Here’s my version of Shepherd’s Pie, and although it is lightened up, it still reminds me of the recipe that my Mom used to make. I used real ground beef, but packed in a few more vegetables to balance it out. The middle layer of corn and spinach got a bit lost in the large bottom layer, although I didn’t mind. The first picture is the casserole just out of the oven, and the second picture is a serving in my dish. I love the white and orange color variation!

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1 c. mushrooms, diced
1 (14 oz) can creamed corn
1 (10 oz) package frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 large potato
1 large sweet potato
3 T skim milk
Salt
Pepper

Brown beef in a large frying pan and drain. Add onion, carrots, and mushrooms to the pan and saute until vegetables are tender. Place mixture in a 2.5 quart casserole dish. Mix corn and spinach, and place on top of beef mixture in dish. Peel and cut potatoes into large chunks, and boil until tender. Drain and mash, adding milk and salt and pepper to taste. Place potatoes on top of the casserole. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

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.