March class

I am so excited for the next class. I have been scouring my cookbooks and trying recipes...and gaining weight from it! The class is scheduled for March 10th. If you would like to sign up for that class or if you will not be able to make the new date please let me know. There is still room!

TJ's will stop selling single item foods from China

WASHINGTON (AFP) - US grocery chain Trader Joe's said Monday it would stop selling food imported from China due to customers' concerns about the products' safety.

"Our customers have voiced concerns about products from this region and we have listened," Trader Joe's spokeswoman Alison Mochizuki said in a statement.

"All single ingredient food items sourced from mainland China sre scheduled to be out of our stores by April 1," she said.

"We will continue to source products from other regions until our customers feel as confident as we do about the quality and safety of Chinese products."

A series of consumer scares last year involving harmful products from major exporter China, including seafood, cat food, medicines and toys, led to mass product recalls and the tightening of US safety regulations.

Trader Joe's, which focuses partly on selling organic food, was founded in California in the 1960s.

The Worst Food in America

Men'sHealth has ranked the 20 Worst Foods in America. The winner is surprising! Who would have thought that a gigantic plate full of cheese fries from Outback Steakhouse is bad for you? Not only does it have 2,900 calories but fortunately it also provides you with 182 g fat and 240 g carbs!
"Even if you split this "starter" with three friends, you'll have downed a dinner's worth of calories before your entree arrives. Follow this up with a steak, sides, and a dessert and you could easily break the 3,500 calorie barrier."

Ok, so you decide that next time you will opt for something healthier. Probably a turkey burger...those are supposed to be better for you. Right? Right?

#17 - The Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger weighs in at 1,145 calories, 71 g fat and 56 g carbs!

Hmm...let me see...what can I say to all of this... ... ... Animal. Products. Are. Really. Bad. For. You.

Sign-ups for the next class...

The next class is Monday March 10th at 7:00pm. Sign up early before it fills up!

Tofu Manicotti

Tofu Manicotti
Makes 10-14 shells

Don’t be put off by all the ingredients and directions. This is actually a fairly easy recipe to make. No one will be able to tell that one of the main ingredients is tofu. You can make this recipe even easier by using a pre-made tomato & herbs pasta sauce instead of making the sauce yourself. You can also add other veggies to the filling mixture. There are add-on suggestions at the end of the recipe.

1 box Manicotti shells (usually has 14 shells)

Sauce:
1 28oz can tomato sauce
½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
4 teaspoons fresh basil, finely chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
4 garlic cloves, minced or crushed
Balsamic vinegar to taste (or sugar)

Filling:
2 small red onions, finely chopped
Olive oil (about 3 tablespoons, depending on type of pan)
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 ½ pounds firm tofu
1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Wrap the tofu in a towel and place on a plate. Put another plate on top of the wrapped tofu. Place a heavy object on top of the plate. (Large canned item, cookbook, bowl, etc.)
Heat a large stock pot of water on high. Add shells and cook for about 8 minutes or until al dente.
Drain and set aside.
Combine all sauce ingredients except balsamic in a bowl and mix well. Add balsamic to taste.
Heat olive oil in a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until the onion begins to get transparent, about 5 minutes.
Put the parsley and garlic in a food processor and pulse a few times until they are mixed together. Add the tofu, basil, oregano, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Process until very smooth.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread 1 cup of the sauce in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Turn a large Ziploc bag inside out halfway. Place the filling into the bag in one of the corners. Unfold the bag and cut about a ¾ inch tip off the corner of the bag that contains the filling. Put the cut tip just inside a cooked shell and squeeze the bag, filling the shell with desired amount. Continue with the rest of the shells. Arrange the shells in the baking dish. Spread the remaining sauce over the shells. Cover the dish with foil and bake until the shells are heated through, about 20-30 minutes.

Filling Add-ons:
- Fresh or frozen chopped spinach
- Peas
- Pureed vegetables such as cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli. (Veggies that don’t have a strong flavor.)

Recipe by Dayna P******

Tomato & Zucchini Quinoa

Tomato & Zucchini Quinoa
Makes 4-6 servings

There are two ways you can make this recipe. Both suggestions are in the directions.

2 cup water and/or vegetable broth
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
Olive oil (about 3 tablespoons, depending on type of pan)
1 28oz can diced tomatoes, drained
5 cups zucchini, chopped
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
1 15oz can lentils or white beans, drained
1 cup soy mozzarella cheese (optional)

Method 1:
Add the water and/or vegetable broth and the quinoa in a large sauce pan or a stock pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and let simmer until all the liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes.
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan on medium heat. Add all ingredients except the cheese. Mix well, cover and let cook until zucchini is tender. If the mixture is sticking to the pan or is becoming dry add either more olive oil or some vegetable broth.
Combine quinoa, tomato mixture, and cheese and mix well.

Method 2:
Omit olive oil from ingredients list.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine all ingredients in a 9x13 inch baking dish and mix well. Bake uncovered for 30-40 minutes or until the quinoa is done.

Leftover suggestion – does well in the fridge as a leftover. Heat it and roll in a tortilla with salsa, taco sauce or hummus.

Recipe by Dayna P******

Lentil Barley Steup

Lentil Barley ‘Steup’
Makes about 8 cups

This is such an easy recipe that takes a minimal amount of preparation. It is a soup-stew hybrid so I have dubbed it a ‘steup’. If you want more of a soup-like consistency add more water and/or broth.

1 cup lentils, rinsed
½ cup hulled or pearled barley
6 cups water and/or vegetable broth
1 onion, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, pressed or crushed
2 carrots, sliced
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 ½-2 teaspoons ground cumin
¼ - ½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt to taste (at least 1 teaspoon)

Place the water and/or vegetable broth into a large pot and heat on medium heat.
Add all the ingredients except the salt into the pot and bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 1 hour.
Add salt to taste.

Add-ons:
- Fresh herbs when served. Whichever herb you favor. I would add parsley or basil.
- Sunflower seeds when served.
- Crunchy tortilla strips when served.
- Served with cornbread.

Recipe by Dayna P*******