Resolution Alfredo Sauce

It's resolution time and what does everyone vow to do: lose weight. Most people, including my husband, think that eating lite means eating bland, which is just not the case. Martha's Everyday Food issue for January/February is always her annual Lite Issue and features amazing calorie-cut meals that you can hardly tell a difference from the original.

I actually eat fairly healthy, but the problem is I love tasty food and I eat too much of it, and a lack of exercise, but we are working on that in 2011.

In the spirit of New Year's resolutions to eat better and get fit, I whipped up a lite Alfredo sauce that even impressed myself. Alfredo sauce is a vice I try to avoid except on special occasions like anniversary or birthday because it is so loaded with cheese and fatty cream that even a little bit can mean a lot of calories. But when the occasion calls for it, you should be able to make a tasty, low-calorie substitute that can fool any guest or husband.

Lite Alfredo Sauce

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, preferably fresh

1 cup half and half

3 cups chicken broth

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp fresh basil

coarse salt/pepper

1 tsp Italian seasoning

Add butter and garlic to a hot pan. Once butter has melted, add flour and stir until mixed. Once butter flour starts to bubble slowly add half and half. Whisk until flour dissolves and mixture thickens. Slowly add chicken broth, one cup at a time. You may want to alternate broth and half and half until you get a color and consistency you like. I was honestly winging this whole Alfredo project, so I am not for sure how much I used of what.

Add fresh cut basil, salt and pepper. I also added a little bit of Italian seasoning, but not much at all. Be sure to taste test your sauce to get the flavor you want. Finally, stir in cheese until melted. The sauce should be thick and coat a spoon.

Now what to do with all this wonderful Alfredo?? We made a linguine dish with basil pasta, spinach and spicy shrimp. But here are some other ideas for using Alfredo:

• Use in place of tomato sauce on pizza
• Add to a white, vegetarian lasagna
• Top soup with a tablespoon for a soup swirl
• substitute cream of chicken in recipes
• add to spinach dips and crab dips to make extra creamy

Whatever you do, please have a happy and safe New Year's celebration. And don't forget to make my Black-eyed Pea Spinach Pie for New Year's Day. Black-eyed peas and greens (spinach) are for good luck and riches in the new year.

Wild Rice Casserole

Alright folks, it's Christmas and you can't cut-back ALL year. This is my family's wild rice casserole and I have plenty of friends and family who will contest to the greatness of this dish. It's almost a meal in itself but it makes an excellent side to Christmas dinner. I was introduced to the term "sidesgiving" for vegetarians who don't eat turkey or other meat main courses for Thanksgiving, so this should be a great recipe for those who are having a side dish holiday feast.

In all honesty, this dish does not resurrect well, so I highly recommend making it for a large group and taking it out in one night. Hopefully that won't be a problem ;)

Wild Rice Casserole

2 box Uncle Ben's traditional wild rice

1 pint slice mushrooms

3-4 stalks celery, chopped

1 yellow onion, chopped

2-4 tbsp butter

minced garlic

1 pint heavy cream or evaporated milk or combination of both

1/4 block of Velveta cheese, cubed

Cook rice according to package instructions. For some reason the "quick rice" doesn't work as well with this recipe - probably because it is also baked. So use the traditional recipe box.

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Melt butter into pan and add garlic, onion and celery. I hardly ever saute using butter, but it just tastes so much better in this recipe. And after all the heavy cream and Velveta, you're not saving much on calories. Once celery is soft, add mushrooms and saute. Season with garlic salt and pepper.

Once rice is done, stir in vegetables. Spread into a 2 quart baking dish - preferably glass - and pour cream over rice. I've always made this recipe with cream, but one year Mom used leftover evaporated milk and it was great and also make the dish more of a traditional casserole. I normally have both in the house during the holidays so a mix is probably best. The rice mix should be well saturated - the rice will still absorb a lot of the cream when it bakes. Evenly spread the Velveta cubes over the casserole.

Bake casserole for 45-60 minutes or until the top starts to brown. Let the casserole sit to cool! I can't count how many times I burnt my tongue waiting for that thing to cool. It's just so good.

Happy Holidays everyone and enjoy all your Christmas goodies.

Fatty Salad

I am being literal actually. Everyone has heard the scare tactics of "salads are that's good for you" hinting at the calorie-fest from cheesy, creaming traditional Cesar salads and similar salad dressings. I'm sorry Zaxby's fans - fried chicken, cheese and creamy dressing do not make your salad healthy.

But healthy is also a relative term. Is low-calorie or low-fat considered healthy? Fat is a great tool in food preparation if used properly. One thing about dinner salads that puts me off is the fact that something I eat as an appetizer will be my sole menu option. Good fats promote healthy arteries and fill you up so you don't crave empty calories.

Introducing my fatty salad: this good-fat-rich dinner salad is a quick, filling meal for vegetarian foodies or those trying to watch their calorie in-take. This recipe is slightly altered from Martha's version, but I emphasize the "quick" aka store-bought salad dressing.

Avacado and nuts are some of the best ways to absorb good fats in your diet. Fish and seafood have a great reputation for their Omega-3 fatty oils, although shrimp is on the low end of high fat. Pepitas do fall into the seeds, not nuts, category, but feel free to interchange ingredients to heart-healthy almonds. Pepitas do offer a good amount of protein to the meal, which will assist pure vegetarian eaters.

Fatty Salad

1 lb. precooked shrimp

salt and lemon pepper

1 ripe avacado

Butter lettuce, Bibb lettuce or Romaine

pepitas (pumpkin seeds), salted, roasted or neither

reduced fat or full-fat Ranch (do not use fat free dressings)

Precooked shrimp will more than likely be half the price and tailed already. Raw shrimp tends to be jumbo aka more expensive, and easy to overcook. Rinse shrimp and add to a heated pan. Season and salt and lemon pepper - or preferred seafood seasoning - and cover with a fitted lip. Cook shrimp until hot but do not overcook.

While shrimp is heating, slightly chop lettuce. I used a butter lettuce because it is tender and colorful. But any lettuce preference is fine. I do recommend getting a plastic salad knife. Metal knives will bruise lettuce more easily, so the plastic knife helps to keep lettuces crisp.

To cut your avocado first slice the fruit from top to bottom and twist. Cut the unseeded side cross hatch with a butter knife. Use a spoon to scoop out the avocado cubes onto your salad. One avocado half will cover two salads. It is okay to use an avocado with some brown spots but the fruit should not be mushy. If only using half the avocado, seal tightly and use avocado slices on sandwiches.

Top avocado with cooked shrimp and pepitas. Serve dressing on the side to control how much you are using. Use a good, natural ranch dressing or buttermilk garlic dressing. I normally do not recommend fatty dressings but creamy ranch does help to fill you up and compliment the shrimp and avocado.

Banana Bread Pudding

This is a wonderful "leftovers" recipe for your stale bread or ripe bananas. This is not quite a holiday recipe, but it is absolutely delicious.

Another Martha Stewart creation. I used more bananas and not-quite whole milk to cut back on calories. This dessert is served great with whip cream, ice cream or with coffee. It also makes a beautiful table dish for company. This dish rivals the bread pudding at Harry Bissett's in Athens (all my UGA readers know what I'm talking about) but with the convenience of eating at home.

Banana Bread Pudding

8-12 oz. bread loaf, depending on the size of your casserole dish

4 bananas, cut into 1 inch slices

1/2 cup raisins (optional)

2.5 cups reduced fat 2% milk

1/2 cup raw sugar plus more for coating

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Whisk together milk, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla extract and eggs.

Cut up bread into 1.5 inch cubes. I use a 2 quart lasagna dish for this recipe and I can only hold about 8 oz. of bread. I buy the French loaves at the grocery store for "day old" discounts. When slicing your bananas, try to cut at an angle for a longer surface cut. Toss together bread, bananas and raisins. The first time I made this I did not use raisins and it was just as good. I use raisins when I have them though.

Pour milk mixture over bread mixture and turn. Let sit for a few minutes until milk is absorbed. If you are using more bread, add more milk. Turn bread pudding into a greased, 2 quart shallow dish. Sprinkle raw sugar on top and bake for 50 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes.

