Crash, Boom, Bash

Just a couple quick videos of my chitlins. Neither child is very coordinated in these.

Up first....Ben's first car accident


Up next...Madelyn

Harvest Moon Macaroni

I was craving some serious comfort food and bored at work. The solution....search the internet for new recipes. I found this one on Food Network, courtesy of Rachael Ray. The critics (Nick and Ben) gave 2 thumbs up! I couldn't find frozen butternut squash so I bought a fresh one and baked it before using. I chopped it but I would suggest mashing it for a smoother texture.

Ingredients

1 lb macaroni (I used penne)

2 TBSP olive oil

1 onion - finely chopped

3 garlic cloves - finely chopped

2 TBSP fresh thyme - finely chopped (I used dried and just used less)

3 TBSP butter

3 TBSP flour

1 c. chicken stock

1 1/2 c. whole milk (I used low fat buttermilk to keep the creaminess but lessen the fat content)

salt and pepper

nutmeg

10 oz box frozen butternut squash - defrosted

hot sauce

1 c. grated Parmesan

1 c. extra sharp yellow chedder (I bought a block and grated it myself)

parsley

1 tsp sweet paprika

Instructions

Bring water to a boil. Season with salt and cook macaroni to al dente

Preheat broiler and place rack in middle of the oven

Heat the oil in a sauce pot over medium heat, saute onions and garlic until soft - 6-7 min and stir in the thyme

Scoot onions off to side of pan and melt butter, whisk flour into butter and combind whisk 1 minute then whisk in stock and milk, season sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook until thickened, about 3-4 minutes

Stir in butternut squash and a few dashes of hot sauce. Reduce heat. When sauce comes to a bubble, stir in parmesan. Combine the sauce and macaroni, transfer to a casserole dish and top with shredded yellow chedder, parsley and paprika. Brown the macaroni under broiler - 4-5 minutes until brown and bubbly.

Cilantro Shrimp and Corn Salsa

It has been awhile since I made dinner and Nick is still raving over this one. I have to agree with him. Delish! I would highly recommend grilling the corn, although you can use canned or frozen is time is a factor.

Grilled Corn and Avocado Salsa

Ingredients

3 medium corn on the cob, grilled, cooled to room temperature
1/2 cup(s) scallion(s), white and green parts, chopped
1 medium jalapeno pepper(s), cored, seeded and minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
1 small garlic clove(s), minced
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 medium avocado, ripe, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice, from 1 medium lime
2 Tbsp cilantro, fresh, minced

Instructions

Break each ear of corn in half; place flat end on cutting board and using a sharp paring knife, slice kernels off cob. Place kernels in a medium bowl; add scallion, jalapeno, red pepper flakes, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate if not using right away.
Just before serving, stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro. Yields about 1/4 cup per serving.

Shrimp with Chile-Cilantro Rub

Ingredients

1 bunch cilantro, chopped coarsely
1 habanero chile, chopped
4 shallots, chopped
2 lemons, zested
2 limes, zested and juiced to 1/4 cup (juice more limes if necessary)
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 vegetable oil
16 jumbo shrimp, cleaned, deveined
8 skewers
Marinade
1/4 bunch cilantro leaves, as garnish

Instructions

Puree all marinade ingredients in a blender. Reserve 2 tablespoons of marinade.
Skewer shrimp and place in marinade and refrigerate.

After shrimp has marinated 2 to 3 hours, grill for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, making sure they are fully cooked.
Serve with a drizzle of the reserved marinade and cilantro, as garnish.

Milanese Risotto with Scallops and Asparagus

I stole this concept from Ntina and reproduced it at home. This was my first time making risotto and I don't think I cooked it long enough because it wass still a little crunchy but the flavor was great. I just seared scallops and blanced some asparagus so I won't include those recipes here.

Ingredients

2 good pinches of saffron threads

6 TBSP butter

1 large onion - chopped finely

2 garlic cloves - minced

3 c. risotto rice

2/3 c. dry white wine

5 c. boiling vegetable bouillon

3/4 c. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Put the saffron into a small bowl, cover with 3-4 TBSP of boiling water and let soak while you prepare the risotto.

