I'm accepting a challenge. I might be crazy!

This is not actually the lasagna I made last night.  I was too hungry and didn't take a photo.  This is the lasagna that I made in an earlier post and you can find the recipe here

Alright all you followers in blogger land, what are you eating that is healthy?  Last night I made lasagna.  I added wheat berries and carrots to the lean ground beef.  I used cottage cheese instead of ricotta.  I added about 1/3 the parmesan and mozzarella.  I did incorporate 8 oz of cream cheese to up the flavor and the bulk. I cooked it in the slow cooker and added an extra can of tomatoes.  I did not cook the noodles ahead of time.  It was fabulous.  Am I allowed to say that? It really was good.

 No one in the family noticed all of the extra healthy stuff.   I expected push back, but everyone just scarfed it down. It's like my own version of  skinny lasagna.  I am working on changing how we eat, by keeping what we eat and making it better.

Tonight, I am taking the left over chili, adding some refried beans, and some yams.  Yup, yams.  And I am going to roll it in tortillas and some enchilada sauce.  I'm hoping it's yummy.  It's definitely healthier. 

Back to my question; what are you eating that is healthy?  I need ideas?  I think I also must need a challenge, because if you leave me a comment with a meal that you would like to have made healthier, I will work on that. 

So, if you love pizza or fried chicken or shepherd's pie, but feel guilty eating that item, leave me a comment.  I will work on making a healthier version.  I'll post recipes that I have "healthified."  For anyone who is newly diagnosed with diabetes, and is worried that you might have to give up your favorite foods, this is a great deal!  I'll do all the work for you. 

This is a limited time offer.  And it should be reasonable.  Please don't ask me to make healthy Texas Sheet Cake.  It can be done, but I am eating like a diabetic, so sugar is NOT my friend.  :)  But if this goes well, maybe I'll take on a dessert challenge in September.

Re-done Lasagna

 I love lasagna!  I love the gooey cheese, the meaty tomato sauce and the soft noodles.  I love it!  Admit it, you do too.  However, I don't love the MAJOR caloric intake.  Oh my, some recipes will cost you a days calories in one serving.  Not good.  So, I changed that.

 

 This is the lasagna we had for dinner tonight.  It has some very significant changes from a traditional recipe.  First I used half the noodles, then I added carrots, and celery to the meat, and last, I used a miniscule amount of cheese.  Guess what?  No one but my husband noticed.  The kids scarfed it down and so did I.  It was delicious!  My honey couldn't get past the carrots in the lasagna.  I normally shred carrots into my hamburger while it is cooking, but I only had a package of pre-cut carrots.  They were Julienne cut so they were clearly visible.  My bad.  It's a texture thing.  However, this is a diet and diabetic friendly version of lasagna that only took about 30 minutes to throw together.  

Rochelle's Easy Healthy Lasagna

9 egg or whole wheat lasagna noodles

1 pound of ground beef

1/2 c. shredded carrots

1/4 c. sliced celery

1/4 c. diced onion

1 jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce, or 2 cups homemade sauce

1 16oz container of cottage cheese (low fat is fine)

1/4 c parmesan cheese

1 c. Italian cheese blend (low fat mozzarella, Parmesan and asiago are what I used)

1 tsp. of basil or parsely

1 egg

Cook the noodles to al dente. While they are cooking fry the beef and drain.  After you drain the meat, add the carrots, onion and celery and cook a bit longer, until the celery is bright green. Once your meat/veggie mix is finished cooking add the spaghetti sauce.  In another bowl stir the cottage cheese, the 1/4 c. parmesan cheese, the egg and the parsley or basil together.

In a 9x13 pan place about 2 tbl of sauce on the bottom of pan and spread around.  Lay 3 noodles down and add 1/2 of cottage cheese mixture.  Next layer 1/3 of the tomato mixture.  Add 3 more noodles, the rest of the cottage cheese and another 1/3 of the tomato mixture.  Layer on 3 more noodles and then the last of the sauce.  Now add the Italian cheese blend. Spray some foil with cooking spray and cover the lasagna.  Bake for 1 hour at 375.  You can remove the foil the last 10 min. of cooking if you want, but I didn't and still got a nice browning of the cheese.  

Don't tell your family its healthy.  ;)