Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna

I get a kick out of finding a recipe that uses up multiple things in my refrigerator and pantry…not sure what that says about me?  I enjoy being thrifty?  I hate letting things go to waste?  I’m way too type-A?
As you can see below I am WELL stocked with lasagna noodles…and have been for over a year (remember two Christmases ago when I made lasagna for 100 people?? Well I bought too much then and have had it since). 

I also had half a container of cottage cheese leftover from last week’s overnight oats.  Whole Foods now carries their own line of organic CC and I had to try it.  Pretty good…but favorite is still Breakstone’s.  I wish it was organic!

So I used up two things…plus I already had the parmesan and spices.  Like the nutmeg.  Did you know nutmeg is actually a seed that you can buy whole and grate yourself?  My dad just learned this (from Dr. OZ no less) and was very impressed with his new discovery.
 
The recipe is one that I tore out of Cooking Light in 2003 and have never made.  I left it mostly unchanged, with the exception of doubling the mushrooms.  There can never be too many mushrooms!  I also omitted the parsley and used a little extra salt to season the mushroom and leek mixture.  Don’t be scared of leeks if you’ve never used them.  They are just like a big green onion.  Once sliced, make sure you rinse them well…they are very sandy/gritty.
You would never know this is a “light” recipe.  Don’t be tempted to add extra cheese…you don’t need it, promise!  I suggest doubling the mushrooms too.  Adds a little more substance the layers.  And extra veggies can't hurt either!

Spinach and Mushroom Lasagna
Makes 9 servings
9  uncooked no-boil lasagna noodles (Barilla is my fave)
1/4  cup  all-purpose flour
3  cups  1% low-fat milk
1  cup  (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided
1  cup  1% low-fat cottage cheese 
1 teaspoon  salt, divided
1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
1/8  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
1  (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2  teaspoons  butter
1 1/2  cups  thinly sliced leek (2 medium)
2  (each 8 oz*) packages button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1/2  teaspoon  dried oregano 
3  garlic cloves, minced
Cooking spray
1/2  cup  (2 ounces) shredded fontina or mozzarella cheese
Preheat oven to 400°.
Place the flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook until thick (about 5 minutes), stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup Parmesan, cottage cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and next 3 ingredients (cottage cheese through spinach).
Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add leek and mushrooms; sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Drain well, and return to pan. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, oregano, and garlic.
Spread 1 cup spinach mixture onto the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over the spinach mixture, and top with 1 1/2 cups of the mushroom mixture. Repeat layers, ending with noodles. Top with 1/2 cup spinach mixture. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and fontina. (order: spinach, noodles, mushrooms, spinach, noodles, mushrooms, spinach, noodles, spinach, cheese)
Cover with aluminum foil sprayed with cooking spray and bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 10 minutes.
* I LOVE mushrooms so I double the amount…2 16oz packages
Per serving (1/9th) - 262 calories, 8.5 g fat (5 g saturated), 18 g protein, 31 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 30 mg cholesterol, 353 mg calcium; (exchanges – 1 veg, 1.5 starch, 2 protein, 1 fat)

Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna

Sometime before Christmas I had a large bag of fresh spinach from the farmer's market that needed to be used ASAP. I was about to head home for the holidays and knew I wouldn't be able to eat it all before I left...and it didn't look very fresh either. I hate wasting food, especially produce because its so expensive.

After a little brainstorming and looking through my pantry/fridge to see what else I had on hand, I decided on this lasagna. I had never heard of a spinach and artichoke version, but it sounded good and I was sure it would work. I did a google search, reviewed a few recipes, and headed to the grocery.

My inspiration recipe was this Spinach Lasagna from cookinglight.com, and I used the recipe on the back of the Barilla Oven Ready Lasagne Pasta (i.e. no-boil) box for my layering method and proportions.

I love lasagna...my way. I really don't care for the traditional ricotta cheese and my mom used cottage cheese and I didn't like that either. I leave both out of my recipe. As with any dish, adding veggies lightens the calories and fat per serving...so I always add some kind of vegetable (I have a really good recipe for a roasted vegetable lasagna). Sometimes I add a protein, but if I do its usually shredded chicken (although I'm not opposed to ground beef, I just prefer chicken...I usually buy a rotisserie chicken to save time).


