Veggie Cheese Pasta Bake

1 pound whole wheat penne pasta, uncooked
10 oz bag frozen stir-fry veggies (peppers, mushrooms, green beans, etc)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
4 Italian chicken sausages, sliced

2 cups milk
8 oz mozzarella, cut into chunks or shredded
6 oz parmesan cheese, divided
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp dry parsley

In a greased 9x13 in pan, layer pasta, veggies and sausage in order. Set aside.

Heat milk, mozzarella, half of the parmesan and spices in a medium sauce pan over low heat until the cheese is mostly melted. Pour over the pasta and veggies, top with remaining parmesan, cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Healthier Nachos

20 Tostitos Baked Scoops Chips
1/4 cup Black Beans (canned)
1/4 cup Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (canned)
1/3 can Sliced Black Olives (about 2 Tbsp)
2 Green Onions, sliced
2/3 cup Fat Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Chili Powder
Garlic Powder

Arrange 20 chips on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with half the cheese. Sprinkle with black beans, tomatoes, olives, green onions. Top with remaining cheese. Sprinkle with chili powder and garlic powder to taste. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes. Serves 1.

These make 20 individual little nacho bowls. The fat free cheese doesn't really melt, but they still taste pretty good. This makes a good meal for one person and it's easy to make more to share.

Calories: 350
Fat: 7g
Carbs: 44g
Fiber: 6g
Protein: 27g

Coconut-Buttermilk Ice Cream

15 oz cream of coconut (see note)
2 C buttermilk
1/4 C water
pinch of salt

Combine ingredients, chill and freeze in an ice cream maker.


Note of Cream of Coconut:
This is *not* the same as coconut milk or coconut cream. It is made of pressed coconut and sugar. You will find it in the drink aisle of the grocery store, by the bloody mary mix and such. Here is an example of what it looks like:

Chile-Lime Tacos

Spice Rub:
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp chile powder (New Mexico, California or ancho is best)
1/8 tsp allspice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

1 boneless chuck or rump roast

Sauce:
1 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbs minced garlic
3 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs tomato paste
1.5 Tbs dried oregano (or 3 Tbs fresh)
1 can diced chiles or 1 fresh jalapeno, chopped
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup lime juice
1 cup chicken broth
1 bunch cilantro stems (save leaves for garnish)

Tacos:
tortillas
diced avocado
diced pineapple
cilantro leaves
diced tomato
lime wedges
sour cream
cheese
salsa

Mix the spice rub in a bowl and rub all over the roast. Place in a slow-cooker. Mix sauce ingredients and por into the slow-cooker, cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 5-6 hours, or until tender.

Remove the meat, break into pieces or shred with a fork. Serve with tortillas and garnishes. Serves 4.

Optional sauce: Strain cooking liquid and pour into a sauce pan. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened.

Alton Brown's Guacamole

3 avocados, smashed
1 lime, juiced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 roma tomatoes w/o seeds, finely chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 clove garlic minced

Combine and enjoy.

Lemon Cranberry Muffins

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
3/4 cup nonfat plain yogurt
1/3 cup canola oil
1 large egg
3 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup cornmeal, preferably medium or fine stone-ground
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen (thawed), coarsely chopped (see Tip)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat 12 (1/2-cup) muffin cups with cooking spray or line with paper liners.

Whisk 1/2 cup sugar, yogurt, oil, egg, 2 teaspoons lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla in a medium bowl.

Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Add the yogurt mixture and fold until almost blended. Gently fold in cranberries. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Combine the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar and remaining l teaspoon lemon zest in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the tops of the muffins.

Bake the muffins until golden brown and they spring back lightly to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Tips & Notes
Make Ahead Tip: Individually wrap in plastic and freeze in a freezer bag for up to 1 month. To reheat frozen muffins, remove plastic, wrap muffin in a paper towel and microwave on High for 30 to 60 seconds.

Tip: To make quick work of chopping cranberries, place whole berries in a food processor and pulse a few times until the berries are coarsely chopped

Nutrition Per muffin: 187 calories; 7 g fat (1 g sat, 4 g mono); 18 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 10 g added sugars; 4 g protein; 3 g fiber; 255 mg sodium; 96 mg potassium.

Orange Kissed Caramel Corn

Makes 6 servings

1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
salt
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 quarts popped popcorn


Melt butter in large saucepan; stir in sugar, honey and salt. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; boil without stirring about three minutes to 265°F. Remove from heat; stir in orange peel and soda. Place popcorn in large oven-safe bowl; slowly pour syrup over popcorn while stirring. Turn onto greased 15-1/4x10-1/4x1/4-inch baking pan. Bake at 250°F for 45 minutes; stir every 15 minutes. Cool. Break into serving-sized pieces. Store in airtight container. Makes three quarts (six servings of two cups each).