3 Cheese Mac & Cheese

from Cooking Light, Sept. '08

Yield

6 servings (serving size: about 1 ramekin)

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion (about 1 medium)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni (about 8 ounces)
• Cooking spray
• 2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 2/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Add flour and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in milk and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly with a whisk. Add Gorgonzola, 1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, and salt; stir until cheeses melt. Discard bay leaf.

2. Preheat oven to 375°.

3. Cook pasta in boiling water 5 minutes or until almost tender, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Add pasta to cheese mixture, stirring well. Place about 1/2 cup pasta mixture into each of 6 (1-cup) ramekins coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella. Top evenly with remaining pasta mixture. Combine remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano and panko; sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture. Spray lightly with cooking spray; sprinkle with black pepper. Bake at 375° for 25 minutes or until heated.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

321 (28% from fat)

Fat:

9.9g (sat 5.6g,mono 2.3g,poly 0.9g)

Protein:

17.4g

Carbohydrate:

40.8g

Fiber:

2.4g

Cholesterol:

26mg

Iron:

1.5mg

Sodium:

487mg

Calcium:

332mg

Roasted Eggplant & Feta Dip

from Eating Well, Oct. '08

Makes 12 servings, about 1/4 cup each

TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese, preferably Greek
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small chile pepper, such as jalapeño, seeded and minced (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of sugar (if tastes bitter)

1. Position oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source; preheat broiler.
2. Line a baking pan with foil. Place eggplant in the pan and poke a few holes all over it to vent steam. Broil the eggplant, turning with tongs every 5 minutes, until the skin is charred and a knife inserted into the dense flesh near the stem goes in easily, 14 to 18 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board until cool enough to handle.
3. Put lemon juice in a medium bowl. Cut the eggplant in half lengthwise and scrape the flesh into the bowl, tossing with the lemon juice to help prevent discoloring. Add oil and stir with a fork until the oil is absorbed. (It should be a little chunky.) Stir in feta, onion, bell pepper, chile pepper (if using), basil, parsley, cayenne and salt. Taste and add sugar if needed.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 75 calories; 6 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 6 mg cholesterol; 4 g carbohydrate; 2 g protein; 2 g fiber; 129 mg sodium; 121 mg potassium.
0 Carbohydrate Servings
Exchanges: 1/2 vegetable, 1 fat

Parmesan Spinach Cakes

from Eating Well, Oct. '08

Makes 4 servings, 2 spinach cakes each

TOTAL TIME: 40 minutes

12 ounces fresh spinach (remove stems -12 cups)
1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese or low-fat cottage cheese
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
2 large eggs, beaten
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Pulse spinach in three batches in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a medium bowl. Add ricotta (or cottage cheese), Parmesan, eggs, garlic, salt and pepper; stir to combine.
3. Coat 8 cups of the muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide the spinach mixture among the 8 cups (they will be very full).
4. Bake the spinach cakes until set, about 20 minutes. Let stand in the pan for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges with a knife and turn out onto a clean cutting board or large plate. Serve warm, sprinkled with more Parmesan, if desired.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 141 calories; 8 g fat (4 g sat, 3 g mono); 123 mg cholesterol; 6 g carbohydrate; 13 g protein; 2 g fiber; 456 mg sodium; 560 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (170% daily value), Folate (46% dv), Vitamin C (40% dv), Calcium (30% dv), Potassium (16% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 1 1/2 medium-fat meat

Moo Shu Vegetables

from Eating Well, Oct. '08

Makes 4 servings, about 1 1/4 cups each

TOTAL TIME: 20 minutes

3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 12-ounce bag shredded mixed vegetables, such as “rainbow salad” or “broccoli slaw”
2 cups mung bean sprouts
1 bunch scallions, sliced, divided
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (see Shopping Tip)

1. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs; cook, stirring gently, until set, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove to a plate.
2. Wipe out the pan and heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 1 minute. Add shredded vegetables, bean sprouts, half the sliced scallions, soy sauce and vinegar. Stir to combine. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the vegetables are just tender, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved eggs and hoisin; cook, uncovered, stirring and breaking up the scrambled eggs, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the remaining scallions and remove from the heat.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 171 calories; 9 g fat (2 g sat, 4 g mono); 212 mg cholesterol; 14 g carbohydrate; 11 g protein; 4 g fiber; 328 mg sodium; 226 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (20% daily value), Folate (17% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 1 medium-fat meat, 1 fat

Chickpea & Okra Tagine

From Eating Well, Oct. '08

Makes 6 servings

TOTAL TIME: 50 minutes

1 pound fresh or frozen okra, stem ends trimmed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
10 sprigs fresh cilantro, plus more leaves for garnish
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 plum tomatoes, diced, or 1 cup drained canned diced tomatoes
1/2 cup vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon harissa (can substitute Chinese or Thai chile-garlic sauce for Harissa) or hot sauce, or to taste

1. Place a large bowl of ice water next to the stove. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add okra and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer the okra with a slotted spoon to the ice water. Drain.
2. Tie cilantro sprigs together with kitchen string.
3. Heat oil in a tagine dish set over a heat diffuser or a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper. Cook, stirring, until soft, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
4. Add onion, garlic, ginger and pepper to the pan. Cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, 3 to 6 minutes. Mix in tomatoes, broth, cumin, the okra, cilantro sprigs and half the bell pepper. Reduce heat to medium; partially cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the okra is soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in chickpeas and salt; cook for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat; discard the cilantro sprigs. Stir in harissa (or hot sauce). Serve sprinkled with the remaining bell pepper and cilantro leaves, if desired.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 136 calories; 6 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 20 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein; 7 g fiber; 443 mg sodium; 389 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin C (80% daily value), Vitamin A (25% dv), Folate (20% dv).
1 Carbohydrate Serving
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 2 vegetable, 1 fat

Can substitute Chinese or Thai chile-garlic sauce for Harissa.