Amanda's Faux Lasagna Meatball Bake

Yeah, I MAY have just licked my screen and...it MAY have tasted just a wee bit nasty. BUT this food looks delicious!

So this is me admittedly putting the cart before the horse a little bit.

I think I am the only healthy eating blog that does not feature a no-noodle lasagna recipe. Mexican lasagna? Yes. No-noodle (which subs zucchini generally for noodles), no. And it was precisely because it was in so many other places that I did not put it here.

But a Foodie said something to me the other day that made me think. She said, "I only really check your blog for recipes, so if I can't find it there I figure it's not worth finding." Firstly, what a SWEET thing to say! Secondly, she reminded me I have a responsibility not to hold back any yumminess from the Foodie Nation. My apologies!

I just so happen to be making no-noodle lasagna for my lunches this week, so stay tuned for my version of it complete with pics of the biggest damn zucchini I ever did see.

But for now, please accept Amanda's recipe remix. I love remixes! It shows how you can play with your food and get something fun and tasty.

Amanda's Faux-Lasagna Meatball Bake


1/2 lb. ground beef
1/4 cup TVP (if you're going "Wuzzat?" click here.)
1/4 water
1/2 jar spaghetti sauce ( reserve 3/4 cup)
3 zucchini sliced length wise and grilled
3 yellow squash sliced length wise and grilled
8 oz. light goat cheese (softened)
2 tsp pesto
1 pkg Trader Joe Turkey Meatballs (unless you can find some with less than 4g of fat)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup shredded Romano cheese

Preheat oven to 350.  


In a small bowl mix TVP and water and set aside. 


Brown ground beef mix in TVP and spaghetti sauce.  I always add extra seasoning and garlic to my sauce to give it more flavor.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with olive oil spray.  


Spread meat, TVP sauce mixture in the bottom.  In a separate bowl, mix together goat cheese and pesto.  Drop by the spoonful on top of sauce mixture.  


Layer the grilled squash and zucchini on top of the goat cheese.  Evenly space the meatballs across the top and spoon the reserved 3/4 cup spaghetti sauce over them.  


Sprinkle mozzarella and Romano cheeses on top and bake 30-45 minutes until hot and bubbly.

For the zucchini and squash, I had grilled it off a couple of days ahead and had it  with grilled chicken.  Slice in 1/4 inch slices length-wise, then coat with olive oil and no salt seasoning blend.

I served it with Nik's WLS-friendly Mozzarella Sticks, salad, and steamed green beans.  I'm only 4 months 3 weeks out so of course I didn't eat it all, but even my non-WLS hubby said it was good.

Melissa's Protein Cookies

Have you enjoyed reader submission week? Good! Just remember, though, you don't have to wait for me to ask you for recipes. If you make a great recipe you want to share, write it up, snap a picture of the finished product and email me at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com!


Our final offering this week is from Melissa R., who is from Pittsburgh.  I've actually met Melissa in real life. And one of her twin sons has actually been published on this blog before for making uber-nummy and WLS-friendly mozzarella sticks. 


Melissa loves to get her boys involved in the kitchen and believes (as I do too) that having them help is a great way to get them to open their minds to healthy eating!

With that said, Melissa set out to make some cookies. She reports the results are absolutely delicious!

Melissa's Protein Cookies

• 3/4 c. no-calorie sweetener (Melissa used Splenda, which measures 2:1 with sugar [for every two cups sugar, 1 cup Splenda], check your sweetener's website to get the conversion for 1.5 cups sugar)
• 1 c. rolled oats
• 1 c. vanilla why protein powder
• 1/2 c. soy flour
• 1 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 can (10 oz) pumpkin puree
• 3 tbsp 0% plain greek yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 3 tbsp flax seeds (ground)
• 1 c. chopped fresh cranberries
• 1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, whisk together Splenda®, oats, protein powder, soy flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Stir in pumpkin, yogurt, and eggs. Stir in flax seeds, cranberries, walnuts, if desired. Roll into 48 large balls, and flatten on a baking sheet, or use mini muffin tin and make mini muffin.  I have done both and they turned out well both ways!.
3. Bake for 9-12 minutes in preheated oven. DO NOT OVERBAKE: the cookies will come out really dry if overbaked.

I applaud Melissa, as I have never attempted protein cookies before. Hers look fabulous! If you have any questions for Melissa about her cookies, leave them in the comments and I'll get them answered for you!

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

You ever had an aversion to trying something but you can't really verbalize why? 


That's how I feel about cauliflower crust pizza. I have not tried it because...I don't want to try it. I don't have any better reason. Don't get me wrong. Search the term on Pinterest and you'll see wonderfully yummy pictures of it and I am sure it is very tasty. But I'm not going to make it. 


