Another yummy recipe from wholefoodsmarket.com. Its really simple to make and kids can definitely participate with spreading and scooping!

INGREDIENTS:

8 cooked lasagna noodles

nonstick cooking spray

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

1  Large Egg

2 cups Trader Joe’s No Salt Added Marinara Sauce

1-1/2 cups fresh baby spinach or 10 oz. frozen bag, thawed and drained well

1 cup part skim shredded mozzarella, divided

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 375 F. Grease an 8×8 casserole baking dish with the cooking spray; add 1 cup of sauce and spread it it around. Set aside. I’m a mixing bowl, mix ricotta, parmesan, egg and spinach with half of the mozzarella. Working with one noodle at a time, spread about 2-3 Tbsp of mixture. Starting at one end, roll up the noodle gently yet snugly and arrange them seam side down on the baking dish. Pour remaining pasta sauce over assembled rolls then sprinkle with mozzarella and bake for 20-25 min or until golden , melted and bubbly!

8 Servings
Amount Per Serving
  Calories 168.7
  Total Fat 5.2 g
  Saturated Fat 2.4 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g
  Monounsaturated Fat 0.7 g
  Cholesterol 13.3 mg
  Sodium 332.9 mg
  Potassium 69.8 mg
  Total Carbohydrate 21.5 g
  Dietary Fiber 0.9 g
  Sugars 4.6 g
  Protein 8.8 g
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Rating: 5.0/5 (6 votes cast)

This is among one of my favorite cupcake recipes! They’re so pretty, moist and make for perfect guilt-free dessert! I had some batter left so I used a donut mold pan to make mini cake donuts!…. I found the original recipe on recipegirl.com…You may use fresh starwberries all you have to do is freeze them beforehand to draw out the moisture from them and just puree the same way as the recipe requires.

INGREDIENTS:

1 -1/4 cups cake flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup evaporated cane or coconut sugar
2 -3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 +1/8 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4+1/8 cup avocado oil
3/4 cup pureed frozen strawberries (about 1/4 of a 1 pound bag)
4 large egg whites
1/3 cup unsweetened original Ripple Milk + a few drops of pink/red gel food coloring

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:

6 oz. Cream cheese, softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup Powdered sugar

1/3 cup pureed strawberries

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 18 cupcake pan with paper liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, sugar, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In a large bowl with electric mixer, blend avocado oil, applesauce and strawberry puree. Add flour mixture and blend until light and fluffy (batter will be very thick).

4. In another bowl, whisk together egg whites, milk and dye. Add whites in three parts to the batter mixture, mixing only until incorporated after each addition.

5. Fill cupcake liners about 3/4 full. Bake 18 to 22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

6. Combine all frosting ingredients in a bowl and beat until silky and smooth. Add 1 drop of red food gel coloring and mix again. Frost cupcakes after completely cooled.

18 Servings
Amount Per Serving
  Calories 199.0
  Total Fat 7.0 g
  Saturated Fat 1.8 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat 1.5 g
  Monounsaturated Fat 3.3 g
  Cholesterol 7.3 mg
  Sodium 159.7 mg
  Potassium 45.9 mg
  Total Carbohydrate 31.4 g
  Dietary Fiber 1.3 g
  Sugars 18.8 g
  Protein 3.8 g
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Rating: 5.0/5 (7 votes cast)

Pinto Bean Quesadilla

January 10th, 2012 | Posted by Milana in Lunch/Dinner - (0 Comments)

This is one of those once-in-a-blue meals that I make on a busy day. Even though my version is still more nutritious than the average, the sodium content is still relatively high. However, I must say that these are one of my families constant requests.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups packed shredded Montery Jack cheese

2 tsp chili powder

1 15oz. can Low Sodium Pinto Beans , rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4- 8 inch whole wheat flour tortillas

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375F. Toss the cheese with the chili powder in a large bowl until well blended. Add beans, onions and cilantro and toss. Arrange 2 tortillas on a baking sheet. Press half of the cheese filling over each tortilla, leaving 1/4 inch border at edges. Firmly press second tortilla on top of each. Bake for 15 min or until edges are crisp and cheese is melted through. Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges and enjoy!

Calories 446.7
  Total Fat 12.8 g
  Saturated Fat 5.7 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g
  Monounsaturated Fat 0.1 g
  Cholesterol 24.0 mg
  Sodium 1,428.8 mg
  Potassium 90.1 mg
  Total Carbohydrate 63.1 g
  Dietary Fiber 17.3 g
  Sugars 4.5 g
  Protein 27.8 g
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Rating: 5.0/5 (4 votes cast)

Turkey Sloppy Joe

January 5th, 2012 | Posted by Milana in Lunch/Dinner - (0 Comments)

This a kid-friendly, fast, easy not- to- mention TASTY recipe! I fooled a couple of my guy friends who thought these were made with ground beef after they devoured them. They weren’t able to tell the difference after I had mentioned that I used lean ground turkey.If you love traditional Sloppy Joe’s and want to try a healthier version with the same great taste, this would be your ideal match!

