These three fall meals give familiar ingredients another use. Pear cinnamon baked oatmeal covers breakfast, shrimp stuffed peppers use cooked quinoa, and turkey apple sage patties can become dinner or tomorrow’s lunch. Each recipe includes measured ingredients and nutrition per serving.
Nutrition is estimated from the specified ingredients and serving sizes. Brands, fruit and vegetable sizes, and substitutions will change the numbers. Carbs means total carbohydrate and includes fiber. Divide the finished recipe into the stated number of equal portions. These are recipe estimates, not a daily calorie target.
Pear Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal
Pear, cinnamon and walnuts make this a breakfast with some substance. The egg whites go into the bake, and plain Greek yogurt adds protein both in the dish and beside it.
Makes: 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking: 35 to 45 minutes
One serving: One quarter of the bake plus 1/2 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
Estimated per serving. Includes the 1/2 cup yogurt topping. Extra syrup or other toppings aren’t included.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats, 160 g. Use certified gluten free oats if needed.
- 1 cup liquid egg whites, about 245 g
- 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, about 227 g, for the bake
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 medium ripe pears, cored and diced, about 356 g edible fruit
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts, 28 g
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, 20 g
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon, about 5 g
- 1 teaspoon baking powder, about 4 g
- 2 cups plain nonfat Greek yogurt, about 454 g, for serving
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Line an 8 inch square baking dish with parchment.
- Whisk the egg whites, 1 cup yogurt, water and maple syrup. Stir in the oats, cinnamon and baking powder, then fold in the pears and walnuts.
- Spread in the dish and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the middle is set and reaches 160°F. The center should no longer look wet. Let it stand for 10 minutes.
- Divide the bake into four equal portions. Serve each with 1/2 cup of the remaining yogurt.
Give it another use
Keep the yogurt separate. Refrigerate the bake promptly and warm a portion when you need breakfast. Freeze portions you won’t use within 3 to 4 days.
Shrimp Stuffed Peppers with Quinoa
Cooked quinoa has another use here. Combine it with shrimp, mushrooms, spinach and tomato, then spoon the filling into peppers for a complete dinner.
Makes: 2 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cooking: 25 to 30 minutes
One serving: Two stuffed pepper halves, one whole pepper, with half the filling
Estimated per serving. Includes the peppers, all filling and measured oil. Cheese, sauces and sides aren’t included.
Ingredients
- 2 large red bell peppers, about 328 g after removing cores and seeds
- 12 ounces raw peeled and deveined shrimp, 340 g, thawed if frozen
- 1 cup cooked quinoa, 185 g
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms, about 70 g
- 1/2 cup diced onion, about 80 g
- 2 packed cups spinach, 60 g, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup plain tomato sauce, about 120 g
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, about 9 g
- 2 garlic cloves, about 6 g, minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, about 2 g
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 15 g
- Black pepper and salt to taste
Directions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Halve the peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds. Put them cut side up in a baking dish with 2 tablespoons water. Cover and bake for 15 minutes.
- While the peppers bake, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion and mushrooms for 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and paprika for 30 seconds.
- Cut large shrimp into bite size pieces. Add them to the skillet and cook, stirring, until they are opaque and reach 145°F. Add the spinach, quinoa and tomato sauce. Stir until the spinach wilts and the mixture is hot. Remove from the heat and add the lemon juice.
- Divide all the filling among the four pepper halves. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the peppers are tender and the filling is hot. Serve two halves per person.
Give it another use
Keep a portion for tomorrow’s lunch, or chop the cooked pepper and serve the filling over greens. Count the storage time from the oldest cooked component, including the quinoa.
Turkey Apple Sage Patties
Grated apple adds moisture to these turkey patties, and sage gives them a savory fall flavor. Make eight small patties and decide which portions you’ll use now and which you’ll freeze.
Makes: 4 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Cooking: 12 to 16 minutes
One serving: Two patties from a batch of eight
Estimated per serving. Patties only, including all the measured cooking oil. Squash, vegetables, buns and sauces aren’t included.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey, 93% lean, 454 g raw
- 1 small apple, cored and finely grated, about 150 g edible fruit
- 1/4 cup finely diced onion, about 40 g
- 1/4 cup rolled oats, 20 g
- 3 tablespoons liquid egg whites, 46 g
- 1 teaspoon dried rubbed sage, about 1 g
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, about 1.5 g
- 2 teaspoons olive oil, about 9 g, for the whole batch
- Black pepper and salt to taste
Directions
- Mix the turkey, apple, onion, oats, egg whites, sage, garlic powder and black pepper gently. Don’t squeeze all the juice out of the apple. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes so the oats absorb some moisture.
- Divide into eight equal patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Use damp hands if the mixture sticks.
- Heat half the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook four patties for about 5 to 7 minutes on the first side and 5 to 7 minutes on the second. Lower the heat if they brown too quickly. Add the remaining oil for the second batch.
- Check each batch with a food thermometer. The centers must reach 165°F. Serve two patties per portion.
Give it another use
Serve with mashed butternut squash and green beans. Another portion can go in a bowl with roasted vegetables, or crumble into a lettuce wrap.
Store the portions
Refrigerate perishable food within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Store at 40°F or colder and use cooked portions within 3 to 4 days. Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator and reheat leftovers to 165°F. Combining older cooked ingredients doesn’t restart their storage time.
Which would help your week most: breakfast ready to warm, a stuffed pepper for lunch, or patties ready for a bowl?