Rigatoni with Roasted Asparagus, Toasted Walnuts and Balsamic Butter

I changed the original recipe ever so slightly.

Ingredients:
1 lb asparagus
1 T olive oil
salt & pepper
1/2 c plus 2 T balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp brown sugar (or white sugar + molasses)
1 lb pasta, whatever shape you like. I used rigatoni
1/4 lb butter/margarine (I used Blue Bonnet)
1/3 c shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 c walnuts, toasted in microwave

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400. Snap the ends off the asparagus and cut the remaining spears into 1" pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. Roast until tender, 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 T remain. Stir in the brown sugar and 1/4 tsp pepper. Remove from heat.
3. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain; toss with butter, vinegar, asparagus, cheese, and walnuts. Sprinkle with salt to taste.
Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 477
Fat: 19.5g
Saturated: 3.5g
Cholesterol: 3.5mg
Carbs: 63g
Fiber: 4.5g
Sugar: 6.5g
Protein: 13.5g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 4

Vegetable Sesame Noodles

I made a variation of this tonight. It is really good! You can use whatever vegetables you have... it's a great way to use them up!!

Ingredients:
6 oz. whole wheat pasta
1 c. frozen shelled edamame
1/4 c lite (low sodium) soy sauce
1 T oil (I used grapeseed)
1 T sesame seed oil
1 T seasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
4 c chopped veggies, such as
------2 c radishes
------1/2 c each celery, green beans, red bell peppers and broccoli

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. (Chop your veggies in the meantime.) Put frozen edamame in a colander and drain the pasta over the edamame. (I was skeptical of this un-freezing the edamame but it totally worked!)
Whisk together the liquids. Add pasta, edamame and other veggies. Mix with your hands.
You can sprinkle with sesame seeds if you want but I was hungry and forgot!!
Makes 8 cups.

Nutritional Information: (2 cups)
Calories: 300
Fat: 9g
Saturated fat: 0.8g
Carbs: 42g
Fiber: 3.5g
Protein: 12g

Tortellini and Garden Vegetable Bake

Orignal recipe found here. I changed it just a bit to make it vegetarian and take out the yucky tomatoes.

Ingredients:

18 oz refrigerated cheese tortellini

1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

1-1/2 c sugar snap peas, halved crosswise
1 T butter
1 c sliced fresh mushrooms
1/3 c vegetable broth
1-1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 c milk
8 oz 1/3 less fat cream cheese, cubed
1 T lemon juice

1 green pepper, chopped

Directions:

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions, adding the carrot during the last 5 minutes of cooking and the sugar snap peas during the last 1 minute of cooking; drain.

2. Meanwhile, heat butter in a 12" skillet. Add mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet.

3. Shake together veggie broth, oregano, flour, garlic salt, and pepper in a sealed container until smooth. Add to skillet along with milk. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly; add cream cheese. Cook and stir until cream cheese is smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice. Add pasta mixture and green pepper. Toss to coat. Turn into an ungreased 13x9x2-inch baking dish or shallow 3-quart casserole.

4. Bake, covered, in a 350 degrees F oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until heated through. Stir.

If desired, top with parmesan cheese.

The recipe says it makes 12 servings but I sure don't think we got that many out of it!

• Make Ahead Tip: Prepare as directed but don't bake it. Instead, cover and chill up to 24 hours. Bake, covered, in a 350 degrees F oven about 55 minutes or until hot.

Nutritional Info: (Not my calculation-- from website based on 12 svgs with chicken) 

Calories: 247

Fat: 12g

Saturated: 5g

Carbs: 17g

Fiber: 1g

Protein: 15g

Ratings:

Kristen: 3

Dave: 3

Yeah, we thought this one was just okay. Didn't take a picture.

