Spaghetti Squash Lasagne

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 lasagna • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 291.0 • Fat: 13.7 g • Protein: 19.6 g • Carb: 21.0 g • Fiber: 2.7 g
Sodium: 358.3 mg   

Ingredients:

• 2 cups marinara sauce 
• 3 cups cooked roasted spaghetti squash
• 1 cup part skim ricotta
• 8 tsp parmesan cheese
• 6 oz part skim shredded mozzarella (I used Sargento)

Directions:

See instructions on how to roasted spaghetti squash here.

Preheat oven to 375°.

In four individual 5 x 7-inch oven safe baking dishes, ladle 1/4 cup quick marinara sauce on the bottom of each dish. Top each with 3/4 cup of cooked spaghetti squash and spread evenly. Top each with 1/4 cup ricotta. 

Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of grated parmesan cheese and .75 oz mozzarella on each.  Addthe remaining sauce, parmesan and mozzarella cheese.  

Cover with foil and bake for 15 - 20 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the edges begin to bubble; uncover and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Butternut Squash Spaghetti

Spaghetti with Creamy Butternut Leek Parmesan Sauce
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4 • Size: 1/4th of recipe • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7
Calories: 266 • Fat: 3.5 g • Carb: 56 g • Fiber: 9 g • Protein: 9.5 g • Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 97 mg (without salt)

Ingredients:

• 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp light butter
• 8 oz spaghetti of your choice (use brow rice pasta for gluten-free)
• 1 (1 cup) large leek (white part only)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup fresh shaved parmesan cheese
• 4 sage leaves, sliced thin
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add butternut squash and cook until soft.Remove squash with a slotted spoon and place in a blender, blend until smooth.

Add pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions for al dente, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water before draining.

Meanwhile, in a large deep non-stick skillet, melt the butter, sauté the leeks and garlic over medium-low heat until soft and golden, about 5 - 6 minutes. Add pureed butternut squash, season with with salt and fresh cracked pepper and add a little of the reserved pasta water to thin out to your liking. Stir in parmesan cheese and sage and mix in pasta until well coated.

Serve with additional parmesan cheese on the side.

Baked Broccoli Mac

Skinny Baked Broccoli Macaroni and Cheese
Skinnytaste.com 
Servings: 8 • Serving Size: 1 cup • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pts
Calories: 314.9 • Fat: 9.8 g • Protein: 17.7 g • Carb: 44.3 g • Fiber: 6.3 g • Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 215.7 (without salt)  

Ingredients:

• 12 oz high fiber elbows like Ronzoni Smart Taste
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp light butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup minced onion
• 2 cups skim milk
• 1 cup fat free chicken broth (vegetarians use vegetable broth)
• 8 oz (2 cups) Sargento shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar
• salt and fresh pepper to taste
• 12 oz fresh broccoli florets (I used pre-cut bag)
• 1/8 cup grated parmesan
• 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• cooking spray

Directions: 


Cook pasta and broccoli together in a large pot of salted water, according to package directions for al dente (or slightly under cook 2 minutes). Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large, heavy skillet, melt butters. Add onion and cook over low heat about 2 minutes, add flour and cook another minute, or until the flour is golden and well combined. Add milk and chicken broth and whisk, raising heat to medium-high until it comes to a boil; cook about 5 minutes or until the sauce becomes smooth and thick.Season with salt and pepper.

Once the sauce is thick, remove from heat, add cheese and mix well until cheese is melted. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add cooked macaroni and broccoli and mix well. Pour into prepared baking dish. Top with grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Spraya little more cooking spray on top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, then broil for a few minutes to get the breadcrumbs golden.

Loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes

Baked sweet potato loaded with zesty black beans, melted cheese, salsa with a dollop of cream. What can be better than a 20 minute meal!

Today's recipe is a guest post from The Picky Eater. I met Anjali in San Francisco last year; she's a sweet blogger who I instantly connected with, she is also a vegetarian and shared this delicious (yes, I tested this myself and loved it!) recipe with us, perfect for meatless Monday!

Hi Everyone! My name is Anjali Shah and I blog over at The Picky Eater, where I write about healthy recipes and easy-to-make family meals. I test all of my recipes on my “fast food loving husband,” who, prior to meeting me, ate a diet of frozen pizzas and Taco Bell, so any recipe that makes it on to my blog is “husband approved”!

I’m so excited to be a guest blogger today on Gina’s site! Ever since I met her at the Foodbuzz Conference last year and saw the amazing photographs and wonderful recipes on her blog, I’ve been a fan – and I’m so honored to be a part of this blog and meet all of you.

One of my favorite things to do in the kitchen is to makeover comfort foods into healthy versions that taste amazing, are full of flavor and feel just like the original.

Today I’d like to share one of my favorite recipes – my Loaded Baked Potato Makeover. My healthy swaps include: sweet potatoes instead of russet, “loaded” toppings like black beans and veggies sautéed with spices, and a dollop of cream (which is my favorite swap – 0% Greek Yogurt for sour cream!) The husband usually can’t tell the difference, especially when I spice up the yogurt with some taco seasoning.

