Delicious Stuffed Pepper Recipe

This is such a nutritious, filling alternative to the traditional stuffed pepper.

1 &1/4 c fat-free reduced sodium chx broth
1 c couscous
1 T olive oil
1 medium onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 c fresh spinach
1 c canned corn, drained
1 c canned diced tomatoes
1 c grated lowfat/nonfat mozzerella chz
4 red/yellow/green peppers cored, stemmed, and seeded
4 tsp grated parmesan

Heat oven to 350. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. heat chx both in a small saucepan until poinlin; add couscous, cover and remove from heat. let stand 10 min; fluff with a ford and set aside.

warm oil in a large pan over medium heat; saute onion and garlic until translucent, 5 to 10 min. add spinach and saute until wilted. add corn and tomatoes (with juices) and cook for 5 min. remove from heat, drain and transfer to a bowl.

stir in couscous and mozzarella; season w/ salt and pepper. place peppers upright in baking dish and fill with stuffing, then top with parmesan.

bake 20 min (including pepper tops). serve warm

383 calories

Serve with northern beans!

ENJOY!

My New Favorite Pizza

This is so very yummy! And, it's low in calories but very high in yumminess!

1 flat pita bread (not the pita pockets)
Sauce (I use Ragu Garden Primavera b/c it's got big chunks of veggies)
additional toppings (I used fresh mushrooms)
part-skim mozzerella cheese (for an added bang, i usually put a little bit of cheddar on it too)

Preheat oven to 375. Place pita bread directly on the rack in the oven. Bake for about 3-5 min - until desired crispiness. Removed from oven add sauce (I like mine w/ a lot of sauce), additional toppings, and cheese. Return to oven until cheese is melted!

Enjoy! I know this is so very simple, but the pita makes this unique. Not to mention that they are "personal" size, so if someone is on a diet they can be as healthful as they like and others don't have to "suffer" their dieting!

Rigatoni Bake

A very quick, yummy, and aromatic recipe!

2 c uncooked rigatoni pasta
1 lb lean ground beef**
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
28-oz can of crushed tomatoes, undrained
1/2 tsp dried dill weed (optional)
1/2 c shredded mozzarella cheese**

heat oven to 375. spray casserole dish w/non-stick cooking spray. in a large saucepan, cook rigatoni to desired doneness. Drain; return to saucepan.

In large skillet, cook ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and garlic until beef is browned and thoroughly cooked, stirring frequently. Drain.

Add ground beef mixture, tomatoes, and dill to cooked rigatoni; mix well. Pour into sprayed casserole dishh. Cover

Bake at 375 for 30 min. Uncover; sprinkle w/cheese. Bake uncovered for an additional 5 min or until cheese is melted.

Serving size: 1 & 1/2 cup

** to make this recipe lower in fat/caloris substitute lean 99% fat free turkey for ground beef and part-skim low fat mozzerella cheese for the regular cheese.

Easter Treats

Well, the bunny cake didn't turn out so well, but what can you do?

Cupcakes were easy and cute to make! Just an extra drop of icing and some marshmallow ears!

An Easter Tradition

This cake is so yummy and so easy! It is an Easter tradition in our house.

Carrot Cake w/ Toasted pecan cream cheese frosting

3 sticks, plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups grated carrots
1 cup chopped toasted pecans **be careful not to over toast**
Pecan Cream Cheese Icing:
8 ounces cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
1 (1-pound) box confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped toasted pecans


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter 3 (9-inch) cake pans with 1 tablespoon of the butter and set aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar, and beat. In a medium bowl or on a piece of parchment, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and mix well.

Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the eggs, beating well after the addition of each. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the carrots and beat on medium speed until well incorporated, about 2 minutes. Fold in the nuts. Divide between the 3 cake pans and bake until set and a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest in the cake pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire racks, remove from the pans, and let cool.

For the Frosting: In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating constantly. Add the vanilla and pecans.

When the cake is cool, place 1 cake layer on a cake plate or stand. Spread the top with cream cheese frosting and top with a second and third cake layer, spreading the icing between each layer. Spread the icing around the sides of the cake and let harden slightly before serving. To serve, cut into wedges.