Plus-Sized Pasta

Who doesn’t love a giant bowl of pasta? I have made this recipe several times for Dan and I. We always scarf down the entire recipe. I made it recently for 3 of my gal pals and I was worried that doubling the recipe wouldn’t yield enough food, but I discovered that the serving size is quite large. I had leftovers, but I think that they were saving room for cheesecake…

Vodka Impasta

Ingredients:

• 4 oz. (about 1 1/4 cups) uncooked high fiber penne pasta
• 1 cup halved grape tomatoes or quartered cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tsp. chopped garlic
• 1/8 tsp. each salt and black pepper, or more to taste
• 3 cups chopped spinach leaves
• 2/3 cup low-fat marinara sauce
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil (have made it with and without)
• 2 tbsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping
• 2 wedges The Laughing Cow Light Creamy Swiss cheese (have also used The Laughing Cow Light Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomato, & Basil)

Optional: I add about 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms

Directions:
1. In a large pot, cook pasta per package instructions, 6 – 10 minutes. Drain and cover to keep warm.

2. Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium heat. Add tomatoes, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until onion has softened, about 5 minutes.

3. Add spinach and cook and stir until wilted. Add all other ingredients except cooked pasta, breaking the cheese wedges into pieces. Cook and stir until cheese has melted and mixed with sauce, about 2 minutes. Add pasta and cook and stir until hot and thoroughly coated, about 1 minute.

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Amanda’s Rating: “I love this stuff!  It feels like you are eating something that is very unhealthy, but is healthy!”

Dan’s Rating: “I could eat this every day!”

**Taken from Hungry Girl

Eggplant Adventure

Prior to making this, my only experience with eggplant was eating it grilled on a sandwich and I did not enjoy it at all. However, that was years ago and now I realize that I have been missing out!

HG’s Not-So-Teeny Eggplant Rollatini

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, ends removed, cut lengthwise into 8 slices
• One 10-oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 1/2 cups fat-free ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 1/4 cup fat-free liquid egg substitute
• 2 tsp. chopped garlic
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 2 cups low-fat marinara sauce
• 1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 baking sheets and a 9″ X 13″ baking pan with nonstick spray.
2. Lay eggplant slices on the baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes. Flip slices. Bake until soft, about 10 more minutes. Leave oven on.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, thoroughly mix spinach, ricotta cheese, basil, egg substitute, garlic, pepper, and salt.
4. Lay eggplant slices in front of you with the short sides on the top and bottom. Distribute spinach-ricotta mixture among the bottoms of the eggplant slices.
5. Roll up each slice around the mixture, and place them in a single layer in the baking dish, seam sides down.
6. Cover rolls with marinara sauce.
7. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
8. Remove foil and sprinkle rolls with mozzarella cheese. Bake, uncovered, until cheese has melted, 10 – 15 minutes. Serve it up!

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Amanda’s Rating: “We had to keep ourselves from eating the whole pan.  We each the leftovers to work the next day for lunch and they were amazing!”

Dan’s Rating:

**Taken from Hungry Girl

Souper Soup!

I am always searching for new recipes to enjoy on Meatlesss Mondays and I struck a goldmine with this one!  My all time favorite soup can be found at The Beach Bar in Clarklake, Michigan.  It is tomato soup.  Doesn’t sound very “souper” does it?  Well, it is not your ordinary tomato soup.  It has all sorts of yummy ingredients including cream cheese and half and half.  To finish it off it is topped with mozzarella and croutons.  When I found this recipe, my favorite soup didn’t even come to mind.  However, as soon as I tasted this soup I was immediately reminded of my love of The Beach Bar’s soup and I am so pleased to have found a healthy alternative.

Zazzled-Up Zuppa

Ingredients

• One 14.5-oz. can Amy’s Organic Light in Sodium Chunky Tomato Bisque 
• 1/2 cup frozen ground-beef-style soy crumbles (like the kind by Boca or Morningstar Farms)
• 1/3 cup canned cannellini beans (a.k.a. white kidney beans), rinsed and drained
• 1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping
• Optional garnish: chopped parsley

Directions

1. Add all ingredients except Parm-style topping and optional garnish to a pot, and bring to medium-high heat on the stove. Stirring occasionally, cook until crumbles have thawed and soup is hot.
2. Top each serving with 1/2 tsp. Parm-style topping and, if you like, a little chopped parsley.
3. Slurp!

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

Amanda’s Rating: “Yum!!! This reminds me of the soup from The Beach Bar!  However, this is much healthier!

Dan’s Rating: “Tremendous!!! I could eat this every day!  I love the beans.  More beans would be good.”

Amanda: (Placed garlic butter crouton in soup)  “I don’t like it with the croutons.”

Dan: (Placed croutons in soup) “These croutons are not the right flavor.”