Pasta with Spicy Vegetables and Vegan Tomato Sauce

Pasta is a great ingredient for recipes when trying to take out leftovers - pasta stores easily and practically forever. This is a recipe I threw together after days of Thanksgiving turkey leftovers and we needed a turkey break. Additionally, I am featuring a vegan "creamy" tomato sauce that foodie friend recommended.

Vegetable Pasta

8-10 oz. whole wheat penne, or other short pasta (about half a box)

1-2 carrots, shredded

3 stalks celery, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 jalapeño, seeded and diced

big handful baby spinach, stemmed

vegan tomato sauce:

5-7 cloves garlic, minced

24 oz. can whole tomatoes or crushed tomatoes

1 cup roasted nuts, such as almonds or cashews

1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk

1/2 cup nutritional yeast (cheese substitute)

crushed red pepper

fresh basil (or frozen)

rosemary

Nutritional yeast is typically used as a cheese or cream substitute in vegan meals. Although referred to as "yeast" it is more of a thickening agent than a leavening ingredient. Toast your nuts at 425 degrees for 7-10 minutes or until fragrant. You will want to use a fatty nut like cashews or almonds, but do not use peanuts. These nuts contain good fats and will make for a heartier sauce.

Saute garlic in olive oil. If you are using frozen basil packed in olive oil, you do not need to add any oil. Add crushed red pepper, rosemary and basil (if using fresh). Once garlic is golden add soy milk, tomatoes and nuts. Let tomatoes heat through and use a submersion blender to cream the tomatoes and nuts. I found it difficult to blend the nuts to a consistency that I liked, so I would recommend crushing your nuts in a coffee grinder or rolling pin (in a plastic bag) before adding to the sauce. If you like a nuttier texture, blend the nuts whole. Once you have a texture you like, stir in nutritional yeast.

Boil pasta according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining pasta.

This is also a great opportunity to take out some leftover vegetables or frozen vegetables. I have frozen shredded carrot, leftover celery from Thanksgiving stuffing and a little bit of spinach that was about to go bad. I also have jalapeños growing in our garden, finally. You can add other vegetables that you think will partner well. Carrots, celery and onion, known as mirepoix, are quite universal but add a little sweetness to any recipe. That is why this recipe has a lot of herbs and some spice.

Saute vegetables in olive oil until soft. Stir in tomato sauce and heat to a simmer. Stir in spinach until leaves wilt slightly. Pour modest amount over pasta - add reserved pasta water, or soy milk, if needed.

For a quicker version of this recipe, use spicy Arrabbiata tomato sauce.

Cranberry

For OBVIOUS reasons, Thanksgiving is hands-down my favorite holiday. It is during the heart of my favorite season (autumn), close to my birthday (November 30), and includes my three favorite things in this world - family, football and food! Of course everyone has their traditional spread of Thanksgiving regulars, but one vegetarian side that cannot be skipped is cranberry sauce.

Cranberries are an incredible power-packed berry that we sadly only see during the holiday season. Cranberries provide anti-oxidants that help reduce the aging process and fight bad bacteria. It is a versatile berry that can be used in sauces, gravy and, of course, desserts. Here are some perfect ideas for the Thanksgiving week for the use of cranberry and leftover sauces.

Whole Cranberry Sauce

I will admit that I loved canned cranberry sauce. I know it is a foodie sin to indulge in something so canned and processed, but Thanksgiving is only once and year. However, in 2005 my roommate and I were having a Thanksgiving 2 for our friends in Raleigh and I tried my hand at Martha's homemade cranberry sauce - I will never go back.

This is a savory sauce without a lot of sugar or tart. In fact, homemade cranberry sauce contains 40% less sugar than canned. I generally use fresh berries, but since fresh is such a rarity outside November and December, I recommend freezing them or buying frozen if you attempt to work this into your menu during the year.

1 large shallot

1 tbsp olive oil

fresh ginger root

12 oz fresh or frozen cranberries

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

coarse salt and pepper

Mince shallot and saute in olive oil over medium heat. Add cranberries, sugar, vinegar and 1 cup filtered water. I shave frozen ginger root, about 1 tbsp, into the sauce. Or peel fresh ginger root and grate 1 tbsp for the sauce. It is more typical to have fresh ginger in the house around the holidays, but otherwise I will freeze the root to make it useful for more meals. Simmer sauce until thickened, mashing berries all the while - sauce should be done in 10-15 minutes. Season with coarse salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Cranberry leftovers

I'll be honest, it is difficult to find uses for leftover cranberry sauce without using turkey as well. But here are some ideas.

Cranberry pancakes:

thin leftover cranberry sauce with red currant jelly, or other tart jelly, until you get a smooth sauce that can be used over pancakes. You can also stir in whole cranberry sauce into pancake batter for an after-Thanksgiving festive creation.

Cranberry Spread:

Use cranberry sauce as a spread on sandwiches. Because this recipe is more savory and less sweet, it can be used with a variety of sandwiches.

Mulled Cranberry Cider:

In a large pot, boil 1 quart apple juice or cranberry juice, 1/2 cup cranberry sauce, cinnamon stick plus 1/4 tsp each ground cinnamon and ground cloves. Heat on simmer until mixture is warm and cranberry sauce is diluted. Filter mixture through a mesh strainer and serve warm.

Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

Hot and Sour Soup

I am really branching out now: I made tasty tofu! My primary frustration came from the draining process - place tofu between two plates and sit a heavy frying pan (cast iron skillet) on top until tofu is drained. But I found that if you press the tofu while you prep your vegetables, it doesn't take as long as I imagined. Always purchase extra firm tofu.

Another vegetarian foodie of mine offered a suggestion for how to cook tofu. She marinates the tofu in soy sauce and grills it. You can visually see when the tofu starts to firm and when to flip it. Unfortunately my husband was MIA the evening I made tofu - big surprise - so I cooked it on a traditional skillet. I sliced the tofu horizontally into quarters, and then into cubes. I found a great product at the grocery store - universal marinade in a spray bottle. The primary ingredient is soy sauce and it seems to pair well with everything. It provides a savory seasoning to tofu as well.

And slowly but surely, I am learning less is more. I have tried to up this soup with broccolini and sweet peppers, but it is such a distracting taste and texture to the hot and sour. I have seen some varieties that add bamboo shoots and Chinese egg noodles that I am willing to try, but you cannot go wrong with this simple recipe.

Hot and Sour Soup

4 cups vegetable broth, preferably Organic Hearty

2-4 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

8oz., at least, fresh shiitake mushrooms

1 bunch green onions

4 tbsp rice vinegar, separated

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 large egg beaten, plus egg whites

3.5oz. (half a package) extra firm tofu

I am very lucky that my father grows shiitake mushrooms as big as your face, and he is generous about giving them away. Hot and sour soup is not worth the effort without a large bunch of shittake mushrooms, although they are not cheap to come by. Make sure mushrooms are cleaned thoroughly (I highly recommend a mushroom brush), as I learned the hard way.

Slice whites of the greens onions and saute in olive oil over medium heat in a stew pot - keep some thin chives from green onions. Season onions with crushed red pepper and grated ginger. De glaze the pan with vegetable broth. As you can tell, I have been carefree about using chicken broth in my vegetarian recipes, but since I have found Organic Hearty vegetable broth (sold at Trader Joes and other grocers), I do not substitute broths as often. Organic Hearty is very hearty and rich with vegetable flavor. It resembles the color of carrot juice, but it tastes much more savory.

Add sliced mushrooms and cover pot. The mushrooms will cook down so use as many mushrooms as you like. Since there is not much to this soup, I used A LOT of mushrooms. They absorb the flavors so well in the soup and have a meaty texture. Simmer soup until mushrooms are soft and tender.

While soup simmers, cook tofu. I sauted two slabs of tofu until brown on both sides. Spray or season generously. Once brown, cut tofu into cubes; roughly 1/4 inch cubes. I cooked the entire block of tofu but only used half. Depending on how much you like tofu, use as much as you prefer. And help me think of something else to do with my tofu.

