Tag Archives: spinach

Drinks, FiberGourmet, Kid Friendly, Pasta, Sides

Baked Mac and Cheese

December 3, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Add a layer of healthy spinach, use low fat cheese and FiberGourmet pasta and quickly you have a healthy alternative and a fan favorite 🙂

4 servings
366 calories per serving

3 T breadcrumbs
1 t oil
½ t paprika
20 oz. frozen spinach, thawed
1 3/4 c skim milk, divided
3 T flour
2 c shredded low fat extra sharp Cheddar cheese
1 c low fat cottage cheese
1/8 t nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste
8 ounces FiberGourmet penne or elbow pasta
Pam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a 2 quart baking dish with Pam. Mix breadcrumbs, oil and paprika. Squeeze out spinach in a colander so it is very dry. Mix ¼ c milk with flour. Heat 1 ½ c milk until steaming and them whisk in the rest of the milk and continue whisking until it is thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheddar until melted. Then stir in cottage cheese, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook pasta about 4 minutes (do not cook all the way or it will be too mushy after it bakes). Mix pasta and cheese and place half of it in the baking dish. Then add the spinach and top with the rest of the pasta. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb mix and then bake 30 minutes or until golden.

Dinner, FiberGourmet, Italian, Pasta

Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes

October 28, 2011 admin Leave a comment

The earthiness of the spinach and the WOW flavor of the sun dried tomatoes really combine to make this a memorable pasta dish. This is a special one, for sure !

4 servings
321 calories per serving

1 c chicken broth
12 dehydrated sun dried tomatoes
8 oz. FiberGourmet penne
2 T pine nuts, toasted
1 T oil
1/4t red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
4 c baby spinach, chopped
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

To toast nuts, place in a hot skillet and sauté for a few minutes until toasty brown and aromatic then set them aside. Bring the broth to a boil then add the tomatoes and let soak for 15 minutes to rehydrate them. Keep the broth and remove the tomatoes and chop coarsely. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Heat oil in a skillet and add oil and red pepper and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the spinach, salt and pepper and cook 3 minutes then add the broth and tomatoes and cook 2 minutes. Pour broth mix over pasta and sprinkle with ¼ c cheese. Mix well. Plate and top with pine nuts and sprinkle with the rest of the cheese.

Dinner, Sides

Grilled Mushrooms with Couscous

October 18, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Savory with just a bit of sweet from the dried cranberries. An earthy dish that is a great vegetarian main dish or a perfect side to a fish or chicken dinner.

4 servings
208 calories per serving

4 whole Portobello mushrooms
4 T white balsamic vinegar
Pam
½ c chicken or vegetable broth
½ c water
¼ t turmeric
2/3 c couscous
¼ c dried cranberries
½ t lemon zest
¼ t salt
1 t oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. chopped fresh spinach
2 T water
1 T margarine
½ red bell pepper, finely chopped

Cut 4 slits in the top of each mushroom about 2 inches long and ½ inch deep. Remove stems and place top facing up in a baking dish. Sprinkle with half the vinegar and spray with Pam. Turn the mushrooms over and sprinkle with the rest of the vinegar. Spray again with Pam. Cover dish with plastic wrap and set aside. Combine broth, water and turmeric in a small pan. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Stir in the couscous, cranberries, lemon and salt. Remove from heat and cover and let stand 5 minutes or until ready to serve the dish. Heat another saucepan and add oil and then sauté garlic for one minute. Add the greens and 2 T water and cook 3 minutes. Add the margarine and stir in for 30 seconds. Remove from pan and keep warm. Cook mushrooms 3 minutes each side and place stem side up on a serving plate. Spoon the couscous mix on the top and then top with the greens. Sprinkle with bell pepper and serve immediately.

Appetizers, Dinner, Sides, Vegetables

Spinach Stuffed Portobellos

August 27, 2011 admin 1 Comment

What a beautiful aroma as these cook up in the oven – the cheese and spinach make a perfect stuffing for succulent, meaty Portobello mushrooms. Serve as an appetizer or as a dinner side.

4 servings
181 calories per serving

4 large portobello mushroom caps
1 c part skim ricotta cheese
1 c finely chopped fresh spinach
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese
2 T finely chopped kalamata olives
½ t oregano flakes
1/2 t parsley flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Pam

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with Pam and place mushrooms with the gills facing up. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 20 minutes them take them out and tip each cap to make any juice run out of them. Mix ricotta, spinach, half of the parmesan cheese, olives, herbs, salt and pepper and divide mix among the mushroom caps. Sprinkle the rest of the parmesan on top and then back for another 10 minutes to heat through. Switch to broil and brown the tops just a bit.

Dinner, Sides

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

July 31, 2011 admin Leave a comment

So different from your typical stuffed pepper – this is a great vegetarian recipe. These make a great dinner with a side salad. Or serve half a portion (1/2 a pepper) as a side.

