Monday, March 21, 2016

Roasted Red Pepper and Ricotta Soup

I found this in the April 2016 issue of Cooking Light.  This will pair perfectly with a salad or sandwich for a quick lunch or dinner.

2 1/2 C. unsalted chicken stock
1 C. part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 16oz. jar roasted red peppers, rinsed and drained
1 garlic clove
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives

Combine first 6 ingredients in a blender; process 1 minute or until smooth.

Pour mixture into a large saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer.  Stir in lemon juice and salt.  Divide soup among 4 bowls and top with chives.

Per serving: 184 calories, 8.4g. fat, 11g. protein, 14g. carbs, 4g. fiber, 30mg. cholesterol, 2mg. iron, 654mg. sodium, 297mg. calcium

Friday, March 18, 2016

Short Rib Lasagna

So I have mentioned that I get just about every cooking magazine under the sun but this recipe came from a flyer that came with a NON cooking magazine.  I may try this.  It's a long recipe but I am betting it will be worth it!

2lb. boneless beef short ribs
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
16oz. button or cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
3 carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 C. dry red wine
1 C. reduced sodium beef broth
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C. butter
1/4 C. all purpose flour
3 C. milk
6oz. Gruyere cheese, shredded
2 tsp. snipped fresh thyme
12 lasagna noodles
Olive oil
Additional Gruyere cheese and fresh thyme

Season short ribs with salt and pepper.  In a large Dutch oven, combine mushrooms, carrots, onion, wine, broth and garlic.  Add ribs.  Bring to boiling. Reduce heat to a simmer.  Cook, covered 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until meat is tender.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour.  Stir in milk all at once.  Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.  Cook and stir 1 minute more.  Stir in Gruyere cheese.  Cook and stir until cheese is melted.  Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Transfer ribs to a cutting board.  Shred meat.  Strain cooking liquid; reserve vegetables.  Return meat to pot.  Stir in reserved vegetables and thyme.

Meanwhile cook noodles according to package direction, unless you are using no boil noodles.

Drizzle the bottom of a 3 quart baking dish with olive oil.  Arrange noodles in a single layer, top with 1 cup of white sauce.  Using a slotted spoon, add 1/3 of the short rib mixture.  Repeat layers, ending with noodles.  Pour remaining white sauce over top.  Cover with parchment paper brushed with olive oil, coated side down; seal tightly with foil.

Bake 30 minutes.  Uncover; bake 15 minutes more or until cheese is golden brown and lasagna is bubbly.  Remove from oven.  Top with additional cheese and fresh thyme.  Let stand at least 20 minutes before serving

Per serving: 574 calories, 27g. fat, 132mg. cholesterol, 479mg. sodium, 39g. carbs, 3g. fiber, 39g. protein

Monday, March 7, 2016

Turkey Tomato Pizza

This is another recipe from Light Cooking Done Right from Taste of Home.  It reminds me of a turkey club sandwich turned into a pizza.

1 tube refrigerated pizza crust (I may use the pizza dough I get at Caputo's.)
2 tsp. sesame seeds
1/4 C. reduced fat mayonnaise
1/4 tsp. lemon zest
1 C. shredded reduced fat Mexican blend cheese
1 tsp. dried basil
1/4lb. thinly sliced turkey, julienned
3 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled
2 small tomatoes, thinly sliced (I wonder if you could use sun dried tomatoes here?)
1 C. shredded reduced fat Swiss cheese
2 tbsp. thinly sliced green onions

Roll out pizza dough onto a 15x10x1 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.  Flatten dough and build up edges slightly.  Prick dough several times with a fork; sprinkle with sesame seeds.  Bake at 425 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

Combine the mayonnaise and lemon peel; spread over crust. Sprinkle with Mexican cheese and basil. Top with turkey, bacon, tomatoes and Swiss cheese.  Bake 7-9 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.  Sprinkle with onions.

1 slice equals 284 calories, 11g. fat, 27mg. cholesterol, 865mg. sodium, 27g. carbohydrates, 1g. fiber, 19g. protein

Pizza Pasta Soup

I saw this recipe in Taste of Home's Light Cooking Done Right.  I tweaked it a bit to make it my own.

1lb. ground beef
4oz. fresh mushrooms
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can Italian style diced tomatoes, undrained
2 medium carrots, sliced
1 red pepper, diced
4 C. beef broth
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 1/2 C. tricolor spiral pasta, cooked according to package directions

In a large saucepan, over medium heat, cook the beef, mushrooms, onion, celery, and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain.

Stir in the broth, tomatoes, carrots, pepper, bay leaf and oregano.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until carrots and peppers are tender.  Add pasta and heat through.

Makes 8 servings.  Per serving: 168 calories, 5g. fat, 28mg. cholesterol, 401mg. sodium, 17g. carbohydrates, 2g. fiber, 13g. protein.

Chicken Scarpariello

 Every so often Chris gives me a cooking "challenge".  I was laid off from my job a few weeks ago so I have some spare time and ha...