Beef Lasagna

The MR has been asking for lasagna for weeks so I decided today was the day to grant his wish. Its suppose to rain this week and during rainy weather I like to have things in the fridge that are easily reheated so I can come home, put on my cozy jammies and relax, rather than slave in the kitchen. Lasagna is the perfect food to reheat and enjoy! 

The yumminess fresh out of the oven

Beef Lasagna


The Stuff:
Whole wheat lasagna noodles, cooked al dente
1 pound Lean ground beef
1 pound turkey sausage
1 16 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 16 oz can tomato sauce
1 cup light ricotta
1/2 cup low fat small curd cottage cheese
1 egg beaten
3 cups reduced fat mozzarella
1/8 cup parmesan cheese
2 cups fresh spinach
1 small onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
3 tablespoons dried parsley, separate
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper


The How To: 

• In a large skillet saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes, add beef and sausage and cook until browned, drain fat
• Add canned tomatoes, oregano, 1 tablespoon parsley and pepper and cook for 5 minutes on medium-high, reduce to low and cook an additional 10 minutes

• In a large bowl mix ricotta, cottage cheese, egg, parmesan cheese, remaining parsley and salt, set aside

• In a large casserole dish spread 1/4 cup of meat mixture, top with 6 lasagna noodles, overlap where necessary
• Layer with half ricotta mixture
• Layer with all of the spinach

• Top with half the mozzarella cheese
• Top with half meat mixture, 
• Layer remaining ricotta, mozzarella and meat

Side view before baking

• Bake 20-30 minutes until golden and bubbly

Side view after baking - yummy!

The yummy layers, melted cheese, spinach, meat - so, so good!

Weight Watcher Friends: 1 serving (16 servings total) is 7p+ and oh so good!

Breakfast Burrito

I eat a breakfast burrito every morning, they are easy, keep me full and are delish. I never planned on sharing this as its really not that exciting, but The MR and I are going to a crab feed tonight so I'll have no dinner meal to post and want to make sure to put something out there. Enjoy breakfast!

Breakfast Burrito

The Stuff:
1/4 cup egg white
1 tablespoon fat free salsa
1 La Tortilla Factory low carb, high fiber whole wheat tortilla
1/4 cup shredded reduce fat cheddar cheese
Half a green onion diced

The How To:

• Microwave (yes, I said microwave) the egg whites for 45 seconds or until liquid is cooked, if you can be fancy and cook it in a small pan, please do
• Top the tortilla with cheese and warm in the toaster oven (or microwave if your work doesn't have a toaster oven)
• Top tortilla and cheese with cooked egg whites
• Top with salsa
• Sprinkle with green onion 

Weight Watcher Friends: 4p+ for a filling breakfast (please double check your tortilla and cheese for points, your points might go up our down depending on the brands you buy). Eat with a banana and coffee with milk and you'll be full till lunch!

Chicken Rice Stew

Its windy and chilly in Davis this week so I'm craving stews and soups. Since I didn't have anything prepared for dinner I researched quick and easy soups and stumbled upon chicken stew. Served over rice, done in 30 minutes and really filling. 

Chicken Stew

Loosely Adapted from Food & Wine Magazine

The Stuff:

8 chicken thighs, skin removed, fat cut off and rinsed, spiced with S&P

1 onion chopped

4 garlic cloves minced

1/4 red bell pepper diced

2 medium tomatoes diced

6 green onions

1.5 teaspoon olive oil

6 oz light beer

1 cup water

2 teaspoons cumin

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon chili flakes

1 teaspoon fresh grated black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

The How To:

• Heat olive oil in a large, extra deep saute pan
• Cook onions, garlic, bell pepper, and green onions 5 minutes on medium heat

• Add all spices and cook 2 more minutes
• Push veggies to the side and place chicken in the middle, brown on both sides

• Pour in beer and water and simmer on low for 20 minutes until chicken is done

• Serve over cooked rice 

Weight Watcher Friends: 1 chicken thigh & 1/2 cup stew 3p+, add additional points for rice

Cooking Club: Mexican Food

Some girlfriends and I decided to start a cooking club. We had a potluck dinner in December and found out that we all, well most of us, loved cooking! We've know each other for 20 years and are just finding this out - ha! Makes me laugh. Anyways, last night was the first meet up and it was a total success! The theme was Mexican food - my absolute favorite! I was tasked with creating a side dish and since I anticipated lots of cheese, sour cream and yummy goodness I wanted to make mine low fat. I made Refried Bean Bake - easy and yummy (I think I say "easy and yummy" all the time, that will be the name of my first cookbook ) (Excuse this floating smiley, I'm still learning this stuff)


I didn't get a picture of the final dish because we were all starving and dug right in, so just picture a gooey, cheesy bean dip - so good!

Refried Bean Bake

The Stuff:
1 16 oz can nonfat refried beans, I like the kind with chilies

1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup nonfat salsa

2/3 cup reduced fat cheddar cheese

4 green onions, sliced

The How To:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Combine beans, salsa, and 1/3 cup of the cheese into a bowl

I was soooo excited to have natural light I took a ton of pictures,
here's one of just the black beans!

