thai turkey meatloaf $7.83 recipe / $0.98 serving

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thai turkey meatloaf

$7.83 recipe / $0.98 serving

Meatloaf isn't pretty. Let's just get that out on the table. It's so ugly, in fact, that I couldn't stop giggling while taking these pictures. All I could think about were those silly post cards with retro pictures of jello molds and other hideous foods from the 1950s. But you know what? After one bite you forget allll about what it looks like. Even the smell is enough to change your mind. This loaf is insane (in a good way).

If you're not into loaves of meat, I found that this mix makes a pretty excellent Thai turkey burger as well. To taste test the seasoning I had to cook a small dollop in a skillet and it turned into a little mini turkey burger. Quite delicious. Pop one of those onto a Hawaiian roll and you're golden. Or, you can do it in meatball form.

I covered my mouth-wateringly delicious (yet ugly) meatloaf with a spicy Sriracha glaze. If you don't like spicy, you can use a jar of sweet chili sauce (not spicy as the name may imply) or even a sweet and sour sauce. But, you know, I had to have my sriracha!

Oh, and this makes a pretty big loaf. It can easily be halved if needed.

Thai Turkey Meatloaf

Total Recipe cost: $7.83
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Cost per serving: $0.98
Prep time: 20 min. Cook time: 60-75 min. Total: 1 hr. 35 min.

LOAF INGREDIENTS		COST
2 lbs.	ground turkey	$5.36
4 cloves	garlic	$0.32
3-4 whole	green onions	$0.38
2 inches	fresh ginger	$0.30
3 Tbsp	soy sauce	$0.18
1 tsp	toasted sesame oil	$0.19
2 large	eggs	$0.46
1.5 cups	cooked jasmine rice	$0.26
GLAZE INGREDIENTS		COST
1/2 cup	brown sugar	$0.12
2 Tbsp	ketchup	$0.05
2 Tbsp	sriracha sauce	$0.17
1 Tbsp	rice vinegar	$0.04
TOTAL		$7.83

STEP 1: Place the ground turkey in a large bowl. Slice the green onions and mince the garlic. Add the onion and garlic to the bowl along with the soy sauce and sesame oil. Peel the ginger and grate it directly into the bowl using a fine cheese grater. Mix everything together well.

STEP 2: Add the eggs and cooked jasmine rice (white rice will work in a pinch). Mix everything together thoroughly. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Place the meat mixture onto the baking sheet and shape it into a loaf.

STEP 3: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Once preheated, place the loaf inside and bake for 30 minutes. While the loaf is baking, mix together the sriracha glaze. In a small bowl stir together the brown sugar, ketchup, sriracha, and rice vinegar.

STEP 4: After it has baked 30 minutes, remove the loaf from the oven and spoon half of the sriracha glaze over top. Bake for an additional 30 minutes. Spoon the remaining glaze over top and bake for a final 15 minutes. A meat thermometer placed in the center of the loaf should read 160 degrees Fahrenheit.

STEP 5: Allow the loaf to rest for ten minutes before slicing.

Step By Step Photos

This is the ground turkey that I used. It is 85% lean, 15% fat. The store did have a leaner ground turkey but it was about a dollar more per pound and I figured the fat would help keep the loaf moist. If you prefer the leaner turkey, it should also work just fine.


Place the ground turkey in a bowl and add the sliced green onions, minced garlic, peeled and grated ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix it all up very well.


Next add two eggs and the cooked jasmine rice. White or brown rice will work in a pinch if you don't have jasmine rice, but just know that jasmine rice does add some flavor. Mix everything up really well again.


And this is your final Thai turkey mix. You can make it into burgers or meatballs at this point if you don't want a loaf. It's pretty wet and sticky, so if you're making burgers, make sure to use some oil or non-stick spray.


If you're going the meatloaf route, cover a baking sheet with foil and then spray with non-stick spray. Shape the mixture into a loaf. I prefer to bake meatloaf on a baking sheet rather than a loaf pan because it allows extra moisture to drain away. Loaf pans hold it all in and they often get soupy on the bottom.


Bake the loaf in a 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. This is what it looks like so far. Not so pretty, but you can see how some of that moisture is draining away.


While the loaf is baking during that first 30 minutes, mix up the sriracha glaze. Stir together the brown sugar, ketchup, sriracha, and rice vinegar.


Spoon about half of the glaze over the meat loaf and spread it all over the sides. Bake for an additional 30 minutes.


After a full 60 minutes of baking, my meatloaf had already exceeded the safety mark of 160 degrees internal temperature. I still had some glaze left so I spooned it over top and baked it for 15 more minutes.


