Roasted Vegetable Lasanga

I made this tonight. It took eleventy-seven hours, but it was quite good. I followed the recipe, except that I used whole grain lasagna.

http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=640301

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Good on it's own or as a sandwich filling in a pita or bread.

Ingredients:
1 c whole milk Greek yogurt
2 Tb lemon juice
1/2 t cumin
1 chopped red bell pepper
1/4 c chopped onion
1/4 c chopped cilantro
3 c cooked chickpeas

Directions
1. Mix all ingredients together and chill for at least an hour.
2. Enjoy!

Black Bean Tortilla Bake

Slightly modified this recipe. I assembled it in the morning before work and then baked it when I got home. Worked out great and everyone loved it.

Ingredients

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 c chopped onion

1/2 c chopped red or green bell pepper

1/2 c chopped green onion

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 8oz can tomato sauce

2 cups black beans, rinsed (if using canned)

1/4 c cilantro

1 cup shredded cheese

8-12 corn tortillas

Directions (make ahead):

1. Saute garlic, onions, peppers, cumin and chili powder over medium heat until tender.

2. Add tomato sauce and cook 5 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in beans, cilantro and salt/pepper to taste.

4. Spray a 9in square or 1 qt baking dish with cooking spray

5. Layer tortillas, filling and cheese. Repeat twice.

6. Top with cheese.

7. Cover and refrigerate.

8. When ready to bake, remove from fridge for 30 minutes and bake, covered, for 20 minutes and uncovered for 10 minutes.

Black Bean Pizza

Ingredients:

1 pizza crust (I use this one, but do it in the bread machine)

1 can black beans (or 1-1.5 cups cooked black beans)

1 diced tomato

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

0.5 tsp cumin

0.5 tsp oregano

salt and pepper to taste

Toppings:

Cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream

Directions:

1. Make pizza crust

2. Cook black beans, tomato, cilantro, cumin and oregano to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes.

3. Puree bean and tomato mixture

4. Spread bean mixture over pizza crust, top with cheese and bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is browning

5. Remove from oven and let cool a bit.

6. Top with shredded lettuce and tomatoes.

Tomato Basil Soup

Pretty quick and easy.

2 - 28oz cans Diced Tomatoes (I sometimes do a mix of 14.5 oz cans with and without salt)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 Tbsp olive oil

4 0z (1/2 block) lowfat cream cheese, softened

1/2 - 1 cup milk

1/2 c chopped fresh basil

1. Saute garlic in olive oil until fragrant.

2. Add tomatoes (undrained) and bring to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or so.

4. Stir in cream cheese, basil and milk and stir until cream cheese is melted.

5. Using an immersion blender or regular blender, blend until smooth and creamy.

I often stir in cooked sea-shell pasta to make it a filling one dish meal.

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo Pizza

Not the healthiest, but oh-so-good!

Ingredients:

One pizza crust (I used the bread machine)

ALFREDO SAUCE

3 Tbsp butter

1/2 tsp salt and pepper

4 Tbsp flour

1.5 c milk

1/2 c Parmesan cheese

GARLIC BUTTER

2 Tbsp butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 spring rosemary, chopped

2 c cooked chopped chicken

2 c steamed broccoli

1/2 c mozzarella cheese (optional)

Preparation:

1. Make pizza crust

2. Make Alfredo Sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in salt, pepper and flour. Whisk in milk and cheese and cook until thick.

3. Make Garlic Butter: Melt butter in a saucepan. Saute garlic and rosemary until fragrant and browned.

4. Toss chicken and broccoli with half of Alfredo sauce.

5. Brush Garlic Butter over pizza crust. Top with alfredo sauce and then chicken/broccoli mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.

6. Bake at 425 for 15-20 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is browned.

7. Let stand a few minutes before cutting.

Cheesy Beef and Rice Casserole

I modified this recipe. I like that it uses only 1/2 lb of beef, which keeps the cost down. I made it with Original Rotel and it made it way too spicy for my Minnesota-bland 3 year old. Next time I'll make it with mild Rotel and just add red pepper at the table.

We used the leftovers to make burritos.

Ingredients

1/2 pound beef - $1.00
1 cup chopped onion - $0.25

1 cup chopped red bell pepper - $0.50

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained -$1.00

1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained -$0.50

3 cups cooked brown rice - $0.75

1 cup sour cream -$0.50

1/2 cup sliced green onions $0.25

1/4 cup skim milk - $0.25

3/4 cup (3 ounces) reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese - $0.75

Preparation

1.Preheat oven to 375°.

2. Cook first 3 ingredients in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until meat is browned, stirring to crumble. Add water and next 6 ingredients (water through chiles); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.
3. Combine the rice, sour cream, sliced green onions, and milk in a bowl. Spoon rice mixture into a 2 qt baking dish. Top with beef mixture; sprinkle with cheese.
4. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

I served with homemade bread ($1.00/loaf), sliced vegetables ($1.00) and strawberries ($1.00).
Total = 8.75