Red Gazpacho

prep: 30 minutes, plus chilling

serves: 8 (1 cup portions)

you’ll need…

1 slice day-old bread, crusts removed

3 cups cold water, divided

9 ripe tomatoes (about 2 pounds) cored, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped (or 1 28-ounce can of tomatoes)

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled

2 tablespoons Sherry vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

let’s get to it…

(You may have to do this recipe in batches if your blender or food processor is not large enough)

Soak the bread in 1-cup of the water for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and place bread in a blender or food processor.

Add the remaining water, tomatoes, red bell pepper, cucumber, garlic and vinegar. Blend or process the mixture until smooth. While the machine is running, slowly add the olive oil.

Taste the gazpacho and add salt and pepper if desired.

Refrigerate until chilled.

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Nutrition Note: For this recipe, 1 slice white bread, tap water, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp salt was accounted for in Nutrition analysis

Nutrition Facts per serving

Total Calories                         104

Total Fat                                 7g

Saturated Fat                         1g

Trans Fat                                0g

Cholesterol                            0mg

Sodium                                  173mg

Total Carbohydrates             9g

Dietary Fiber                          2g

Sugars                                      5g

Protein                                     2g

Spaghetti Squash with Roasted Red Pepper Alfredo

prep: 20 minutes

cook: 30 minutes

serves 6

you’ll need…

1 spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds), cooked 
3 roasted red peppers, roughly chopped
½ cup heavy whipping cream
1 egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, finely minced or pushed through a garlic press
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
½ cup diced red pepper, optional

let’s get to it…

Remove “spaghetti” from inside squash and place in a large bowl and keep warm.

Blend roasted red peppers, whipping cream and egg in a blender until smooth; set aside.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat. Add minced garlic. Whisk in roasted red pepper cream mixture. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Do not boil!

Stir ½ cup cheese into mixture and simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour cream sauce over spaghetti squash and toss gently. Garnish with remaining Parmesan cheese and diced red pepper if using. Serve immediately.

Cheesy Chicken and Chorizo Empanadas

prep: 30 minutes
bake: 20 to 25 minutes

makes 12 empanadas

you’ll need…

2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I pulled mine off a store-bought rotisserie chicken)
12 ounces chorizo (Mexican sausage)
8 ounces Chihuahua cheese
1 package Goya Puff Pastry Dough for Turnovers, thawed
1 egg, lightly beaten
chopped cilantro or parsley (optional)

let’s get to it…
Remove enough meat from a store-bought rotisserie chicken to make 2 cups; set aside.

Heat chorizo in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking up meat with a spoon. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and drain on a paper towel. Add drained chorizo to chicken and mix.

Spray a kitchen grater with anti-stick cooking spray. Grate Chihuahua cheese; set aside. (You can also buy shredded Chihuahua cheese.)

Place oven rack in middle of oven. Heat oven to 375°F.

Separate thawed dough rounds on work surface. Roll out each one slightly to make them easier to fold.

Spoon meat mixture and cheese evenly onto center of each of the 12 dough rounds. Brush edges of dough with beaten egg. Fold dough into half-moon shape. Press down edges with a fork or twist edges gently to seal.

Place empanadas on baking sheets spaced 1-inch apart. Brush tops of empanadas with remaining beaten egg.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and filling is hot. Top with fresh chopped cilantro or parsley if desired.

Kale and Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

prep: 20 minutes
cook: 50 minutes

you’ll need…
1 15-ounce container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg white
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 Portobello mushrooms, cut into ¼-inch slices
3 cloves garlic, finely minced or pushed through a sieve
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 cups coarsely chopped kale (wash kale and discard stems before chopping)
1 24 ounce jar pasta sauce
9 sheets no boil lasagna noodles
1½ cups grated part-skim mozzarella cheese

let’s get to it…
Move an oven rack to the middle of the oven. Heat oven to 350°F.
Mix ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg white in a medium bowl; set aside.
Heat oil in large sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes; stir in minced garlic and red pepper.
Add kale in batches, and cook until wilted but still bright green, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Spread ½-cup of sauce on the bottom of the cooking dish. Top with 3-noodles, ⅓ of the remaining sauce, ⅓ of the ricotta mixture, ⅓ of the mushrooms and kale and ½ cup mozzarella cheese. Place another 3-noodles on top, another ⅓ of the the sauce, ⅓ of the ricotta mixture, ⅓ of the mushrooms and kale and ½-cup mozzarella cheese. Top with the final 3 noodles and remaining ricotta mixture, mushrooms and kale and mozzarella cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 30-minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce bubbles around edges of the pan. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.