Tuscan Pasta with Tomato-Basil Cream

Ingredients

• 1 (20-oz.) package refrigerated four-cheese ravioli
• 1 (16-oz.) jar sun-dried tomato Alfredo sauce
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 2 medium-size fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, pour Alfredo sauce into a medium saucepan. Pour wine into sauce jar; cover tightly, and shake well. Stir wine mixture into saucepan. Stir in chopped tomatoes and 1/2 cup chopped basil, and cook over medium-low heat 5 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Toss with pasta, and top evenly with 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese.

Lasagna Soup

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound soyrizo
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (32-ounce) container vegetable broth
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
4 ounces broken whole-wheat lasagna noodles (about 4 noodles)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large nonstick saucepot or Dutch oven. Add the soyrizo, onion, garlic, broth, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, salt, and crushed red pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the flavors are blended, about 20 minutes. Add the noodles; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the soup thickens slightly and the noodles are tender, 10 – 12 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in mozzarella, basil, and the Parmesan.

Serves 4

Serving size- about 2 cups

Avocado Pesto Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 pound linguine
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• 2 avocados, pitted and peeled
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 cloves garlic
• ½ cup olive oil
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes or sliced sun-dried tomatoes (optional)

• Directions

  Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  Meanwhile, make the pesto by combining basil, avocados, lemon juice, garlic, and oil in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season generously with salt and pepper.
  Toss pasta with pesto. For an extra touch of color and flavor, top pasta with cherry or sun-dried tomatoes. Divide pasta among serving bowls.

Roasted Vegetable Linguine with Soy Meatballs

2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms 
1/2 lb. fresh or frozen asparagus, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 small onion, coarsely chopped (approx. 1 cup)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced (approx. 2 teaspoons)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 13.25 oz. package whole-wheat linguine 
1/2 cup torn fresh basil leaves
One bag of Trader Joe's Meatless Meatballs


DIRECTIONS


1.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss together mushrooms, asparagus, onion, oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes on a coated cookie sheet.  Roast 20 minutes or until mushrooms and onions begin to brown, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

2.  Start your pasta water, if you haven't already.

3.  Add tomatoes and meatballs to pan, and roast 7-10 minutes more, or until tomatoes shrivel and soften. Transfer vegetables to bowl.

4.  Sprinkle wine over vegetables return pan to oven and let wine cook off about 5 minutes.

5.  Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta.

6.  Return pasta to pot. Add wine mixture and vegetables, and toss over medium-low heat until heated through. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Stir in torn fresh basil leaves, and serve immediately.


Serves 6 (1-1/2 cups)


Calories:  324
Fat:  10g
Protein:  20g
Carbs:  43.5g

Tomato-Mozzarella Packets

1 16-oz. tube prepared polenta, cut into 16 slices
2 large tomatoes, each cut into 8 slices
16 green olives, halved, optional
4 tsp. garlic olive oil
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. dried Italian herbs
4 oz. (1 cup) shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 4 16-inch lengths of foil on work surface. Fold foil in half from short side. Unfold. Shape corners and edges of one half into semicircular “bowl” with 1/2-inch sides. Coat insides of foil with cooking spray.
2. Place 4 polenta slices, slightly overlapping, in each foil semicircle. Arrange 4 tomato slices over polenta. Scatter 8 olive halves (if using) over tomatoes. Drizzle each serving with 1 tsp. garlic olive oil and 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. Italian herbs; season with salt and pepper (if desired), and top with 1/4 cup mozzarella. Fold other half of foil over ingredients, and seal edges in overlapping folds until packets are sealed. Transfer to baking sheet, and bake 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Remove baking sheet from oven, and transfer packets to serving plates. Let each person open packet slowly and carefully—escaping air will be hot. Garnish with basil.

Serves: 4
Serving size: One packet
Calories: 216
Fat: 9g
Protein: 11g
Carbs: 23g

***** (out of 5-star rating)

I made these for dinner- so good! They tasted like pizza when you combined everything. I will most definitely be making these again. They went over very well with the husband as well!

Crustless Leek, Greens, and Herb Quiche

• 2 Tbs. fine dry breadcrumbs
• 2 small leeks, white and light green parts halved and sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 2 cups chopped Swiss chard, kale, collard greens, or mustard greens
• 4 egg whites
• 3 whole eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup low-fat milk
• 1/8 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 Tbs. chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh basil
• 2 oz. soft goat cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Coat bottom and sides of 9-inch glass pie dish with olive oil cooking spray. Scatter breadcrumbs over bottom of pie dish.
2. Bring 4 cups salted water to a boil in large pot. Add leeks; boil 3 minutes. Remove pot from heat, add Swiss chard, and let stand 30 to 45 seconds, or until greens are wilted. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again, squeezing out excess water with hands. Set aside.
3. Whisk egg whites until frothy. Whisk in eggs. Whisk in milk and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper, if desired. Whisk in tarragon and basil.
4. Scatter leeks and Swiss chard over breadcrumbs in prepared pie dish. Dot cheese on top. Pour egg mixture into pie pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown on top. Cool 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serves: 4

Serving: 1 wedge

Calories: 159

Fat: 7g

Protein: 13g

Carbs: 11g

*** (Star-rating out of 5) from the not-a-huge-goat-cheese-fan husband

**** (Star-rating out of 5) from me, who is a fan of the goat cheese

I made this for lunch for myself, knowing the husband probably wouldn't enjoy the goat cheese, however, after smelling it come out of the oven he actually asked if he could pack a piece for his lunch the next day. The verdict was favorable. He states he would eat it again, but did admit to dumping hot sauce over the top of it. I snuck some on mine the following day at lunch and have to admit, it did add a nice zing!

