Food for Thought - Breakfast for Dinner - Bacon Zucchini Casserole

In continuing the Friday Food tradition, I wanted to share a recipe that has helped reconcile the love-hate relationship I have with vegetables (I love to hate those vile green spawn of the earth - I am a meat and potatoes girl all the way).

This is a great recipe because you can make it in advance and eat on it for a day or two. Because it is fairly hearty, I make it for the "breakfast for dinner" nights in my house.

Bacon Zucchini Casserole

What you will need:

1 pound ground turkey
1 zucchini
5 garlic cloves
1 onion (I prefer red, but my husband prefers yellow)
8 eggs
2 Tablespoons of Basil
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
6 pieces of turkey bacon (cooked)

What you have to do:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Brown the turkey in a skillet.  Drain the fat when you are done.
Smash the cloves of garlic and then mince them.
Dice the onion.
Saute the onions and garlic until they caramelize.  Remove them from the heat and set to the side.
Julienne or shred the zucchini.
Combine in a mixing the eggs, cooked turkey, the zucchini, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, and basil. Mix well, but don't overdue it. Once these ingredients are combined, add the onions and garlic.
Pour the mixture into a greased casserole dish.
Cook for 30 minutes or until it is cooked thoroughly.  Turn the broiler on, and let the top crust up/brown for about 2-3 minutes.
Remove the casserole from the oven. Crumble bacon on top and serve.

Food for Thought - Sweet Potato Chili

Just like every January that has preceded this one, I made the resolution to eat better and exercise more. Just like every January that has preceded this one, I fell off the wagon onto my well padded derrière with the first week (I blame Alabama football - can you REALLY expect me to watch a national championship football game without wings and beer/champagne and cake?  Seriously - I am not a barbarian!)

To get back on track, I am trying to find recipes that are better for me than drive-through (my meal of choice) and easy to make so I can use my time writing rather than preparing food. Sugars and processed foods can kill creativity. Each Friday, I will share a recipe that helps avoid the creativity and time killers that interfere with writing.  Please comment to share your own, and if you try the recipe, let me know how it worked for you.

Sweet Potato Chili

What you will need:

A pound of ground turkey or beef (I go the turkey route and use Worcestershire sauce to give it a more beefy flavor)
2 good sized sweet potatoes
A yellow onion
A red pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons of chili powder
1.5 teaspoons of cumin
1.5 teaspoons of black pepper
Salt to taste
1 can (14.5 oz) of diced tomatoes
2 cups of beef broth
1 cup of water

What you will do:

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into cubes.
Peel and chop the onion.
Smash the cloves of garlic with the side of a knife then dice.
Chop the red pepper.
Brown your meat in a skillet on the stove.
After you drain the fat from the meat, put it along with all the other ingredients in a slow cooker/crockpot.
Cook until the sweet potatoes are fork tender (about 5 hours on low/3 hours on medium).