2. Melt 4 TBSP of the butter in a pan over low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft but not colored. Add the rice and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the grains are coated in butter and starting to color.

3. Add the wine to the rice and simmer gently, stirring from time to time, until it is all absorbed.

4. Add the boiling bouillon a little at a time, about 5/8 cup, cooking until the liquid is fully absorbed before adding more, and stirring frequently.

5. When all the bouillon has been absorbed (this should take about 20 minutes), the rice should be tender but not soft and soggy. Add the saffron liquid, parmesan cheese and remaining butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes until piping hot and thoroughly mixed.

6. Cover the pan tightly and let stand for 5 minutes off the heat. Give a good stir and serve.

Summer Vegetable Stew Gratin

So now that I have new appliances, I have started cooking again. I was definitely getting sick of eating out during the transition of the move and am excited to be able to post some recipes again. This one comes from Weight Watchers and is another one of those "you won't believe the portion size" recipes. I put it in a 8x8 baking dish and you get 1/4 of it for your serving. The bread crumbs make you feel like you are chowing down on carbs without having to pay for it on the scale. Give it a try!

Ingredients

1 med onion - thinly sliced

2 med zucchini - thinly sliced

2 med garlic cloves - minced

14oz canned stewed tomatoes with Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried and crumbled rosemary

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 c. dried bread crumbs

3 TBSP. grated Parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450.

2. Coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over med heat. Add onion, zucchini, and garlic. Saute until softened, about 6 min. If pan becomes too dry, add 1-2 TBSP of water.

3. Stir in tomatoes, oregano, rosemary and cayenne. Increase heat to high and boil until almost all liquid has evaporated.

4. Put veggies into a shallow, 1 qt. baking dish and sprinkle with bread crumbs and cheese.

5. Bake until bubbling and nicely browned on top, about 10 min.

Serving size: 1/4 of dish - 2 points

Brown Rice Casserole - Mexican Style

This is a vegetarian Weight Watchers recipe that went over very well. I ate the leftovers for days and would just keep adding salsa if it dried out in the fridge at all. Nick added more cilantro to his and Ben added more cheese. Another one of the mammoth portions that you can't believe is actually decently low in points. Overall, very good.

Ingredients

1 spray(s) cooking spray
4 cup(s) cooked brown rice
1 1/4 cup(s) salsa
1 tsp ground cumin
15 oz canned refried beans
10 oz frozen corn kernels, thawed
4 oz canned green chili peppers, mild, diced
1 tbsp chili powder
10 oz chopped frozen spinach, thawed and set to drain in a strainer over a bowl

3/4 cup(s) low-fat shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 tbsp cilantro, fresh, chopped (optional; for garnish)

Instructions

1.Preheat oven to 375ºF. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with cooking spray

2. In a large bowl, combine rice, salsa and cumin. Spoon 2 cups of rice mixture into prepared baking dish and spread out to evenly cover bottom of dish.

3. In another large bowl, combine refried beans, corn, chili peppers and chili power. Using a rubber spatula, scrape bean mixture on top of rice layer and smooth out top.

4. Squeeze out any excess water from spinach and then spread on top of bean layer; sprinkle with 6 tablespoons of cheese. Top with remaining rice mixture and smooth out top; sprinkle with remaining cheese.

5. Place casserole on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch any spillage. Bake until heated through and cheese is browned and bubbling, about 30 minutes.

6. Sprinkle with cilantro (if desired), cut into 6 pieces and serve.

Serving size: 1 slice - 6 points

Baked Blueberry Peach French Toast

I started making this on Saturday morning and as I was pulling it out of the oven, Nick reminded me that we were meeting his parents for lunch at 11am. It was 10:30. So, into the fridge the dish went and we ate it the next day. I think I would cook it a little longer because it tasted a little mushy to me. Either that or sticking it in the fridge overnight might have messed it up too. FYI - you can make it up until the point that you have to bake it. Cover it and then just cook it when you're ready. Nick and Ben both liked it.

Ingredients

16 slices light whole wheat bread - I don't know what they are talking about here. I only used 12ish and that was cramming them together.

