Chile Verde

By: Julia Mangan

This is a freezer recipe that is really yummy if you like spicy stuff! This is kind of like a soup and you put it over corn tortillas topped with salsa and cheese.

8 oz. package dry pinto beans (1 & 1/4 cups)
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 oz. can chopped green chilies
1 t. ground cumin
3/4 t. dried oregano leaves
1/8 t. ground cloves
1/8 t. cayenne pepper
3 c. water
3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 t. minced garlic (1 clove)
1 t. salt
2/3 c. finely chopped onion
1 c. grated low-fat Monterrey jack cheese
12 corn tortillas
11 1/2 oz. jar salsa

Rinse pinto beans, soak them in cold water overnight, then drain them. (I used canned so I skipped this step.) Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes; cook in small amount of water or vegetable oil until no longer pink, about 15 minutes. Combine chicken with chilies and seasonings; refrigerate until needed. At the same time, combine beans, water, bouillon cubes, garlic, salt and onion in a large pot; bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer until beans are soft, about 1 hour. Add more water if necessary.

Combine chicken and spices with beans; simmer 10 more minutes. To serve, top chili with salsa and grated cheese; serve on warmed corn tortillas. If freezing, cool and freeze. Grate cheese, put it in a 1-quart bag and attach it to the freezer container with the chili. To serve, thaw chili and cheese. Simmer chili 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. See above for serving.

Cheese Stuffed Manicotti

By: Julia Mangan

1 c. chopped onion

1/2 c. chopped green bell pepper

1/2 c. shredded carrots

1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced

1/2 c. sliced celery

1 t. minced garlic

14.5 oz. can chopped tomatoes, with their juice

10.75 oz. can tomato puree

1/2 c. water

1 t. dried oregano leaves

1 t. dried basil leaves

1/2 t. sugar

salt and pepper to taste

12 manicotti shells

cheese filling (recipe follows)

In a medium non-stick saucepan, combine onion, green pepper, carrots, mushrooms, celery and garlic, cooking until the vegetables are tender, about 7 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato puree, water, oregano, basil, sugar and salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occassionally. Meanwhile, cook the manicotti shells according to the package directions omitting any oil and salt. Drain well. Fill each manicotti shell with about 1/3 cup of the Cheese Filling (see recipe below). Arrange the filled shells in a 3 quart rectangular baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray. Pour the sauce over the filled shells.

To Prepare and Eat Now: Preheat the oven to 350. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through.

To Freeze: Do not bake before freezing. Cool to room temperature, wrap, label and freeze. Recommended freezing time: up to 3 months

To Prepare After Freezing: Remove from freezer to defrost. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until heated through.

Cheese Filling

2 large egg whites, beaten

15 oz. container part-skim ricotta cheese

1 c. shredded, part-skim Mozzarella cheese

2 T. chopped parsley

1/2 t. dried basil leaves

1/2 t. dried oregano leaves

salt and pepper to taste

In a mixing bowl, combine the egg whites, ricotta, Mozzarella, parsley, basil, oregano and salt and pepper.

Italian Stuffed Meatloaf

By: Julia Mangan

2 lbs ground sirloin

1 large egg white

1 cup tomato juice

salt and pepper to taste

1 t. minced garlic

1 t. dried oregano

1 onion, chopped

4 oz. sliced, part-skim Mozzarella or provolone cheese

1/2 c. frozen spinach, cooked according to directions and squeezed dry

1/2 c. jarred, roasted red peppers, drained and chopped

Preheat the oven to 350. In large bowl, combine the sirloin, egg white, tomato juice, salt and pepper, garlic and oregano. In small non-stick skillet coated with non-stick cooking spray, saute onion until tender. Add the cooked onion to the meat mixture, mixing well. Put half the meat mixture into a non-stick 9x5x3-inch loaf pan coated with non-stick cooking spray, layer with Mozzarella cheese, spinach and red peppers and cover with remaining meat mixture. Bake meatloaf for one hour or until meat is done.

Eat when ready if eating now.

To freeze: Cool to room temperature, then wrap, label and freeze.

Recommended freezing time: up to 2 to 3 months.

To Prepare after freezing: Remove from freezer to defrost. Preheat the oven to 350. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated. Alternately, you can reheat meatloaf slices in the microwave.

Beef Tenderloin Pizza with Horseradish Cream

By: Julia Mangan

4 oz. reduced-fat cream cheese

1 cup nonfat sour cream

1 to 2 T. prepared horseradish sauce, depending on taste

1/3 cup chopped red onion

2 t. lemon juice

Dash hot sauce

salt and pepper to taste

12 in Boboli or pizza crust (We use thin crust.)

1 c. shredded, part-skim Mozzarella cheese

8 oz. cooked, medium-rare beef tenderloin, sliced

1 T. chopped chives

In a mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream and horseradish.

Stir in the red onion, lemon juice, hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. Spread evenly on top of pizza crust. Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese.

To Prepare and Eat Now: Preheat the oven to 425. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until bubbly. Top with tenderloin and sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately.

To Freeze: Do not cook before freezing. After topping with cheese, wrap, label and freeze. Recommended freezing time: up to 6 weeks. (I normally cut up the raw meat and freeze that in a separate bag.)

To Prepare After Freezing: Preheat the oven to 425. Place frozen pizza into the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes (sometimes it takes longer, depends on thickness of crust) or until bubbly. Top with tenderloin (after cooking separately if not cooked yet) and sprinkle with chives. Serve immediately.

(I don't recommend freezing the chives. They end up tasting way too strong. I just normally buy them for the day I plan on eating it and cut up while it is baking.)