Veggie Lasagna

My friend Michelle made this when Dave and I had dinner with her and Jeff before we moved to Arizona. It was DELICIOUS so I asked her for the recipe. :)

Ingredients:
9 lasagna noodles
10 oz frozen spinach
10 oz frozen broccoli
10 oz shredded carrots
8 oz mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
Cooking spray
30 oz low fat ricotta cheese
8 oz sliced provolone cheese
1/2 c milk (1%)
2 c part skim mozzarella cheese
pepper, onion powder, italian seasoning, oregano, garlic powder

Directions:
Boil noodles according to package directions.
Meanwhile, thaw spinach in microwave, drain, and put in bowl. Thaw the broccoli in the microwave and add to the bowl. Heat the carrots in some water in the microwave, drain, and add to bowl.
Saute mushrooms in cooking oil, sprinkle with pepper. Drain, add to bowl.
Add the ricotta cheese and 1c of the mozzarella to the bowl. Mix in milk. Season as you wish. I used pepper, onion powder, italian seasoning, oregano and garlic powder. Mix well.
Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray and lay 3 lasagna noodles along the bottom. Spread half of the cheese/veggie mixture on top, and top with 3 slices of cheese. Layer 3 more noodles on top, the other half of the cheese/veggie mixture, and 2 slices of mozzarella. (I suppose ideally your package of provolone would have 9 slices of cheese in it, but mine didn't.) Layer the last 3 noodles on top of this and top with the remaining 3 slices of provolone and 1 c of mozzarella.
Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes or until the cheese on top is bubbly.
Makes 12 servings.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 271

Fat: 11g

Saturated: 6.5g 

Carbs: 24.5g

Fiber: 3g

Protein: 19g

Ratings:

Kristen: 5

Dave: 4

(PS I don't know what happened to this picture but I'm sick of messing with it!!)

Spinach Spaghetti with Walnut-Arugula Pesto

Wanted to try a new arugula recipe. Here it is!

Ingredients:
2 garlic cloves
3 oz walnut pieces (about 3/4 c), toasted and cooled
4 oz arugula
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1 oz Parma! Vegan Parmesan
1 lb spinach spaghetti (like Hodgson Mills)
1 T grapeseed oil
Freshly ground pepper

Directions:
1. In a food processor, pulse garlic until very finely chopped. Add walnut pieces and arugula; process until a coarse paste forms, about 5 seconds. Transfer to a serving bowl. Stir in the salt and parmesan cheese, and set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add spaghetti, and cook until al dente according to package instructions, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander, and immediately add to bowl with walnut-arugula mixture. Drizzle with the oil, and season with pepper. Toss thoroughly until coated evenly. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings.

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 304

Fat: 10g

Saturated: 1g

Carbs: 43.5g

Fiber: 7g

Protein: 11g

Ratings:

Kristen: 3

Dave: 2

Sesame Noodles with Broccoli and Peppers

I changed the original recipe a little bit, especially to pare down the serving size. Dear Martha Stewart, a serving size of pasta is 2 oz!!

Ingredients:
4 oz spaghetti
1 stalk of broccoli, chopped into florets, stalk peeled and chopped (Mine was 5-1/3 oz)
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, cut into thin slices (Mine was 4-1/3 oz)
2 T creamy peanut butter
1/2 T sugar
1 T + 1 tsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 T + 1 tsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

Directions:
1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook spaghetti 3 minutes less than al dente. Add broccoli and bell peppers. Cook until pasta is al dente and vegetables are tender, 3 minutes more. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta and vegetables.
2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together peanut butter, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, oil, garlic, and red-pepper flakes. Add hot pasta and vegetables; toss to coat, thinning sauce with a little pasta water, if necessary. (I didn't need any.) Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Makes 2 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 405
Fat: 11.5g
Saturated: 2g
Carbs: 59.5g
Fiber: 6.5g
Protein: 15g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4

Lemony Pasta with Zucchini and Pine Nuts

Here's the original recipe. I just omitted the chicken for mine.

Ingredients:
4 oz pasta, shape of your choice
1/2 T olive oil
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise, sliced into 1/2" thick pieces
onion powder
2 T pine nuts
1-1/2 T lemon juice
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes


Directions:
Prepare pasta according to package directions.
Heat oil in a small skillet. Add zucchini, onion powder, pine nuts, and red pepper flakes and saute until zucchini is nicely browned (about 5 min).

Reduce heat and add lemon juice.
Serve over pasta.

