The meal that has been feeding us all week

Don't be afraid to add some health to traditional recipes!  I've been on this puree kick for a couple months now, but am now venturing out and tweaking other recipes.  We really don't have a problem eating our veggies in this house, but I decided that if we could have more veggies and just toss them in everyday recipes, why not...?  I saw the Pioneer Woman on TV last month making the "best lasagna ever"- her words.  My mouth was watering looking at the finished dish, so I knew I had to try it.  Her site is awesome, with really good recipes and lots of laughs.  I imagine her life kinda like Paige's.  She fell in love with a real cowboy, moved to a ranch with him, and feeds him good food everyday.  Well anyway, I made some changes to her recipes for the health of it, and this lasagna turned out to be pretty dang good.  Still don't know if its the healthiest version, but lets take baby steps.

 Lasagna

1 1/2 lbs ground beef  1lb lean ground turkey (I use beef and turkey in my recipes, you just need to be conscious of the lean percentage vs. fat percentage in ground meats)  

1 lb hot breakfast sausage (Jimmy Dean) next time I'll plan ahead and search harder for a healthier substitute

2 garlic cloves, minced  I always used dried, cheaper in the long run for me

2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 teaspoon salt     

2 (14 1/2 ounce) cans whole tomatoes  substituted for petite diced no salt added, any other Wyatt boy not like tomatoes??

2 (6 ounce) cans tomato paste

3 cups cottage cheese  substituted for low-fat

2 eggs, beaten  only added 1 egg, you could probably get away with just an egg white

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes

 1 pound mozzarella slices  used lower fat shredded

1 package lasagna noodles

1/2 cup pureed cauliflower, I added this to the cottage cheese mixture

1/2 cup sweet potato (ok, this I actually kept out of the sauce so we could have Mashed Sweet Potatoes on the side)    

I also drained all the fat from the meat, even if she said not to.  And substituted no-boil lasagna noodles, because lasagna already takes enough time to make.  See the link below for the full recipe, and amazing pictures with more instructions. 

 http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/the_best_lasagn/

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Boil a few potatoes until soft.  Take the skins off.  Cut up and mash.  We add nothing to them, they're so good alone.

A spinach salad with nuts or a darker leaf lettuce salad would also be a great side.  Just thought I'd share, because its nice to try something new and tweak recipes so they work better for you.

Two recipes to share

These dishes are easy and are healthier versions to their high fat or high sugar traditional recipes.  Plus, Kendall LOVES them!  The is my new favorite granola.  Granola can be loaded with saturated fat, though some assume its healthy!  I like it on plain Greek yogurt, with a little extra honey.  Greek yogurt has less fat, and less sugar than yogurt typically purchased, but you would never know.  The fettuccine is a quick meal to make if you have the puree made ahead of time.  I freeze purees so I always have them on hand.  We also taste before we salt at the dinner table- this way we're not overloading dishes with salt during the prep, cooking, and eating processes.  Enjoy!

Crunchy Almond Granola
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup flaxseed meal (ground flax)
- 1/4 cup raw almonds (I use sliced)
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup raisins/dried cranberries (I add these after I'm done baking, when the granola is cooling)
- 1/2 cup bran cereal (look for a Bran Flake)
- 1 cup unsweetened crispy brown rice cereal, such as Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice Cereal
- 1 cup old-fashion oats
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup carrot puree (or shredded carrots)

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl.
3.  Spread evenly onto a greased baking sheet.  Bake for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent overbrowning.  Let cool.  Store in an airtight container and eat within 2 weeks.
*I usually double this recipe for our family.




Fettuccine Alfredo
- 12 oz whole-wheat fettucine (if I can't find WW, I look for spinach, and the white pasta as a last resort)
- 2 tablespoons trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread
- 2 cloves garlic, minced (I use garlic powder- not garlic salt!)
- 2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
- 1 cup non-fat skim milk (still use 2%- we're a house of skinnies!)
- 3/4 cup grated reduced-fat (2%) sharp chedder or part-skim mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup cauliflower puree
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 to 2 sprigs of fresh basil (optional)

1.  Cook the pasta according to package instructions.  Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water, then strain the pasta and set aside.
2.  (I do this back in the pot I used for the boiling- then I only have one pot to clean.)  Heat the margarine over medium heat.  When the margarine foams, add the garlic.  Cook until the garlic is fragrant but does not brown, 1-2 minutes.  Add the flour and cook 4-5 minutes, mashing the flour into the margarine until it forms a smooth paste.
3.  Add 1/4 cup of the milk at a time and whisk constantly until the milk is absorbed and a creamy sauce starts to form.  Once all the milk is incorporated, bring the sauce to a slow boil, whisking 1 more minute.
 4.  Stir in the cheddar or mozzarella, the cauliflower puree, and Parmesan, mixing until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.  Add the salt, pepper, paprika, and pasta.  Toss to coat.  Add a little of the reserved pasta water if the mixture is too thick.  Top with basil, if using, and serve immediately.