Easy Dinner! (Just plan ahead)

Ground Turkey Sweet Potato with Pasta

I know this looks like something Paula Deen would make, but I promise it's healthy.

Dedicated to Laura Cannici and Allie Connelly Threlkeld, who first inspired me to experiment with the sweet potato.

Ingredients:
1 sweet potato

Approx. 6 ounces lean ground turkey*

Small amount Barilla High-Protein Pasta

Olive oil (optional)

Ground cloves

Nutmeg

Cinnamon

Tony Chachere's seasoning

Salt

Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash sweet potato and cut away any brusies or "eyes." Stab with a fork several times to allow steam to escape. Do not wrap in foil, as this will result in a soggy potato. Stick 'er in the oven in a glass pan for 40-60+ minutes. Let's be honest, potatoes take for-evvvver to cook, so plan accordingly.

2. When you're 20-ish minutes out from the taters being done, start the water for your pasta. In skillet, brown the ground turkey. Add seasonings and olive oil to taste.

3. Boil your pasta for 11 minutes, as directed on the box (the reason you have to cook Barilla pasta so long is because of its high protein content. It's a good trade, though: longer cooking time for lower blood sugar. I'm not complaining).

4. When the sweet potato is done, remove from oven. Split it longways, mash the insides a little, add butter or Smart Balance. Place seasoned ground turkey over open-faced sweet potato. Toss a little olive oil on the pasta. Voila!

If I'd had broccoli or asparagus on hand, I would have replaced the pasta with the veggie. That's what I recommend.

Depending on your butter use and your portions, this can be a really healthy dinner: sweet potatoes are loaded with vitamins and fiber (eat the skin!) and ground turkey can come quite lean. Olive oil will add omega-3's and good fats, and the veggies I recommended will round it out nicely with more vitamins and fiber.

Or, if you'd rather eat something from Paula Deen's kitchen, use the same ingredients, but fry them. :)

*Did the picture scare you? Chick-ify this recipe by replacing the ground turkey with avocado and grilled chicken breast. Yum!