Tuscan Bean Pasta

• 8 oz Whole Wheat Spaghetti
• 4 Tbl. Olive oil
• 1 Tbl brown butter
• 1 can Tuscan Bean Medley (Trader Joe's), rinsed and drained
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 cup black olives, halved
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 2 cloves roasted garlic
• 1/2 cup Mizithra cheese, grated
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning blend (mix of oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary, basil, sage)
• Salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat in a heavy sauce pan. Add garlic and onion, saute until the onion begins to go transparent. Add beans, olives and tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add seasonings and mix through. Prepare the spaghetti according to package directions and toss with bean mixture. Sprinkle with Mizithra cheese.

Serves 4

Lo- Carb Breakfast Quiche

So, I started doing this low-carb thing on something like a dare. You know I can't resist a challange. I graduated from my two weeks, and didn't lose a single pound, but that's okay. I did, however, discover some really decent food in my search for low-carb diet friendly stuff to eat.

I used to always eat "convenience" breakfasts, Lean Pockets egg & sausage or some variation. I couldn't have the carbs, but wanted the eggs, and the simplicity, so I came up with this goodie.

Crustless Breakfast Quiche
You need:
A food processor
A frying pan
A springform pan
A spatula
A fork
Measuring cups
Butter-flavored spray

1/2 pound pork sausage
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 eggs -- 4 whites and 4 whole

1) Cook the sausage in the frying pan. Crumble it up with a fork as you go, like you would with ground beef being browned for a recipie. Cook thouroughly, and drain off the fat.

2) Put the 4 egg whites into the bowl of the food processor and whip them until they get a bit frothy. Then add the whole eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

3) Toss the cheese into the food processor and mix for a few seconds.

4) Add the cooked, drained sausage and mix until everything is integrated.

5) Spray your springform pan (I use a 9") well with the butter flavored spray. Get every surface! Pour the mixture into the pan and scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl well.

6) Bake at 350° for about 40 minutes, or until set.

7) When cool, cut into 6 even pieces, place into tupperware in 3s. Freese one and put the other into the fridge. Reheat for one minute in the microwave.

Enjoy one piece for breakfast each day. When you take out the third one in the fridge, put the frozen one in the fridge to thaw. This way you have a weeks worth of breakfasts. (Minus Sunday) I make this every Sunday and take it to work.

Calories per piece: 265.3 Carbs: .63g

Spinach Ricotta Tart

1 15 oz container part-skim ricotta 1 bunch fresh spinach 1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves 1 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg 2 whole eggs and 1 egg white Olive oil spray

Drain ricotta for 3 hours or overnight. Combine drained ricotta, spinach, basil, salt, pepper and nutmeg in a food brocessor. Blend until smooth, scrape. Add eggs and blend breifly. Pour into oiled spring form pan. Bake at 350° F for 40-45 minutes or until set.

From Martha Stewart

Spinach Enchiladas

10 Flour tortillas 1/2 c Green onions, sliced 10 oz Fresh chopped spinach 1 Tbl. Fresh chopped cilantro* 1 Tsp. Vinegar* butter

1 c cottage cheese 1/2 c sour cream 1 1/2 c Monterey Jack cheese, grated 1/2 c Cheddar Cheese, grated Enchilada sauce (recipie below)

Before you start, set out the tortillas so they reach room temperature (they will be nice and soft when you are ready to roll them) and pre-heat your oven to 375° F. Combine the greens (onions, spinach and cilantro) in a bowl and mix with vinegar. Heat a large pan and melt a little bit of butter in it. Toss the greens in with the butter and heat gently, stirring often, until they are slightly wilted. Remove from heat. (If the mixture is very watery at this point, you may want to run it through a colander to remove some excess water.)

In a large bowl, combine the sour cream, cottage cheese, and 1 cup of the Monterey Jack cheese. Blend in the greens and mix well with a big fork. Now you are ready to assemble.

Carefully dip each tortilla in the enchilada sauce, fill it, and roll it up in a 9x13" baking dish. (Roll it so the "seam" is on the bottom.) When all ten tortillas are filled and lined up in the pan, cover them with any remaining enchilada sauce, then cover that with the remaining grated cheeses. I use the cheddar to make a nice stripe down the middle. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.

