Thursday, April 28, 2011

Spinach Ziti and Chinese Salad

I made this last night and it was really good. It's from Gina's Skinny Recipes. It was sooooo good and even Essie liked it.

1 lb high fiber ziti such as Ronzoni Smart Taste
28 oz crushed tomatoes (I prefer Tuttorosso)
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic,minced
10 oz frozen spinach, thawed
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
salt and fresh pepper to taste
8 oz fat-free ricotta
1/4 cup Parmesan
2 cups (8 oz) part skim mozzarella
Spray olive oil (I used my Misto)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with oil spray.

In a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to instructions until al dente. Drain and return to pot.
Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, add olive oil and sauté garlic. Add chopped spinach, salt pepper and chopped tomatoes. Season with basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
Add sauce to the pasta and combine the ziti. Add half of the mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and ricotta. Mix well then transfer to the baking pan.
Pour the pasta mixture into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Top with the remaining mozzarella.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned.


I made this Chinese Salad as well for the ladies I work with. It's my favorite salad ever!!!
1 Napa Cabbage, chopped
3 bunches green onions, diced
2 pk Ramen Noodles, broken into pieces (discard flavor package)
1 cup sliced almonds
4 TB Margarine
1/2 cup salted sunflower seeds

dressing:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1 cup veg. oil
2 TB soy sauce

Combine cut up cabbage and onions in large bowl. Brown broken ramen noodles and almonds in butter. Allow to cool. Add this to cabbage mixture.
For dressing: dissolve sugar in vinegar using low heat until well combined. Add oil and soy sauce.  Shake to combine well.  Add dressing right before serving.