Portobello & Basil Cheese Tortellini

Adapted from Simple & Delicious (June/July 2011), page 51.

Prep: 15 min / Cook: 30 min
Yield: 4-6 servings

1 pkg. (19 oz) cheese tortellini
1 lb. sliced baby portobello mushrooms
1 small onion, diced
1/3 cup butter
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup fat-free half-and-half
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbs. minced fresh basil or 3 tsp. dried basil

Cook tortellini according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute onion in butter until tender, adding mushrooms a couple minutes into cooking.  Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.  Stir on broth.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 12-15 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.

Add the cream, half-and-half, salt, and pepper.  Cook 4-5 minutes longer or until slightly thickened.  Drain tortellini; add to the skillet.  Stir in cheese and basil.

Notes:
- Check your tortellini package to see how long it cooks and then add it to the boiling water that much before you'll add it to the skillet.  It's never fun to have your pasta cooked way before the rest of the food.
- I love basil, so I'm tempted to say it needs more.
- My sauce didn't really thicken.  I might add a little cornstarch or flour next time, but just a little.

Curried Tofu with Rice

Adapted from Healthy Cooking (Feb./March 2011), page 61.

Prep: 10 min / Cook: 20 min

Yield: 4 servings

1 pkg (12.3 oz) extra-firm tofu, drained and cubed
1 tsp. seasoned salt
1 Tbs. canola oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can light coconut milk
1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro
3 tsp. curry powder
Cooked rice (brown is best)
Salt and pepper to taste

Sprinkle tofu with seasoned salt.  In a large nonstick skillet, saute tofu in oil until golden.  Remove; keep warm.  Add mushrooms to skillet and saute until lightly browned but not completely cooked.  Remove and set aside with tofu.

In the same skillet, saute onion and garlic until tender.  Stir in the coconut milk, cilantro, curry, salt, and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 4-5 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.  Stir in tofu and mushrooms; heat through.  Serve with rice.

Notes:
- Consider adding vegetables, like carrots, potatoes, or zucchini.  If you're not trying to make a meatless meal, adding cubed chicken would be good, too.  My son really liked shredded coconut and chopped hard-boiled egg on top of his.
- Originally, the recipe called for 3 cloves garlic, minced.  That's a bit much for me; in fact, the last time I made it, I didn't add any garlic.

Black Bean Burgers with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

From the food blog Cookin' Canuck.

Prep: 30 min. + chilling / Cook: 8 min.
Yield: 4 burgers

These are absolutely delicious!  The texture of the patty is obviously not meat, but it is good and tasty.  We will definitely be eating these again.

Burgers:
4 slices stale or toasted whole wheat bread, cubed
2 Tbs. olive or canola oil, divided
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. minced jalapeno pepper, membranes and seeds removed
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/4 cups cooked brown rice
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Cilantro-lime Mayo (recipe follows)
4 whole wheat buns, toasted if desired
Cotija cheese, crumbled
Tomato, sliced
Avocado, sliced

Pulse bread in a food processor to form breadcrumbs.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Heat 1 Tbs. oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until soft.  Add garlic, jalapeno, and ground cumin.  Saute for 2 more minutes.

Scrape mixture into food processor.  Add black beans, brown rice, lime juice, salt, and pepper.  Pulse until beans are chopped but not pureed.

Remove bean mixture into a large bowl.  Add cilantro and 1/2 of the breadcrumbs; stir mixture until combined.  Add more breadcrumbs if needed.

Divide bean mixture into 4 equal portions and form into patties.  Place on a baking sheet or large plate lined with plastic wrap and cover with additional plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Cook burgers 4 minutes per side.

Spread Cilantro-lime Mayo on both interior sides of bun.  Top with black bean patty, cotija cheese, tomato, and avocado.

Cilantro-lime Mayo
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
2 Tbs. finely chopped cilantro
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, lime juice, ground cumin, cilantro, and pepper.  Stir well.

