Pesto Tortellini

This is a great fresh summer dish.  Only three ingredients! It is light, meat free, and you can't beat the clean herb flavor. This comes together quick with fresh pasta tortellini and is one of my favorite pasta dishes. Just add a colorful fruit salad and fresh tomatoes on the side and dinner is served!

Ingredients:

16 oz. package of fresh cheese filled tortellini (it is in the refrigerated section by the cheese)
1 package of Knnor brand pesto (it comes in a package by packaged taco seasoning and it is a dry mixture)
fresh Parmesan cheese

1. See, only three ingredients but tons of flavor. Ok, so first get your pasta cooking. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions. Probably around 9-11 minutes. While the pasta is cooking make your pesto.
2. About pesto. You can certainly buy a container of already made pesto at your grocery store but I just make my own to control the fat and calorie content.
3.  I stray away from the back of the package directions. I pour the dry pesto into a small sauce pan. Then I add 2 tablespoons of low-fat Italian dressing (you can also use olive oil too). I turn the heat to medium and then add water a little bit at a time and stir your sauce using a whisk. By adding water a little bit at a time you can decided how thick or thin you want your sauce. So add water until you reach the consistency you like. Pesto has a strong but good herb flavor so it won't look like a lot but it will be....... don't worry :)
4. Before your drain your pasta, dip a measuring cup in the pasta water to save some of starchy water for later. Ok, now drain your pasta and return it back to the pot is was cooking. Now, pour your pesto over your tortellini and toss to coat. If your pasta seems a bit dry, just add a splash of the starchy pasta water.
5. Plate your pasta and grate fresh Parmesan cheese right on top.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Toasted Marshmallows

I know this may seem like a fall side dish, but this is my families favorite way to eat sweet potatoes. My kids gobble this up.....and then ask for seconds. It makes me so happy. There are like a million different versions of this dish out there but I have experimented and tweaked my own to make it perfect with a lot less sugar and fat in it. Tonight at dinner my husband told me that I got the proportions perfect.

Boo ya.

So, try it and I know you will love it!

Ingredients:

4 medium sweet potatoes (yams)

2 tablespoons tub butter (I use Brummel and Brown)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons brown sugar

marshmallows

coconut

1. First poke all your potatoes with a fork and pop them into the microwave. I have a "baked potato" setting that I just push and let my microwave do all the work. But, if your microwave doesn't have that setting, just cook them on high for 5 minutes. Test them to see if they are soft all the way through. If the are still hard, just add on a minute at a time until they are done. I usually do this a couple hours ahead of time so they have time to cool. It is NOT fun to peel the skin off of a burning hot potato.

2. After your potatoes have cooled, peel them and put them into a bowl. Use a potato masher and mash them until they are creamy. Next add in your butter, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Mix it all together and scoop into a casserole dish.

3. Preheat your oven to 425. Right before you put your dish in the oven, sprinkle some marshmallows and coconut right on top. As much as you want :)

4. Bake for 15 minutes until warm. Then broil for just a minute or 2 until your marshmallows and coconut are golden brown. Eat and enjoy!

* This can be made a couple of hours ahead of time and kept in the fridge.

Italian Grilled Cheese

This is a really yummy way to make grilled cheese. There are so many variations for this sandwhich but I LOVE this flavor combonation. This dinner is simple but very satisfing!

Ingredients:  (make for as many sandwichies as you like!)

bread (homemade if possible, so good!)
sliced mozzeralla cheese
sliced tomato
fresh chopped basil

1.  I use homemade bread for this dinner. The bread is so fluffy and gives this sandwhich such great flavor. But a great storebought sourdough would be delicous. Just butter both outsides of your bread and place cheese on the inside. Sprinkle with basil and put it on the hot pan. Give it a few minutes and flip it!

Now we do this a bit different. I grill the sandwhich with just cheese first. As SOON as I take the sandwhich off the heat, I quickly open the sandwhich and place the tomoato slices on one side of the bread and then close it.  This way there is cheese on both sides and you don't have tomaotes falling out when you flip it.

2. So easy! Add some fruit and veggies and dinner is served!

Rice Bowls

WE LOVE these rice bowls for dinner! Super easy and really healthy too! This is a light meal with lots of flavor and everyone will enjoy!



