Lasagna Roll Ups

Currently I'm working on confronting my fear of pasta. I have discovered that if I choose pasta that is countable, I can easily incorporate it into my meal plan.

I have, of course, tweaked the original recipe to fit my liking.

Lasagna Roll Ups

Ingredients:

• 1 pkg of whole wheat, uncooked lasagna noodles (I used about 12 noodles)





• 1 cup of skim, shredded mozzarella cheese





• 1 150z container of fat-free ricotta cheese





• 1/2 of a 10oz package of frozen, chopped spinach, thawed with the water squeezed out





• 1 cup of reduced-fat, shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping





• spices as desired





• 1 280z jar of pasta sauce, I used a Trader Joe's brand

Directions:

1. Cook lasagna for 5-8 minutes as directed, but be sure to keep noodles slightly underdone. Drain and rinse the noodles.





2. Preheat oven to 350.





3. In a large bowl, mix together the cheeses and the spinach. Add any spices to taste. I used a dash of oregano, a dash of parsley, and some salt and pepper.





4. On a plate, lay out one noodle. Gently spread some of the cheese mixture down the entire length of the noodle. Top with a little bit of the pasta sauce. Roll the noodle, place it seam side down in a 13x9 pan, and move on to the next noodle. Repeat with all noodles.





5. Top lasagna rollups with remaining pasta sauce and Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or "until hot and bubbly" (the recipe says).

Cook's note: This recipe is beautifully versatile. You could easily add finely ground turkey, beef, tofu (as original calls for), or chicken. You can also experiment with different cheeses. I have found that in a recipe like this one, you can easily substitute some of the high fat items, like the cheeses, for lower-fat or fat-free versions.

Each "rollup" is about 15g of carbs. I had one along with a beer bread roll and a small fruit serving.

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies-----with...Agave Nectar!

I pulled this recipe from my new cookbook, Baking With Agave Nectar. Of course, it's slightly modified to fit what was in my pantry.

Ingredients:

• 6 T of unsalted butter---room temp




• 3/4 cup of light agave nectar




• 1 large omega-3 egg




• 1 T vanilla extract




• 1 cup of whole wheat flour




• 3/4 cup of oat flour (can be made by food processing oats)




• 1/2 t baking soda




• 1/2 t sea salt




• 1/2 t ground cinnamon




• 1 cup of chocolate chips




• 1 cup of pecans

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325.




2. In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the nectar and beat until fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until well combined.




3. In a separate, large bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.




4. Combine the dry and wet mixtures and stir. Add in the chocolate chips and pecans.




5. Place batter by the tablespoon on a non-stick cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 12 minutes until lightly browned. Do not overbake!




6. Let cookies cool for five minutes before removing them from the cookie sheet.

Food Haiku (from my readers!)

If you recall, dear reader, I put out a call for food haiku. I got what I asked for! Here are some of my favs. Enjoy!



By: Rachel (whom I lovingly refer to as "Snick")



cheese covered noodles
warm, moist, oh so full of carbs
unnatural hue






fun bumpy texture
squishy in my hand and mouth
yummy raspberry





By: Alissa


Guacamole


Take a big corn chip


Dig in, it's so delicious


I always want more





Brownies


Brownies are baking


Fillls my home with a good smell


Cut them into squares





By: Karen (my kindred spirit)



GROWING UP

Sweet baby carrots

Savory tender asparagus

Child’s yuck, adult delight



FALL

Sugar spice tart delight

Apple pie melts in my mouth

Autumn tastes so scrumptious

New World Chili

Chili is usually reserved for cold, fall nights. This version is less seasonal and more healthy!




I admit that after scanning the ingredients list, I was skeptical. I mean, could all these different items be thrown together and actually create an edible, even delicious, combination?


Yes.



I sadly, hang my head in shame, cannot recall where I tore this recipe from, but I found a similar version of my original here.


My version:




Ingredients:

• 28 oz of diced tomatoes (I found one can that was a "Mexican" variety)



• 15 0z can of black beans, rinsed and drained



• 1 80z can of tomato sauce



• 1 butternut squash, washed, peeled, and cut into small cubes



• 1 medium sweet onion, chopped



• vegetable broth, at least 1/2 cup



• 1/2 cup of frozen corn kernels



• 1/2 cup dried cranberries



• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped



• 1 T chili powder



• dash of garlic powder



• 1/2 (10oz) block of frozen, chopped spinach, thawed with water squeezed out



• shredded, low-fat cheese of choice for topping
  

Directions:

1. In a 5 qt slow cooker combine all ingredients except the cheese.

1. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4 hours, stirring about once every 45 minutes or so. Add more broth if necessary.



