Spinach Pasta Salad

• 1 1/2 C uncooked farfalle (bowtie) pasta
• 1 small tomato, cut into quarters
• 1/4 C basil pesto
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 2 C bite-size pieces spinach leaves
• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced (1/2 C)
• 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 jar (6-7oz) quartered artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed

1. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain.
2. Meanwhile, in food processor or blender, place tomato, pesto, salt and pepper. Cover; process 30 seconds.
3. Toss pasta, pesto mixture and remaining ingredients.

Asparagus Chicken Stir-Fry

• 1/2 C cut fresh asparagus (1 inch pieces)
• 2 tsp cornstarch, divided
• 1 egg white
• 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed
• 2 tsp canola oil
• 1/4 C chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp unsalted cashews
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 C hot cooked rice

1. Place the asparagus in a steamer basket; place in a saucepan over 1 in of water. Bring to a boil; cover and steam for 5-7 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and keep warm.
2. In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp cornstarch and egg white until smooth; add chicken and toss to coat. In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry chicken in oil for 4-5 minutes or until no longer pink.
3. Place the remaining cornstarch in a small bowl, stir in the broth, soy sauce and sugar until smooth. Gradually add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Stir in the cashews, onions and asparagus. Serve over rice.

Robyn's notes: I didn't have cashews in the house (and besides, I'm not able to have them), so I substituted peanuts. He loves cashews, so I'd prefer to use them, but it was totally fine with peanuts instead. This went very quickly and was easy.

Mushroom Chicken with Rice

Most families know this dish, easy easy...

• 2/3 C condensed cream of mushroom soup (from a 10.75 oz can)
• 1/2 C water
• 1/3 C uncooked regular long-grain white rice
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• dash ground black pepper
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1. Mix soup, water, rice, paprika, and black pepper in shallow baking dish. Top with chicken. Sprinkle with additional paprika and pepper.
2. Cover and bake at 375°F for 28-33 min. or until juices are clear and chicken shows no pink in the center.

Robyn's notes: This will never be the most exciting dish you eat in a given week (at least, it really shouldn't be), but it is a good way to deal with the second half of a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup (see "Using Up Ingredients" at the top of the blog).  This is a reduction of an old Campbell's recipe, and it works perfectly well for my somewhat lazy nights.  When I made this June 23, 2012, my chicken hadn't completely thawed, so it needed a full 33 minutes.  The real problem with this dish is that the rice tends to cook unevenly.  Some of the rice that's been fully covered in sauce will cook through to perfect tenderness, some will have a bit of a bite to it, some will be mushy.  I don't know if Campbell's ever found a solution for that, but since I only make this when I'm not feeling great and need something simple and edible, I'm not willing to put a lot of effort into resolving it myself.  As Campbell's COM soup contains wheat flour, this is not a G-F recipe.  

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Nutritional Information: Calories 312, Total Fat 5g, Saturated Fat 1g, Cholesterol 75mg, Sodium 583mg, Carbohydrates 33g, Fiber 1g, Protein 30g

Cheddar Artichoke Red Onion Pizza

• 1 tsp butter or margarine
• 1 small red onion, sliced (1 C)
• small pre-baked pizza crust (see notes below)
• 1/4 C marinated artichoke hearts (from 6oz jar) drained, sliced
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sliced drained roasted red bell peppers (from a jar)
• 1/2 C shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese

1. Heat oven to 400°F. In 8-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender.
2. Spread onion over pizza crust. Top with artichokes, roasted peppers and cheese.
3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into wedges to serve.

Robyn's notes: since I can't have most of the ingredients, I was making a second small pizza for myself. I wasn't able to find small pre-baked crusts, so I got Pillsbury refrigerated pizza dough, and after rolling it out, cut it into two rectangles. Follow directions on the container, prebaking first, then applying toppings and baking further. I had a "mexican pizza", bean dip spread on the crust, topped with red enchilada sauce and mexican cheese blend.

Salsa Rice Enchiladas

• 1 1/2 C chunky style salsa
• 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 C uncooked instant rice
• 1 can (7 or 8oz) black beans, drained, rinsed
• 1 can (5oz) whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, undrained
• 1 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese
• 4 flour tortillas
• additional salsa, if desired

1. In 10-inch skillet, heat 1 1/2 C salsa and the chili powder to boiling. Stir in rice. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in beans, corn and cheese.
2. Spoon about 1/2 C rice mixture onto center of each tortilla. Fold up bottom of each tortilla; fold over sides. Secure with toothpick if necessary. Serve with salsa if desired.

