Inside-Out Vegetarian Lasagna (Meatless Monday)

Nick and I had my mom, dad, and his mom over for dinner one Saturday (a while ago) to watch the Ohio State Buckeyes beat Penn State (yeah, I had to say that).  We decided to make this delicious "Inside-Out Lasagna" because I wanted to practice making it before I demoed it at work (in front of about 20 people!).  Thankfully, it was pretty simple and it was a huge hit with our important guests of the evening.

Inside-Out Vegetarian Lasagna

Modified slightly from Eating Well

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 ounces whole-wheat penne **

1 Tbsp. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1 small onion, chopped **

2 cloves garlic, sliced **

8 ounces sliced white mushrooms ** (~3.5 cups)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs **

8 cups baby spinach

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper

3/4 cup light ricotta cheese **

Optional:  Add chopped, grilled tempeh for extra protein and texture

 ** NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet, omit the garlic and onion (or significantly reduce the amounts, depending on your sensitivity) and use a tuscan or garlic extra virgin olive oil so you can still get their flavors.  You may also be lactose intolerant, which means you'll need to omit the ricotta (or use a lactose free cottage cheese instead).  The diced tomatoes may also cause an issue, because they contain Italian herbs.  You could always use plain diced tomatoes and add your own herbs separately (basil, thyme, etc.) and skip the onion and garlic, which is typically found in Italian herb tomatoes.  Also if mushrooms cause you problems just be sure to eat around them (but there weren't a lot in this recipe, so at least for me it didn't cause issues).  And of course, last but not lease, look for a gluten-free pasta.

Directions

1.  Cook your pasta according to the directions on the package.

2.  While pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft and beginning to brown, about 3 minutes.  Add mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms release their liquid, 4 to 6 minutes (NOTE:  you can drain some of the liquid out of the pan if you want a less watery sauce).

3.  Add tomatoes, spinach and crushed red pepper.  Increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring once halfway through, until the spinach is wilted, about 4 minutes.

4.  Toss the sauce with the pasta and divide among 4 plates or bowls.  Dollop each bowl with 3 Tbsp. ricotta.

I just added 8 large handfuls of spinach, rather than measuring each cup.  Much easier!

Serve with a  piece of whole grain Tuscany Bread.  Delicioso!

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1/4th of recipe

Nutrition Highlights: Check out that PROTEIN! Not bad for a vegetarian entree.  Also, an excellent source of Calcium, Vitamin C, Iron, Vitamin A (wowza!) and Fiber. 


Another benefit of this recipe?  Both the men in my life really enjoyed it, despite no meat!  What more could I ask for?!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Slow-Cooker Cajun Shrimp and Rice (Whatever Wednesday Post!)

It's great to be back in the blog world.  Yesterday's post sparked some wonderful conversation, and I appreciate everyone's comments (both good and bad).  It was pretty clear that just as I hadn't read the book "Wheat Belly", many of those who posted comments also didn't read my entire post.  I was not writing a review of the book, but mainly trying to back-up what I teach to my clients, that wheat can be a part of a healthy and balanced diet.  Working in a grocery store I have to be open to all types of diets, views, and opinions (and really, being an RD in most community settings this is the case).  And, as a practicing dietitian and professional, I believe that it's important to teach evidence-based nutrition information (and not to fall for the naive idea that "correlation indicates causation", as one RD pointed out in her comments yesterday), and I am still not convinced that wheat (or any grain) is bad (unless, of course you are medically unable to consume them). Until it is proven otherwise, I will continue to believe that Americans are consuming too many grains, and the wrong types (mainly refined instead of whole) and that that is one of our many dietary shortcomings.  I am not yet able to agree that wheat is bad, but only that we are eating too much (and what is the right amount? I don't think we know that quite yet either.....).   I am happy for anyone who has followed a wheat or gluten-free diet for reasons other than an allergy or Celiac and who have had success (like I said yesterday, I am one of them!).  

Ok, it's food time.

I love slow cookers.  

I can throw a bunch of seemingly random ingredients into a large pot, turn on the heat, walk away for several hours, and come home to deliciousness.......

The recipe is called "Slow-Cooker Cajun Shrimp and Rice", but this looks more like a stew to me, no?  Read my notes below and you'll see that my choice of using brown rice might have been what turned this slow-cooker meal into more of a stew.  Not that it really mattered, as Nick and I still devoured this meal for three nights straight.

I seriously love shrimp. I could eat it each and every night, if I could.  But I don't, because variety is important.  While shrimp is high in selenium, omega-3, and a special kind of carotenoid called astazanthin (it has many anti-inflammatory properties), it's also pretty high in cholesterol.  But let's be honest, most research suggests saturated fat is the main culprit for increasing your cholesterol numbers, and shrimp is a low saturated fat food (making it a great substitute for that burger you're about to eat. )

I didn't use wild rice, as the recipe suggested.  If I make this again, I will.  I actually used all brown rice, and I think it cooked much faster than wild rice, and became more starchy.  Oops!  It was still delicious.

Cajun Shrimp and Rice

Slightly modified from a recipe found in Fitness Magazine

Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 14-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup chopped yellow onions

2 cups chopped green or yellow bell pepper

1 6- to 6-1/4-ounce package long-grain and wild-rice mix (found in any grocery store)

1/4 cup water 

1 garlic clove, chopped 

1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning 

1 pound cooked, shelled and deveined shrimp 

Hot Sauce

NOTE:  If you're following a low FODMAPs diet, this recipe is probably not for you.  I tried to reduce the onion and garlic, but it was still pretty loaded.  I stuck to a fairly small serving each time I ate this, so it didn't cause me too many problems.  I also cut the onion into very large chunks, so it was easy to avoid, but still not FODMAPs-free.