The yummy goodness all mixed together

• Transfer ingredients into a baking dish

Ready to bake

• Bake for 10 minutes
• Take out and stir, the cheese should melt and incorporate into the beans and salsa
• Top with remaining cheese and bake an additional 3-5 minute, until cheese is melted
• Sprinkle with green onions  

Weight Watcher Friends: 3p+ for 1/4 cup

Indian Chicken Curry

Last Fall I took a cooking class which focused on lightened up international food, and just loved it. The instructor was fantastic and taught me a lot of random, cooking tidbits that made me happy. One of my favorite dishes we made was Indian chicken curry. Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines - the tastes, the smells, the combination of flavors - mmmm. In case you are wondering, Thai curry would add fish sauce, kaffir leaves and lemon grass - among other things. Curry can differ from region to region and house to house. 

Note: I didn't measure the spices, I guesstimated on what would work. It was not too spicy, and next time I'll add way more chili powder and probably paprika. Taste as you go (before you add the chicken) and see what it may need. More chili powder if it needs a kick, or a little curry if you aren't getting the flavor. More salt or brown sugar if its too acidic. Have fun, seriously, cooking is to be enjoyed, except for when I started to burn the curry powder and started freaking out! That was not so fun. Oops! One tip, PLAN! I just sorta went for it and had nothing chopped or ready - not a great idea. This is where this blog will come in handy, I'll know where to begin next time. 


Indian Chicken Curry

The Stuff:
2 uncooked chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup nonfat, plain yogurt
1 can low fat coconut milk
2 carrots chopped
1 small onion chopped 
3 garlic cloves minced
1 big russet potato chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons curry powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
1 bay leaf
salt to taste

The How To:

• Heat a deep pot on medium heat, add curry powder and cook for 2 minutes scraping off the bottom as you go
• Add all other spices except bay leaf and cook for an additional 2 minutes, this will open up the spices and get the flavors out 
• Up the temperature to medium-high, add onion, garlic and olive oil and cook for 5 minutes
• Add potatoes and carrot and cook an additional 5 minutes
• Stir in tomato paste and brown sugar
• Reduce heat to medium, add yogurt and coconut milk and bring to a boil, stirring constantly
• Add chicken and bay leaf and simmer on medium-low for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally

• The curry is done when the potatoes and carrots are soft and the chicken is cooked through
• Serve with rice and naan

Weight Watcher Friends: 1 cup equals 5p+, add brown jasmine rice and naan for additional points

Shrimp with Whole Wheat Pasta

Today was busy, on top of being under the weather, and really tired, I didn't want to get in the kitchen, but I knew a glass of wine and cheese tray wouldn't do me any good. I needed a 20 minute meal that was filling and yummy so I went to an old favorite - shrimp and pasta! This is a sure winner, very versatile, and EASY! 

Shrimp Pasta

The Stuff:
1 pound cooked shrimp, tails off and deveined (I buy the frozen precooked bags)
Whole wheat pasta
Can of chopped tomatoes with chilies
Juice from 1 lemon
2 cups of spinach
1 roma tomato chopped
1 shallot chopped
1 teaspoon chili flakes
3 cloves of garlic minced
2 teaspoons olive oil

The How To:
FYI on shrimp: I buy a big bag of already cooked shrimp that's been frozen. I put the amount I want in a bowl and fill with luke warm water until defrosted.

• Cook pasta al dente 
• Saute the shallots and garlic until shallots are tender
• Add chili flakes and let cook for 3 minutes, adding the chili flakes now opens up the flavors and brings out the heat
• Add canned tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Add shrimp and lemon juice, cook for 3 minutes
• In a big bowl dump spinach and add fresh tomatoes 

• Add pasta, top with shrimp mixture
• Mix around until spinach is wilted, add pasta water if needed
• Serve with garlic bread and fresh asiago cheese

Weight Watcher Friends: 1/2 cup whole wheat pasta, 3oz shrimp and sauce is 5p+

Spaghetti Squash, Peppers, and Kielbasa "Pasta"

Summer might get all the love when it comes to fresh fruits and veggies, but Winter brings about some lovely options, too. Pears, grapefruits, brussel sprouts (mmmm, my favorite!) and winter squash are all things I look forward to picking up on my trips to farmers market this time of year. My most recent pickup was spaghetti squash.

If you've never cooked with it you should start now, its a great replacement for spaghetti.  Top with your favorite marinara, meat marinara or just tomatoes, basil and a little olive oil. Over all, spaghetti squash is really tasty and, so versatile.

Spaghetti Squash, Peppers and Kielbasa "Pasta"


The Stuff:
1 spaghetti squash
1 red bell pepper cut into strips
1 onion cut into strips
1 kielbasa cut into 1/4 inch chunks
Salt
Pepper


The How To:

• Cook your squash using one of these methods. Which ever way you choose, cut it in half and poke holes on the outside, it'll speed up the process:
• Bake about an hour in the oven at 375 F
• Microwave 10 to 12 minutes, then let stand for 5 minutes or so
• When its done, take a fork and start scraping out the insides. There's your "pasta"!

• While your squash is cooking, sauté onions for 10 minutes
• Add peppers and continue to cook until tender, about 10 more minutes
• Add kielbasa for 10 minutes more or until kielbasa is cooked through
• Spoon squash into a big bowl and top with onion mixture.
• Top with grated parm if you feel the need

At 40 calories a cup, spaghetti squash is a great side dish or main dish for dinner!

Weight Watcher Friends: 2oz of kielbasa is 5p+, veggies are free!