Notes:
- I probably only used about three slices-worth of bread crumbs.
- One small jalapeno will be about the right amount; however, it wasn't spicy at all to me, so I may use a large one next time.
- Next time you make brown rice, set some aside and make this recipe the same week.  It will save you a lot of time waiting for the rice to cook so you can make your burgers (brown rice takes a lot longer to cook than white rice).
- I didn't really measure my lime juice: I used half a lime for the burger and the other for the mayo.
- We ate ours on wheat kaiser rolls--yummy!
- Cotija cheese is a salty, crumbly, cows milk cheese from Mexico.  Most grocery stores have it.
- Confession: I didn't chill the patties at all because we were hungry and didn't want to wait half an hour to eat.  I don't think it made a difference, but I guess I'll know better next time I make these . . . correctly. Just know that if you're short on time, you'll be fine skipping the refrigeration!
- Use mayo with olive oil--it's all I buy anymore!

Scrumptious Vegetable Lasagna

Adapted from Healthy Cooking (Feb./March 2010), page 49.

Prep: 45 min. + resting / Bake: 40 min. + standing
Yield: 12 servings

 9 whole wheat lasagna noodles
1 medium yellow summer squash, cut into 1/4" slices
1 medium zucchini, cut into 1/4" slices
1/2 lb. fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 medium sweet onion, diced
1 eggplant, thinly sliced
1 sweet potato, thinly sliced
1 yam, thinly sliced
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 jar (25 oz) marinara sauce
1 carton (15 oz) fat-free ricotta cheese
12 slices reduced-fat provolone cheese, halved
2 cups (8 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Arrange slices of eggplant on wire racks over paper towels; liberally salt both sides and allow to rest for about 1 hour.  Squeeze out excess moisture.  Chop.

Cook noodles according to package directions.

Meanwhile, boil sweet potato and yam slices in salted water until softened but not all the way cooked.  Drain carefully.

Heat oil in a large skillet; saute squash, zucchini, onion, and eggplant until tender.  Add mushrooms during the last minute or two.  Gently stir in sweet potato and yam.

Drain noodles.  Rinse in cold water and drain again.

Spread 1/4 cup marinara in an 11x17" baking dish coated with cooking spray.  Top with six noodles, 1 cup marinara sauce, 1/3 vegetable mixture, 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, 8 half slices of provolone cheese, 2/3 cup mozzarella cheese, and 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese.  Repeat layers twice, or until you run out of ingredients.

Cover and bake at 375F for 30 minutes.  Uncover; bake 10-15 minutes longer or until bubbly.  Let stand 10 minutes before cutting.

Notes:
- Yes, there is a difference between sweet potatoes and yams.  But I guess you could use two of one of them if you prefer.  I just couldn't decide which one I wanted, so I used one of each.
- I made this in two 8x8" baking dishes and froze one of them.  I'm assuming you could make it in an 11x17" dish.
- I'm totally guessing at measurements in the layering process, to tell you the truth.  I was in a hurry and had modified the recipe enough that I didn't bother with exact amounts at that point.  It probably wouldn't hurt to have more marinara sauce than the recipe lists, though.
- I would use more sauce next time.

Easy Baked Manicotti

From Kraft Foods.

Prep: 25 min / Cook: 40 min.

2 cups spaghetti sauce, divided
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 ¾ cups ricotta cheese
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
¼ cup pesto
14 manicotti shells, cooked, rinsed in cold water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread ¾ cup of the spaghetti sauce in bottom of 9x13” baking dish. Mix egg, cheeses, and pesto until well blended. Spoon cheese mixture into large resealable plastic bag. Using scissors, cut off small hole from one of the corners of bag (I just use one of those frosting bags).

Fill manicotti shells, one at a time, squeezing cheese mixture into both sides of each shell. Place manicotti over sauce in baking dish; pour remaining 1 ¾ cups spaghetti sauce over manicotti. Cover with foil.

Bake 40 min. or until heated through.

Make-ahead option: Cook the manicotti shells up to 1 day ahead. Place on a greased tray, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to fill.

Creamy Mushroom Bow Ties

From Simple and Delicious (Sept./Oct. 2006), page 29.

Prep/Total Time: 20 min

3 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
1 package (4.4 ounces) garlic-herb cheese spread
¼ cup chicken broth

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, sauté the mushrooms, salt, and pepper in butter until tender. Add cheese spread and broth; cook and stir until blended. Drain pasta; add to skillet and toss to coat.