Gourmet Tuna Noodle Casserole

Tuna noodle casserole is a quintessential American dish. If you’re looking for a hearty, quick and easy meal to whip up for dinner, you’ll definitely want to give this recipe a try. It’s inexpensive, nutritious and you get more bang for your buck. You can serve this casserole for family dinner night, a casual get together or your next potluck. Even though it may seem less convenient, prepare this gourmet tuna-noodle casserole with as many fresh ingredients as possible to make sure you’re getting the highest nutritional value possible. Mix the ingredients with cooked pasta, pop the dish in the oven and you’re good to go—it’s great comfort food at it’s finest.

Ingredients needed

• 8 ounces dried whole wheat pasta, such as rotini
• Vegetable spray oil
• 12 ounce can albacore tuna in spring or distilled water, drained and flaked
• 10.75 ounce can low fat, reduced sodium, condensed cream of chicken soup
• 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 8 ounce can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained, coarsely chopped if desired
• ½ cup fat free milk
• ½ cup fat free or light sour cream
• 2 medium green onions (green and white parts), thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon snipped fresh dillweed
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup cornflake crumbs (about 1 ¼ cups flakes)

Prepare the pasta using the package directions, omitting the salt and oil. Drain well in a colander. Transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan with vegetable oil spray.

Stir the remaining ingredients except the cornflake crumbs into the pasta. Spoon the mixture into the baking pan, smoothing the top. Sprinkle with the cornflake crumbs.

Bake for 30 minutes or until the mixture is warmed through and the cornflake topping is crisp and golden brown.

 

Nutrition information

• Serving size – 1 ½ cups
• Calories – 321
• Total fat – 3.0g

Saturated – 1.0 g

Polyunsaturated – 1.0g

Monounsaturated – 0.5g

• Cholesterol – 30 mg
• Sodium – 571 mg
• Carbohydrates – 51 g

Fiber – 8 g

Simple sugar – 7 g

• Protein – 23 g

 

Cornbread and Sausage Stuffing

Cornbread stuffing, a Southern favorite, is a nice change from more traditional white-bread stuffing. Our delectable recipe uses Italian turkey sausage, rather than pork, and omits all the butter and cream to cut the fat by two-thirds. The stuffing is lower in sodium as well and so easy to make that it’s sure to become a favorite side year-round.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage, (about 4 links), casings removed
• 2 cups finely chopped onion
• 1 1/2 cups finely chopped celery
  
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 pounds prepared cornbread, cut into 3/4-inch cubes (about 12 cups)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1 1/2-3 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring and breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add onion and celery; cover, reduce heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add cornbread, parsley and sage.
3. Bring broth to a simmer in a small saucepan. Pour 1 cup over the stuffing mixture and toss gently (the cornbread will break into smaller pieces). Add as much of the remaining broth as needed, 1/2 cup at a time, until the stuffing feels moist but not wet. Spoon the stuffing into the prepared pan and cover with foil.
4. Bake the stuffing until thoroughly heated, about 25 minutes. Serve warm.

Tips: 

Prepare through Step 3, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. Bake at 350°F until hot, about 30 minutes.

*As seen on http://www.eatingwell.com

Healthy Sweet Potato-Pecan Casserole Recipe

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching. Known as the holiday for over eating, I am taking time this month to share with you several healthier recipe options for your upcoming holiday parties.

This sweet potato-pecan casserole is everything you want in a holiday dish: It’s satisfying, but won’t leave you stuffed.

Ingredients: 

• Cooking spray
• 3 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 5 medium), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Mist an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray.

Bring a few inches of water to a boil in a pot with a large steamer basket in place. Put the sweet potatoes in the basket, cover and steam until tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl and let cool slightly. Add the honey, egg, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, the nutmeg, ginger and 1/2 teaspoon salt; whip with an electric mixer until smooth. Spread the sweet potato mixture in the prepared baking dish.

Mix the brown sugar, pecans and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in a bowl; sprinkle over the potatoes. Bake until hot and beginning to brown around the edges, 40 to 45 minutes.

*As seen on http://www.foodnetwork.com 

Weighing Your Options

When it comes to managing your weight, it really comes down to making more good eating choices than bad choices. Now, if only it were that easy. We all know that the opportunities to eat bad food, fast food, and too much food are literally around every corner. With all of this convenience to make bad eating choices, we need to weigh our options before we make that bad eating choice that is going to make us feel bad for eating poorly. Before you drive through that fast food restaurant, eat way more than you should, or go crazy eating at the next party, take a second to run through this checklist.

• Is It Worth It? Are a few moments of satisfaction from eating bad food worth the despair you’re going to feel for the next several days or even weeks for making a bad choice?
• Remember When – remember how you felt the last time you made bad eating choices and how bad it made you feel. Remember asking yourself “why did I do that?”
• It All Adds Up – Every single choice you make adds up over the long run. If your good eating choices outweigh your bad eating choices, great things will happen; keep the scale in your favor.
• Be Honest and Be Accountable – journal your food, both good and bad. But, write down EVERYTHING you eat and drink and be honest with yourself by leaving nothing out. This leads to accountability and can help you make the good outweigh the bad. Read your journal often and make a point to review it often.

Weight management is a part of life. It is different for all of us and some of us have a lot tougher time than others at being successful at having and maintaining a healthy body weight. Whatever your challenges may be with your weight, constantly remind yourself of how good it feels when you make the right food choices, especially when that choice was made in the face of temptation.  And, take another step to where you really want to be and smile.

Salmon with Red Wine-Morel Sauce

Intake of salmon has been connected to a decreased risk of numerous cardiovascular problems, such as heart attack, stroke, heart arrhythmia and high blood pressure. Try this Salmon with Red Wine-Morel Sauce. Serve with barley tossed with parsley and steamed broccoli.

Ingredients:

1 1/2-ounce package dried morel or porcini mushrooms
1 cup boiling water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
3/4 cup dry red wine
1 cup seafood stock or bottled clam juice (see Note)
1 teaspoon butter
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 1/4 pounds wild-caught salmon fillet, skinned (see Tip) and cut into 4 portions

Preparation:

1. Combine mushrooms and boiling water in a small bowl. Soak until the mushrooms are softened, 12 to 15 minutes. Strain the soaking liquid through a paper towel-lined sieve into a bowl. Rinse the mushrooms; finely chop. Stir together 1 tablespoon of the soaking liquid and cornstarch in a small bowl.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute more. Stir in wine and cook, stirring, until reduced to about 1/2 cup, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the remaining soaking liquid and seafood stock (or clam juice) to the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, 10 to 14 minutes.
3. Stir the cornstarch mixture and stir it into the simmering sauce. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in butter, lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
4. Meanwhile, season salmon with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the salmon and cook until just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Serve with the mushroom sauce.

Note: Bottled clam juice can be high in sodium. Try Bar Harbor brand, which has 120 mg sodium per 2-ounce serving. Look for it near canned fish or in the seafood department.

*As seen on http://www.eatingwell.com