Alfredo Chicken Lasagna Roll-Ups

I wanted to try something a little different than the Cheesy Lasagna Roll-Ups I made the last time, and ended up creating this confection.

Since I used more butter/cheese to make the sauce rather than simple tomato sauce, the points value got a little bigger. That being said, I enjoyed this version a bit more (probably because of the sauce, but especially because I used pulled chicken instead of ground turkey). Let me put it this way: it's worth it to just have one noodle this time around and pair it with some fresh zucchini or green beans. The creamier sauce will help fill you up a bit more than the tomato sauce, too.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that it is a really good meal for those days when your family eats at different times. So if one person eats at 6 pm and the others eat at 9 pm, this meal can easily be set aside to be put in the oven when each family member is ready.

Also, this may sound strange, but to any of you out there who like the outer shells of crab rangoon... the bottom part of the noodles somehow really reminded me of them (minus the crab).

Enjoy!

ALFREDO CHICKEN LASAGNA ROLL-UPS

Servings: 1-2 noodle(s)/person

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 6+/noodle

Ingredients:

• For the Noodles/Filling:
• Lasagna noodles
• 1 large egg white, gently beaten
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp oregano
• 1-1.5 cups Low-fat ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup Weight Watchers Italian Blend cheese
• About 6-8 oz pulled chicken
• For the Cream Sauce:
• 3 TBSP skim milk
• 2 TBSP butter
• 2 TBSP Parmesan cheese
• 2 TBSP corn starch

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. In a small bowl, combine egg white, spices, and cheeses.
3. Chop/pull chicken into small pieces (if necessary).
4. In a small stovetop pan, heat butter and milk, gradually adding in Parmesan cheese and corn starch to help create a thicker consistency (you may need more or less).
5. When noodles have finished cooking, run under cool water and set aside.
6. Fill pasta with the cheese mixture and chicken, rolling each noodle.
7. After placing all of the rolls in a nonstick pan, pour a few spoonfuls of cream sauce on top of each noodle.
8. Bake for about 15-20 minutes (until cheese is melted) at 350° F.
9. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal

I know pumpkin is most commonly used in the fall, but who's to say you can't enjoy it during the other three seasons? It offers a ton of vitamin A (beta-carotene) and tastes fantastic when paired with the right spices. Again, in my attempt to diversify my breakfast ideas, I present another option for eating oatmeal (which has a bit more protein than cereal). Hello, yummy!

PUMPKIN SPICE OATMEAL

Servings: 1

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 4+ for pumpkin oatmeal only, 7+ with 2 TBSP of walnuts added (included in values below)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Instant Oatmeal
• 1/2 cup Pumpkin
• 1/4 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk
• To taste: Pumpkin Pie Spice (or cinnamon), Stevia sweetener (I used 2 packets)
• Optional: whipped cream topping, 2 TBSP walnuts

Directions:

1. Cook oatmeal according to instructions (using water).
2. Add 1/4 cup almond milk (or regular milk) to moisten the oatmeal.
3. Stir in 1/2 cup of pumpkin and add spices to taste.
4. Top with whipped cream and walnuts, stirring them into the oatmeal if you'd like.
5. Enjoy!

Protein-Packed Strawberry Cheesecake Bowl

I've been trying to avoid the whole "pour myself a bowl of cereal" thing in the morning and trying to come up with some more creative options for breakfast-type foods. In my attempt to put some more protein into my diet, I created this wonderful dish... my protein-packed strawberry cheesecake bowl. Although it's still no dessert from Cheesecake Factory, I will say this is a pretty tasty treat and a wonderful start to the day. I usually pair my bowl with a cranberry almond protein bar to help bulk-up the meal, but that part isn't really necessary if you just want a small, filling snack. And with 24 g of protein (34 g with the protein bar) and a quarter of your daily value of calcium, who could go wrong?

PROTEIN-PACKED STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE BOWL

Servings: 1

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 4+ (no protein bar included), 7+ (protein bar included)
* Note: Protein bar pictured above is not included in the nutrition facts below.

Ingredients:

• 1 container Dannon Light & Fit Greek strawberry yogurt
• 1/2 cup lowfat cottage cheese
• Optional: fresh strawberries, cranberry almond protein bar

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir.
2. Enjoy!

