:

oh, but let me warn you....i don't measure things when i cook.

{you'll have to forgive me for not offering a true recipe.}

oh, and it doesn't have a name other than "shannon's recipe".

start with a pound of ground turkey {you could use ground beef if you wanted}

i use a wok to brown it up in some olive oil:

then i cut up a bunch of veggies. 

i use red, yellow & orange peppers, summer squash & zucchini 

{and sometimes spinach & grape tomatoes}

once the meat is browned, dump in the veggies:

then comes some flavor.

i use crushed red pepper flakes, onion powder & soy sauce.

but here's the part of the "recipe" that is where i freestyle.

i like some spice so i do a few shakes of the pepper flakes.

i give the meat a nice covering of onion powder.

and probably 7 shakes of the soy sauce {i totally just made that up}

while the veggies are getting tender, i cook the rice.

i'm all about microwaving my rice using my pampered chef steamer pot.

great purchase!

allow it to simmer until the veggies are tender to your liking.

i personally like them very tender, but i know some people like them a little crunchier.

then check on the baby who is crying in the other room:

serve over rice & you've got yourself a great meal!

for some reason awhile ago i started eating mine with parmesan cheese.

so there you have it.

"shannon's recipe" as prepared by me.

let me know if you try it!