My brother Adam, who thinks I'm turning into a vegetarian (I'm not!!), wasn't excited about eating my meatless version. I should have known better!


Things to note:

• no-boil noodles are the way to go...so easy! Barilla is my favorite brand...their noodles are flatter; and realize you can't substitute regular lasagna noodles (even if you have already boiled them) in this recipe
• you could make your own pasta sauce, but if you do buy it from the store read this past post first (there are 2 links for homemade sauces too)
• I used ½ fresh spinach that I sauteed and chopped and ½ frozen that I defrosted...the recipe below is for all frozen/thawed
• this is a make-ahead recipe, so you can refrigerate or freeze it for a later use

Spinach and Artichoke Lasagna
create by me!

makes 4 servings

4 ounces low-fat cream cheese (or 1/3-less fat neufchatel)
8 ounces fat-free Greek yogurt
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 15-ounce cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
9 no-boil lasagna noodles
2 27.5-ounce jars low-fat pasta sauce (5 g of fat or less per serving)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

If baking right away, preheat oven to 400°.

Beat the cream cheese at medium speed with a mixer until smooth; add the yogurt, Parmesan cheese, and eggs, beating well. Add the spinach, artichokes, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning; beat well.

In a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray, layer in the following order, spreading well:

• 1 cup pasta sauce
• 3 noodles
• 1/3 of the spinach mixture
• 1/3 of the cheese
• 1 cup pasta sauce
• 3 noodles
• 1/3 of the spinach mixture
• 1/3 of the cheese
• 1 ½ cups pasta sauce
• 3 noodles
• 1/3 of the spinach mixture
• 1 cup pasta sauce
• 1/3 of the cheese

If baking right away: Cover with foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray, and bake at 400° for 15 - 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbly around the edges. Uncover and continue baking for an additional 25 - 30 minutes, until the cheese is browned in spots. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

To store without baking: Wrap dish tightly with plastic wrap and then foil and refrigerate for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month. If frozen, the lasagna must be thawed completely in the refrigerator, for about 24 hours. Bake as described above, increasing the covered baking time to 30 - 40 minutes.

Per serving - 331 calories, 13 g fat (6 g saturated), 36 g carbohydrate, 7 g sugar, 6 g fiber, 26 g protein (exchanges: 1 starch, 2 vegetables, 3 protein, 2 ½ fat)

Notes - If you have a "meat eater" in the family, you could add layers of shredded cooked chicken between the cheese and spinach layers; the servings are pretty big...you might be able to get 10 servings out of it

Chicken Roll-Ups with Goat Cheese and Spinach

I love this recipe and have made it so many times. It's been in my recipe binder since 2005 (I only know this because it's printed in the bottom corner). The recipe is from EveryDay Food, the Martha Stewart mag that I rave about.

The original recipe fills the chicken with goat cheese and arugula (a type of lettuce that's "peppery"). I've made it substituting spinach for the arugula and I imagine basil would be nice too (for the party this past weekend I used basil pesto and sun dried tomatoes and it was delish). I've also swapped the goat cheese for feta.

Chicken cutlets are hard for me to find, so I usually buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts and pound them thin. To do this, I put 1 breast in a heavy duty zip-loc bag (I don't seal the bag) and pound it with my rolling pin (I don't have a meat mallet).

Even with the cheese, the recipe is relatively low in fat. Goat cheese and other soft cheeses (like feta) are lower in fat than most (80 cals and 6g fat per 1 oz serving).

Chicken Roll-Ups with Goat Cheese and Spinach
adapted from marthastewart.com

Makes 4 servings

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 ½ pounds or less)
Salt and pepper
4 ounces baby spinach (or regular spinach with stems trimmed)
3 ounces soft goat cheese, broken into small pieces
2 teaspoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pound each chicken breast to about a ¼-inch thickness and pat dry. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

On a clean work surface, lay chicken flat (smooth sides down). Fill and roll: Layer each breast with spinach and then crumble goat cheese in the center. Starting with the narrow end, roll up chicken tightly and seal with a toothpick (or 2) or tie with kitchen twine.

