From our friends at eatbetteramerica: It’s pasta night and everyone gets an individual dish of stuffed manicotti. 52% less fat and 59% less sodium than the original recipe. Serve with a side salad of mixed greens, sliced oranges, radishes and bottled low-fat vinaigrette.

Prep Time: 30 min
Start to Finish: 1 hr 10 min
makes: 4 Servings

8 dried manicotti shells
Nonstick cooking spray
1 cup chopped fresh mushrooms
3/4 cup purchased shredded carrots
3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup light ricotta cheese or low-fat cream-style cottage cheese
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese (3 ounces)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 (14.5 ounce) can Muir Glen® no-salt-added diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Cook manicotti shells according to package directions; drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, for filling, coat an unheated large nonstick skillet with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium heat. Add mushrooms, carrots, and garlic to hot skillet. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or just until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Stir in ricotta cheese, ½ cup of the mozzarella cheese, the eggs, Parmesan cheese, and Italian seasoning. Spoon filling into cooked manicotti shells.
3. For sauce, place undrained tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Cover and blend or process until smooth. Stir in roasted red peppers. Spread about 1/3 cup of the sauce into the bottoms of four 12- to 16-ounce ungreased individual baking dishes or a 2-quart rectangular baking dish. Arrange stuffed manicotti shells in individual baking dishes or large baking dish, overlapping shells slightly if necessary. Pour remaining sauce over manicotti.
4. Bake, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes for individual baking dishes or 35 to 40 minutes for large baking dish or until heated through. Uncover and sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese. Bake for 5 minutes more. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutritional Information
1 Serving: Calories 360 (Calories from Fat 120); Total Fat 13g (Saturated Fat 7g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 140mg; Sodium 370mg; Total Carbohydrate 39g (Dietary Fiber 4g, Sugars 6g); Protein 22g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 90%; Vitamin C 190%; Calcium 40%; Iron 15% Exchanges: 2 Starch; 0 Other Carbohydrate; 2 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Medium-Fat Meat; 1 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 2 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

[Reprinted with permission]

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2,000 calories in just ONE meal? That’s an *entire day’s worth of calories! They’re out there in popular restaurants. And in FatFighterTV’s new Club 2000, we’ll show them to you and give you the low down on calories and fat. Our first entry comes from The Cheesecake Factory. Check out the stats in the video and let me know your thoughts.

*2,000 calories based on USDA guidelines and may vary per person.

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Have your carbs and lose weight, too! This simple pasta recipe from our friends over at FITNESS Magazine will help you put a healthy dinner on the table in just 20 minutes.

Makes: 4 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes

Ingredients
8 ounces whole wheat penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
4-6 medium tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
3 cups arugula, watercress and/or spinach, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
2 tablespoons crumbled Gorgonzola or other blue cheese

Directions
1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the onion and garlic until the onion is tender. Stir in the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and red pepper, if using. Cook, stirring, about 2 minutes, until the tomatoes are warm. Mix in the arugula, watercress, or spinach and heat until just wilted.
3. Spoon the pasta into bowls and top with the tomato mixture. Sprinkle with the toasted pine nuts and cheese.

Nutrition facts per serving: 362 calories, 12g protein, 55g carbohydrate, 12g fat (2g saturated), 5g fiber

[Reprinted with permission]

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Want to know what turns that plate of pasta into fat? Researchers from the University of California, Berkeley, have found a gene – called DNA-PK – that is responsible for turning carbs into fat. They say it gives them new clues about how the body metabolizes carbohydrates and how they contribute to obesity.

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This recipe for Easy Beef Stroganoff is courtesy of Jen at Skinny Habits for a Skinny Life. Jen says, “This recipe is one of my favorites – it doesn’t taste low calorie/fat at all! And it is sooo easy.” Enjoy!

4 (HUGE) Servings/5 pts ea. – (More info on Weight Watchers’ Points here)

4 T Onion Soup Mix
2 sm. onions, chopped
2 10 oz. packages sliced mushrooms
1 lb. sirloin steak, trimmed and chopped
1 1/2 C fat-free sour cream
2 t. cornstarch

Spray medium/large skillet with nonstick spray. Brown steak and remove from pan. Spray pan again with nonstick spray. Saute onions and mushrooms until soft.
Add meat to vegetables, and stir in the onion soup mix. Heat till bubbly, then add sour cream a little at a time, until meat is done.
If sauce is too thin, add corn starch and stir till it reaches your desired consistancy.

Serve over whole wheat/high fiber pasta. (Will need to add points)

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A few months ago, we talked about how more Americans are reaching for comfort foods in this tough economy. Now it seems many people are stretching their food dollars by eating casseroles, soup, pasta salad and macaroni and cheese.

Kansas City-based American Italian Pasta Co., the nation’s largest manufacturer of dry pasta, says sales of pasta products in the United States — including frozen and refrigerated pasta, canned pasta, soup mixes and prepared dinners — went up five percent last year to $6.4 billion.

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This time of year, I find myself using my slow cooker at least once or twice a week. It’s so easy to make a delicious, healthy meal and it makes the house feel so warm, I almost forget it’s cold outside. Here’s a recipe I make over and over – Puttanesca Chicken from Better Homes and Gardens Slow Cooker Favorites Made Healthy. I vary the pasta – sometimes orzo, other times whole wheat spaghetti. Last week, I used couscous. Yum!

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: Low 6 hours, High 3 hours
Makes: 6 servings
Slow Cooker Size: 3-1/2 – 4 quart

Ingredients:
2-1/2 to 3 pounds meaty chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, and drumsticks) skinned
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 26-ounce jar pasta sauce with olives
2 tablespoons drained capers
1 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel
3 cups hot cooked orzo (rosamarina)

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a 3-1/2 to 4-quart slow cooker. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper. For sauce, in a medium bowl stir together pasta sauce, capers, and lemon peel. Pour over chicken.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3-1/2 hours. Serve chicken and sauce over hot cooked orzo.

Nutritional Information per Serving:
315 calories, 8g total fat (2g saturated fat), 77mg cholesterol, 678 mg sodium, 30g carbohydrate, 3g fiber, 30g protein

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This Tomato Basil Pasta is so flavorful – fresh basil is my favorite!

Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh tomatoes, coarsely chopped – about 6-8
1 sweet onion, such as Vidalia, chopped
1 medium-size green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 cup packed basil leaves, chopped
2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces uncooked spinach fettuccine
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Combine all the ingredients except the fettucine and cheese in a large glass or ceramic bowl (not metal); stir well and cover tightly. Allow to sit at room temperature at least 4 hours; or overnight in the refrigerator. If refrigerating, bring to room temperature before serving.

Cook the pasta; drain but do not rinse. Toss the pasta with the fresh tomato sauce; divide among four plates. Sprinkle each serving with up to 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese.

Serving Suggestion
Serve this dish just slightly warm or at room temperature.

Variation
After tossing the pasta with the sauce, sprinkle a 15-ounce can of garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed) on top.

Makes: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 cup cooked pasta, 1-1/2 cups sauce, and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese

Each serving provides: Calories: 430, Total fat: 18 g, Saturated fat: 3.5 g, Protein: 12 g, Fiber: 7 g, Cholesterol: 5 mg, Sodium: 840 mg.

Source: American Dietetic Association Cooking Healthy Across America

[Reprinted with permission]

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