Two-Cheese Vegetable Lasagna

• 1 sprays cooking spray
• 1/2 cup onion(s), diced
• 2 cup button mushrooms, or cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
• 16 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and well-drained
• 15 oz fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1 cup shredded fat-free mozzarella cheese
• 1 large egg white(s)
• 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
• 14 oz canned tomato sauce
• 14 oz canned diced tomatoes, with basil, garlic and oregano
• 8 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, lasagna noodles (9 noodles)
• 2 Tbsp SoyaKaas Grated Parmesan Style Soy Cheese, or similar product
  

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set pan over medium-high heat. Add onion, mushrooms and garlic; sauté until mushroom liquid cooks off, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add spinach; cook until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes more. Remove skillet from heat and transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add ricotta, mozzarella, egg white and nutmeg; mix well to combine.

Mix together tomato sauce and diced tomatoes in another bowl. Spoon 3/4 cup of tomato mixture into bottom of an 11 X 7-inch baking dish. Top with 3 uncooked lasagna noodles. Top with 3/4 cup more of tomato mixture and 1/2 of cheese mixture; spread cheese mixture to make an even layer. Top with 3 more noodles and press noodles slightly into cheese mixture. Top noodles with 3/4 cup more of tomato mixture and remaining cheese mixture. Top with remaining 3 noodles, pressing noodles slightly into cheese mixture. Top with remaining tomato mixture. Sprinkle with grated cheese topping.

Bake until lasagna filling is bubbly and top is golden, about 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 6 pieces.

Yield - 6 servings, 5 points each

New Recipes for July 14th Week

I've got ingredients from two weeks ago left on a couple of recipes, and I'm trying some completely new things I've never done before, plus one old favorite.

Remaining Ingredients:

• Teriyaki Turkey Burgers
• Ham Steak with Nectarine Salsa

Totally New Recipes:

• Grilled Tandoori Chicken with Couscous
• Summer Vegetable Curry
• Vegetable Lasagne

Old Fave:

• Jalapeno Chicken

Recipes to follow!!

Tuna with Jalapeno Cream

I'm so bummed, I missed my exercise class today because I got pulled into a baby shower for one of my co-workers. I did manage to avoid both pizza and cake at the shower, though, and stick to the food I'd brought with me. I'm way under points for the day, but no exercise. I think this week is likely to be a tossup on weight loss, I may have lost a little.

Anyway, here's my current favorite tuna steak recipe. I love this one because it is insanely fast to make.

• 1/2c reduced fat sour cream
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeds removed, and finely chopped
• 1TB fresh lime juice
• 1/4 c fresh chopped cilantro
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1TB chili powder
• 4x 6oz tuna steaks
• Cooking spray

1) Combine first 5 ingredients, set aside.

2) Rub chili powder and salt into fish, coat with cooking spray

3) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add fish. Cook three minutes on each side, so that tuna is still pink in the middle. Serve topped with sour cream mixture.

Yield: 4 servings, 1 steak & 2TB sour cream each

5 points, 242 cal, 5.7g fat, .5g fiber

Rigatoni Bolognese

This is one of my absolute current favorite recipes. I love to make this and keep the leftovers for lunches. It's extremely filling and not a ton of points. Yum.

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, finely chopped (I usually buy a small bag of matchstick carrots from the store)
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 lb ground lean beef
• 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1/4c finely chopped flat leaf parsley
• 1/4c dry red wine or beef broth
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 cups rigatoni
• 1/4c parmesan cheese

1) Cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a bowl, keep warm.

2) To make the sauce, heat the oil in a large nonstick pan on medium high heat. Add the onion, cook until transparent, then add the celery, carrot, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender.

3) Add the beef and cook until browned. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, wine/broth, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until bubbly, then reduce heat and cook for an additioal half hour, until sauce thickens up and most liquid is gone.

4) Toss pasta and sauce together in a large bowl. Serve with cheese on top.

Yield: 4 servings (1.5c pasta, 1TB cheese each), 6 points

Beef Satay with Peanut Dipping Sauce

• 3.5 oz bag boil-in-bag long grain rice
• 1lb flank steak, trimmed
• 2TB hoisin sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Cooking spray
• 2TB chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 TB light coconut milk
• 1Tb low sodium soy sauce
• 1.5 TB creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp fresh lime juice
• 1/2 tsp red curry paste

1) Preheat broiler.

2) Cook rice according to package directions. Drain, cover and keep warm.

3) Cut steak diagonally across the grain, into 1/4 in slices. Combine steak and hoisin in a bowl, toss to coat. Thread steak onto 8 skewers, after soaking skewers in water. Sprinkle evenly with salt. Place skewers on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 3 min on each side, sprinkle skewers with cilantro.

