Spinach Lasagna Rolls

This is very very yummy!  I made it last night and we all loved it.  John even said it was, "good considering there is not much meat in it".  The white sauce base mixes with the marinara sauce and makes it creamy and yummy...

Adapted slightly from Giada De Laurentiis/The Food Network

Prep Time: 10 minutes    Cook Time: 45 minutes    Level: Intermediate   Serves: 6-8

For the sauce:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 2/3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• Pinch ground nutmeg

For the lasagna:

• 1 (15-ounce) container whole milk ricotta cheese
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
• 3 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, chopped
• 1 large egg, beaten to blend
• 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for salting water
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 12 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce (24 oz. size)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella (about 4 ounces)

To make the sauce: Melt the butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk. Increase the heat to medium-high. Whisk the sauce until it comes to a simmer and is thick and smooth, about 3 minutes. Whisk the salt, pepper, and nutmeg into the béchamel sauce. The sauce will continue to thicken as it stands.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

To make the lasagna: Stir the ricotta, spinach, 1 cup Parmesan, prosciutto, egg, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl to blend.

Add a tablespoon or 2 of oil to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil the noodles until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain. Arrange the noodles in a single layer on a baking sheet to prevent them from sticking.

Butter a 13-by-9-by-2-inch glass baking dish. Pour the béchamel sauce over the bottom of the prepared dish. Lay out 4 lasagna noodles on a work surface, then spread about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture evenly over each noodle. Starting at 1 end, roll each noodle like a jelly roll. Lay the lasagna rolls seam side down, without touching (not sure why she stipulates this, ours did just fine snug up against one another), atop the béchamel sauce in the dish. Repeat with the remaining noodles and ricotta mixture. Pour jar of marinara sauce over the lasagna rolls. Sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan over the lasagna rolls. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until heated through and the sauce bubbles, about 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the cheese on top becomes golden, about 15 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes.

This tastes good!

250 calories

25 grams carbs

20 grams protein

3 grams fiber

Citrus salad dressing

Sounds good
from Dr Weil

Citrus Salad Dressing

Description

This tart, sweet salad dressing is wonderful on dark, leafy salad greens like romaine or leaf lettuce tossed with orange segments, black olives and red onion slivers. Food as Medicine Oranges and orange juice contain a potent phytonutrient called herperidin, which has been shown to lower blood pressure and total cholesterol in animal studies.

Ingredients

1/3 cup fresh orange juice 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Whisk all the ingredients together or combine in a small jar and shake well. Keeps in the refrigerator for 2 days.

Get Thinner with chocolate?

Too good to be true?

Here's what Dr Weil thinks:

Actress Katherine Hepburn credited her famously slim build to "a lifetime of chocolate," and now a new investigation from California suggests that eating chocolate is "calorie neutral" and doesn't cause weight gain. Researchers from the University of California, San Diego set out to test the hypothesis that eating small amounts of chocolate on a regular basis wouldn't contribute to weight gain. They analyzed information from 1,000 overweight but not obese men and women and found that those who ate chocolate most often tended to consume more calories overall, including saturated fat, but weighed five to seven pounds less than people who didn't eat any chocolate. This held true regardless of age, gender or amount of exercise reported by the chocolate-eaters. The difference seemed to hinge on how often the participants ate chocolate, not how much they ate. The study was published online on March 26, 2012 by the Archives of Internal Medicine.

My take? Chocolate has many health benefits - it is a source of polyphenols (the same type of antioxidants found in red wine), and the fat it contains, stearic acid, doesn't affect cholesterol levels. In addition, research has indicated that the flavonoids in dark chocolate may help reduce the stickiness of platelets, cells that play an important role in blood clotting. As a result, blood takes longer to clot, reducing the risks of coronary artery blockages. Chocolate's polyphenols also appear to boost levels of HDL (the "good" cholesterol) and lower LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) at least in the lab. I have long recommended good-quality dark chocolate as a healthy snack, as long as you don't go overboard. An ounce or two a few times a week is good for you, but it's not a strategy to lose weight. I'll be interested to learn what it is about chocolate that explains the findings that people who eat chocolate regularly are thinner than those who don't.

Healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cake

Justin made this for our FHE treat last night and it was delicious!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

• 1 cup of oats, cooked in 2 cups of water and left to cool
• 1 cup of whole wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup of honey (or agave nectar for a vegan version)
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Cook the oatmeal on the stove, just like for breakfast, and set it aside to cool. Preheat the oven  to 350°. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl, and grease a square cake pan (we like to use coconut oil).

When the oatmeal has cooled (not cold, just cooled from simmering), mix in the honey and peanut butter and add to the other ingredients. Stir in the chocolate chips (if you want the chips to stay separate, you’ll have to wait for the oats to cool. Otherwise, you get chocolate swirl cake.)

Pour into the pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Serve hot for a treat with ice cream (think hot fudge sundae), or cool it completely and serve as cake.

Broccoli Pasta

Can you tell I get the Dr Weil emails? I've read and enjoyed his books for years.

Simple and healthy - I tried it and it was delicious (and I didn't even have capers).

Broccoli Pasta

Description

The quintessential flavors of Italy - olive oil, garlic, Parmesan, and red wine vinegar - combine to dramatic effect in this simple dish. Experiment with different types of pasta to find the variety your family most enjoys. The secret - avoid overcooking the pasta or the broccoli. Food as Medicine Broccoli is a rich source of kaempferol, a flavonoid that may help to reduce the effects of allergy-promoting substances in the body. The immune-modulating effects of kaempferol may help to explain why broccoli has unique anti-inflammatory benefits. Broccoli is also an excellent source of vitamins A, C and K.

Ingredients

1 lb broccoli or broccolini 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 6 or more large cloves garlic, finely minced or mashed 1 tsp hot red pepper flakes or more to taste 1 lb pasta (penne, rotini, etc.) 2 tablespoons capers and 1 tablespoon of their brine 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese dashes of red wine vinegar to taste salt

Instructions

Trim ends off broccoli stalks, peel them below outer fibrous layer and cut them in chunks. Cut broccoli heads (or broccolini) into bite-size pieces. Heat oil in a small skillet, add red pepper flakes and garlic, stir-fry for one minute, remove from heat. Add pasta to a large pot of boiling water. When pasta is approximately two minutes from being done al dente,add broccoli or broccolini, and cook just until the vegetable is crisp-tender. Drain pasta/broccoli mixture well, toss with capers, brine, salt to taste, and 3/4 cup cheese. Add vinegar if desired. Serve with additional cheese and red pepper flakes.

The health benefits of Kale

Kale is among the most nutrient-dense of all vegetables. One cup provides 1,327 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for vitamin K, 192 percent of the DV for vitamin A and 88 percent for vitamin C. The Tuscan Kale Salad is one of the most popular dishes at True Food Kitchen, a line of restaurants based on Dr. Weil's nutrition insights.

I like to add it to soups or saute it in olive oil and garlic - with a splash of balsamic vinegar at the end. It also makes a great salad. You can see Dr Weil make Tuscan Kale Salad here.

So - buy it at the store and grow it in your garden - it's easy and very pretty.