Makes 10 enchiladas. (4 servings)

Enchilada Sauce

2 Tsp. Olive oil 1 large onion, chopped fine 1/4 cup flour 1/2 clove garlic

1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp chili powder 2 tsp cumin 4 cups water or stock

Saute onion in olive oil until soft in a large saucepan. Stir in spices. Gradually add flour and water. Whisk as sauce thickens then simmer for 20 minutes.

Makes about 3 cups (24oz.) sauce.

Pasta with Mushroom Sauce

8 Roma tomatoes, thin sliced 1/2 t fresh sage 1 t fresh basil 1 t oregano 2 t salt

1 cup chopped red onion 1/2 clove garlic, chopped 4 large mushrooms, sliced 1/4 cup olive oil 1/2 cup red wine

Combine all ingredients in pot and heat over medium flame, stirring frequently. As mixture liquifies, allow it to come to a slow boil. Reduce to simmer for 30 minutes or until desired consistency. Serve over hot pasta.

4 light servings

ZappitaZappita aka. Spanikopita

The name "spanikopita" literally means "spinach pie." They are like the burgers of Greece: every restaurant has one on the menu and no two are quite the same. When I visited Greece, I absolutely fell in love with these things. It wasn't long after arriving that I developed my own version. The amounts here are pretty flexible, but don't use too much mint or too many eggs or it will taste weird.

1 bunch (about 1 lb.) fresh spinach, stemmed, washed and coarsely chopped. 1 cup chopped green onions 3 Tbl. fresh parsley, chopped fine* 2 Tbl. fresh dill weed, chopped fine* 1 Tbl. fresh mint, chopped fine* 3 eggs or 4 egg whites 1/2 lb. feta cheese chunks dash of salt and pepper

Butter, about 1/2 stick total 1 extra egg white   thawed filo dough (1lb package) butter flavored cooking spray*

Heat a pan and melt a small amount of butter in it (about 1 tsp.). Saute the spinach and green onion untill they *just* begin to get soft, add the garlic and mix through and then remove from heat immediately. You don't want the spinach to get too runny or mushy. Dump the spinach mixture into a large bowl and add the feta, herbs and spices. Toss lightly so that all components are mixed, and drain off any huge excesses of liquid. Add the three eggs (or four egg whites). Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for about an hour (until it is cool.)

Make sure you have plenty of room to work with the filo dough. you will probably want to cover a table with waxed paper rather than trying to keep this part on a pan.

Take one sheet from the package and spray both sides lightly with cooking spray. Lay it down vertically in front of you. Do this with about 5 sheets, laying one on top of the other. (You will be using about 1/4 of the package for 2 pies.) Now spread about 1/4 of the spinach mixture across the dough about 1/5 of the way up, making a narrow band. Fold up the bottom fifth, and then continue roll folding up until you reach the top. Cut the roll in half so you have two rolls and set them on a cookie sheet, open edge down. Repeat this part with the remaining dough and filling.

When you have all 8 pies on cookie sheets, gently brush the tops with a little melted butter and a thin coat of egg white. This really just makes them look nice and is totally unnecessary if you'd rather save the fat. Carefully cut three diagonal slits in the top of each pie to vent steam so they don't explode. Bake at 350° for about 50 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.

Makes 8 tasty Zappitas.

Mushroom, Dill & White Wine Bread Pudding

This recipe comes from Stones Spells for Magic Feasts, a wonderful book which I wish I could offer for sale in my bookstore. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find it for sale anywhere other than in Avebury, England, where Stone's Cafe is located.

3 Tbl. olive oil 1 Lg. onion, chopped 2 lb. button mushrooms, halved (I slice 'em) 2 heaped Tbl. dried dill weed 8 fl. oz. white wine (dry)

1 1/2 lb. whole wheat bread, sliced (better if you trim the crusts off) 1 lb. Cheddar cheese, grated 6 eggs 10 fl. oz. milk salt and pepper

Heat oil and saute the onion until transparent, then add the mushrooms, dill and wine and cook until the mushrooms are soft.

Grease a large, lasagne-style dish and cover the bottom and sides with sliced bread. Then cover with half the mushroom mix. Sprinkle with half the grated Cheddar. Repeat with a further layer each of bread and mushrooms, and top with a final layer of bread.

Whisk the eggs together with the milk and seasoning, and pour over. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and bake at 400°F for about 40 minutes. Then allow to stand in a warm place for 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 filling servings.