Freezes well: Simply cool completely, place in gallon zip top bag, and freeze. Thaw overnight in the fridge.

If you’ve got a hankerin’ for some spaghetti and meatballs…only to discover you have everything but the jar of sauce…make sure you tape this recipe to the inside of your cupboard to rescue you every time & it is SO easy to put together. And, for those of you looking for a way to use all of the beautiful tomatoes coming off the vines in your gardens–this is the PERFECT solution. Or, if you have a can or two of crushed tomatoes in your cupboard…you will have dinner on the table in NO time! I made a few minor changes, but credit is due to Ellie Krieger’s cookbook “The Food You Crave” {she’s on the Food Network and makes yummy food lighter}.

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped (about 3 cups)

8 cloves garlic, minced

6 Tbsp. tomato paste

56 oz cans crushed tomatoes (or 56 oz. worth of diced, fresh tomatoes—seeds removed)

1/4 tsp. chipotle powder

4 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. rosemary (fresh or dried)

1/2 c. fresh basil, torn into pieces (use ONLY fresh, no dried this time)

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper

*Boil large pot of water for 1 box of spaghetti. Cook pasta according to box directions.

*Heat oil over medium heat in 6-quart saucepan. Add onion and cook for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for additional minute.

*Add tomatoes, tomato paste, chipotle powder, oregano, rosemary, and salt & pepper. Stir well. Simmer for about 30 minutes {may need to cook a bit longer if using fresh tomatoes..you can smash them with a potato masher to hasten cooking and improve texture for this sauce}. Stir frequently.

*Add fresh basil (fresh herbs are added for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking time, dried herbs are added at the beginning of cooking). Cook additional 5 minutes.

This is enough sauce to toss the pasta in it and have a little leftover to pour over meatballs, if using.

You could also add browned ground beef or browned ground pork, if desired. For vegetarians—you can purchase veg. “hamburger” crumbles in the frozen foods section and simply add frozen and heat through.

Yields: 6 servings

SAUCE:

1/2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 red onion, very small dice

28 oz jar crushed, organic tomatoes (worth buying organic)

1 tsp. Kosher salt

3 grinds fresh, ground pepper

8 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade (WORTH buying fresh!)

SHELLS:

24 large pasta shells (I prefer Barilla or Prince pasta)

1/3 c. grated Parmesan Romano cheese

1 1/4 c. mozzarella

1 box frozen spinach (thawed & squeezed dry of liquid)—one time I use frozen

1 garlic clove, minced

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 deg. Spray 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

Saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat, stirring often, for about 4 minutes, or until translucent and fragrant (careful not to burn them). Add tomatoes and salt and stir well with a wooden spoon. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 6 basil leaves, stir. Simmer for another 10 minutes. (You can prepare shells while sauce is cooking).

Prepare shells according to box directions. Drain well. After draining, I like to then place them on a dinner plate so they are easy to access, don’t stick together, and cool a tad so you don’t burn your fingers when you stuff them.

Mix the Parmesan/Romano cheese, 3/4 c. mozzarella, spinach, and garlic together. Take a large dinner spoon and gently fill each shell with the cheese/spinach mixture.

Spread thin layer of sauce over bottom of pan. Place filled shells in pan. Pour remaining sauce over shells. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. mozzarella and remaining 2 chiffonade basil leaves.

Cover pan tightly with foil and bake for 30 minutes. If desired,  remove foil, and place under broiler for about 2 minutes to make cheese golden & bubbly.

Serve 4 shells to each guest.

To Chiffonade:

Place basil leaf flat on counter, stack remaining basil leaves, flat, one on top of another. Then, roll them up lengthwise into a long roll. Turn roll so it is laying with the rolled side facing you and the ends going to the left & right of you. Take a sharp knife and cut into small pieces (like you would slice cookie dough or cinnamon roll dough). When you “fluff” up the sliced basil, it will be in long, thin strips, or, chiffonade.