1 c. blueberries - fresh OR frozen - thawed

1 c. peaches - chopped - fresh OR frozen - thawed

2 1/2 cc. fat free skim milk

2 c. fat free egg substitute

2 TBSP sugar

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 TBSP powdered sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400.

2. Arrange 8 (or in my case, 6) slices of bread in bottom of a 9x13 inch basking dish, squishing slices together to make one layer. Sprinkle blueberries and peaches over top.

3. In a med. bowl, whisk together milk, egg substitute, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Pour half of milk mixture over fruit and top with another layer of bread. Pour remaining milk mixture over bread. Using a spatula, press top layer of bread down to saturate with milk mixture.

4. Cover dish with foil and bake 20 min. Uncover and bake until egg mixture is set and top is golden brown, about 10 min more. Cool slightly before sifting powdered sugar over top. Slice into 8 pieces.

Serving size - 1 piece - 4 points

Baked Mac & Cheese plus Broccoli with Cheese Sauce

Mac and cheese that is waist line friendly!!! I made it while Nick ran to the store and ended up leaving it in the oven for an extra 10 min waiting for him to get home, which soaked up some of the extra cheese. I used some of the cheese sauce from the broccoli and it was still super yummy!! I would definitely recommend this one!! The broccoli was good. I was indifferent to the cheese sauce but added it anyway in an attempt to convince Ben that veggies can be tasty. He said "I didn't mind them". He is too funny. He has started figuring out that I count the points to everything and now he wants to know how many points are in the foods he eats. Interesting twist - he thinks the most points wins! Nick tried telling him it's like golf but I think it got lost in translation.

Mac & Cheese Ingredients

12 oz. uncooked macaroni, elbow type - I used Ronzoni Smart Taste which shaves off a point

1/2 c. fat free sour cream

12 oz. fat free evaporated milk

8 oz. low fat chedder - shredded

1 TBSP. dijon mustard

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

2 TBSP dried bread crumbs

2 TBSP grated parmesan cheese

Mac & Cheese Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and transfer to a bowl. While pasta is still hot, stir in sour cream and set aside.

3. Heat milk in a small saucepan over med heat until tiny bubbles appear just around the edges. Apparently, this is called scalding. Reduce heat to low, add cheese and simmer until cheese melts, stirring constantly with a wire whisk, about 2 min. Remove from heat and stir in mustard, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

4. Add cheese mixture to pasta and mix well. Transfer to a 3 quart casserole dish.

5. Combine bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over pasta.

6. Bake until top is golden. About 30 min.

Broccoli Ingredients

1 lb. fresh broccoli florets

1 1/2 c. fat free skim milk

2 TBSP flour

3/4 c. low fat shredded chedder

2 tsp. dijon mustard

3/4 tsp salt

Broccoli Instructions

1. Steam broccoli until crisp-tender. I threw it in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap and threw it in the microwave for about 5 min. Drain off excess water once steamed.

2. Meanwhile, in a med saucepan, whisk together milk and flour until blended. Place over med/high heat and bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce heat to low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 min. Remove from heat. (as I type this I just realized I skipped the whole thickening step...I guess that explains why my sauce was a little runny) Whisk in cheese until melted. Whisk in mustard and salt.

3. Pour sauce over broccoli and toss until coated. FYI - there is a lot of cheese sauce for the amount of broccoli. I served the broccoli and then drizzled cheese sauce over top. Or you can add more broccoli to the recipe.

Serving size - Mac & Cheese - 1 c. - 5 points - 4 points with ronzoni pasta. Broccoli - 1 c. - 2 points

Weight Watchers Cheese Sticks

Weight Watchers did this whole special on remaking comfort food so I printed a lot of the recipes. This was one of them. I am using the stock photo because I kept them in the oven about 30 seconds too long and the cheese melted just a bit too much and they turned into cheese patties instead of cheese sticks. They still tasted fabulous but not so pretty. Anyway, my only recommendation is to pay attention to the time because if you miss the point to take them out you end up with mush. Also, I want to share a grocery store find that I use in this recipe. Aunt Millie's Fiber for Life bread - 2 slices for just 1 point. 1 slice is actually ZERO points.