Makes 2 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 309
Fat: 10.5g
Saturated: 1g
Carbs: 45g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 8.5g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 4

Asparagus & Mushroom Pasta

Original recipe is here, courtesy of SparkPeople.

Ingredients:
2 servings pasta, shape of your choice
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
8 spears asparagus, ends trimmed, and chopped
3/4 fresh mushrooms, pieces or slices
1/4 cup vegetable broth
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Also in Dave's serving:
4 oz cooked chicken (I just baked it in the oven)
1/3c chopped tomato

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a small skillet. Add asparagus and mushrooms; saute for 1-2 minutes.
Add chicken broth and cover pan; cook until asparagus is crisp tender.
Drain pasta and return to pot. Stir in asparagus/mushroom mixture. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.
If adding chicken, do so now and incorporate until warm.
If using tomatoes, sprinkle on top of pasta after it's plated.
Makes 2 servings.

Nutritional Information:                        Ratings:
(no chicken or tomatoes*)                        Kristen: 3.5
Calories: 255                                            Dave: 4
Fat: 3.5g
Saturated: 0.5g
Carbs: 45.5g
Fiber: 3.5g
Protein: 9.5g

*Chicken and tomatoes adds 105 calories, 1g of fat, 4g of carbs and 23g of protein.

                                  (Dave's was prettier!)
               

Pasta with Veggie Garlic Butter Sauce

This is more of a method than a recipe. I make pasta with garlic butter sauce for myself ALL the time. I used to eat it sprinkled with parmesan cheese. You wouldn't think this would add so much to it, but I find without the parmesan cheese it's really boring. So I've been adding veggies to the mix. Here's what I made tonight.

Ingredients:
2 oz pasta of your choice
1 T butter (I used Bestlife Buttery Spread)
1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped
onion powder
Sliced/chopped veggies of your choice (Tonight I used zucchini and mushrooms, about 2 oz each)

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, saute veggies in a small skillet sprayed with non-stick spray. Sprinkle with onion powder.
Remove veggies from pan and reduce heat. When cooled, saute garlic in butter.
Drain pasta. Just before serving, add veggies back to skillet just to warm through. Pour veggie/butter sauce over pasta.
Serves 1.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 300
Fat: 7g
Saturated: 2g
Carbs: 47g
Fiber: 3.5g
Protein: 9.5g

Forks:
Kristen: 5

Veggie Pasta Salad

I got this recipe from a Light & Tasty magazine (Aug/Sept '06). I changed it just a little by putting in onion powder instead of green onions, garlic powder instead of garlic, and omitting the parmesan cheese. (I have made it with the cheese in the past, but I honestly liked it better without!) The recipe also calls for tomatoes, which I include, but in the form of cherry/grape tomatoes, so that I can easily pick around them without having to have yucky tomato bits in my salad. :) I'm not including them in this recipe & nutritional info since I don't eat them. :) I took this to my aunt's house for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it.

Ingredients:
8 oz tricolor spiral pasta
1 c each chopped celery, green pepper, zucchini, and carrots
3 T balsamic vinegar
2 T olive oil
1 T sugar
2 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
garlic powder & onion powder to taste

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients.
Drain pasta and rinse in cold water; stir into vegetable mixture.
Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours prior to serving.
Makes 10 (1 cup) servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 130
Fat: 3g
Saturated: 0.5g
Carbs: 22g
Fiber: 2g
Protein: 3g

Veggie Cavatini

This is based on a family recipe. I've made some changes to my grandma's cavatini!! Hopefully that's not a mortal sin... ;-) I used vegan "sausage" instead of real sausage, omitted pepperoni and cheese, and added extra veggies. Feel free to use whatever sounds good to you! I just chose from what I had on hand.

