Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups

This is a recipe from Skinny Taste, one of my favorite blogs for healthy recipes. I modified it just a bit to up the flavor and downsize the servings and it turned out really great! I added mushrooms because I had some I needed to use up. I don't actually like mushrooms at all - but I chop them up really small and put them in recipes where I won't notice them, just because they are so good for you.

I'll definitely be making these again.

Spinach Lasagna Roll-ups

serves 3 (one roll-up per serving)

3 lasagna noodles, cooked

3-4 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed

2 mushrooms, diced finely

5 oz part-skim ricotta cheese

1 1/2 Tbsp Egg Beaters

1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp Italian seasoning 

1/2 cup favorite pasta sauce (mine is Classico's Roasted Garlic)

3 Tbsp shredded mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay out pre-cooked lasagna noodles onto wax paper - make sure they are completely dry. Prepare baking dish by spreading just enough pasta sauce to cover the bottom, reserve the rest for later.

Mix together thawed spinach, diced mushrooms, ricotta, Egg Beaters, Parmesan, garlic, and Italian seasoning until well combined. Take large spoonfuls and spread mixture evenly across the length of each lasagna noodle. Roll noodles up carefully and place seam-side down in baking dish. Top with remaining pasta sauce and 1 Tbsp mozzarella per roll.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake for about 40 minutes. Cheese should be bubbly! Enjoy!

Low-carb Veggie and Beef Lasagna

So there are those of you out there who may think I'm crazy, since it's obvious from what I post that I LOVE carbs. But the past two weeks I've been on a low-carb kick, eliminating refined sugars and starches from my diet and focusing on lean protein and vegetable-based meals. I still get a reasonable amount of carbs from fruit and a bit of dairy each day, but overall I cut out pasta, breads, rice, and all treats. My go-to dessert was sugar-free Jello. The verdict? I feel great, and lost a few of those pesky pounds lingering from the cruise. I was rarely hungry and actually didn't crave junk food. Unless, of course, I got onto Pinterest and looked at all the desserts I want to make with the onslaught of pumpkin season. 

But back to low-carb. It was fun because it forced me to get creative again with my meal planning. This is just like most other lasagnas you might make, I just subbed the pasta with a layer of spinach and zucchini. With the richness of the ricotta and ground beef, I didn't even miss the pasta!

Low-carb Veggie Lasagna

1 tsp olive oil

1/4 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

6 oz lean ground beef

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp dried parsley

Salt and pepper

1 cup fresh spinach

1 small zucchini, sliced

1 roma tomato, sliced

1/2 cup pasta sauce of choice

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheese of choice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook onions for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute before adding the ground beef. Cook until the pink is gone (drain the beef if desired to reduce fat content). Season with basil, oregano, parsley (or Italian seasoning), and salt and pepper to taste.

In a small baking dish sprayed with cooking spray, layer a spoonful of pasta sauce (just enough to lightly coat). Spread zucchini slices evenly on bottom, then layer the ground beef mixture, spinach, ricotta, and more pasta sauce. Top with sliced tomatoes and shredded cheese.

Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Enjoy!

Serves 2 generously.

Butternut Squash Pizza

I have not always been successful with butternut squash. In fact, 2 out of the 3 dishes I've ever had to completely trash have been butternut squash recipes. 

This, however, was a complete triumph. I really loved it. So much that I called my mom to tell her about it. I knew even if she thought I was crazy for being so excited over a squash that she still had to love me.

Part of the problem with the large squash varieties is that for a lot of recipes you have to peel, seed, and roast for up to an hour, then puree them - in addition to the rest of the prep for the dish. My favorite mac and cheese recipe took me at least 3 hours to make the first time around (it got faster the next time, since I knew what I was doing).

This is a great way to do it because after the initial ten minutes of peeling, seeding, and slicing, it's not a huge time killer. I put it all in a tupperware and just cooked what I needed as I wanted it.

You know how much I love pizza - especially homemade pizza. This is no exception - possibly one of the best pizzas I've ever made!

Butternut Squash Pizza

Whole-wheat pizza dough

1 medium butternut squash, peeled and seeded

1 small onion, red or white variety, sliced

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Mozzarella cheese or Ricotta cheese

Parmesan

Thyme

Rosemary

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. On a baking sheet, toss slices of butternut squash and onion with 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil and spread out evenly. Season with salt and pepper, then roast for about 10-12 minutes until tender (check at about 8 minutes to make sure they're not burning). Remove from oven and set aside, then turn oven heat up to 450 degrees.