Stir together cornstarch in 3 tbsp vinegar. Mix into soup and stir. Once soup thickens (10 minutes), add tofu. Add beaten egg to soup and stir until egg ribbons form. I love the egg ribbons so I add some more egg whites from the carton - two eggs is just above too much for me.

Stir in soy sauce and vinegar just before serving. I used lots of soy sauce - I think I underestimated how salty the broth is so I didn't add salt. Soy sauce adds the flavor with sodium, so additional salt is unnecessary. The vinegar provides the "sour" in the soup. Although I am not a huge vinegar fan, I added a quarter cup to intensify the sour.

Serve with chives and cilantro, if desired.

Fancy Endive Salad

If you are anywhere near Valle Crucis, NC and want to spoil yourself to a night of divine, gourmet food and a relaxing atmosphere, you must visit The Inn at Little Pond. Gay and Frank host a beautiful bed and breakfast as well as sponsor cooking classes for their guests and send you away with your own glorious recipes to make the same dinner at home.

The last time I went there, I learned I liked endive. Endive looks like a tasteless heart of iceburg lettuce, but in fact it is quite nutritious and tender. On the ultimate vegetable list, it scores a 307, above green leaf lettuce. The most appealing part of the salad was the vinegar and walnut oil salad dressing.

I like using the word "fancy" because it makes me feel like I can show up overpriced restaurants and still make a presentation worthy of my husband and important guests. This salad is a great, light appetizer for a fancy meal or even as a large side dish to a simple main course. This is also a great recipe to getting rid of the last of your lettuce, specialty cheese or apple sitting in your fruit basket.

Fancy Endive Salad

Salad:

1/4 cup hazelnuts, raw and unsalted

2 heads endive, chopped

1 apple, cored and sliced

2 oz. gorgonzola cheese, crumbled

Dressing:

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp dijon mustard

coarse salt and pepper

7 tbsp walnut oil

Roast hazelnuts at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes. As soon as you smell them, take them out of the oven. Again, Trader Joes has the best selection of raw, unroasted nuts in bulk amounts at a discounted rate compared to other grocery stores. Once cool, chop nuts with a large knife.

Fill a bowl with water. Add sea salt. Sink chopped endive into bowl and let leaves rise to the top. This lets the dirt sink to the bottom. Pull leaves out of water, don't squeeze, and completely dry.

Whisk together salad dressing ingredients.

Combine endive and chopped apple. Slowly stir in dressing until produce is modestly coated. Serve salad topped with hazelnuts and cheese. You can use alternatives such as pear, romaine lettuce, baby spinach, blue cheese, walnuts, etc.

Pasta Ghosts with Pumpkin Sauce

The perfect Halloween meal.

Martha Stewart is great about creating festive meals for Halloween and other holidays, but I have yet to see this unmistakable ghost-shaped pasta featured in any spooky dishes. I found a wonderful pumpkin pasta sauce last year after I discovered how healthy and nutritious pumpkin is for us, especially canned pumpkin . . . regardless of how much my husband insists we can simply eat pumpkin pie to fulfill our vitamin needs. Canned pumpkin is just short of the nutrients of raw spinach and beats out raved vegetables such as broccoli, carrots and mustard greens.

Canned pumpkin is without a doubt the easiest way to get your pumpkin pure. You can get pumpkin at it's peak ripeness

and even organic pumpkin pure is reasonably priced. Be sure to check the ingredients carefully - do not get pumpkin pie filling, which includes spices. The ingredients should only include pumpkin and perhaps salt or other preservative.

Recently, I was craving pumpkin before the season was ready. Having mid-90 degree temperatures on the first day of fall will do that to you. So I had to buy a sugar pumpkin and make my own. If you also find yourself in this predicament, here is how to pure a whole pumpkin: stab pumpkin and microwave for five minutes or until soft. The pumpkin will "whistle" because it is letting our moisture but don't be alarmed. Once cool, cut pumpkin in half, scoop out seeds, rub with olive oil a

nd sprinkle with salt (be sparing). Place face down on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 45-60 minutes, turning half way through. Time will vary depending on size and weight of pumpkin. Scrape pumpkin squash out and mash using a potato masher or food processor. This also works well with all fall squashes to make pure for soups or pasta bakes.

Pasta Ghosts with Pumpkin Sauce

12 ounces perline pasta, cheese or mushroom flavored

1/2 bag baby spinach, stemmed (optional)

1 quart baby bellow mushrooms (optional)

Coarse salt

1 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, ground

1 can (15 ounces) pure pumpkin puree OR one sugar pumpkin

5 garlic clove, chopped

1/2 cup half-and-half OR soy milk

1/3 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for garnish

I normally take a recipe and add tons of fresh and nutritious vegetables to get a heartier meal. but what I've found with pumpkin is that it doesn't go with everything, so less is more in this case. Some options are to add spinach and mushrooms, but allow for the pumpkin to be the masking taste of the meal. Using stuffed pasta also adds depth but simple cheese flavors do not compete with the fall aroma of pumpkin.

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 2 cups pasta water; drain pasta, cover and set aside.

In pasta pot, heat oil over medium. A

dd garlic and mushrooms, if using, and stir until brown and soft. Add pumpkin puree, half-and-half (or soy milk), Parmesan, vinegar, red-pepper flakes, and 1 cup reserved pasta water to pot. Season with rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir sauce until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. If using, stir in spinach until wilted. Assuming you don't have to make your own pumpkin pure, this is a fairly fast meal.

Add pasta to sauce, and toss to coat. If sauce is too thick, add some reserved pasta water. I also added a little more soy milk

since I had not saved enough pasta water. Season with salt or garlic salt. Serve pasta sprinkled with grated Parmesan and red-pepper flakes. Enjoy your ghostly treat and have a happy and safe Halloween.

Sweet Potatoes

Guess what Atkins, sweet potatoes are good for us! Sweet potatoes, with skin, score a 485 on the healthiest vegetable list, scoring higher than broccoli and carrots. And the diet-preferred white cousin scores only a 53, just above parsnips and corn. Our problem is that most sweet potatoes are served with fattening and carb-loaded butter and brown sugar. But "sweet" potatoes don't actually have to be served sweet. Like it's orange-color lookalike - pumpkin - sweet potato can be use in a variety of recipes.

Here are a few sweet potato recipes for the fall season that give you the stellar nutrients of the root vegetable without creating a dessert for a main course.

Sweet Potato Quesadillas

My NCSU vegetarian foodie has a great vegetarian blog as well and her latest post are these delightful sweet potato quesadillas. I am not going to reprint the recipe since you should venture to her site anyway. I will say these were a delicious surprise to me. My husband loves sweet potatoes and encouraged me to try this recipe even though I was somewhat skeptical.

I added some CSA sweet peppers and used yellow onion, which seemed to pair nicely with the potato. I didn't push the spices too much since sweet potato was a very different take on Mexican. I used whole wheat tortillas, which held up well, and a low-fat Mexican cheese blend. I added a bit of water and covered the pan to steam the potato.

It is best served with guacamole and salsa. I haven't tried it with sour cream or Greek yogurt, but I imagine it is just as tasty. And they are very filling! We each had one and a half quesadillas and it was more than enough to satisfy us.

Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Fall Lasagna

I know, how many lasagna recipes do I have already??? This is a Cooking Light recipe that I made using leftover sweet potatoes and butternut squash. This is also convenient for all the fall squash and potatoes I am getting with my CSA. This dish is slightly sweet but still savory and very tasty.

2 lb. butternut squash

1 lb. sweet potatoes

1 onion, chopped

3.5 cups 1% milk (do not substitute soy milk)

pinch nutmeg

pinch cinnamon

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup flour

salt and pepper

1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

no-boil lasagna noodles

1 cup low-fat mozzarella, shredded

Conveniently, there is precut butternut squash and sweet potato sold at Trader Joes, but this recipe is good because it only requires what you would have leftover from another fall menu. I prefer to shred the sweet potato using a food processor - you can keep the skins on as long as they are well washed. I also bake my butternut squash (400 degrees for 45 minutes) and scoop out the pure. This avoids peeling and chopping hard squash and potatoes.