Ingredients

2 sprays olive oil cooking spray

8 oz. canned tomato sauce

2 tsp. ground oregano

3 slices reduced calorie wheat bread - torn

1 tsp. dried thyme

8 oz. park skim mozzarella cheese - cut into 8 finger-like shapes

2 TBSP. honey mustard

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. In a small saucepan, combine tomato sauce and 1 tsp. of oregano. Set pan over low heat and simmer 10 min.

3. Meanwhile, in a food processor (or blender, in my case - see previous post) combine bread, remaining tsp. oregano and thyme. Process until mixture resembles fine crumbs. Place crumbs in shallow bowl.

4. Coat cheese sticks with honey mustard. Transfer cheese to bread crumb mixture and turn to coat. Arrange cheese on prepared baking sheet and lightly coatt with cooking spray.

5. Bake until golden brown - about 4-5 min. Serve with warmed tomato sauce on the side.

Serving size - 2 sticks and 1/4 c. sauce - 4 points

Stuffed Shells and Zucchini Flan

The shells were tasty and super cheesy. The recipe calls for canned sauce but I would add some seasoning to it just to jazz it up a bit. Other than that, super easy and yummy. The zucchini flan was delicious! I actually ate the leftovers for breakfast the next day. I used a grater to shred the zucchini and it worked but took forever. I would definitely recommend a food processor if you have one. Nick and I have added that to the mental wedding registry list.

Stuffed Shells Ingredients

1 c. part skim ricotta cheese

1 c. fat free cottage cheese

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1 TBSP dried oregano

1/4 tsp. black pepper

3 c. canned tomato sauce

1 lb. cooked jumbo shell pasta - approx. 24 shells

Stuffed Shells Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Mix together cheeses, salt, garlic powder, oregano and pepper.

3. Spread a few spoonfuls of tomato sauce on bottom of a 9x13 in. dish.

4. When cookeed shells are cool enough to handle, fill each shell with cheese mixture and place in baking dish. Side note: make sure you get a good grip on the shell, they are slippery little buggers. When all the shells are in dish, spoon remaining tomato sauce over shells. Cover pan and bake for 20 min.

Zucchini Flan Ingredients

7 small zucchini - trimmed and shredded

2 sprays olive oil cooking spray

4 large eggs - beaten

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. fresh oregano - minced OR 1/4 tsp. dried

1/3 c. parsley - minced (I just used dried, aboout 1 TBSP)

1/2 c. crumbled feta cheese (I found fat free and used that - tasted the same to me)

1/2 c. grated parmesan cheese

1 1/2. TBSP olive oil

Zucchini Flan Instructions

1. Steam, parboil, or microwave shredded zucchini until soft but not mushy, about 2-7 mintues, depending on the cooking method. Drain thoroughly and allow to cool.

2. Preheat oven to 375. Coat a 9x13 inch baking dish wiith cooking spray.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked zucchini, eggs, salt, pepper, oregano, parsley, feta, parmesan and oil. Pour into a prepared baking dish. Bake until center sets, about 3o min. Allow to cool for at least 5 min before cutting into 12 pieces. Serve hot, warm or chilled.

Serving size - 4 shells - 4 points & 1 piece of flan - 2 points

Vegetable Lasagna

Another Weight Watchers veggie laz recipe. The one I posted quite awhile ago didn't have any cheese in it. This one is absolutely loaded with cheese. Also, Ben (the 6 year old) loves this recipe. It calls for shredded carrots and I would suggest buying shredded carrots instead of trying to shred baby carrots; majoy PITA! Again, I subbed the Ronzoni lasagna noodles in place of whole wheat noodles (same points value). I cook the pasta while doing steps 2 and 3. It saves a little time and all of the components need to cool before assembling.

Ingredients

9 lasagna noodles - cooked and drained - I don't remember where I read this but if you cool your noodles by laying them out on foil they don't stick to each other and get all nasty and tear.

8 tsp. olive oil

1 onion - chopped

2 garlic cloves - chopped

1 tsp. dried basil

28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1/4 c. tomato paste

1 tsp. salt

2 zucchini - halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

4 carrots - shredded

30 oz. fat free ricotta cheese

2 c. fat free mozzarella - shredded

1 egg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9x13 inch pan with nonstick spray.

