Linguini with Vegetables and Sauce

Wow! I am really behind with posting recipes. Perhaps it is because we have been eating very simple meals that I figure you all make anyway. This recipe is so easy I don't know if you should call it a recipe. It is more like dumping things in a pan and then heating it. Or, something like that.

Linguini with Vegetables and Alfredo Sauce

• 28 oz. jar of Alfredo sauce (I only used a 15 oz jar and it was enough flavor with less fat and calories)

• 1 lb. box linguini
• 1 1/2 cups chopped chicken from freezer, (optional, this can easily be made vegetarian)
• 1 bag (14 oz.) bag frozen broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots
• 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained (also optional, I was the only one who ate the tomatoes on top)
• Parmesan Cheese (to taste)

Prepare linguine according to directions, cooking frozen vegetables with linguini. Drain all and return to pan. Add sauce and chicken and heat. Heat tomatoes in microwave or on stovetop. Serve pasta mixture topped with tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.

It doesn't get any easier than that! This also warmed up well.

Pepperoni Spaghetti Bake

This is straight from Menus4Mom. My notes are in italics, and the pictures are from my kitchen. :)

Pepperoni Spaghetti Bake

• 1 lb ground beef, from freezer (somehow I forgot to buy enough ground beef, so I used left over porcupine meatballs.)
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 small green pepper, chopped
• 1 (4 oz) can mushrooms,
• 1 (26 oz) jar pasta sauce
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 lb spaghetti, broken into small pieces
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten 

• 1 (5 oz) pkg sliced pepperoni 

• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese 

• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese


Boil spaghetti as directed on the package. Drain and rinse.

Place ground beef in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, green pepper and mushrooms to browned beef. Cook until meat is browned being sure to crumble the meat. Drain. (Since I was using precooked meatballs, I just sauted my veggies a bit first.)

Add the pasta sauce, tomato sauce and Italian seasoning. Stir until well combined. Simmer for 15 minutes.

Place the eggs and milk in a large bowl and blend. Place the spaghetti in the egg mixture and toss to cover.

Lightly spray a large baking dish with a non stick cooking spray. Place half of the spaghetti mixture into the bottom of the pan. Place half of the meat sauce over the top of the spaghetti. Repeat for another layer.

Put the casseroles in the refrigerator to cool. (Um, I skipped this because I got a late start on dinner and everyone was starving. So, if time is a crunch it still tasted really good without the benefit of cooling.) Once cooled, top the casseroles with the pepperoni and 2 cheeses.

Preheat oven to 350°F, cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 15 minutes or until cheese melts.

Turkey Tetrazinni

Here is my favorite turkey left over recipe. A friend of my mother gave it to me years ago. Unfortunately, it is not one of my husband's favorite meals so I only make it once a year--after Thanksgiving.

Turkey Tetrazinni (You can use chicken as well)

* 1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti
* 4 cups chicken broth
* 4 cups cooked turkey, cut
* 1 stick butter, divided
* 1 small onion
* 1/2 pound sliced mushrooms
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
* 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon paprika
* 1 cup half and half
* 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Cook spaghetti and spread in 13 x 9 baking dish.

2. Cook 2 tablespoon butter, the onion, mushrooms and lemon juice for 5 minutes then set aside.

3. Cook 4 tablespoons butter, flour, nutmeg and paprika in a pan until it is smooth. Add chicken broth and cook until smooth and thick. (I add it slowly mixing the whole time so that I don't get lumps)

4. Add 1 cup half and half, turkey, mushroom mixture and parmesan cheese. Poor over the noodles, sprinkle cheese on top, cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for another 10 minutes.

Gnocchi A La Narciso

I had such a productive day yesterday that I felt like trying a new recipe on top of everything else that I accomplished. This recipe was not "hard" but more time intensive than I bargained for.

Gnocchi A La Narciso sounds fancy doesn't it? Gnocchi is simply a pasta made from potatoes. That is what I kept telling my kids when they kept asking, "What is this again?" And, the general consensus? A keeper recipe, but next time I put all the kids to work kneading, rolling and cutting. I made two pans so we could try different flavors. One included spaghetti sauce (straight out of the jar!) and the other was olive oil and basil. Both were really good, and I still can't decide which one I liked better. In this picture there is more of the basil on my plate than the sauce.

