Vegetable skillet supper a hearty comfort food

Nothing like a good ole hearty, healthy skillet supper; my wonderful, ready sources at the Chickasaw Nation Nutrition Services provided the recipe for one of the best.

Hubby and I recently went up across the Red River for one of his routine health exams, so I wasted no time in bouncing over to the adjacent nutrition center to see what was new in the recipe department.

The very next night I was needing a dinner idea, so I cooked one of those new infusions—Hearty Vegetable Skillet, made with ground beef (we always substitute ground turkey), whole-wheat noodles, and mixed fresh veggies (whatever was on hand. I had corn, okra, green beans, carrots, and green peas.) The recipe also suggests you can use frozen veggies or even one (15-ounce) can of low-sodium mixed vegetables, but I always try to utilize fresh wherever I can.

I like this recipe because it relies on ingredients I likely always would have around. Besides what I’ve already mentioned it calls for low-sodium cream-of-celery soup, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and Cheddar cheese.

Here in Texas we’ve had a bit of a cold snap lately, with folks temporarily bringing out their hoodies and firing up their space heaters while we wait for springlike temps to return. A Hearty Vegetable Skillet dinner would be a great accompaniment to cooler evenings, which we need to cherish before summer heat blazes down.

Hearty Vegetable Skillet

1 pound ground turkey

1 (10 3/4-ounce can) low-sodium, fat-free cream-of-celery soup

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 cups mixed vegetables (fresh, frozen, or canned)

1 1/2 cups whole-wheat noodles, cooked (1 cup dry)

1/2 cup reduced fat shredded Cheddar cheese

If vegetables are fresh, steam them for a few minutes until they are tender. In a skillet over medium-high heat brown the ground turkey until it is well-browned. Drain meat. Leave in skillet. Stir in the soup, water, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and vegetables. Heat to a simmer. Stir in the noodles and sprinkle with cheese. Makes 6 1-cup servings.

Celebrating a great annual physical report with this healthy bean-and-spinach skillet meal

The results are in, and healthy eating won big! Residing in my in-box yesterday were the results of my bloodwork from my physical exam two days ago. My squeals of satisfaction could be heard all the way to downtown Dallas as I read that my triglycerides were down six points from last year, my bad cholesterol also was down six, and my good cholesterol was up eight (UP is good, in this case). All other results (including blood pressure and weight) were excellent throughout, the doctor reported in his email to me. Something truly to be thankful for, since in the gently aging, such as myself, those readings often go the opposite direction. HOORAY! I credit it all to (besides the Good Lord, of course) dietary changes. Maybe I should credit The Newfangled Country Gardener, since writing this blog keeps me honest about my food choices. Fruits, vegetables, fiber—tweaking the diet with a healthy eating plan—does deliver what it promises.

To celebrate I prepared a recipe I’ve been holding onto from HealthMonitor, the little magazine that our local hospital mails out to the community. (Recipes also can be found at www.HealthMonitor.com.) Like the previous night’s, it was another skillet meal; the contents were absolutely scrumptious; one serving amounted to only 327 calories. (HealthMonitor stated that it reprinted the recipe from the book, EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners by Jessie Price, Nicci Micco, and the editors of EatingWell Magazine.) White beans, tomatoes, and spinach leaves poured in the health on top of the shelf-stable gnocchi (soft dumplings). A mixture of two cheese on top was the crowning touch to this good recipe.

Is bypassing the fast-food lines and taking time to put healthy food on the table worth it all? You betcha, when the Moment of Truth time arrives and the annual-physical report turns up good in the inbox!

Skillet Gnocchi with Spinach and White Beans

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 (16-ounce) package shelf-stable gnocchi

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

6 cups spinach, chopped

1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes (or 2 1/2 cups chopped Roma tomatoes)

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 (15-ounce) can white beans, rinsed

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, finely shredded

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until gnocchi is plumped and starting to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining teaspoon of oil and chopped onion to the pan; cook over medium heat, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in garlic and water. Cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add spinach and cook, stirring, until spinach starts to wilt, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, beans, and pepper and bring to a simmer. Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes more. Makes 6 servings.