Ingredients:
1-1/2 c pasta (I used rotini, but use whatever shape you want!)
4 oz Gimme Lean Sausage
3 oz mushrooms
3 oz green pepper (1/2 of a green pepper)
3 oz zucchini (1/2 of a small zucchini)
2 oz artichoke hearts
1-1/2 c pasta sauce (I used Meijer Naturals Tomato Basil sauce, which was delicious!)
Season as you wish (I used garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350.
Cook pasta as directed.
Meanwhile, brown the sausage. Add the vegetables and saute, seasoning to taste.
Mix together the cooked pasta, sausage/veggie mixture, and pasta sauce.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 180
Fat: 2.5g
Carbs: 30g
Fiber: 6g
Protein: 9.5g

Garlic & Roasted Veggie Ravioli with Veggies & Tomato Sauce

Welcome to edition 1 of "What I Had For Dinner Tonight". Some things aren't so much recipes as just putting things together. Here's how I spiced up frozen ravioli tonight. (Amounts are included just for calorie count, use whatever amounts you like!)

Ingredients:
1/2 c Rising Moon Organics Garlic & Roasted Veggies Ravioli
3/8 c Meijer Organics Tomato Sauce
Fresh mushrooms, green pepper, and zucchini, cut into bite-sized pieces
Non-stick spray
Seasoning (I used salt, pepper, and onion powder)
1 tsp Vegan Grated Topping, Parmesan Flavor

Directions:
Cook ravioli according to package directions. Meanwhile, spray a small skillet with non-stick spray and saute the veggies. Season to taste. Add tomato sauce and heat through.
Serve sauce and veggies over ravioli and top with grated topping.
Makes 1 serving.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 312
Fat: 1g
Saturated Fat: 0g
Carbs: 64g
Protein: 13g
Fiber: 6g

Pasta with Artichokes, Sundried Tomatoes and Arugula

Original Recipe

Ingredients:
3 oz oil-packed artichoke hearts, drained, 1/2 T oil reserved
3 oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained, 1/2 T oil reserved
1/6 c white wine
3 c arugula leaves
4.4 oz dry pasta, shape of your choice
salt and pepper to taste


Directions:
1. Coarsely chop artichoke hearts and sun-dried tomatoes; set aside.

2. Heat oil from artichokes and oil from tomatoes in skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes, and cook 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine, and cook 3 minutes, or until most of wine has evaporated. Stir in arugula, and cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until wilted.

3. Meanwhile cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Return drained pasta to pot with reserved cooking liquid, and stir in artichoke mixture. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 399*
Fat: 13.2
Saturated: 1.1g
Poly: 1.3g
Mono: 5g
Carbs: 54g
Fiber: 5.6g
Protein: 11.8g


Ratings:
Kristen: 4
Dave: 3.25


*I'm not totally sure about the calorie count, because the nutritional info for the artichokes does, I believe, include the oil it is packed in, but the tomatoes do not. I used the information on the jars of the artichokes and tomatoes and added information for 1T of olive oil (for the 1/2T + 1/2T reserved oil). So it may actually be less calories than this. Either way, it was really good and totally worth it! :)

Spaghetti Squash

I've been wanting to try to make spaghetti squash for a looooong time, and I finally did! It takes some time to get it ready, but mostly cook time, not prep time!

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
Pasta sauce of your choice

Directions:
Cut squash in half lengthwise. Discard the pulp- save seeds to roast!!
Put 1c of water into a pan with sides. Place the squash halves flesh-side down in the pan. Cook in the oven at 350F for about an hour, until you can pierce the squash with a fork. (Check periodically to make sure there is still water in the pan-- I didn't have to add any more.)
Let cool for 10 minutes and then scrape the strands out with a fork.
Serve with your favorite pasta sauce.

Nutritional Information: (Per 1 cup of spaghetti squash, not including sauce)
Calories: 42
Fat: 0.4g
Carbs: 10g
Fiber: 2.2g
Sugar: 3.9g
Protein: 1g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4.5
Dave: 1

Lime Orzo

Here's the original recipe.

