Baked Ziti

Ah, there's nothing like comfort food at it's finest on a gloomy day.

Baked ziti is just one of those things that becomes an instant family favourite. It can pick you up and lift your spirits on a cold wintery day.

A steaming dish of golden cheesy tomato baked pasta heaven.

Mmm, melty cheese!

Do I have your attention?

It might shock you to learn that this comforting pasta dish is actually quite good for you. Here's a secret, ever play hide the vegetables? If you have kids, you know what I mean. It has 2 cups of shredded carrots, 1 whole onion, basil, and is bursting with tomatoes + homemade marinara sauce. Even the pickiest eaters in your family couldn't say no. Sure it looks and tastes like a traditional baked ziti that's packed with unhealthy fat and salt (not to mention heavy cream) but it's one of the cleanest pasta dishes you'll ever make. 

The perfect crowd pleaser. Great for entertaining large groups.

Easy to throw together in 20 minutes. Then you get to sit back and relax while it cooks.

Baked Ziti

(makes 9 - 1 cup servings)

(Slightly adapted fromThe Eat Clean Diet For Family & Kids)

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Ingredients: 

• 1lb extra lean ground turkey
• 2 Cups shredded carrots
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced fine
• 3 cloves of garlic, passed through a garlic press
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 Cups homemade Marinara Sauce (or 1 can of no-salt added tomatoes)
• 1 Cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 8 oz gluten free rotini
• 2 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 Cup - 3/4 Cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook turkey, carrots, onions, and garlic until nicely browned. Add chicken stock, marinara sauce, pasta, and basil.
3. Reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes. Pasta should be cooked al dente.
4. Turn pasta mix into baking dish. Sprinkle top with shredded mozzarella.
5. Place in oven and baked for 20 minutes or until cheese is melted and golden.

This also makes great leftovers for easy lunches packed with nutrition and energy. 

Vegetable Chicken Soup with Orzo

Are you getting sick of pumpkin yet?

I've got a veggie soup that will fix that. Starring the lovely whole grain kamut in the form of orzo pasta.

Heads up! We're going savory today.

With the influx of fall and colder weather all I would like to do is hunker down and eat hot soup.

Like this one. 

It's seriously becoming one of my favourite soups. Whenever I make it I'm always sure to make enough for lunch leftovers the next day. I have never tried orzo before until I made this. It's shape is similar to rice but it's texture is very tender and soft.

The parmesan cheese may seem like a strange addition to vegetable soup, but believe me it's a match made in heaven. The older the parmesan cheese, the better. It will have less fat and even more flavour. It's also high in calcium. But whatever you do don't buy that pre-grated stuff. It's just not fresh.

I highly recommend you get a really nice rye or pumpernickel loaf of bread to go with this on the side. Perfect for swiping the bowl with!

Vegetable Chicken Soup with Orzo (serves 4-6) adapted from Chicken & Vegetable Soup

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Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 1 cup brussels sprouts, cut into halves
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1-2 whole sprigs of thyme
• 1 (14 oz) can no-salt added tomatoes
• 4 cups of no-salt added, fat-free chicken broth
• 1/2 cup dry (uncooked) kamut orzo
• 1 cup green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup grilled chicken, shredded
• Grated Parmesan cheese for topping (about a tablespoon per bowl)

Directions:

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat heat the olive oil. Swirl to coat the pan.
2. Add onion, carrot, brussels sprouts, garlic, black pepper and sea salt. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring every so often until the onions are translucent. 
3. Add chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a low rolling boil. Then add the orzo and green beans; cook 3-5 minutes more. Stir in the shredded chicken.
4. Taste and add more salt/pepper if needed.
5. Serve hot and top with grated parmesan cheese.