Let me start by saying that the only reason I am calling this a “lazy” lasagna is that I used whole wheat rotini instead of traditional lasagna noodles. This dish took quite some time to prepare, and I used 3 pots, 2 bowls, a pan, and countless knives and spoons in the process.

After all that work, the dish was disappointing. It was not as cheesy as I expected, so next time I would use more cottage cheese and perhaps part skim mozzarella cheese instead of fat free. Also, the broccoli flavor was too overpowering, and next time I would use eggplant or mushrooms instead which would add moisture as well. Finally, to make this dish just a little more traditional, I would add a can of tomatoes somewhere. So I will definitely try this again, just not too soon since I have many days of lasagna ahead of me.

2 t olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 (10 oz.) package chopped broccoli, cooked and drained
1/2 c. flour
3 c. skim milk
1/4 c. fat free Parmesan cheese
1/4 t freshly ground black pepper
1 (10 oz.) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 1/2 c. fat free cottage cheese
2 c. fat free mozzarella cheese, divided
12 oz. whole wheat rotini, cooked al dente and drained

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan, and cook for 5 minutes. Add zucchini, yellow squash, and carrot and cook for 15 – 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Set aside in a large bowl with cooked broccoli.

Place flour in a medium saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add Parmesan cheese and black pepper; stir until smooth. Stir in spinach.

Combine cottage cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella; stir well.

Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 1/3 of cooked pasta in dish. Top with half of cottage cheese mixture, half of vegetable mixture, and about 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layers, ending with pasta. Spread remaining spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 375° for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

-Adapted from Cooking Light

This stew was a warm and comforting lunch on a cold winter day. Make that 4 cold winter days in a row! It had such a rich color but the picture in the Tupperware doesn’t do it justice.

Most seafood recipes are slightly out of my comfort zone. I enjoy both fish and shellfish, but don’t cook them very often. This shrimp recipe was as simple as it seems, although it was difficult to determine if the shrimp had turned pink while simmering in a red sauce. The only change I would make is to add the feta just before serving so it does not get lost in the recipe.

2 t olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 t minced garlic
1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste
1/2 c. water
1/3 c. finely minced fresh flat leaf parsley
1 lb. shrimp, peeled
6 oz. fat free feta cheese

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add onions, and cook for 10 minutes. Add garlic, and cook for 5 more minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and water, and simmer sauce for 15 minutes. Add parsley, shrimp, and feta cheese. Cover and simmer until shrimp is cooked.

I was excited to cook spaghetti squash but I always dread cutting large squashes. I heard that cooking the squash in the microwave for a few minutes helps to soften it slightly, making it easier to cut. I tried that trick, and it may have helped, but I still struggled to cut it in half without losing any fingers in the process. There was some excess squash and tomato sauce which did not fit in the casserole dish, but the final product made a wonderful and very healthy dinner. Next time I’ll just use a larger baking dish, and maybe try to convince someone to cut the squash for me in exchange for a meal.

I love the way roasts just fall apart when you cook them in the crock pot. About an hour before serving, I took two forks and easily shredded the pork right in the pot. All of the flavors here worked together well although I could not distinguish the different types of mushrooms after they cooked for so long. And remember, if you’re away from home too long during the day to use your slow cooker, you can cook while you sleep. I would definitely recommend this recipe.

1/4 c. flour
1 (14 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes
1 T Italian seasoning
1 (10 oz.) package button mushrooms, cut in half
1 (8 oz.) package baby portabella mushrooms, cut in half
1 (3.5 oz.) package sliced shiitake mushrooms
2 lb. pork loin roast
salt and pepper

Combine flour, 1/2 can tomatoes, 1/3 c. water, and Italian seasoning in a slow cooker; stir well with a whisk. Add all mushrooms. Trim fat from pork. Sprinkle pork with salt and pepper; place on top of mushroom mixture. Pour remaining tomatoes over pork. Cover with lid; cook on high heat for 1 hour. Reduce heat setting to low; cook 6-7 hours.

-Adapted from Cooking Light

After my first successful attempt at cooking kale, I was excited to try more recipes. This onion and kale tart was a hit. It was packed with more vegetables than your average quiche and made a great meal. The original recipe called for cream, and the combination of evaporated milk and cottage cheese worked pretty well as a substitute. Next time I would chop the kale into smaller pieces, and perhaps dice the onion since cutting the tart into neat pieces was difficult. I also might try this as a crustless quiche.

1 pie crust, homemade or store bought
4 cups kale, coarsely chopped
1 T olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 T minced garlic
2 eggs
6 oz. fat free feta cheese, crumbled
1/2 c. evaporated skim milk
1/4 c. fat free cottage cheese

Prepare your favourite pie crust and set aside. Preheat oven to 375F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the kale, stir to submerge the leaves, and cook over high heat until wilted and somewhat tender but still bright green, about 3 minutes. Drain and set aside to drip dry.

Heat the oil in a medium frying pan. Add the onions and garlic and saute over medium heat, stirring frequently, until beginning to turn golden, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Break the eggs into a large bowl and lightly beat. Add the feta, milk, cottage cheese, kale, and onion mixture. Stir to mix and pour into the prepared crust. Bake until the center of the pie is firm and lightly golden across the top, 40 to 45 minutes.

-Adapted from The Gardener’s Community Cookbook

My sister and her husband tried this new pork recipe, and thought it was so tender and flavorful that they wanted to share. In the background you can see they served it with broccoli and brown rice. Wish I had been there to enjoy it myself, but I will definitely try this recipe at some point.

1 large pork tenderloin, about 1 1/2 lb.
1/2 c. Marsala wine
2 T soy sauce
1/2 t ground black pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 c. ground almonds
1 t olive oil
1 c. chopped onion
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery rib, chopped

In small bowl stir together wine, soy sauce, pepper and garlic; pour over pork in a self-sealing bag. Seal bag; marinate in refrigerator 1 hour. Remove pork from marinade, reserving marinade; pat dry. Coat pork with almonds. Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat. Brown pork on all sides, about 5 minutes, turning carefully. Reduce heat to low, add reserved marinade, onion, carrot and celery; cover and simmer 10-12 minutes.

-Adapted from theotherwhitemeat.com

I wanted to use some of the dried beans in my cabinet to make a portable meal. This bean spread came out pretty well, although I did end up adding more vinegar because it was a little dry. I ate it in a pita pocket, but it would have been even better on a bed of fresh spinach.

I like to use my crockpot, but I am gone for too many hours during the day. My solution is to use the crockpot while I sleep. I put the ingredients in as I am getting ready for bed, and when I wake up, it’s all done. The crockpot cools down while I am getting ready, and then I can pack my lunch and put the rest in the refrigerator. This recipe is one of my overnight favorites, because it’s so easy!

3 lb. bottom round roast
1 package onion soup mix (such as Lipton Recipe Secrets)
1/2 c. water

Place the roast in the crockpot, and add soup mix and water. Cook on low for 8 hours.