Let no-boil noodles sit in warm water while you prepare lasagna. Sauté onion in olive oil until caramelized. Gradually add shredded sweet potato and cover pan. Repeat until all sweet potato is sautéed and caramelized. Add sweet potato to butternut pure.

Add one tbsp olive oil to a medium pot. Heat to medium and add flour. Whisk flour with oil and gradually add milk. Milk mixture should thicken as you whisk. Add nutmeg, cinnamon and bay leaf to milk. Continue to heat for 10-15 minutes, whisking occasionally; mixture should simmer but never boil. Season with coarse salt and pepper. Remove from heat. Remove bay leaf and stir in parm cheese.

I have a new appreciation for freshly-grated Parmesan. A block of parm is cheaper and lasts longer than pre-grated parm. The cheese is also more savory and melts faster.

Preheat oven 350 degrees. Spoon 1/2 cup cheese sauce into the bottom of a lasagna pan. Layer no-boil noodles. Top with half squash/potato mixture, 1/3 cup mozzarella, and 1 cup cheese sauce and noodles. Repeat. Top noodles with remaining mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake another 20 minutes.

Side Salads

Alright, fess up, how many vegetables do you actually eat a day? You are supposed to get from 6-9 servings of fruit and vegetables a day. A serving is roughly the size of your fist. I will absolutely admit it. As much as I feel I try to add multiple vegetables to every meal, even breakfast, I still need vitamins to supplement my lack.

One easy solution is side salads and appetizers to help fill you up before you overeat a rich meal. I love salads, LOVE them, and they are primarily made up of mostly fruits and vegetables. The problem? Everyone else's salad tastes better. I love to eat salads when I go out to eat, but making them at home is not the same. Maybe it's the dressing?

Here are a few side salad recipes I have found to be quite rewarding and easy to make. I mostly enjoy salads with baby spinach and romaine, but I have recently found that I like endive and a wide variety of romaine lettuces. Use what you like. Iceberg lettuce is useful for some recipes, but it does not score very high in nutrition for a vegetable. Stick to greens that are, well, green!

Tomato and "Mozzarella" salad

fresh basil leaves, Julianne cut

2 large heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced

sliced cheese e.g. white American, provolone or other low-fat white cheese

hearts of romaine, finely chopped (optional)

balsamic vinaigrette, low-fat (not fat free)

Half the cheese slices into triangles. I have also seen a version using goat cheese slices but my favorite is white American. Trader Joes actually sells mozzarella slices made with goat's milk. It's actually delicious. Do not use fresh mozzarella if you want to avoid expensive and fatty cheeses.

Heirloom tomatoes make this dish because of their beautiful color and few seeds. Layer tomato slices and cheese triangles, alternately, over a bed of finely chopped hearts of romaine. I normally just serve the tomato and cheese slices, but I tried a version over lettuce, and it was very satisfying. Top layers with basil and vinaigrette. Fat free dressings are made with water and very dissatisfying. Low fat varieties still offers some heart-healthy olive oil and filling fats while still cutting calories.

Mediterranean salad

romaine lettuce, chopped

cherry tomatoes, halved

1 pita picket, torn into tiny pieces

feta cheese crumbles, flavored or plain

chickapeas (optional)

Mediterranean dressing e.g. balsamic vinaigrette or black olive with feta

On a medium cooking sheet, layer pieces of pita. Spray with oil and bake on 400 for 5 minutes or until crisp. These light "crutons" give this side salad a little crunch. I like to use the mini pita pockets sold at TJs because the pita is thinner. The black olive with feta dressing is offered by Kraft, and it is one of my absolute favorites. Be sparing, but a little goes a long way on taste.

Baked goat cheese salad

12 oz. goat cheese e.g. plain, lemon citrus, or herbed

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup bread crumbs or Panko

dried fruit e.g. cranberries, currants or raisins

spring greens or baby spinach (stemmed)

sliced almonds

sweet vinaigrette e.g. pomegranate, poppyseed, raspberry (full fat)

The first time I tried this recipe I accidentally bought a citrus-flavored goat cheese log, but it is by far my favorite version. I would not use a peppercorn variety on this dish though. Make sure cheese is cold and cut log into half-inch rounds. Drench rounds in egg and bread crumbs and layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Spray rounds with oil and bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes or until cheese starts to brown.

Layer greens with dried fruit (I prefer cran-raisins) and almonds. Top each salad with two or three cheese rounds and serve with a side of dressing. I do not recommend low-fat sweet dressings because of the artificial sugars and colors. Buy organic to avoid artificial ingredients. Or dress your salad with simple olive oil and vinegar.

Savory Manicotti

Since my last low-fat Italian disaster with the vegetarian lasagna, I was skeptical about posting another pasta dish. However, this recipe is fool-proof for tasting good.

This recipe came from a combination of Martha Stewart and William Sonoma, although I cannot find where I got either recipe. I swapped a few hearty ingredients and added roasted pine nuts to give this lighter dish a savory flavor that stands up to any meaty competition.

The only disappointing part of this meal is that its not very plentiful. This recipe makes enough servings for maybe three people and more likely two hungry people. So I do not recommend this recipe for serving company.

Savory Manicotti

1 package manicotti, cooked and cooled (in luke warm water)

1 (15 oz) container of ricotta cheese - as always, I recommend TJs but Sorrento's low-fat is a close second choice

1 egg, beaten

dried thyme

dried oregano

1/2 cup shredded parmesan

minced garlic

1 pint baby bello mushrooms

3 cups favorite tomato sauce

9 oz. baby spinach

3 tbsp. pine nuts

I've never found whole wheat manicotti pasta, but after my lasagna disaster I am going with the safe white flour pasta. Be sure to handle with care when transporting from the grocery store to home - manicotti pasta breaks easily and it's unusable after that. Also be sure to not over boil. Over boiling pasta will cause it to crack and tear and make stuffing manicotti much more difficult than it already is. Let noodles cool in luke-warm water until filling is prepared.

Sauté minced garlic (about a tablespoon or less) in olive oil. Once garlic browns, add mushrooms until softened. Stir in pine nuts. Once nuts have browned slightly and they have a strong aroma, add spinach and stir until spinach wilts. Remove vegetables from heat.

Preheat oven for 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, oregano and thyme. You can substitute Italian seasoning. Stir in 1 tsp salt and pepper. Once vegetables have cooled slightly, stir vegetables into cheese mix. If the cheese is not cool enough, the mixture will melt the plastic bag. Using a rubber spatula, spoon mixture into a one gallon ziplock bag. Cut a small triangle from the bottom of one corner to use as a filler for the manicotti.

Spoon about one cup of pasta sauce into the base of a large baking dish. Cupping the manicotti to ensure the bottom is covered, squeeze the cheese mixture into the open end of the manicotti pasta. Do not overfill or the manicotti will break, or worse, leak cheese all over the place. Layer the manicotti together in the baking dish. Top prepared manicotti with remaining pasta sauce and parm cheese.

Bake manicotti for 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbly. This recipe uses about 1/3 the amount of cheese normally called for in manicotti. I've also adjusted the recipe to bring more vegetables and hearty fillings. I high recommend a side salad since this is such a light meal. The pine nuts make the true difference in taste. If you are short on pine nuts, roast walnut pieces.

Vegetarian Tortilla Pie

Any of you who know me personally know that my weakness is Mexican food. Something about tortillas, cheese and beans that I can't get enough. But it is rough on my cholesterol and waistline. One option I have been able to use is vegetarian tortilla pie. This recipe is an Amy original. It calls for a ton of vegetables, high protein beans and light on cheese (so sad). It doesn't go very far though and usually only makes 2-4 servings. It is perfect for kicking a Mexican food craving though.