In a large nonstick ovenproof skillet*, heat oil over medium-high heat. Swirl to coat bottom of pan. Cook, seam side down, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn chicken and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer skillet to oven. Cook until chicken is opaque throughout, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the chicken to rest 5 minutes. Remove toothpicks, and slice chicken crosswise before serving, if desired.

* If you don't have a skillet that can go from the stove-top to the oven (it really depends on whether or not the handle is heat-proof), just transfer the browned chicken to a baking sheet/dish and continue as normal.

Per serving - 268 calories, 9 g fat (4 g saturated), 1 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 44 g protein (exchanges: 2 fat, 6 protein)

Notes - This recipe is so easy to adjust for more servings...you will probably have left-over cheese and spinach so just buy extra chicken; for the party, I browned the roll-ups ahead of time, cooled them to room temperature, and refrigerated them until party time - when guests started arriving I took them out of the fridge to bring them back to room temp and 20 minutes before I was ready to serve, I popped them in the oven (10 to 12 minutes...mine actually took 15 to cook); for the party, I sliced each roll-up in half...there were 9 of us at the party and I cooked 6 breasts - we each had ½ of a roll-up and with all of the other food I served, it was enough (we were all girls too, so that helped)

Fall Weather Makes Me Want to Cook _______!

I hope you are all having a great weekend! The weather here has been so pretty...its finally starting to feel like fall! There are so many things I love about fall weather...good hair days (i.e. less humidity), enjoyable night football games, and warm comfort foods! I had chili last night for dinner and I made artichoke soup tonight. I've been cooking with butternut squash and sweet potatoes. I have pomegranates, persimmons, and pears in my kitchen right now. I also baked a fall treat...read ahead to find out what it was.

I passed my Adult Weight Management post-test...so I'm officially certified. I didn't learn anything "ground breaking"...no new magic weight loss secrets to share! I did learn a lot of new counseling techniques and I will use them in the future. I have a new understanding of how and when bariatric surgery, weight loss medications, and meal replacements (bars and shakes) can be used in effort to lose weight. I also realized how FABULOUS San Francisco is and that I can't wait to go back!

The following recipes are going to help you with 3 suggestions I have:

1. Eat more veggies! They are low in calories and high in nutrients/fiber.

I am going to attempt to inspire you to eat more veggies...steamed broccoli and green beans can get old really fast. If you can find a way to make vegetables more appealing you will likely eat more of them and more often. At lunch and dinner, a good idea is to fill ½ of your plate with vegetables...this will displace other more calorie dense things (starches and protein) and help you consume fewer calories.

Here and here are some more veggie ideas.

2. Have a starch free lunch on some days.

Starch...meaning bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc. Salads at lunch are a good tip. If you have a starch free lunch (like a salad), you will have left-over starches when you get to dinner (that is if you count starches). And then you can enjoy whole wheat pasta, brown rice, quinoa, or a whole wheat dinner roll with the rest of your family. Another good "starch-free" meal is an omelet or frittata made with sautéed veggies, egg whites, and reduced-fat cheese (I love having omelets at non-breakfast meals).

The salad recipe for the week was emailed to me by a LifeTime Fitness TWL participant and looks really good. Its a spinach salad...I'm sure you don't need me to tell you how good spinach is for you, but if you want to read more about it and other greens, read this.

3. Have dairy (yogurt, cottage cheese, milk, or dairy-substitute...soy yogurt, soy milk, etc.) and fruit for snacks.

The recipe for "Very Berry Salad" looks really good. I make something similar to this every week; I make it ahead of time on the weekend and eat it all week. The fruit provides you with carbohydrates for energy and the dairy adds protein to keep you satisfied for longer!

