Garden Lasagna

·                         1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

·                         3 1/2 cups (1 pound) chopped zucchini

·                         1 cup chopped onion

·                         2/3 cup chopped carrot

·                         1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen whole-kernel corn, thawed

·                         1 cup chopped fresh basil

·                         1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

·                         1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided

·                         1/4 cup all-purpose flour

·                         3 cups 1% low-fat milk

·                         1 cup 1% low-fat cottage cheese

·                         1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

·                         1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

·                         Cooking spray

·                         9 (about 5 ounces) no-boil lasagna noodles (such as Barilla)

·                         1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

·                          

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, onion, and carrot; sauté 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat; stir in corn, basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

3. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Place flour in a large saucepan; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in cottage cheese, Parmesan, nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

4. Spread 1/2 cup white sauce in bottom of an 11- x 7-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles over sauce; top with half the vegetable mixture (about 2 cups) and one-third of the remaining white sauce (about 1 cup). Top with 3 noodles, remaining vegetable mixture, half the remaining sauce, and 3 more noodles. Spread the remaining white sauce over noodles. Cover with foil and bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Uncover, sprinkle with mozzarella, and bake an additional 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand 15 minutes.

Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

·    1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan-Reggiano or Romano cheese

·     1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

·      1/3 cup pine nuts or walnuts

·       3 medium sized garlic cloves, minced

·        Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

·          

1 Combine the basil in with the pine nuts, pulse a few times in a food processor. (If you are using walnuts instead of pine nuts and they are not already chopped, pulse them a few times first, before adding the basil.) Add the garlic, pulse a few times more.

2 Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on. Stop to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a rubber spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve with pasta, or over baked potatoes, or spread over toasted baguette slices.

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Pesto

3 garlic cloves

3 T walnuts

½ C olive oil

2 C basil

¼ C parm cheese

Blend together in food processor.

Chicken Pasta

1 pound Penne

4 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

Salt And Pepper, to taste

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

4 cloves Garlic, Minced

1 1/2 C broth

1 bag Baby Spinach

2 cups Grape Tomatoes, Halved Lengthwise

4 ounces shaved Parmesan Cheese 

Cook pasta according to package directions in lightly salted water. Drain and set aside.

Cut chicken breasts into chunks and sprinkle on salt and pepper.

Heat butter and olive oil over high heat in a large skillet. Add chicken chunks in a single layer and do not stir for a minute or two in order to allow the chicken to brown on the first side. Turn the chicken and brown on the other side. Cook until done, then remove chicken from the skillet.

Turn heat to medium. Add garlic and quickly stir to avoid burning. After about 30 seconds, pour in broth, stirring to deglaze the pan. Allow the liquid to bubble up, then continue cooking until it's reduced by at least half (most of the surface of the liquid should be bubbling at this point.)

Turn off the heat. Add spinach, tomatoes, chicken, and cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine; the spinach will wilt as you toss everything. Add plenty of Parmesan shavings and toss to combine.

Serve with extra Parmesan shavings.

ASIAN: Thai Peanut Noodles, Lumpia, etc.

Version #1:  Thai peanut noodles 

12 oz. linguine or spaghetti, cooked         
 2 garlic cloves
2/3 c. chunky peanut butter                    
1 c. chicken bouillon
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 c. shredded zucchini                    
up to 1/3 c. soy sauce

1-2 tsp sugar

optional: add shredded carrot

Add garlic, peanut butter, bouillon, chicken, zucchini, soy sauce, and sugar to a 3 quart crockpot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Stir until smooth. Serve over pasta. Garnish with chopped peanuts, if desired. 

To make it on the stove:  Use cooked chicken cubes.

Vegan version:  omit chicken.  Use veggie bouillon instead of chicken bouillon.

 Version #2:  My new favorite Thai noodles:

Thai Peanut Noodles - Nora Cooks

Version #3: Thai peanut noodles

2 garlic cloves

⅔ C peanut butter

1 C chicken broth

1 C shredded zucchini

⅓ C soy sauce

1 t sugar

Red pepper

T lime juice

Cilantro peanuts

Green onions

Lumpia  /  Sweet and sour chicken

Gnocchis

5 C mashed potatoes           

 2 ½ C flour       

1 T salt      

1 egg

2 T olive oil      

Blend.    Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long "snakes". On a floured surface, cut snakes into half-inch pieces.    Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop gnocchi into boiling water and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until gnocchi have risen to the top; drain and serve.  Serve with pesto sauce or tomato sauce.