When you go to a Mexican food restaurant and order "refried beans" you are usually getting a lot of lard-fried beans. They taste so good, but honestly making beans at home is the best way to get the good nutrition without the unnecessary fats. Pinto beans are actually one of the MOST nutritious beans you can eat, just behind soybeans, with their fiber, folic acid and iron content. Black beans are also high in fiber and folic acid. Beans are also one of the healthiest foods for you that you can get for cheap. Canned beans run about $1 per can and have a lasting shelf life. I stock up any time they are on sale. If you can, buy organic or preferably low-sodium. You should rinse and drain your beans to ensure all preservatives and added salt are washed away.

Lastly, beans are great for vegetarians because they provide high levels of protein with no dependence on meat. Beware my friendly vegetarians, tofu is not as potent with protein levels as beans and also fails to provide adequate levels of fiber for a daily diet. Tofu and other processed soy products lose a lot of nutrition of natural soy beans because of the heavy processing it undergoes. For more about the awesome-ness of beans, catch Cooking Light's September 2010 issue.

Vegetarian Tortilla Pie

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

small can corn, rinsed and drained

bag baby spinach

1 cup salsa

6-9 corn tortillas

1/2 medium onion, red or white

1 jalapeño, chopped

fresh cilantro

8 oz pepper jack or Mexican blend cheeses, shredded

1.5 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Saute onion and pepper in minced garlic, cumin and red pepper. Once pepper and onion are soft, add beans. Add 1/4 cup water to beans and cook until beans start to break. Slightly mash beans to speed up the process. The mixture should be "refried" with some whole beans still in tact.

Stir in corn and spinach leaves. Stir until spinach is wilted. Remove from heat. Stir in salsa. Trader Joes has a fantastic Double Roasted salsa that goes with about any dish I prepare. I highly recommend this salsa for cooking because it is flavorful and chunky. If you are using salsa with a lot of cilantro, than adding fresh cilantro is unnecessary. Otherwise, add cilantro now.

Oil a 1 quart round casserole dish (small and tall if you have one). Layer two tortillas on the bottom of the dish, trying to cover as much space as possible. Top tortillas with half bean mixture and 1/3 cup of cheese. Repeat once more. Top cheese with two more tortillas and remaining cheese.

Bake 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted. Heat oven to broil for a few minutes to brown top cheese. Cut into fourths and serve with more salsa and sour cream.

Deviled Eggs

Worried about eggs going bad? A healthy snack and simple deviled egg recipe will do the trick. I make these using only what I have in my refrigerator door. I try not to eat more than two eggs a day so it's ideal for taking out the last of the eggs before the expiration date.

My husband is stubborn about eating hardboiled eggs, but they are incredibly healthy for you, despite anti-cholesterol posters, and simple to make low-fat. Eggs are great for the eyes and may reduce the risk of cataracts due to their carotenoid content. One egg contains six grams of protein and only 1.5 grams saturated fat. Eggs are also naturally rich in Vitamin D and sulpher, which promotes healthy hair and nails. Be sure to buy organic or free-range chicken eggs.

Deviled Eggs

4 eggs (2 to share)

2 tbsp low-fat, olive oil mayonnaise e.g. Smart Balance or Kraft

1/2 tsp mustard

1/2 tsp white wine vinegar (optional)

hot sauce, to taste

garlic salt and pepper

2 tsp dill relish

1 scallion or 1/2 tsp onion powder

paprika or crushed red pepper

Set eggs in a small pot and cover with water. Heat pot until water boils, turn off heat (do not remove from stove) and cover. Let stand 13 minutes. This is a fool-proof method for perfect eggs. It seems unpredictable, but it works.

Once cool enough to handle, shell eggs and slice in half long ways. Using a small spoon, scoop out egg yoke (it should come out easily if the eggs are cooked correctly) and add to a medium bowl. Add mayo, mustard, and relish. If you are using Tabasco sauce, you do not need to add anymore vinegar - the eggs will taste too bitter. If you are using a less vinegary hot sauce, such as Louisiana, add the white wine vinegar. I still prefer Nandos, but it's only available in Africa in care packages from my sister.

I think scallion tastes great in eggs, but this is supposed to be a cabinet stables kind of recipe so substitute a little bit of onion powder instead. Season with garlic salt and pepper. You may want to add more hot sauce or relish depending on how you want your eggs to taste. Be sparing when adding mayo and mustard since you won't be able to lessen those portions.

Use a small fork to reload deviled eggs with filling. They will be full. The fork makes a nice indention in the egg, although the icing bag is ideal. Unfortunately I don't have one. Top your eggs with paprika or crushed red pepper - for a bigger kick.

Sasquash Sandwich

I was sad to learn recently that the Bear Rock Cafe had closed down near my office. I also saw that their website is "under construction". I hope they resurface soon because they have a great selection of breads and vegetarian options.

I was first introduced to the Sasquash sandwich at Bear Rock. I liked it so much I wanted to make it at home, with a few alterations. I buy the pumpkin seed bread at Panera Bread. They will pre-slice your loaf but be sure to store it properly to keep from molding prematurely. I also found a similar-tasting Vidalia dressing with Ken's. It is offered in low-fat, which is actually just as good and significant fat-reduction. The original sandwich comes with sprouts and eggplant, but as you can tell from the Ultimate Vegetable list, they don't count for much, so I leave them off since I don't care for them much.

Sasquash Sandwich

sunflower-seed bread, sliced

vidalia onion dressing

fresh rosemary, crushed

garlic, minced

1 yellow squash, sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

1 pint mushrooms, preferably baby bellows

eggplant, sliced (optional)

sprouts (optional)

romaine lettuce

tomato, sliced

provolone or Havarti cheese, low-fat

Crushing rosemary is not that simple. I used to use a butcher knife but the roasmary would shoot all over the place. I finally invested in a tiny mortar and pestle. It was fairly cheap and makes crushing herbs the only means available. Rosemary is a strong herb so use sparingly. I use about one teaspoon.

Saute garlic in 1 tsp oil. Add sliced zucchini and squash and mushrooms. If using eggplant, add here. Sauté vegetables until slightly browned but not wilted.

Spread dressing on two slices of bread. Top one side with cheese and toast in a toaster oven or convention oven (at 400 degrees) until cheese is melted and bread is slightly toasted. Spread sautéed vegetables on cheese side - the cheese keeps the vegetables in tact - and top with lettuce, tomato and sprouts (if using).

The taste-maker in this recipe is the dressing. Do not short-change this meal without it.

Italian Pasta Salad

Happy Labor Day weekend! Here is a quick recipe to include in your holiday celebrations.

Sometimes it is easy to let vegetables go bad before you have something to make with them. That has been especially difficult this year with gathering CSA vegetables every week. I try not to meal plan until Tuesday's pick-up, but not everything in-season is always the most convenient.

One trick I have learned is making pasta salad with leftover vegetables and cabinet staples. And you don't have to make a ton of it either. Just boil enough pasta to about half the amount of vegetables you plan to use. I will not include measurements so you can use your own portions based on what you have and what you like. This also makes a great side dish for weekend barbecues and outdoor dining.

Italian Pasta Salad

rotini pasta

fresh tomatoes and/or jarred sundried tomatoes, chopped

red or green bell pepper, chopped

red onion or shallot, chopped

shredded carrot

jarred, pitted black olives, sliced

dried or fresh basil

Italian dressing, low fat

shredded Parmesan cheese

I prefer Trader Joe's rotini pasta because it is multi-colored and makes for a more colorful presentation. I never use an entire bag of pasta in one setting because I am usually only making food for two people. It is easy to pour what I want to use and store the rest. Be aware that pasta swells when it is cooked so use less than what you think you need.

I've said before I do not care for raw vegetables, although most vegetables are more nutritious when they are served raw. I sauté the bell pepper, onion and carrot and let them cool before mixing my salad. You may even want to boil or steam the vegetables to avoid added fat and over heating. Any of these techniques are acceptable, even if you want a quick side dish that calls for raw vegetables.

Once vegetables cool to room temperature, mix with pasta and basil. Slowly add Italian dressing one teaspoon at a time until you get a coating that suites you. If you do include olives, their natural fat will make up for taste from low-fat dressing. Mix in shredded Parmesan last.

