Caprese Lasagna Roll Ups

I found this recipe on Pinterest via www.cookingclassy.com I made a small alternation. I can't digest ricotta cheese very well so instead of ricotta I used cottage cheese and blended it to make it a little thicker. I also added some pepperoni slices to half of the noodles. It was a little bit of a process to prep and put everything together but it was all worth it. The lasagna was really tasty and I'll definitely make this again! I also used toothpicks to secure the rolls. I don't have an 11x7 inch dish so I used my 8x8 inch dish.

Caprese Lasagna Roll Ups (8 servings) (WW 8 pts without the pepperoni, 12 with the pepperoni)

8 lasagna noodles, uncooked
14 oz freshly shredded, low-sodium part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
3/4 c cottage cheese (or ricotta if you prefer)
1 large egg white
1/3 c freshly, finely shredded parmesan cheese (I used parmigiano-reggiano)
3-4 medium roma tomatoes, thinly sliced
14 slices of pepperoni, if using
1/4 c chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
1 c marinara sauce, recipe follows

*Marinara Sauce

2 tbsp EVOO
1/4 c finely chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

*For Marinara Sauce: Heat oil in saucepan over med-high. Add onion to hot oil and saute about 3 minutes, until soft, adding garlic during last minute of cooking. Pour in crushed tomatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture just to boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 20-25 minutes, allowing some of the water in the evaporated tomatoes to evaporate, while you prepare the noodles and filling.

*Lasagna: Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta four pieces at a time for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain pasta and align four noodles at a time on parchment or wax paper.

For filling, in large mixing bowl, whisk together cottage cheese and egg white until well blended. Stir in parmesan cheese. Mix in 12 oz of mozzarella cheese and season with black pepper to taste.

Place 1/4 c of cheese mixture over each lasagna noodle and spread into an even layer, going from one end of the lasagna to the other. (I found that using my hands worked a lot better.) Place 3-4 tomato slices over cheese mixture and then sprinkle fresh basil over the top of each noodle. (Since I also used some pepperoni, I put pepperoni slices on four of the noodles and sprinkled basil on top.)

Snugly roll lasagna noodles to opposite end; secure with toothpicks as needed. Spread about 1/4 c sauce in bottom of dish. Place lasagna rolls up into the dish. Top each roll with about 2 tbsp of the sauce so they don't dry out while baking. Sprinkle top with remaining 2 oz mozzarella cheese. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until heated through. I placed a sheet of foil on my dish since I was using a smaller dish. After 30 minutes, I took the foil off and put it back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and remove toothpicks and serve.




All marinara ingredients added...






Noodles boiling...






Filling mixed together...






Thickened marinara sauce...






Noodles ready to be filled and rolled...






Noodles layered with fillings...






All rolls securely in dish...






Extra mozzarella cheese on top...






Fresh from the oven...






Enjoy!...

Sweet & Sour Meatloaf

This is another recipe I found in the Taste of Home Healthy magazine. It also serves 2 but I doubled it tonight because I made individual loaves to freeze. I had some leftover meat left to make a small meatloaf to eat tonight and it was the perfect size. I've made this meatloaf before and loved it and I love it again after making it tonight. Super easy to make and it has a lot of flavor.

Sweet & Sour Meatloaf (2 servings) (WW 6 pts):

1/4 c tomato sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1/4 tsp prepared mustard
1 tbsp beaten egg or egg substitute
2 tbs finely chopped onion
1 tbsp crushed Ritz crackers
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
1/4 tsp salt
Dash pepper
1/2 lb lean ground turkey

In small bowl, combine tomato sauce, brown sugar, vinegar and mustard; set aside.

In another bowl, combine egg, onion, crackers, parsley, salt, pepper and 2 tbsp tomato mixture. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into a 4x3-inch loaf. (At this point, with my double batch, I made 12 individual loaves and one small loaf.)

Place in an 8-inch square baking dish coated with cooking spray; top with remaining tomato mixture. Bake, uncovered, at 350 for 50 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink and a thermometer reads 165. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.




Tomato mixture...






Meatloaf ingredients...






Individual loaves...






Small meatloaf...






Individual loaves drizzled with sauce...






Drizzled with sauce...






Fresh from the oven...






Served with quinoa pilaf...

