Recipes from May 17th.

Black Bean Lasagna

The filling for this lasagna has a Southwestern flavor that's similar to that of black-bean burritos. 4 jalapeño peppers( we only used 1 for 2 lasagna's)
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green bell pepper( we bought a pack of reduced peppers so we used more than the recipe called for and some were yellow and orange)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups chopped tomato
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 (8-ounce) carton reduced-fat sour cream
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 (16-ounce) bottle chunky salsa
Cooking spray
12 cooked lasagna noodles
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Preheat broiler.Cut jalapeños in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 4 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 5 minutes. Peel and chop. Reduce oven temperature to 375°.Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell peppers, and garlic; sauté 6 minutes. Add tomato, cumin, and coriander; cook 3 minutes. Add jalapeño and beans; cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat; cool 10 minutes. Stir in cilantro, sour cream, and egg.Spread 3 tablespoons salsa in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles slightly overlapping over salsa, and top with half of the bean mixture, 1/2 cup cheese, and 3 tablespoons salsa. Repeat the layers, ending with noodles. Spread remaining salsa over noodles, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese. Cover and bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 5 minutes. Yield: 8 servings( we got 12 servings out of it)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 452(25% from fat); FAT 12.6g (sat 6.7g,mono 3.4g,poly 1.3g); PROTEIN 21.8g; CHOLESTEROL 55mg; CALCIUM 262mg; SODIUM 559mg;
FIBER 7.5g;


Chicken Biriyani

Biriyani is a baked Indian dish of spiced rice combined with chicken, seafood, or other meats. This version omits the baking step while maintaining the authentic flavors. Whole-milk yogurt keeps its creamy texture when cooked; don't substitute low-fat yogurt, which will curdle.

3 cups water
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, crushed
1 1/2 cups uncooked basmati rice
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces( we used chicken breast)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 serrano chiles, seeded and minced( we used 1 jalapeno)
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped dry-roasted cashews( we used honey roasted from the bulk bin)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro

Bring water, 1 teaspoon salt, and saffron to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add rice and cinnamon stick to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Discard cinnamon stick.Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove chicken from pan; cover and keep warm. Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt to pan.Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring occasionally. Add curry and the next 5 ingredients (curry through serrano chiles); cook 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add yogurt, stirring with a whisk; cook 3 minutes or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Add chicken and raisins; cook 4 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Add rice; stir well to combine. Sprinkle evenly with cashews and cilantro. Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 435(26% from fat); FAT 12.7g (sat 3.2g,mono 5.1g,poly 3.2g); PROTEIN 22.8g; CHOLESTEROL 68mg; CALCIUM 84mg; SODIUM 942mg; FIBER 1.9g; IRON 2.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 59.2g

Banana-Cinnamon waffles.

Crown these lightly spiced waffles with cinnamon sugar, sliced bananas, and/or a drizzle of maple syrup. Buckwheat flour adds a somewhat tangy, robust nuttiness.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed( we ground this ourselves in a coffee grinder)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups fat-free milk( we used 2% since we needed it for another recipe)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 large ripe banana, mashed
Cooking spray ( our members waffles iron does not need to be sprayed)
Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, flaxseed, and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk.
Combine milk, butter, and eggs, stirring with a whisk; add milk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until blended. Fold in mashed banana.
Preheat a waffle iron. Coat iron with cooking spray. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter per 4-inch waffle onto hot waffle iron, spreading batter to edges. Cook 3 to 4 minutes or until steaming stops; repeat procedure with remaining batter. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 2 waffles)

NUTRITION PER SERVING CALORIES 215(31% from fat); FAT 7.4g (sat 3.3g,mono 1.9g,poly 1.4g); PROTEIN 7.3g; CHOLESTEROL 65mg; CALCIUM 133mg; SODIUM 205mg; FIBER 3.4g; IRON 1.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 31.1g


Macaroni and Cheese with whole wheat garlic breadcrumbs.

For bread crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs ( we used 100% whole wheat bread)
2 to 3 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk(egads, we used 2% milk and it was still rich and creamy)
2 cups heavy cream( see above note)
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 lb macaroni
2 lb extra-sharp Cheddar (preferably white), grated
Make bread crumbs:Heat butter and oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook garlic and bread crumbs, stirring, until crumbs are golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt.
Make macaroni:Preheat oven to 350°F. Chop chipotles.
Melt butter in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over moderate heat, then add flour and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, cream, and mustard and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes.
Cook macaroni in a 6- to 7-quart pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain in a colander and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in white sauce, cheese, and salt to taste.
Fill a 1 1/2-quart shallow casserole with half of macaroni mixture. Stir chipotles into remaining macaroni. Spoon into another 1 1/2-quart shallow casserole and sprinkle both with bread crumbs. Bake casseroles in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until bubbly.
Cook's note:Macaroni and cheese may be made 2 days ahead, put into casseroles, cooled completely, and chilled, covered. Do not add bread crumbs until ready to bake. (Baking may take longer than 30 minutes.)Serves 8 adults plus 10 children as part of a buffet.

The above dish shows that you can still modify a recipe to make it healthier. We thought about buying whole wheat pasta instead of the white cavatapi that we ended up using. However, Randi felt that the flavor of the whole wheat would be too strong to compete with the strong flavour of the white cheedar that we ended up using. So, each member of the kitchen was sent home with a 1 cup serving in a small foil dish. This macaroni and cheese is meant to be a side serving with a heart healthy entree such as baked fish.