Spinach Salad with Warm Maple Dressing -

• Per serving - 164 calories, 12 g fat (2 g saturated), 12 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 4 g protein (exchanges: 1 ½ fat, 2 vegetable)
• Notes - I think this would be good with chopped red bell pepper and diced apple or pear…and add some lean protein to complete the meal (chicken, tuna, beans)

Very Berry Salad -

• Per Serving - 83 calories, 0 g fat (0 g saturated), 20 g carbohydrate, 4 g fiber, 2 g protein (exchanges: 1 ½ fruit)
• Notes - Eat this as is, or for a satisfying snack, add some protein with low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, or ricotta cheese. This would be good with other types of fruit too…use what is in season (obviously berries aren't really in season right now, so maybe apples, pears, grapes, and pomegranate) and save money!

Asian Cucumber Salad -

• Per Serving - 52 calories, 2.4 g fat (0.3 g saturated), 5.8 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 1.3 g protein (exchanges: ½ fat, 1 vegetable)
• Notes - Keep the Asian theme, and serve with Soy Glazed Salmon (or tuna)

Baby Spinach with Pine Nuts -

• Per Serving - 51 calories, 3.5 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 3.7 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2.6 g protein (exchanges: ½ fat, 1 vegetable)
• Notes - Serve with baked chicken or pork tenderloin

Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower -

• Per Serving - 67 calories, 4.2 g fat (0.8 g saturated), 6 g carbohydrate, 2.4 g fiber, 3 g protein (exchanges: 1 fat, 1 vegetable)
• Notes - I've made this before and added a little whole grain mustard and lemon juice too...I was inspired by this recipe (but without all of the butter!)

Barley with Shiitakes and Spinach -

• Per Serving - 172 calories, 3.3 g fat (0.9 g saturated), 26.7 g carbohydrate, 6.7 g fiber, 8.6 g protein (exchanges: ½ fat, ½ protein, 1 starch, 2 vegetable)
• Notes - Barley is a whole grain...if you can't find quick cooking barley, just buy what you can find and cook it a little longer (pearl barley is easier to find and is usually on the rice isle or the cereal isle near the oats)

Broccoli With Dijon Vinaigrette -

• Per Serving - 52 calories, 1.7 g fat (0.2 g saturated), 7.6 g carbohydrate, 4.1 g fiber, 4 g protein (exchanges: fat, 1 vegetable)

Brussels Sprouts with Pecans -

• Per Serving - 82 calories, 3 g fat (0.8 g saturated), 12.6 g carbohydrate, 3.9 g fiber, 3.6 g protein (exchanges: ½ fat, 2 vegetable)
• Notes - I love Brussels sprouts and get so excited when they are in season! If you've never had a shredded Brussels sprout dish, you should try this

Carrot Coins with Maple-Balsamic Browned Butter -

• Per Serving - 86 calories, 3.1 g fat (1.8 g saturated), 14.5 g carbohydrate, 3.4 g fiber, 1.1 g protein (exchanges: ½ fat, 2 vegetable)
• Notes - According to Cooking Light, this recipe tastes best when you start with whole carrots...the peeling and slicing should take you less than five minutes

Green Beans and Pan-Roasted Red Onions -

• Per Serving - 66 calories, 2 g fat (0.4 g saturated), 10.8 g carbohydrate, 2.4 g fiber, 2.2 g protein (exchanges: ½ fat, 1 ½ vegetable)
• Notes - The actual recipe says the serving size is 1/2 cup, but I think you should have at least 1 cup...so I doubled the nutrition info above

Quick Eggplant and Tomato Sauté -

• Per Serving - 46 calories, 2.4 g fat (0.3 g saturated), 5.5 g carbohydrate, 2.1 g fiber, 1 g protein (exchanges: ½ fat, 1 vegetable)
• Notes - This would be good over whole wheat pasta!

Lagniappe...


I love the fall because I love cooking with pumpkin. This weekend I made pumpkin walnut muffins (with whole wheat pastry flour) and they are delicious! This isn't the recipe I used, but Ellie's looks just as good! If you make them, freeze most of them (after they are baked) so you don't eat them all at once! You could omit the pumpkin seed topping or substitute walnuts or pecans. Make sure you buy canned pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Perfect for breakfast with a glass of milk!

Per serving - 205 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 32 g carbohydrates, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein (exchanges: 2 starches, 1 fat)

The Good and the Bad...