However, what's WONDERFUL about Bariatric Foodie is that we are a community. If I am not making something, one of you guys probably are. Such was the case here. Interestingly enough, I asked my friend Wendy, who makes the pizza often, to go over the basics for me but then I also got a completely unsolicited email from someone with their version.


The two have the same outcome but different prep methods, so I'm going to give you both!


Amy R.'s Cauliflower Crust Pizza
(Makes a pizza to share)

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked, riced cauliflower

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp Italian or pizza seasoning, halved
1/2 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder
olive oil 

pizza sauce, shredded cheese and your choice of precooked toppings

Directions:

Make some cauliflower rice (here's how) and make sure it is well drained.

To Make the Pizza Crust:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup cauliflower, egg and mozzarella. 

Add oregano, half of the Italian/pizza seasoning, minced garlic and garlic salt, stir. Transfer to the cookie sheet, and using your hands, pat out into a 9" round. Brush olive oil over top of mixture to help with browning.

Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. To the crust, add sauce, toppings, cheese, remaining Italian/pizza seasoning, and garlic powder. Place under a broiler at high heat just until cheese is melted (approximately 3-4 minutes). 

Even my non-veggie eating, picky 9 year old ate it and liked it.   There is NO way anyone would ever guess this crust is made from a vegetable!

Wendy D.'s Cauliflower Pizza Crust

(which I have affectionately dubbed the "Weeknight" version - makes one personal sized pizza)

Ingredients:

1/4 c. raw shredded cauliflower

2 oz, 75% fat free cheese (can use any cheese)

1 egg white

4 slices turkey pepperoni

1 tablespoon pizza sauce

Italian spices

Directions:

Mix together the cauliflower, 1 ounce of the cheese,  egg white and italian seasoning.

Spray a small frying pan with non-stick cooking spray and spread the mixture out on it.  Cook it for a few minutes on each side until it's golden on each side. 

Add a bit of pizza sauce, 4 slices pepperoni, and top with the remaining cheese.  

You can cover the pan to let the cheese melt or you can pop it in the oven for a few minutes.  

So now we have not one, but TWO, versions of cauliflower crust pizza, made by Foodies for Foodies.

Thanks Wendy and Amy!

Carissa's Cinnamon Muffins

Ok, I just have to say...you guys are cooking up some yummy stuff! I am IMPRESSED with what I've received.

There's still room if YOU have a recipe to submit for the Foodie Nation. I always make good use of submissions but this week is devoted to what YOU are cooking! Email me at bariatricfoodie@yahoo.com for details on submitting a recipe.

Today's offering is from Carissa. She got the idea for her Cinnamon Muffins from our girl Shelly at The World According to Eggface. She liked the protein muffin idea and decided to play with it and make it her own!

Here's how it goes down.

Carissa's Cinnamon Muffins


Ingredients

3/4 c. whole wheat pancake mix
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tbsp splenda brown sugar
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
1/2 c milk
1/4 c. sugar free pancake syrup

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine pancake mix, baking soda, cinnamon, brown sugar, protein powder and milk in a medium bowl.  Stir until smooth.
3. Fold in syrup.  I like to not completely mix in the syrup as it adds a little extra syrup surprise in the final product...but its up to you! :)
4. I pre-grease my muffin tins so they come out easier after...but again, your prerogative!
5. Pour mixture into muffin tins until they are about 3/4 full
6. Bake for approximately 16 minutes

Carissa really likes these muffins but report that they sometimes flatten out on her. For that, I have this to offer. Whenever making baked protein goods, investigate using double-acting baking powder. I could get into a lengthy chemistry explanation, but these guys do it better than me. 

The bottom line: Double-acting baking powder gives you more time to work with your batter (which you may need when incorporating protein). Also remember that, as a general rule, baked protein goods require about double the leavening agent of their non-protein counterparts. So if a recipe calls for 1/2 tsp baking powder, for a protein version you'd use a full tsp and so on. Reasoning: it's heavier. It takes a bit more "muscle" to get it to rise! (I know we can ALL understand that analogy!)

So in the above recipe, I'd suggest 1 full teaspoon of double-acting baking powder. You can find it in Wal-Mart (Great Value even makes it!) and it costs less than $2. 

If you want a "smack yo momma" good topping for this, here's something I've used on cinnamon stuff in the past:

Nik's Cinnabon Topping

1/4 c. Lowfat (Neufchatel) cream cheese, softened

2 tbsp. unflavored Greek yogurt

1 - 2 tbsp either sugar-free caramel syrup or sugar-free brown sugar cinnamon syrup

No calorie sweetener, to taste

Optional: A "splick" of apple pie spice

Mix it all in a bowl then refrigerate for about 30 minutes before smearing onto a muffin. It's best with this one if you "smear as you go."

Thanks Carissa for sharing your muffin recipe. Keep playing with your food!