Ranch Alfredo Pasta Bake

Alright, this dish is an official Cooking Cadenza creation, with no outside recipe even so much as a guideline. Instead, this culinary experiment was born solely in my kitchen with me making pasta as usual and then heating (somewhat) random ingredients over a stovetop pan. I already can think of a few adaptations (texture/nutrition wise) I would include should I make this in the future (which I more than likely will), but it was fabulous as is (far better than my Baked Turkey Penne could have ever hoped to be). I mean, unless you're lactose intolerant, who doesn't love pasta with a special homemade alfredo sauce?

RANCH ALFREDO PASTA BAKE

Servings: 4-6

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 10+ for 1/4 serving (listed below), 7+ for 1/6 serving

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Whole Wheat Penne Pasta
• 2 TBSP Light Margarine
• 2 TBSP Fat Free Cream Cheese
• 3 TBSP Parmesan cheese
• 1 TBSP Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
• 5 TBSP Milk
• Secret extra ingredient: 2 packets Stevia (or 2 tsp sugar)
• 1 cup WW Italian Blend Cheese
• 1/2 lb pulled chicken (or boneless skinless chicken chunks)

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to package directions and preheat oven to 350° F.
2. In a small stove top pan, combine margarine, cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, ranch mix, milk, and Stevia, stirring them together.
3. Coat pasta as much as possible with the stovetop mixture.
4. In a small casserole dish, coat the bottom part of the pan with some of the Italian shredded cheese. Layer some of the pasta/alfredo sauce on top of the cheese and add chicken pieces.
5. Continue layering ingredients (cheese/pasta/chicken), until you have reached the top of the pan. Place remaining cheese/sprinkle some additional Parmesan cheese on top of the dish.
6. Cook pasta for about 15-20 minutes or until cheese begins to melt.
7. Enjoy!

Strawberries & Cream Pie

So for my birthday, I asked that my Nana make her special Strawberry Cheesecake Pie. It was delicious, but full of not-so-good-for-you stuff, so while this recipe still includes those things, the ingredients were a bit altered for my mom's recent birthday (not too much, though). Unfortunately those slight alterations somehow resulted in this pie not having the same consistency as cheesecake, but it did still have a yummy taste. While I will still need to do some tweaking to this recipe in the future (both healthy nutrition/consistency-wise), it does make for a pretty tasty treat as is. Enjoy!

STRAWBERRIES & CREAM PIE

Servings: 8

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 7+ per slice

(Note: Fresh strawberry topping is included in the nutritional values listed below, but not in the WW+)

Ingredients:

• Reduced Fat Keebler Graham Cracker Crust
• 8 oz 1/3 Less Fat Philadelphia Cream Cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup powdered sugar (I WILL try and cut this in the recipe next time)
• 1/2 tub Fat-Free Cool Whip
• Fresh fruit for topping

Directions:

1. Add 1 tsp vanilla to softened cream cheese and stir (add a splash of milk to make mixture a tad creamier if necessary).
2. Using a mixer, gradually add in 1 cup powdered sugar into the bowl.
3. Next, take a spatula and gradually fold in cool whip to the batter.
4. When mixed, pour batter into the center of the pan and coat the entire pie crust.
5. Let sit in the refrigerator before topping with fresh fruit.
6. Enjoy!

   

   Blueberry letter "C" (you know, for Cooking Cadenza... 
   or for my mom's first initial, as it was her birthday treat)

Almond-Dipped Strawberries & Homemade Crunch Bars

One of my latest creations was one that I made for my family this past Easter... Almond-Dipped Strawberries and Homemade Candy Bars. Everyone knows how much I love almond flavoring (if not, see my Almond Cupcakes for Two), and seeing as chocolate gives me migraines (no joke), I wanted to try something a little different than the cliché chocolate-covered strawberries. Enter almond bark. 

I had seen strawberries dipped in orange-colored almond bark before to imitate carrots, and figured Easter would be the ideal time to try and give this recipe a go.

I will be honest and say that although this recipe seems simple enough (melt and dip, right?), it actually is quite an art to try and keep the almond bark from crystalizing/hardening and taking the consistency of a thick icing. After a few cubes, I finally realized the trick was to heat it over the stove (not the microwave), turning the heat on low and off every few seconds while stirring. Also, don't worry about adding the food coloring until you have the consistency that you want (also, to use 3x more yellow coloring than red).

