Inside-Out Lasagna

From EatingWell: January/February 2010

Here we take basic lasagna ingredients—ricotta cheese, pasta and tomatoes—and skip the layering and long baking time to make a super-quick and satisfying meal for the whole family. To cut down on prep time, look for presliced mushrooms. For meat lovers, brown some crumbled turkey sausage along with the onions and garlic. Serve with: Steamed broccoli and whole-grain baguette.

4 servings, about 1 1/2 cups each

Active Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 8 ounces whole-wheat rotini or fusilli
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves cloves garlic, sliced
• 8 ounces sliced white mushrooms (about 3 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
• 8 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
• 3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

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Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta; cook until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Add tomatoes, spinach and crushed red pepper (if using). Increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring once halfway through, until the spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes.
4. Toss the sauce with the pasta and divide among 4 bowls. Dollop each serving with 3 tablespoons of ricotta.

Nutrition

Per serving: 364 calories; 9 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 14 mg cholesterol; 16 g protein; 7 g fiber; 588 mg sodium; 786 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (90% daily value), Vitamin C (50% dv), Folate (25% dv), Potassium (22% dv), Calcium (21% dv), Iron (20% dv).

3 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 3 starch, 2 vegetables, 1 lean meat, 1 fat

Asparagus Ham Lasagna Casserole

SOURCE: The Strong Bones Healthy Exchanges Cookbook by Joanna Lund

1-1/2 c water
1 c. nonfat dry milk OR you can use fat free evap milk and omit the flour listed below
3 tbsp flour
1/4 c. finely chopped onion (I use the entire onion )
1/2 tsp dried minced garlic
1 tsp italian seasoning
2 c. mini lasagna noodles, rinsed and drained OR approx. 7 regular lasagna noodles
1 full cup diced 97% fat-free ham
1-3/4 c. (one 14.5 oz can) cut asparagus, rinsed and drained or use fresh
3/4 c. shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 c. grated fat free Parmesan cheese

Spray an 8 x 8 glass baking dish with cooking spray. In a covered jar, combine water, nonfat dry milk and flour and shake well to combine. (Skip this step if using evaporated milk). Pout mixture into glass measuring bowl. Add onion, garlic and italian seasoning. Mix well to combine. Cover with waxed paper.

Microwave on HIGH (100% power) for 3 minutes, stirring after every minute.

Spread 1/3 c of sauce in bottom of prepared dish. Layer half of the noodles over sauce. Sprinkle half of the ham and asparagus over noodles. Top with half of mozzarella cheese and half of remaining sauce. Repeat layers. Cover and microwave on BAKE (60% power) for 6 minutes, turning dish after 3 minutes (if microwave doesn't have a turntable). Sprinkle Parmesan cheese evenly over top.

Continue microwaving, uncovered, on BAKE for an additional 3 minutes. Place dish on wire rack and let set for minutes. Divide into 4 servings.

HINTS: 1-3/4 C. uncooked mini lasagna noodles usually cook to about 2 cups.

NOTES: I used chicken instead of ham and it tasted great. I used fresh asparagus.

NUTRITIONAL INFO: Each Serving contains

327 calories
7 g fat
26 gm protein
40 gm carbs
950 mg sodium (less if you use chicken)
376 mg calcium
4 gm fiber

Diabetic: 2-1/2 meat, 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 skim milk

Turkey Soup

Turkey Soup

1 cup red bell pepper--chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 oz. fat-free cream cheese, cubed and stir until melted
2 cans fat free chicken broth (32 oz)
1 can cream styled corn
3/4 cup skim milk
2 cups shredded turkey


Saute onion and pepper on med heat.

Lower heat to simmer and add remaining ingredients.


stir, heat and eat!

If you want to make the soup more hearty add noodles.

Corny Taco Soup

Taco Soup that uses cream corn.

1 lb. hamburger, browned and drained
2 cans cream corn
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can pinto beans
1 pkg taco seasoning
1 pkg ranch dip mix

cook hamburger and then mix all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low 2-3 hours. Top with cheese and sour cream. Very good!

Chicken Corn Chowder

Chicken Corn Chowder

¼ Cup Butter
½ Chopped Onion
1 Cup Cooked, Cubed Chicken
1 Carrot, grated
2 Cup Potatoes
1 Cup Celery
1 Can Creamed corn
1 Can Corn
1 tsp. salt and pepper
12 oz. Can Evaporated Milk

Sauté the butter, onion and chicken. Add remaining ingredients except Evaporated Milk and salt and pepper. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Stir in Evaporated Milk and add salt and pepper to taste.

SOURCE: http://www.pinchingyourpennies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=56731

PEACHY DUMP CAKE

SOURCE: Gooseberry Patch Super Fast Slow Cooking

2 14and 1/2 ounce cans peach pie filling

one teaspoon lemon juice
18 and 1/2 ounce box yellow cake mix
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup butter melted

Garnish; whipped topping, vanilla ice cream

Pour pie filling into a slow cooker that has been sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray. Drizzle with lemon juice. In a separate bowl, combine dry cake mix pecans and melted butter. Spread over the pie filling. Cover and cook on low setting for 4 hours, or on high setting for two hours. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Serves 6-8

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cheesecake (Paulissa's Favorite)

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cheesecake with a Gingersnap Crust

by Regan Daley

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For the gingersnap crust:

About 40 gingersnap wafers (to yield 2 cups cookie crumbs)
1 c. finely chopped almonds
2-1/2 oz. (5 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

For the filling:
three  8-oz. packages) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. table salt
4 large eggs
1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract
One 15-oz. can pure solid-pack pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/2 c. melted butterscotch morsels

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Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Make the crust: Pulse the cookies and almonds in a food processor until well combined and the crumbs are uniform. Transfer to a medium bowl; add the melted butter. Combine thoroughly, first with a spoon and then with your fingers, until the mixture is evenly moist, crumbly, and holds together when you squeeze a handful. Press the mixture evenly over the bottom and partway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Chill for 5 minutes and then bake for 10 minutes. Let cool.

Make the filling: Heat a kettle of water. With an electric mixer or a wooden spoon, beat the cream cheese until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and salt. Add this mixture to the cream cheese. Beat until well blended, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time, making sure each is thoroughly incorporated before adding the next, and scraping down the bowl after each. Blend in the vanilla and pumpkin.

Scrape the batter into the cooled crust. The batter will come up past the crust and will fill the pan to the rim. Tap the pan gently once or twice on the counter to release any air bubbles. Set the pan in a larger baking dish (a roasting pan is good), and add enough hot water from the kettle to come about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the top of the cake looks deep golden and burnished and the center is set (the cake may just barely begin to crack), 1 hour 35 minutes to 1 hour 45 minutes. The cake will jiggle a little bit when tapped. The top may rise a bit but will settle as it cools. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a thin-bladed knife between the crust and the pan sides (this will prevent the cake from breaking as it cools). Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature in the pan on a wire rack. Cover and chill overnight.

From Fine Cooking 60, pp. 74