Hummus Wrap

The good thing about summer is that it invites light meals to avoid packing on warm fat. This results in a lot of lunch salads and cold sandwiches, but you can easily get burnt out of those quickly. Rachel, my roommate foodie before I got married, was impeccable about making homemade hummus every week to make wraps with for lunches on campus. I had her sit down with me and go over her "recipes" before she moved out. I say "recipes" in quotations because Rachel is a open-the-cabinet-and-make-something kind of cook. She literally had to make the hummus in front of me to know what measurements to give me. So she got to do all the experimenting and I get to enjoy fool-proof hummus - as well shall you.

Hummus ala Rachel

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 small bunch parsley

1 tbsp. flax seed (or flax seed meal)

juice of one lemon

Cayenne pepper

cumin powder

2-3 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp peanut butter

add ins: one jarred roasted red pepper and/or feta cheese

Boil chickpeas for about 3 minutes or when skins start to come off - drain and move to blender. Reserve 1 cup water. Add 2 tbsp oil, lemon juice and flax seeds and blend. Flax seeds need to be "damaged" to release their beneficial fats, so blend the seeds or buy flax meal. If chickpeas get "chalky" add another tbsp oil or reserved water. Add red pepper, cumin, garlic, parsley and peanut butter. I know you are supposed to use tahini paste in hummus, but Rachel tried the tahini and it really didn't taste as good. You get more of an earthy taste with the peanut butter. Use natural peanut butter if you can, or TJ's reduced-fat peanut butter. You can also use almond butter for healthier fat. Blend your add-ins if using.

The best variety Rachel ever made was to add a jarred, feta cheese stuffed red pepper. I accidently bought some at the sore and didn't intend to use them so Rachel added them to her weekly hummus and it was amazing. You don't have to use feta-stuffed peppers, or you can just add feta cheese - it comes in Mediterranean-seasoned also. Fermented cheese are the least processed cheese because the "process" is natural. Cheeses like goat cheese, feta, cottage cheese are all probiotic cheeses that come with great benefits, especially for women.

Store-bought hummus contains a lot of unnecessary oil. I like that Rachel uses a modest amount of oil and substitutes water. You can also add more peanut butter for a smoother consistency. Rachel is also great about hiding flax seed in her meals and shakes. Flax seed is a good cholesterol-building fat. Rachel suffered from awful cholesterol regardless of her all-natural diet, and she had great tips for increasing good cholesterol to maintain a healthy balance.

Mediterranean Wrap

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 tbsp olive oil

4 Roma (or similar sized) tomatoes, chopped

1 English cucumber, chopped

parsley, chopped

shallot, chopped

coarse salt and pepper

feta cheese, crumbled

homemade hummus

tortilla wraps or Naan bread

This wrap is great for the summer because it uses so many in-season vegetables. I am not a huge fan of cucumbers, but for some reason the CSA cucumbers are more appealing - or maybe my tastes have just changed. I like to make this the day before I eat it to let the tomatoes and cucumber "pickle" in the marinade.

Combine lemon juice, oil and salt/pepper. Set aside. Combine tomatoes, cucumber, shallot and parsley. I know I've said I hate the taste of raw onion, but shallots give off the aroma of red onion without having an overwhelming aftertaste. And let's face it, if you are eating Greek for lunch, your breath is not going to be saved from anything. Drain any excess juices if possible. Slowly add oil mixture to vegetables. Do not oversaturate the vegetables. Let sit overnight preferably.

To make your wrap, spread hummus on a tortilla wrap or Naan. Top with marinated vegetables - use a fork to limit juices from transferring to the wrap. Top with feta crumbles. Wrap and enjoy.

Gorgonzola and Heirloom Pizza

It's tomato season! My poor CSA is suffering from the heat of a Raleigh summer, but we have gotten to enjoy some of his tomatoes already.

This is delicious pizza recipe with few ingredients but so much taste and a little bit goes a long way to satisfy. I have added spinach for nutrition and color as well as a little more cheese just to get everything to stick together. This recipe comes from a Cooking Light recipe that featured tomatoes.

Trader Joes sells great premade pizza dough for only $1. I have learned to use their whole wheat option more often, but nothing beats the taste and texture of their white flour dough. They used to carry an herb and garlic edition, but I have not seen that option for some time now and doubt they carry it anymore. I have learned to add my own herbs to the pizza to make up for it's absence.

Gorgonzola and Heirloom Pizza

pizza dough, make your own or buy Trader Joe's variety

cornmeal

Italian herbs, optional

1/2 cup shredded white cheese, such as fontina or mozzarella

1 cup Gorgonzola cheese

2 heirloom tomatoes, sliced and seeded if necessary

2 tbsp fresh basil

one handful baby spinach, finely chopped

garlic pepper

Let the pizza dough sit for at least 20 minutes or until it is room temperature and begins to slightly rise. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Don't knead too much or the crust gets hard. Roll out your dough on a floured surface. My pizzas are always shaped in crazy designs so don't try so hard to make a perfect circle. As long as the crust is the same thickness throughout then it will all taste the same. Spread some cornmeal on your baking sheet or pizza stone and transfer your dough to your cooking surface. Do NOT use cornmeal as your dry ingredient when rolling out your dough. I don't know the chemistry of it but your dough will become tight and contract and you'll never get it rolled out.

Fork dough several times to avoid air bubbles. Lightly spray oil e.g. PAM or brush olive oil onto the crust with a pastry brush. Add herbs of your choice e.g. oregano, rosemary. I would say definitely go with fresh herbs for this pizza since you don't want to overwhelm your tastes buds with concentrated flavor. Fresh herbs are lighter in their flavor.

Sprinkle gorg cheese over crust. Top cheese with finely chopped spinach. You want to cover your pizza sufficiently because the spinach will wilt when cooked. Top spinach with slices of tomato. Heirloom tomatoes are so tasty because they have more tender "meat" in them then genetically-modified tomatoes. As a result, you also have fewer seeds. You want to seed your tomato if it is juicy so you get a sun-dried taste. Top tomato slices with white cheese - just enough to keep toppings from piling off the pizza. I used TJ's low-fat mozzarella but if you are making this dish for company I highly recommend fontina or fontiago. Top with basil and garlic pepper.

Bake for 12 minutes or until crust is crispy and cheese is melted. Turn to broil for a minute or two (don't leave the kitchen) to brown the top cheese, if desired. This is an addictive and beautiful pizza for guests or summer evenings on the porch. It is also classy enough to eat with wine. I suggest a Viognier - crisp white wine that is dryer than Pinot Grigio but cleaner than Chardonnay.

Perfect Potato Salad

How many of you have tried to make your own potato salad? I love potato salad, but I am so picky it's hard to order some and know how it will turn out. Some are dry and tasteless and others are drown in cheese and sour cream. I think I have finally found a recipe combination that works for me, except for one odd quality - it's served warm.

When I think of potato salad I think of BBQ side dishes and eating outside in the summer, but honestly this recipe only works so well because it is served warm. You do have a lot of flexibility in what you can include in potato salads. I don't like many raw ingredients - red onions have an after taste that take days to fade. And hard celery bites in my potato salad is such a turn off. But there are also ways to add some nutrition to this party side that can pretty much go unnoticed by those anti-vegetable family members of yours.

Potato Salad

2 lb. red potatoes

1.5 tbsp cider vinegar

2 eggs

1/4 c. mayo e.g. Kraft's olive oil

1/4 tsp dijon mustard

1/4 tsp celery seed

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 red pepper, diced

1-2 carrots, shredded

1/2 yellow onion, diced

2 tbsp dill pickle relish

paprika, for serving

fresh parsley, for serving

You should definitely use red potatoes for this recipe. Someone did a test to see which potatoes were most absorbing and would take on the most flavors for potatoes salad, and red potatoes won hands down. I know they are cheap but don't use russet potatoes - it will not taste the same. Boil the potatoes for 20-25 minutes or until able to easily pierce with a knife. Let potatoes cool. Cut the potato in half long-ways and then into thirds, or approximately bite-sized pieces. Stir in vinegar and set aside.

