Week 31: Recipe #4--Lasagna Roll Ups

I found these on Pinterest, and they are from a blog called Life as a Lofthouse (see link below).  They were really good, and much easier to make than regular lasagna.  Plus, I love the portion control!  The recipe calls for 1/2 lb. ground beef, but I left that out and went meatless.  They were still very tasty.  I served these with a Caesar salad and applesauce.  Makes 9 roll ups.

Photo from Life as a Lofthouse

You'll Need:

• 1/3 c. grated parmesan cheese
• 1 (15 oz.) container ricotta cheese
• 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (I was out of this and instead used monterey jack...surprisingly, no one could tell the difference!)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried parsley
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 (24 oz.) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 lb. lean ground beef (I left this out)
• 9 lasagna noodles
• 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (again I used monterey jack)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix together the first seven ingredients (parmesan cheese to garlic powder) in a large bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge while preparing noodles and sauce.
2. In a large pot of water, boil lasagna noodles according to package directions.  Drain water, and gently lay out noodles onto wax paper.  (Don't let noodles touch because they might stick together.)
3. Meanwhile, cook hamburger meat in a large skillet until brown.  Drain grease.  Pour in spaghetti sauce and cook until mixture is thoroughly heated, 5-10 minutes.  (Because I left out the meat, I was able to skip this part, cutting down the cooking time significantly.)  Pour 1/3 of the meat sauce in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Set aside.  
4. Get the cheese mixture from the fridge.  Spread 1/4 cup of cheese mixture onto one lasagna noodle.  (Eyeball this so that you have enough mixture for all 9 noodles.)  Roll up and place seam side down into the baking dish.  Repeat with remaining noodles.
5. Pour remaining meat sauce over all the roll ups and then sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.  Serve immediately.

Recipe and link:  http://life-as-a-lofthouse.blogspot.com/2011/12/lasagna-roll-ups.html

Week 31: Recipe #3--Healthy Mexican Sweet Potato Skins

This recipe was made by mistake.  I had actually intended to make another similar recipe, started it, and left the finishing instructions for my husband.  When I came home, he had made these.  They were on the docket to try later and he thought they were the same thing.  The only thing we didn't have was the chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, so I'd add those next time.  These were pretty tasty though, and filling as well.  They are from a site called Pinch of Yum (see link below).  I served these with a green salad.  Makes 6 servings.

Photo from pinchofyum.com

You'll Need:

• 3 med. sweet potatoes
• 1 can corn, rinsed and patted dry
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 Tblsp. butter
• 1/2 yellow onion, chopped (We used 1/2 a red onion instead)
• 2-4 canned chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, minced or pureed (Didn't have these, so we left them out)
• 1 oz. light cream cheese
• 1/4 c. light sour cream
• 1 tsp. salt (+ more to taste)
• 1/2 c. cilantro, roughly chopped
• 6 Tblsp. shredded cheese (pepperjack, cheddar, colby jack...anything will work--we used cheddar)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes.
2. While sweet potatoes are baking, place corn in a heavy cast-iron skillet over med-high heat with no butter or oil.  Sprinkle with salt and other Mexican seasoning (as much as you want).  Do not stir!  Let corn roast for several minutes before stirring.  Let it roast for a few more minutes before stirring again.  Continue this for about 10 minutes, until corn is browned and roasted on the outside.  Set aside in a small bowl with the black beans.
3. Saute the onion in butter over medium heat until soft and translucent.  Set aside.
4. Remove sweet potatoes from the oven when fork-tender.  Let cool for 5-10 minutes.  Cut the sweet potatoes in half.  Scrape the flesh of the sweet potatoes out, leaving the skins intact.  Sometimes leaving a thin layer of potato inside of the skins helps them hold together better.
5. Mix the flesh of the potatoes with the cream cheese, sour cream, chipotle peppers, and salt.  You can use a mixer or just a spoon, depending on how soft the potatoes are.  When well-mixed, gently stir in the black beans, roasted corn, sauteed onions, and cilantro.
6. Scoop the filling into the skins and top each with 1 tablespoon shredded cheese.  Broil for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Recipe and link:  http://pinchofyum.com/healthy-mexican-sweet-potato-skins?utm_campaign=Feed%3A+pinch-of-yum+%28Pinch+of+Yum%29&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner&utm_content=Google+Reader

Week 31: Recipe #2--P.F. Chang's Lettuce Wraps--Remade!

