Friday Recipes

It's finally Friday. Here are six yummy recipes to help you through the weekend, including Baked Spaghetti and Almond, Toasted Oat and Cherry Trail Mix. Enjoy!

TACO CHILI

This was posted on the Vegetarian Times website on January 6, 2001. Makes 8 servings.

Ingredients

2 cups soy crumbles

1/2 cup canned soybeans

15-oz. can corn, drained

2 (28-oz.) cans diced tomatoes

30-oz. can chili beans

1 medium onion, diced

1 medium green bell pepper, diced

2 pkgs. taco seasoning

1 1/2 tsp. chili powder

Preparation

In large saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 to 45 minutes.

Serve with low-fat shredded cheese and tortilla chips.

SIMPLE VEGETARIAN SPINACH LASAGNA

This comes from Vicki Shanta Retelny, RDN at VeryWellFit. Vicki wrote, “There's nothing like lasagna to soothe a craving for a creamy, dreamy meal. With a foundation of vitamin C-rich tomato sauce, which is loaded with the carotenoid lycopene, this Italian classic takes on a healthy bend with a good dose veggies nestled in its layers.

“Chock full of leafy green spinach, this dish is good for your brain health, as eating a serving of veggies each day has shown to fend off cognitive decline. Spinach is also loaded with iron and calcium for a total body wellness boost.“

Total Time: 65 min; Prep Time: 20 min; Cook Time: 45 min; Servings 9 (1 cup each)

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 package no-boil lasagna noodles

2 28-ounce cans tomato sauce

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon oregano

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese

1 cup part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated

3 cups raw baby spinach leaves

Preparation

Preheat the oven the 350F.

On the stovetop over medium heat, pour the tomato sauce into a saucepan. Add salt, oregano, and garlic. Bring to a light boil, lower the heat, and simmer for a few minutes. Stir occasionally.

On the bottom of a 9x13 pan put a layer of tomato sauce. Place a layer of noodles on top, covering the bottom of the pan. Spread ricotta cheese on top of the noodles, top with spinach, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and coat with a small ladle full of sauce. Repeat the layers until you get to the top of the pan. Sprinkle the final layer with mozzarella cheese.

Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is golden brown on top.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredient Variations and Substitutions

Make this dish higher in fiber with whole wheat noodles, although they may only be available in the boil variety. Add other vegetables such a sliced carrots, zucchini, or eggplant. For an alternative green, use baby kale or arugula. Spread pesto between the layers or incorporate it into the tomato sauce for a rich, nutty flavor.

If you want to add meat, add cooked, diced chicken breast or ground turkey to the sauce. For a non-dairy twist, use vegan cheese in lieu of ricotta and mozzarella cheese.

Cooking and Serving Tips

To save time use no-boil lasagna noodles—they're quick and easy to assemble. Plus, the part-skim ricotta cheese and mozzarella reduce the fat but still offer good-quality protein.

This dish can be assembled and placed, uncooked and covered, in the refrigerator overnight. Simply heat and serve the next day. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container.

ALMOND, TOASTED OAT AND CHERRY TRAIL MIX

This was in a Weight Watchers' email several years ago. The program has changed, but I'm using the values from when this was sent.

This recipe began, “Take this energy-packed treat with you when you head to the great outdoors.”

POINTS® Value: 3; Servings: 6; Preparation Time: 8 minutes; Cooking Time: 25 minutes; Level of Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats

2/3 cup dried cherries, chopped

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 tsp table salt

1 Tbsp Land O Lakes Stick Light Butter, or similar product, melted

1/4 cup honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a sided sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, stir together rolled oats, cherries, almonds and salt. Drizzle with butter and honey and toss thoroughly. Spread mixture evenly on sheet pan. Bake, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning, about 20 to 25 minutes; let cool. Yields about 1/3 cup per serving. (You might want to double the recipe and store the mix for a few days in an airtight container.)

TURKEY BEAN SOUP

This comes from The Mayo Clinic Diet, and can be found online here.

I highly recommend checking out the site. Good food, tied in with the Mayo Clinic, so you can figure it’s not some fly-by-night junk food, but good tasting food that’s good for you.

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pounds turkey, lean ground breast meat

2 medium onions, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup ketchup

1 can tomatoes (14.5 ounces), diced, no salt added

3 pieces bouillon, chicken, low-sodium

7 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoon basil, dried, crushed

1/4 teaspoon pepper, black ground

2 cups cabbage, shredded

1 cans cannellini beans (15 ounces), no-salt-added, drained

Directions

In a large saucepan, cook the ground turkey, onion, celery and garlic until the vegetables are softened and the turkey is cooked.

Drain off the fat and add the ketchup, tomatoes, bouillon, water, basil, pepper, cabbage and beans.

Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

BAKED SPAGHETTI

This is from the Food Network, and begins, “This mash-up of lasagna and spaghetti with meat sauce makes for a warming one-pan dinner. (And if you start with leftover cooked noodles and meat sauce, you're set for a super-fast weeknight meal.) Assemble the casserole ahead of time and bake when you're ready to serve.”

Prep Time: 10 minutes; Inactive Time: 20 minutes; Cook Time: 1 hour 25 minutes; Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes; Level: Intermediate; Yield: 6 servings

To view this online, go to https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchen/baked-spaghetti-3361814.

Ingredients

Kosher salt

1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck

Freshly ground black pepper

1 large onion, diced (about 2 cups)

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes

One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

8 ounces thin spaghetti

8 ounces sharp Cheddar, grated (about 2 cups)

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Heat a second large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring to break the meat up, until browned, about 4 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, garlic and a generous pinch of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the crushed and diced tomatoes, sugar and oregano and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti for 2 minutes less than the time indicated in the package directions. Strain well. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cover the bottom of a 13-by-9-by-2-inch pan with a third of the sauce. Add half the pasta and a third of the Cheddar; repeat the layers and add the last of the sauce; reserve the last of the Cheddar.

Bake for 30 minutes. Top with the remaining Cheddar and continue baking until it melts and the sauce bubbles, about 5 more minutes. Let cool in the dish for at least 10 minutes. Garnish with the parsley before cutting into squares.

EASY SLOW-COOKER LASAGNA

This is from tbsp. (Tablespoon.com), and begins, “This lasagna tastes like you spent all day making it, without all of the work.”

Prep Time: 15 minutes; Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes; Servings: 10

To view this online, click here.

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef

1/2 cup diced white onion

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 jar (25.5 oz) Muir Glen™ Organic Pasta Sauce

1/2 cup water

1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese

2 cups mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 egg

2 tablespoons fresh parsley or 2 teaspoons dried parsley

6 uncooked lasagna noodles

Directions

In a large skillet, brown beef and onion. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Drain.

Add spaghetti sauce and water to skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes.

Mix ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 2 tablespoons Parmesan, egg and parsley.

Pour 1 cup of spaghetti meat sauce into a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Place half of the noodles and half of the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce. Cover with 2 cups meat sauce. Top with remaining noodles (if the noodles don't fit exactly, break them to fit), cheese mixture and meat sauce.

Cook on LOW for 4-5 hours or until noodles are soft, being careful not to overcook. (Don't try to speed up the process by cooking on high.) Sprinkle 1/2 cup of mozzarella and remaining Parmesan on top. Cover with the lid to melt the cheese and allow to sit 10 minutes before serving.