First the good...LSU won today 41 to 13 - Geaux Tigers!

And now the bad...Hurricane Gustav is heading for us, and I've evacuated from Baton Rouge to Covington to stay with the rest of my family. Three years ago Katrina put a tree through our roof...hopefully things will be better this time around. Keep all of the Gulf Coast in your prayers.

Anyway I figure this was as good a time as any to blog.

I tried to find some "kid-friendly" recipes for those of you with picky eaters...healthy versions of spaghetti and meatballs, mini meatloaf, and a chilaquiles casserole (its kind of like an enchilada casserole).

The recipes are from several sources...Martha Stewart's Everyday Food (my favorite magazine), Eatingwell.com, and FoodNetwork (recipes from Ellie Krieger, a dietitian).

Broccoli, Chickpea, and Tomato Salad -

• Per serving - 131 calories, 5.9 g fat, 15.8 g carbohydrate, 5.5 g protein, 4.9 g fiber (exchanges: ½ protein, 1 fat, ½ starch, 1 ½ vegetable)
• Notes - Make this Sunday night, and have it for a healthy lunch all week; you could have it with some leftover grilled chicken or canned tuna (chunk light…packed in water!) and serve it over lettuce or spinach

Banana-Nutmeg Smoothie -

• Per serving - 120 calories, 1 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 25 g carbohydrate, 4 g protein, 2 g fiber (exchanges: 1 fruit, ¾ milk); I modified the original recipe by only using 2 bananas and using skim milk instead of whole
• Notes - Serve this for a quick breakfast, snack, or dessert; substitute cinnamon for the nutmeg if you like!

Edamame Spread -

• Per serving - 115 calories, 4.1 g fat, 10.4 g carbohydrate, 8.2 g protein, 4.2 g fiber (exchanges: 1 fat, 1 protein, ½ starch)
• Notes - Serve this as a dip for veggies…red bell pepper strips, carrot and celery sticks, radish and cucumber slices; this dip isn’t as “starchy” as other bean dips and would be a good snack (as long as you aren’t dipping with tortilla chips!)

Lemony Sautéed Shrimp with Broccoli and Peas -

• Per serving - 261 calories, 7 g fat (2 g saturated), 21.4 g carbohydrate, 30.4 g protein, 6.6 g fiber (exchanges: 3 ½ protein, 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 ½ fat); I modified the original recipe by only using 2 teaspoons of olive oil in step 1 (instead of 2 tablespoons of butter) and and using 1 tablespoon of butter in step 3
• Notes - Complete the meal and serve with a whole grain (brown rice, quinoa, or whole wheat pasta); this recipe takes a short cut by using frozen shrimp and peas...buying pre-chopped broccoli will make it even easier

Carrot-Cumin Slaw -

• Per serving - 100 calories, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 9 g carbohydrate, 1 g protein, 3 g fiber (exchanges: 1 ½ fat, 1 ½ vegetable); I modified the original recipe by only using 2 tablespoons of canola oil instead of 1/4 cup
• Notes - I love slaw salads…I buy pre-shredded cabbage and carrots in the produce section; this one will go well with Mexican dishes…enchiladas, tacos, fajitas; add shredded chicken or canned black beans (rinsed and drained) and have this as a light lunch

Mixed Leaf Salad -

• Per serving - 48 calories, 3.6 g fat, 3.6 g carbohydrate, 1.2 g protein, 1 g fiber (exchanges: ½ fat, 1 vegetable)
• Notes - Makes 8 small servings (or 4 large); save time and buy 2 bags of mixed lettuce

Chilaquiles Casserole -

• Per serving - 245 calories, 10 g fat (4 g saturated), 31 g carbohydrate, 9 g protein, 6 g fiber (exchanges: 2 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 protein, 2 fat)
• Notes - Complete the meal and serve with “carrot-cumin slaw”; one serving of this casserole provides nearly 25% of the Daily Value for fiber; on the website, some of the readers suggest using less enchilada sauce to keep the casserole from being too runny

Turkey Mini Meatloaves -

• Per serving - 196 calories, 6 g fat (2 g saturated), 18 g carbohydrate, 19 g protein, 3 g fiber (exchanges: ½ starch, ½ vegetable, 1 fat, 2.5 protein)
• Notes - Complete the meal and serve with “mixed-leaf salad” and oven-roasted sweet potato wedges

Turkey Meatballs with Quick And Spicy Tomato Sauce and Whole-Wheat Spaghetti -

• Per serving - 332 calories, 10 g fat (3 g saturated), 39 g carbohydrate, 23 g protein, 8 g fiber (exchanges: 2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1.5 fat, 2.5 protein)

Lagniappe...

