I used this recipe, almost as written...
I skipped the wine, doubled the tomato sauce. (After the last wine fiasco, well, wasn't messing with it again!) I didn't cook up onions and garlic. I wasn't feeling well. Instead I just mixed dried onions in with the sauce mixture. I did use Italian seasoning.
I made my layers like this:
sauce (a bit less than 1/3)
ravioli
mozarella (a bit more than 1/3)
sauce (a bit more than 1/3)
ravioli
mozzarella(a bit more than 1/3)
sauce (the rest)
mozzarella (the rest)
parmesan (fresh grated, not canned; about 1/4 cup)
It will cook 6 or so hours on Low and be served with garlic bread.
Showing posts with label pasta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pasta. Show all posts
Monday, March 30, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
For Fri. 3/27: Crock Pot Spaghetti!
I started with this recipe. I doubled, of course. I made as written except:
-used half hot Italian sausage and half ground turkey for the meat
-used V8 instead of plain tomato juice for the liquid
-omitted the garlic powder, used fresh garlic
-omitted mushrooms
-used whole wheat spaghetti (and a whole 12 oz., not just 8. That just doesn't seem like enough!)
The spaghetti I broke up and put in a bag; Jeff's only job is, after cooking on Low for 8 hours, to stir, add spaghetti, stir again, and cook for 1 hour on High.
Garlic bread to go with. They love that garlic bread.
-used half hot Italian sausage and half ground turkey for the meat
-used V8 instead of plain tomato juice for the liquid
-omitted the garlic powder, used fresh garlic
-omitted mushrooms
-used whole wheat spaghetti (and a whole 12 oz., not just 8. That just doesn't seem like enough!)
The spaghetti I broke up and put in a bag; Jeff's only job is, after cooking on Low for 8 hours, to stir, add spaghetti, stir again, and cook for 1 hour on High.
Garlic bread to go with. They love that garlic bread.
Friday, March 13, 2009
Lasagna rematch: TURKEY lasagna!
Well, the guys liked the last lasagna I made so much I figured I'd do it again.
But, this time, in addition to using whole wheat noodles, I got a good deal on ground turkey ($1/lb.) So, omitting the mushrooms (since there's an allergy, apparently) I had room for my 2 1/2 lbs. of cheap ground turkey. I browned it up with some garlic (like 8 cloves) and the Italian seasoning.
Of course I used low-fat cheese, and I also used some spaghetti sauce with spinach in it (not like I'm trying to sneak nutrition into them or anything... *looks innocent*) In fact if you had the mind to I bet you could sub, or add, frozen spinach, squeezed dry, for the mushroom layer, or mix it in with your ricotta. That could be very yummy.
I already know that this turned out perfect at 5 hours on Low so we'll do that. I baked up 2 loaves of garlic bread to go with. Now to see if anyone notices the turkey and spinach...
But, this time, in addition to using whole wheat noodles, I got a good deal on ground turkey ($1/lb.) So, omitting the mushrooms (since there's an allergy, apparently) I had room for my 2 1/2 lbs. of cheap ground turkey. I browned it up with some garlic (like 8 cloves) and the Italian seasoning.
Of course I used low-fat cheese, and I also used some spaghetti sauce with spinach in it (not like I'm trying to sneak nutrition into them or anything... *looks innocent*) In fact if you had the mind to I bet you could sub, or add, frozen spinach, squeezed dry, for the mushroom layer, or mix it in with your ricotta. That could be very yummy.
I already know that this turned out perfect at 5 hours on Low so we'll do that. I baked up 2 loaves of garlic bread to go with. Now to see if anyone notices the turkey and spinach...
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Thurs. 3/5: Spinach-Stuffed Pasta Shells
I doubled this recipe.
I added 4 cloves garlic and fudged the parmesan because, um, I forgot to buy it, so I dumped in what we had and a bit extra mozzarella, and hoped no one noticed. ;)
I added some dried onion and Italian seasoning to the spaghetti sauce because I bought the cans of store-brand and, well, not so flavorful. ;)
I poured in 1 26 ounce can of sauce, layered shells, poured in a bit more than half of a second can, layered shells, poured the rest of that can and another half, layered shells, and then the rest over the top. It seemed like the right amount to me. I did have cheese mixture left over when no more shells would fit in the crockpot, but all my shells left were broken anyway, so I just dumped them. It wasn't THAT much left over.
I boiled the shells "al dente" and then drained in a colander, rinsed, and put straight back into the pot, but this time filled with COLD water. That's a trick my dad taught me. It keeps the pasta from getting sticky while you're filling it. A great technique for any kind of stuffed pasta (shells, manicotti, etc.)
Jeff cooked it 4 hours on Low then let it sit another 2 or so on Warm. I sent 2 loaves of pre-sliced garlic bread with him. Hopefully they enjoy it but not so much that none comes back for me to taste. ;)
I added 4 cloves garlic and fudged the parmesan because, um, I forgot to buy it, so I dumped in what we had and a bit extra mozzarella, and hoped no one noticed. ;)
I added some dried onion and Italian seasoning to the spaghetti sauce because I bought the cans of store-brand and, well, not so flavorful. ;)
I poured in 1 26 ounce can of sauce, layered shells, poured in a bit more than half of a second can, layered shells, poured the rest of that can and another half, layered shells, and then the rest over the top. It seemed like the right amount to me. I did have cheese mixture left over when no more shells would fit in the crockpot, but all my shells left were broken anyway, so I just dumped them. It wasn't THAT much left over.
