Tag Archives: Noodle

“Spaghetti”

Posted on December 8, 2010 | Leave a comment

I kept hearing about doing this, I was skeptical, but I had to give it a try…they were even on sale. It’s that whole idea of using spaghetti squash instead of noodles. Sure, I’ve seen rave reviews for doing this…but somehow to me they seemed like those diet people who go on and on about how they don’t crave fatty foods anymore…you know those sanctimonious folks, we’ve all heard them. Come on, we all want a little something naughty once and awhile…those are part of the things that make life worth living. It’s just about watching how much of those naughty things you indulge in…not denying yourself totally. ANYWAYS. I’ve heard things and now I’ve put them to the test. Overall, I did indeed find it tasty. They weren’t the soft noodles I tend to go for, but the squash flavouring actually went well with the tomato sauce and parmesan cheese. The fact that the squash is so low calorie and fat compared to the noodles also allowed me to pile on the cheese and sauce which I have to admit made me feel indulgent. It was definitely a filling meal and I finished it with gusto. It won’t replace noodles in my life but its definitely an option when I don’t have a lot of calories or fat left to spend but need a filling meal with a ton of veggie/fruit servings in it.

  • 1 small or medium spaghetti squash
  • 1/2 cup sauce of choice ( I use ragu)
  • 4 tbl paremsan cheese
  1. Cut the squash in half. Scoop out the seeds.
  2. Place the two halves face down on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes at 350F. To check if its done give it a poke with a knife. If the knife pierces the skin easily then it is definitely time.
  3. Allow the squash to cool a bit, just so you can handle it safely. Using a fork rake the flesh inside…sounds gruesome doesn’t it. Remove the “noodles” and place in your serving bowl.
  4. Top with the sauce of your choice (heated) and cheese.

So easy. I have a small one and it filled that bowl in the picture….and yes, I ate it all. My little piggy “pasta” party only cost me 255 calories, 9.4 grams of fat, and 7 grams of fibre. Not bad considering having the same amount with noodles would cost me double the calories, less fibre, and not as many veggie servings. As healthy meals go, definitely a tasty one I would do again.

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Posted in Comfort Foods, Craving Buster, Dinner, Lunch

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Turkey Noodle Soup

Posted on October 27, 2010 | Leave a comment

When it’s been a rainy mess all week it is so nice to come home to an already bubbling crockpot full of soup. This works really well with my turkey broth recipe as a base. Just another way to use up those leftovers in an oh so tasty way and warm your core temp. I usually make a turkey barley soup from my broth but this time I wanted to do something a little different. Besides, why should chicken continually hog the noodle love? Selfish, selfish chicken.

  • 4 small sweet gourmet carrots (if you can get them, if not any carrot will do)
  • 2 celery stalks
  • 8 cup turkey broth
  • 1 cup turkey meat shredded or cut up
  • 112 gram no yolk egg noodles
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground pepper
  • 1 tsp poultry spice
  1. Slice up the veggies, add even more if you like. Can’t hurt! Room for variation here.
  2. Add all of the ingredients to your crockpot.
  3. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

This makes approximately 8 1.5 cup servings. Each serving contains 113 calories, 1.9 gram fat, and 1.6 gram fibre. This is a lovely filling meal, served with a nice bun and salad you have yourself a great comforting feast! I couldn’t believe how full I was after that. I’m thinking the noodles played a part in that one. Num!

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Posted in Comfort Foods, Crockpot Creations, Dinner, Lunch

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Creamy Pasta Bake

Posted on September 29, 2010 | Leave a comment

More of that good old fall comfort food. A nice filling pasta bake can really do the trick after running around all day out in that colder weather. The beauty of this is that you can assemble it the night before or on the weekend (pop it into the freezer) then bake it up after a really busy day. Tasty homemade food that really comforts the soul and fills you up. I’m not a pasta fan but sometimes even I need a pasta boost. Sometimes I think of this as a sort of lazy man’s lasagna.

  • 300g whole wheat rotini pasta
  • 2 cups pasta sauce
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • 1 cup fat free sour cream
  • 1/2 light smoked cheese, grated (light provolone is good also if you don’t want the smokey flavours)
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  1. Cook pasta according to directions.
  2. Add the sauce to the pasta and combine completely.
  3. Combine the basil, sour cream, and smokey cheese.
  4. Spray a 9×9 baking dish. Spoon half of the pasta mixture into the dish, covering the bottom. Spread the creamy mixture over the noodles in the dish. Top with the remaining noodles. Sprinkle the parmesan on top.
  5. Bake at 350F for 25 minutes, let stand 5 minutes. If baking from frozen bake for 45-55 minutes.

