Pasta with Kidney Beans

Pasta with Kidney Beans

1/2 white onion, diced

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

8 oz can tomato sauce

4 cups water

1/2 lb. small pasta (Ditali)

Olive oil

Salt and Pepper

Parmesan cheese

Sauté onions in oil until golden. Add the sauce and beans and a little water. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Add the water and salt to taste. Once it comes to a boil, let cook for 15 minutes. Check beans to make sure they are cooked; should no longer be hard. When they feel right, add pasta and cook. The pasta will absorb the water when ready. If water is drying up during cooking, add more boiling water and adjust seasoning. When ready to serve, season with black pepper. Wouldn't be a pasta dish if you didn't add Parmesan cheese!

Chad's rating: 8/10

Amy's rating: 9/10

Recipe from my Grandma!

Veggie Wrap

Veggie Wrap

Flat Out white-wheat bread

Hummus

Fat free feta cheese

1 seedless cucumber, diced

1 red pepper, diced

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

2 scallions, chopped

Spread hummus on bread. Top with veggies and feta. Roll up and enjoy.

This recipe may not have been worth a post, because it is so easy. I always forget about this one though - and it is so good for lunch!

Amy's rating: 10/10

Chad loved it - I just forgot to have him rate it. :)

Adapted from my sister!

Turkey Meatloaf

Turkey Meatloaf

1 white onion, diced

1 package fresh mushrooms, sliced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon butter

3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs - I used 1/2 cup Panko and 1/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs.)

1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 lbs ground turkey breast

1 large egg

Pepper

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I added)

1/2 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon dry mustard (I omitted)

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (I omitted)

Preheat oven to 350.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions, mushrooms and garlic to pan. Cook for about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.

Combing mushroom mixture, breadcrumbs, chicken broth, parsley, soy sauce, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ground turkey, egg, pepper and cheese.

Spray Pam in a 9 x 5 pan. Shape turkey mixture into pan.

Combine ketchup and brown sugar. Spread evenly over top of meat loaf.

Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked through.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Chad's rating: 9/10

Amy's rating: 9/10

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light October edition.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

184

Fat:

3.7g (sat 1.6g,mono 1g,poly 0.5g)

Protein:

23.2g

Carbohydrate:

15g

Fiber:

1.2g

Cholesterol:

69mg

Iron:

1.3mg

Sodium:

405mg

Calcium:

30mg

Chicken Stir Fry

Chicken Stir Fry

2 cups cooked chicken, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 red pepper, diced

Olive oil

1 Tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce

1 large egg

1 3/4 cup brown rice, cooked

2 scallions, diced

Hot sauce

Salt and pepper

Heat oil in pan over medium heat. Add pepper and onion, cooking until the onion is soft (about 4 minutes). Add egg. Stir frequently until egg is firm and cooked through. Add chicken, rice, soy sauce and scallions. Stir together and cook for 5 minutes until blended well. Season with hot sauce, salt and pepper.

Chad's rating: 8.5/10

Amy's rating: 9/10

Recipe adapted from Women's Health July 2009 edition.

Rigatoni with Meatballs

Rigatoni with Meatballs

1 lb ground beef

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese - reduced fat

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 large eggs

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

1 lb pasta (Rigatoni)

1 jar store bought sauce - or homemade (I was too lazy last night.)

1 small can Tomato sauce

Fresh basil

Oregano

Extra Parmesan cheese

Combine meat, bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, garlic, eggs, salt and pepper. Mix together softly with hands. Over-mixing will cause the meat to be tough. Roll into small balls. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add meatballs and turn to brown on all sides. While the meatballs are working, prepare the sauce. When I use jar sauce, I like to doctor it up. Add the jar sauce to a pot. Add a small can of tomato sauce, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Once the meatballs are browned on all sides, add to the sauce. Add a little extra cheese to the sauce. Cook the noodles; drain and combine with the sauce.

Chad's rating: 10/10

Amy's rating: 10/10

Meatballs melt in your mouth. Very good!

Turkey Feta Rice

Turkey Feta Rice

1 lb. ground turkey

1/2 container fat free feta cheese

2 cups brown rice

1 container non fat Greek yogurt

1/2 seedless cucumber

Salt, pepper and lemon pepper

Prepare rice as directed on package.

Brown turkey; drain. Return to pan and add feta cheese and season with pepper. Keep pan on medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Add cooked rice and stir. Meanwhile, grate cucumber over Greek yogurt. Stir together. Season with salt and lemon pepper. Top turkey mixture with sauce.

Chad's rating: 9/10

Amy's rating: 9.5/10

Sorry for the picture quality! This is a must try. If you liked the turkey feta burgers, you will love this! This recipe was an experiment last night and it turned out perfectly. I will be making this again!

Eggplant Roll-ups

Eggplant Roll-ups

1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into slices

4 large eggs

3/4 cup pesto - store bought

2 1/2 cups bread crumbs

3/4 cup fat free ricotta cheese

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Olive oil

salt and pepper

1 cup marinara sauce (I made my own quick sauce)

Season eggplant slices with salt and pepper. Whisk together eggs and 4 tablespoons of pesto. Pour the breadcrumbs into a large plate and mix with a handful of Parmesan cheese. Dip each eggplant slice into the egg mixture, then coat with the bread crumbs.

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook the eggplant until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer the eggplant to a paper-towel-lined plate.

In a small bowl, combine the ricotta and Parmesan cheese; season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon of the remaining pesto on each eggplant slice and top with about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture. Roll up each slice. Bake until the eggplant is tender, about 10 minutes.

Prepare marinara sauce. Serve the roll-ups with the sauce and remaining cheese.

Chad's rating: 8/10

Amy's rating: 8.5/10

Recipe adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray. Picture is also from her website as I deleted mine.