Tortellini Stew w/Spinach and Zucchini

Ingredients:
1 can (14 oz size) reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
1 package (9 oz size) refrigerated cheese or mushroom tortellini
1 can (14.5 oz size) diced tomatoes
3 cups packed baby spinach
3 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons freshly shredded Asiago or Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 small zucchini, diced large, sauteed lightly

Directions:
Bring broth to a boil in medium saucepan over high heat. Add tortellini. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer gently 5 minutes.

Gently stir in tomatoes; simmer 4 minutes or until tortellini is tender. Stir in spinach 1 cup at a time just until wilted. Add zucchini. Stir in basil.

Ladle into shallow bowls; sprinkle with cheese and pepper.

As an added delicious touch, once you've turned off the heat, stir in three triangles of Laughing Cow cheese. It adds a lovely richness to the broth, and it also thickens it all up, just a smidge. So good.

Sausage and Vegetable Stew

* 6 Italian-style sausages
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
* 1 medium sweet onion, chopped into 1-inch dice
* 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch dice
* 1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped into 1-inch dice
* 2 medium zucchini, chopped into 1-inch dice
*1 small eggplant, chopped into 1-inch dice
* 2 cups mushrooms, quartered
* 1 28 oz can Italian-style stewed tomatoes
* 1 5.5 oz can tomato paste with Italian herbs
* 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
* Parmesan cheese, optional


Cut the sausages into 1-inch pieces. In a medium soup pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and cook the sausage pieces, stirring occasionally, until well-browned, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, onion, and vegetables, stirring well to mix. Cook for another 5 minutes, until the vegetables are almost softened.
Add the stewed tomatoes, stirring well to mix, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the tomato paste, and vinegar stirring well to mix.

Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

One-Dish Lemon Chicken Bake

Ingredients (Serves 6)

1 pint	grape tomatoes
2	small zucchinis, sliced on a bias, 1/4-inch thick
1 cup	green and black olives, pitted
1/3 cup	lemon zest
3 tbsp	capers, rinsed
8-10	fresh thyme sprigs
1/4 cup	olive oil
6	boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders removed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. Toss all ingredients except chicken with oil, and place in a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Place chicken on top, spooning some vegetables onto chicken. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Bake 15–18 minutes, tossing mixture and turning chicken once, until chicken is cooked through.

Zucchini Grinders (serves 2)

INGREDIENTS

* 1-1/2 teaspoons butter
* 1 medium zucchini, cubed
* 1/2 pinch red pepper flakes
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/2 cup marinara sauce
* 2 med bocconcini (2" diameter)
* 2 (6 inch) French or Italian sandwich rolls, split

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Fry the zucchini in butter until browned and slightly tender. Season with red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and stir in the marinara sauce. Cook and stir until sauce is heated.
3. Slice bocconcini into 1/4" thick slices, and lay into bun. Spoon a generous amount of the zucchini mixture into each sandwich roll. Close the rolls, and wrap individually in aluminum foil.
4. Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, until bread is heated through, and cheese is melted. The bocconcini will be stringy and gooey and delish.

Moroccan Chicken

Chicken in a tomato based sauce with garbanzo beans, zucchini and some other stuff. I have to chase down this recipe. It was de-lish. Again, not really bad for you, its made with lean chicken breasts, tomato sauce, veggies. Practically guilt-free.