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-Tomato Pie

I was feeling really motivated last night and decided to try out something that at first sounded a little too difficult. I found the recipe for this pizza online yesterday and thought it looked amazing. I am obsessed with pizza of all forms but deep dish is my all time favorite. I am a huge crust girl so I guess it makes sense.

Well last night after I pulled it out of the oven I could hardly WAIT to try it! It smelled soooo good! Boy did it live up to my expectations! It tasted just like a deep dish pizza you would get from Chicago...only healthier. The fresh tomatoes and the spinach went very well together along with the awesome crust...I felt like I was in heaven :)

You must try this if you are a pizza lover like myself and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
Serves 6
1 10-oz. can refrigerated pizza crust
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained and squeezed dry
1/4 cup low-fat sour cream
2 Tbs. minced shallots
1 cup evaporated skim milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
2 ripe medium-sized tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/3 cup shredded low-fat Monterey Jack cheese

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.
• Shape dough into 4-inch circle; cover with kitchen towel; let stand 5 minutes. Roll into 11-inch circle on lightly floured surface. Fit into pie plate, and flute rim.
• Mix spinach, sour cream and shallots in mixing bowl. In separate bowl, whisk together milk, salt, pepper, egg whites and egg. Stir 1/3 cup milk mixture into spinach mixture.
• Spoon spinach mixture into bottom of prepared crust. Add layer of tomatoes, and top with cheese. Pour remaining milk mixture over cheese. Place pie plate on baking sheet.
• Bake 45 minutes, or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information:
Per Serving: Calories 230, Protein 14g, Total fat 5g, Saturated fat 2g, Carbs 33g, Cholesterol 45mg, Sodium 590mg, Fiber 3g, Sugars 9g

Tofu with Tomato-Mushroom Sauce

This recipe was another great find from Yahoo. I tried it and I found it is best if you serve it over rice or tossed with some pasta. It didn't fill me up as much as I had liked but after I added another form of carbohydrate it became more filling. Also, if you are a huge fan of cheese, like me, feel free to add more cheese! I found adding some parmesan cheese compliments this dish well.

Make sure you use fresh mushrooms as well! It can make or break the dish! I just went to dinner the other night and had an amazing mushroom tortellini that I am going to see if I can recreate. I am a huge mushroom fan so if you know of any great recipes that use them let me know!


Ingredients:
Serves 4

14 ounces extra-firm tofu, preferably water-packed
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
2 tablespoons prepared pesto
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese


Directions:

• Drain and rinse tofu; pat dry. Slice the block crosswise into eight 1/2-inch-thick slabs. Coarsely crumble each slice into smaller, uneven pieces.
• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add tofu and cook in a single layer, without stirring, until the pieces begin to turn golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Then gently stir and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until all sides are golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes more.
• Add tomatoes and mushrooms and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are just cooked, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat and stir in pesto and feta.

Nutritional Information:

Per Serving: Calories: 185 cal, Carbohydrates: 6 g, Dietary Fiber: 1 g, Fat: 13 g, Protein: 13 g, Sugars: 2 g