This Weeks Eats

Here goes nothing. The recipes listed below are open for variation, and just happen to be what the Avila's will be snacking on this week! Enjoy.

Chicken Souvlaki

4 pieces of pita bread (we get ours from Trader Joe's)

2 tomatoes, diced

2 cups shredded lettuce

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

3/4 cup feta cheese (one of the lowest fat cheese's!)

1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

5 tablespoons olive oil

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces

Heat oven to 200 F. Wrap the pita in foil and place in oven to heat. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, onion, Feta, and olives. In a larger bowl, combine the oregano, thyme, vinegar, and lemon juice. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly. Pour about 2 tablespoons of that mixture over the tomato mixture. Stir, cover, and put tomato mixture in fridge. Add chicken to the remaining vinaigrette, toss and set aside.

Heat a bit of oil in large skillet. Transfer chicken into the skillet, cook until no longer pink, or about 6 minutes. Set aside.

Take pita out of oven. Place on plates, and put lettuce on top. Divide chicken among the four pita's. Then top with tomato mixture. Either eat like a taco, or just like a tostada.

Garden-Style Lasagna

2 cups chopped yellow onion

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. olive oil

2 cups chopped zucchini

2 cups chopped yellow squash

2 cups chopped carrot

2 cups chopped broccoli

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup flour

3 1/2 cups low fat milk

1 cup Parmesan cheese

dash of nutmeg

1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, or fresh (almost 2 cups)

1 1/2 cups low fat cottage cheese

2 cups low fat mozzarella cheese, shredded

12 wheat lasagna noodles

Preheat over to 375 F. Heat a large dutch oven over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray. Add onion and saute for 4 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute. Set aside in large bowl.

Heat 1 tsp oil in pan. Add zucchini and squash and saute 4 minutes or until tender. Add to onion mixture in bowl.

Heat remaining oil in pan. Add sliced carrot, saute 4 minutes. Add chopped broccoli, saute and add mixture to onion. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt, toss well to combine.

Place flour in saucepan. Gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Bring to a boil over medium heat; cook 2 minutes or until thick. Remove from heat. Add 1/2 cup Parmesan, remaining 1/2 tsp salt and nutmeg. Stir until smooth. Stir in spinach.

Combine cottage cheese and 1 1/2 cups mozzarella; stir well. Spread 1/2 cup spinach mixture in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 4 noodles over spinach mixture in dish. Top with half of cottage cheese mixture, half vegetable mixture, and about 1 cup spinach mixture. Repeat layer, (noodles, cottage cheese, veggies and spinach). End with noodles. Spread remaining spinach mixture over noodles; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 375 F for 20 minutes. Uncover and back an additional 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and browning. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.