Quick Fix Lunch or Side

This lunch is so quick and easy! It's hardy a recipe at all!

1 c dried pasta

1 7-10 oz box of steamed vegetables in seasoned sauce, your choice

1 tsp butter or margarine

1 tsp minced fresh parsley

shaved Parmesan cheese, if desired

salt and pepper to taste

For this lunch, I used Green Giant Healthy Weight Steamed Vegetables. It has sliced carrots, sugar snap peas, black beans, and edamame (soy beans)! Yummy!

Cook the pasta and the veggies according to the manufacturer's instructions.

In a large bowl, add the butter or margarine. Next, add the drained pasta and minced parsley. Toss. Then, add the steamed veggies. Toss again. Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary. Last, add the shaved Parmesan cheese (I didn't because I was being lazy)!

Serves 2

Minestrone Vegetables with Pasta

This lovely dish, brimming with vegetables and two kinds of beans, is a meal in itself! It’s reminiscent of the soup it’s named after. With a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a green salad, you have a low fat, well rounded, tasty meal, or pair it with my Italian Herb Braised Chicken Breasts!

2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 zucchini, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced
1 carrot, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced
½ pound green beans, sliced diagonally in 1 inch pieces
1 cup canned petite-diced tomatoes
1 can pinto beans, rinsed
1 tsp dried basil
¾ c low sodium chicken broth
12 oz Rotini Pasta
Salt and pepper to taste
½ grated Parmesan Cheese

Start a pot of water boiling for the pasta. Add salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente according to manufacturer’s instructions. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic and onion and sauté until tender and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the carrots, zucchini, and green beans and sauté for another 3 minutes, until the vegetables begin to get tender. Add the tomatoes and basil and sauté for 1-2 minutes (you want the tomatoes to soften). Add the broth and pinto beans. Simmer uncovered for 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the green beans are tender. Drain the pasta and add to the vegetables. Toss gently to mix, sprinkle with Parmesan Cheese.

Makes 4 meal sized servings or 6 side dish servings.

Mexican Lasagna

Legend has it that Garfield invented this dish while on siesta in Chihuahua. It was such a hit that the people rallied around Garfield, declaring him El Presidente! Unfortunately, Garfield's developmentalist policies - including price caps on pasta and cheese - soon proved unpopular with the junta. Garfield was exiled and his recipe stolen by the drug cartels - but he was not to be deterred. Together, with Jon "The Engineer" Arbuckle and Odie "The Nose", Garfield struck out to recover his beloved Mexican Lasagna... but I got there first! Aye! It's mucho delicioso!

1 pound of lean Ground Beef

1- 15 oz can of Pinto Beans (not in sauce)

1- 15 oz can of Black Beans

1- 11 oz can of Mexican style Corn

1-14.5 oz can of your favorite Mexican style chopped tomatoes

4- 8 inch Flour or Corn Tortillas

1-8 oz bag of Shredded Cheese (Mexican style or Cheddar are fine)

1 packet of Taco Seasoning (I used Low Sodium Chicken Taco Seasoning)
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp granulated Garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 F. In a pan, over medium heat, add the ground beef, taco seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce. Brown the meat, breaking it up as it cooks. Drain the black and pinto beans and rinse, if desired. Put the beans in a bowl. Add the garlic and salt and pepper to taste, mix well. With a fork, or potato masher, mash the beans together. The consistency is up to you. Set aside. In a blender, or food processor, puree the tomatoes. Set aside, this is your sauce. Once the meat is cooked, add the Mexican corn and saute until all the liquid is absorbed. Spray an 8 in cake pan with non-stick spray or olive oil. Add enough sauce in the bottom of the cake pan to cover. Place a tortilla on the sauce. Sprinkle the tortilla with cheese. Add half the meat mixture. Do one quick turn around the pan with your sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Add another tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese. Add your beans next and again, do one quick turn around the pan with the sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Add another tortilla. You guessed it, sprinkle with cheese. Add the remaining half the of meat mixture and another turn around the pan with the sauce. Sprinkle with cheese. Add the last tortilla. Cover with remaining sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly. Uncover and bake another 5 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

Serves 6

Note: The purpose of sprinkling the cheese throughout is to help hold the entire lasagna together. You do not need much between the layers.