Chicken Alfredo Roll-ups
(Serves 6)
6 Lasagna noodles, cooked to al dente
2 cups chopped, cooked Chicken
1/2 cup Margarine or Butter
½ cup each: chopped Red pepper or Pimento
½ cup All-purpose Flour
chopped Yellow squash
½ tsp. Salt
chopped Spinach
¼ tsp. White pepper
chopped Mushrooms
2 cup Chicken broth
½ cup shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese
2 cup Non-fat Evaporated Milk
½-3/4 cup non-fat Ricotta cheese
2 Tbs. Sherry or Water
1 cup shredded low fat Mozzarella Cheese
1. .Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cook and drain the lasagna noodles as directed on the package.
3. Melt the margarine in a 2 qt. saucepan over low heat. Stir flour, salt and pepper into margarine. Stir over low-medium heat until a lump-free paste (roux) forms. Slowly add evaporated milk and chicken broth, and continue to stir until mixture boils, thickens and coats the spoon. Add sherry/water. Remove from heat.
4. Combine chicken, chopped vegetables, 1 cup of the sauce and ¼ cup of shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
5. Lay out noodles; spread with a thin layer of ricotta cheese. Divide the chicken filling evenly on each noodle, spreading it out to 1- inch from one end.
6. Roll each noodle, ending with the 1- inch end that will seal the roll-up. Place in a 9"x 9" baking dish, leaving a bit of space between each roll-up. Pour remaining sauce over the roll-ups. Sprinkle with remaining Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and 1 cup Mozzarella cheese.
7. Bake for 30 minutes (if all ingredients are at room temperature) or until golden and cheese is melted.
Green Bean and Tomato Salad
1 lb. Green beans, trimmed
½ lb. Cherry tomatoes, halved
¼ cup chopped fresh Basil
3 Tbs. White wine vinegar
2 tsp. Extra virgin olive oil
1. .In a large pot of boiling water, cook green beans for 3-4 minutes. Drain and plunge green beans into cold water to stop the cooking and retain their color. They should be tender crisp.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cooled green beans and tomatoes. Sprinkle with basil.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar and oil and drizzle over the vegetables. Toss to lightly coat.
4. Serve at room temperature or chilled.
Chocolate Espresso Meringue Cookies
3 egg whites, at room temperature
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbs. cocoa powder
1 Tbs. espresso (or really strong coffee)
¼ tsp salt
½ cup cappuccino or chocolate chips
1. .Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the cocoa and sugar and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine egg whites, espresso, and salt. Beat with a whisk or electric mixer until soft peaks form. When you lift the beater out of the whites, the peak will curl.
4. Add the cocoa-sugar mixture, a tablespoon at a time. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form (peaks stand straight up).
5. Gently fold in the cappuccino chips.
6. Using a tablespoon, drop well-rounded spoonfuls of the meringue mixture onto the baking sheets, 1 inch apart.
7. Bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and allow the cookies to dry in the closed oven for 40 minutes - 1 hour.
8. Remove the cookie sheets from the oven and gently peel the cookies off the cookie sheets and store in an air tight container.
