Pasta with Tomatoes and Spinach

Pasta is one of my favorite things to make.  One, it's super easy.  Two, carbs are my friend.  This pasta is something I make quite often, and I like it because you can pretty much just throw whatever you want in with it and it'll taste great.

Ingredients
1/2 box of penne pasta (really any pasta you like)
1-2 cloves of garlic (depending on your taste for garlic, or if you are trying to ward off any vampires
Few tablespoons olive oil
1 small container of cherry tomatoes
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach

Directions
Boil pasta according to box directions.  Pour olive oil into a skillet and heat using medium heat.  Finely chop garlic and place in skillet.  Gently cook the garlic for 3-5 minutes.  If it starts to brown too quickly, turn the heat on your stove down.  Add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet and cook a few minutes.  They should start to split along the side and their skin will brown a bit - that's when you know they're good to go.  Add in the spinach and cook until it wilts down to your desired wiltiness.  Mix everything together in the pot you boiled the pasta in and enjoy!

Helpful Notes
- If you don't want to cook the spinach in the olive oil, you can also steam it and then toss it in with pasta, tomatoes, and garlic after it's done steaming.


- To make the dish extra yummy, add some cheese.  I like fresh grated Parmesan (like from a block you buy in the deli), but really, can you go wrong with any type of cheese?

- Like I mentioned in the intro, you can add all sorts of veggies to this dish, as well as meats.  I personally enjoy adding mushrooms and prosciutto.  If you find some particularly yummy combos, please post in the comments!

Turkey Meatloaf

I am a huge fan of meatloaf.  It's good warm on a dinner plate, it's good cold in a sandwich, and this recipe is actually pretty good for you!  I've added a lot of veggies to boost the health-factor, but feel free to add more if you like!  (And if you find a particular veggie that is really yummy, please share in the comments!)

Ingredients 

1-lb package of lean ground turkey

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup oats

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 medium size green pepper, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1/3 cup skim milk

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

1/3 cup ketchup

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (yellow works, too, but Dijon is so much better. . . especially the seedy kind)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix turkey, egg, oats, onion, pepper, carrots, milk, and parsley together in a bowl using your hands (mix too much and your turkey may get tough, so be gentle and don't spazz out while mixing).  Shape the mixture into a mound on a lightly oiled cookie sheet or in a lightly oiled loaf pan.  Mix ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard, then spread the glaze on top of the meatloaf.  Bake for 45 minutes or until juices run clear.