Ravioli Lasagna with Chard!

by The Meal Makeover Moms on March 20th, 2009

Chard LeavesIt’s a valedictorian of the vegetable kingdom. Chard, a dark green leafy veggie also known as Swiss chard, silverbeet, and spinach beet, is packed with a long list of health-enhancing nutrients – vitamin K and magnesium for strong bones, vitamin C for a ship-shape immune system, and vitamin A for healthy eyes. Chard is available most of the year but peaks in summer.

The reason we decide to use it in our most recent recipe creation was because we’re a bit sick and tired of spinach. Hmmm, did we just say that? Don’t get us wrong. We love spinach (especially baby spinach because it’s so kid friendly), but we were craving something new and different.  The recipe we set out to make was based on a ravioli lasagna from Real Simple magazine. The original dish called for frozen ravioli, pasta sauce, cheese, and frozen spinach … oh-so convenient but not universally accepted by our kids.  So we decided to use fresh nutrient-rich chard instead, a natural substitute for spinach, though it does require a slightly longer cooking time.

ravioli-bake-assembly-chard-with-cheese-and-sauce-sized

For our version, we layer frozen cheese ravioli with pasta sauce (we used Traditional Ragu because it’s smooth with no big chunks of tomato to scare the kids), shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, and sautéed chopped chard.  It’s super easy and in terms of the chard, the flavor is really mild.  This is one of those quick, weeknight meals we hope you and your family will enjoy time and time again.

Ravioli & Chard Lasagna
Makes 4 to 5 Servings

  • 1 large bunch chard, stems and center ribs removed
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 ½ cup pasta sauce
  • One 16-ounce bag medium-sized frozen cheese ravioli
  • 1 cup preshredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
  2. Rinse the chard well under running water until all dirt is removed. Coarsely chop the leaves.
  3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the chard and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  4. Coat an 8-by-8-inch baking pan (or dish) with nonstick cooking spray. Spread ¼ cup of the sauce in the pan. Arrange half the ravioli (about 16 pieces) evenly on top of the sauce. Spread the chard over the ravioli then top with ½ cup cheese and ½ cup sauce. Cover evenly with the remaining ravioli, ¾ cup sauce, and ½ cup cheese.
  5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until bubbly, about 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional five minutes. Let stand about five minutes before slicing and serving.
    Nutrition Information per Serving:  270 calories, 12g fat (5g saturated), 790mg sodium, 29g carbohydrate, 4g fiber, 15g protein,  130% vitamin A, 40% vitamin C, 35% calcium, 20% iron

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5 Comments | Filed Under Dinner, Pasta, Vegetables 

Podcast 47: Lowdown on Legumes

by The Meal Makeover Moms on March 17th, 2009

In this week’s Cooking with the Moms podcast, we dish on legumes.  If you’re not exactly sure what legumes are, you’re certainly not alone.  In a recent consumer survey, when asked if they know the definition of “legume,” over half said, “yes, I know what it means.”  But in reality only 40% were correct, making the percentage who “don’t know” much higher.  Some of the incorrect answers were pretty funny though not entirely surprising:

-  Body of water
-  Grassy swampy area (AKA lagoon)
-  Socks/Stockings (AKA leggings)

According to epicurious.com, legumes are any of thousands of plant species that have seed pods that split along both sides when ripe. Some of the more common legumes used for human consumption are beans, lentils, peanuts, peas, and soybeans. Others, such as clover and alfalfa, are used as animal fodder. When the seeds of a legume are dried, they’re referred to as pulses. High-protein legumes are a staple throughout the world.

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend we all eat 4 ½ cups of vegetables a day – that’s a total of nine servings.  As part of that recommendation, the Guidelines suggest that each week, we strive for three cups of legumes.  To help you achieve that goal, we serve up two recipes in the show.  The first is a recipe for Mexican Lasagna, featuring black beans, one of our favorite legumes.  The second is our brand new Peanut Butter Power Cookie recipe.  These cookies are packed with great nutrition thanks to the peanut butter, whole wheat flour, omega-3 eggs, and ground flaxseed that we use, and best of all, kids love them!

Peanut Butter Power Cookies
Makes 3 Dozen 2-inch Cookies

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup 1% milk
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
  1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Lightly oil or coat two large baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
  2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, flaxseed, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
  3. Combine the sugar, peanut butter, eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl and beat on medium speed until well blended, about 2 minutes.
  4. At low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture until just combined.  Stir in the chocolate chips.
  5. Roll the dough by rounded tablespoons into balls.  Place on the prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart, and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.  Bake for 12 minutes.  Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes before serving.  Repeat with the remaining batter.
Nutrition Information per Serving:  120 calories, 6g fat (1g saturated, 3g monounsaturated, 0.3g omega-3), 90mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 3g protein
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7 Comments | Filed Under Beans, Desserts, Fruits, Lunch, Podcast, Snacks 

Podcast 46: Irish Food Light

by The Meal Makeover Moms on March 15th, 2009

Ever since last Wednesday, devoted podcast listeners including 11-year old Sadie who is one of our most loyal fans, have sent us emails asking why we hadn’t posted our latest show.  Sadie, in fact, was worried The Meal Makeover Moms may have shelved their recording careers for good.  Well, we’re happy to report that podcast #46 is now up and running on our website and on iTunes.  The reason for the delay: Janice and Don were on vacation in Mexico, and without their technical expertise, Liz was simply too afraid to attempt the upload on her own!