2. Heat 4 tsp of the oil in a large saucepan over med/high heat. Add the onion, garlic and basil. Cook, stirring occasionally until softened, about 2 min. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste and 1/2 tsp of the salt. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cool sauce 10 min.

3. Heat the remaining 4 tsp of oil in a large nonstick skillet over med/high heat. Add zucchini and cook, stirring occasionally until lightly browned, about 6 min. Add the carrots and the remaining 1/2 tsp. of salt; cook, stirring occassionally, until carrots soften, about 4 min. Remove the skillet from the heat and cook the veggie mixture 10 min.

4. Combine the ricotta cheese, 1.5 c. of the mozz ceese and the egg in a bowl.

5. Spread 1/3 of the sauce over the bottom of the pan. Top with 3 noodles. Spread half of the cheese mix over the noodles. Top with half of the veggies and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat layering the 3 noodles, remaining half of cheese and the veggies. Top with the remaining 3 noodles, 1/3 sauce and 1/2 c. mozz cheese.

6. Cover the lasagna with foil and bake about 35 min. Uncoverand bake until the lasagna is hot and bubbly - 10-12 min. Let stand 10 min before serving.

Serving size - 1/8 of lasagna - 7 points

Eggplant Parmesan

This might be my favorite Weight Watchers recipe. I ate all the leftovers myself for lunch over the next couple days. The serving size is huge for a very tiny points value. It serves 4 and is only 3 points per serving. I served it over pasta the first time and then ate the leftovers alone. Both ways are delicious!!

Ingredients

1/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs - Italian style

1 TBSP. grated parmesan cheese

1 tsp. italian season - I used basil and oregano and just threw a bunch in

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 med. raw eggplant

2 large egg whites - lightly beaten

1 1/2 c. canned tomato sauce

1/3 c. part skim mozzarella cheese - shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. (Picture in your mind how big of a portion 1/4 of a 9x13 baking dish is and realize how much food you can eat!)

2. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, italian seasoning and garlic powder into bowl. Remove skin from eggplant and trim off ends. Slice into 1/2 inch thick slices.

3. Dip eggplant into egg whites and then into bread crumb mixture. Bake eggplant on a nonstick cookie sheet until lightly browned - about 20-25 min. Flip once, halfway through.

4. Place a layer of eggplant on bottom of prepared baking dish. Add 1/3 of tomato sauce and 1/3 of mozz. Repeat with 2 more layers in the same order. Bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling - about 10 min. Slice into pieces and serve.

Spinach Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

I'm beginning to notice a lot of the food I post looks the same. It seems to have the red, white and green theme going. I promise they all taste very different. This had a really good flavor because of the dressing. I am always amazed at how much spinach shrinks down when you cook it. I would definitely serve it with a carb since the mushroom is stuffed with only veggies. Nick and I had it as a side on a leftover day.

Ingredients

4 large portobello mushrooms

1/4 c. italian dressing - divided

1/4 c. red pepper - chopped

2 cloves garlic - minced

20 oz. fresh spinach

1/4 c. parmesan cheese - I used the shredded, not the grated but either would work

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375. Cut off stems from mushrooms. Chop and set aside. Scrape out gills from mushroom caps and discard gills. Brush 1 TBSP of dressing onto rounded sides of caps. Place, rounded sides down, on foil lined baking sheet.

2. Heat remaining dressing on med high heat. Add mushroom stems, red pepper and garlic. Cook and stir for 2 min. Add spinach. Reduce heat to med low. Cover and simmer until spinach is wilted - about 4 min. Stir after 2 min though. Spoon evenly over mushroom caps and sprinkle with cheese.

3. Bake 18-20 min or until mushrooms are tender.

Steak and Potatoes (w/ a side of Green Beans)

The steak is an Emeril recipe and the green beans are weight watchers. I did the baked potato all on my own :) The steak is with a garlic butter sauce which was very yummy. We modified the recipe (I included the original below) since we weren't going to eat as much meat at it called for. We ended up splitting one steak. The green beans were with carmelized shallots. I like using shallots because they taste similar to onion but Nick who doesn't really like onions, likes shallots.