And then it had a nice thick, sticky sriracha glaze! ...smells SO good. The meatloaf should lift easily from the baking sheet. The glaze that dripped onto the baking sheet was burned, but none of the meatloaf or glaze on the meatloaf were even close to being burned.


I garnished with a few more sliced green onions and I just happened to have some fresh pineapple that I cut up that morning.


Make sure to allow the meatloaf to rest for at least ten minutes before slicing. This allows the steam pressure to reduce, which keeps the moisture in the loaf instead of driving it out.

chorizo breakfast nachos $7.05 recipe / $1.76 serving

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chorizo breakfast nachos

$7.05 recipe / $1.76 serving

I had an extremely busy week so I pulled some chorizo out of my freezer that I had left over from another recipe and whipped up these super quick breakfast nachos for brinner. ...because I love breakfast, especially for dinner!

I love cooking with chorizo because it's so highly seasoned that you don't even have to add anything else. Add it to soups, stews, burgers, or burritos and it bring all of the flavor to the table that you'll need.

I decided to make my own baked tortilla chips for this because I had some corn tortillas in the fridge, but you could certainly use store bought. Baked chips definitely have a drier texture, so keep that in mind when decided whether to bake your own or buy some. Another alternative (and probably even less expensive) is to pile all of the toppings onto a bowl of grits. YUM!

In the step by step photos I've included some tips on making scrambled eggs... because there's nothing more tragic than dry, over cooked, flakey "scrambled" eggs.

Chorizo Breakfast Nachos

Total Recipe cost: $7.05
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Cost per serving: $1.76
Prep time: 10 min. Cook time: 20 min. Total: 30 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
12	6-inch corn tortillas	$0.77
8-10 oz.	mexican chorizo	$2.75
4 large	eggs	$1.00
1 Tbsp	butter	$0.10
1 cup	shredded cheese	$1.25
2 whole	green onions	$0.19
1 cup	salsa	$0.99
TOTAL		$7.05

STEP 1: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with foil and spray with non-stick spray. Using a pizza cutter, slice the tortillas into wedges. Spread them out in a single layer on the baking sheet, trying not to let them overlap. Spray the tops with non-stick spray, bake for ten minutes, stir, and bake again until lightly golden brown (another 5-10 minutes, watch them carefully). Allow the chips to cool.

STEP 2: Squeeze the chorizo from its casing into a skillet. Cook the chorizo over medium heat until it is cooked through. Break the chorizo up as it cooks so that it has a crumbled texture. Allow it to drain on a paper towel covered plate.

STEP 3: Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium (or just below medium) heat. In a medium bowl, whisk together four large eggs along with 2 tablespoons of water. Once the skillet is heated and the butter has melted, pour in the eggs. Cook the eggs just until lightly set (see tips in the step by step photos).

STEP 4: Arrange the chips on one large platter or four individual plates. Top with the cooked chorizo, eggs, cheese, salsa, and sliced green onions. Serve warm!

Step By Step Photos

If you're making your own chips, start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the tortillas into wedges. I find that cutting them into six pieces makes appropriate sized chips.


Spread the tortilla wedges out onto a baking sheet covered with foil and coated with non-stick spray. Try not to let them overlap much because they'll stick together.


Bake the chips for about 10 minutes, give them a stir, and then bake some more until lightly golden brown (about 5-10 minutes more). Watch them closely, because as you can see in the photo, they start to burn quickly once they're dried out. I've made them a hundred times without burning them, but you know, since I had the camera out this one time... they burned. Oops.


This is the chorizo that I used. It's a national brand and can be found in most grocery stores. It comes in a 19 oz. package (5 links) and I rarely use all of that for one recipe. So last time, I took out 2.5 links, put the rest in a freezer bag and kept it frozen until now. I let it thaw in my refrigerator over night.


Cook the chorizo in a skillet, breaking it up into crumbles as you go. Chorizo tends to be kind of greasy, so I let it drain on a paper towel covered plate when it was done.


Now for the eggs! Eggs are just better in butter. It's a universal law. So, melt one tablespoon of butter over medium to medium-low heat. I shoot for just below the medium mark on my dial.


Whisk the eggs together in a bowl along with a couple tablespoons of water. The water helps break up the egg clumps and also produces steam while they cook, making them a little bit fluffier.


Pour the eggs into the skillet with the melted butter. When the edges begin to set, use a spatula to pull it in towards the center, allowing the uncooked egg to run back into it's place.


Keep repeating this process, allowing the edges to set before you touch them again. One of the biggest mistakes people make with scrambled eggs is stirring them too much. Just pulling them in towards the center creates gentle folds of egg instead of little bits of broken up cooked egg.


