Sneaky pasta with sauce

Here's a favorite recipe of mine, I make this once a week. The pasta I use is Ronzoni smart taste. It has 3 times the fiber, is high protien and has calcium as well and it tastes just like regular white pasta. Even my husband can't tell the difference.

Sauce: 2 jars of your favorite 28 oz sauce. I do hy-vee garden combo b/c it's a high fiber sauce that's lower (no low) in the sodium, but you choose any sauce you want
1-2 cups shredded zuchini and/or carrots. (I buy organics on sale and then shred, mix and freeze)
2 4 oz cups/containers stage 2 baby food-either carrots, sweet potatoes or 1 of each. Do NOT use squash (I use gerber organics. This is one of the cheapest ways I've found to buy organics out of season) Also, the carrots and sweet potatoes slightly sweetens the sauce, no one can tell it's there, but the sauce tastes so good

spices to taste I use garlic powder, a little crushed red pepper, a little ground peppercorns, and Italian seasonings

Mix everything in your crock pot and cook on low 6-8 hours if you are using shredded carrots/zuchini, about 3 if you are not. Serve over the Ronzoni with a little parmesean cheese. With all the veggies in here, you've got a whole meal, but I usually serve it with rolls or garlic bread and a salad.

**** Note, after your dinner, freeze the remaining sauce, you'll have plenty and then add it and 1 jar pasta sauce back to the crockpot and heat for an even quicker dinner the next time around. Nothing else is needed

This dinner is full of vitamins A and C, fiber, lycopene, and w/ the ronzoni, plenty of protient and even some calcium. It's a great quick fix

Easy, and TASTY, Vegetarian Meal!

When I decided to go vegetarian, the beginning was brutal! Now,it is a breeze! I have learned to leave out the meat entirely and either substitute additional vegetables, or add a small side that compliments the main course. The first recipe that I came up with was inspired from the Food Network. I love it, and so does my husband...a self-proclaimed carnivore!
*Italian Quesadillas
4 Flour Tortillas
3 lrg. Red Bell Peppers
1 lrg. Yellow Onion
1 Tbsp. dried Parsley
1/2 c. shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 cloves of Garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil (for the pan)
Cooking Instructions:
-Cut the bell pepper, and yellow onion into thin strips. Place the onion in a saute pan on medium heat with a bit of olive oil (1-2 tbsp.). Cook until onion is carmelized, or golden brown. Remove from pan and place in a large mixing bowl. Next, saute the bell pepper in the pan until it softens. Add the bell pepper to the onions in the bowl. Mince, or press, 2 cloves of garlic, and add the dried parsley into the bell pepper/onion bowl. Add a dash of salt and pepper if you wish! Mix well.
-In a separate bowl, combine the cheeses.
-Lay out the tortillas and sprinkle a SMALL amount of cheese on half and then add the onion/pepper mixture on top. Sprinkle a bit more cheese on top of the mixture so that when you fold it over, the tortilla will 'stick'. Fold the tortilla over, and now your ready to cook it!
-There are two ways to cook these. Quick and easy = microwave it. But, if you want my opinion it is sooooo much better tasting to put a small bit of olive oil in a pan and warm the quesadilla on the stove. It makes the insides warm, and the outsides crunchy!
*Serve with a fresh green salad, and you are good to go!

Pasta with Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli

Alright!! First Recipe, I found this online and decided to try it and it was AMAZINGLY good and good for you even better. This is really high in beta-carotene and fiber.

Ingredients:
12 oz. whole grain penne, pasta shells or rigatoni pasta
3 cup 3/4-inch pieces peeled red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams)
3 cup broccoli florets (fresh, not frozen)
2 Tbls. olive oil (pref. extra virgin)
3 garlic cloves minced
Generous pinch of ground nutmeg
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (optional:

Cook pasta in large pot boiling salted water 5 min. Add sweet potatoes and cook 5 min. more. Add broccoli and cook unitl pasta and vegetables are tender about 3 min. longer. Ladle 1 cup cooking liquid into small bowl and reserve. Drain pasta and vegetables.

Heat oil in same pot over med. heat. Add garlic; stir 1 min. Add pasta and vegetables to pot and stir to coat with oil mixture. Add reserved cup of pasta cooking liquid and toss until mixture is heated through. Stir in Nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle with cheese if desired.

This dish is wonderfully subtle but hearty comfort food. The Nutmeg is different but goes very well with the yams and really makes this yummy.

Serves: 4 (comfortably)
Preparation time: 25-30min