Here's how I made it:
Ingredients:
2 T EVOO
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 c orzo pasta
1/2 zucchini, shredded (80g)
1 small summer squash, shredded (90g)
1 carrot, peeled and shredded (70g)
kale, torn into medium-sized pieces (45g)
14.5 oz stewed tomatoes, undrained
14.5 oz vegetable broth (homemade!)
Italian seasoning, basil, parsley, salt and pepper to taste
zest and juice of one lime

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in the garlic and uncooked orzo pasta; cook and stir until pasta turns a light, golden color, about 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini, squash, and carrots; cook until vegetables soften, about 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, vegetable broth, Italian seasoning, basil, salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to medium. Cover, and simmer until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Add kale in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Stir in the parsley, lime zest, and lime juice. 
Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 432.7
Fat: 8.6g
Saturated: 1g
Poly: 1.1g
Mono: 5g
Carbs: 74.6g
Fiber: 5.1g
Sugar: 10.8g
Protein: 12.2g


Ratings:
Kristen: 4.5
Dave: 3.5


Just wanted to comment... this is a really nutritious dish. Yes, it's a little high on the calorie side, but it also has vegetables included, so you don't really need much in terms of a side dish. It's moderate in terms of fat, and most of it is the good fats. It's got decent fiber, 95% of your daily value of vitamin A, 35% of your vitamin C, and 40% of your folate! You could easily add chicken or sausage as well. I give this one an A+!
Now if  only I could find whole wheat orzo... that'd be even better.

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

I have no idea where this recipe came from- I've been making it a long time.

Ingredients:
2 c uncooked elbow macaroni
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp worcestershire sauce
2 c milk
2 c shredded cheddar

Directions:
Heat oven to 350F. Cook macaroni according to package directions. While macaroni is cooking, melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Stir in next 5 ingredients. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth & bubbly.
Stir in milk. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil & stir 1 minute; remove from heat. Stir in cheese until melted.
Drain macaroni. Stir macaroni into cheese sauce. Pour into ungreased 2 qt casserole. Bake uncovered 20-25 min or until bubbly.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 300
Fat: 15.5g
Saturated Fat: 9g
Carbs: 27g
Protein: 13g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4.5

Simply Lasagna

I got this out of a Kraft Food & Family magazine.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
2-1/2 c mozzarella, shredded
15 oz ricotta
1/2 c grated parmesan
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
26 oz spaghetti sauce
1 c water
12 lasagna noodles, uncooked

Directions:
 Preheat oven to 350F. Brown meat in large skillet on medium high heat.
Meanwhile, mix 1-1/4 c of mozzarella cheese, the ricotta cheese, 1/4 c of the parmesan cheese, the parsley and egg until well blended; set aside.
Drain meat; return to skillet. Stir in spaghetti sauce. Pour water into empty sauce jar; cover and shake well. Add to skillet; stir until well-blended. Adding water to the sauce helps cook traditional noodles during baking, so you don't have to cook them beforehand. This saves you 15-20 min of prep time.
Spread 1 c of the meat sauce onto the bottom of a 13x9" baking dish; top with a layer of 3 uncooked lasagna noodles. Noodles will expand to fit the dish during baking.
Spread 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture and 1 c of the meat sauce over noodles. Repeat layers two more times. Top with remaining 3 noodles and the remaining meat sauce.
Sprinkle with remaining 1-1/4 c mozzarella cheese and remaining 1/4 c parmesan. Cover tightly with foil. Bake 45 min. Remove foil; continue baking 15 min or until heated through. Let stand 15 min before cutting to serve.
Makes 12 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 280
Fat: 9g
Saturated Fat: 5g
Carbs: 27g
Protein: 21g

Ratings:
Dave: 4

Spaghetti and No-Meat Balls

I got this recipe from Food Network. Here's how I made it tonight:

Ingredients:
Meatballs:
2 tsp EVOO
1/8 c finely diced red onion
Salt and pepper
1 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 garlic clove, chopped
Dash of red pepper flakes
1 svg (79g) Nasoya extra firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 T egg beaters
1 T dry bread crumbs
Fresh chopped herbs, I used oregano and cilantro
1 T whole wheat flour

Tomato sauce (I used 1/2 c Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes, put through the blender)
2 oz spaghetti, prepared

Directions:
In a medium skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tsp of EVOO. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until softened. Add the mushrooms, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have given off their juices and are lightly caramelized.

Transfer the vegetables to the work bowl of a food processor. Add the tofu, egg and another pinch of salt and pulse to combine. Add the bread crumbs and herbs and pulse to combine again. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
Spread the flour on a plate. Form the tofu mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls. Lightly coat the balls in flour. (Mine made 6.)
In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the remaining 1 tsp EVOO. Add the balls and cook them until browned all over, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
Add the tomato sauce to the pan and simmer until the balls are firm and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve over pasta. Makes 1 serving.

