Low-Fat Vegetable Lasagna

Yum Yum Yum!

*use whole-wheat pasta to make this healthy recipe even healthier, if you're like my husband and have to have meat, use low fat ground turkey*
Low-Fat Vegetable Lasagna

Ingredients

• 9 lasagna noodles, uncooked
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced thin (optional)
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 tablespoon salt
• 1 (10 oz.) package frozen spinach, thawed, drained thoroughly
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 2 cups meatless tomato sauce
• 15 ounces low-fat ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain and cover with cool water until ready to use.
While pasta is cooking, combine onions and oil in a skillet over medium heat until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook about 1 minute. Spoon out half the onions and reserve for later. Add the mushrooms (if using) to the onions in the skillet. Cook, stirring over medium heat, until the mushrooms are tender and slightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add the parsley and a pinch of salt; transfer to a bowl.
Add the reserved cooked onion and the spinach to the skillet. Cover and cook over medium heat until the spinach is wilted, about 3 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium heat to evaporate any excess moisture, about 1 minute. Season with a pinch of salt.
Heat oven to 350° F. Drain the lasagna and pat dry with paper towels. Mix the oregano and basil with the tomato sauce. Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 3-inch pan. Arrange 3 lasagna pieces, slightly overlapping, in the pan. Spoon the spinach mixture on top in an even layer. Spread with half of the ricotta. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the shredded mozzarella cheese.
Arrange a layer of 3 more lasagna pieces. Spread with the mushrooms, the remaining ricotta mixture, and 1/4 cup of the mozzarella. Top with the remaining 3 pieces of lasagna, 1 cup of tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake until brown and bubbly, about 45 minutes.
Makes 8 servings

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr
Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Nutrition Facts
Number of Servings: 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 243
Total Fat: 7.7 g
Cholesterol: 23.7 mg
Sodium: 228 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 29.9 g
Protein: 15.1 g

*recipe from Jillian Michales"

Taco Soup

My husband and I loved this new dish.  Taco Soup.  I loved how easy it was to make and made the house smell wonderful.  I used 2 cans of beans instead of one, and left out the chilis.  Perfect for these cool fall days!

Slow Cook for 6-8 hours on Low.
Ingredients

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (16 ounce) can chili beans, with liquid
• 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with liquid
• 1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, with liquid
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 cups water
• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans peeled and diced tomatoes
• 1 (4 ounce) can diced green chile peppers
• 1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning mix

Directions

1. In a medium skillet, cook the ground beef until browned over medium heat. Drain, and set aside.
2. Place the ground beef, onion, chili beans, kidney beans, corn, tomato sauce, water, diced tomatoes, green chile peppers and taco seasoning mix in a slow cooker. Mix to blend, and cook on Low setting for 8 hours.

Colts Chili and Indiana Sugar Cream Pie

And in honor of the Indianapolis Colts, here is a recipe for Colts Chili (Hoosier Chili) and Indiana Sugar Cream Pie. 

Prep Time: 20 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hr 30 Min
Ready In: 1 Hr 50 Min






Ingredients

2 pounds extra-lean ground beef
2 cups chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 (16 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (46 ounce) can tomato juice
1 (10.5 ounce) can beef broth
1/2 cup uncooked elbow macaroni
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Directions
1.In a large Dutch oven or soup kettle, brown beef until no longer pink.
2. Add onion, celery, green pepper and garlic.
3. Continue cooking until vegetables are tender.
4. Add all remaining ingredients except last two; bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, adding macaroni for last half hour of cooking time.
6. Stir in the beans and heat through.

Nutrition Facts: One serving (without additional salt and using sodium-free tomatoes, tomato juice and broth) equals 255 calories, 13 g fat (0 saturated fat), 45 mg cholesterol, 68 mg sodium, 23 g carbohydrate, 0 fiber, 18 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 meat, 1-1/2 vegetable, 1 starch.
 
 
Indiana Sugar Cream Pie

 
 
 
Prep Time: 10 Min
Cook Time: 1 Hr
Ready In: 1 Hr 10 Min
Servings = 6
 
 
Ingredients

1 prepared 8 inch pastry shell
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup butter, chilled and diced

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (225 degrees C).
2.In a medium bowl, mix together sugar, flour, and cream. Add milk and vanilla extract, and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. Pour into pastry shell. Sprinkle top with nutmeg and dot evenly with small chunks of butter.
3.Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake an additional 45 minutes.

Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 541
Total Fat: 28.6g
Cholesterol: 78mg