2. Serve chili with cheese on top and tortilla chips on the side or crumbled on the top of the chili.

Cook's Note: I love how colorful this chili is! It's surprisingly sweet, spicy, and salty, all at the same time. I also like that this chili boasts of lean protein, plenty of fiber, and a hearty helping of fruits and veggies.

There is plenty leftover, and it freezes very well!

Agave Nectar: An Introduction

I am the proud owner of Baking with Agave Nectar by Ania Catalano. My friend Kelly shared with me that agave nectar is supposed to be better than sugar for those of us with diabetes. (Well, duh readers, anything is better for us than pure sugar!) I was resistant at first, but Kelly handed me my very own, new, beautifully tempting copy of the cookbook. I concede. Happily.



Here are some fun agave nectar facts from Catalano's book:



"Agave nectar is a natural, organic, Kosher, plant-based sweetener made from several varieties of the agave plant..."



"The agave plant must be 7 to 10 years old before its sugars are at their peak and ready for harvesting."



And, what you've been waiting for, "Agave nectars are low-glycemic sweeteners, due to their high fructose to glucose ratio." A low GI rating is below 55, and according to Catalano's research, agave nectar ranges from 19 to 39.



WHOOO HOOO!



Other helpful pieces of info:

• Agave nectar has "a stable three year shelf life"


• Agave nectar "works to keep them [baked goods] fresher for a longer period of time


• Agave nectars are sold in several varieties: "light, amber, dark, and raw"


• When using agave nectar in traditional baking recipes, use about 75% agave nectar to replace the sugar. So if a recipe calls for one cup of sugar, use 3/4 cup agave nectar.


• Foods will bake faster with agave nectar, "so reduce temperatures by 25 degrees F to avoid burning"

Some of the tantilizing things you can make with agave nectar include:

• margaritas (yes---it's true!)
• muffins
• cakes
• pies
• frostings
• ice creams
• cookies

I picked up light and amber agave nectar at my local health food store. I found it no more expensive than honey, and I figured that if I had to spend more than the cost of a bag of sugar to add more days to my life (better blood sugars---I hope), then charge me what you wish!

Sparkling Fruit Salad

I always get a little nervous when venturing elsewhere to eat. I just never know if there will or will not be enough healthy foods to fit into my diet. I try to contribute a few dishes wherever we go to give myself peace of mind.





This past Fourth of July, we were kindly invited to our friend's parent's home. Our friend's wife told me she was bringing fruit. Yeah! When we sat down to eat, I couldn't get enough of this recipe . It's an elegant version of an old favorite.





I have altered it to fit the fruit I had here at home. There is freedom for you to customize this recipe!





Sparkling Fruit Salad


Ingredients:

• 1 can of Dole pineapple chunks in natural juice




• 1 can of generic mandarin oranges in light syrup




• 1 can of Dole tropical fruit in light syrup




• sliced, fresh strawberries, desired amount




• 1/2 cup of club soda




• 1 cup of white, sweet wine
  

Directions:

1. Open and drain cans of fruit. Pour fruit into a large bowl.




2. Add strawberries. Stir to combine all fruit.




3. Pour the club soda and wine over the mixture.




4. Refrigerate for two hours, stirring occasionally.

Isn't it beautiful? Looks like art to me.

Cook's Note: This is hardly expensive to make. Chances are you have already have some of the ingredients in your kitchen.

I'm thinking this would be perfect for brunches, potlucks, bridal or baby showers, or for dinners with friends or family. In fact, I'm taking it somewhere tonight!

Haiku: Food Style

One day while working on detail in writing, I assigned the boy that I tutor to cut out some pictures out of magazines. Then I had him choose from his cutouts and write haiku. Well, I can never pass up a good magazine searching and haiku writing session (I love to have fun!), so I also wrote my own poetry.



My first picture was of an orange:



Peel is thick, bumpy

Contrastingly different

Inside is juicy



Wedges of delight

bursts with possibility

citrusness brings joy



My second picture was of a chocolate cake, which had me more inspired than the orange:



Dinner lasts too long

thoughts of cake envelop me

frosting fills my soul



I've waited all day

for a slice of grandma's chocolate cake

Spinach for dinner?!?



Glossy, rich chocolate

beckoning for me to taste

I inhale it all

(Note: I'm thinking hypoglycemia here)



Mom's chocolate cake

Just a slice is not enough

I sneak the whole thing
(Hypoglycemia, volume II)



From behind the glass

sits glossy, dense, brown goodness

diet starts later



Send me (supagurlrae@hotmail.com) your haiku on some type of food, and I'll pick my favs and publish them in the near future. Do this when you are either bored at work, have a low or a high sugar (how inspiring!), in the midst of a food fantasy (I have those often), or want to show your creative side. Please title your e-mail "food haiku."