Gnocchi A La Narciso

* 3 large baking potatoes (2 pounds)
* Vegetable oil
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 2large eggs
* 1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 teaspoon pepper
* 3 quarts water
* Spaghetti sauce
* 3 cups grated Parmesan or Asiago cheese

1. Scrub potatoes clean, pat dry and then rub with the oil before wrapping in Alumninum foil. Bake them at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until tender. (mine were huge and took longer to cook) Let them cool enough that you don't burn your fingers. (I was in a hurry and burned mine, so I would suggest baking the potatoes and hour or two before you want to start preparing the Gnocchi.)

2. Peel potatoes, discarding skins, and then mash the pulp with a fork. (This is to help get a smooth dough without lumps of potatoes in it. Trust me, it is easier in the long run.)

3. Beat potato pulp, 2 cups flour and next 4 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until well blended. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface and divide into 8 equal portions. Coat each portion with flour.
Where did the 8th lump go? Ah, there it is. He also is well floured as you can see.

4. Knead each portion with well floured hands until smooth and elastic and no longer sticky. (This took a lot longer than I expected and I had to add a lot of flour to each portion. During this time I also mashed any potatoes that were not mixed. Older kids would be a great help here to speed things up.)

5. Roll each portion of dough into 3/4-inch diameter ropes. (Mine were a little lumpy.)
6. Cut each rope into 3/4-inch lengths.

7. Place on a well floured cookie sheet.

8. Bring 3 quarts water to a boil over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven. (I just used my plain old 5 quart pot). Drop dough pieces, 10 to 12 at a time, into the water. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until gnocchi rises to the top. Remove and spread on parchment paper while you repeat until all the gnocchi is cooked. (I went ahead and spread some spaghetti sauce in the bottom of my baking dish and just transferred them straight to the pan. Also, notice my basket spoon that was perfect for this recipe.)9. Layer sauce, gnocchi and Parmesan cheese in a 13 x 9 inch baking dish and then repeat. (I also made the basil version. For that I just sprinkled some olive oil in the pan, layered the gnocchi, sprinkled basil and Parmesan cheese. I also just did one layer of each since I was not sure if my family was going to like this recipe.)This was from the Southern Living 1997 Annual Recipes Cookbook, page 246.

Lasagna

When I went to create the hand out for my cooking class, I realized that I have never posted my lasagna recipe on here. I make it all the time because it is Nathan's favorite meal so it is time for me to post it.

My students made this particular dish of lasagna.

Basic Lasagna Recipe
1 lb ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 large jar of spaghetti sauce
8 oz ricotta cheese*
8 oz small curd cottage cheese*
1 egg
Dash of nutmeg
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 cups shredded mozzarella
1 package no cook lasagna noodles

Things I like to add to the sauce by adding to the meat while it is browning:
chopped onion
chopped bell pepper
minced garlic
mushrooms
chopped zucchini
chopped pepperoni


1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brown ground beef and other vegetables in a skillet with high sides or sauce pan over medium high heat. Drain excess fat if needed before adding spaghetti sauce. Lower heat, cover and let simmer while you prepare cheese filling.

2. Mix ricotta, cottage cheese, egg, nutmeg, sugar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. When well combined, add mozzarella cheese and stir.

3. Spoon some of the sauce into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish and then layer:noodles, meat sauce, cheese filling, noodles, cheese filling and meat sauce.

4. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and sprinkle cheese on top if desired and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

5. IMPORTANT: Let the lasagna sit for 10 minutes before you cut into it. The sitting time allows it to firm up so you can dish it out better.

*Note: every recipe that I have seen calls for 15 ounces of one or the other of these cheeses, but I have found that I like my lasagna best with both of them. Ricotta adds a more authentic Italian flavor and the cottage cheese adds more moisture.

Chicken and Broccoli Rotini

Simplicity itself. Tonight I was really in the mood for a simple, basically healthy and light meal. This was on the list and it fit the bill perfectly. Of course my family complained that I mixed it all together instead of giving them chicken with broccoli and pasta on the side. But it looked nicer this way and it really was super easy to make. I think it only took about 20 minutes start to finish.

Chicken and Broccoli RotiniYou can't get any simpler, easy ingredients than this! Only 5 ingredients!

