Foodie Moodie

Cinnamon Mocha Biscotti:

∆ Ingredients Required
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•1/2 cup butter or 1/2 cup margarine, softened

•1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

•1/2 cup white sugar

•1 tablespoon instant espresso or 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules

•2 large eggs

•1 teaspoon vanilla

•2 cups all-purpose flour

•1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

•1/4 teaspoon salt

•1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

•1 cup chopped pecans

•1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

•1/2 cup cinnamon baking chips (If cinnamon chips are unavailable in your area, use an additional 1/2 cup miniature chocolate morsel)

∆ Directions to Prepare
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Preheat oven to 325°F on convection bake setting.

note that if you do not have a convection oven setting baking times will have to be increased a bit at all stages in the recipe.

Combine butter, sugars and espresso or coffee granules in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add vanilla and mix briefly.

Add flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon and mix until well blended.

Fold in pecans, chocolate morsels and cinnamon chips.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Scoop dough out onto paper and form into a large rectangle, ¾-inch thick.

Bake 25 minutes, or until firm.

Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes.

Use a serrated knife to cut the dough into ½-inch thick slices.

Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and return to the oven for 8 minutes.

Turn and bake 8 minutes more.

Remove from oven and cool completely on wire racks before storing in an airtight container.

Foodie Moodie

Vegetable Lasagna:

∆ Ingredients:

•2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•3 large carrots, chopped (about 1 cup)
•1 red bell pepper, chopped
•1 medium zucchini, chopped
•1 medium yellow onion, chopped
•1/4 teaspoon salt
•5 to 6 ounces baby spinach
•1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes
•1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh basil + additional for garnish
•2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
•2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
•2 cups (16 ounces) low-fat cottage cheese, divided
•1/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
•Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
•9 no-boil lasagna noodles
•8 ounces (2 cups) freshly grated low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella cheese

∆ Instruction:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

To prepare the veggies: In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil. Once shimmering, add the carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, yellow onion, and salt. Cook, stirring every couple of minutes, until the veggies are golden on the edges, about 8 to 12 minutes.

Add a few large handfuls of spinach. Cook, stirring frequently, until the spinach has wilted. Repeat with remaining spinach and cook until all of the spinach has wilted, about 3 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, to prepare the tomato sauce: Pour the tomatoes into a mesh sieve or fine colander and drain off the excess juice for a minute. Then, transfer the drained tomatoes to the bowl of a food processor. Add the basil, olive oil, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes.

Pulse the mixture about 10 times, until the tomatoes have broken down to an easily spreadable consistency. Pour the mixture into a bowl for later (you should have a little over 2 cups sauce). Rinse out the food processor and return it to the machine.

Pour half of the cottage cheese (1 cup) into the processor and blend it until smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to large mixing bowl. No need to rinse out the bowl of the food processor this time; just put it back onto the machine because you’ll need it later.

Transfer the cooked veggies and spinach mixture to the bowl of the food processor. Pulse until they are more finely chopped (but not puréed!), about 5 to 7 times, stopping to scrape down the sides as necessary. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of whipped cottage cheese. Top with the remaining cottage cheese, then add ¼ to ½ teaspoon salt (to taste) and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Stir to combine. Now it’s lasagna assembly time!

Spread ½ cup tomato sauce evenly over the bottom of a 9” by 9” baking dish. Layer 3 lasagna noodles on top (snap off their ends to fit, and/or overlap their edges as necessary). Spread half of the cottage cheese mixture evenly over the noodles. Top with ¾ cup tomato sauce, then sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.

Top with 3 more noodles, followed by the remaining cottage cheese mixture (we’re skipping the tomato sauce in this layer.) Sprinkle ½ cup shredded cheese on top.

Top with 3 more noodles, then spread ¾ cup tomato sauce over the top (you may have a little sauce leftover) to evenly cover the noodles. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded cheese.

Wrap a sheet of foil around the top of the lasagna (don’t let it come into contact with the cheese). Bake, covered, for 18 minutes, then remove the cover, rotate the pan by 180° and continue cooking for about 10 to 12 more minutes, until the top is turning spotty brown.

Remove from oven and let the lasagna cool for 15 to 20 minutes, so it has time to set and cool down to a reasonable temperature. Sprinkle additional basil over the top, then slice and serve.

Foodie Moodie

"Food Affects Your Mood Swings, So, Eat Healthy And Live Healthy."