Someone sent me an email to let me know which recipes they tried/liked/didn't like (which I really appreciate!)...one of her favorites was Ellie's Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach.

Here is an article and comparison on oatmeal...see if your favorite brand is one of the best. As I mentioned in the last post, I eat oatmeal for breakfast a lot...I add fruit and a few nuts and drink a glass of milk...whole grains and fiber from the fruit/oats and protein from the milk and nuts keep me full all morning! I don't use instant packaged oatmeal because I prefer to be creative and create my own flavor combinations and avoid any additives and artificial ingredients.

Here is a comparison/article on cold breakfast cereals too.

Vegetarian for a Day

One of my go-to websites for recipes is epicurious.com. SELF magazine is one of the publications the website provides recipes from (others include Bon Appetit and Gourmet). All of the recipes in SELF are supposedly health-conscious and provide the nutritional analysis; however, I had a more difficult time finding good, nutritious recipes than I thought I would (some of them looked gross and had poor ratings). There were lots of other recipes that looked yummy, but needed to be "modified" to make more healthful...I end up doing this when I cook all of the time (by switching from butter to oil and using less of it, adding more veggies, cutting back on high fat ingredients, using whole grain products when appropriate, etc).

All of the recipes this week are vegetarian (not vegan though). They all provide (or give a suggestion for) a non-meat form of protein, such as beans, nuts, cheese, eggs, or seafood. It's not a bad idea to have a vegetarian day/dinner/meal at least once a week. It can help keep your saturated fat and cholesterol intake in check (although not the case with the egg and cheese). It also encourages you to eat more beans...something I feel people avoid because they contain "dreaded" carbohydrates. Beans are full of fiber and contain a good source of lean protein. They are also an excellent source of folate, something all women in child-bearing years need to help prevent birth defects. And canned beans are so easy! Just rinse them and they are ready to go. Definitely not something to avoid!

Eating less meat/poultry is also good for the environment!

Anyway...For a treat, I also included a dessert recipe. Of course it is made with fruit, but it looks really good (and served with vanilla frozen yogurt, even better!)

Asian Spinach Salad with Orange and Avocado -

• Per serving - 152 calories, 11 g fat (1.3 g saturated), 14 g carbohydrates, 6.2 g fiber, 2.5 g protein (exchanges: 2 fats, 2 vegetables)
• Notes - Complete the meal with some lean protein...salmon, tuna, shrimp...your choice; buy fresh ginger and keep what you don’t use in the freezer; save small glass jars to use when making salad dressings...put all of the ingredients in the jar, put the lid on, and shake; you could substitute canned mandarin oranges in packed in juice or light syrup

Eggplant Cannelloni -

• Per serving - 259 calories, 10.7 g fat (4.7 g saturated), 32 g carbohydrates, 10.8 g fiber, 10.5 g protein (exchanges: 2 fats, 1.5 protein, 4.5 vegetables)
• Notes - Complete the meal with roasted asparagus and a side salad; jars of red peppers are usually by the pickles/olives/etc; notice the number of servings (4)...you will probably get to eat more than one roll!; you could substitute store bought tomato sauce instead of making the roasted red pepper sauce, but make sure you choose a brand that has little/no added sugar and only “expected” ingredients...see my previous post on pasta sauce for more info

