Florentine Casserole

• 4 x 3 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pre-cooked, cut into cubes (rotisserie chicken works too)
• 1/2 box frozen spinach, thawed & squeezed to remove access liquid
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp flour (I used Bob's Red Mill all-purpose gluten free flour
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 cups no-salt added chicken broth
• pinch nutmeg
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 cup low fat cottage cheese, blended to make smooth consistency
• 2/3 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated (use small holes on grater)
• 1/2 pound whole grain pasta (I used brown rice spirals)
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Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Mist a 9 x 11 baking dish with oil. Cook pasta according to package directions. In a large pot, heat olive oil to medium-low and saute garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and whisk for 30 seconds. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened. Add lemon juice, nutmeg, oregano & pepper. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat and add blended cottage cheese, spinach, chicken, Parmesan cheese & pasta. Stir to combine. Place in casserole dish. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden & bubbly.

Quick Udon Noodle Miso Soup

Ingredients
1 cup water
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 cups baby spinach leaves or baby bok choy
12 ounces fresh udon noodles, cooked according to package directions and drained
5 scallions, diced
2 tablespoons white miso paste

Directions
Bring broth and water to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add in mushrooms and spinach or bok choy. Simmer for 5 minutes or just until leaves start to wilt and mushrooms are transparent. Place cooked noodle and diced scallions in the pot. Turn the heat off and whisk in the miso paste until combined. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.

Lasagna Soup

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

for the soup:
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
• 3 c. chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 c. chicken stock
• 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
• 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
for the cheesy yum:
• 8 oz. ricotta
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper
additional cheesy yum:
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Healthy Cheesy Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients

1/2	(8 oz) Package fat free cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup	Plain Greek yogurt (or low fat sour cream)
1 1/2 tbs	Spicy ranch dry salad dressing & seasoning mix (or the regular ranch dry mix will work)
1/2 cup	Shredded mozzarella cheese (or blue cheese)
1/2 cup	Franks Red Hot™ Buffalo Wing Sauce (more or less depending on desired heat)
1 1/2 cup	Chicken, cooked and shredded (or pulled)

Directions

The estimated time to make this recipe is 30 Minutes.

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a small baking dish with non-stick spray.

2 In a bowl, mix together the first 5 ingredients. Add the pulled chicken, and stir until well combined.

3 Spoon mixture into baking dish, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until dip is warmed through and cheese is melted. Serve warm with baked chips, celery sticks, or other veggies!

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients
6-8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup diced onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup honey
1/4 cup ketchup

 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 teaspoons cornstarch

 1/3 cup water
2 packets minute rice, optional
1/2 tablespoon (or more) sesame seeds

3 scallions, chopped

Directions
Place chicken in Crock Pot and lightly season both sides with salt and pepper.

In a medium bowl, combine onion, garlic, honey, ketchup, soy sauce, oil and red pepper flakes. Pour over chicken. Cook on low for 3-4 hours, or high for 2 hours.

Remove chicken to a cutting board, leaving sauce. Shred chicken into bite-sized pieces; set aside. Prepare rice according to package instructions.

In a small bowl, dissolve 4 teaspoons cornstarch in 1/3 cup water; add to crock pot. Stir to combine with sauce. Cover and cook sauce on high for ten more minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Add cooked rice to 4 plates, top with chicken and spoon sauce over top. Sprinkle evenly with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.