Whole Wheat Chili Mac

I love basic, one-dish meals. Even better if they only dirty one pan. This one definitely fits the bill. Plus, it's cheap, at less than $5 for the entire recipe if you shop at Aldi. I think this is going to become a fall and winter staple in our house. I modified it because I don't like things that are super spicy, and a couple of reviews complained it was hot. So I removed the chiles, used regular diced tomatoes instead of Mexican stewed tomatoes, and played with the chili powder and cumin measurements a bit.

Whole Wheat Chili Mac

Adapted from WeightWatchers.com

12 oz 93% lean ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 1/4 cups tomato sauce
15 oz can diced tomatoes
2 1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
15 oz can kidney beans, rinsed & drained
1 cup whole wheat elbow macaroni (dry)

Saute ground beef in skillet with onion until browned. Drain off fat. Add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes (with their liquid), chili powder, and cumin. Bring to a boil. Stir in beans and macaroni, return to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer 15 minutes or until pasta is tender. Serve with fat free cheddar and sour cream, if desired.

Makes 6 1 1/4 cup servings.

Farmer's Market Ratatouille

I scored quite a haul for a very cheap price at our local farmer's market this week, and I am eager to use up all of these beautiful veggies! Ratatouille seemed like a great way to combine a lot of them together and "eat the rainbow," so to speak, so I stuck it in the Crock Pot for a light, pre-workout dinner.

Farmer's Market Ratatouille

1 medium eggplant, diced
1 medium yellow summer squash, coarsely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
8 oz can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp minced garlic or 1 clove, minced

Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2 hours. Stir in snipped fresh basil just before serving, if desired.

Slow Cooker Lemon-Garlic Cornish Hen

This recipe is my first "original creation" for this blog! When I bought the cornish hen, I originally intended to grill it, but that day turned out to be stormy...not so great for grilling. So I decided to cook it in the slow cooker instead. I used my trusty 2 1/2 qt slow cooker, which is perfect for two people, and doesn't heat up the kitchen like the stove or oven.

Slow Cooker Lemon-Garlic Cornish Hen

1 cornish game hen, giblets discarded (mine was 20 oz raw weight)
3-4 medium red potatoes, quartered
1 small onion, halved
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt
fresh lemon with peel, quartered

Place potatoes in bottom of 2 1/2- or 3-quart slow cooker. Take one half of onion and separate layers, spreading over potatoes. Mix spices together and rub all over inside and outside of hen, getting between the meat and skin as much as you can. Put remaining half of onion and one lemon quarter inside cavity. Place hen on top of potatoes in slow cooker. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low 6-8, or until meat is cooked through. Remove skin before serving.

Spaghetti Pizza

I love pasta, in case you couldn't tell. ;) I found the original version of this recipe on the Weight Watchers website, where it was a featured "makeover." I made it over even further, to make it even more WW-friendly. I also pared it down because with only two of us in this house, we don't need 8 or 10 servings of anything.

Spaghetti Pizza

6 oz whole wheat spaghetti
2 egg whites
1/3 cup skim milk
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp basil
3/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
4 1/2 oz fat free mozzarella
16 oz bottled fat free, sugar free pasta sauce (I used Whole Foods 365 Fat Free Pasta Sauce)
1 oz pepperoni, finely julienned*

Break spaghetti into 2-inch pieces and cook until al dente. Drain, rinse, and allow to cool. Meanwhile, beat egg whites in a medium bowl until frothy. Stir in milk, seasonings, and 1/3 cup mozzarella. Pour spaghetti mixture into bottom of 8x8" glass baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, spread pasta sauce over spaghetti and top with remaining cheese. Spread pepperoni evenly over top. Reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake for 20-25 more minutes or until cheese is browned and bubbly. Makes 4 servings.

Note: I reduced the cooking times slightly because I reduced the overall amount of the recipe. Your mileage may vary depending on your oven (mine is pretty hot). The original baking times were 15 minutes for the spaghetti "crust" and 30 minutes for the overall product.