* 16 oz fresh chopped broccoli (I used a 10 oz bag of frozen florets)
* 1 (16 oz) package dry Rotini pasta
* 2 cloves garlic, minced (I used one large since my family balks at my garlic usage)
* 1 Tablespoon olive oil
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* salt and pepper to taste
* Cooked chicken (I used about 9 tenderloin pieces)

1. I pulled some frozen chicken out of the freezer and thawed it about half way in the microwave. I think added it to a skillet with some olive oil and dried onion flakes. I sprinkled salt on both sides as well. I let it cook through and brown while I started the next step.

2. In a large pot of boiling water, cook broccoli until tender. Drain broccoli, reserving the water. Set the broccoli aside and return the water to the pot and cook the pasta in it. The pasta will take about 10 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, I chopped my chicken into pieces.

3. Drain the pasta and set aside. In a skillet add 1 tablespoon olive oil and the minced garlic. Saute for about a minute. Add drained pasta, cooked broccoli, cut chicken and grated Parmesan cheese. Toss together and serve.

This dish is nice and light because there is no sauce, and it is healthy enough to eat a large portion of it. Here is an estimate of the nutrition based on my input on myfitnesspal .

Servings: about 10
331 calories, 43 g carbs, 6 g fat, 22 g protein

Tip: Leave out the chicken for vegetarian and/or to make it a side dish.

Four Cheese Chicken Fettuccine

This is one of my favorites. It is not a healthy recipe, especially if you eat a lot of it, but I serve just a little of this with lots of healthy side choices. You can also make this a little healthier by making some substitutions which I will note as we go. I also forgot to take a picture so you get the pretty picture off the recipe card. It was from a Taste of Home casserole cookbook, but I just have the cut out card from it.

Four-cheese Chicken Fettuccine

* 8 ounces uncooked fettuccine (I know the box I buy is more than this and I just use it all which makes the dish go farther and spreads some of the creamy calories out farther ;)
* 1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
* 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese (you can use 1/3 less fat or fat free cream cheese)
* 1 can sliced mushrooms (fresh are yummy too)
* 1 cup heavy whipping cream (I have not tried these other options, but here is a break down of the creams normally found at the grocery store--Heavy whipping cream is 36% or more milk fat, Light whipping cream is 30-36% fat and Half and Half is only 10.5-18% milk fat. I will try the Half and Half next time and update on how it turns out.)
* 1/2 cup butter
*1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (I used 1 clove of fresh garlic, minced)
* 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (the real stuff not the kind you sprinkle on top of your pizza)
* 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
* 1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
* 2-1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken
Topping: Crushed buttery crackers (optional)

1. Cook fettuccine according to package directions. (I always put a tablespoon veg oil in my water to help keep the noodles from sticking together. I do this for all my long pastas.)

2. Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan or stock pot, melt the butter and cook the garlic for a minute if using fresh. Then combine the soup, cream cheese, mushrooms, and whipping cream. Stir in cheeses; cook and stir until melted. Add chicken. Drain the fettuccine and add to the sauce.

3. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Transfer the pasta and cheese mixture to a shallow, greased 11x13 baking dish. Sprinkle the crushed crackers on top if using (You can also make your own my mixing 2 tablespoons melted butter with 1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs). Cover and bake for 25 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 5-10 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.

Servings 6-8 (but I fed two families (12 people) with it and had left overs, no teenagers though), and you really don't want to know the other information do you? Just remember I told you it wasn't healthy, but definitely qualifies as a splurge meal. 641 calories! 47 g fat, 167 mg cholesterol, 895 mg sodium. I just hope that since I fed twice as many people that we only got half these numbers! Whew!

Cheesy Shell Lasagna

We love lasagna at our house. We have lots of versions of it, but this one is the kids favorite. I realized after I typed up this recipe that I left half of it out the other night, but the kids still loved it so, oh well! I forgot to add the sour cream and provolone cheese, which I did have in the fridge. I left the mushrooms out on purpose, so this recipe was even easier than what is written down here. It warms well. I hope your family enjoys it too!

Cheesy Shell Lasagna

* 1-1/2 pounds lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 clove garlic, minced
* 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
* 1 jar (14 ounces) meatless spaghetti sauce
* 1 can (4 ounces) mushrooms, drained
* 1 box family size cheese and shells, prepared
* 2 cups sour cream
* Sliced provolone cheese
* 1 cup mozzarella cheese

1. In a skillet, cook the meat, onions and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain.2. Stir in the tomatoes, spaghetti sauce and mushrooms. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.