Artichoke and New Potato Packets with Pesto

• 8 oz. new potatoes, thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 12-oz. pkg. frozen artichoke hearts, thawed (2 cups)
• 2 cups fresh or thawed frozen baby peas
• 2 medium leeks, white and light green parts chopped (1 cup)
• 3 Tbs. prepared pesto
• 3 Tbs. grated Romano cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh chopped basil

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place 4 16-inch lengths of aluminum foil on work surface. Fold foil in half from short side. Unfold. Shape corners and edges of one half into semicircular “bowl” with 1/2-inch sides. Coat insides of foil with cooking spray.
2. Arrange overlapping slices of potatoes in oval shape over bottom of each packet. Season with salt and pepper, if desired, and drizzle each with 2 Tbs. broth.
3. Combine artichoke hearts, peas, leeks, and pesto in medium bowl, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Divide artichoke mixture among packets. Fold other half of foil over ingredients, and seal edges in overlapping folds until packets are sealed. Transfer to baking sheet, and bake 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Transfer packets to serving plates. Let each person open packet slowly and carefully—escaping air will be hot. Sprinkle with Romano cheese and basil.

Serves: 4

Serving: 1 packet

Calories: 237

Fat: 8g

Protein: 11g

Carbs: 31g

***1/2 (Star-rating out of 5)

I recently read somewhere that artichokes are a "miracle food", chock full of good stuff for our bodies, so with that in mind I decided to try adding some more artichokes into my diet. This recipe was good, however, I have decided that I personally like artichokes either cut up very small or mixed in with other things. I think that when I make this again I will substitute asparagus for the artichokes and try it that way. I think I'll save my artichokes for spinach-artichoke dip! The potatoes, however, with the pesto were delicious and the packets of tinfoil cooked them very nicely!

Roasted Vegetable Wrap

• 12 thin asparagus spears, trimmed
• 1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips (1 cup)
• 1 small yellow pepper, cut into 1/2-inch strips (1 cup)
• 1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds (1 cup)
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1/2 cup white beans
• 1 small clove garlic, minced (1/2 tsp.)
• 1/2 tsp. red chile sauce, such as sriracha
• 2 8-inch whole-grain tortillas
• 6 small whole basil leaves
• 8 thin slices red onion
• 1 cup baby arugula leaves

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss together asparagus, bell peppers, zucchini, onions and oil in a large bowl and then spread evenly on large baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook for 15 minutes and then check- vegetables should start looking brown or caramelized. If not done- keep cooking and checking veggies every 5 minutes until done.
2. Mash together beans, garlic, and chile sauce in small bowl until smooth.
3. Spread half of bean mixture over each tortilla. Top each with 3 basil leaves, 1/2 cup roasted vegetables, and 1/2 cup arugula. Fold bottom third of tortillas over vegetables, and roll up tightly, tucking in sides as you go. Cut wraps in half on diagonal. Serve immediately, or wrap each half in foil or wax paper, and chill until ready to eat.

Serves 2

Serving: One whole wrap

Calories: 228

Fat: 3g

Protein: 11g

Carb: 51g

**** (Star-rating out of 5)

Made this for dinner- husband liked, but didn't love, but said he would eat it again. When I asked why he didn't love it his answer was "it's not Chipotle". Oh well- can't win em all!!!

Hominy Salad with Basil-Shallot Vinaigrette on Arugula

• 
  
• 1 small shallot, minced (2 Tbs.)
• 2 Tbs. white wine or champagne vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
• 1 15-oz. can white hominy, rinsed and drained
• 1 1/2 cups frozen soybeans, thawed
• 1 cup halved grape or teardrop tomatoes
• 1 small yellow bell pepper, diced (1 cup)
• 1/2 cup crumbled fresh goat cheese or shaved Asiago cheese
• Arugula
• 
  

• DiRECTIONS

1. Whisk together shallot and
vinegar in small bowl. Whisk in
oil until emulsified, then whisk
in basil. Add white pepper and salt,
if desired.

2. Toss together hominy, soybeans, tomatoes, and bell pepper in serving bowl. Drizzle with dressing, and toss again to coat. Sprinkle with cheese,
and serve over arugula.

Serves: 6

Serving size: 1/2 cup

Calories: 200

Fat: 12g

Protein: 6g

Carb: 18g

***** (star-rating out of five)

I made this for my lunch today, last night, and I threw all the veggies in with the dressing and left in a tupperware overnight. This afternoon I emptied out veggies onto arugula and topped with goat cheese. Everything stayed crisp and wasn't soggy at all!