Sausage Spaghetti Pie

I love spaghetti in all forms, and this recipe was especially intriguing because it is lower in fat and calories. I doubled it from the original and switched up the ingredients a bit. Nutrition is calculated for Ragu No-Sugar Added sauce and whole-wheat spaghetti.

Sausage Spaghetti Pie

8 oz uncooked whole wheat spaghetti
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, diced
1 26-oz jar spaghetti sauce
1 15-oz container reduced-fat ricotta cheese
3 egg whites
3/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Preheat oven to 350. Cook spaghetti according to package directions.Meanwhile, in a nonstick skillet, saute sausage for 3-4 minutes or until browned; stir in spaghetti sauce.

In a small bowl, combine ricotta cheese and one egg white; set aside. Drain spaghetti; add 2/3 cup Parmesan and remaining egg whites. Press onto bottom and up the sides of a 9x13 casserole dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon ricotta mixture into crust. Top with sausage mixture.

Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and bake 5 minutes longer or until heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before slicing.

Serves 8.

Nutrition Info: 313 calories, 11g fat, 6g fiber

Chicken, Cheddar & Apple Toss

Forgive me for another salad recipe. It's a slightly odd combination (or at least I thought so, but I might just be uncultured). This serves one, and the ingredients are not cut in stone - use however much or little you wish.

Chicken, Cheddar & Apple Toss

1 c. baby spinach, torn
2 oz. grilled chicken, diced
1/2 apple, diced
2 oz. cheddar cheese, cut into slivers
red onion, thinly sliced (to taste)
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
1 tsp. olive oil
2 tsp. vinegar
black pepper

Arrange first five ingredients on plate. Whisk together mustard, oil, vinegar, and black pepper. Drizzle over salad.

Caramel Apple Salad

This particular little gem has been floating around the Weight Watchers message boards for some time, and I kept ignoring it because I thought I didn't like pineapple. Now that I've had a change of heart for that particular fruit, I decided to give it a try - and oh, my, is it a wonderful treat! Totally fat-free, it makes a great snack, side dish, or dessert, and I think I will take it to the next potluck dinner. It goes together in ten minutes or less, and I've had some in the fridge for five days and it still tastes fine.

Caramel Apple Salad

1 20-oz can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 box sugar-free fat-free butterscotch pudding mix (instant)
1 8-oz tub fat-free Cool Whip
4 Granny Smith apples, cored and diced (skins on)

In a large bowl, stir dry pudding mix into pineapple until well blended. Fold in Cool Whip. Stir in apples.

Serves 6-10 (depending how quickly they devour it!)

Spicy Chicken Heck-Yeah Soup

I occasionally have one of those days when I'm hungry, and I know I planned menus, but can't remember where I left the list, so I just start throwing stuff in a pan, hoping for the best. Today was one of those days. What came out of the skillet was so delicious that Jeff can't quit ranting about it. I asked him what I should call it, and "Chicken Heck-Yeah" is what he came up with. Goofy as it is, I can't think of a more original name than that, so Chicken Heck-Yeah soup it is.

By the way, this is a Weight Watchers Core (or Filling Foods) recipe.

Spicy Chicken Heck-Yeah Soup

2 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tsp salt-free southwest seasoning (i.e., Mrs. Dash)
1 14-oz can petite diced tomatoes
1 14-oz can tomato sauce
1 4-oz can diced green chilies
2/3 cup frozen corn
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed & drained
2 cups water
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp oregano
3/4 cup uncooked instant brown rice

for garnish
lime juice, tortilla chip, shredded cheese, sour cream, etc.

In a very large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, brown chicken until juices run clear. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, corn, beans, water, and spices. Bring to a boil. Add rice; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Serve with garnishes as desired.

Sweet & Sour Chicken Stir-Fry

This delish concoction came from the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. I added carrots and extra peppers for color, and think the result is yummy!

Sweet & Sour Chicken Stir-Fry

1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 salt
ground black pepper to taste
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cut into bite-size cubes
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil, divided
1/2 each red, green, and yellow bell pepper, cut in half-inch pieces
1/2 onion, cut into half-inch pieces
3 carrots, cut into matchstick-size pieces
2 tbsp freshly minced garlic
1/2 cup bottled sweet & sour sauce

Heat half of the sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers, carrots, and onion. Stir frequently until tender. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm.