3. Cook the cheese and shells while the sauce is simmering according to package directions.

4. Place half of the pasta in an un-greased 13 x 9 baking pan. (As you can see, I felt like adding some pepperoni to our dish. It was a fun surprise for the kids.)Top with half the meat sauce, sour cream and provolone cheese(this is the step that I left out. I don't know where my mind was?). Repeat layers. Sprinkle the top with the mozzarella cheese.5. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the cheese begins to brown. Let stand for 10 minutes before cutting.

Taken from a Taste of Home recipe card.

Stuffed Cheese Shells

This recipe comes out of my box so I don't remember where it came from. It is my daughter Ashlee's pick for this week. It is easy to make and warms up well. Enjoy!

Stuffed Cheese Shells

* 1 (16oz) box Jumbo Shells
* 1 (15oz) container of ricotta cheese
* 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
* 1 egg
* 1 cup mozzarella cheese
* salt, pepper, oregano and garlic powder to taste

1. Cook the Jumbo shells according to the package instructions, drain and set aside to cool. (I have found that it is better to separate any shells that get nested inside each other before they cool. Yeah, tough on the fingers, but they are less likely to stick together making them split or break if you do this when they are still warm.)

2. Mix together the ricotta, Parmesan, egg and mozzarella cheese in a mixing bowl. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, oregano and garlic powder. If I had to guess at how much I used of these spices it would be something like this (salt-1/2 teaspoon, pepper-1/4 teaspoon, oregano-2 teaspoons? and garlic powder-1/2 teaspoon) Please note that is a GUESS cause I don't really know. :)

3. Spoon the cheese mixture into the shells and place in a casserole dish.

4. Pour spaghetti sauce all over it. I'm using tomato based sauce here, but Alfredo is also really good with this recipe.

5. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Easy!

Chicken Parmesan

Well, my report for the week is not as good as I wish it was. I did exercise at home. I didn't run or do anything aerobic, but I did 3 days of hand weights to get rid of the wiggly jigglies in my arms, and more squats than I can count over the week. I just stand behind the couch while my son is watching Sesame Street and keep moving for at least half of the show. I also did ab work every night, so maybe it isn't as bad as I thought.

I just can't find the time to go running. Well, at least not time when someone else is here to watch my son. I'm going to have to bite the bullet and run on the treadmill!! AAaaaahhhh! I know some people love the treadmill, but it puts me to sleep! But it will be better than nothing.

Ok, the following meal was delicious! I do have to say that I made it up. I'm sure that at some point in time I watched someone make it on some cooking show, or had a recipe at one time or another. But, I do not currently have anything written down for it, so...here it goes.

Chicken Parmesan

* Cooked Pasta
* 4 chicken breast
* 2/3 cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs
* 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
* 1 egg
* 1/2 cup milk
*1 can diced tomato
* Mozzarella cheese for topping


1. Mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese together in a bowl that is big enough to dip your chicken in. Mix the egg and milk in another bowl.

2. Heat 2-3 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over med-high heat. While it is heating, dip each chicken breast in the mixtures in this order: dip in bread crumbs, dip carefully in the egg mixture so that the first bread crumbs do not wash off, dip in the bread crumbs again. Place in the skillet with the hot oil.

3. Cook until brown and crispy and then flip and brown the second side. My chicken was kind of thick, so it wasn't cooked all the way through once they were browned. I didn't want to burn them, so I put them in a 375 preheated oven to finish cooking while the spaghetti cooked. (I also put my bread in at this time.)

4. When the spaghetti is done, check your chicken to see if it is cooked all the way through. If so, place it back in the skillet, cover it with the un-drained can of diced tomatoes. Cover and warm the tomatoes.

5. Serve the chicken on the spaghetti with the tomatoes and top with mozzarella (or fresh Parmesan if you have it). Mmmm, yummy!

Mac and Cheese and Green Bean Salad

Well, I was thinking, "Whimsical Wednesday is supposed to be kid friendly. What says kid's meal better than Mac and Cheese!" So, I made Rachel Ray's Pimento Mac and Cheese and Honey Mustard-Dressed Green Bean Salad. It sounded like a good idea at the time, and my husband and I really enjoyed it. One of my daughters liked it as well, she just picked the pimentos out. The other three wouldn't even try it. So, if I make it again, I will leave the pimentos out and see if it gets a better reaction. The thing is, you don't taste the pimentos. They are just there to add color and make it look pretty. Oh, well.