This week, we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with two Irish-inspired recipes.  Though neither of us is Irish, we never miss an opportunity to savor the foods and flavors associated with any holiday.  For St. Patrick’s Day, we take corned beef and use it in a slimmed down, more nutritious version of corned beef hash (did you know a 1-cup serving of canned corned beef hash has over 1,600 mg of sodium and that Janice’s husband Don recently bought a can because it was on sale?  Can you say, “To the dog house, Don.”)  You’re going to love our recipe for Corned Beef & Carrot Hash – especially if you have leftover corned beef or are looking for a hearty brunch dish for your family. We also transform traditional Irish bread pudding into our Better-for-You Bread Pudding.  Enjoy the show and stay tuned for our Lowdown on Legumes show scheduled for release on the 18th.

Corned Beef & Carrot Hash
Makes 4 Servings

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
  • 3 large carrots, shredded (about 3 cups) or one 10-ounce bag pre-shredded carrots
  • 8 ounces lean deli corned beef, diced
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Pinch frehly ground black pepper
  • 1 cup 1% lowfat milk or 1 cup all-natural chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1.    Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the potatoes, carrots, corned beef, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes and carrots are tender, about 10 minutes.

2.    Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and flour in a medium bowl until well blended. Pour the milk mixture into the skillet and stir until heated through and thickened, about 2 minutes.

Nutrition Information per Serving:  240 calories, 6g fat (2g saturated), 660mg sodium,  30g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, 14g protein,  220% vitamin A, 20% vitamin C, 10% calcium, 10% iron
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4 Comments | Filed Under Beef, Breakfast, Desserts, Podcast 

Healthy Meal with Kid Appeal Winner: Picky Palate

by The Meal Makeover Moms on March 12th, 2009

tilapia on plate with asparagus

Getting kids hooked on eating more seafood can be a tall order if their repertoire begins and ends with frozen fish sticks.  The key to seafood success is to find recipes so easy, so delicious, and so irresistible that kids simply can’t say no.  Recently, we found such a recipe on Picky Palate, a blog dedicated to making life easier in the kitchen … even when picky eaters are at the table.  Blog host Jenny took tilapia, a mild, kid-friendly fish and created a sweet and ever-so-spicy dish that was, in a word, scrumptious.

Both of our families loved Jenny’s Sweet Chili Glazed & Walnut Crusted Tilapia.  The flavor combinations were a bit surprising, but they worked really well together.  And we all went nuts over the crunchy breading of Panko bread crumbs and walnuts.  The roasted asparagus was super easy and was a nice change of pace from our usual steamed asparagus drizzled with evoo.

Anyway, to make a long story short, we are pleased to announce that Picky Palate has received our Healthy Meal with Kid Appeal Award for Sweet Chili Glazed & Walnut Crusted Tilapia with Roasted Asparagus.   Read on for the recipe, our kids’ reactions, and some additional cooking notes.

grilled asparagus

Sweet Chili Glazed & Walnut Crusted Tilapia with Roasted Asparagus
Makes 4 Servings

  • 1 bunch of asparagus
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon warm water
  • 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup ground walnuts (I ground them in food processor)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
  • 4 tilapia fillets (about 1 pound)
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place asparagus onto an edge-rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and garlic salt. Roast in oven for 12-15 minutes or until fork tender, turning halfway through. Remove and keep warm.

2. Place the honey, chili powder and warm water in a small bowl; mix to combine. Place crumbs, walnuts, salt, chili powder and pepper into a shallow dish; mix to combine. Season both sides of tilapia fillets with pinches of salt and pepper. With a pastry brush, brush honey glaze on both sides of tilapia then press into crumb mix. Continue until all fillets are coated.

3. Heat oil into a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, place coated tilapia fillets into skillet; cook 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until golden brown and the fish flakes easy with a fork. Remove and serve warm.

tilapia-in-skillet-resized

The feedback from the kids, as we said earlier, was overwhelmingly positive.  Simon, Liz’s 10-year old, asked for thirds, and 13-year old Josh – whose recent carb cravings have left Liz on the constant lookout for teen-pleasing protein foods – gobbled it up.  The prep was easy — an award criteria must.

Here are a few additional cooking notes from The Meal Makeover Moms’ kitchen:

  • If you like your asparagus crisp tender, 12 to 15 minutes at 350°F is fine.  For more tender stalks, cook an additional 5 minutes or crank the heat to 400°F.
  • Like Jenny, we ground/chopped our walnuts in a mini food processor.  For maximum kid appeal, we suggest you chop them up nice and fine, but just be careful not to turn them into paste.
  • At first, we thought the 3 tablespoons of honey was too much, but when brushed on generously, it was just the right amount.
  • The tilapia we bought was farm raised in Ecuador, a country that does a great job sustaining healthy fisheries.

If you try this recipe with your family, please post your feedback to the blog!

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1 Comment | Filed Under Awards, Dinner, Seafood, Vegetables 
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