Meanwhile, combine cornstarch, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat thoroughly. Transfer to skillet. Spread into a single layer and cook until juices run clear, about 5 minutes. Stir vegetables back in to reheat. Remove from heat; stir in sweet & sour sauce. Serve with rice.

Serves 4.

223 calories, 5g fat, 1g fiber, 283 mg sodium (does not include rice)

Strawberry Salad

Forgive me for yet another super-simplistic recipe. This combination is so simple, and yet so good, that I just had to share. (Besides, it looks so pretty on the plate!)

The amounts serve one person, but obviously it would be easy to double. I use Maple Farms brand dressing - it's very good.



Strawberry Salad

2 cups baby spinach leaves, torn a bit
1/2 grilled or baked chicken breast, sliced
4 large strawberries, diced
2 tbsp. raspberry viniagrette

Arrange on a plate and drizzle with dressing. Serves 1

Baked Brown Rice

I will admit that cooking rice should be a no-brainer. But brown rice is trickier, because it gets gummy on the stovetop. I love the nutty flavor of brown rice, and when I found this method for cooking it (which I believe comes from Alton Brown's Good Eats), I will thrilled. It's easy, low-mess, and gives you perfect brown rice every time.

Baked Brown Rice

1 1/2 cups long-grain brown rice (not instant)
2 1/2 cups fat-free beef or chicken broth
1 tsp salt, optional

Preheat oven to 375. Put rice in a 2-qt casserole dish coated with cooking spray. In a saucepan, bring broth just to a boil. Pour over rice, stirring to combine. Cover tightly with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake on middle rack for 1 hour. Fluff with fork.

Sweet & Sour Ham Skillet

As I get older, I have learned to try food that previously made me turn up my nose. On an impulse, I decided to get a pineapple, and then didn't know what to do with it. I found this recipe on AllRecipes, and, as usual, adapted it somewhat. This is my version - definitely a keeper. I did use the fresh pineapple, but it originally called for a 20-oz can of unsweetened pineapple tidbits, which you could easily use if pineapple is out of season.

Note: cornstarch-based sauces don't usually freeze well, so you need to plan on eating it all at once (it would be an excellent dish for guests) or getting leftovers from the fridge within 4 days.



Sweet & Sour Ham Skillet

2 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, julienned
3-4 carrots, julienned
1 c. fresh pineapple, chunked (reserve juices from pineapple when cutting)
1 lb. fully cooked ham steak, chopped (97% lean)
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. cornstarch
1 1/2 cups cold water
2 tbsp vinegar
4 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 tsp. ginger
4 tbsp. soy sauce
hot cooked brown rice

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and carrots and saute five minutes, until just starting to soften. Add ham and cook five minutes longer, stirring frequently.

In a bowl, combine brown sugar and cornstarch. Whisk in water, vinegar, mustard, ginger, and soy sauce. Slowly pour into skillet. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes. Stir in pineapple and cook 2 minutes longer, until sauce is thickened and bubbly.

Serves 6.

Not Your Average Tuna Sandwich

I will admit that I feel a little strange putting a sandwich recipe on the blog. Seems like it should be obvious, right? Well, this is an adaptation from a recipe in the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook, and it is so weird that I had to try it. It's kind of like a Reuben sandwich - initially, the flavors sound icky, but it's actually pretty good.

I used homemade hummus, since the store-bought kind is hard to find around here. I also roasted my own peppers, but you can buy them jarred if you prefer.

Not Your Average Tuna Sandwich

1 whole-wheat English muffin, split & toasted
2 tbsp. hummus
3 oz. tuna, drained & flakes
4 strips roasted red pepper
1/2 c. baby spinach leaves

Spread both sides of muffin with hummus, then layer remaining ingredients. Serves 1.

Pasta Supreme

I adapted a Quick Cooking recipe to add a lot more veggies and yummy goodness. It looks like a lot of ingredients, but it's actually not difficult to put together. I will often cook all the onion/pepper I need for multiple recipes at once. When I get a bag of chicken, I boil the whole thing and cut it up for future use. Same thing with the bacon - so most everything was already cooked and I just had to assemble it.

