Baked Ziti

Ah, there's nothing like comfort food at it's finest on a gloomy day.

Baked ziti is just one of those things that becomes an instant family favourite. It can pick you up and lift your spirits on a cold wintery day.

A steaming dish of golden cheesy tomato baked pasta heaven.

Mmm, melty cheese!

Do I have your attention?

It might shock you to learn that this comforting pasta dish is actually quite good for you. Here's a secret, ever play hide the vegetables? If you have kids, you know what I mean. It has 2 cups of shredded carrots, 1 whole onion, basil, and is bursting with tomatoes + homemade marinara sauce. Even the pickiest eaters in your family couldn't say no. Sure it looks and tastes like a traditional baked ziti that's packed with unhealthy fat and salt (not to mention heavy cream) but it's one of the cleanest pasta dishes you'll ever make. 

The perfect crowd pleaser. Great for entertaining large groups.

Easy to throw together in 20 minutes. Then you get to sit back and relax while it cooks.

Baked Ziti

(makes 9 - 1 cup servings)

(Slightly adapted fromThe Eat Clean Diet For Family & Kids)

Print Or Email This Recipe

Ingredients: 

• 1lb extra lean ground turkey
• 2 Cups shredded carrots
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced fine
• 3 cloves of garlic, passed through a garlic press
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Cups homemade Marinara Sauce (or 1 can of no-salt added tomatoes)
• 1 Cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 8 oz gluten free rotini
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 Cup - 3/4 Cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook turkey, carrots, onions, and garlic until nicely browned. Add chicken stock, marinara sauce, pasta, and basil.
3. Reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Pasta should be cooked al dente.
4. Turn pasta mix into baking dish. Sprinkle top with shredded mozzarella.
5. Place in oven and baked for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.

This also makes great leftovers for easy lunches packed with nutrition and energy. 

Today's Eat's & A Gift From Larabar

I thought I'd try something a little different today by posting my clean eats for the day, but don't worry I'll have another recipe for you next week. I have quite the mix of delicious meals to share with you too. I might even make a thing of this and continue to give you a weekly peek at my eats for an entire day. Sort of like a food diary. Of course I'm a eat-whole-foods nutrition nut, so you can expect nothing but the best. Maybe I'll even inspire someone to start doing the same.

Looking back at a full day of meals can benefit your healthy eating goals so much. I know I love getting meal inspiration from many of the what-I-ate blogs out there (many of which are Registered Dieticians or one's in the making).

Now let's get to it shall we?

Breakfast: 7:30am

If you're an edible sound bites reader, you already know that oatmeal is my first breakfast love. It's stick to your ribs good! Todays bowl was the usual with cinnamon, chia seeds, banana, and almond butter. Plus a cup of David's Tea delicious organic Some Velvet Morning green tea. I forgot to take a picture but it looked exactly like this only with cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Snack: 10:30am

A little bit of low-sodium water packed canned tuna and chopped cucumbers to tide me over until lunch. Not overly appetizing but definitely the perfect combination of protein and water based carbohydrates to keep the metabolism burning.

Lunch: 1:30pm

Most day's I aim for a salad - the best way to get green's and veggies in! Bright leafy greens are just so cleansing for your body. In the mix was romain and red leaf lettuce, sliced cucumbers, 1 chopped medjool date, baked chicken (recipe coming soon!), and a little drizzle of balsamic vinegar for dressing.

Afternoon Snack: 4:30pm

Today was a gym day. A weight lifting gym day that is, which meant that I had a new routine with repetitions of 5x10 + heavy weights. I needed some serious energy so I had a Peanut Butter Cookie Larabar to fuel me.

Dinner: 7:30pm

Dinner was an incredible piece of bbq'd rainbow trout, steamed veggies and roasted sweet+russet potatoes. And that was all she wrote.

Speaking of Larabars, this arrived on my doorstep the other day.

After posting my cashew cookie dough bars, a recipe for homemade larabars, I was sent a gift from the wonderful people at Larabar:

• 9 different flavours (some of which you can't buy in Canada...I'm looking at you Ginger Snap & Carrot Cake!)


• A cute Larabar bag that they came in.


• And a pretty apron from anna's apron's etsy shop. I love the pattern and colours.

I've been a fan ever since I first spotted them a few years ago. What I love about them so much is their minimal, healthy ingredient lists. No preservatives. Only fruits and nuts with the occasional added spice. The Peanut Butter Cookie one is made up of 3 ingredients; peanuts, dates, and sea salt. That's it! Simplicity doesn't get much better than this.

That's it for me today. I hope everyone has a great weekend!