Your imagination could go wild with substitutions on fruit…you could do 4 c. apples & 2 c. cherries or 4 c. pears and 2 c. raspberries…the combos are practically limitless! The cinnamon and nutmeg pair well with any fruit…they add a warmth and “homey” flavor to almost any baked dish, so don’t think you have to omit them for the different fruits.

Serves: 1 person (or 6-8 if you share)

Filling:

4 c. peaches, peeled, pitted, & sliced to a medium thickness (or use frozen… I did)

2 c. blueberries, washed & drained (again, frozen work just fine)

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour (I like unbleached)

3/4 c. white sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Pastry Topping:

1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour  (unbleached)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1 Tbsp. white sugar

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

1/4 c. nonfat plain yogurt (I like Stoneyfield Farm or Trader Joe’s)

2 Tbsp. nonfat milk

********************************

Preheat oven to 350.

Spray 9” square pan with cooking spray

In a large bowl, combine fruits and flour…toss to mix well. In small bowl, combine sugar and spices, mix well (this ensures you don’t get any clumps of spices in the fruit since the moist fruit can sometimes “grab” clumps of spices).  Add to fruit and toss to mix well. Place in prepared pan and distribute evenly over bottom of pan.

{You can do this next step by hand or use a stand or hand mixer…follow same sequence of adding ingredients.}

In food processor, put flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Pulse to combine. Run processor on level 1 and add oil through feeding tube or oil dispenser JUST until combined. Add yogurt with same method. Finally, add milk. Stop processing as soon as mixture looks like a dough—over processing will lead to a tough crust when baked.

Lightly flour counter and turn dough out—it will be very soft and sticky. Add enough flour so dough is workable and gently knead 3-4 times…just until you can roll dough without it sticking to rolling pin. Create a 9” square with the dough. Flour your rolling pin and roll dough up onto rolling pin—sort of like you are rolling up a poster. Then, unroll dough over fruit mixture in pan. Cut a medium sized “x” in middle of dough. Sprinkle dough evenly with white sugar.

Bake for 40-50 minutes or until crust is golden brown and fruit is bubbly. Serve with ice cream, frozen yogurt…whatever you like.

Provenance: Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites cookbook (this is where I got the original recipe but changed quite a few things)

This is based on 2 recipes…a rub by Big Daddy (Aaron McCargo, Jr & one of my favs…Martha Stewart—“we’re not worthy” ). I’ve added a lot to the rub, so it really has become my own…but I believe in giving credit where it’s due…and the cooking method was from Martha.

1 1/2 c. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. Kosher salt (DON’T use this much if  you are using table salt, it will be like a salt lick…cut it down to 1 1/2 tsp. regular salt)

1/8 c. paprika (yes…1/8 CUP)

1 Tbsp. ground cumin

1 Tbsp. chili powder (more if you like)

1/2 Tbsp. cayenne (it’s a spicy rub!)

1 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp. chipotle powder

1/2 Tbsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder (I use garlic & onion powder on purpose, don’t sub. the real thing)

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl…use a whisk, it’s super quick and distributes everything evenly.

If you are using chicken pieces or even pork chops, put the rub in gallon zip top bag and shake 1 chop or 2-3 chicken pieces like it’s Shake n’ Bake…works fantastic! If you are making ribs or using it on steak, simply place the mixture on each side of meat, and rub it well into the meat, don’t skimp but don’t lay it on too thick.

No need to let it sit…it’s ready to grill or bake. Remember…sugar burns easily…so keep the grill/oven at a medium-high heat.

Easy Ribs:

Preheat oven to 400 deg.

Put rub mixture on both sides of uncooked ribs. Place on baking sheet. Cover TIGHTLY with aluminum foil.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours for 5 pounds of ribs). When tender and no pink remains, you can throw them on the grill for about 3-5 minutes per side to get a nice BBQ taste…baste with BBQ sauce if desired. Enjoy!