I boiled the shells "al dente" and then drained in a colander, rinsed, and put straight back into the pot, but this time filled with COLD water. That's a trick my dad taught me. It keeps the pasta from getting sticky while you're filling it. A great technique for any kind of stuffed pasta (shells, manicotti, etc.)
Jeff cooked it 4 hours on Low then let it sit another 2 or so on Warm. I sent 2 loaves of pre-sliced garlic bread with him. Hopefully they enjoy it but not so much that none comes back for me to taste. ;)
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Thursday 2/12: Company Chicken Casserole
I doubled this recipe, with the following changes/notes:
-whole wheat pasta. It's such a simple thing to do, doesn't change the taste much, but it really is much healthier-- more fiber, more heart-healthy. (For this one, I used penne.)
-I used boneless skinless breast halves. Each one, cooked and diced, was about 1 cup. I bought the frozen ones and stuck them in the microwave with some water, covered, nuked for about 15 minutes and let stand covered until poached through, as I did for the tortilla soup.
-I omitted the musrooms, since there's an allergy.
-I used twice the amount of basil called for since I was using fresh instead of dried (the recipe doesn't specify but I assume they meant dried.)
-Since some reviews complained of lack of flavor, I added some fresh-ground pepper (they may still want more) and about 4 cloves of minced garlic.
-I used low-fat Cheddar and low-fat small curd cottage cheese.
-I used a leeetle less chicken broth than called for, since to get the perfect amount I would have had to open a new 14 ounce can to get 2 ounces out... Yeah. Not doin' it.
-Being lazy, I did not melt the butter. I drained the pasta, put it back in its pan (not a bowl-- again, lazy) and threw the chicken and veggies in. Then I broke the butter in little pieces and mixed it around, letting it melt on the hot pasta. Then I added in the cheeses, mixed again, and then the cottage cheese, soup, and broth.
The double batch completely filled my 6 qt. crockpot with really no room to spare. It will go for about 8 hours on Low.
It was making me drool as I mixed it, it looked so rich and creamy... I hope there's a taste left for me to try!
-whole wheat pasta. It's such a simple thing to do, doesn't change the taste much, but it really is much healthier-- more fiber, more heart-healthy. (For this one, I used penne.)
-I used boneless skinless breast halves. Each one, cooked and diced, was about 1 cup. I bought the frozen ones and stuck them in the microwave with some water, covered, nuked for about 15 minutes and let stand covered until poached through, as I did for the tortilla soup.
-I omitted the musrooms, since there's an allergy.
-I used twice the amount of basil called for since I was using fresh instead of dried (the recipe doesn't specify but I assume they meant dried.)
-Since some reviews complained of lack of flavor, I added some fresh-ground pepper (they may still want more) and about 4 cloves of minced garlic.
-I used low-fat Cheddar and low-fat small curd cottage cheese.
-I used a leeetle less chicken broth than called for, since to get the perfect amount I would have had to open a new 14 ounce can to get 2 ounces out... Yeah. Not doin' it.
-Being lazy, I did not melt the butter. I drained the pasta, put it back in its pan (not a bowl-- again, lazy) and threw the chicken and veggies in. Then I broke the butter in little pieces and mixed it around, letting it melt on the hot pasta. Then I added in the cheeses, mixed again, and then the cottage cheese, soup, and broth.
The double batch completely filled my 6 qt. crockpot with really no room to spare. It will go for about 8 hours on Low.
It was making me drool as I mixed it, it looked so rich and creamy... I hope there's a taste left for me to try!
Friday, February 6, 2009
Friday, 2/6: Macaroni and Cheese
I used this recipe, with the following changes:
-I doubled it (it fit perfectly in my 6 qt. crockpot, with a bit of headroom over it even.)
-I used fat free evaporated milk instead of regular
-I used 2% milk low fat sharp cheddar instead of full fat cheddar
-I used non-fat milk instead of regular, and because I was using no whole milk products and fat free tends to be thinner, I shorted the milk a bit-- 2 1/2 cups or so instead of the 3 cups that a doubled recipe would usually call for
-I used organic, whole wheat macaroni. It cost $0.50 more a box (store brand) than the other brands of pasta, and it ups the fiber from 3% of your daily requirement per serving to 9% with that one simple change. More on the health differences later.
-I mixed it in the pot I cooked the macaroni in. Why get a bowl dirty?
-For that matter, I beat the eggs in an empty can from the evaporated milk, too. And also, I used the can as my measuring cup for the milk. Seriously, why get more dirty than you have to?