Robyn's notes: I can't have salsa, black beans, or corn, so I made the above for him and for myself I stuffed my tortillas with rice, enchilada sauce, and cheese.

Homemade Mac n Cheese

• 4oz whole wheat elbow noodles (1 C)
• 1 C frozen broccoli
• 1 C low-fat milk, divided
• 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/2 C shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
• 2 Tbsp shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook noodles for 4 minutes. Add frozen broccoli and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and broccoli are just tender, 4 to 5 minutes more.
2. Meanwhile, heat 3/4 C milk in another large saucepan over medium-high heat until just simmering. Whisk the remaining 1/4 C milk, flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl until combined. Add the flour mixture to the simmering milk. Return to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in cheddar, parmesan and mustard until the cheeses are melted.
3. Drain the pasta and broccoli and add to the cheese sauce. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, over medium-low, until heated through, about 1 minute.


Robyn's notes: I used frozen peas because it's what I had in the house, whole wheat flour, and regular black pepper. It came out fine with those changes.  Since I can't eat peas, I just picked them out of my serving, but it still tasted quite a bit of the missing peas, since they'd cooked in it.  I made the recipe again in early October 2007, in two separate dishes, using broccoli in his (he liked it) and no veggies in mine (I liked it).

Pasta Skillet Dinner

• 1 C uncooked ziti (penne or rigatoni ok)
• 1/2 lb lean ground turkey
• 7oz spaghetti sauce
• 1/4 C water
• 1/4 C sour cream
• 2oz (1/2 C) shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook ziti to desired doneness as directed on package. Drain; cover to keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in large skillet, brown ground turkey over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked. Drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and water. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 5 minutes.
3. Add cooked ziti; mix well. In small bowl, combine sour cream and cheese; mix well. Spoon over ziti mixture. Cover; cook over low heat for 6 to 8 minutes or until thoroughly heated.


Nutritional Information: Calories 630; Calories from Fat 300; Total Fat 33g; Saturated Fat 16g; Cholesterol 115mg; Sodium 670mg; Total Carbohydrate 47g; Dietary Fiber 4g; Sugars 3g; Protein 36g

Robyn's notes: I found this recipe to be fast and easy. The end result was good but not exciting, which may have been partly because it was reheated in the microwave for our lunch at work. I made this again June 11, 2011, and it was better than it had been when reheated. *** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Tortellini Toss Salad

• 6oz (1 1/4 C) frozen uncooked tortellini
• 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 C sliced green onions
• 1 (6oz) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained cut up
• 1/4 C purchased creamy Italian dressing

1. Cook tortellini as directed on package. Drain; rinse with cold water until cool.
2. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onions and artichoke hearts. Add cooked tortellini and dressing; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.


Nutritional Information: Calories 430; Total Fat 20g; Saturated Fat 5g; Cholesterol 25mg; Sodium 630mg; Total Carbohydrate 47g; Dietary Fiber 5g; Sugars 9g; Protein 15g

Robyn's Taco Cups

• 1/2 pound ground turkey (originally ground beef)
• 1 C taco sauce, divided
• 3 Tbsp cornmeal
• 2 biscuits from Pillsbury Grands! frozen biscuits
• 1/2 C shredded cheddar cheese

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray individual ovenproof casserole cups with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In large skillet, cook ground turkey over medium-high heat until thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain. Stir in 1/3 C taco sauce and set aside, covering to keep warm.
3. Spoon cornmeal into each casserole cup. Place 1 biscuit into each cup; firmly press in bottom and up sides.
4. Divide meat mixture evenly into dough-lined cups. Top each with cheese.
5. Arrange cups on baking sheet. Bake at 400°F for 12-14 minutes or until biscuit is golden. Let cool 3 minutes. Carefully remove from casserole cups.
6. While baking, heat remaining taco sauce in small saucepan. Serve sauce with individual taco cups.

Robyn's notes: I wrote this recipe when I was 19, so it's not the most sophisticated, but it's still good

Spaghetti and Spicy Rice Balls

• 1 pkg (8oz) uncooked spaghetti
• 1 C cooked white rice
• 1/4 C quick cooking oats
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped (1/4 C)
• 2 Tbsp unseasoned dry bread crumbs
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp dried basil leaves
• 1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1 egg yolk, beaten
• 1/4 C wheat germ
• 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 C tomato pasta sauce
• finely shredded parmesan cheese, if desired

1. Cook and drain spaghetti as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, mix rice, oats, onion, bread crumbs, milk, basil, oregano, red pepper, and egg. Shape mixture into 10 balls; roll in wheat germ to coat.
3. In 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add rice balls; cook about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until light golden brown.
4. Heat pasta sauce until hot. Serve sauce and rice balls over spaghetti; sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.