Roll your pizza dough out to desired shape and place on a baking sheet (pizza stones are best). Sprinkle thyme and rosemary to taste (I don't love thyme, but it was worth putting a sprinkle or so to complement the squash) over the dough. Spread the cooked squash and onions over the top, then cover with desired amount of cheeses (if using ricotta just drop small spoonfuls around the pizza and cook as is).

Bake in oven for approximately 15 minutes, or until dough is cooked through and cheese is slightly browned and bubbly. Enjoy!

*I make personal pizzas one at a time, which is my preferred method so it's cooked freshly rather than reheating pizza slices later. The dough recipe will usually make 6-8 good-sized slices of pizza, or 6 personal size pizzas.

Vegetable Polenta Lasagna

Never tried polenta before, but lately have wondered more about it. So when I saw it on sale in the "health food" section of Smith's, I grabbed a package. Purists may frown upon buying the pre-cooked, packaged stuff, but whatever. I didn't really want to invest the time on a time-intensive dish that I wasn't sure I'd like, so this was a good alternative.  

Polenta is made with ground yellow or white cornmeal (ground maize), similar to gruel or porridge. Polenta was originally and is still classified as a peasant food in Italy, being in the North the equivalent of pasta in the south – cheap, filling, and readily available. During Roman times, it was a staple of the Roman legions, eaten in porridge or hard cake form. Before the arrival of corn from the New World at the end of the 15th century, polenta was made with starches like farro, millet, spelt or chickpeas. Since the late 20th century polenta has found popularity as a gourmet dish and is served in high-end restaurants as well as sold widely in supermarkets as a specialty item. 

Seeing that it is usually used as a pasta substitute, and finding some recipes online that used it in lasagna, I threw together my own version. Pretty quick and easy, particularly if you have everything pre-diced, which I did the night before. I really liked this, but I'll warn you - it probably isn't family friendly. Definitely for the health-food junkie.

Vegetable Polenta Lasagna

18 oz pre-packaged polenta, sliced into about 12 thin rounds

1 cup pasta sauce

1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil

Sprinkle red pepper flakes

1 tsp minced garlic

¼ cup diced onion

¼ cup diced eggplant

¼ cup diced bell pepper

¼ cup diced zucchini

¼ cup diced yellow squash

1 large tomato, sliced thinly

1 cup fresh chopped swiss chard or spinach

2/3 cup low-fat cottage cheese (or ricotta)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray polenta slices with cooking spray and bake for about 8-10 minutes on a prepared cookie sheet, flipping halfway through.

Meanwhile, sauté diced onion, eggplant, zucchini, squash, and bell pepper in 1 tsp olive oil until tender-crisp, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to let drain a bit.

When polenta is done, layer enough slices to cover the bottom of a prepared baking dish (8x8 worked for me). Top with a thin layer of pasta sauce, swiss chard or spinach, sliced fresh tomatoes, veggie mixture, 1/3 cup cottage cheese, and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat with remaining ingredients, finishing with 1 Tbsp shredded Parmesan.

Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes.

Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Linguine with Garlic Spinach and Broiled Tomatoes

This was really simple but so delicious and gourmet-looking. Sort of. I like to flatter myself sometimes. It seems like a lot of steps, but if you read the entire recipe through beforehand and time everything correctly, it will be done in no time at all. It's worth it, especially if you like tomatoes. And cheese. And garlic.

Linguine with Garlic Spinach and Broiled Tomatoes

2 oz whole-wheat linguine

2 tsp olive oil

1 cup chopped fresh spinach

3-4 cloves minced fresh garlic

Sprinkle red pepper flakes, to taste

1 large tomato, sliced

1-2 oz cheese, mozzarella, parmesan, or provolone work best

Salt and pepper

Boil a small pot of water and set your oven to broil. Chop your spinach and garlic, then slice your tomato and lay on a paper towel to collect some of the moisture. 

When water boils, cook your pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, place tomatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil and lightly covered in cooking spray. Season tomatoes with salt and pepper, top with cheese, and broil for 3-5 minutes, or until cheese is bubbling and slightly browned on top (don't leave the oven while you do this, it will burn quickly if you're not watching!). 