The changes I made, other than doubling, were mostly for health reasons. Here's a look at how the changes I made affected the nutrition of the dish (based on the un-doubled recipe making 8 servings):
Original recipe (full fat products, regular macaroni)
Per serving (1/8 of recipe):
Calories 438
Calories from Fat 227 (51%)
Amount Per Serving %DV
Total Fat 25.3g 38%
Saturated Fat 15.4g 76%
Monounsaturated Fat 7.3g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 130mg 43%
Sodium 728mg 30%
Potassium 317mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 28.6g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1.0g 3%
Sugars 0.9g
Protein 23.8g 47%
Modified recipe (non-fat milk, low-fat cheese, whole wheat pasta):
Per serving:
Calories 259
Calories from Fat 51 (19%)
Amount Per Serving %DV
Total Fat 5.7g 8%
Saturated Fat 3.0g 15%
Monounsaturated Fat 1.8g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 67mg 22%
Sodium 721mg 30%
Potassium 309mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 28.9g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2.4g 9%
Sugars 6.8g
Protein 23.8g 47%
See what a big difference a few different choices in ingredients makes? And I'm sure that it will still taste delicious. :)
This will cook for 5 hours on Low, then stay on Warm for a few more hours. It should make 16 servings, with 10 people eating it, there ought to be some left over, but we will see what happens with that. ;)
-I doubled it (it fit perfectly in my 6 qt. crockpot, with a bit of headroom over it even.)
-I used fat free evaporated milk instead of regular
-I used 2% milk low fat sharp cheddar instead of full fat cheddar
-I used non-fat milk instead of regular, and because I was using no whole milk products and fat free tends to be thinner, I shorted the milk a bit-- 2 1/2 cups or so instead of the 3 cups that a doubled recipe would usually call for
-I used organic, whole wheat macaroni. It cost $0.50 more a box (store brand) than the other brands of pasta, and it ups the fiber from 3% of your daily requirement per serving to 9% with that one simple change. More on the health differences later.
-I mixed it in the pot I cooked the macaroni in. Why get a bowl dirty?
-For that matter, I beat the eggs in an empty can from the evaporated milk, too. And also, I used the can as my measuring cup for the milk. Seriously, why get more dirty than you have to?
The changes I made, other than doubling, were mostly for health reasons. Here's a look at how the changes I made affected the nutrition of the dish (based on the un-doubled recipe making 8 servings):
Original recipe (full fat products, regular macaroni)
Per serving (1/8 of recipe):
Calories 438
Calories from Fat 227 (51%)
Amount Per Serving %DV
Total Fat 25.3g 38%
Saturated Fat 15.4g 76%
Monounsaturated Fat 7.3g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.0g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 130mg 43%
Sodium 728mg 30%
Potassium 317mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 28.6g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1.0g 3%
Sugars 0.9g
Protein 23.8g 47%
Modified recipe (non-fat milk, low-fat cheese, whole wheat pasta):
Per serving:
Calories 259
Calories from Fat 51 (19%)
Amount Per Serving %DV
Total Fat 5.7g 8%
Saturated Fat 3.0g 15%
Monounsaturated Fat 1.8g
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 67mg 22%
Sodium 721mg 30%
Potassium 309mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 28.9g 9%
Dietary Fiber 2.4g 9%
Sugars 6.8g
Protein 23.8g 47%
See what a big difference a few different choices in ingredients makes? And I'm sure that it will still taste delicious. :)
This will cook for 5 hours on Low, then stay on Warm for a few more hours. It should make 16 servings, with 10 people eating it, there ought to be some left over, but we will see what happens with that. ;)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Monday 1/26: Slow Cooker Lasagna
I started with this recipe. I made the following modifications:
-used whole-wheat lasagna noodles (and used the whole package)
-used part-skim ricotta and low-fat mozzarella
-used extra mozzarella
-added minced garlic to the beef before browning
-mixed the (undrained) mushrooms with the sauce instead of layering (I'm lazy that way)
-mixed Italian seasoning in with sauce instead of meat
-used a slightly smaller can of spaghetti sauce (that's what the store had.)
It will cook for 5 hours on low. We'll see how it works! I found the ricotta a bit hard to spread so I ended up putting globs all over and then spreading them out to just about cover, like frosting a cake. Emma washed her hands and helped sprinkle the cheese on.
Instead of breadsticks they're getting garlic bread. I got too lazy. Sorry. ;)
I also cut up veggies to go on their salads all week. This is starting to make me hungry...
-used whole-wheat lasagna noodles (and used the whole package)
-used part-skim ricotta and low-fat mozzarella
-used extra mozzarella
-added minced garlic to the beef before browning
-mixed the (undrained) mushrooms with the sauce instead of layering (I'm lazy that way)
-mixed Italian seasoning in with sauce instead of meat
-used a slightly smaller can of spaghetti sauce (that's what the store had.)
It will cook for 5 hours on low. We'll see how it works! I found the ricotta a bit hard to spread so I ended up putting globs all over and then spreading them out to just about cover, like frosting a cake. Emma washed her hands and helped sprinkle the cheese on.
Instead of breadsticks they're getting garlic bread. I got too lazy. Sorry. ;)
I also cut up veggies to go on their salads all week. This is starting to make me hungry...
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