Creamy Quinoa Primavera

This recipe is really tasty, the kids ate all the vegetables but they weren't so sure about the quinoa. My husband and I loved it and we didn't need to add meat to our meal. This recipe came from Betty Crocker's Living with Cancer Cookbook.

1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
3 cups chicken broth
3 oz cream cheese
1 tsp dried basil leaves
2 tsp butter or olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
5 cups thinly sliced or bite sized uncooked vegetables (asparagus, broccoli, carrot, zucchini)
2 Tbsp grated Romano cheese

Rinse quinoa thoroughly; drain. Heat quinoa and broth to boiling in 2 -qt saucepan; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 10-15 minutes or until all broth is absorbed. Stir in cream cheese and basil.

Melt butter in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Cook garlic in butter about 30 seconds, stirring frequently, until golden. Stir in vegetables. Cook about 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are crisp-tender.

Toss vegetables and quinoa mixture. Sprinkle with Romano cheese.

Parsnips With Sage Butter

My kids think these are white carrots. I also take out the sage before serving it. (Ladies' Home Journal, Nov 2009)

2 Lbs. parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced lengthwise
4 tsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tbsp unsalted butter
15 to 20 sage leaves

1. Heat oven to 375. Toss together parsnips, oil and salt in a shallow roasting pan. Roast until tender and golden brown, 25 to 30 min. Transfer to a serving platter.

2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook butter and sage until butter just begins to brown and sage is crisped, 2 to 3 min. Pour over parsnips and serve.

Makes 6 servings

118 calories
5g - total fat (2g sat fat)
251mg - sodium
17g - carbs
8mg - cholesterol
1g - protein
5g - fiber

New England Clam Chowder

This past summer we were at Boston's July 4th HarborFest. The whole family had the opportunity to go to ChowdahFest 2009. The winner was Ned Devine's Irish Pub. I found out the whole family liked Clam Chowder so even though this is not Ned's recipe, I found a lighter version at Cooking Light, November 2007.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups chowder and 1 1/2 teaspoons bacon)
Ingredients

4 (6 1/2-ounce) cans chopped clams, undrained
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
4 bacon slices
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups cubed red potato
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup half-and-half
Thyme sprigs (optional)

Drain clams through a colander into a bowl, reserving liquid and clams. Combine clam liquid and clam juice.

Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon; set aside. Add onion, celery, and garlic to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Add clam juice mixture, potato, and next 4 ingredients (through bay leaf); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender.

Combine milk and flour, stirring with a whisk until smooth; add to pan. Stir in clams and half-and-half. Cook 5 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Serve with bacon. Garnish with thyme sprigs, if desired.

Nutritional Information

Calories: 194 (25% from fat)
Fat: 5.4g (sat 2.7g, mono 1.9g, poly 0.4g)
Protein: 12.3g
Carbohydrate: 23.7g
Fiber: 1.4g
Cholesterol: 32mg
Iron: 2.2mg
Sodium: 639mg
Calcium: 111mg

Lemon-Sage Spaghetti Squash

My husband came home with a Spaghetti Squash and a great big smile on his face because he had found a low carbohydrate alternative. I felt like I needed a really good recipe so I wouldn't disappoint him. This recipe came from myrecipes.com. (Oxmoor House, October 2006)

1 (2-pound) spaghetti squash
1/3 cup water
2 Tbsp light stick butter
1/4 c chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
2 tsp small fresh sage leaves
1 tsp grated fresh lemon grind
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1. Pierce squash several times with a fork; place the squash right on your microwave turntable, if you don't have one then use a dish. Microwave, uncovered, at HIGH 6 minutes or longer, depending on your microwave. Cut in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Place squash, cut sides up in baking dish; add water. Cover tightly with heavy-duty plastic wrap, turning back 1 corner to allow steam to escape. Microwave at HIGH 5 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool 15 minutes.

2. While squash cools, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; saute 2-3 minutes or until onion is tender.

3. Using a fork, remove spaghetti-like strands from squash. Add strands (about 3 cups) to pan; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Transfer to a bowl; add Parmesan cheese and remaining ingredients, and toss well.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

CALORIES 58 (47% from fat); FAT 3g (sat 1.6g); CHOLESTEROL 6mg; CALCIUM 48mg; CARBOHYDRATE 8g; SODIUM 270MG; PROTEIN 1.4g; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 0.4mg