Pasta Supreme

2 cups uncooked penne pasta
1/2 each onion, green pepper, red pepper, orange pepper, and yellow pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp each dried basil, oregano, and parsley flakes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut in 1-in pieces
8 turkey bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
1 10-oz package frozen spinach, thawed and pressed dry
cooking spray
2 14-oz cans diced tomatoes, undrained
1 6-oz can tomato paste
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Cook pasta according to package directions. Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.

In a large skillet sprayed with cooking spray, saute onion, peppers, garlic and seasoning until almost tender. Add chicken, bacon and spinach, stirring until heated through.

In a blender, combine tomatoes and tomato paste, process until well blended. Stir into chicken mixture. Simmer until slightly thickened.

Toss drained pasta with chicken mixture. Spoon half into casserole dish. Sprinkle with half of mozzarella. Repeat layers, topping with remaining mozzarella and all the Parmesan. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 15-20 minutes longer or until heated through.

Coconut Tilapia with Apricot Dipping Sauce

Oh, my goodness - I had a wonderful supper tonight! This quick and easy fish was absolutely fantastic. (Sorry, no picture - I was too hungry and there wasn't enough light today for a good shot anyway.) The original (from All Recipes) called for more egg substitute than was needed, so I cut back the amount quite a bit to avoid waste. I was lazy and fried it in the skillet, but you could significantly lower the fat content by baking it for 25 minutes at 350. And don't skip the sauce. It sounds weird, but is incredibly tasty.

Coconut Tilapia with Apricot Dipping Sauce

1 c. flaked coconut, finely chopped
2 tbsp flour
1 tbsp Creole seasoning
4 4-oz tilapia filets
1/2 c. cornstarch
2/3 c. egg substitute
1/2 c. canola oil

Dipping Sauce
1/2 c. apricot preserves
2 tsp brown mustard
1 tsp horseradish sauce

Toss together coconut, flour and Creole seasoning in a bowl. In a separate bowl, toss the tilapia with the cornstarch. Shake off excess. Pour the egg substitute into a third bowl, and dip filets in egg. Press filets into coconut mixture, coating both sides.

Heat oil in a skillet. Fry filets 1-2 at a time on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, mix preserves, mustard and horseradish in a small bowl. Serve with tilapia.

Serves 4

Tarragon Chicken Casserole

This is a nicely mild dish that is easy to put together. It's would be an excellent choice for a potluck, because the taste should appeal to most everyone and it makes enough for 12 people. If you just don't like tarragon, feel free to substitute any of your favorite spices. One piece of advice - skip the grated parmesan that sits in the pasta aisle. Parmesan is a highly flavorful cheese, and since a little goes a long way, it's well worth it to splurge on a block and grate it yourself. There is simply no comparison in the flavor.



Tarragon Chicken Casserole

2 cans low-fat condensed cream of chicken soup
2 cups evaporated skim milk
4 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp pepper
16 oz linguine or spaghetti, cooked and drained
6 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
paprika, optional

Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, combine soup, evaporated milk, tarragon and pepper. Stir in pasta and chicken. Transfer to a 4-qt casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with Parmesan and paprika. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until heated through.

248 calories, 5gm fat, 50mg cholesterol, 373 mg sodium, 31 gm carbohydrate

Sausage & Beans with Rice

Mmmm... tasty! I love rice and beans, but it can easily turn into a very unhealthy meal. I used a low-fat turkey sausage to drop the fat and calories in this and cut the brown sugar down a bit from the 1/4 cup it calls for. You could use the Splenda brown sugar blend, but you wouldn't want to use more than a tablespoon or so - it's much, much sweeter than regular brown sugar. I really like the slight sweetness to this dish. It made for a nice change of pace from typical rice and beans recipes.



Sausage & Beans with Rice

2/3 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. chopped green pepper
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 lb. smoked sausage, cut into 1/4-in slices
1 16-oz can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 16-oz can great northern beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup instant brown rice
1 cup vegetable broth
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
3 tbsp. corn syrup
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet, saute the onion, green pepper and garlic in oil until softened. Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender.

Serves 6.