These were SO GOOD!  I am so glad I tried this recipe.  It is one of my favorites posted on this blog by far.  We all loved them, even my picky eater.  Plus, they're pretty good for you!  I had 3 wraps for only 8 WW+ points!  The only thing I left out, and not by choice, were the green onions.  When I took them out of the fridge, they didn't look so good, but I definitely will use some next time.  I found these on Pinterest, and they're from a site called Iowa Girl Eats (see link below).  I served these with a variety of fresh fruits.  The recipe says it makes 2-3 servings, but we still had some leftovers in our family of 4 (granted two of the four are littles, but still).

Photo from Iowa Girl Eats

You'll Need:

• 1 lb. ground chicken breast
• 1/2 med. onion, minced
• salt and pepper, a dash of each
• 2 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch nob fresh ginger, peeled and minced (Although we had fresh ginger, I took the easy route and just used chopped ginger from the bottle--still great!)
• 1 Tblsp. sesame oil
• 2 1/2 Tblsp. soy sauce
• 1/2 Tblsp. water
• 1 Tblsp. natural peanut butter (I used what we had--Jif creamy)
• 1/2 Tblsp. honey
• 1 Tblsp. + 1 tsp. rice vinegar (I used rice cooking wine instead)
• 2 tsp. chili garlic sauce, or more if you like it hotter (This was just the right amount of kick for the girls; any more would've been too spicy for them)
• dash of fresh pepper
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1/2 8 oz. can sliced water chestnuts, drained and chopped (I read this as two 8 oz. cans, and that's what I used.....tasted great!)
• 1/4 c. peanuts, chopped
• 10-12 large outer lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Preparation:

1. Heat a large nonstick skillet on high.  Add chicken, onion, salt, and pepper, and cook until chicken is nearly done, stirring often to break up the meat.  Add in minced garlic and ginger, and continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink.
2. Meanwhile, in a microwave-safe bowl, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, honey, rice vinegar, chili garlic sauce, and pepper.  Microwave for 20 seconds, then stir until smooth.  Add into the skillet and stir to combine.
3. Add green onion and water chestnuts into the skillet then cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and the water chestnuts are heated through.
4. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, and serve with cold lettuce leaves.

Recipe and link:  http://iowagirleats.com/2011/04/26/p-f-changs-lettuce-wraps-remade/

Week 31: Recipe #1--Spinach, Bacon, & Egg Quiche Cups

My girls LOVE quiches, actually eggs in general, so these were an instant hit.  They both ate their entire "cupcake" and asked for seconds.  I found these on Pinterest.  They are from a site called Sugar-Free Mom (see link below).  My husband and I liked them too, although we topped them off with a little hot sauce for more flavor.  These cupcakes are 3 WW+ points each.  I'll definitely be making these again!  I served these as "Breakfast for Dinner" with hashbrowns and fresh fruit.  Makes 12 cupcakes.

Photo from www.sugarfreemom.com

You'll Need:

• 10 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. milk, 1%
• 1/2 c. low fat shredded cheese
• 6 slices turkey bacon, chopped (The bacon is optional, without it they are 2 WW+ points each)
• 2 c. chopped spinach, fresh or frozen (I used frozen)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. If using bacon cook in a saute pan until crisp.
3. Add spinach to bacon and heat on low to warm through.
4. Spray a 12 cup capacity muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.
5. Whisk egg, salt, and milk together in a bowl.
6. Evenly distribute bacon and spinach into each muffin cup.
7. Evenly add cheese to each muffin cup.
8. Pour egg mixture into each muffin cup about 3/4 of the way.
9. Bake for 25 minutes.

Recipe and link:  http://www.sugarfreemom.com/recipes/mini-spinach-bacon-egg-quiches/

Week 30: Recipe #5--Crockpot Pasta and Cheese Delight

I found this recipe on about.com (see link below).  It was really easy to throw together, and not a lot of cleanup, which is always a plus in my book.  I'm not sure what to think about the taste.  I didn't NOT like it, but the Alfredo with the cream of mushroom soup AND the tuna?  Weird.  Not bad--just weird.  The girls both loved it, so it's worth making again for them.  I served this with a green salad and fruit.  Makes 4 servings.

