Nellie & Phoeb's

Design, Food, Kids, Laughter, Love...

In the Kitchen- Leaner Lasagna

Leaner Lasagna Recipe

(with ground turkey, whole wheat noodles, & reduced fat cheese)

 
I started making this years ago, when the big brands first started selling whole wheat lasagna noodles.  I sub the ground beef for lean ground turkey, the full fat ricotta cheese for the reduced fat option, & sometimes sneak additional vegetables (like spinach) into the sauce.  I do use full fat mozzarella because it melts & browns better.  Served with a salad, this is a well balanced meal, & a more nutritious, leaner option for lasagna!
 
I recently broke my 9X13 glass baking dish, so I used 2 smaller baking dishes & put half the ingredients in each dish.  I had planned on freezing one & baking the other, but forgot & stuck them both in the oven, oops!  There are 5 of us & half of a lasagna is just enough for one meal, so next time I am freezing the other half.  One recipe = 2 meals.
 The ingredients (fresh parsley & water not pictured).  Fresh grated parmesan would have been better, but I used what I had on hand.
 Mix the ricotta, eggs, parmesan, parsley, & 1 cup of the mozzarella.
 Brown the ground turkey, drain the fat if there is any, add water, sauce, & vegetables of your choice, simmer for about 10 minutes.
 Layer 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of your baking dish(es), then 1 cup of the ricotta mixture, then 3 noodles.  Since I used 2 smaller pans, I put 1/2 cup of sauce, 1/2 cup of the cheese mixture, broke the noodles in half & put 3 halves in each dish.
Repeat the last step 3 times, making 3 full layers.  Top with the remaining shredded mozzarella.

 Cover tightly with foil, & bake for 45 minutes.
 Remove the foil, & broil for 3 minutes to brown the cheese.

Semi-guilt-free lasagna. Enjoy!
 

 

Leaner Lasagna Recipe (adapted from Ronzoni Healthy Harvest)


 
Ingredients:
 
1 lb lean ground turkey
1 jar spaghetti sauce or 3 cups of homemade sauce
1-1/2 cups water
15 oz container of part skim ricotta chesse
2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
9 whole wheat lasagna noodles (1/2 package)
Optional vegetables- spinach, mushrooms, grated carrots, zucchini
salt & pepper
 
Instructions:
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, 1 cup of mozzarella, eggs, & parsley, set aside.  Brown ground turkey in a medium sauce pan, drain fat, add water, spaghetti sauce, salt & pepper, & any additional vegetables, simmer for 10 minutes.  Add one cup of sauce mixture to the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish, layer 3 noodles, then 1 cup of the ricotta mixture.  Repeat until you have 3 full layers.  Top with remaining mozzarella cheese.  Cover tightly with foil & bake for 45 minutes.  Remove foil & broil on high for 3-5 minutes until cheese lightly browns.
 
*Feel free to use less of the cheese mixture to cut additional calories.


In the Kitchen- Sweet & Sour Pickles

Homemade Sweet & Sour Pickles Recipe

 
A nice neighbor of mine was giving away cucumbers from her garden last week, & another neighbor volunteered me to make us some pickles!  I made a batch last summer, after my friend Jenny posted a recipe, so I used that recipe again.  They turned out great, a little too sweet for me, but my husband loved them!  I didn't have any fresh dill, so I used dried dill, 1/4 cup, which is 1/3 the amount of fresh that the recipe calls for. 
 
The pickles are ready to eat after 24 hours in the brine, & last 2 weeks refrigerated.
Find the recipe here.
 
If you have a dill pickle recipe you love, please share it in the comments below!
 



Cheers!

DIY- Custom Family Name Art

Make Custom Family Name Art 

From Your iPhone or Android

I am obsessed with the Rhonna Designs App on my iPhone (also available on Android).  I have been making family name art, quotes, & Rodan and Fields party invitations for the last couple of months.  You can email them as JPEG files & print them from your computer, I've printed up to an 8x10 & it looked fantastic!  You can also post them on Instagram or Facebook, or text them.  The app is only a couple bucks, & they are constantly adding new design packs, they are about a dollar.  It's so simple!  I am posting a few of my favorites. 
 
Download it, play around with it, & get creative!
Here is a link to download the app: Rhonna Designs
 
 
 
 
 
 
 




In the Kitchen- Sauteed Cabbage & Ramen

Sautéed Cabbage & Ramen Recipe

 
 

Sautéed Cabbage & Ramen Recipe

Ingredients:
2 packs of beef flavored Ramen
1 small head of cabbage
1 large yellow onion
3 cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper

Instructions:
Quarter cabbage, remove core, & slice about 1/2" thick.  Slice onion about 1/4" thick.  Finely mince garlic.  Heat olive oil in large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add garlic, let it cook for one minute, then add the onion.  Cook until the onions become soft.  Add the cabbage, salt & pepper, cook until the cabbage is soft, letting the onions & cabbage brown some (be sure to scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan, that's the best part).

In a separate pan, cook both packages of Ramen according to the instructions.  Once the noodles are done, drain the water before adding the beef season packets.  Pour the noodles into the cabbage pan & stir.  Add additional salt if needed.

*This makes a lot, & it microwaves great, so you can take the leftovers to work for lunch!