Makes 4 servings. Each serving contains 423 calories, 9 grams of fat, and 6 grams of fibre. All that high fibre really fills you up and remember that sauce gives you 2 fruit and veggie servings per serving of this pasta bake. A total win for a one dish meal.

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Posted in Comfort Foods, Dinner

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Weight Loss Waldorf Imposter

Posted on April 15, 2010 | Leave a comment

This makes for a nice and easy, yet filling lunch. Lots of fruit and veggie serving potential in this one! We had this for lunch yesterday and even my husband proclaimed it filling. Considering how teenager like his eating has been the past couple of days, that is a huge compliment! He’d better not be pregnant or something. hehe.

This salad is probably closer to the original version by Oscar Tschirky in 1893…being that it doesn’t have grapes. That certainly shouldn’t stop you from adding them if thats your bag. I’m just anti grape for awhile after someone told me a story about folks finding black widow spiders in grapes…then showed me news reports to prove it. I have an issue with spiders…when they are poisonous that issue rises by a factor incalculable by man. Haven’t been able to look at a grape without shuddering since. A side note..in lotro you have to kill really realistic looking spiders, they even crumple up the right way when they die. This too gives me crawlies. Took me forever to complete that spider killing deed I tell you.

I know.

I’m a wuss.

Just eat your tasty salad you big meanie.

  • 1 apple cored and cut into chunks
  • 1 pear cored and cut into chunks
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 2 tbl raisins
  • 1 cup uncooked whole wheat rotini pasta
  • 1/4 cup half the fat mayo
  • 1 tbl lemon juice
  • 1 tbl orange/mango juice (just plain orange works fine too)
  • 2 tsp honey
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • 2 tbl toasted chopped walnuts (I’ve had this with raw walnuts too and it remains delicious!)
  1. Cook the pasta according to the directions for al dente texture. Rinse under cold water when done.
  2. Combine the mayo, juices, honey, and salt in the serving bowl.
  3. Add the fruit, veggies and pasta to the serving bowl. Stir carefully to combine and coat.
  4. Serve and top with a bit of the walnuts.

Serves 4. Each serving contains 260 calories, 5 grams of fat, and 3 grams of fiber. This recipe refrigerated nicely for packing to go to work or for having leftovers for a second lunch the next day. Awesome stuff! I like the fact that it was enough to fuel me through an afternoon of crazy errand running without problems. Kept going all the way through to dinner. Wahoo! Definitely a good one to have ingredients on hand for.  I’m considering it for a good picnic lunch someday.

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Posted in Lunch

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Easy Slim Beef Stroganoff

Posted on March 12, 2010 | Leave a comment

This is another one of those comfort food dishes. My version, like most does not truly resemble the version that surfaced in 1912. Still, I find it tasty and comforting. No picture for this one though, why? Well, true to its peasant food style I make my dish in a way that just plain isn’t pretty. You can doll this up by making the meat out of strips of steak or into meatballs but sometimes you just want to dig in to something comforting and tasty rather than pretty. This is for those times.

  • 1 lb extra lean ground beef
  • 1 pk onion soup mix
  • 1/2 cup red wine
  • 1 can fat free cream of celery soup
  • 3 gloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 cup fat free sour cream
  • 3 tbs ketchup
  • 1 tsp herbs de provence (optional, I love the flavour it adds though)
  • 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  1. Sautee minced garlic until aromatic. Add ground beef and brown.
  2. Add soup mix, pepper, and herbs de provence. Mix.
  3. While stirring add the wine, canned soup (undiluted), sour cream, ketchup, and worcestershire sauce. Heat to a slight boil.
  4. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Serve. I usually serve this over egg noodles.

Serves 4, 335 calories each serving.

As a side note this recipe freezes very well for those times you don’t need four servings hanging around. Make your own comforting calorie wise frozen dinners! Just cook the noodles to just al dente, top with the stroganoff in a container, allow to cool and freeze. That way you can just pop them in the microwave for a couple of minutes and you are ready to go! I find it useful to mark the calories of the dish combined on the label of the dish so you can quickly count those calories too.

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Posted in Comfort Foods, Dinner

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