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here's one of my favorite yellow Squash Casserole recipes. Hope this helps! Tender squash, gooey cheese and crunchy crackers make this a memorable side dish or a hearty main course. This is a great dish that can be made with low-fat ingredients and is still just as good!

Yellow Squash Casserole

Ingredients

• 4 cups sliced yellow squash
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 35 buttery round crackers, crushed
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Place squash and onion in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour in a small amount of water. Cover, and cook until squash is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well, and place in a large bowl.
3. In a medium bowl, mix together cracker crumbs and cheese. Stir half of the cracker mixture into the cooked squash and onions. In a small bowl, mix together eggs and milk, then add to squash mixture. Stir in 1/4 cup melted butter, and season with salt and pepper. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining cracker mixture, and dot with 2 tablespoons butter.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Serves 8-10.

Have A Terrific Tuesday,

Phil

Hello Ladies,

Myrna, the Noodles really are quite simple to make. My Italian wife, the third and final one, taught me how to make all of my noodles from scratch. She would never use store bought Noodles in her Pasta dishes, so just let me know when your Spinach comes in.

Pat, I use Squash and Zucchini intermittently depending which one I have on hand, so I'm sure that the Zucchin and onions would work fine in a Casserole. Speaking of Zucchini, you mentioned that you both are fans of Indian food, so this Indian Curry Rice Casserole Recipe form my Weight Watchers files is really a must try. With only 5 Points + per 1 cup serving, you get a delicious, spicy and healthy casserole that tastes amazing. It's loaded with fiber and protein and it's a great Weight Watchers Vegetarian recipe option. All the veggies and spices work so well together, and the tomato sauce is so good, I even make it separately, add some non fat yogurt to it, and serve it as a low calorie dip with some of my favorite low calorie tortilla chips. It's a fantastic idea for a healthy Indian food dinner that the whole family can enjoy. Hint: I get many of the harder-to-find spices for my Indian dishes by shopping Here.

Indian Curry Rice Casserole Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup brown basmati rice
• 8 oz mustard greens, tough ribs removed, leaves finely chopped
• 8 oz cauliflower, cut into 1/2-inch florets
• 2 large zucchini, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups fat free vegetable broth
• 5 fresh green Serrano chiles
• 3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 large red onion, 1/2 coarsely chopped and 1/2 thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 5 cardamom pods
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground turmeric

Directions

1. In a blender, puree tomatoes, garlic, chopped onion and chiles to make a smooth sauce.
2. Spray a large, nonstick skillet with non fat cooking spray . Add cardamom pods, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring, until light brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
3. Carefully pour in the pureed tomato mixture and reduce heat to medium. Stir in Garam Masala, 1 teaspoon salt and turmeric. Simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid evaporates, about 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, place rice in a medium bowl. Cover with water. Gently wash the grains. (The water will become cloudy.) Drain. Repeat three or four times, until the water remains relatively clear. Then cover the rice with cold water and let it sit for 20 minutes. Drain.
5. Stir mustard greens, zucchini cauliflower, chickpeas and 1 cup broth into the tomato sauce. Cover and remove from the heat.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
7. Spray a medium saucepan with non-stick cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add the drained rice and saffron, and carefully stir to coat the rice with the saffron. Add the remaining 1 cup broth and 1 ½ teaspoon salt. Stir once to incorporate the ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, uncovered, until the broth has evaporated from the surface, about 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat.
8. Spread half the chickpea curry evenly in the prepared baking dish. Spread the rice mixture on top of the curry. Spoon the remaining chickpea mixture over the rice. Cover with foil. Bake until the rice is tender, 45 to 55 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, cardamom pods and cinnamon sticks before serving. Serves 6.

Quick Chicken Scampi

Ingredients

8

oz uncooked linguine

1 1/4

lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2

teaspoon salt

1/4

teaspoon pepper

2

tablespoons butter

2

medium green onions, chopped (2 tablespoons)

2

cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4

cup finely chopped drained roasted red peppers (from 7-oz jar)

1/2

lb fresh thin asparagus spears, trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces

3/4

cup Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)

Grated peel of 1 medium lemon (2 to 3 teaspoons)

Directions

1. Cook linguine as directed on package. Meanwhile, sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium-high heat until melted.
2. Cook chicken in butter 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onions, garlic, roasted peppers and asparagus; cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring occasionally, until asparagus is crisp-tender and chicken is no longer pink in center. Stir in broth and remaining 1 tablespoon butter; cook until butter is melted.
3. Drain linguine. Serve chicken mixture over linguine. Sprinkle lemon peel over each serving. Serves 4.

Have A Wonderful Week,

Phil

Hello My Friends,

For my Vegetarian friends today, these quick-to-cook couscous cakes make this meatless main-course salad satisfying.

Spinach and Artichoke Salad with Couscous Cakes and Feta

For the dressing:

2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. sour cream
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh mint
5 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the couscous cakes:

3/4 cup couscous
Kosher salt
1 large clove garlic, peeled
1/4 cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon (about 1-1/2 tsp.)
3 Tbs. vegetable or canola oil

For the salad:

8 oz. baby spinach, washed and dried (about 6 lightly packed cups)
1 14-oz. can artichoke bottoms, drained, rinsed, and sliced
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 oz. crumbled feta (about 1/4 cup)

Make the dressing:

In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, sour cream, and mint. Slowly whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Make the couscous cakes:

Put the couscous and 1 tsp. salt in a medium bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water to the couscous, cover the bowl with a pan lid or plate, and let sit for 4 to 5 minutes.

Coarsely chop the garlic in a food processor. Add the parsley and pulse until finely chopped. Add the chickpeas and 1 tsp. salt and pulse until coarsely chopped.

Uncover the couscous and fluff with a fork. Stir in the chickpea mixture, eggs, and lemon zest until well combined. Press the couscous mixture into a 1/4-cup measure, smooth the top, and invert the measuring cup to release the cake onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining couscous mixture to make 9 cakes.

Heat 1-1/2 Tbs. of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering hot. Add 5 of the couscous cakes to the skillet and use a spatula to lightly flatten the cakes so they’re about 3/4 inch thick. Cook, flipping once, until crisp and golden brown on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Add the remaining 1-1/2 Tbs. vegetable oil to the skillet and cook the remaining cakes the same way.

Assemble the salad:

In a large bowl, toss the spinach, artichokes, and tomatoes with about three-quarters of the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper and divide among 3 large plates. Top each salad with 3 couscous cakes, sprinkle each salad with feta, and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serves 2-3.

Have A Great Thursday,

Phil