Sometimes you just need some comfort food. During the long Canadian winter you not only need food to fill you up but to keep you warm too. I always find my tastes change with the seasons, and in the winter months I crave hearty stews, casseroles, and carb-heavy dishes.
I did a bit of research into why these cravings occur, and I learned that many Canadians suffer from seasonal affective disorder or SAD. SAD is caused by the reduced amount of daylight during the winter months. The change in light affects impairs the transmission of the hormone Seratonin, which regulates mood, sleep and appetite. One of the side effects is that we crave carbohydrates. This is because carbohydrates trigger the release of Seratonin, your brain's feel good chemical. I wanted to satisfy the craving without packing on the winter pounds.
Enter zucchini noodles. They mimic the texture and shape of spaghetti really well, and you can load up your plate and go back for seconds without feeling like you are going overboard. This nifty little tool is what I use to make the noodles. Its much more compact then other spiralizers and relatively inexpensive.
Zoodles! Oodles and Oodles!
They can also be made in a less time than it takes to boil water for pasta, which is good for when you come home starving.
The meatballs are equally quick to make, and are also a lighter take on a traditional comfort food. I use ground turkey instead of beef, but lean ground pork would also work well. They also contain spinach, adding in an extra serving of veggies.
Overall this recipe allows you to satisfy your comfort food cravings, without compromising your health!
Lighter Spaghetti and Meatballs
serves 4
1 lb lean ground turkey
10 oz chopped, frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 egg white
1/3 cup of whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp dried oregeno
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup of onion, diced small
2 tbsp sriracha
3-4 zucchini, spiralized
fresh parsley for garnish, optional
1. Spiralize zucchini into a colander, sprinkle with salt, toss, and allow to rest while you prepare the meatballs and sauce. In a large bowl combine ground turkey, spinach, breadcrumbs, egg white, salt, pepper, and oregeno. Mix with hands to combine.
2. Shape the turkey mixture into balls with your hands and arrange about 1 inch apart on a foil-lined baking sheet. Place on the top rack of the oven and broil for 10 minutes, rotating the sheet pan half way through, until meatballs are golden brown.
3. Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat, then add onion, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add in the crushed tomatoes and sriracha, and bring to a simmer. Add in the broiled meatballs and simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Top zucchini noodles with meatballs and marinara and garnish with fresh parsley.