While potatoes are boiling, put two eggs into a shallow pot and cover with water. Set stove to high until water boils. Once boiling, cover pot and turn off stove - do not remove pot from heat. Time for 13 minutes. This is Martha's full-proof hardboil egg instructions and you will never have an overcooked egg. Once cool enough to handle, shell eggs and chop.

Mix your mayo and mustard together. Add seasonings. Add relish. Set aside.

In a frying pan add celery, onion, red pepper and carrot. Sauté until celery starts to become soft and vegetables are slightly brown. Add salt and pepper to vegetables.

First mix the warm potatoes and vegetables. Start with half your mayo mix and stir into potatoes. The heat of the vegetables will "melt" the mayo slightly and you will better be able to tell how much more you need. Add egg last. Top salad with fresh, chopped parsley and paprika. Serve immediately.

Some other tips: I like sautéed sweet onion in my salad, but you can also use sliced green onions since it is not so powerful. I am a big fan of dill relish but other recipes called for sliced cornichons if you prefer that taste to dill. Also, I never peel my potatoes, even for masked potatoes. As long as you clean the potatoes you are actually getting more nutrition from the skins. But if you dislike your potato skins remove them once they have boiled and are cool enough to handle.

Real Mac-n-Cheese

I am revived! I was getting a little discontent with my food blog lately because I wasn't making the best-tasting vegetarian recipes or finding really unique ideas. But after a girls weekend and a replay of "Julie and Julia" I have revived my foodie spirit.

Another revelation I had this weekend was about mac-n-cheese. You may have noticed some of the organic and all-natural substitutes for Kraft's dinner staple, but I assure you NONE are as satisfying or palatable as the original "blue box". However, the delicious side dish suffers from being over-processed. A good solution is to make your own, you might say, but I have had more than a few bad experiences making gourmet mac-n-cheese recipes and had all but given up on my own creation.

However, sometimes it's good to go back to the basics: southern comfort. I have a co-worker who is an admitted non-cook: chopping vegetables is overbearing for her. But she does have some pot luck staples that she makes very well. One being macaroni and cheese. This is admittedly not the healthy choice I try to promote in my recipes, but it is vegetarian and it is a great way to get rid of your mac-n-cheese fix minus the processed go-to item.

Mac-N-Cheese ala Wilson

1 can Carnation evaporated milk, reduced fat

1 tbsp flour

4 eggs, preferably organic or cage-free

1 cup milk, at least 2% and organic

1 tbsp sugar

dry seasonings: garlic powder, cyanne pepper, and salt and black pepper

two cups each (16 oz):

shredded sharp cheddar e.g. Cracker Barrell

cubed velveta

shredded mild cheddar e.g. Kraft

1 lb. macaroni

Boil macaroni according to package instructions. Preheat oven for 375 degrees. Whisk evaporated milk, flour and eggs together. Add milk, sugar and seasonings. In a two (2) quarter casserole dish layer macaroni and cheeses. Keep cheeses separated so you know you are using an even amount of each. You should have about three layers depending on the depth of your dish. Pour egg mixture over the pasta. Make sure you don't overfill the dish. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until eggs are set.

This is a big hit with my husband's friends when they visit for the weekend. It is very boy-friendly food. I do my best to get them to eat a side of broccoli, which tends to go well with mac-n-cheese.

Chocolate Mexican Soycream

I just discovered a delicious and reduced-guilt ice cream treat. Trader Joes sells Soy Dream (ice cream made from soy milk) in a variety of flavors. I love the cherry with chocolate chips but the fat content was still too high (7g fat per serving). But when I looked at the chocolate soycream I was floored by the reduced fat - just 3g for a 1/2 cup serving!

Ice cream is very difficult to exude discipline because the serving size is so small. One half cup is equivalent to about two golf balls. I serve all my ice cream in small ramekins to keep myself in check. And with only 3g fat per serving I can allow myself more yummy toppings.

Another fabulous TJ's product that allows me reduced guilt sundaes is Organic Midnight Moo Chocolate Syrup. I am not a big fan of fat free chocolate because it normally tastes like kaka, but some how TJ's has come up with a fat-free recipe that is actually appetizing. I use the syrup for homemade mochas, milk shakes and ice cream topping.

Another thing I love about Trader Joe's is the massive bags of nuts you can get for relatively cheap. At regular grocery stores I have to buy 1/2 cup or 2 cup, which are normally used in one setting. However, TJ's offers pounds of nuts in a variety of options e.g. roasted, dry, salted, reduced salt, etc. I use them for my granola, desserts, meal toppings and even as snacks. And per pound you are getting a much better deal with TJ's than other grocery stores. Although nuts are naturally rich in protein they do carry a lot of unsaturated fat so be sparing.

Chocolate Mexican Soycream Dessert

1/2 cup chocolate Soy Dream

Organic Midnight Moo Chocolate Syrup

1 tbsp dry hazelnuts, slightly crushed

1 tbsp sweetened coconut

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Other Mexican ice cream combinations include coffee or dulce de leche ice cream and peanuts or nut brittle.

CSA Dinner Frittata

Oh yum! One of the best things about being a cook is when you can take leftovers or raw ingredients and make a world-win creation. We are coming off a four-day holiday and are about to leave for our week vacation, so I was intent on making dinner with only what we had. When I came home to find that my thawed shrimp had gone bad I was already out of ideas.

However, my last CSA pick-up was a new batch of vegetables including heirloom tomatoes, fingerling potatoes and leeks. And of course kale. So after a few searches on recipe search lists I came up with a pretty delicious frittata that is hearty enough for dinner, but yummy enough to eat any meal of the day.

CSA Dinner Frittata

1-1.5 lb fingerling potatoes, cleaned and cut to one inch pieces

2 heirloom tomatoes (mr. stripey, german queens or similar size), chopped

1 pound kale (about three handfuls), chopped

1-2 bullion cubs, beef or vegetable

1 tbsp olive oil

3 baby leeks or green onions, sliced

garlic, minced

crushed red pepper

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

6 eggs

1/4 -1/3 c. grated smoked Gouda or other smoky cheese

coarse salt and pepper

1/4 c. grated Parmesan

hot sauce, such as Louisianna

Set a pot of water to boil. Cut potatoes half longways and then into thirds, eliminating rough or discolored pieces. I never peal my potatoes unless they are pretty old - the skin is very nutritious. Boil potatoes 10-15 minutes or until slightly soft - they should not be 'mashed potato' soft.

Meanwhile sauté olive oil with garlic and leek/onion over medium heat. My CSA leeks are scallion-sized and I think the taste is more conducive to this recipe, but I have never found leeks that petite in grocery stores so use what you can find. Once the garlic is brown add crushed red pepper. I use more than most but 0.5 tsp should be enough heat for anyone. I highly recommend using heirloom tomatoes because the 'meat' of the tomato is more savory and there is less need to seed the tomato. When chopping your tomato avoid white and hard parts.

When potatoes are done, fish them out with a slotted spoon and add them to the skillet with the tomatoes and lemon juice and cover. Add the bullion cubes (I added two for more flavor but it depend on how much water you still have in your pot) to boiling water. Once cubes are dissolved, add chopped kale. You should have one part potato, one part tomato and two parts kale. Boil kale about 3-4 minutes or until tender. Stir potato mix occasionally to avoid sticking.

Preheat oven 350 degrees. In a large bowl mix potato mixture and kale. Add coarse salt and pepper. Let mixture cool. In a smaller bowl beat smoky cheese, eggs and coarse salt and pepper. In a greased deep dish pie pan spoon vegetables until evenly distributed. I actually had a lot of leftover vegies but there is an incentive to make another frittata. Pour egg mixture over the vegetables and slightly blend together. Top frittata with parm cheese.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until egg is set. I broiled the frittata for about 4 minutes to get a good brown on top. Let cool slightly before serving. Serve with hot sauce. My sister sent me an African care package with a hot sauce that is so flavorful and spicy. It is a new favorite in my house, but a decent domestic alternative is Louisiana. I am not a Tabasco fan but it will suffice.