Heat olive oil in a small saucepan. Add garlic and red pepper, cooking for about 45 seconds until very fragrant. Add spinach and cook until wilted. When pasta is done cooking and drained, toss with spinach and garlic oil and put on serving dish. Layer the broiled tomatoes on top and voila! You've got a very healthy and delicious meal in front of you. 

Serves 2.

Enjoy!

Gnocchi Marinara

This is super yummy, and pretty easy. You can always make your own gnocchi (pronounced nyo-key), but that's a bit too time-intensive for me, so I just buy it in the pasta aisle.

Gnocchi Marinara

16 oz. dry potato gnocchi

3 tsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, peeled

3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped

pinch of red pepper flakes

3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Cook gnocchi according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until golden - about 5 minutes. Use a garlic press to add garlic (or mince finely), then add tomatoes, basil, and red pepper flakes. Cook until the tomatoes have broken down to form a thick sauce, about 20 minutes. Add the gnocchi and toss to coat. Serve immediately, sprinkled with cheese.

Makes 4-6 servings.

It was very light, and tasted very...European, if that makes any sense. The fresh ingredients make all the difference, and I used Roma tomatoes so that added to the Italian flavor. If you've ever been to Italy and eaten the food there, you know what I mean! If not, go to Italy!

Bon appetit!

Stromboli and Homemade Alfredo Sauce

General Conference weekend was great this year - we had a bunch of family over and it was full of good food, good company, and some wonderfully spiritual direction from our church leaders.

On Sunday between sessions I caught a "hankering" for something with homemade dough. We were just so lucky that we had a nice signed copy of the Our Best Bites cookbook full of good, doughy recipes. So I started the dough and let it rise during the second session, then cooked my little heart out so we had a gourmet dinner. The Alfredo sauce from scratch was done on a total whim. I actually used some of the new Philadelphia cooking creme that's been all the rage lately, and it was seriously delicious!

My nephew also just submitted his papers to serve a mission for the church, so in his honor (since his dad went to Italy and there are some bets going on that he might go, too) I thought it was appropriate to go Italian.

Spinach-Chicken Stromboli

modified from Our Best Bites Cookbook

Dough:

1 1/2 cups warm water (105-115 degrees F)

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp active dry or bread machine yeast

1/2 tsp salt

3 - 4 cups flour, divided

In a large bowl (or bowl of your mixer), combine water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand for 10 minutes until yeast bubbles. Add salt and stir, then add 1 1/2 cups flour and mix well. Gradually add more flour (between 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 cups) until dough starts to pull away from sides of bowl and barely sticks to your finger.

Spray a metal or glass bowl with cooking spray and place dough in - cover and let rise for 45 minutes or until doubled in size. 

Remove from the bowl and place on a floured surface. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray, then roll dough into a rectangle about 12x15 inches. 

Filling:

2 tsp olive oil, divided

1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided

1 cup shredded mozzarella

2 cups fresh spinach leaves

8 oz shredded, cooked chicken

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Brush 1 1/2 tsp olive oil over the surface of rolled out dough. Evenly sprinkle Italian seasoning and 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese on top. Keeping remaining toppings one inch away from edges, evenly spread spinach, chicken, tomatoes, and mozzarella over dough.

Working from the long end of the rectangle, roll up from one end to the other and pinch seam shut. Place seam-side down on prepared baking sheet, brush remaining 1/2 tsp olive oil on top and sprinkle with remaining 1 Tbsp Parmesan. Gently cut 3 slits along top of roll. 

Bake in oven for 15-12 minutes until top is golden brown. Cool for 10-15 minutes before slicing into 1-inch slices. Serve with marinara...or homemade Alfredo sauce!

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

1/4 cup butter

4 oz Neufchatel (or 1/3 less fat) cream cheese

1 tsp garlic powder

1 cup milk (I used skim and it worked fine)

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle of black pepper to taste

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add cream cheese and garlic powder, stirring with a wire whisk until smooth. Add milk, a bit at a time, whisking to smooth out lumps. Stir in Parmesan and pepper. Cook gently until sauce reaches desired thickness and remove from heat. Sauce will thicken quickly so add more milk if too thick. Serve in a dipping dish with Stromboli slices and enjoy!