**Taken from

It Truly is So-Good

I find that most of my meals nowadays are vegetarian and now that I have made this discovery I might not eat meat ever again! This veggie panini was sooooooo good! I made it for myself on Meatless Monday, but I plan to make it next week for Dan and I for Meatless Monday. Panera Bread has the best vegetarian sandwich–a delicious Mediterranean veggie sandwich, but this is the second best vegetarian sandwich I have ever had! (Sorry Jimmy John’s, Mellow Mushroom, and Subway)

So-Good Grilled Veggie Panini

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup sliced zucchini
• 1/4 cup sliced red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup sliced onion (I used red onion)
• 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• One 100-calorie flat sandwich bun
• 1 piece The Laughing Cow Mini Babybel Light Cheese, chopped
• 2 teaspoons light whipped butter or light buttery spread, room temperature, divided (I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray)

Directions

1. Bring a skillet or grill pan sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add zucchini, bell pepper, and onion, and sprinkle with seasonings. Stirring occasionally, cook until veggies have softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Split bun in half, and lay the halves flat, split sides up. Evenly top one half with cooked veggies and chopped cheese. 
3. Place the other half on top, split side down. Spread 1 teaspoon butter over the upward-facing side of the bun.
4. Place sandwich in the skillet/pan with the buttered side down.  Evenly spread remaining 1 teaspoon butter over the upward-facing side of the bun.  Bring skillet/pan back to medium-high heat.
5. Using a spatula, press down gently but firmly to seal the sandwich.  Cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side, flipping carefully and pressing down with the spatula to seal.
6. Eat up!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Amanda’s Rating: “Wish that I could give this 6 spoons!  I would eat this every day!!!”

 

**Taken from

Not Your Ordinary Grilled Cheese

Last week, I decided that summer had arrived and it was time to eat some sandwiches!  I made several BLT sandwiches, which are a summer favorite of mine.  However, I was in search of other sandwich ideas and here is one that I found.

Grilly Girl Cheesy Turkey & Bacon ‘Wich

Cheese and bacon!

Ingredients

• 1 slice center-cut bacon or turkey bacon (I used Oscar Meyer Pre-Cooked Bacon)
• 1/2 tbsp. fat-free mayonnaise
• 1/2 tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
• 1/8 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 2 slices light bread
• 2 oz. reduced-sodium lean turkey breast slices
• 1 slice fat-free cheddar cheese
• 1 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread, divided (I used I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray)

Directions

1. Cook bacon according to package instructions, either in the microwave or in a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray. Once cool enough to handle, break or cut bacon in half and set aside.
2. To make the sauce, combine mayo, sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl. Mix well.
   

   Not your ordinary mayo!!

   Spread sauce on one slice of bread and top with bacon, turkey, and cheese.

   

   Layers of tasty ingredients.

   Place the other slice of bread on top, and press gently to seal. Spread 1/2 tsp. butter on the upward-facing slice of bread.

3. With the buttered side down, place sandwich in a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray. Then spread remaining 1/2 tsp. butter on the upward-facing bread slice. Bring the skillet to medium-high heat on the stove. Cook for 2 minutes. Gently flip and cook for 1 additional minute, or until both sides are hot and toasty. Slice in half or bite right in!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Amanda’s Rating: “This sandwich was so flavorful!!! I was not prepared for the flavor that was packed between these two pieces of bread. I would love to eat this again and I was very sad when this one was gone.  Next time, I would make sure that the sides that accompany this sandwich do not have flavors that compete with the flavors of the sandwich.  Cottage cheese and plain baked chips would be good choices.”

**Taken from

 

Bacon and Cheesy Cream Sauce

Did I get your attention?  I hope so!  If you have not tried Tofu Shirataki noodles yet, you should!

I recently purchased precooked crumbled bacon and wanted to incorporate some of the leftovers into a new recipe.  Glad that I found this one.  It combines the traditional Alfredo flavor with roasted red peppers and bacon to make a delicious meal.

Italian-Style Bacon Alfredo Bowl

Less than 300 calories for the entire bowl!

Ingredients

• 1 (8 oz.) package House Foods Tofu Shirataki Spaghetti Shaped
• 3 oz. cooked boneless skinless chicken breast, roughly chopped
• 1 wedge Laughing Cow Light Swiss Cheese Original
• 1 Tbsp. fat-free sour cream
• 2 tsp. reduced-fat grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup roasted red peppers packed in water, drained and roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp. real crumbled bacon bits
• Optional: salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Rinse and drain Shirataki noodles well. Pat dry using paper towels. Put in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in microwave for 1 minute. Drain excess liquid and pat dry. Cut noodles into 3-4 inch lengths.
2. Add cheese wedge, sour cream, and Parmesan cheese. Microwave for one minute and mix thoroughly.
3. Add all other ingredients except bacon to the bowl, and mix well. Microwave for 1 – 2 minutes, until heated.
   

   What is bacon worth to you? Prepared like this without bacon, this dish has less than 150 calories.

4. Sprinkle with bacon bits and serve hot.
5. Enjoy!

MAKES 1 SERVING

Amanda’s Rating: “Tasty meal.  I wouldn’t eat this everyday, like I would Buffalo Girlfredo.  However, I would make this for Dan sometime. I will continue to search for more recipes with Tofu Shirataki.”

**Taken from