Quinoa Vegetable Pilaf

Once upon a time Taste of Home had a healthy cooking version of their magazine. They just recently got rid of it for some stupid reason but I found this recipe in that magazine a while ago. When I first tried this, I wasn't eating quinoa very much so it was a nice introduction of the grain because it's mixed with rice and veggies. And even better, this recipe only serves 2! Perfect for me. Tonight, I doubled the recipe only because I wanted leftovers for tomorrow. Instead of white quinoa, I used a rainbow quinoa, which cooked a little bit quicker than regular white quinoa so it burned a little. It was still tasty though and I'll continue to keep making this as a side dish. I'm going to put down the 2 serving ingredients-I'll leave it up to you if you want to double it or not.

I also just joined Weight Watchers again so don't mind if I add points here and there to the recipe.

Quinoa Veggie Pilaf (2 servings) (WW 5 pts):

2 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 tbsp chopped carrot
1/2 tsp canola oil
1/4 c uncooked jasmine rice
1/4 c quinoa, rinsed
1 c chicken broth
1/8 tsp pepper
1/3 c chopped fresh broccoli

In small saucepan, saute onion and carrots in oil until tender. Add rice and quinoa; stir to coat. Stir in broth and pepper.

Bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed, adding the broccoli during the last 3 minutes of cooking. Remove from heat, let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.




All the ingredients...






All the ingredients minus the broccoli added...






Broccoli added...






Served with the meatloaf...

Cucumber, Lemon & Ginger Water

I tried a new water mixture last night. I tasted it today and it's really good. It kind of reminds me of the water you drink at the spa. My mom had sent me an email a couple days ago with a new concoction she had made-she had made some water with with orange, lemon and lime slices & ginger in it. I think I'll try that next.

Cucumber, Lemon & Ginger Water:

1/2 cucumbers, sliced
1 lemon, sliced, seeds removed
2-3 pieces fresh ginger, skin sliced off

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher, fill with water and let sit overnight.




Everything put together...






Ready to drink...

Puppy Chow

I fell in love with puppy chow way back when I was babysitting in middle school. I was at a charge's house for New Year's and their parents were having a party that night. We had the rein of the upstairs so before we headed up, they gave us some treats to snack on and puppy chow was one of them. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this dessert. I don't make it often because it's a lot easier to make with two people and it lasts quite a while since it's rich. I found the recipe on the box soon after that night and made it myself and have been making it through the years. But I've noticed that within the last couple of years, the recipe changed. Now it includes butter and vanilla. To me, that doesn't make sense. I would think the cereal would become mushy and it would become even richer than it is now, so I haven't tried it. I still continue to make it the way I've always made it and I'm happy. I also always make a double batch. Make sure you store the leftovers in the fridge either in a plastic bag or in a container with a lid.

Puppy Chow:

12 c Krispex, more as needed
12 oz bag semisweet chocolate chips
1 c peanut butter
Powdered sugar, as needed

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave at 1 minute intervals, until melted. Stir in the peanut butter. Pour the 12 cups of cereal into a large bowl. In batches, slowly pour the chocolate-peanut butter mixture into the cereal. Mix it all together with your hands (if you use a spoon, the cereal tends to get crushed). Keep adding the chocolate-peanut butter mixture until everything is mixed together. If it becomes too chocolaty, add some more cereal. Don't add a whole lot more-you want enough in there to coat the cereal otherwise you will be left with cereal covered with powdered sugar and no chocolate mixture.

Once everything has been mixed together, this is where you will be needing the extra set of hands. I've discovered over the years that it's easier with a non-scented garbage bag. Pour about 1-2 cups of powdered sugar into the bag. Working in batches again, place some of the coated cereal into the bag. Pour some more powdered sugar on top. Close the bag and shake gently to combine. Pour the contents of the bag into a strainer/colander placed in the sink. Shake the strainer/colander to shake of the excess powdered sugar and then place contents into another large bowl. Either keep the puppy chow in that same bowl with a lid or transfer to gallon-size zip loc bags.




All the ingredients minus the powdered sugar...






Ready to be mixed...






Mixing the cereal with the chocolate and peanut butter by hand...






Powdered sugar in the garbage bag...






Cereal ready to be coated with powdered sugar...






Powdered sugar on top...






Sifting out the excess powdered sugar...






Ready to eat!...

Ham Sauce

For as long as I can remember, my parents made up this sauce anytime we had ham. It adds a bit of sweetness to the ham and it's super easy to make. I'm not going to tell you measurements, since it's just a guess, depending on your taste and how much you want to make.

Ham Sauce:

Yellow Mustard
Brown Sugar

Mix both of these together to your taste and serve with ham!




What the sauce looks like...






Sauce drizzled onto the ham...