Pimento Mac and Cheese
*1 pound elbow pasta
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*2 tablespoons butter
*1 small onion, finely chopped
*2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
*1 teaspoon paprika, plus additional for garnish
*salt and ground black pepper
*2 tablespoons flour
*2 cups milk
*A couple dashes hot sauce(which I left out in attempt to get my kids to eat it. I think this would add some much needed flavor though)
*3 cups sharp cheddar, grated, divided (divided simply means you will use some at one time and then use the rest later on in the recipe)
*2 3oz jars of pimentos, drained (I only used one)
*1/2 cup parsley, chopped


1. Preheat broiler to high or oven to 400 degrees. (I did oven because I get distracted easily and didn't want it to burn)

2. Cook the pasta according to package directions, but cook it just shy of al dente. This means to take it off before it is all the way done. It will still be a little firm.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat with olive oil and butter. Add the onions, garlic, paprika, salt and ground pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Look how pretty it is and it smells even better! 4. Add the flour and cook about a minute. Whisk in milk and hot sauce, and bring up to a bubble. Turn off the heat, and stir in half of the cheese in a figure-eight motion until it is all melted. (I don't know why it has to be a figure-eight. Maybe to keep the cheese from getting clumped together?)

5. When the pasta is done, drain it well and add it to the pot with the cheese sauce. Toss to combine. Fold in the drained pimentos then pour everything into a baking dish and top with the remaining cheese.

6. Bake in oven until cheese is brown and bubbling. Garnish with the chopped parsley (which I forgot to do) and a sprinkle of paprika. Also pictured is the Green Bean Salad.
Honey Mustard-Dressed Green Bean Salad
*1 pound green beans, cleaned
*1 tablespoon yellow mustard
*3 tablespoons honey
*1/4 cup cider vinegar
*salt and ground black pepper
*1 cup olive oil
*6 scallions, sliced on bias
*1 bunch radishes, sliced into thin rounds

1. Steam green beans in a covered pot with half an inch of boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Cold shock them by running them under cold water and drain well.

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the mustard, honey, vinegar, salt and black pepper with a whisk. Once the ingredients are well combined, drizzle the olive oil in a slow and steady stream while continuously whisking. Add the cooked and shocked beans to the bowl with the dressing along with scallion and radishes, and toss to coat. (I actually left out the radishes and scallions. This left a lot of the "sauce" so after I mixed it up, I pour off the excess juice.)

Penne with Zucchini and Ricotta

This is one of my favorite meals because I love the zucchini cooked in the garlic. Funny story about this particular run. My husband does not like the smell of the garlic, but I LOVE garlic. It makes for some interesting conversations at dinner time. I've tried to be sneaky and cook the garlic part before he comes home and then open window, light candles, whatever it takes. Last night he was already home so I just cooked it. After the meal was over, Nathan was talking to my picky son and said something to this effect, "It was really good this time because mommy left all the yucky garlic out." I was in the other room just laughing because I put two big cloves in!

Anyway, this meal does not really fall into the "healthy" category. I did just use 1% milk last night instead of half and half and it was ok. It tastes much better with the extra fat. It does fall into the "fast" under 30 minutes recipes. You can also use any kind of pasta with it. It calls for penne, but as you can see I used rotini.

Penne with Zucchini and Ricotta

*1 (16oz) pkg. uncooked penne

*1 tablespoon olive oil

*2 garlic cloves, minced

*1 lb. small zucchini, sliced

*1 cup ricotta cheese

*1 cup half-and-half

*1/2 teaspoon salt

*1/2 cup finely sliced fresh basil

*2/3 cups shredded fresh Parmesan cheese

1. Cook penne to desired doneness as directed on package.

2. While pasta is cooking, heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and zucchini; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes until zucchini is tender. (If your zucchini is thicker it will take longer.)

3. In small bowl, combine ricotta cheese, half and half and salt; stir until well blended. Add to zucchini mixture; cook and stir until hot.

4. Drain pasta, then place in a large serving bowl. Add the cheese zucchini mixture and add the basil. Toss gently to mix. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

This serves 6 (1 2/3 cups each) with a whopping 460 calories, 14g fat, 35gm cholesterol, and 440mg sodium.

