Low Fat Spinach Recipes

Ingredients:

12 oz dried lasagna noodles -or 1 pound fresh lasagna noodles
3 cup low-fat milk
1/3 cup all-purpose white flour
2 oz reduced-fat cream cheese -3 tablespoons
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese -2 ounces
1/2 tsp salt -plus more to taste
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper -plus more to taste
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
20 oz frozen chopped spinach -thawed and squeezed dry
3/4 cup low-fat 2% cottage cheese
6 oz sweet italian-style turkey sausage -removed from casing
1 tsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried marjoram or oregano
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
7 oz roasted red peppers, drained and chopped -about 3/4 cup
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup grated part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles until barely tender
(8 minutes for dried, 1 minute for fresh). Drain and rinse under cold
water. Spread the noodles on clean kitchen towels, cover with plastic wrap
and set aside.

2. In a large saucepan, heat 2 1/2 cups of the milk over medium heat until
steaming. Meanwhile, put flour in a small bowl and gradually whisk in the
remaining 1/2 cup milk until smooth; whisk into the hot milk and stir
constantly over the heat until the sauce comes to a simmer and thickens.
Continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Whisk in
cream cheese, then Parmesan, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and
nutmeg. Set the cheese sauce aside.

3. In a bowl, stir together spinach and cottage cheese. Season with salt
and pepper. Set aside.

4. In a large nonstick skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat,
breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it is no longer pink, about 2
minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and chop fine. Set aside.

5. Wipe the skillet clean and add oil. Return the pan to the heat, add
onions and cook, stirring, until well-browned, about 6 minutes. Add garlic,
marjoram or oregano, and fennel seeds and cook for 1 minute longer. Stir
in peppers, wine and the cooked sausage and simmer until the wine has
nearly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with
salt and pepper.

6. Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly oil a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or coat it
with nonstick cooking spray.

7. Smear the bottom of the prepared dish with 1/2 cup of the cheese sauce.
Line the bottom with a single layer of noodles. Spread half of the spinach
mixture over the noodles. Spoon on another 1/2 cup of sauce and use a
rubber spatula to spread it evenly. Add another layer of noodles, top with
all of the sausage mixture and another 1/2 cup sauce. Add a third layer of
noodles, the remaining spinach mixture and another 1/2 cup sauce. Finish
with the remaining noodles and sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella.

8. Lightly oil a large piece of aluminum foil or coat it with nonstick
cooking spray, and use it to tightly cover the dish. Bake the lasagna for
30 minutes. Uncover and bake for about 15 minutes more, or until lightly
browned and bubbling. Let stand for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and
serve.

Makes 8 servings.

400 calories per serving: 23 grams protein, 11 grams fat (3.9 grams
saturated fat), 49 grams carbohydrate; 520 mg sodium; 19 mg cholesterol; 2
grams fiber.

Busted by: Gail Shermeyer <4paws@netrax.net>



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Preparation Time: 0:00

Servings: 8