Baked Ziti and Summer Vegetables

Thing 1 and I made dinner last night. We don’t often cook together but we really should. It gives us a chance to talk, she gets to learn about cooking and I don’t have to do everything, especially after a long day. 🙂  You don’t always have to take your kids places and spend money to have quality time. Cooking meals, coloring pictures, walking the dogs, or whatever – all these things are great ways to hang out with your family. Just don’t forget to open your mouth and talk! 🙂

I found a recipe for a baked ziti dish low on fat and calories and chock full of delicious veggies. You know, when you throw loads of veggies into your pasta dishes, that tends to take up the space for a whole bunch of extra cheese. Now, don’t get me wrong, cheese is great. Especially Brie. I. Love. Brie. But, too much can certainly take a dish from healthy to not in an extremely short amount of time. And, I’m a runner – runners love pasta but we don’t often appreciate all that fat making us feel sluggish out on the road. This dish won’t make you feel that way, I promise! And, it’s guaranteed to make your sailor (and maybe even your kids) ask for any leftovers to be put in a lunch container for the next day. Hearty yet light, the summer veggies add fabulous and delicious pops of color to this ziti. What are you waiting for? Grab a family member or even a friend and get to cooking!

Baked Ziti and Summer Vegetables
Makes 4 servings
Recipe from Cooking Light

4 ounces uncooked ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow squash
1 cup chopped zucchini
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped tomato
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup (2 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 large egg, slightly beaten
Cooking Spray

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan. Add squash, zucchini,  and onion; saute 5 minutes. Add tomato and garlic; saute 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 1/2 cup mozzarella,  herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.

4. Combine ricotta, remaining salt, and egg. Stir into pasta mixture. Spoon into an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. (Okay, fine, I used an oval stoneware dish. Worked out petfectly!) Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

Per serving:
Calories 301; Fat 12.1g (sat 5.3g, mono 5g, poly 0.9g); Protein 16.5g; Carbs 32.8g; Fiber 4.1g; Cholesterol 65mg; Sodium 640mg; Calcium 291mg

Farmers’ Market Quesadillas

Quesadillas – the fat bomb of the Mexican restaurant. They’re usually huge and absolutely loaded down with cheese. Delicious?  Yes, definitely!  A good, healthy choice? Um, no, sorry. Try again. Making them at home is always the way to go because you can control the cheese content; plus, you’re free to add whatever else you want! So, when I found this recipe for Farmers’ Market Quesadillas, I was intrigued. Of course, Thing 2 decided that she needed to escape and suddenly “had plans.” Well, teenagers are ridiculous and she totally missed out! These were fantastic and tasty and are my go-to quesadilla recipe.  Of course, if meat-free isn’t your thing, you can add shredded chicken or pork to the quesadillas. But, they certainly don’t need it. Also, if you prefer a smokier flavor, grill the veggies instead of sauteeing them. Yum!

Farmers’ Market Quesadillas
Recipe from Cooking Light
Serves 12

1 to 2 poblano peppers (I couldn’t find them and used Anaheim peppers instead)
1 large red bell pepper
Cooking spray
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow squash
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped oyster mushrooms (optional, if you don’t do mushrooms)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
8 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1. Preheat broiler.

2. Place poblano and bell peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet, broil 10 minutes or until blackened, turning occasionally.

Place poblano and bell peppers in a zip-top bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes.  Peel poblano and bell peppers; discard seeds and membranes. Cut peeled peppers into thin strips.

3. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add onion; saute 3 minutes or until onion is lightly browned.

Add squash and garlic; saute 3 minutes.

Add pepper strips and mushrooms; cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are tender and moisture evaporates, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Monterey Jack and 1 tablespoon goat cheese over each of 4 tortillas; top with 2/3 cup vegetable mixture.  Sprinkle 2 tablespoons Monterey Jack, 1 tablespoon goat cheese, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cilantro over each vegetable-topped tortilla; top with remaining tortillas.

5. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place 1 quesadilla in pan; cook 5 minutes on each side or until tortillas are crisp. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas. 

Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges.

Serving size: 2 wedges
Calories 140; Fat 5.3g (sat 2.8g, mono 1.2g, poly 0.2g); Protein 6g; Carb 17.9g; Fiber 1.5g; Chol 12mg; Iron 1.2mg; Sodium 360mg; Calcium 132mg