Angel Hair Pasta with Eggplant-Tomato Sauce

Last night's meal was quite a learning experience for me. I don't know if I was tired or what, but I just wasn't paying attention to what I was doing. I don't ever cook with eggplant so I just did what the recipe said to do. Looking back, I should have peeled the eggplant. The recipe doesn't say to do it, but it was kind of chewy and I didn't like it. Our grill is also still inopperable, so I cooked the eggplant and red peppers in the oven. I did not however read the instructions on how to do that until I was done with every thing else. So, if you don't plan on grilling the veggies (which I think will make this taste even better) read the NOTE at the bottom. :)

Other than me being totally not in my head, the meal was good. The flavors were good and my husband said he really liked it. Oh, I also just used a can of diced tomatoes which saved a lot of time. The meal was quick and easy to make.

Pasta with Eggplant-Tomato Sauce

* 1 medium raw eggplant, baby-variety, sliced into 1/3- to 1/2-inch-thick rounds

* 1 medium sweet red pepper(s), cut into 8 strips

* 1 sprays olive oil cooking spray

* 3/4 tsp table salt, divided

* 1 medium garlic clove(s), minced

* 2 large tomato(es), coarsely chopped

* 1/4 small tsp crushed red pepper flakes

* 1/8 tsp black pepper

* 2 Tbsp basil, fresh, minced

* 2 Tbsp chives, fresh, minced

* 1/2 cup fat-free chicken broth

* 8 oz uncooked angel hair pasta, cooked according to package directions, drained

* 4 oz reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled (I used mixed cheeses, since my kids won't eat feta)

1. Preheat grill to medium.*See Note at Bottom*
Place eggplant slices and pepper strips in a grill basket (or place vegetables on a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil with holes poked in it to allow smoke through). Off heat, coat vegetables with cooking spray; season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Place on grill and cook until lightly browned and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Cut vegetables into bite-size pieces; set aside.

2. Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over low-medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and cook until slightly pulpy, about 1 minute more(if using canned you don't have to wait before adding the veggies).

3. Stir in vegetables, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, basil, chives and broth; increase heat to medium-high. Cook until broth is slightly reduced and mixture has a sauce consistency, about 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Add pasta and toss to coat. (We just placed it on top of the pasta on our plates). Stir in cheese just before serving.

Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.
Notes * You can roast the vegetables if you prefer. Preheat oven to 425ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place vegetables on prepared baking sheet and coat with cooking spray; season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Roast, until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.Let your garden dictate the vegetables for this recipe: sliced zucchini, yellow squash or red onion can be substituted for the eggplant.

This recipe came from the Weight Watchers online site.

Baked Ziti and another 5K

What a great way to start the week! This morning my whole family woke up and headed to a local park for our annual church Labor Day Breakfast. It is always lots of fun getting to visit with our friends, have breakfast and then play various sports afterward. This year we tried something new. We met an hour earlier than normal and had a 5K walk/run. There was a great turnout! I was very excited to see so many people ready to go. Kids, strollers, teens, adults, it was great! It felt good to be running with so many friends and neighbors.

Last night I tried a new recipe and I think it was a hit! I got this one from the Weight Watchers website. The only change I made was using ground turkey instead of ground beef. It was really good and my husband even said he would eat it as left overs. That is almost a miracle! I supplemented with wheat yeast rolls from the freezer. *wink, wink* It took about 20 minutes to cook the noodles and ground turkey and then it cooked in the oven for 30 minutes.

Baked Ziti

• 12 oz uncooked ziti
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 medium garlic clove(s), minced
• 1/3 pound raw lean ground beef (I used ground turkey)
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat; add garlic and sauté 2 minutes. Add beef and cook until browned, breaking up meat with a spoon as it cooks, about 3 to 5 minutes; drain off any fat and set pan back over medium heat.
3. Add oregano, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper; stir to coat beef. Cook until herbs become fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and bring mixture to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Spoon a small amount of beef-tomato mixture into bottom of a 4-quart casserole dish (just enough to cover surface); top with half of cooked ziti. Next, layer with half of remaining beef-tomato sauce and half of mozzarella cheese. Layer with remaining ziti and then top with remaining beef-tomato sauce; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese is golden and bubbly, about 30 minutes.
5. Slice into 8 pieces and serve. Yields 1 piece per serving.

I don't know the nutrition info, but it is 5 points on Weight Watchers, whatever that means.