You'll Need:

• 1 jar Alfredo sauce
• 1 can Healthy Request cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can (7 oz) white tuna or chicken, drained, or use leftover cooked chicken or meat
• 1/4 tsp. curry powder
• 1 to 1 1/2 c. frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 1/2 c. shredded swiss cheese (I used shredded cheddar--not a fan of swiss)
• 4 c. cooked pasta (macaroni, bow ties, shells)

Preparation:

1. Combine first 5 ingredients; cover and cook for 4 to 5 hours on low.  Add cheese to the mixture during the last hour.  
2. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and add to slow cooker.  

Recipe and link:  http://southernfood.about.com/od/crockpotchicken/r/bl118c10.htm

Week 30: Recipe #4--Cranberry Turkey in a Slow Cooker

With all of the cold weather we've been having lately, this recipe was the perfect one to come home to...smelled so good, and reminded me of Thanksgiving.  The sauce was REALLY tasty; we all loved it.  I found this recipe on a site called Slow and Simple (see link below), and it was exactly that.  The only thing that I'd do differently next time is make sure that my husband buys a turkey breast, not tenderloins.  We cooked them for the same time given for the breast, and they were a bit dry.  Still tasty, though!  One review said to use skinned turkey legs, they absorbed the flavor better.  Might try that as well.  I served these with mashed potatoes and green peas.  Servings vary based on the size of the turkey breast.

Photo from www.slowandsimple.com

You'll Need:

• 1 turkey breast, thawed in refrigerator
• 1 envelope Lipton onion soup mix
• 1 can cranberry sauce

Preparation:

1. Place turkey in the crockpot.  Mix together cranberry sauce and soup mix and pour over turkey.
2. Cook on high for 2 hours, then on low for 6 to 7 hours.

Recipe and link:  http://www.slowandsimple.com/Cranberry_Turkey_in_a_Slow_Cooker-r-482.html

Week 30: Recipe #3--Chicken Pot Pie Bundles

These were yummy!  We all liked them (minus the peas, for my oldest).  I found these on a site called Meal Makeover Moms (see link below).  They makeover recipes so that they are a bit healthier.  Two of these bundles are 9 WW + points, and they were pretty filling with a green salad and some fruit.  I followed the recipe exactly, and it was pretty quick and easy to make.  Makes 6 servings.

Photo from mealmakeovermoms.com

You'll Need:

• 1 1/2 Tblsp. canola oil, divided
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-in. cubes (about a cup)
• 1/2 small onion, cut into 1/4-in. cubes (about 1/2 a cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-in. cubes
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon or 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon (I used dried)
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• pinch of black pepper
• 1 c. all-natural chicken broth
• 4 tsp. cornstarch
• 3/4 c. frozen petite peas, thawed
• 3/4 c. frozen corn kernels, thawed (I didn't thaw the peas or corn ahead of time, and they turned out fine anyway)
• 2 Tblsp. grated parmesan cheese
• 12 egg roll wraps (NOT the smaller wonton wrappers)

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the carrot and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, and cook 1 minute more.
2. Stir in the chicken, tarragon, salt, and pepper.  Cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
3. Place the broth and cornstarch in a bowl and whisk until well combined.  Add to the skillet along with the peas and corn, and bring the liquid to a simmer, stirring constantly.  Continue to simmer and stir gently until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
4. To prepare the bundles, use a muffin pan with 12 medium-sized cups (do not coat with nonstick cooking spray).  Gently place 1 egg roll wrap into each cup, letting it extend over the sides.
5. Place a generous 1/4 cup of the chicken mixture into each wrap, and sprinkle the cheese on top.  Fold the corners up and over the top of the filling and press to seal the edges (it doesn't have to be perfect!).  Brush the remaining oil on top of each bundle.
6. Bake until golden and crisp, 12 to 15 minutes.  Cool slightly before eating.

Recipe and link:  http://mealmakeovermoms.com/recipes/comfort-food/chicken-pot-pie-bundles/