This week's Menu!

All of these recipes are healthy versions of our favorites. 
Veggies are packed in some not so obvious places throughout this menu.  For instance, I peel, cut up, and boil down the squash and then puree it.  It yields a velvety smooth cheese like flavor to my lasagna.  My husband really doesn't care for squash of any kind, but loves butternut in this dish and when I make homemade ravioli with it also.  All he could say the first time I made it was it was the best bleeping ravioli he'd EVER had.  I had to just grin and laugh.  I eventually told him what it was.  =)

Monday - Our Tour of Italy
Homemade Lasagna made with ground turkey, butternut squash, and spinach.  Accompanied by a side salad w/a citrus infused white balsamic dressing.
I made 2 batches of this.  One for tonight, one for later.  See pic. below.

recipe:  1/2 bag (7 oz Kraft Fat Free Shredded Cheese of your choice)
1/2 can (14.5 oz Diced Tomato- Basil, Garlic, Oregano)
1 can (15 oz. can tomato sauce-no salt added)
Fresh basil, oregano, garlic to taste
1/2 (24 oz tub of fat free cottage cheese)
1-2 Cups pureed butternut squash
1 Cup Fresh Spinach Leaves
16 oz ground turkey browned (weight is pre-cooked)
9 Homemade Whole Wheat/Flax Lasagna Noodles*
Layer above ingredients, except shredded cheese in a lasagna/long casserole dish Top with remaining sauce and shredded cheese.  Bake for 45 min. in a 375 degree oven.    For those of you counting WW Points.  This is 4 PointsPlus for a serving.  This recipe serves 12.

Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles
1.25 Cups Whole wheat flour
.25 Cup Ground Flaxseed
2 egg whites
1 T water
salt (optional-I personally do not use it)
Mix together until well blended.  Use hands to form a dough ball.  Divide dough equally into 9-10 pieces.  Run them through a pasta press gradually making them thinner every 2nd pass.  I usually run them from level 1 thickness to about 4-5 thinness.  Allow them to air dry just a tad before using.  This makes wonderful ravioli or dumplings as well.

Tuesday - Mediteranean Moxie
Chicken Souvlaki with tzatziki sauce, feta and homemade whole wheat/flax naan.  Tabouli on the side.
Made pitas instead of naan.

Souvlaki
Marinade:
3/4 c balsamic vinegar
3T lemon juice
1T oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
4 average chicken breasts or 2 Large Breasts cut into 4 pieces
Marinate chicken in above ingredients for at least 1 hour.
Grill meat until done, let rest 3-5 minutes then thinly slice chicken. Each pita gets approx 3 oz meat.
Tzatziki:
1/2 c seeded shredded cucumber
1/2 tsp salt(optional)
1 c fat free yogurt
1/4 c fat free sour cream
1T lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1-2 cloves fresh crushed garlic
1/2 - 1 T fresh chopped dill (if you really like the dill flavor, use the full amount)
Mix above ingredients together and refigerate to allow flavors to meld.
Serving size is 2T of sauce.

Whole Wheat/Flax Pita
Serving Size 1
Pita Recipe makes approximately 10 pitas.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees
3 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c ground flax seed
1 tsp olive oil or flaxseed oil
1 packet yeast( I use rapid rise)
1.25 c warm water 100-120 degrees(whatever your yeast indicates)
Mix with dough hook attachment on mixer until it forms ball. Form dough into about a 13-15" rope and divide dough into 10 equal parts. Roll each part into a ball and flatten into approx 5-6" circles. Allow pitas to rise briefly, approx 10 minutes if you're using rapid yeast. Place pitas on a wire rack that has been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake pitas 5-6 minutes, remove from oven and place in a brown paper bag to retain moisture.

Tabbouleh
1/4 c bulgur
1/2 c boiling water
1 c chopped parsley
1/4 c chopped fresh mint leaves
3 tomatoes, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 T lemon juice
Place bulgur and boiling water in a bowl and allow to soak up liquid for 1 hour.
mix together all of the other ingredients, then mix into bulgur and refrigerate until ready to serve.


Wednesday - Jamaican Me HUNGRY!
Jerk Chicken, steamed corn/red potatoes (low country/low sodium style)

Thursday - Luck O' the Irish
Baked Fish and "Chips"  Kale Chips for me, the family will get baked spiral chips with Malt Vinegar coleslaw, and Hot Bite Corn.

Friday - I Wanna Wok and Roll All Nite!
Slimmed Down No Fry Sesame Chicken, Low sodium hot and sour soup, steamed broccoli.

Saturday - Feelin' HOT HOT HOT!
Baja Grilled Fish Tacos with a Lime Chipotle Sauce, stuffed poblanos for my son, and a black bean corn salsa and homemade pico de gallo.

Sunday - Easy like Sunday Morning.  Takin' the day off.  Hubby and son will figure it out.