Thursday, May 28, 2009

Tropical Thunder


Summer is fast approaching, and I am in full-throttle smoothie makin' mode. Good thing I have my trusty Magic Bullet blender to see me through. Here's my latest creation. Amounts are approximate. This will make two 12-16 oz. smoothies.

1 Mango Popsicle (preferably the kind made with real fruit)
1 Banana
1 C Frozen Pineapple Chunks
1/2 C Plain Yogurt
1/2 C Coconut Water (NOT Coconut Milk!)

Blend to your heart's content!

Monday, May 18, 2009

Atichoke, Spinach, and Feta Stuffed Shells

Artichoke, Spinach, and Feta Stuffed Shells

5 servings (serving size: 4 stuffed shells)

Ingredients
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 cup chopped pepperoncini peppers
1 (28-ounce) can fire-roasted crushed tomatoes with added puree (such as Progresso)
1 (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded provolone cheese, divided
1 cup (4 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup (4 ounces) fat-free cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (9-ounce) package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and chopped
1/2 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
2 garlic cloves, minced
20 cooked jumbo shell pasta (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
Cooking spray

Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Place over medium heat; cook 12 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside.
Combine 1/2 cup provolone and the next 6 ingredients (through garlic) in a medium bowl. Spoon or pipe about 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pasta shell; place stuffed shells in a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Spoon tomato mixture over shells; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup provolone. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until thoroughly heated and cheese melts.


Nutritional Information
Calories:
394 (28% from fat)
Fat:
12.4g (sat 7.7g,mono 2.9g,poly 0.7g)
Protein:
21.3g
Carbohydrate:
48.9g
Fiber:
8.7g
Cholesterol:
38mg
Iron:
5mg
Sodium:
954mg
Calcium:
455mg
Krista Montgomery, M.S., R.D., Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2006

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Broccoli, Bacon & Cheddar Toss (from Michelle)

Salad
3 C small fresh broccoli florets
1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 C raisins (or dried cranberries)
1/4 C chopped red onion
1/3 C bacon pieces

Dressing
1/2 C mayo or salad dressing
2 T sugar
2 tsp lemon juice

  1. Combine all salad ingredients except bacon.
  2. Combine all dressing ingredients; mix well. Pour over salad. Toss to coat.
  3. Just before serving, stir bacon in.