RUB:
2 tsp. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. onion powder

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 pork loin {usually about 1 1/2- 2 lbs}

CRUST:

1/2 red onion

2 whole garlic cloves

1 pkg. of fresh cilantro, stems removed {sold in produce section in a clear plastic container}

1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

2 tsp. olive oil

1/8 c. Panko breadcrumbs

2 tsp. yellow mustard

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Using a cast iron skillet or stainless steel skillet, place 2 Tbsp. olive oil in pan and heat on med-high heat. {It isn’t recommended to use nonstick skillets at this high of heat as they can release toxic fumes when heated to a high heat.}You want the pan hot before you add the meat {don’t heat so hot that the oil smokes}.

Add whole pork loin. Let meat sear for about 2 minutes, then roll 1/4 turn, sear 2 minutes, roll 1/4 turn…repeat until the entire roast is nicely seared and has a browned crust on it.

Place pork loin on a baking sheet.

Prepare rub by placing all ingredients in a small bowl & combine well, rub over entire top surface & sides of pork loin.

Prepare crust by placing all ingredients, except mustard, in a food processor. Pulse about 3 times to combine well. You want it to form a paste, but don’t blend it to death.

Brush yellow mustard onto top surface of pork loin with a pastry brush {I prefer silicone brushes so you don’t get bristles left on your food}. Spread remaining crust ingredients on top of  the mustard.

Roast pork for about 35-40 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 145 degrees. Remove from oven, leave in pan and place aluminum foil over pork in a “tent” fashion. Let meat sit 15 minutes before cutting.

Especially with pork, a meat thermometer is a necessary tool. If you cook it until no pink remains, it will be dried out. When you remove the meat and let it sit, it can rise almost another 10 degrees. At 145, the meat will have a slight “blush” to it, where it is slightly pink. Years ago, it wasn’t safe to serve pork that had even a hint of pink, this was due to the threat of acquiring trichinosis. This was mostly related to the food the pigs were fed. Farming standards have changed and now you can serve pork with a slight hint of pink, as long as the thermometer reads at least 145 degrees, inserted in the thickets portion of the roast.

{provenance: Melissa d’Arabian”. I changed many ingredients, but wanted to give credit where credit was due }

6 med-large potatoes, cut into 1/4″ pieces (I like Yukon Golds for this)
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 3/4 c. milk
1 1/4 c. shredded cheddar
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg (nutmeg and cheese is a delightful combo)

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9×13 pan with cooking spray.

Cook sliced potatoes in boiling water for 5 minutes (don’t skip this step, I did first time and it was a mistake). Drain well. Spread out evenly in prepared pan.

In 1 qt. saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic. Cook for about 1-2 minutes (stir often), until garlic begins to release fragrance. Add flour, whisking constantly. Cook for about 1 1/2 minutes (don’t stop whisking!), this cooks out the “floury taste”. Add milk, whisking until blended well and no lumps remain. Cook until at a slow boil. Remove from heat.

Stir in nutmeg, salt, pepper, and onion powder. Whisk to combine. Add cheese. Mix with wooden spoon until cheese is melted. Pour evenly over potatoes.

Sprinkle lightly with a bit more Kosher salt and pepper.

Bake for 40 minutes, or until top begins to brown and mixture is bubbly. Let stand 10 minutes before serving, to thicken slightly.

These store very well in the fridge and may even taste better the second day.

2 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast

2 c. very warm water {105-115 deg}

1 tsp. Kosher salt

2 tsp. olive oil {plus a bit extra for bowl}

5-6 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

2 Tbsp. honey

3 Tbsp. cornmeal

1 Tbsp. Italian seasoning {optional}

2-3 jars pizza sauce

3-4 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

various desired toppings {pepperoni, cooked sausage, sliced veggies, mushrooms, pineapple (my fav!), onion, etc}

Place yeast and honey in warm water…blend well and set aside for 5 minutes {this is called “proofing the yeast” as you are bringing it back to life from a dehydrated state. A thick, foamy layer will form on the top of the water, this is a good thing and means the yeast is activating}.