Directions 

1. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker, combine tomatoes with their juices, chicken broth, onions, bell pepper, rice mix with seasoning packet, water, garlic, and Cajun seasoning. 

2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting 4-5 hours or on high-heat setting 2 1/2 - 3 hours. 

3. Stir shrimp into rice mixture. Cover; cook for 15 minutes longer at high-heat setting. Sprinkle with hot sauce (if desired).

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1/6th of recipe

QUESTION:  Do you like shrimp?  If not...why the heck not?!  haha, jk. It's definitely not for everyone. But if you like it, try this recipe!

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

Thrifty Thursday: Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

We all know beans are cheap. Very cheap.  And, very healthy (who says healthy foods are always expensive?!).  This meal was so cheap, it was scary (ok, that was a Halloween pun that's slightly late). If you want this meal to be even cheaper, omit the ham, but....I think the ham was integral.   You may be thinking, "how could soup be a meal??".  Well, this soup was very hearty and filling (check out the fiber, how can that much fiber not fill you up?!).    

    

I added a dollop of plain Greek yogurt on top.

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

Serves 9

Modified slightly from a recipe found on AllRecipes.com

Total Price per serving:  ~ $1.45

Ingredients

3 (15-ounce) cans low-sodium black beans, rinsed and drained **

1 (16-ounce) can diced tomatoes

1/4th cup unsalted butter

1 cup diced onion **

3 cloves chopped garlic **

1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper

4-cups low sodium beef broth **

1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree **

1/2 lb. cubed cooked ham

3 Tbsp. sherry vinegar

NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet this is just not a good recipe to make!

Directions

1.  Pour two cans of black beans into a food processor or blender, along with the entire can of tomatoes.  Blend until smooth.  Set aside.

2.  Melt butter in a soup pot (or a large saucepan) over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and season with salt and pepper.  Cook and stir until the onion is soft.  Stir in the bean puree, remaining can of beans, beef broth, pumpkin puree, and sherry vinegar.  Mix until well blended, then simmer for about 25 minutes (or until thick enough to coat the spoon and stick to it).  Stir in the ham and heat through before serving.

3.  Garnish with whatever you'd like (I added plain Greek yogurt and a bit of hot sauce to mine!)

This is the consistency of "Smooth" in my opinion.

Estimated Nutrition Facts

Nutrition Highlights:  Under 200 calories, low cholesterol, EXCELLENT source of Fiber and Vitamin A, good source of Iron and Vitamin C.

I recently found another great pumpkin soup recipe in our Columbus Dispatch.  It called for one of my favorite ingredients; nutritional yeast.  I hope I get around to making it.  I might just Pin it on Pinterest or post it on Facebook or Instagram.  We shall see.  Happy Thursday everyone! 

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.

Slow-Cooker Texas Chili (With beans!)

Ever since we were given a slow-cooker for a wedding present, I've been using it to make just about everything (including gingered pulled pork today on my day off!).  Can you believe that in the almost seven years since Nick and I have been together, I never knew he liked chili and stews?  He's always told me "I don't like soup", so to me that meant no chili or stews.  I recently found out I was wrong.  Thank goodness.

I'm pretty sure traditional texas chili contains zero veggies (except for chilis, which really shouldn't count).  But Nick and I like veggies in our chili, so I modified this Texas Chili recipe a bit.  Don't hate me if you're from Texas, I just....like my beans.

Instagram photo, taken during the first 5-minutes of the 7-hour process

After seven hours of labor (not my labor, the slow-cooker's labor)

 

 

Slow-Cooker Texas Chili

Modified from a recipe on FoodNetwork.com

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 4.5-ounce cans chopped green chiles, drained
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 3/4 cup chili powder
• 1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes with chiles
• 1 to 2 tablespoons green hot sauce
• 2 14-ounce cans kidney beans, drained
• Fresh cilantro and plain Greek yogurt, for topping
• Tortilla chips, for serving (optional)

NOTE:  If you are following a low FODMAPs diet this is probably not the best recipe. You could omit the onion and garlic and use a garlic or tuscan-flavored olive oil to replace the vegetable oil. Or you could cut the onion and garlic into large chunks so they are easy to remove when you eat the chili (this way you'd still get the flavors infused, but this is not a good idea if you are really sensitive to GOS, as they are water-soluble).  Also, omit the beans (or take a beano supplement). 

Directions

1.  Toss the beef with 1 tablespoon each brown sugar and salt in a large bowl. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the beef in batches until browned on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes (do not crowd the pan). Transfer to a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker.

2.  Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion to the skillet and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chiles, cumin and chili powder and cook 3 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups water and the tomatoes and simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the slow cooker, cover and cook on low, 7 hours.

3.  Add the hot sauce to the chili. Serve with scallions, cilantro and/or sour cream for topping, and chips, if desired.

Instagram

Nick took one bite and said, "You made this?!".
Should I be offended by this??

I didn't add Greek yogurt to mine, but I did add cilantro.  It definitely added a unique touch.

Estimated Nutrition Facts for 1/8th of the chili

Nutrition Highlights:  Good source of vitamin A and Calcium, excellent source of fiber, protein, iron and vitamin C.  Not bad for chili!

QUESTION:  I like my chili with cornbread.  What about you?

Thanks for reading!

The Candid Rd

NOTE: I love comments!  But, be sure to come back to read any replies to questions or comments, as they do not go directly to your e-mail.