Waffles

Who says breakfast on a diet can't be decadent? Who says you can't have chocolate for breakfast? :) I love our new house - for the first time, the lighting is good enough for me to take attractive pictures of the food I cook!



Seriously, y'all - this was good stuff! I found a recipe for light waffles, and though the batter looked incredibly thin, they puffed up beautifully. I make several at a time and freeze. Pop one in the toaster and top as desired. This morning I used fresh strawberries and about two tablespoons of Hershey's dark chocolate syrup (absolutely worth the calories, I promise!).

This recipe is easily doubled - in fact, I cut the original in half because it wasn't practical for me to freeze 32 waffles! To easily make your own buttermilk, use regular skim milk and add one teaspoon of white vinegar per cup. Allow it to sit a few minutes before mixing into batter.

Light Waffles

2 cups self-rising flour
1 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking soda
2 cups nonfat buttermilk
1/4 c. vegetable oil
4 egg whites
cooking spray

Combine flour, sugar, and soda in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk and oil; stir well. Add to dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; carefully fold into batter.

Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray before spooning in batter.

Makes about 16 waffles

105 calories each, 4 g fat (approximate)

Cheesy Peppered Crock Pot Chicken

A slow cooker is a beautiful thing in terms of convenience. Prep time for this simple recipe is about 10 minutes, and then you're on to something else. I adapted this from the 2009 Quick Cooking book. Use pepper jack soup if you can find it, but fiesta nacho cheese will also work. You can also vary the amount of salsa to suit your tastes.

ETA: After this sat for a while, I wasn't so impressed. The taste is okay, but if I make it again, I will definitely saute the peppers to soften them before transferring to the slower cooker, because they just don't get soft enough to suit me in the crockpot. I'll probably add onions, too. It did help to add shredded cheese after reheating.

Cheesy Peppered Crock Pot Chicken

1 can condensed pepper jack soup
1/2 cup salsa
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, uncooked
1 each red, green, and yellow bell pepper
1 small onion, halved & thinly sliced

Cut chicken into 1/2-in chunks. In a 3-qt slow cooker, combine soup, salsa, and chicken. Stir in pepper and onion. Cook on low for 4-5 hours, or until chicken juices run clear. Serve with hot cooked rice.

Serves 6.

(Un)Stuffed Cabbage Strata

I picked up the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook this week, and I must admit, I am totally impressed - I will likely try 80% or more of the recipes in the book, which is a lot for me. This one had such a yummilicious picture that I wanted to try it, and even though I'm not normally a fan of cooked cabbage, this gets two thumbs up. It is absolutely outstanding. I'd like to try it with the ground chicken, but since I can't buy it locally, I used ground beef - which was fine. I also used turkey bacon instead of center-cut. I also cheated and used prepackaged coleslaw mix instead of shredding the cabbage myself.

Stuffed Cabbage Strata

Olive oil spray
8 slices center-cut bacon, cut into 2-in pieces
1 1/4 c. minced yellow onion
1 cup uncooked instant brown rice
6 cups shredded green cabbage
1 1/2 lb. extra-lean ground chicken bread (or ground beef)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
2 8-oz cans no-salt added tomato sauce
3/4 cup hot water
hot sauce, to taste (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. Spray an 8x8 casserole dish (at least 3 inches deep) with olive oil spray.

Over medium-high heat, cook bacon until cooked and crisping on edges. Transfer to paper towels to cool. Discard all but 1 tbsp. of bacon fat from the skillet.

Add onions and rice to skillet. Over medium heat, cook in bacon fat, stirring, until onions are tender and rice is starting to brown, about 3-5 minutes.

Spread 3 cups of cabbage in an even layer on bottom of baking dish. Top with rice mixture, spreading evenly.

Add the chicken, salt, and pepper to skillet. Cook until no longer pink, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to baking dish with a slotted spoon. Spread remaining 3 cups cabbage over chicken.

Discard any liquid from the skillet and add tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Spoon sauce evenly over casserole. Do not let dish overflow. Lay bacon pieces evenly on top of cabbage. Cover tightly with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes longer, or until the cabbage and rice and tender and the strata is heated through. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 6.