This meal is delicious and takes only 20 minutes to make, which is why I love making it after a long day at work – I know I’ll have something yummy in my stomach in the same amount of time it would take to pick up takeout. The husband loved it too, and it has since become a staple weeknight meal in our house. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!


Loaded Baked Sweet Potato “Healthified” 
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4 • Size: 1 potato • Old Points: 6 pts • Points+: 8 pt
Calories: 307 • Fat: 5 g • Carb: 53 g • Fiber: 10.5 g • Protein: 15 g • Sugar: 1 g
Sodium: 312 mg  (without salt) 

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sized sweet potatoes
• 1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt (or light sour cream)
• 1 tsp taco seasoning
• 1 tsp olive or canola oil
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika or smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• a pinch of salt
• 1-1/3 cups canned black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup mild or spicy salsa
• 1/2 cup reduced fat Mexican cheese blend
• 1/4 cup chopped scallions or cilantro

Directions:

Poke holes in the potato with a fork, cook on your microwave’s potato setting until potatoes are soft and cooked through (about 8-10 minutes on high for 4 potatoes). If you don't have a microwave, bake about 45 minutes at 400°F.

Combine yogurt and taco seasoning in a small bowl, mix well.

Heat oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add peppers, onions, chili powder, paprika, cumin and salt; cook until the onions have caramelized slightly, about 5 minutes. Add black beans, stir to combine and heat through (about another 5 minutes).

Slice the potato lengthwise down the middle or as I did in the photo, use a fork to pierce the top in an oval shape, then remove the top of each potato. Top with 2 tbsp shredded cheese, 1/3 cup of black bean mixture, 2 tbsp Greek yogurt mixture and 2 tbsp salsa of salsa. Enjoy!

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Broccoli Cheese Soup
Source: MelsKitchenCafe

Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 small onion, diced finely
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) butter
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, preferably sharp or extra sharp
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
3 cups chopped, lightly steamed or blanched broccoli (I left mine in pretty big chunks)

Instructions:
Note: I used Mel’s tip of cooking the broccoli in a glass bowl covered in saran wrap in the microwave for 3-4 minutes while you prepare the rest of the soup. The broccoli comes out perfect.

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes.

In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour, salt and pepper. Cook together, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium heat until soup starts to thicken, about 5-8 minutes. Add warmed chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended.

Add cheeses and stir until completely melted. Stir in cooked broccoli. Add more salt and pepper to taste, if needed. Mine was really thick because I think I added more broccoli than it calls for but that’s how I like it. If you need to thin it out you can whisk in some more milk or chicken broth. If it’s too thin, you can simmer it a bit longer to thicken it up.

Serve immediately in bowls or bread bowls. Makes 4 servings.

Mushroom Kale Lasagna Rolls
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 10 • Serving Size: 1 roll • Old Points: 4 pts • WW Points+: 6 pts
Calories: 258.5 • Fat: 8.4 g • Fiber: 3 g • Protein: 11.5 g • Carbs: 30.5 • Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 208 g (without salt)

Ingredients: 

• 10 (9 oz dry) lasagna noodles, cooked
• 2 1/2 cups marinara sauce
• 5 cups kale, stems removed, chopped fine
• 8 oz mushrooms, chopped fine
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 15 oz part skim ricotta cheese (I like Polly-o)
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg, whisked
• salt and fresh pepper
• 3 oz (10 tbsp) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350°. Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.

Place kale in a food processor and pulse a few times until chopped.

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté until golden, about a minute. Add kale, salt and pepper and sauté about 5 minutes. Addmushrooms to the pan, cook until soft, an additional 5-6 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper.

Combine cooked kale, mushrooms, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.


Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out cooked lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of mushroom kale mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle 1 cup of sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, until cheese melts.

Angel Hair with Zucchini and Tomatoes 
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4 • Size: divide in 4 equal servings • Old Points: 5 • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 254.4 • Fat: 5.7 g • Protein: 7.4 g • Carb: 51.0 g • Fiber: 7.8 g • Sugar: 2.6


Ingredients:

• 2 zucchini, julienne or cut into ribbons
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 shallots, diced
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 4 tsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• crushed red pepper flakes to taste
• 8 oz angel hair pasta, I used Ronzoni Smart Taste
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup low-sodium fat-free chicken or (vegetable broth for vegetarian)

Directions: 

In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to instructions.

While pasta is cooking, in a large saute pan, heat pan on medium-high flame, add oilwhen pan is hot. Add garlic and shallots to the pan and saute about 1 minute. Add zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook about 2 minutes, add tomatoes, crushed red pepper flakes, parsley, chicken broth and adjust salt and pepper. Stir for another minute. Remove from flame.

Drain pasta when done reserving some of the water and and toss the pasta well with zucchini. Add pasta water if needed and serve with grated Parmesan (optional).