Spaghetti with Quick Meat Sauce

Ingredients:
- 1 pound whole-wheat spaghetti
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ⅕ teaspoon of chili flakes
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- 1 cup of shiitake mushrooms, chopped
- 1 cup of red bell pepper, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 San Marzano 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
- Heat a large saucepan of water until it boils. Cook pasta according to the instructions on the package for 8 to 10 minutes, or until just tender. Drain the water and keep the pasta aside.
- In the meantime, warm up some oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, bell pepper, shiitake mushroom, carrot, and onion. Cook, stirring periodically, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the onion is starting to brown. Make sure that the mixture is cooked through and doesn’t burn.
- Add the garlic, onion powder, chili flakes, black pepper, and Italian seasoning and heat up for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the meat and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring and breaking it up with a spoon, until it is no longer pink.
- Turn the heat up to high. Add tomatoes and cook for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened. Add salt and parsley and stir again.
- Drizzle the spaghetti with the sauce and top with the grated parmesan.
Mini Meatball Sliders

Ingredients:
- 1 lb ground beef or turkey
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of white pepper powder
- 10 mini slider buns
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
- In a mixing bowl, combine ground beef (or turkey), egg, breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mix until thoroughly blended.
- Create little meatballs out of the mixture that are between one and one and a half inches in diameter.
- In a large skillet, heat a little amount of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the meatballs in batches, rotating often until they are cooked through (approximately 7-8 minutes) and browned on all sides.
- After the meatballs are cooked, place them in a separate saucepan with some warm marinara sauce to coat them.
- After halving the slider buns, insert a meatball on the bottom bun. Place a bun on top and add some marinara sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese.
- To further melt the cheese, bake the sliders in the oven for a few minutes or serve right away.
Healthy Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole-wheat noodles/pasta
- 10-ounce package frozen chopped broccoli or fresh broccoli florets – chopped small
- 10 oz bag of baby spinach or baby kale (optional)
- 2-3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 1¾ cups 1% milk, divided
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- ¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
Preparation:
- Heat a big saucepan of water until it boils. Follow the directions on the pasta packet.
- Put fresh or frozen broccoli in a pan over medium heat and cook it until it's just beginning to soften, adding crushed red pepper, minced garlic, and a sprinkle of salt. Add the kale/spinach near the end and simmer until wilted.
- In the meantime, bring another big pot of water to a simmer over medium-high heat with 1½ cups of milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and the remaining ¼ cup milk.
- After adding the flour mixture to the simmering milk, put the mixture back on the stove and cook for two to three minutes. Stir the mixture continuously, until it thickens.
- Take off the stove and mix in the mustard, Parmesan, and cheddar until the cheese melts.
- After draining, add the pasta to the cheese sauce. Once the pasta mixture has been heated through (on low heat), add your vegetables and stir everything together.
- Before serving, feel free to season with black pepper.