Knowing these secret tips now would really help speed up this process in the future for an easy and simple treat. But not knowing this along the way lead to the creation of my homemade candy bars (again, chocolate-free for those who are intolerant like myself... I'm literally sparing myself the headache here). Instead of a nice melting mixture, I had a whole bowl full of thick icing-like almond bark. Now when life hands you lemons, you find a friend with some sugar and vodka and have a party. When life gives you goopy almond bark, you add crunchy cereal and make your own (non-chocolate) Crunch bars.

Obviously both recipes are loaded with sugary-goodness and by no means fall under my "healthy" eating recipes, but they are both wonderful treats for a special occasion or party. Enjoy!

ALMOND-DIPPED STRAWBERRIES & HOMEMADE CRUNCH BARS

Servings: Enough to feed a party of 20+ people!

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 0+ for the strawberries, other points depend on amount of almond bark used...

Ingredients:

• Almond bark cubes
• Food coloring
• Strawberries
• Corn Chex cereal

Directions:

Almond-Dipped Strawberries:

1. Wash strawberries and dry using paper towel to remove any excess water. Set aside.
2. In a small stovetop pan, heat a few cubes of almond bark for a few seconds on low, consistently stirring the mixture. DO NOT allow the mixture to get too hot or it will crystalize and become hard, giving chunks to the dip. To prevent this, turn off the heat after a few seconds of melting.
3. When mixture is the correct consistency, add food coloring (3x as much yellow than red).
4. Dip strawberries into almond bark and set on plate covered in wax paper.
5. Allow strawberries to cool in order for the coating to harden.
6. Enjoy!

Homemade Almond Crunch Bars:

1. In either a microwave or small stovetop pan, heat a few cubes of almond bark on low. Stir in coloring food coloring.
2. Gradually add in crumbled Corn Chex (or any other type of crispy cereal), stirring into the mixture.
3. Pour mixture into cookie cutter shapes on top of wax paper and let set in the refrigerator.
4. When cool, pop out the shapes from the cookie cutters.
5. Enjoy!

(Vegan-Friendly) Lentil Loaf

I'm sure you've all seen it, that commercial where the girl invites a guy over to her house for lunch and her mom prepares a nice meat and cheese tray for them to enjoy. The girl then says, "No, not good! He's a vegetarian!" and she and her mom quickly take to the internet to find some good vegetarian recipes (sadly, I couldn't find the commercial on the internet, so I've included Veganville with Justin Timberlake for your video link enjoyment instead). Now take the guy in the commercial and make him a vegan instead of a vegetarian. Obviously, your go-to dish is....? And pause. Crickets begin chirping. Ummmm... I don't have any tofu in the house, but fruits and veggies are vegan, right? Now what recipe do I have that I can I make using just those ingredients....? Hmmmm... let me look on the internet at my favorite cooking blog.

Have no fear, Cooking Cadenza is here! 

This recipe was inspired by my friend Daniel who joined my family for our Easter celebration this past Sunday. While my family's typical Easter brunch usually consists of vingadolge (Portuguese pickled pork), scrambled eggs, breakfast casserole (sausage, egg, cheese), and pastries, none of those foods are typically consumed by a vegan. So Daniel went ahead and sent me a recipe for lentil loaf, which when paired with veggies/fruits can make for a nice vegan dish. So next time you have a vegan joining you for dinner, you'll be prepared. Enjoy! 

(Vegan-Friendly) LENTIL LOAF

Servings: 6

Nutritional Information:

WW Points Plus: 5+ (not counting fruits/veggies), 7+ (fruits/veggies included)
Note: Nutritional value listed below is for 1/6 serving and includes all fruits/vegetables

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked lentils (about 1 c uncooked, with 3 cups water)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 c walnuts, chopped
• 24 Ritz crackers, crushed (about 1 cup)
• Bag of frozen vegetables
• Garlic salt, to taste
• 1 cup natural applesauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• Optional: 1/4 cup BBQ sauce, 1/4 cup oatmeal

Directions:

1. Cook lentils according to package directions. Be careful to not use too many lentils, as they will expand with the water (think quinoa/rice).
2. Preheat oven to 350° F.
3. Chop 1/2 onion and and set aside.
4. Crush about 24 crackers (or about 1 cup) and set aside.
5. When lentils are finished cooking, add in onion, walnuts, and crackers and stir.
6. Next, mix in the bag of frozen vegetables, applesauce, and ketchup, adding garlic salt to taste.
7. Pack mixture into a small baking pan and top with ketchup/barbeque sauce and sprinkle some oatmeal on top.
8. Bake for about 40 minutes and enjoy!