Yield: 3 servings

Robyn's notes: this dish was ok, but not exciting for either of us. For me, it just wasn't worth the trouble that it took to make. When a recipe calls for "unseasoned dry bread crumbs", I often end up using "Italian bread crumbs" because I always have them in the house, and it rarely makes even the slightest difference.

** 2 Stars: Acceptable. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, if I make changes

Greek-Style Ravioli

• 12 frozen cheese ravioli
• 1/3 lb lean ground turkey
• 1 C canned diced tomatoes with basil, oregano and garlic
• 1 C fresh baby spinach
• 1/4 C sliced ripe olives, drained
• 1/4 C crumbled feta cheese

1. Cook ravioli according to package directions.
2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, cook turkey over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
3. Drain ravioli. Add the ravioli, spinach, and olives to the meat mixture; heat through. Sprinkle with feta cheese.


Robyn's notes: when a recipe calls for frozen cheese ravioli, I often substitute tortellini, or tortelloni. Whatever type of filled pasta I use, I also often get a mix of spinach and cheese filled. This recipe is quite easy.

Nutritional Information: Calories 352; Fat 15g; Saturated Fat 6g; Cholesterol 75mg; Sodium 1,091mg; Carbohydrate 29g; Fiber 3g; Protein 27g

Potato and Cheddar Soup

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 (8.5oz) pkg vegetable broth + same amount water
• 1 large potato
• 1 C shredded cheddar cheese
• dash black pepper

1. Melt the butter in a medium-size pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften. Add the flour and stir constantly until it is fully absorbed. Add the broth and water and turn up the heat to high.
2. While the soup is coming to a boil, peel the potato and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Add to the pot. It will take the soup a few minutes to return to a boil. When it does, turn down the heat to low, cover, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft enough to be mashed.
3. Turn the heat off, and mash some of the potatoes into the broth. The rest can remain in cubes to vary the soup's texture.
4. With the heat still off, add the cheddar cheese and stir for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Season with black pepper and serve.


Robyn's notes: made this a second and third time without the onion, worked out very well. Not terribly exciting, but a good potato soup option for me, since I'm not allowed celery or onion. The third time I made it I sprinkled crumbled bacon on top, which makes it (obviously) not vegetarian but which added a nice flavour.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Apricot Chicken & Couscous

• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut in thirds across on an angle
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 C chopped onion
• 1 Tbsp cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 6 dried pitted apricots, chopped
• 1 C reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 C apricot all fruit spread or apricot preserves
• 1 Tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish (optional)

1. Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium high heat. Add oil and chicken, season with salt and pepper. Lightly brown the chicken a few minutes on each side, add onions. Cook 5 minutes.
2. Add vinegar to the pan and let it evaporate. Add apricots and broth. When broth comes to a bubble, add preserves and stir to combine.
3. Cover pan, reduce heat and simmer 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve chicken with:

Apricot Couscous

• 1 C water or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 3-4 dried apricots, diced
• 1 C uncooked couscous

In saucepan, bring water or broth and apricots to a boil. Add couscous and stir quickly. Remove from heat and cover. Let stand for 4-5 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving.

Robyn's notes: good, he requested more sauce

Caribbean Jerk Tofu

• 1/4 C vinegar (any kind)
• 3 Tbsp orange juice
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, chopped
• 14oz package firm tofu

1. Combine vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, allspice, thyme, cayenne pepper, black pepper, sage, sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir well.
2. Add onion and garlic to the bowl.
3. Drain tofu, slice into pieces 1" x 1" x 1/2" and gently put it into bowl. Stir carefully so that the tofu pieces are covered with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes or up to 2 hours.
4. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until it begins to brown.
5. While the tofu is broiling, boil the leftover marinade in a small pot for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve the heated marinade as a dipping sauce or as a sauce for rice.

Yield: 2-3 servings

Robyn's notes: NOT GOOD with tofu! I made this for my mom about 7 years ago with chicken, and it was good but really very spicy.  We didn't use the extra marinade that was on the side, but still were absolutely dying from the spice level.