The other mistake that is commonly made is overcooking the eggs. You want to stop when the eggs have just become solid. The surface should still be glossy, not dry. Don't be afraid of a little gooey-ness because the egg will continue to set from residual heat after you turn off the heat. These eggs are soft, moist, and quite perfect if I do say so myself!


Build your nachos in one big platter and let people dig in or build individual plates. I like chips on the bottom, then chorizo, eggs, cheese, salsa, and sliced green onions. I had a little bit of cilantro in the fridge so I garnished with that for the photo, but it's not necessary.

This recipe makes a great, hearty breakfast, brunch, or brinner!

I was SOOO hungry and SOOO tired the night that I made these that I didn't even have the patience to take good pictures. I snapped a couple and then devoured those nachos! But you don't blame me, right? Didn't think so. ;)

root beer pulled pork $13.54 recipe / $1.35 serving

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It's highly unusual for me to cook with an ingredient like root beer, but I have to admit, I've been extremely curious about this recipe for quite some time. I love slow cooked pork and I couldn't wrap my head around what type of interesting flavor root beer would add to it, so I had to try it for myself.

I was blown away by the smell that wafted from my slow cooker and gently beckoned me awake in the morning. The flavor was equally amazing. In fact, I liked it so much that I've been eating it without any BBQ sauce at all. It's subtle, complex, and slightly sweet. Perfect.

Plus, I love the fact that it only requires a couple of ingredients. So, for people who are just starting out, this is a really easy introductory recipe. If you want something a little more "from scratch" or all natural, check out my original pulled pork recipe (it's still pretty easy).

The price for this recipe only includes the meat, because you can do about a million things with it. Eat it on a bun or wrap it in a soft, fluffy piece of naan like I did. I even put a little on my egg sandwich this morning for breakfast! It's great for tacos, burritos, or even for extra protein on salads.

Root Beer Pulled Pork

Total Recipe cost: $13.54
Servings Per Recipe: 10 (about 3/4 cup meat each)
Cost per serving: $1.35
Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 8 hrs. Total: 8 hrs. 15 min.

INGREDIENTS		COST
5 lbs.	bone-in pork roast	$9.77
2.5 cups	root beer	$0.43
28 oz.	BBQ sauce (divided)	$3.19
1 tsp	garlic powder	$0.05
1 tsp	smoked paprika	$0.10
TOTAL		$13.54

STEP 1: Place the pork roast in the slow cooker. Stir together 1/2 cup of BBQ sauce and 2.5 cups of root beer. Pour the root beer mix over the pork roast in the slow cooker. Sprinkle the garlic powder and smoked paprika over top.

STEP 2: Secure the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for eight hours.

STEP 3: After eight hours, use tongs and a slotted spoon to remove the meat and bone from the liquid in the slow cooker (the bones can be discarded). The meat will be extremely tender and should easily separate from the bone.

STEP 4: Shred the meat using a fork and either serve as is or mix in the remaining BBQ sauce.

Step By Step Photos

This is the pork roast that I bought. It's labeled a "pork end loin roast." It's pretty lean, and only $1.99/lb. which makes it a pretty good deal. Unwrap the pork roast and place it in your slow cooker. If you want, you can cut it into chunks so that more of it is submerged under the root beer as it cooks.


I wanted the flavor of both the root beer and BBQ sauce to infuse into the meat, so I mixed a little bit of the BBQ sauce into the root beer (1/2 cup BBQ sauce and 2.5 cups of root beer).


Pour the root beer mixture over top of the pork roast.


For good measure, I sprinkled a little garlic powder and smoked paprika (for extra smokiness) on top. I used about 1 tsp of each.


Cook on low for eight hours and then you'll have this! Super tender, moist, pork roast that smells absolutely amazing!


Using tongs and a slotted spoon, remove the meat from the slow cooker. It should be so tender that it just falls right off the bone.


Speaking of which, the bones can also be remove and discard.


Shred the meat and either serve as is, or...


Stir in the remaining BBQ sauce. I actually experimented with combining the BBQ sauce, some of the cooking liquid, and root beer, and then letting it simmer until reduced to a thickened state again. I had hoped that it would add more flavor, but in the end I much preferred the straight BBQ sauce.


I have to say, the pork is AMAZING on the soft, fluffy naan... but you can also use it a million different ways. I found myself just snacking on it by itself, even!