It took a lot of will power not to eat the whole thing last night - it was so good. I also used the leftovers for breakfast so this is an all around meal. I was also able to use so many leftovers. I tagged this recipe cheap because I literally didn't have to buy anything. The used leftover cheese, took out the rest of my eggs and my vegetables from my CSA. This meal is also a high score on the vegetable list as well.

Patriotic (and low-fat) Cheesecake

Happy 4th of July! Holidays are a great time for families and showing off your culinary skills. I am a huge meal planner around holidays, and it also gives me an extra "cheat day" on my farm food diet.

Cheesecake is one of the most dreaded desserts to avoid when trying to cut weight. Regular cheesecake can pack as much as 18g of fat and 40% of your daily saturated fat. BUT IT'S SO GOOD! I was able to find and combine two cheesecake recipes that use ricotta cheese and low-fat cream cheese to cut a lot of the cheese fat out of this irresistible dessert. So you can double your guilty day for a holiday dessert that is low-fat, festive and very tasty.

I combined Martha Stewart's Red, White and Blueberry Cheesecake with Cooking Light's Ricotta Cheesecake. Either recipe is excellent on it's own, but my version tries to keep more of the texture of cheesecake without including all the cream cheese calories.

I first made this dessert for my husband for being sweet and going out of his way to help me. I am not a huge cheesecake fan, but this combination is excellent. It was one of the few times we finished a dessert before throwing it out. There is a little bit of room to play with the proportions, so be sure and check the links to the recipes if you want more or less firmness, fat or ricotta.

Patriotic Cheesecake:

Crust:

6-8 graham crackers (one pack)
1/3 cup raw almonds (optional)

1/4 cup sugar (optional)
4 tbsp butter, melted

Filling:

1/2 cup organic sugar

12 oz (1.5 bars) reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 pint (8 oz) low-fat ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
salt, pinch
1 tsp fresh lemon zest

Topping:

1/2 cup organic sugar

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 plums, pitted and cubed

1 pint blueberries

Do not use store-bought graham crust - the cheesecake will fall apart. Graham cracker crust is incredibly simple to make if you have a food processor. If you have heart-healthy raw almonds, only use 6 grahams and crush together in processor. If you don't have almonds, use the whole pack of grahams. All graham crust calls for 1/4 cup sugar. I have always forgotten to add it and the crust is still divine. So don't add the sugar unless you think it needs it. I know 4 tbsp butter is a bit much for a low-fat recipe, but you really need the moisture to hold the crust together. Pour the butter into the processor while it is crushing the grahams. Pack the buttery crumbs into a 9 inch pie dish. Use a greased spatula to spread the crumbs evenly. Bake the crust for 8 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

A few tips here: This is obviously a lower-fat dessert and not exactly screaming healthy, but I try where I can to make this less bad-for-me. I have become hung up on organic sugar lately. I do like Sugar in the Raw, but it doesn't always do best in baking. It is GREAT in cookies, but not other baked goods, so stick with fine, organic sugar. The price is not much different esp since it takes me a while to go through a 5lb bag of sugar. Also, when zesting your lemon, be sure to save a tablespoon of the juice for the topping. It's best to roll the lemon on the counter and press your palm into the lemon to break up the juices before cutting it.

Be sure to clean and dry your food processor completely before moving onto the filling. Make sure your cream cheese and ricotta are at room temperature, which will help with blending. Blend together cheeses and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla, zest and salt. You might have a fancy food processor, but I do not (got it from Visa reward points), so be sure and scrape the bottom of the bowl with a spatula to make sure all the cream cheese isn't caked on the bottom. Once mixture is well blended, pour the batter into the cooled pie dish. Place pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool completely.

As cake cools, combine plums, 1/2 cup sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Heat on medium until at a rapid simmer. Reduce heat to simmer and stir until fruit starts to turn to jam. Remove from heat and stir in blueberries. Once cake is cool, spread fruit mixture over cake and refrigerate at least two hours.

Black-eyed Pea Spinach Pie

Even after some research I could not find where this recipe originated from. But it has been so modified that it is a true Ross recipe. I do not like black-eyed peas. I don't much like any peas, but my husband does. And this recipe is my one annual promise of peas on New Year's Day. It is a great dish for pot-lucks or holiday meals too.

Black-eyed Pea Spinach Pie

2 cans black-eyed peas, preferably organic

1 bag spinach

2 pie crust shells, such as Pillsbury

5 oz pepper-jack cheese, shredded

1 egg, beaten

1 white onion, diced

garlic

cilantro

Preheat oven 350 degrees. In a 9 inch pie plate fit one pie crust. Stab with a fork and bake for 8 minutes and let cool. Saute onion and garlic in 1 tsp oil. Add spinach and stir until wilted. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese, egg, cilantro, salt/pepper and peas. Fill the pie dish and top with the second pie crust. Cut slits in the top layer to vent. Bake 45 minutes. Cool before cutting.

Mama added three links of chicken sausage to the frying pan before mixing in the spinach. The sausage makes this dish a meal in itself, but it works better as a vegetarian side dish.

Super-Satisfying Vegetarian Breakfast Sandwich

Subway's new low-fat breakfast sandwiches had me inspired to try to use them toward my weight-loss goals. I wanted to take a picture of the sandwich I made, but by the time I thought to post this on the blog, our meal was gone.

I was again blown away by how much I liked this meal. I was most skeptical because this is not a revised recipe but something I put together off the cuff. This breakfast sandwich is very filling, all vegetarian but probably not the healthiest of my breakfast recipes. To reduce fat even more, cut back on cheese and mayo portions.

Vegetarian Breakfast Sandwich

2 whole wheat english muffins

3 eggs (cage free or organic)

1 handful of spinach

4 green onions, whites only

1/3 cup shredded white cheese

1 tomato, thinly sliced

2 tbsp mayonnaise

When choosing eggs, I had to consult my husband on this one. I have no idea if free range, cage free, vegetarian fed, etc are any better than the rest. I know I should always buy organic but you can get a dozen white eggs for $1.50 v. organic eggs, which are typically smaller, for $4.99. So I normally buy in the middle range. My husband used to work on a chicken farm and he said vegetarian chickens are a myth. Even if they are only fed vegetarian, chickens like animal product. Free range means they are able to get around but cage-free means they have access to outside. Short of organic, but the most humane-raised chickens are free range.

Sauté sliced green onions with spinach in small frying pan. Add a tbsp water to help wilt the spinach. Remove from heat and coarsely chop. Whisk eggs, add spinach and cheese and salt and pepper. I used a mixed bag of swiss and Gouda, which made the sandwich very smoky and savory. But any white cheese is efficient. Try to stick to reduced-fat cheeses but not fat free.

Using a small frying pan, add egg mixture. My smallest frying pan is between 6 and 8 inches and perfect for omelets. When the edges start to set, pull the egg away from the pan and tilt the pan toward the opening to let the raw egg seep underneath. Fold the egg over to make a half moon and squeeze any excess. Continue to fold over until all egg is cooked and you have an omelet. Remove from heat.

Toast English muffins. Beware when buying English muffins and look at the ingredients. Since the new craze is "whole wheat" products are now being colored with molasses to look like wheat. Make sure that the ingredients include WHOLE grain or that it is advertised as 100% whole wheat. It is more crusty but lightly toasted really brings out the flavor.

Spread one side of the muffin with mayonnaise. We have had this conversation before about what mayo is best. I hate Miracle Whip but Dukes real mayonnaise is not worth the calories. I am most dedicated to Kraft Mayo with olive oil. It is reduced-fat but has all the flavor of real mayo. Smart Start also has a good brand of mayo.

Top muffin with tomato and cut omelet to fit muffin. I had a little more than two muffin-sized omelets, but we were happy to finish the rest of it 'naked'. For a complete breakfast, serve with a side of fresh fruit (we had pineapple) or chicken sausage.

To reserect this sandwich for during the work week, freeze as soon as the sandwich is at room temperature. Only freeze omelet with the English muffin, and leave off tomato and mayo. Once at work, wrap sandwich in a paper towel and defrost for 60 seconds. The heat on high for 60 seconds. Add mayo and tomato after heated. Only reserect within a between 1-3 days or the sandwich will taste bland.