** 2 Stars: Acceptable. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, if I make changes

Basil Ravioli w/ Red and White Sauce

• 1 pkg uncooked cheese-filled ravioli
• 1/4 C shredded fresh parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 tsp dried basil leaves
• 1 (14oz) jar spaghetti sauce
• 1/4 C purchased Alfredo sauce

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 1 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Cook ravioli to desired doneness as directed on package.
3. Drain ravioli; place in spray-coated dish. Sprinkle with cheese and basil. Pour spaghetti sauce over ravioli; spread evenly. Place Alfredo sauce in squeeze bottle or small resealable plastic bag (cut one corner off). Squeeze sauce in thin diagonal strips across ravioli. Draw knife through strips to create design.
4. Bake at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 3 servings

Nutritional Information: Calories 390; Calories from Fat 240; Total Fat 27g; Saturated Fat14g; Cholesterol 115mg; Sodium 1280mg; Total Carbohydrate 63g; Dietary Fiber 7g; Sugars 9g; Protein 23g

Eggplant Balsamic Pasta Shells

• 1 medium sized eggplant, diced
• 3 roma tomatoes, diced
• 1 large can tomato puree/chunks
• 2 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 Tbsp chili flakes (optional)
• good dash of sea salt (Maldon)
• Pasta shells enough for 2

1. Cook pasta as directed on package. When done, strain and dish out into separate bowls/plates.
2. Saute garlic, onion, and eggplant in olive oil until eggplant is tender. Sprinkle with sea salt. Add tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, chili flakes, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
3. Cook on low heat until the eggplant turns to "mush" and sauce is thick. Should take approximately 20 minutes or more. Spoon on top of cooked pasta.
4. Sprinkle with oregano and parmesan if desired. Serve hot.

Robyn's notes: simple and quick.

How to Cook Shredded Chicken

This is absolutely the simplest way to do this, a total cheater version, probably, but it works

• chicken breast halves (1 per C of cooked chicken needed)
• chicken broth

Combine ingredients in a small pan (or larger if recipe is multiplied). Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through, about twenty minutes.

Remove chicken from broth. When it is cool enough to handle, shred chicken with fork. Strain broth for other use if desired.

Apricot Chicken Farfalle

• 1/4 C dried apricots, cut into thin strips
• 4 1/2 tsp sherry or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 C uncooked bowtie pasta
• 1/4 C chopped fresh mushrooms
• 1 1/2 tsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 C shredded cooked chicken breast
• 1/2 C heavy whipping cream
• 2 1/4 tsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 C crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 1/4 C slivered almonds, toasted
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper

1. In a small saucepan, bring apricots and sherry or broth to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for 3 minutes or until apricots are tender. Cool.
2. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute mushrooms in oil until tender. Add garlic; saute 1 minute longer. Reduce heat to medium. Add the chicken, cream, and soy sauce; cook and stir for 5 minutes.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in the cheese, almonds, onion, salt, pepper and apricots. Drain pasta, toss with chicken mixture.


Nutritional Information: Calories 561; Fat 26g; Saturated Fat 10g; Cholesterol 139mg; Sodium 835mg; Carbohydrate 31g; Fiber 4g; Protein 47g

Greek Salad Pitas

• 2/3 C chopped seeded cucumber
• 2/3 C chopped sweet red pepper
• 2/3 C chopped tomato
• 2/3 C chopped zucchini
• 1/4 C crumbled feta cheese
• 2 Tbsp chopped ripe olives
• 2 tsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 3/4 tsp dried oregano
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 4 lettuce leaves
• 2 pita breads, halved

1. In a small bowl, combine the cucumber, red pepper, tomato, zucchini, feta cheese, and olives.
2. In another bowl, whisk the vinegar, lemon juice, oregano, salt and pepper. Pour over vegetables and toss to coat. Spoon into lettuce-lined pita halves.


Nutritional Information: Calories 255; Fat 4g; Saturated Fat 2g; Cholesterol 8mg; Sodium 688mg; Carbohydrate 45g; Fiber 5g; Protein 10g

Chilled Avocado Soup

• 1 medium ripe avocado, peeled, halved and pitted
• 1 can (14.5 oz) reduced sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 C reduced-fat sour cream
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh cilantro
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/8 tsp ground cumin
• dash cayenne pepper
• dash pepper

1. In a blender, process avocado until smooth. While processing, gradually add broth; process until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients; cover and process until blended. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until chilled.

Makes 3 cups

Robyn's notes: this is very light and is best served alongside some bread or small sandwiches.  It's just not very substantial on its own.  It's difficult to get the avocado processed by itself, so I just give it a few bursts in the blender, then start adding the broth to really get it smooth.  It's greener than it looks in this picture, but still quite a light green.  I added a dollop of sour cream before serving.

*** 3 Stars: Good. At least one of us liked this enough for me to make it again, but not often

Nutritional Information: Calories 125; Fat 10g; Saturated Fat 3g; Cholesterol 10mg; Sodium 371mg; Carbohydrate 6g; Fiber 2g; Protein 4g