Place 3 c. flour and salt in mixing bowl. Attach dough hook. Blend briefly to mix well. Add yeast mixture and blend well. Slowly add remaining flour {you may not use it all, so add about 1/2 c. at a time}. Stop adding flour when dough clings to dough hook and sides of mixer bowl are cleaned. Dough should be very slightly tacky {or sticky} to the touch.

Remove dough from bowl, LIGHTLY coat bowl with olive oil, form dough into a ball and place into oiled bowl {toss dough to cover all sides with oil}. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and place in a warm place, away from drafts, until doubled in size {about 1 hour}. An easy way to do this is to heat your oven to it’s lowest setting {usually 170} and place the covered bowl on top of your stove. The heat will radiate from the vents on top of your stove and is a nice temperature to encourage the rising process.

Preheat oven to 425 {place pizza stones or baking pans in oven to preheat as well, if you don’t preheat the pans, you will sometimes have soggy pizza crust in the middle of the pizza}. Divide dough into 3 pieces, place 1 piece of dough on well-floured surface. Use floured rolling pin to make 15” circle.

Sprinkle baking stone or baking pan with 1 Tbsp. cornmeal. Place dough on pan, top with pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, and toppings of your choice.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is golden brown and bubbly.

1 c. nonfat milk

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/2 c. pumpkin puree

2 egg whites

1/4 c. vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

1/2 c. raisins

2 Tbsp. molasses, unsulphured

3/4 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. white flour

1/2 c. whole wheat flour

3/4 c. oat flour (3/4 c. old fashioned rolled oats blended in food processor until consistency of flour)

OPTIONAL: 1/3 c. chopped pecans

*Preheat oven to 350

*Line muffin tins with foil cupcake liners (I prefer using foil as opposed to paper, foil peels off easier).

{If you would like to prepare these as bars, simply spray a 9X13 pan with cooking spray, pour in batter, and bake as you would for the muffins.}

*Combine lemon juice and milk in glass measuring cup, stir, set aside for at least 5 minutes.

*In large mixing bowl, combine next 11 ingredients (pumpkin puree through Kosher salt). Add milk. Whisk until well combined.

*Add white flour, wheat flour, (pecans, if using), and brown sugar to pumpkin mixture. Use wooden spoon to combine, ensuring to scrape bottom of bowl to incorporate all ingredients well.

*Place about 1/8 c. of batter into prepared muffin tins (batter should not be overflowing, but liners should be about 2/3 full). If you like, you can sprinkle some rolled oats on top of the batter before baking.

*Bake for about 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean

*Cool in muffin tins for about 5 minutes, then place muffins on wire rack and cool completely. Store in airtight container on counter for about 3 days. These FREEZE VERY WELL.

Utilizing some simple ways to shave off some unwanted fat and calories can put some extra sparkle in your table decorations, a delicious & beautiful dish on your holiday table—with no guilt trips afterward. And, to top it all off, this is VERY simple to throw together and doesn’t require the lengthy baking time of the traditional pumpkin pie.

The texture is a bit softer than traditional pie, but has that classic pumpkin pie flavor. Yum!

Serves: 8

FILLING:

16 oz can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling)

3 egg whites

1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed

1/2 c. evaporated SKIM milk

2 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 tsp. molasses (optional, but lends a rich depth of flavor)

STRESEL TOPPING:

3/4 c. oat flour (grind up 3/4 c. old fashioned rolled oats in food processor until consistency of flour)

3 Tbsp. unbleached, white flour

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

2 1/2 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

**********************************

Preheat oven to 350

Spray 9-inch pie pan with cooing spray.

In large bowl, mix ingredients for filling. Combine well with a whisk. Pour into pie pan.

In medium bowl, combine streusel topping. Combine well with wooden spoon. Sprinkle a thin, even layer over filling mixture (you may not use all of the topping)

Bake, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes or until filling is set (doesn’t jiggle) and is lightly brown on top.
Cool on wire rack. Serve at room temp. Leftovers need to be covered and refrigerated.