Ingredients - Steak

4 ribeye steaks - each about 1 1/2 inches thick

1 TBSP salt

2 TBSP olive oil

4 TBSP unsalted butter, divided

4 TBSP minced garlic, divided

Instructions - Steak

1. Season the steaks evenly on all sides with the salt and let come to room temp for at least 20 min.

2. Heat a large saute pan over med high heat and add olive oil. When oil is almost smoking, add 1 TBSP plus 1 tsp of the butter. Add the steaks and cook, undisturbed for 6 min - or until well browned on the first side.

3. Turn the steaks over and top each steak with 1 TBSP of garlic and 2 tsps of the remaining butter. Continue to cook the steaks on the second side for 5 min for med rare.

4. Remove the pan from heat, tilt pan slightly to remove some excess rendered fat from the pan. Turn steaks so that garlic and butter are in the pan. Allow steaks to sit for 15 seconds. Transfer steaks to a platter and pour the garlic butter drippings over the steaks. Allow steaks to rest for 5 min before serving.

Ingredients - Green Beans

1 1/2 lbs fresh green beans - trimmed

2 tsp olive oil

6 med shallots - peeled and thinly sliced

2 TBSP fresh parsley - chopped

2 1/2 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp minced garlic

salt and pepper

Instructions - Green Beans

1. Heat a large pot of water to a simmer. Steam green beans until tender - about 5 min. Run steamed beans under cold water for 30 seconds to stop cooking and set aside
2. Heat oil in large skillet. Add shallots and cook, stirring often (add a little water if they start to stick), until golden and tender - about 5 min.

3. Add green beans to skillet and toss over med heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, toss to mix and coat.

Shrimp, Tortellini, Spinach

This is a quick dish to make and tastes great. The best part is the minimal amount of prep work.

Ingredients

1 pkg refrigerated tortellini

1/4 c Italian dressing

garlic - minced

14.5 oz can diced tomatoes - undrained

3/4 lb cooked cleaned shrimp - I used the frozen kind, size small

6 oz spinach leaves

1/4 c fresh basil - chopped

parmesan cheese

Instructions

1. Cook tortellini according to package instructions.

2. Heat dressing over medium/high heat. Add garlic - cook 1 min. Add tomatoes and shrimp. Bring just to a boil. Stir in spinach and cover - simmer 1-2 min. Stir occasionally.

3. Stir in tortellini and basil - simmer uncovered 3-4 min. Stir occasionally until sauce thickens.

4. Serve topped with parmesan cheese.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

I am working on losing about 20 pounds before the wedding so there are going to be a lot of "healthy" recipes on here for awhile. This is another weight watchers recipe that turned out well. There is no marinara sauce, pureed veggies are used instead. Most whole wheat pastas have a weird taste to me but the whole wheat lasagna noodles worked fine.

Grocery store find: Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta - saves 30 calories per serving and ups the fiber by 4 grams. Also, tastes exactly the same as other white pastas.

Ingredients

3 medium raw eggplant - cut into 1/2 inch pieces

3 medium red peppers - chopped - I used 4

4 small tomatoes - seeded and chopped

4 medium garlic cloves - peeled and chopped

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp salt or to taste

1/4 tsp pepper or to taste

9 lasagna noodles - cooked and drained - tip: place noodles separately on foil to prevent sticking while cooling

1/4 c parmesan cheese - can always add more

3/4 c mozzarella cheese - again, add more for any other cheese fanatics out there

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F

2. In roasting pan, combine veggies, garlic and oil. Bake until veggies are tender, stir occasionally - approx 25min

3. Place 1/2 of veggies, salt, pepper and 1/2 c of water into food processor and process until smooth - I added crushed red pepper for more spice

4. Spoon 1/2 c of veggie puree into bottom of 9x13 baking dish. Place 3 noodles over puree

top with 1/2 c puree, 1/2 of remaining veggies, parm cheese and mozz. Repeat layers and top with remaining noodles, puree and cheeses

5. Bake until bubbly - approx 40 min