*original recipe was found on allrecipes.com

 

 

 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pound ground turkey breast
  • 1/4 cup chopped onion
  • 1/2 cup organic ketchup
  • 3 tablespoons barbecue sauce (I use Bulls Eye Original)
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 6 whole wheat hamburger buns, split

DIRECTIONS:

In a nonstick skillet, cook the turkey and onion for 5 minutes or until turkey is no longer pink. Add the next seven ingredients; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on buns with a side of steamed green beans or asparagus!

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 115 g
Amount Per Serving
Calories

180
Calories from Fat

52
% Daily Value*
Total Fat

5.8g
9%
Saturated Fat

1.6g
8%
TransFat

0.0g
Cholesterol

56mg
19%
Sodium

404mg
17%
Total Carbohydrates

8.8g
3%
Sugars

7.1g
Protein

22.2g
Vitamin A 4% Vitamin C 6%
Calcium 2% Iron 7%
Nutrition Grade B
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet
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Rating: 5.0/5 (5 votes cast)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 5th, 2012 | Posted by Milana in Dessert - (0 Comments)

 These are my all time favorite cookies!! Who doesn’t love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate together!?…yuuummm!!!! I found this recipe on another blog site called sweetandnatural.wordpress.com I changed a few ingredients to make it my own. Hope you give these cookies a try and let me know how you like them.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup white whole wheat flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup Organic Creamy Peanut Butter

3 Tbsp of Avocado Oil

1/2 cup Pure Honey

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup+2 Tbsp Dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, whisk together  flour, salt, and baking powder and set aside. On another mixing bowl whisk together peanut butter, honey, oil, and vanilla. Add the dry to the wet ingredients. A thick cookie dough will form. Stir in the chocolate chips until completely incorporated. Take a small cookie scoop and scoop out dough into your palm, roll it into a ball,  place on a cookie sheet and sightly flatten down to form a round cookie. Repeat with the rest of the cookies. Will make 20 small cookies. Bake 8-10 min. Cookies should puff up slightly, allow them to set on the cookie sheet for about 10-15 min before eating .

20 Servings
Amount Per Serving
  Calories 111
  Total Fat 5.8 g
  Saturated Fat 1.1 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5 g
  Monounsaturated Fat 1.8 g
  Cholesterol 0.0 mg
  Sodium 80.4 mg
  Potassium 4.7 mg
  Total Carbohydrate 11.9 g
  Dietary Fiber 1.4 g
  Sugars 5.8 g
  Protein 2.3 g
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Rating: 5.0/5 (4 votes cast)

Rustic Pear Tart

January 3rd, 2012 | Posted by Milana in Dessert | Thanksgiving - (0 Comments)

  This is another amazing recipe I got from Ellie Krieger. I made it twice using pears the first time and apples the 2nd. Both came out extremely delightful! The tart is so pretty and doesn’t require much effort or time compared to other tart recipes. This didn’t even last one day in my house when I made it.

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1/2 cup white whole flour or regular whole wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons cane or coconut sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons cold, vegan shortening
  • 2 tablespoons Trader Joe’s Cultured Cashew Beverage or Buttermilk
  • 3 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

  • 3 medium pears
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Glaze:

  • 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon boiling water

Directions:

To prepare the crust, in a medium bowl whisk together the whole-wheat pastry flour, all- purpose flour, sugar and salt. Add the shortening and using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut it into the flour mixture until you get a pebbly, course texture. In a small bowl combine the buttermilk and ice water. Using a fork, gradually mix the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Pat the dough into a 4-inch round and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F, and prepare the filling. Peel the pears, core them and cut into 1/4-inch slices. In a large bowl toss the pear slices with the lemon juice. Sprinkle in the cornstarch, brown sugar and cinnamon and toss until the pears are evenly coated. Set aside.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough into a large circle about nine inches in diameter. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and draping the dough over the rolling pin, transfer to the prepared baking sheet. If the dough breaks at all patch it up with your fingers.

Arrange the pears in a mound in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch boarder. Fold the border over the filling. It will only cover the pears partially and does not need to be even.

Bake the tart for 15 minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, keeping the tart in the oven all the while, and bake for another 40 minutes, until the pears are tender and the crust is golden brown.

In a small bowl stir together the honey and boiling water to make a glaze. When the tart is done remove it from the oven and brush the honey glaze all over the top of the fruit and crust. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly. Cut into 6 wedges and serve warm or a room temperature.

  8 Servings
Amount Per Serving
  Calories 168.1
  Total Fat 6.4 g
  Saturated Fat 3.6 g
  Polyunsaturated Fat 0.2 g
  Monounsaturated Fat 1.7 g
  Cholesterol 15.7 mg
  Sodium 43.7 mg
  Potassium 37.1 mg
  Total Carbohydrate 30.0 g
  Dietary Fiber 2.7 g
  Sugars 15.3 g
  Protein 2.0 g
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Rating: 4.4/5 (7 votes cast)