271 calories, 32 g protein, 25 g carbohydrates, 5 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 75 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 462 mg sodium

Cashew Noodle Casserole

Did you think I had forgotten about you? Of course not - but I haven't done much cooking since the first of the year, when we realized we were going to move in a few weeks. I'm settled in my new place, and have done my first cooking in my new kitchen. Great fun. :)

I adapted this recipe from a Taste of Home cookbook. I changed quantities of most of the ingredients to make it healthier and more economical. It is mild, but quite tasty. If you want to keep some for leftovers, do not add the chow mein noodles before cooking.

Cashew Noodle Casserole

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 4-oz can mushroom pieces, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
2/3 cup milk
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. black pepper
8 oz. fine eggs noodles, cooked and drained
1 cup reduced-fat finely shredded cheddar
1 6-oz package chow mein noodles (I only used half the bag)
1 c. whole cashews

Preheat oven to 350. In a skillet, cook beef and onions over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the mushrooms; set aside. In a bowl, combine the soup, milk, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and pepper. In a 2-qt baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray, layer egg noodles, beef mixture, and soup mixture. Sprinkle with cheese and chow mein noodles. Bake, uncovered for 20 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with cashews. Serves 6-8

Coconut Banana Bread

We operate on a tight budget, and I try not to waste anything. I often find myself hunting for banana recipes, because we never seem to make it through a batch of bananas before the last two or three are too brown to eat. This recipe came from Quick Cooking, and I adapted it just a bit to suit my preferences. Boy, is it good!!! Watch the cooking time, though - mine only needed 45 minutes.

Coconut Banana Bread

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 c. mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
1/2 c. butter, melted
1/2 c. flaked coconut
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, combine eggs, bananas, butter, coconut, and extract. Stir into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in walnuts.

Transfer to loaf pan and bake 50-55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to wire rack.

Chickpea Curry

This recipe came from my friend Elle, and while it may be a carb overdose waiting to happen, it's gu-u-ud! If you can find light coconut milk, you can lessen the fat content a bit. Serve it with rice or couscous.

Chickpea Curry

1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp. garlic
1 tbsp curry powder or curry paste
1 can coconut milk
1 15-oz can chickpeas, rinsed & drained
2-3 medium red potatoes, peeled & diced
1 c green peas (optional)

In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Saute onion and garlic until softened. Stir in curry; mix well and saute 2 minutes longer. Add remaining ingredients. Simmer, covered, from 45-60 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.

Serves 4.

South American Harvest Stew

Boy, it feels good to be cooking again, even though I'm sick and would rather be feeling sorry for myself in bed! I only made three dishes tonight, since spaghetti is on the menu for later this week and I don't like to make it until I'm ready to serve it. This stew, courtesy of my friend Elle, is chunky, low-fat, low-sodium, and unbelievably tasty. If you can find plain frozen winter squash, go for it - otherwise, cut it half and roast at 400 for 40-60 minutes. I used butternut, but acorn, carnival, sugar pumpkin, or golden nugget would work. Let it cool thoroughly before you try to cube it.

South American Harvest Stew

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, any color, diced
4 heaping cups cubed cooked orange winter squash
3 c. cooked corn kernels
28-oz can diced tomatoes, undrained
10-oz red or black beans, drained and rinsed
1 c. water
2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt to taste
hot cooked rice

In a large soup pot over medium heat, warm oil. Add onion and pepper; saute until tender. Add all remaining ingredients except rice. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 15-20 minutes. Serve with rice.

Serves 8

Tropical Breakfast Quinoa

In honor of my foray into the world of vegetarians, I tried quinoa (pronounced keen-wa, in case you were wondering). The seed/grain (not sure exactly how to classify it) doesn't have a great deal of flavor, but it is a complete protein, and tastes pretty good in this experiment I put together this morning. Next time I'm going to add bananas.

Tropical Breakfast Quinoa

1/2 c. quinoa
1 c. water
3 Tbsp. craisins
3 Tbsp. dried pineapple, chopped
1 Tbsp. coconut
1 Tbsp. chopped walnuts
Sugar or splenda to taste, optional

Thoroughly rinse quinoa (this is important - otherwise it can have an icky bitter taste). Bring quinoa and water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for five minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients and simmer until water is absorbed. If desired, add sugar or splenda to sweeten. Serves 2.