Nutritional Information: 

(No-Meat Balls only, not including sauce or pasta)

Calories: 240.2
Fat: 14g
Saturated: 1.9g
Polyunsaturated: 3.8g
Monounsaturated: 7.6g

Cholesterol: 0g
Carbs: 16.7g
Fiber: 3.1g
Sugar: 1g
Protein: 12.9g

Ratings:
Kristen: 3.5
Dave: 4 (I made him the same thing but instead of the no-meat balls I cut up and cooked a Jennie-O hot italian turkey sausage link to put in the sauce)

Moroccan Vegetable Couscous

Feel free to add some chicken (or sausage would be good) to this dish to make it non-vegetarian. Dave had chicken in his. I got this recipe from epicurious. Here's how I made it:

Ingredients:
1/6 c almonds, chopped
1/2 T EVOO
1-1/2 c mixed cut-up vegetables, such as red onion, carrots, zucchini and cauliflower (I used 1/2 c each of green pepper, zucchini and carrots)
1-1/2 tsp ground cumin
1-1/2 tsp ground coriander (I didn't have this so I left it out)
1/2 c white wine
1/6 c raisins
3/8 c vegetable broth
salt and pepper, to taste
1 c couscous (Casbah Organic Whole Wheat)

Directions:
Toast almonds in the microwave (I do this in a stoneware dish, in 30 second intervals). Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and spices; saute until vegetables just begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Add wine and raisins. Boil until wine is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add broth. Partially cover skillet; simmer until vegetables are tender, about 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, prepare couscous according to package directions. (I prepared it with vegetable broth.)
Plate the couscous. Spoon vegetable topping and juices on top, and sprinkle with almonds.
Makes 4 servings ( I made it into 3 but that was too much!)

Nutritional Information:

Calories: 258.9

Fat: 4.4g

Saturated Fat: 0.4g

Polyunsaturated Fat:  0.3g

Monounsaturated Fat: 1.3g

Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 248.6mg
Potassium: 255.8mg
Carbs: 48g
Fiber: 7.2g
Sugars: 6.3g
Protein: 6.9g 

Ratings:
Kristen: 3
Dave: 3 (with chicken), 2 (without chicken)
It was kind of bland, some more spices and/or garlic would probably help!

Hungry Girl La-la-la-la-lasagna

Original recipe is here.

Ingredients:
Two 1/4" thick eggplant slices (cut lengthwise from a long eggplant), patted dry (125g)
2 T egg substitute
1/2 c reduced fat ricotta cheese
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/4 t salt
Dash ground nutmeg
1 c sliced mushrooms
1 c canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 T italian seasoning
Additional salt and pepper, to taste
2 lasagne noodes, cooked or oven ready
1/4 c shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 T grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425F.
Spritz both sides of each eggplant slice with nonstick spray and place on a baking sheet. Bake in the oven for about 20 min, carefully flipping halfway through, until browned and softened.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine egg substitute, ricotta cheese, garlic, salt and nutmeg. Stir well and set aside.
Bring a skillet sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat on the stove. Add mushrooms and, stirring occasionally, cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir mushrooms into ricotta mixture and set aside.
Add italian seasoning to crushed tomatoes, and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
Spray a small baking dish (or large loaf pan) with nonstick spray. Pour 1/4 c tomatoes evenly into the bottom of the pan. Top with 1 lasagne noodle. Spread half of the ricotta-mushroom mixture on top, followed by another 1/4 c tomatoes. Top with 1 eggplant slice.
Repeat layering with 1/4 c tomatoes, 1 lasagne noodle, remaining ricotta-mushroom mixture, remaining 1/4 c tomatoes, and remaining eggplant slice.
Evenly top with mozzarella and grated parmesan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until cheese starts to brown. Serve and enjoy!
Makes 2 servings.

Nutritional Information:
Calories: 309
Fat: 7.5g
Saturated Fat: 4.5g
Carbs: 41g
Protein: 21g

Ratings:
Kristen: 4.75
Dave: 3.5