Grandma's Rhubarb Crunch

For the last couple of springs, my mom has made up this yummy dessert that came from my grandmother-her mom. I had copied down several of her recipes a couple years ago so when I found some rhubarb in Whole Foods, I decided to make it this year. I didn't get around to it and when I went to my parent's over Memorial Day weekend, I decided to make it there instead, with the help of my mom. Come to find out, that my grandma's recipe had originally come from a Farm's Journal Country Cookbook, as had most of her other recipes as well. My mom found the book after my grandma died and claimed it. Not all of her recipes were from the book, but I guess most were.

This dessert is so good..nice and light and fruity. You can mix strawberries or raspberries into the rhubarb mixture if you'd like, I only used rhubarb this time.

Grandma's Rhubarb Crunch:

*Crumb Topping

1 c sifted flour
3/4 c uncooked rolled oats
1 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c melted butter
1 tsp cinnamon

*Fruit Mixture

4 c diced rhubarb
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 c water
1 tsp vanilla

Mix together the crumb topping ingredients until crumbly. Press 1/2 of the crumbs into a greased 9x13 inch pan. In a small saucepan, combine the fruit mixture. Cook, stirring, until thick and clear, about 5-8 minutes. Pour over the crust. Top with the remaining crumbs. Bake at 350 for 1 hour. Cut into squares and serve warm.




The book my Grandma used for pretty much everything...






The copyright of 1959!...






Filling mixed together...






Bottom crust...






Filling that's ready...






Filling poured on top...






Crumbs on top ready for the oven...






Enjoy!

Meat Pies

Growing up, my mom did daycare in the home so she was always cooking for the daycare kids. This is a recipe she used to make a lot because it was an easy way for the daycare kids to eat their veggies without them realizing it and it tasted good. I loved these growing up and if I knew she was making them that day, I always requested she make extra for me or save the leftovers. These can be made with any type of filling you want and they can be frozen. It's kind of a pain to make but the results are worth it. I only made one batch but my mom made another batch a couple days later to use up my leftovers.

Meat Pies:

2 1/4 c bisquick mix or other baking mix
2/3 c milk
1 lb ground turkey
1/4 of a white onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp taco seasoning
1/2 bag of frozen mixed veggies
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp garlic salt

Bring veggies and enough water to cover in pot and bring to boil. Cook veggies about 4-5 min, until heated through. Drain and place in medium bowl. Heat oil in skillet over med-high. Add ground turkey, onion and taco seasoning and cook until turkey is cooked through, 5-7 minutes. Drain and add to veggie mixture.

Preheat oven to 450. Stir bisquick mix and milk together until a soft dough forms. Place on surface sprinkled with bisquik mix. Knead 10 times.

Roll dough 1/2 in thick. Cut with 2 1/2 cutter (I used the bottom of my immersion blender bowl, as seen in the picture). Place 1-2 tbsp of filling (depending on the size of your circle) on one side of your circle. Fold the other side over and pinch edges to seal. Place finished meat pies on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Once meat pies are ready to be baked, pierce each meat pie a couple times with a fork at the top. Combine butter and salt and brush onto the meat pies. You may also leave them dry or brush with water.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Enjoy!




The filling I used...






Dough rolled out...






Cutting circles...






The amount of filling I used...






The shape of it...






Brushed with garlic butter...






Enjoy!...

Carmelitas

I had been madly craving something sweet but something that was baked and not cookies. So I started looking on Pinterest for ideas and came across this gem via luluthebaker.blogspot.com The picture looked fantastic and it seemed easy to make. And omg it was amazing! But it was so rich I could only eat a little bit at a time. I actually brought it up to my parent's with me so they could help me eat it before it went bad. It was definitely good but I don't think I'll make it again unless I'm going somewhere I can bring it so others besides me can eat it!

Carmelitas:

32 caramel squares, unwrapped
1/2 c heavy cream
3/4 c butter, melted
3/4 c brown sugar, packed
1 c flour
1 c rolled oats
1 tsp baking soda
6 oz semisweet chocolate chips

Combine caramels and cream in a small saucepan over low. Stir until completely smooth; set aside. In separate bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, flour, oats and baking soda. Pat half of oatmeal mixture into bottom of an 8x8 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over crust. Pour caramel mixture over chocolate chips. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over caramel. Return to oven and bake an additional 15-20 min, until edges are lightly browned. Remove from oven and cool completely before serving.

*The bars take a while to cool since there's a lot of caramel in there. The bars taste good warmed up in the microwave.




Mixed together...







Crust before the oven...






Bottom crust from the oven...






Melted caramel on top of the chocolate chips...






Additional crumbs crumbled on top...






Enjoy!