Black-bean and Tomato Quinoa -

• Per serving - 361 calories, 9.4 g fat (0.9 g saturated), 55 g carbohydrate, 10 g fiber, 14 g protein (exchanges: 2 fats, 1 protein, 1 vegetable, 3 starches); I modified this recipe from the original by replacing the 2 T butter and 1 T vegetable oil with only 2 T olive oil
• Notes - Quinoa is a fast-cooking, protein-packed, whole grain...could it get any better??? you can find it in Whole Foods Market (by the bulk grains and bagged/boxed rice)...in other grocery stores look for it in the natural/health food isle...you should always rise the quinoa first to remove the natural bitter residue; complete the meal by doubling the dressing and using the other 1/2 over a side salad

Roasted Shrimp and Mushrooms with Ginger and Green Onions -

• Per serving - 179 calories, 11.2 g fat (2 g saturated), 7 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 10 g protein (exchanges: 2 fats, 1.5 protein, 1 vegetable); I modified this recipe for the original by replacing the 1/4 cup canola oil with 4 teaspoons...this saves you 156 calories and 18 grams of fat per serving!
• Notes - Complete the meal by roast asparagus alongside and serving with brown rice...toss the trimmed asparagus spears with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and place on a separate rimmed baking sheet; although I haven’t tried this, you may be able to use peeled shrimp with similar results...you may need to reduce the cooking time to prevent the shrimp from becoming tough; the recipe calls for oyster mushrooms, but you could use any other variety you like

Veggie Cassoulet -

• Per serving - 382 calories, 7.8 g fat (1 g saturated), 66 g carbohydrates, 15.5 g fiber, 19.6 g protein (exchanges: 1.5 fats, 2 protein, 3 vegetables, 2 starches)
• Notes - A cassoulet is a rich, slow-cooked bean stew or casserole originating in the southwest of France, containing meat...this vegetarian version is packed full of fiber

Spinach and Sun-dried Tomato Frittata -

• Per serving - 289 calories, 13.4 g fat (5.2 g saturated), 27.7 g carbohydrates, 4.3 g fiber, 17.5 g protein (exchanges: 2.5 fats, 2 protein, 1 starch, 1 vegetable)
• Notes - Breakfast for dinner is always fun...you have more time to spend preparing dishes that take too long in the morning; you can substitute any vegetables that you have in the fridge; if you don’t have small baking dishes you could use a pie plate or an oven-proof 6-inch skillet...the cooking time may be a little longer

Poached Rum Raisin Pears -

• Per serving - 161 calories, 2 g fat (1 g saturated), 35 g carbohydrates, 7 g fiber, 1 g protein (exchanges: 1 fat, 2 fruit)
• Notes - It may be good to add a cinnamon stick (or some ground cinnamon) too; depending on how much alcohol actually cooks out will determine the number of calories and servings of fat...if all of the alcohol cooked out (which it doesn’t, but most will) there would be 143 calories and you would count 0.5 fats...i’ll assume at least two-thirds of it evaporates...that’s how I determined the “per serving” analysis

FYI...Buying juice is getting tricky these days...all sort of new "things" added to help with some health condition (omega-3's, antioxidants, etc.). Here is an article about new juice products and whether or not they are worth the extra money.

Meet Biscotti

My sister (and roommate now that I'm back in Louisiana) is living in NYC this summer doing a fashion internship with Mint. I decided that I needed a temporary roommate...meet Biscotti, aka Scotti, my new kitty (that's Frances, one of my little "sisters", holding the kitty).






He is so cute and very playful! I am enjoying his company (and so is Frances...Scotti has spent quite a bit of time in her baby carriage!).

All of the recipes are from a new cookbook that I bought earlier this year and love. "The Food You Crave" is the title and it's written by Ellie Krieger. As I've mentioned before, she is a dietitian/chef for the Food Network. All of her recipes on the Food Network website have the nutrition information posted. Go to the website and search for "ellie" (which I've done here) and it will show you all of her recipes. You can order the book on Amazon (if you buy it used its only about $16).

Of the following recipes, I've made and love the Thai Beef Salad. If you do nothing else, make the dressing...it is so good!

I've also been told by other TWL participants that the Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach, the Portobello Lasagna Rollups, and the Broccoli with Toasted Garlic are delish.