Ingredients:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can sweet corn, rinsed
tomatoes, chopped
instant brown or white rice (make the appropriate serving size for your family)
chopped avocado
chopped olives
grated cheese
this dressing



1. Ok, this is really easy.....seriously. First, cook your rice. I always cook mine in chicken stock or throw in a couple bouillon cubes for a bit more flavor. This takes about 10 minutes to cook. Prepare all your fixings while your rice cooks!
2. You have to make the creamy cilantro dressing....this is why these bowls are sooo good!! So make that too while the rice is cooking.



3. Ok, time to make the rice bowls!! Start with rice on the bottom. Next I put the cheese (so it melts a bit) and then beans, corn, tomatoes, avocados, olives. Pour that yummy dressing on top, and dig in!

* You could add in grilled chicken or taco seasoned ground turkey, that would be good!
* Serve these bowls with warm tortillas and watermelon! Yum!

Waffles and Caramelized Brown Sugar Peaches

I came up with this one night when we were having waffles for dinner but wanted fruit as our topping. These peaches are so wonderful! Everything I thought they would be! :) And a waffle with peaches and whipped cream is all-right by me!



Ingredients:

Waffles: (or use your favorite or from a box is great too!)
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg or 2 egg whites
1 cup fat free milk
2 tablespoons canola oil

3 cans peaches in light syrup, drain, but save the juice
1 teaspoon tub butter
4-5 tablespoons brown sugar
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg

1. Stir all your dry waffle ingredients together. In a separate bowl combine the egg, milk, and oil. Pour your wet ingredients into the dry. Mix just until all combined. Don't over mix, we want nice fluffy waffles don't we?
2. Ok, cook the waffles and while they are cooking let's caramelize some peaches. It is really easy. Heat a saucepan on the stove to medium heat. Add your butter and wait until it has melted then add in all your peaches. Add the brown sugar and cinnamon and nutmeg and turn your heat me medium low. Add a splash of your reserved peach juice to make a nice sauce. Now just let the peaches simmer in the brown sugary goodness until all you waffles are cooked. If it seems like the peaches are cooking out all the liquid and start to stick to the bottom of the pan, add a bit more peace juice. You want a nice saucy consistency.
3. When you waffles are all cooked top with peaches and a dollop of whipped topping! yum!!

* Serve these waffles with homemade smoothies, hash browns, eggs, or bacon! Yum, we love breakfast for dinner.

Creamy Black Bean Soup

There have still been some chilly days here, so I thought I could squeeze in another soup dish before summer. I am so glad because this soup was sooooo good! It has great flavor and great consistency. You have to give this a try! Super easy and low in fat too! It's another great recipe from Our Best Bites.



1 T olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped
3/4 C diced carrots (about 2 med carrots)
3/4 C diced celery (about 2 ribs)
1 C diced onion (about 1 sm-med onion)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 3.5oz can green chilies
2 cans low-sodium beef broth
1 t kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 t chili powder
1/4 t cumin
1/2 t dry oregano leaves
1 bay leaf

extras: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese, chopped cilantro, etc

1.Place a large stock pot on the stove-top and set to medium-high heat. When pan is warm, add olive oil. Add carrots, celery, onion, and garlic and saute 4-5 minutes.

2.Add in the black beans, chilies, and beef broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf.

3.Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are tender.Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf from soup.

4.Place soup in a blender. Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper in the lid to let heat escape. Place a paper towel over the hole to avoid splatters. Puree soup until completely smooth. Optionally you could pulse until a semi-chunky soup is achieved. Squeeze in the juice from one lime and pulse to combine.

5.Ladle into bowls and top with desired toppings. Serve with extra lime wedges. Makes about 8 cups soup.

Serve with buttered bread or warm tortillas! YUM!!

Pasta Ponza

This is a Giada De Laurentiis recipe, that is why it is sooo good! My sister and I love watching Everyday Italian.....anyway back to the food :) Perfect for a pasta craving and even though it is meat free, there is so much going on, you won't miss a thing!



