Sharing Recipes

It is time I come clean…it is not pretty, but the truth is I lie to my friends. Actually I lie all the time. So much so that now they do not even blink when I tell them I will get the recipe to them, it is just a given that I won't and they flat out have stopped even asking. I will go on and on about a delicious recipe and promise to get the recipe to them and then NOTHING. It is so bad that now they just listen and then change the subject, because my compulsion to lie is just awkward and uncomfortable for all of us.

Today I am posting my recipe from dinner last night, it was fabulous and when I went to work out with my girlfriends this morning I said "I am going to tell you about this YUMMY recipe and I promise to send it to you, because I know I never do when I say I will." So since I am coming clean about the lying, I need to change my ways and there is no time like the present to make the change. Especially with this blockbuster recipe, so here goes…

Southwest Chicken Lasagna

This recipe is adapted from Healthy Homestyle Cooking by Evelyn Tribole M.S, R.D.

The recipe is modified from an original to decrease the fat from 28 grams to 12 the cholesterol from 165 to 86 and best of all the calories from 553 per serving to 410! Plus it is so yummy!!

Noodles: 10 oz package lasagna noodles (I used the boil free kind to save time, they are thinner but they work great, I lined four up side by side in my 9x13 pan.)

Cottage Cheese mixture:

4 egg whites lightly beaten

3 cups fat free or low fat cottage cheese

3 Tablespoons canned diced green chilies

 

Lasagna:

1 cup chopped onions

1 sweet red or green pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 (10 ¾ oz.) 99% fat free tomato soup (I ended up with Heart Smart…all I could find)

1 (10 oz.) Can of enchilada sauce

1 Tbl Chili Powder

1 tsp cumin

¼ tsp black pepper

4 cups chopped chicken torn into bite size pieces (I ended up drop four chicken breasts and a cup of salsa in a Crockpot in the morning…saved me time during prep and the chicken shredded quickly)

1 ½ finely shredded reduced fat sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup finely shredded reduced fat Monterey Jack cheese

 

Preparation:

Either boil your noodles or wait and just use the boil free kind (highly recommend, if you are a pasta purist I understand, I just though the recipe was labor intensive and wanted to cut myself some slack!)

 

To make cottage cheese mixture:

Stir together egg whites, cottage cheese, and chili peppers and set aside.

 

To make the lasagna:

Lightly spray (with no stick spray) a nonstick skillet and add the onions green or red peppers and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat until tender.

 

Stir in the condensed soup, enchilada sauce, chili powder, cumin and black pepper. Bring to a boil, and then reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes stirring often.

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly spray 9 x 13 pan with no stick spray. To assemble lasagna, add a small amount of the sauce in bottom of pan then place four noodles in the pan. Spread half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Top with half the sauce, two cups of the chicken and half of each of the cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses.

 

Repeat with the remaining noodles, cottage cheese mixture, sauce mixture, chicken and cheeses. Cover with foil. Bake about 50 minutes or until bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting. (I made this ahead and popped it in the oven later and it worked great too!) ENJOY!!

Makes 8 servings

 

Fresh, not too complicated and DELICIOUS and the best part HEALTHY!! Who could ask for more? I hope that this gets me out of the dog house with my friends and I also hope that I can continue to share my recipes like a good friend should. Since I am busy sharing recipes I will throw one more at you…

 

Brown Sugar Bath Scrub

 

2 cups Brown sugar

1 cup white granulated sugar

1 Tbl Pure vanilla extract

1 Cup Sunflower oil (I found this at the grocery store)

 

Mix everything together and TA DA! I made this over the holidays and it received rave reviews from family and friends alike. It makes a lovely quick thoughtful gift for someone else or yourself. The best part is it makes your skin, feet and elbows feel like silk!

 

Phew, there, I feel better now that I have somewhat redeemed myself!!