Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Golden Garlic, Tomatoes, and Sage

Ok....let's see if I remember how to do this.

Hello my friends and random people who found me online! It is me...Corinne, remember? It has been waaaay too long but I am back thanks to my friend Heather Dratler and her suggestion that I start again I am here.

So let's get right in! I found this great recipe from Vegetarian Times and tried it the other night for a quick easy meal...it was amazing! A must try for a night when you get home and are too tired to cook but want LOTS of food!

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. whole-wheat spaghetti
3 Tbs. olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, peeled, halved, and sliced (3 Tbs.)
1 1/2 lb. ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped (6 cups)
3/4 cup cooked chickpeas
2 Tbs. fresh chopped sage, plus more leaves for garnish
2 Tbs. chopped kalamata olives

Directions

• Cook spaghetti in large pot of boiling salted water 10 to 11 minutes, or until al dente.
• Heat oil and garlic in large saucepan over medium heat. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, or until garlic is browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in tomatoes, chickpeas, sage, and olives, and simmer 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.
• Drain spaghetti, and return to pot. Add sauce, and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Divide among 6 serving bowls, and garnish with sage leaves.
  

Nutritional Information per serving:

Calories: 258, Protein: 9g, Total Fat: 9g, Carbs: 40g, Sugar: 5g, Fiber: 8g

Be on the lookout for more posts....they will be coming your way soon, if I don't melt in this New York heat :)

Spinach Manicotti

This dinner was truly what the doctor ordered – it was only 8 ingredients and 15 minutes of prep time. Last night it was rainy and cold outside so I decided to make a pasta dish (because when it is cold outside there is nothing better than a nice and filling cheesy warm dish) and manicotti is my favorite pasta dish! This had just the right amount of spinach and cheese...pure heaven!

I served it with a really simple cucumber salad and it was the perfect compliment. The next time you have a cold and gross day try this out and it will cheer you right up!
Ingredients:
7 Servings (2 Manicotti Each)
1 box (8 oz) uncooked manicotti shells (14 shells)
2 cups shredded Italian cheese blend (8 oz)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 container (15 oz) ricotta cheese
1 box (10 oz) frozen organic cut spinach, thawed, drained, squeezed dry
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 jar (25.5 oz) pasta sauce (any flavor)

Directions:

• Heat oven to 375°F. Cook manicotti as directed on box. Rinse with cool water; drain well.
• In medium bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups of the Italian cheese blend, the red pepper, ricotta cheese, spinach, garlic and egg.
• In bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish, spread 1 cup of the pasta sauce. Spoon ricotta mixture into manicotti; place over sauce in dish. Pour remaining sauce over manicotti.
• Cover tightly with foil; bake about 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbling. Uncover dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Italian cheese blend. Bake uncovered 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted.

Nutritional Information:

Per Serving (2 Manicottis)
Calories 380, Total Fat 15g (Saturated Fat 8g, Trans Fat 0g), Cholesterol 80mg, Sodium 770mg, Total Carbohydrate 41g, Fiber 4g, Sugars 6g, Protein 22g

Spaghetti with Spinach and Mushrooms

I hope you all enjoyed your holiday this past weekend. I got to see my niece for the first time again since Christmas and that was amazing. She is 2 and it is scary how fast they grow! I can't believe how smart she was as well! I could go on and on about her but I will get back to the food.

I tried this recipe and fell in love! I am a huge pasta fan and am always looking for new ways to make it different and change it up a bit and this did it for me. This does have a lot of sodium so if you are worried about that you might want to watch your portions a little more. This tastes the best if you use really fresh spinach, it just makes all of the other flavors pop!

Ingredient list:
Serves 6

8 oz. spaghetti, broken into thirds
1 15-oz. can low-sodium vegetable broth
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1 Tbs. harissa, or 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. saffron threads
1 lb. mushrooms, quartered1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 tsp.)
1 lb. spinach, coarsely chopped
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350F. Place pasta on baking sheet and coat with cooking spray. Bake 5 to 7 minutes, or until golden, shaking pan once or twice to brown evenly.
• Bring vegetable broth, 21/2 cups water, tomato paste, harissa and saffron to a simmer in saucepan. Reduce heat to low, and keep warm.
• Heat large stockpot over medium-high heat, and coat with cooking spray. Add mushrooms, and cook 7 minutes, or until browned. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute more. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in pasta and 2 cups hot broth.
  
• Cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently. Add spinach, chickpeas and remaining broth. Simmer 5 to 7 minutes more, or until noodles are tender and most of broth is absorbed, stirring constantly.
  
• Season with salt and pepper, and serve immediately.

Nutritional Information
Per Serving: Calories 274, Protein 12g, Total fat 3g, Carbs 51g, Sodium 490mg, Fiber 8g, Sugars 4g


And because I think Kayla, my niece, is so cute I figured I would add in a picture of her for good measure!

40 Calorie Noodles?

I was as skeptical as the next person when I heard about a package of noodles where the whole 8 ounce package was only 40 calories with 4 grams of fiber in all. I decided to go down to my local Korean market and try them out. I was please to see the package was only $1.50 so I knew even if this mysterious noodle turned out to be horrible I had wasted less than what I spend on a cup of coffee.

They come in a watery substance that made me a little nervous but I drained and rinsed then microwaved them for one minute and prepared myself. That whole minute in the microwave was a little nerve racking. I was wondering if I had just stumbled onto the best noodle ever and if I had why had I never heard of this before?

The noodles are done......I get out my yummy store bought pasta sauce and prepare for a journey into the unknown. The first bite came with some hesitation but after that first bite I was hooked!!!

These noodles tasted no different than any wheat based noodle I had ever eaten. Though yes they might have tasted a little different if you had eaten them without anything on them (which I tried and would not recommend) but I was shocked.

The noodles are made out of tofu which is why they only have 3 grams of carbs and 0.5 grams of fat. There is even a little protein in there but 1 gram is not that great. For $1.50 I found a new amazing discovery. I didn't feel guilty for eating the whole package because it was only 40 calories total! I would recommend checking out their website for a little more information and possibly to purchase if you don't have any Asian markets around. The shipping is a little much because they have to stay refrigerated but if you love pastas, soups, or even salads with a noodles but hate how high in calories they can be I would highly suggest taking a look.

The next time you are in the mood for pasta you should try these noodles with your favorite store-bought pasta sauce and lots of veggies. I love sautéing zucchini, asparagus, and mushrooms in a little olive oil with some garlic then adding the sauce in to heat it up. You will have an amazing meal with these new noodles for fewer than 150 calories!

If you have tried these noodles as well let me know what you think!

For more information about these amazing tofu noodles go to:
http://hlc.merchantcart.net/mainshopping.cfm?icg_id=82&Show=PURCHASE