Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Tuna Caserole

Growing up, my Mom used to make tuna caserole all the time. Now I know why...it's so easy! It's a fast healthy way to make a complete one dish meal, veggies included!

3 cups Whole grain spiral pasta, or egg noodles
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
1 or 2 cans of tuna
3/4 cup grated cheese (I used a mix of mozzerella, cheddar and gouda)
1/2 cup sliced olives
1/4 cup nutritional yeast (optional)
1 cup frozen peas or any veggie you have on hand (spinach, cauliflour, broccoli, or grated carrots are all good options)
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup wheat germ

Heat oven to 350
Boil pasta till al dente, and drain.
While pasta is cooking, mix all the ingredients (except the wheat germ) in a large bowl and set aside.
Add cooked pasta to the sauce and mix until the noodles are fully coated.
Transfer mixture to a glass casserole dish and top with wheat germ.
Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Enjoy!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Vegetarian Bolognese


I asked Owen what he wanted for dinner and he replied "pasta" as a fairly frequent response. I remembered that I recently came accross a recipe for a vegetarian bolognese sauce that I wanted to try, so pasta it was! This meal was packed with fiber, veggies, potassium and protein. It tasted like it was from a restaurant. So Yummy!!! I even had seconds, and I rarely do. I will be soon doubling the recipe next time so I can freeze it for a quick easy dinner after baby #2 arrives!
Though you can use any noodle you prefer, I used whole wheat angel hair pasta. You can make this meal gluten free by using GF pasta. There is one I recently tried made from quinoa and it's even better than standard pasta I think!

Bean Bolognese
Recipe by Eating Well Magazine

1 14-ounce can salad beans, or other beans (I just used canelli), rinsed, divided
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup white wine
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided
8 ounces whole-wheat fettuccine
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation
1.Put a large pot of water on to boil. Mash 1/2 cup beans in a small bowl with a fork.
2. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
Add onion, carrot, celery and salt; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add garlic and bay leaf; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 15 seconds.
Add wine; increase heat to high and boil until most of the liquid evaporates, 3 to 4 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices, 2 tablespoons parsley and the mashed beans.
Bring to a lively simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 6 minutes.
Add the remaining whole beans; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes more.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta in the boiling water until just tender, about 9 minutes or according to package directions. Drain.
4. Divide the pasta among 4 bowls. Discard the bay leaf and top the pasta with the sauce; sprinkle with Parmesan and the remaining parsley.

Southwest Corn Muffins

I hope Catherine McCord from www.weelicious.com is flattered and not annoyed that I always post her recipes, but I use them a lot and they are so good! I want to put them on my blog so I remember my favorites and can share with friends what we have tried, tested and approved!

Muffins are so easy to make and even easier to grab for a snack on the go. I made a few adjustments to this recipe to include a little less fat (cheese) and more protein, (black beans) but still plenty of flavor. They are super moist, slightly salty and delicious!

Southwest Corn Muffins
Recipe adapted by www.weelicious.com
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/4 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 Egg
5 Tbsp Butter, melted and cooled
2 Tbsp honey or agave nectar
3/4 Cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
1/2 Cup Frozen Corn Kernels, thawed (I used frozen roasted corn kernels)
1/4 Cup Black Beans, drained and rinsed.
2 oz Diced Pimentos or mild green chilies, drained (about 2 tbsp)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Sift the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk and egg and whisk to combine.
4. Add the butter and agave to the buttermilk and egg mixture and whisk thoroughly.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients incorporating a little at a time until thoroughly combined (make sure not to over-mix the batter).
6. Stir in the cheddar cheese, corn kernels, beans and pimentos or chilies.
7. Pour into greased or lined muffin cups and bake for 20 minutes.
8. Cool on a rack and serve. Owen couldn't wait to get his hot little hands on these as soon as they came out of the oven!


Thursday, April 15, 2010

Garbanzo Burgers

Once again, it was 5:30 and I had no idea what I was going to make for dinner for Owen and I tonight. I went to my trusty www.weelicious.com site and made these awesome garbanzo burgers in no time. We were out of avocados, so I served it along steamed beets, sauteed beet greens, and topped our burgers with diced cucumbers in plain yogurt and lemon. Delicious, and Owen ate every bite! I made them a few months ago and really liked it, but never got around to posting the recipe. They were good enough to repeat, so here it is!

Garbanzo Burgers
Recipe from, www.Weelicious.com
1 15 Oz. Can Garbanzo Beans, drained and rinsed
1 Small Carrot, chopped
1 Garlic Clove
1 Small Onion, chopped
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Salt
1/3 Cup Bread Crumbs (I used whole grain)
2 Tsp Sesame Seeds
1 Tbsp Oil
*You can place these on buns, although I didn't this time.

1. Place the first 6 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined.
2. Place garbanzo bean mixture in a bowl and combine with remaining ingredients.
3. Place 1/4 cup of mixture in your hands and form into patties (I used an ice cream scooper to portion the patties-mixture will be moist).
4. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.
5. Cook the patties for 5 minutes.
6. Turn the patties, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes.
7. Serve.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Spinach-Dill Pie

Lets start off with saying that Adam isn't the largest spinach fan in the world. He will eat it if it is in front of him, but he would hardly choose it if he had a choice. I, on the other hand, Love it and always have. It's one of my favorite ingredients for a quiche as well. We went to farmers market this morning and got tons of veggies for the week. Dill, parsley and fresh eggs were at the top of my list so I could make this dish for dinner tonight. I served this along with roasted rosemary new potatoes, and a salad. By the end of our meal, I counted that we had over 9 different veggies in just one meal! (I usually make a pretty colorful salad with the works).

I used two overlapping whole wheat tortillas in the bottom of my pie dish for the crust, instead of the called for phyllo dough. This saved on fat, calories, time, and it tasted great. I am planning on doing this more often for my quiches that require a crust. It was easy to put together, super flavorful and delicious! Adam had two helpings if that gives you a sense of how tasty this turned out : )
Picture taken from Martha Stewart's Living. (My picture could not compete!)
Spinach-Dill Pie
Recipe Adapted by Martha Stewart's Living, April 2001

10 ounces spinach, well washed, tough stems removed (I used frozen, thawed and drained)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 onion, diced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup low-fat ricotta cheese
2 large whole eggs
2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 2 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 whole wheat tortillas (*to make this gluten free, try replacing with corn tortillas, a gluten free pie crust, or omit the crust completely).

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Roughly chop spinach leaves; set aside. Heat butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Add spinach; cook until wilted and bright green, about 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a colander to cool and drain. When mixture is cool enough to handle, press lightly with paper towels to remove excess moisture; set aside to cool.

2. In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, eggs and egg whites, parsley, dill, Parmesan, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir in cooled spinach mixture; set aside.

3. Place the tortillas in the bottom of a pie dish so they are overlapping and you have a 'crust' around the edges.

4. Spoon filling into the dish, spreading it evenly. Bake until golden brown and filling is set, about 1 hour. Cool for at least 15 minutes before cutting into wedges.