Story originally printed in the La Crosse Tribune or online at www.lacrossetribune.com

 

Published - Saturday, July 12, 2008

500 Club: Throw out your recipes for summer

By ANDREA LOLA | Special to the Tribune

Summer can be fun and laidback — yet crazy and hectic at the same time.

For some of us, staying on track with our nutrition and weight goals is more challenging during the summer months than during the cold-weather holidays. One way to stay on track this summer is by freeing yourself up in the kitchen. Instead of scrambling through your cookbooks to find a meal for supper, try a “recipe” that calls for a box of this and a stalk of that. The beauty of cooking is that you can learn a method and carry it through by experimenting with a variety of foods.

The method I use most often is to mix and match food groups. First, I make sure to include a starch, protein, vegetable and, of course, flavor in my dishes. I then combine homemade taste with convenience. With all my ingredients in mind, I have started a list, added to it and adjusted it along the way as a quick meal guide. Two of my favorite no-recipe “recipes” are listed below. Although they have similar ingredients, the flavors are different.

I enjoy using these for dishes to pass at a party, family gathering or for a weeknight dinner. I now experiment with no-recipe soups, potato salad, sauces and pizza. My goal is to sneak veggies into any dish I can, because it is a challenge for me to eat them plain or on the side of a meal. I do love recipes, reading

cookbooks and trying new things, but the reality is, most days out of the week and for many special events, I rely on my no-recipe “recipes.”

Both recipes below can be prepared ahead of time, decreasing unneeded stress on event day or during hectic days of the week.

Pasta Bake

1 box dry pasta, any variety

1 large jar or can of pasta sauce (homemade if you have it)

1/2 to 1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese or a couple handfuls of shredded Mozzarella

Fresh Parmesan or Asiago cheese

A small container of 1 percent cottage cheese

1 pound cut-up cooked chicken or browned lean ground beef

Fresh spinach, several handfuls (break up the leaves)

1 stalk of fresh broccoli

Canola or olive oil

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a deep or wide rectangular baking dish with cooking spray or oil. In a medium pot, heat pasta sauce and add cooked meat to warm through.

In a second pot, boil the pasta 2 to 3 minutes less than total recommended time. While pasta is boiling, wash broccoli/drain and trim spinach leaves. Cut cheese into cubes if using fresh mozzarella. Get your grater or micro plane ready for the fresh Parmesan or Asiago and take out your cottage cheese.

Drain and rinse the pasta when cooked, toss pasta with a drizzle of oil. In the greased baking dish, put a layer of pasta sauce (with the meat) on the bottom, add spoonfuls of pasta, sprinkle in the mozzarella cheese and add 4 to 5 spoons of cottage cheese. Next, layer broccoli and spinach leaves. Take grater or micro plane and shred fresh Parmesan or Asiago cheese over the pasta mixture. Repeat these steps with remaining ingredients. With a large spoon or your hands, squish ingredients together.

Cover dish and bake for about 30 minutes. Uncover pasta dish after 20 minutes and bake for the last 10 minutes or until cheese melts and is bubbly.

Tips:

  • If you cook your meat in large batches ahead of time, freeze and thaw when ready to use. The preparation for this meal is even faster and less messy.

  • You can leave the dish in the oven a bit longer (1 hour) at a lower temperature (300 to 325 degrees) if you choose to catch up on laundry, exercise or play with your kids during the baking process.

    Pasta Salad

    1 box dry pasta, any variety

    1/2 to 1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese or a couple handfuls of shredded Mozzarella

    Fresh Parmesan, or Asiago, cheese

    1 stalk broccoli

    1 handful of baby carrots, 2 whole carrots or a couple handfuls of shredded carrots

    1/4 to 1/2 diced red onion

    1 bunch of green onions

    Fresh spinach — several handfuls (break up the leaves)

    2 or 3 diced roma tomatoes or 1 to 2 handfuls of halved grape tomatoes

    Chopped-up fresh herb if you have it: basil, parsley, cilantro or dill

    Zest of one lemon

    Fresh juice of 1/2 of lemon

    Salt and pepper to taste

    1 bottle basil (or other herb) Asiago/Parmesan oil-vinegar-based salad dressing

    In a medium pot, cook pasta 2 to 3 minutes less than package directions.

    In a large bowl, add the cut-up or diced vegetables.

    Drain and rinse the pasta in cold water, once cooked. Add pasta to bowl with veggies. Zest in the lemon, and squeeze in the lemon juice. Add the mozzarella cheese. Grate Parmesan or Asiago cheese right into the bowl, enough to make a layer. Add a fresh herb if you have it, plus salt and pepper. Gently mix all ingredients together.

    Add dressing to taste.

    Tip:

  • Consider serving the pasta salad with a grilled meat one night, add tuna to it and have for your lunch the next day!

    Andrea Lola is a registered dietitian at Gundersen Lutheran Medical Center. The 500 Club is a healthy-eating program coordinated by Gundersen Lutheran registered dietitians, and its members include restaurants, grocery stores, delis and vending companies.

     

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