Recipes from July 20, 2006

Breakfast Fig and Nut Cookies
These oversized cookies are more like muffin tops, but calling them cookies makes them seem a bit more indulgent. They're chock-full of exercise-friendly ingredients like dried fruit and nuts. They're ideal with a glass of skim milk for breakfast after a morning workout.

3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1/4 Cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/4 Cup finely chopped dried figs - we substituted dried apricots as they are easier to work with
1/4 Cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup whole wheat flour
1/2 Cup unprocessed bran
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 Cup sliced almonds
2 tsp granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in chopped figs, cranberries and vanilla.
3. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, bran, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring just until moist. Gently fold in almonds.
4. Drop by level 1/4 cup measures 4 inches apart on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkly evenly with granulated sugar. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until almost set. Cool 2 minutes on pans. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks. Yield: 10 servings.

Greek Flavoured Turkey Burgers
From


Bursts of feta cheese, red onion, and fresh mint add spark to these flavorful burgers.

1 large egg white
1 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup chopped fresh mint we substituted fresh oregano
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 pound ground turkey
Cooking spray
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns,
split1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers,drained and cut into 1-inch strips

Place egg white in a large bowl; lightly beat with a whisk. Add onion and next 6 ingredients (through turkey); stir well to combine.

Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.

Add patties to pan; cook 8 minutes on each side or until done. Place patties on bottom halves of hamburger buns. Divide peppers evenly among burgers; cover with top halves of buns.

Note: To freeze extra servings, wrap each uncooked patty individually first in plastic wrap and then in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, thaw patties completely in refrigerator, and then cook and serve as directed. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burger) This is what we did

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 426(33% from fat); FAT 15.7g (sat 5.7g,mono 5.5g,poly 3.2g); PROTEIN 30.5g; CHOLESTEROL 101mg; CALCIUM 177mg; SODIUM 790mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 4.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40g

Creamy Spinach Lasagna
From


A less-sweet marinara sauce helps balance the flavor of this dish, with its smooth spinach sauce and rich mozzarella topping.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/4 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce, divided
Cooking spray
12 cooked whole wheat lasagna noodles, divided
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Parsley sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 10 minutes or until onion is browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and spinach. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 3 minutes or until spinach is tender. Set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, milk, salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a small saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add 2 cups milk mixture to spinach mixture. Cover remaining milk mixture, and set aside.

Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over sauce; top with half of spinach mixture. Top with 3 lasagna noodles, 1 cup marinara sauce, and 3/4 cup cheese. Layer 3 more lasagna noodles, remaining spinach mixture, and remaining 3 lasagna noodles. Top with remaining marinara sauce. Pour reserved milk mixture over the top, and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese.

Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until lasagna is browned on top. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 328(25% from fat); FAT 9.3g (sat 3.8g,mono 3.6g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 17.3g; CHOLESTEROL 19mg; CALCIUM 371mg; SODIUM 726mg; FIBER 6.9g; IRON 3.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.6gLorrie Hulston Corvin Cooking Light, MARCH 2006