Sauce for gnocchis:  tomato sauce simmered with onion, garlic, oregano, basil, olives, green pepper, salt, pepper, thyme, beef, bay leaf, mushrooms.  Eat on Christmas Eve.

CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP/ GRAVY/ MACARONI AND CHEESE SAUCE/ TUNA TATOR/POT PIE

Good job for a minion: stirring and stirring....

1/4 c butter (I use much less for lower fat, then stir in corn starch and cold water if necessary to thicken)
1/4 c flour                  
1 c milk           
1 chicken bouillon cube                   
1 c water (hot)

Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Add 1/4 c flour (more if you want it thicker). Make a paste. Add milk--let it thicken. Stir often.  Dissolve bouillon cube in water, add to mix.      

 To make gravy, use water instead of milk.

To make Macaroni and cheese sauce, use 1 c grated cheese instead of  bouillon cube and water

To make Tuna Tator (family favorite), stir tuna into this soup, pour it in a glass baking dish, put mashed potatoes over it, and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake.

To make pot pie, stir cooked veggies into this (potatoes, peas, carrots), add chunks of cooked chicken, pour in a pie dish, top with a big flat circle of biscuit dough. Bake at 400 until biscuit is cooked.

 

Healthy Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute

from:  http://www.happybeinghealthy.com/

(1 recipe=1 can of cream of chicken soup)

• 3 T. flour (I used whole wheat)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• dash pepper
• 1 T. butter
• 1/2 C. chicken broth (lower sodium is best)
• 3/4 C. skim milk (or whatever kind of milk you want to use)

1.  Mix flour, salt and pepper in small bowl.

2.  Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat.

3.  Add dry ingredients and mix until blended.

4.  Slowly add chicken broth (if you add it too fast, it will be lumpy) and mix until blended.

5.  Slowly add the milk and mix until blended.  Bring to a low boil, stirring constantly until thickened.

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Another recipe for Cream of Chicken Soup (with no butter).  We made this (to put in white enchiladas) and it tasted great and was very easy to make:

Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup

Author: Pinch of Yum

Makes the equivalent of about 2 cans of condensed cream of chicken soup.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth (I used 2 cans)
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon seasoning mix (or on your own, 1/2 tsp. onion powder, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, 1/2 tsp. black pepper, 1 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. parsley, etc)

Instructions

1. Combine the chicken broth and 1/2 cup of the milk in a large saucepan. Bring to a low boil.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the flour and seasonings into the remaining 1 cup milk until a smooth, thick mixture forms.
3. Pour the flour and milk mixture into the saucepan with the broth mixture over low heat and stir continuously, whisking as the mixture simmers. Continue to simmer and stir/whisk until the mixture is smooth and thick, 5-10 minutes. The mixture will thicken a bit as it cools.

Notes

The seasoning possibilities are really open-ended. I change the spices I use every time I make this depending on what I'm going to use the soup for. The texture can get lumpy really quickly so I suggest keeping the heat as low as possible and whisking continuously for a more smooth consistency.

Pepperoni Tortellini Soup

1 C uncooked cheese tortellini  (I use frozen tortellini or frozen ravioli)

1 garlic clove, minced   

2 (14 1/2 oz) cans chicken broth (I use chicken bouillon mixed in water)

1 1/2 C chopped tomatoes, undrained  

 

 1/4 C (1 oz) pepperoni slices, cut in strips  (I use turkey pepperoni)

 

 1 t basil      

 

 2 T parmesan cheese

chopped fresh spinach 

Combine tortellini, garlic, and broth. Boil 20 minutes (or 2 minutes, if using frozen pasta -- just follow the package directions), or until tortellini is done. Stir in tomatoes, pepperoni, and basil. Simmer 5 minutes. Add spinach for last 2 minutes of cooking.  Top with parmesan cheese.

 

Pasta

Lasagne with white sauce instead of ricotta cheese:

2T butter, 2T flour, 2 cups milk - Melt butter, stir in flour, whisk in a saucepan for a minute, then stir in milk and whisk til it thickens a little. (Rachel learned this in Italy.)