When I first sent these recipes for TWL it was Super Bowl time, so I included 2 dip recipes and one for chili (being "triple bean" its very high in fiber - 9 grams, 36% of your Daily Value). The Baba Ghanoush is a great dip...starch free and so good (its made with eggplant which when roasted gets really creamy).

Grilled Thai Beef Salad -

• Per serving - 345 calories, 18.5 g fat (4.5 g saturated), 12 g carbohydrates, 33 g protein, 1 g fiber (exchanges: 3.5 fat, 2 vegetables, 4 protein)
• Notes - I buy fresh ginger, cut off what I need, and store the rest in the freezer in a Ziploc bag…it will keep forever; you could (and should) add more veggies to this salad…shredded carrots, diced red bell pepper, snow peas...

Three Bean and Beef Chili -

• Per serving - 295 calories, 8 g fat (2.5 g saturated), 35 g carbohydrates, 22 g protein, 10 g fiber (exchanges: 1.5 fat, 1 vegetable, 2 protein, 2 starch)
• Notes - Chipotles are dried, smoked jalapenos and you can find them canned in adobo sauce (which is made from dried chiles, herbs, and vinegar) on the Mexican food isle...they are optional and I don't really like them and would probably leave them out; chop left-over chipotles and freeze them in small Ziploc bags with about 2 tablespoons in each bag

Balsamic Chicken with Baby Spinach -

• Per serving - 353 calories, 6 g fat (0.9 g saturated), 42 g carbohydrates, 34 g protein, 8 g fiber (exchanges: 1 fat, 2 vegetable, 1.5 starch, 4 protein)
• Notes - This recipe is great for a FAST week night dinner...less than 15 minutes! Look for whole wheat couscous by the rice that comes in clear plastic containers or by the boxed rice mixes (click here for some pictures/brands)

Fish Tacos with Chipotle Cream -

• Per serving (2 tacos) - 420 calories, 17 g fat (2 g saturated),41 g carbohydrates, 28 g protein, 5 g fiber (exchanges: 3.5 fat, 2 starch, 3 protein)
• Notes - Buy pre-shredded, bagged cabbage to save time and if you don’t want to make the chipotle cream, substitute store bought salsa

Portobello Lasagna Rollups -

• Per serving (one roll...not 2 like the link recommends) - 229 calories, 9 g fat (3.2 g saturated),28 g carbohydrates, 13 g protein, 6 g fiber (exchanges: 2 fat, 1 vegetable, 1 starch, 1 protein)
• Notes - Complete the meal and serve with Broccoli with Toasted Garlic (see recipe below)

Pork Au Poivre -

• Per serving - 235 calories, 10 g fat (3 g saturated), 2 g carbohydrates, 30 g protein, 0 g fiber (exchanges: 2 fat, 4 protein)
• Notes - Don’t overcook the pork…it easily will become tough and dry if you do; complete the meal and serve with a baked potato and steamed green beans; just so you know, poivre, pronounced PWAHV-r, is French for pepper

Broccoli with Toasted Garlic -

• Per serving - 73 calories, 4 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 8 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 3 g fiber
  (exchanges: 1 fat, 1.5 vegetable)

Babaganoush -

• Per serving (1/3 cup) - 75 calories, 4 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 9 g carbohydrates, 2.5 g protein, 4 g fiber (exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 fat)
• Notes - Tahini is ground sesame seed paste common in Middle Eastern cooking and can be found on the ethnic foods isle in most grocery stores...you could substitute olive oil or unsweetened peanut butter in a pinch; serve with vegetables sticks/slices (red bell pepper, celery, cucumber), baked tortilla chips, or whole wheat pita bread

Five Layer Mexican Dip -

• Per serving (1/2 cup) - 140 calories, 8 g fat (2 g saturated), 15 g carbohydrates, 5 g protein, 5 g fiber (exchanges: 1 starch, 1.5 fat, 0.5 protein)
• Notes - The jalapeno and chipotle are optional; each serving has 5 grams of fiber!

Here are some interesting links:

Whole Grains - why you need them, where to get them, and how not to be fooled when shopping

Oatmeal - if you are inspired after reading the previous article, this is a new oatmeal to try...a little less processed than most Quaker instant varieties

Have a great week!