4) Combine coconut milk with remaining ingredients in a bowl, stirring until smooth. Serve with skewers and rice.

Yield: 4 servings, 2 skewers each, 1/2 c rice, 1TB peanut sauce

7 points

Grilled Ham Steak with Nectarine Salsa

• 1lb extra lean ham steak
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• Cooking spray
• 3 medium nectarines, diced
• 2 TB red onion, diced
• 2TB fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 TB fresh lime juice
• 1/2 small jalapeno pepper, fresh, minced (do not touch seeds with bare hands)
• 1 tsp Splenda or other no-cal sweetener

1) Preheat grill or broiler. Sprinkle ham with chili powder and cinnamon. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Grill, turning once, until charred and hot, about 3-5 min. Remove to platter, keep warm.

2) Toss nectarines, diced onion, cilantro, lime juice, jalapeno and splenda together in a medium bowl. Serve on top of ham.

4 servings, 1/4 of ham steak and 1/3 c of salsa each, 4 points

Teriyaki Turkey Burgers

• 1.25 lb lean ground turkey
• 1TB ginger root, finely chopped
• 1TB minced garlic
• 1tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 c teriyaki sauce
• 1/4 c scallions, chopped
• 2TB cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 large egg white
• cooking spray
• 8 medium scallions, root ends trimmed
• 4 reduced calorie hamburger rolls

1) Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium high, cover to maintain heat.

2) In a large bowl, combine turkey, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, teriyaki sauce, chopped scallions, cilantro and egg white. Mix thoroughly with your hands. Divide into 4 portions, form into patties. Coat with Cooking Spray on both sides.

3) Place burgers on grill and cook, flipping once, until fully cooked, abt 5-7 min per side. A few minutes before the burgers are done, place the whole scallions on the grill and cook, turning once until bright green and charred, abt 2 min.

4) Remove burgers & scallions to a plate, lightly toast rolls on grill. Serve burgers on a roll, topped with 2 scallions.

Yield, 4 servings, 6 points each

This Week's Menus

Hey there,
I gained 3lbs last week, with my son's 5th birthday party, lack of exercise, and generally cheating on my weight loss plan. So, this week, I have to get on the stick with cooking - that always helps me eat a bit better. I've also been exercising like a madwoman this weekend - I did a 5-mi run/walk with my son this morning. It's too sweet to see him trying to keep up with me - it makes me feel like I'm actually setting a decent example. Anyway, as usual, I chose some dishes to cook this week - this is what's on my menu for this week:

• Sausage, potato, and onion skillet dinner
• Penne with Asparagus, Spinach and Bacon
• Peel & Eat Shrimp with cocktail sauce
• Turkey Patty Melts
• Baked turkey & jack cheese chimichangas

Recipes.....................

Sausage, Potato and Onion Skillet Dinner:

• Cooking Spray
• 14-oz Light smoked sausage, like Healthy Choice, sliced
• 1 sweet onion, cut in half and sliced
• 20-oz package pre-sliced red potato wedges, like Simply Potatoes
• 1c fat free chicken broth
• 1/2 c. light beer or Sprite

1) Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sausage, and cook, stirring often, until sausage is nicely browned. Take sausage out of pan, set aside for later.

2) Re-coat pan with cooking spray, Add onion and potato. Cook until brown, about 10 min. Add sausage back to pan, add broth and beer. Cook until liquid is almost completely absorbed, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 5 servings, 1c each, 4 points (199 cal, 3.6g fat, 3g fiber)

Penne With Asparagus, Spinach and Bacon

• 8 oz uncooked penne pasta (I've been loving Dreamfield's pasta lately - same nutritionals as wheat pasta but tastes better)
• 2 bacon slices
• 1/2 c chopped sweet onion
• 1lb asparagus, sliced into 1-in pieces
• 1.5 c fat free chicken broth
• 4c bagged baby spinach
• 1/2 c (2oz) shredded parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

1) Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, keep warm.

2) Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet, until crisp. Remove from pan, crumble. Add onion to drippings in pan, saute one minute. Add asparagus and broth to pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add Pasta, spinach, half of cheese, and pepper. Toss well. Sprinkle with remaining cheese and crumbled bacon.

Yield: 4 servings (1.5c pasta, 1TB cheese)

7 pts (363 cal, 10 g fat, 4.6g fiber)

Getting tired now, will write the rest of these recipes in tomorrow night. Man, my legs are sore from that run today. It was hot, and a longer distance than I'm used to.