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.

Spinach Stuffed Lasagna Ruffles

I got this recipe from a friend and it is sooooo yummy and pretty!

8 oz lasagna noodles
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained
8 oz cream cheese, softened
15 oz ricotta cheese
2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup (4oz) freshly grated Parmesian cheese
1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1 (32 oz) jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup (2 oz) freshly grated Parmesian cheese
Cook the noodles using the package directions; drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a sheet of waxed paper or plastic wrap. Press the excess moisture from the spinach.
Beat the cream cheese in a mixing bowl until smooth. Stir in the spinach, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, 1 cup Parmesian cheese, the Italian seasoning & salt. Spread 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture over each noodle. Roll as for a jelly roll, starting at the narrow end to enclose the filing.
Pour the spaghetti sauce into a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Cut the rolls crosswise into halves and arrange curly side up in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup Parmesian cheese. Bake, covered, in a preheated 350 degreee oven for 25 minutes or until heated through

Baked Potato Soup

Today is a snow day and this is what I want on a snow day...sooooooooo goooooood!

4-6 potatoes (peeled and diced)  I like Yukon gold the best but any will do!
1 carton (16 oz) sour cream
3 green onions, chopped (I didn't have these so I used some chives)
5 crisp strips bacon, crumbled
1 cup milk
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup potato water

Cover potatoes in water and boil until tender but still a little firm. Drain but Save 1 cup of the potato water. 
Mix together cream of chicken soup, milk, and potato water. Add sour cream, bacon, and onions. Stir in potatoes and simmer 15 minutes or so.  Salt and Pepper to taste.  Add some shredded cheese on top when you serve!!!

Cornbread Waffles with Spicy Chili

This was good but I would make sure to cook the waffles until they are crispy.  They got soggy and yucky after a little while.


1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs
Spicy chili, recipe follows
Shredded Cheddar, for garnish
Sour cream, for garnish
Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions
Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.
In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add milk, oil, and eggs; stirring until smooth. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron and bake in batches. Set aside and keep warm.

Serve with Spicy Chili. Garnish with shredded Cheddar, sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro.
Spicy Chili:
1 pound lean ground chuck
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
2 (15-ounce) cans ranch-style beans
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 (15-ounce) can niblet corn, drained
1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown ground chuck, until beef is crumbly. Stir in onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
Stir in beans, tomato sauce, corn, diced tomatoes, and green chiles. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.

peanut butter and banana stuffed french toast

This was really good but rich so you can only eat a lil bit.  Essie tore it up!!

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 teaspoon sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
1 banana, peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup peanut butter
8 slices of white bread
1/2 cup granola
1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
maple syrup

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place the granola in a shallow bowl; set aside.

Spread each slice of bread with peanut butter. Drizzle honey evenly over peanut butter. Divide the banana slices among four slices of the bread; top with the remaining bread, peanut butter sides down. Remove the crusts and tightly pinch the edges of each sandwich together to seal.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Soak each sandwich in the egg mixture for 5 seconds. Roll the edges of each sandwich in granola.
In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the sandwiches, working in batches if necessary; cook about 2 minutes per side or until golden. Transfer the sandwiches to a baking sheet; bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately with maple syrup.

Corn Chowder

I have never had corn chowder before but thought it'd be good to give it a whirl! This was really good!

3 strips bacon, chopped
1 onion diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/4 c all purpose flour
1 32 oz chicken stock
2 russet potatoes, diced
1/2 tsp salt
1 pkg frozen corn
1 cup milk
3 TB half and half
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 TB fresh cilantro (chopped)

In large saucepan brown bacon until crispy.  Remove bacon to paper towel.  To the grease  add onion and jalapeno and cook about 5 minutes.  Add flour, cook 1 more minute.  Add broth, potatoes, and salt. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are softened (12 minutes or so).  Add corn, milk, half & half and cook another minute.  Remove from heat and stir in cheese and cilantro.  Sprinkle with bacon!

Dirt Cake

You are supposed to serve this in a flower pot with a fake flower inserted in it and hide gummy worms all in it just for fun.  BUT I didn't have those things and my hubby wanted this for dessert so we just made it anyways.  My favorite time  I made this was when I made it for my PreK students during our garden unit and even served it with a (new) garden trowel.  So funny! P.S. this is also on the menu for essie's sesame street birthday party...can you guess who is going in the dirt cake???

1 pkg oreos
8 oz cream cheese
1 c powdered sugar
1 cont. Cool Whip
1 small vanilla pudding mix
1 stick butter
1 & 1/2 c milk

In food processor, crush the oreos.  Mix cream cheese, butter, and sugar.  Beat pudding mix and milk together and add to cheese mix.  Beat until smooth then fold in the cool whip! layer with cookies!

Spicy Vegetable Soup

Since we are stuck inside on this COLD snowy day I thought I'd make some yummy Spicy Vegetable Soup! (and no it's not really spicy, spicy...it just has a nice little kick!)

1 lb lean ground beef

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

30 oz chunky vegetable spaghetti sauce

10 oz can beef broth

1 &1/2 cups water

1 cup chopped celery

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

10 oz can rotel

16 oz can diced veggie (or bag of frozen mixed veggies)

cornbread or crackers

In a Dutch oven, cook beef, onions, and garlic until brown, drain fat. Add spaghetti sauce, beef broth, water, celery, chili powder, sugar, salt, and pepper.  Bring to boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer 20 minutes.  Add rotel, diced veggies and simmer 15 more minutes.

Pumpkin Baked Apples

1 pie pumpkin (pie pumpkins are smaller than the ones you carve)
2 apples (I used granny smith)
sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon to taste

Preheat oven to 350 (I convected to speed things up). 

Scoop out alll the pulp and seeds from pumpkin.  Peel and slice apples and mix with sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  Pour apples into the hollow pumpkin and place the top back on.  Bake until pumpkin turns black (could take a few hours).  You can also use the pumpkin flesh to bake a fresh pumpkin pie so this recipe actually will make you two desserts!

Enchilada "ish" casserole

I kinda just threw this one together...using stuff I had left over in the fridge etc.

1/2 lb sirloin
1/2 sm onion
1 can diced green chiles
1 tsp cumin
1/2 can black beans
2 green onions diced
2 cups shredded cheese
1 can enchilada sauce
1TB oil
1TB flour
1 cup chicken broth
2 TB cilantro
corn tortillas

Brown meat with onions and add cumin, green onions, black beans and cook a lil bit longer.

In pot add oil and flour and stir to create a paste. Add cilantro, enchilada sauce, and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil and then let simmer for a bit.

Cover the bottom of 13x9 pan with corn tortillas.  Pour meat Mixture on top and cover with diced green onions, cheese, and pour half the sauce on top.

Add another layer of corn tortillas on top and cover with a lil more cheese and sauce. 

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.