Guiltless Lasagna...You Heard Right!

What can be more comforting than a wonderful, meaty, cheesy piece of lasagna?  I made this last week, a recipe straight out of the Food Lovers program.  The dish is designed to have as little impact as possible on your blood sugar (therefore avoiding a spike in insulin levels), so it's probably the most healthy version I've ever attempted in my kitchen.  (By the way, this approach to eating is an excellent practice for people who are dealing with diabetes or have unstable blood sugar.)  This is the picture of an actual slice, and although it's not the neatest cut, it still looks pretty darn good.  LOL!  My kids aren't big fans of bell peppers, yet I still cook with them.  However, since you do use a whole red pepper AND a whole green pepper in here, I think I'm going to have to puree them or something, just so I can sneak them into the sauce.  If they can't see them, they'll eat them.

That being said, they didn't seem to mind the generous helping of spinach mixed in with the cheese, so I guess it's not all a loss.  Ha!  Flavor-wise, I give it nothing but rave reviews.  This also happens to be one of the tastiest lasagnas I've made, and I have to say my lasagnas are pretty good either way.

But be warned: This makes a FULL 15x10 pan.  My humongous 5-quart Pyrex was slap full, as it does make 12 portions of lasagna.  But since I'm not going portion-crazy and actually paying attention to portion size, it means having leftovers...a LOT of leftovers.  I will definitely make this again, but it will have to be when my husband's home to eat the rest of it.  Meanwhile, I've tried freezing individual portions, so one of these days, I'll report back on how well they thaw and reheat.  Watch this space.

I've promised folks in my Facebook group of the same name (which you can get to right here) the recipe for this dish, and here it is.  Have at it, and enjoy every bite knowing that you're doing something good for yourself and your body.

Nabela's Version of the Food Lovers' Lasagna

16 whole wheat lasagna noodles

1 pound lean ground beef (can use turkey)

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, optional

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

2 (24 oz) jars Prego Tomato and Basil sauce (I used Ragu Sugar Free Tomato and Basil)

4 cups low fat, small curd cottage cheese

8 oz frozen spinach, thawed and excess water squeezed out

1 large egg, beaten (can use egg substitute)

2 cups part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

1.  In a large pot, prepare lasagna noodles according to package directions.  Lay cooked noodles in a single layer on cookie sheets covered with wax paper.

2.  Brown beef (or turkey) and drain.  If using, add cinnamon.

3.  Add bell peppers and cook over medium heat for 7-8 minutes until tender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Add pasta sauce.  Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer 10 minutes.

5.  Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine cottage cheese, spinach, egg, and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.  (I would also add a touch of salt.)

6.  Spray 15 x 10 glass dish with cooking spray.  Ladle a small amount of sauce into dish to lightly coat the bottom.  Lay 4 strips of lasagna noodles lengthwise along the bottom, and trim a 5th piece to fill the space on the end.  Add 1/2 the meat sauce over the noodles and spread evenly.

7.  Trim 6 lasagna noodles to fit across the width of the pan.  Lay these out, then add all of cottage cheese mixture and spread evenly.

8.  Lay 4 lasagna noodles lengthwise and trim the last piece to fit the end.  (You will have extra trimmed pieces left, which you can layer over the top.)  Add remaining meat sauce and spread evenly.  Top with remaining mozzarella and grated Parmesan.

9.  Cover tightly with foil.  Bake in a 375-degree oven for 40 minutes.  Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.

10.  Allow to cool several minutes, then cut into 12 equal portions.

You can fill this out with a side salad (watch the dressing), or perhaps a cup of vegetable soup.  Or enjoy it on its own!  It's quite filling.

Until next time, happy cooking!  :)

Whole Wheat Baked Ziti

Last week, I revisited the baked ziti dish, only this time I put my own spin on it.  I'd been doing some reading into low-glycemic index foods, and it turns out that whole wheat pasta is low(er) compared to regular pasta.

Those of you with a sharp eye will also notice I didn't use ziti pasta.  I couldn't find whole wheat ziti noodles at my local store, so penne was the next best thing.

The whole process is very straightforward, and pasta dishes with lots of cheese are a guaranteed hit with my boys, so this is going to become a regular in my recipe repertoire.  Here are the ingredients and steps...

Whole Wheat Baked Ziti/Penne (serves 8-10)

Ingredients:

16 oz whole wheat ziti/penne pasta

16-24 oz ricotta cheese

16 oz shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

1 egg, beaten

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp dried Italian seasoning

2 cups torn baby spinach leaves

salt and pepper to taste

24-32 oz jar garden style pasta sauce (or your favorite sauce), divided

about 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Method:

1.  Cook pasta according to package directions.  Remove and drain while still slightly undercooked; set aside.

2.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

3.  In a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients along with 2/3 of the mozzarella cheese and 2/3 of the pasta sauce.  Add pasta and mix to coat evenly.

4.  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and spoon pasta mixture into the dish.  Top with remaining sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese.

5.  Cover tightly with foil and bake for 30 mins or until heated through.  Allow to set 10-15 minutes prior to serving.

Since you have the spinach in the dish and the veggies from the sauce, this can be a good one-dish meal.  If you want to add more veggies to the sauce, cook them down a little first.  The leftovers are great!  Enjoy!  :)