Week 3: Spring Session

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Week 3 is a pivotal week - this is the week where your focus can begin to waiver if you let it.....  And to make it even more tough, this time of year is crazy busy with ball games, yard work, graduation parties and so much more.  It's so easy to let the busy affect your healthy choices and only focus on your health and fitness goals when you are at Real Fitness instead of keeping those goals at the top of your mind all the time.  Make a concentrated effort this week to stick with the nutrition challenges and keep pushing yourself during workouts.  Life is always crazy so find ways to fit healthy into your busy life.  No excuses! 

Week 3 Nutrition Challenge:


Eat an apple everyday.  So far this session we've gotten in the habit of drinking lots of water, eliminating "junk" drinks from our daily routine, and focused on eating a good, healthy breakfast everyday. Now we are going to add in an apple everyday.  


Fruits and vegetables are nature's perfect food!  They are easy to digest, are low in calories, and very high in vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals.  The high fiber content in fruits and veggies help fill you up, help keep your blood sugars steady, and also keep you cleaned out - if you know what I mean :)   A healthy eating plan filled with lots of fruits and veggies also protects against heart attack, stroke, several cancers and lowers blood pressure.  Despite knowing the perfectness of fruits and veggies it is sometimes hard to get in the recommended 5-9 servings per day.  To help get us in the habit of eating fruit regularly, we are going to strive to eat an apple everyday this week.  Apples are a quick, easy, grab and go fruit.  Hopefully, your daily apple will replace a prepackaged snack and motivate you to eat more fruits :)  


Quick Tips for Eating More Fruit:
-When you get fresh fruit home from the grocery store clean it and package it up in easy to grab baggies right away.  The more convenient you make the fruit the more likely you and your family are to grab it.
-Put your apples in a big bowl as your table center piece.  Keeping them where you see them will make it easier to remember to eat one everyday.
-Don't forget frozen fruit (no sugar added!).  Frozen fruit is just as good as fresh, typically more budget friendly and a yummy treat.  I eat frozen cherries like candy :)
-Eat smoothies!  They are a great way to get in a lot of fruit servings! 



Nutrition Goals This Week:

• Drink lots of water!
• Avoid "junk" drinks.
• Eat a healthy breakfast.
• Eat an apple everyday.

Week 4: Spring Session

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Time flies when we're having fun - it's already Week 4!  At the end of this week you'll be half way through this session and half way through eight weeks of small but VERY meaningful nutrition changes that truly can transform your health and body if you stick with them!  This week's challenge is a tough one but sure to make a BIG difference if you commit yourself to trying it.  And don't forget to keep your great habits from Weeks 1, 2 and 3 going too!  




Week 4 Nutrition Challenge:


Cut out sweets.  Refined sugar has absolutely no nutritional value and a whole lot of calories.  Calories from sugar are the most simple form of carbohydrate and are very easy for your body to convert to gylcogen and store in your body.  Excess glycogen that isn't burned for energy is then stored as fatty acids.  Not cool!  In addition, when you eat simple sugars/carbs it sends your blood sugars soaring and then crashing - when your blood sugars crash your body/brain want to raise those blood sugars back immediately.  So what do you crave?  More simple sugars/carbs.  Not cool!  (Don't freak about fruit here - the "sugar" in fruit is natural AND has the fiber from the fruit with it to keep blood sugars steady, not to mention all the other vitamins and minerals and phytochemicals that are in fruits). 


Here's the deal:  sugar is everywhere in a large majority of the foods we eat.  (Sugar is cheap and addictive so the food manufacturers LOVE to put it in their food, getting us addicted to their products is their goal).  For fun check food labels and see how much sugar is in stuff that's right in your cupboards.  From ketchup to crackers - it's everywhere.  So to keep it simple and since we're getting more than enough sugar elsewhere, this week our challenge is to cut out the obvious sweets and sugary foods.  Avoid cakes, cupcakes, candies (stay away from the candy dish), sugary drinks (but that shouldn't be a problem because we started that in Week 1 :)), ice cream, chocolate, desserts, etc.   In addition, avoid sugar-free versions of these treats too - the chemical sweeteners they use instead of sugar are really bad for you too.  I can go on and on about how bad artificial sweeteners are for you but I'll save that for another post.  


If you really "need" a sweet treat try having some fruit and a glass of water instead.  If you think you may die without these treats then pick ONE DAY, a fun day per se, when you can eat any of this stuff with no guilt.  But you only get this one fun day a week if you are successful with avoiding sweets the rest of the week. 


This is a tough challenge to implement but you can do it!  Trust me - this is by far the hardest challenge for me and my HUGE sweet tooth, but it is worth the effort.  You'll feel great and see results!  

Nutrition Goals This Week:

• Drink lots of water!
• Avoid "junk" drinks.
• Eat a healthy breakfast.
• Eat an apple everyday.
• No sweets!