Roasted Vegetable Pasta in Lemon Cream Sauce

Before anyone freaks out about the word "cream" here, let me tell you this recipe is super low calorie.  And it's filling!  It's also really pretty, but my phone really doesn't do it justice.  Leah and I made this up on my birthday (because that's what we do around here on birthdays), and it's absolutely lovely.  Enjoy!

4 tsp. olive oil, divided
2 small onions or 1 large onion
10 cloves garlic (this number is negotiable, but we really like garlic)
1 head broccoli
1 bunch asparagus
1 pint cherry tomatoes
2 bell peppers (not green)
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cup water
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 cubes chicken bouillon
5 oz. rotini pasta*
2 Tbsp. heavy cream

1. Chop the onions into small pieces.  Add to skillet with 1 tsp. olive oil.  Crush the garlic.  Heat slowly, allowing onions to caramelize.

2. Chop broccoli, asparagus and peppers into bite sized pieces (as shown).  Put all three into a bowl with tomatoes and remaining olive oil.  Toss with a little salt and pepper to coat.  Transfer vegetables to glass baking dish and roast at 450 for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are nice and roasty.

3. While stirring onions frequently, add oregano, basil, thyme, pepper and salt.  Once onions are caramelized, add flour (like a roux).  Once flour is incorporated, add water, bouillon and lemon juice.  Boil until mixture thickens and turn to simmer.

4. Cook pasta according to directions.  (We do this simultaneously with step 3.)

5. Once vegetables are nice and roasted and pasta is soft, drain the pasta and remove vegetables from the oven.  Add the cream to the sauce.  Then add the pasta and vegetables and stir together.  Serve hot with a tiny bit of parmesan sprinkled on top.

*We use Barilla white fiber pasta.  Trust me, it's worth the extra couple cents (it's still cheap!).  It has more protein and fiber than normal pasta but tastes just like your average rotini.  It's seriously a miracle.

Calories per serving: 325.  Fat: 8g. Carbohydrates: 54g. Protein: 9g. Fiber: 9g.  (NOTE: Calories do not include parmesan.  We calculated the calories using the Barilla white fiber pasta.)

Lasagna Rolls

These were amazing. I think next time I'll try sprinkling a little mozzarella cheese on the noodles right before rolling up. Not hard, and even my kids ate them-spinach, mushrooms, and all!

18 lasagna noodles
2 cups marinara sauce
1 Tbsp oil
2 portobello mushrooms, diced
1 cup frozen chopped spinach, defrosted
2 cups diced cooked chicken
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried oregano
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 cups Alfredo sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts

Fill a large pot with lightly salted water and bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Stir in the lasagna noodles, and return to a boil. Cook the pasta uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the noodles are cooked, but still firm to the bite; drain and rinse.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Spread the marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 glass baking dish; set aside.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir mushrooms until they soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in spinach, and cook until hot; remove from heat.

Stir together the chicken, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, oregano, and the cooked spinach mixture in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Spread about 1/4 cup of the mixture on each lasagna noodle. Roll the noodle up, and place seam-side down into the prepared baking dish. Repeat for each noodle. Spoon Alfredo sauce over the roll-ups.

Bake, covered, in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and pine nuts. Return to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and bubbly and the pine nuts are toasted, about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Mexican Chicken Manicotti

I tried this tonight on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. My kids even liked it! It's kind of a fun twist on Manicotti.

Ingredients:
1 package (8 ounces) manicotti shells
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
1 small onion, diced, divided
1 can (4 ounces) chopped green chilies, divided
1 can (10-3/4 ounces) condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1 cup salsa
2/3 cup milk

Directions:

Cook manicotti according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the chicken, 1-1/2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, cheddar cheese, sour cream, half of the onion and 6 tablespoons chilies. In another bowl, combine the soup, salsa, milk and remaining onion and chilies. Spread 1/2 cup in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Drain manicotti and rinse in cold water; stuff each with about 1/4 cupful chicken mixture. Arrange over sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining sauce over shells. Cover and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 10 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Yield: 7 servings.

Dean's "Step Aside, Relief Society" Spaghetti Sauce

I realize that everyone has their own recipes for this, but this is one I sorta made up on the spot today, and it worked great. To celebrate my triumph, I decided to blog it.

2 - 6 oz. cans tomato paste
2 - 28 oz. cans diced tomatoes
1- green bell pepper, chopped
1 - white onion, chopped
3 - cloves fresh garlic, minced
2 - 6 oz. cans sliced black olives, undrained
1 - 8 oz. can mushrooms, undrained
1 - tbsp. basil
1 - tbsp. oregano
1 - tbsp. thyme
1 - tsp. crushed red pepper
1 - cup water
1 - tsp. salt

Put all ingredients in crock pot and simmer on high for about 4 hours. I spend about the last 20 minutes without the lid on the crock pot. Serve over noodles.

Stroganoff

This is actually Uncle Cliff's recipe but one of my families favorites. It works great in a cock-pot or stove. And it makes the whole house smell so yummy!!

Brown 1-1 1/2 lbs. stew meat with chopped onion. Season with:
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. basil
2 beef bouillon cubes
Simmer with 1-2 cups water for several hours until tender. Mix 1 can cream of mushroom soup and 1 cup sour cream into mixture. Heat but don't boil. Serve over rice or noodles.