Steak & Farfalle Pasta with Creamy Tomato Sauce

Another quick and easy recipe. I tried to make it as clean as possible but couldn't find whole-wheat farfalle pasta. The sauce is so much lighter than most creamy sauces because it's tomato based and low-fat sour cream is used.

Marinade:

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground pepper

1 lb lean eye round steak, cubed

16 oz whole wheat farfalle pasta

olive oil cooking spray

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

28 oz can or jar no-salt added crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 tsp italian seasoning

1 tsp dried basil

8 oz low-fat sour cream

Prepare marinade using a small bowl. Whisk together the garlic, vinegar, dijon, cinnamon and pepper. Pour marinade over stek cubes in another container, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Drain steak cubes and discard marinade. Heat a large non-stick skillet over high heat for 1 minute. Reduce heat to medium-high heat, mist with cooking spreay and saute steak until browned on each side about 4 minutes total. Remove steak from pan and set aside.

Mist same pan with cooking spray again, add onion and remaining 2 cloves garlic and saute until browned about 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes and reduce heat to medium low. Add seasoning, basil and sour cream and combine. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes then mix in reserved steak and cook for 2 more minutes until meat and sauce are completely warmed.

Serve 1 cup of pasta with 3/4 cup steak sauce. Garnish with an additional sprinkling of italian seasoning, if desired.

Recipe from Clean Eating Magazine

Broccoli, Tomato & Mozzarella Stromboli

I'm always looking for quick and easy meals during the week and this is perfect! I used Pillsbury's pizza crust, but want to try it with Trader Joe's whole wheat pizza crust.

1 lb pizza dough

all purpose flour for work surface

small head of broccoli, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup pizza sauce

1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

2 oz thinly sliced genoa salami, chopped

Cooking spray

Pizza seasoning

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Divide dough into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured work surface, stretch out each piece into a 3 by 4 inch oval then stretch to a 6 by 8 inch oval.

Steam broccoli for 2 minutes to partially cook. Drain to remove any water from the steaming process. Dividing evenly, scatter the broccoli over dough, leaving a 1/2 inch boarder. Sprinkle with garlic and season with salt and pepper. Divide the mozzarella, salami and pizza sauce evenly over the 4 strombolis.

Starting at the shorter end, roll up each stromboli and place seam side down on the baking sheet. Using the top of a paring knife, cut two slits into the top of each. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with pizza seasoning. Bake until golden brown - baking times depend on the type of dough being used. For the Pillsbury dough I used, it was about 15 minutes; fresh pizza dough will probably take about 25-30 minutes.

Serve with warmed pizza sauce for dipping.

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food

Black Bean Quesadillas

These were so good - the photo doesn't really show it, but trust me they're so yummy! They're simple and easy to make and fairly healthy too. We all loved them and I'll be making them more often. They're also the perfect lunch for my daughter to take to school with a cup of salsa.

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

3/4 cup salsa

1 tsp taco seasoning

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

6 to 8 8" whole wheat tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain and rinse beans and place them in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave them for one minute to soften beans. Mash with a fork; add salsa and taco seasoning and mix well.

Lay 3 or 4 tortillas on a baking sheet. Spread bean mixture evenly on tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese and top with remaining tortillas. Bake for 10 minutes until cheese is melted and tortillas are crisp. Let rest 1 minute before cutting in quarters.

Recipe from a friend's friend - originally adapted from Allrecipes

Lemon Burst Cookies

I was looking for a simple recipe for Easter and saw this recipe from Brown Eyed Baker's blog. It was very easy to make and the perfect amount of lemon. This one is definitely a keeper and would be great for a cookie exchange! Now if I can just remember that for the cookie exchange I participate in around Christmas.

1 (18.25-ounce) package lemon cake mix

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Zest of 2 lemons

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon lemon extract

1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat.

Pour cake mix into a large bowl. Stir in eggs, oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and lemon extract until well blended.

Place confectioner’s sugar in a bowl.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls of dough into balls and roll in confectioner’s sugar until lightly coated and place on baking sheet.

Bake for about 10 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2-3 minutes on the cookie sheet and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fish Tacos

We've had exceptionally warm weather here the last couple days. I was in the mood for something light and refreshing to eat - so I took my grilled tilapia recipe and modified it slightly.

1 lb tilapia, cut into chunks

1/2 pkt taco seasoning

1/3 cup vegetable oil

Combine vegetable oil and taco seasoning in a small bowl. Mix well to combine. Add the tilapia and stir to coat all pieces. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Warm a large skillet and add tilapia pieces. Serve on warmed tortillas. Would be great with fresh guacamole or salsa.