4 servings
324 calories per serving

4 yellow bell peppers
1/2 c orzo
15 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
Pam
1 large shallot, chopped
6 oz. baby spinach, chopped coarsely
1 t oregano flakes
1 t garlic powder
1/2 c crumbled feta cheese
½ c shredded low fat mozzarella cheese
1/4 c sun dried tomatoes, (dehydrated, not the ones in oil), chopped
1 T sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take the peppers and cut them in half lengthwise. Leave the stems on. Clean out the insides (seeds and membranes) and set aside. Cook orzo according to package instructions. Heat a skillet and spray with Pam. Saute shallot for 3 minutes adding a tablespoon or 2 of water if they start to dry out. Take ¾’s of the chickpeas and roughly mash them. Add spinach to shallots and cook another minute. Add orzo, chickpeas, oregano, garlic, tomatoes, salt and pepper and heat through. Add cheese and vinegar and stir well. Spoon mix into the pepper shells. Spray a baking dish with Pam and place peppers in pan. Sprinkle with mozzarella, cover and bake 30 minutes.

Lunch, Salads, Vegetables

Avocado and Spinach Salad

July 25, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Kraft has so many great dressing out there – as well as using them on their own, they make GREAT to use as ingredients in other dressings, sauces, marinades, etc. This salad is a Kraft recipe and it was so good !

2 servings
250 calories per serving

1/2 c sliced avocados
3 T mandarin orange juice
2 t lemon juice
3 c baby spinach leaves
11 oz. can mandarin oranges (reserve 3 T juice / rinse the oranges in cold water)
1/4 c Kraft Catalina dressing (sweet French dressing)
2 T pecans (or other nuts), toasted
To toast nuts, heat a skillet on medium high then add nuts. Cook, stirring frequently, until the heat brings out the flavors, about 2-3 minutes (when you smell the great aroma, they are just about done).

Mix dressing,. Lemon juice and orange juice. Pour over spinach, oranges and avocados. Garnish with nuts.

Dinner, Lunch

White Boboli

June 14, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Stock up on Bobolis when they go on sale and you always have a great dinner ready to go – I add some sauce and layer mine up with all the different leftovers from the week. This time I skipped the sauce and did a ‘white’ boboli using up left over ricotta and spinach. It was scrumptious !

6 servings
206 calories per serving

1 Boboli shell
½ c sliced canned mushrooms
½ c packed with baby spinach leaves
1 c broccoli florets
1 c part skim ricotta cheese
½ t garlic powder
2 T grated parmesan cheese
Red pepper flakes
Oregano flakes
Parsley flakes
Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread ricotta cheese over Boboli leaving a ½ inch edge. Sprinkle with garlic powder, parsley, oregano and red pepper flakes. Lay spinach leaves on top of cheese and then layer on the mushrooms. Finally add the broccoli florets then sprinkle with salt and parmesan cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until heated through. Cut into 6 pieces.

Chicken, Kid Friendly, Lunch, Sandwiches

Hot Chicken and Swiss Sandwich

June 6, 2011 admin 2 Comments

Sometimes serving a sandwich hot makes it sooooo much more special. This is one of those times. The melted swiss just gives it a whole other dimension.

1 serving
295 calories per serving

1 small club roll
4 slices thin sliced deli chicken breast (Oscar Mayer pre-packaged meats are great)
1 slice low fat swiss cheese
1 t light mayonnaise
1 t mustard
¼ t parsley flakes
¼ t basil flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
½ c spinach leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix mayo and mustard and spread on bread. Add chicken and cheese and sprinkle with the spices. Wrap in foil and bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven, add spinach leaves and enjoy !

Dinner, Italian, Kid Friendly, Pasta

Baked Ravioli

May 17, 2011 admin Leave a comment

This is a rich, delicious dish. The whole ‘ravioli splitting in the boiling water’ hazard is gone and this is something you can put together ahead of time and then bake just before serving. Very easy, very convenient and very good !

8 servings
355 calories per serving

28 oz. jar marinara sauce
25 oz.package frozen cheese ravioli
2 c shredded no fat mozzarella cheese
2 T grated parmesan cheese
1 c sliced mushrooms (fresh or canned)
9 oz. frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry in a colander
½ t salt
½ t pepper
½ t garlic powder
½ t onion powder
Pam

Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 13×9 pan with Pam. Spread ¾ c sauce in bottom and arrange ½ the ravioli in the dish. Top with the spinach and mushrooms and then sprinkle with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Top with half of the remaining sauce and 1 c mozzarella cheese. Add another layer of ravioli, then the rest of the sauce. Finally add the rest of the mozzarella and then sprinkle with parmesan cheese and cover and bake 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes until hot and bubbly. Then let sit 15 minute before serving.

Dinner, Fish

Tilapia Piccata with Spinach

April 29, 2011 admin Leave a comment

Delicious ! Tilapia is one of my most favorite dinner dishes – it’s low cal and light but tasty and so versatile. In this piccata dish, the fillets sauté up perfectly and the sauce is great.

4 servings
322 calories per serving

2 c brown minute rice
Salt and pepper to taste
4 6 oz. tilapia fillets
2 T flour
2 t oil
1/3 c dry white wine
2 T lemon juice
2 T butter
4 c baby spinach

Cook rice according to package instructions, then sprinkle with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper then dredge in flour and cook in hot oil 2 minutes each side or until done. Add wine and lemon to pan and cook a minute longer then add butter and stir until it melts. Remove fish (and any sauce) from pan and then add spinach and saute until wilted, about 1 minute. Put rice on plates and top with spinach, fish and sauce.