Ingredients:

4 cups of cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half
1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, extra for seasoning
1/4 teaspoon pepper, extra for seasoning
1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 lb. ziti pasta or any other short pasta
1/2 grated fresh Parmesan cheese or pecorino romano cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1.Preheat oven to 375. Grease an 8x8 baking dish with nonstick butter spray.
2.Place tomatoes, capers, 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper in the prepared dish. Toss to coat. Sprinkle all the breadcrumbs over the tomato mixture. Drizzle the top with a little olive oil and bake for 30 minutes in the center of your oven.
3.Bring a larger pot of slated water to a boil over high heat. Add the past and cook until tender, stirring occasionally. About 8-10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of hot pasta water.
4.Place the pasta in a large serving bowl. Toss the pasta and cheese together. This will allow the cheese to start to melt and be delicious. Carefully spoon the tomato mixture into the pasta and toss well. You may need to add a little bit of pasta water so your dish isn't dry. I added about 1/4 cup or so in and it makes the pasta nice and saucy. Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle the tops with parsley and serve!

* I served up garlic knots and broccoli along side to complete the meal. But a salad would be great too.
* You can also use whole grain pasta in this dish too, to make it super healthy. Sometime I do half wheat noodles half white and no one can tell!
* If you want to incorporate some meat into this meal it would be really easy and yummy to add diced cooked chicken or cooked and crumbled spicy turkey sausage.

Taco Style Bean and Cheese Enchiladas

Once a week we try to have a meat free dinner just to change it up and it is just so good for our bodies :) The flavors are so great in this meal you don't feel like you are missing out! Because you don't roll these enchiladas they come together in a quick minute! You can prep this meal earlier in the day and then pop them in the oven to heat and then eat!

Ingredients:

1 can pinto beans

1 can enchilada sauce

1 can corn

2 cups grated Colby cheese or Mexican blend cheese

1 package (10-6 inch) corn or flour tortillas (low-fat)

sour cream

1. Heat oven to 350. Open enchilada sauce and spoon a little bit in the bottom of an 8x8 or a 9x9. This is a dish that you can make bigger or smaller so get out the amount of tortillas that you want to use. I used 6, but you can use less or more. Drain your beans and corn and put them in a bowl together. Mix about 1/2 can of the enchilada sauce with the beans and corn.

2. Spoon bean mixture into tortillas and top with a bit of cheese. Fold like a taco and place into the baking dish. Continue with each tortilla laying them next to each other, just barley over lapping each other.

3. Pour reaming sauce over the top and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 25-30, until nice and hot and bubbly. While it is in the oven whip up some Spanish rice and a green salad and you have a yummy Mexican dinner ready to eat!

* top with sour cream, salsa and guacomole too!

* You can make this with black beans or refried beans too.

Stacked spicy burrito

Ok, it's not to spicy, just prefect Mexican spicy. I made this up as a spin on a dish my mom used to make for us growing up. It is a healthy, warm, one dish meal that is so good and even meat free! You will never know because it is so hearty!

Ingredients:

3 flour tortillas

red taco sauce or enchilada sauce

1 can corn

1 can fat free refried beans

1 packet Mexican rice ( you can use Spanish rice too, I get the LIPTON brand Mexican rice packet, it is ready in 7 minutes and the flavors are great!)

grated cheese, any kind

chopped tomato, lettuce, olives, and sour cream

1. Cook your rice. While rice is cooking, put some red sauce in the bottom of a round 2 quart casserole dish. If you don't have a round dish you can use any size just layer to fit your dish. Next place a tortilla down. Next, spread a layer of beans, corn, and top with rice. Next is the cheese and some more red sauce.

2. Repeat the layer again, tortilla, beans, corn, rice, cheese, and red sauce. Finish the dish with one more tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Depending on how big your dish is you can do another layer, but I only fit 2 layers. Place in a 400 degree oven until the cheese is melted and dish is heated through, about 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile chop your tomatoes, lettuce, and olives. When dish is done cooking let sit about 5 minutes before cutting. Cut out wedges and top with all your fixings! Serve with homemade baked chips, salsa, and guacamole and you have a meal!

* You can easily add ground turkey, beef, of shredded chicken as a layer in this dish.

* Add lots of lettuce and tomato on top for your veggies, like a salad on top!

* Baked chips: cut flour tortillas into wedges and place on a foil lined cookie sheet. Brush lemon juice on each wedge and sprinkle with salt. Bake at 450 for about 10 minutes but keep your eye on them!! You can flip them half way through, but I like mine soft on one side! These are soo good and a healthy alternative to store bought chips.