Pickles The Cat

A quick and easy meal, perfect for Meatless Mondays! A combination of Shiitake, Baby Portabella and Cremini mushrooms with noodles in a light creamy sauce.

I played around with Mushroom Stroganoff a few times last week (until we were sick of it) for a Meatless Monday option. Now don’t get me wrong, I love Beef Stroganoff, so for me it was a challenge to get the flavor of the beef without using any meat as well as keeping it creamy yet light. The bonus of making it without the beef is that you can eat more for less calories and fat.

Using a variety of mushrooms gave nice textures and flavor and the Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste helped give me some of that beef flavor I was looking for. I love Ronzoni Smart Taste noodles, I think they have the best taste but No-yolk and Healthy Harvest are also good options.

As a kid, I always topped my Stroganoff with grated Parmesan cheese. This is completely optional, but I personally think it makes any noodle dish go from good to great. Hope you enjoy!

Mushroom Stroganoff
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1 1/2 cups • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 7 pts
Calories: 268 • Fat: 3.5 g • Carbs: 52.5 g • Fiber: 7 g • Protein: 12.5 g • Sugar: 4.5 g
Sodium: 312 (without salt)

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium vegetable broth (or beef if you’re a carnivore)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp tomato paste
5 oz sliced Cremini mushrooms
8 oz sliced baby Bella mushrooms
3.5 oz Shiitake mushrooms
1/4 tsp thyme
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp white wine or sherry
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
8 oz uncooked noodles (Ronzoni Smart Taste, Healthy Harvest or No-Yolk)
1 tbsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

Directions:

Cook noodles in a pot of salted water according to package directions, I like to under-cook them a bit so I can mix it with the sauce and let it finish cooking.

Meanwhile, while the water starts to boil for the noodles, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Melt butter over medium heat and add onions to the pan. Cook 2 – 3 minutes over medium-low heat.

Add flour; stir with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds. Gradually add broth, Worcestershire sauce, and tomato paste, stirring constantly. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt and pepper; stir and cook 4-5 minutes or until thickened and bubbly, stirring constantly.

Add wine; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 4 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 30 seconds. Stir in sour cream; add noodles, mix well and garnish with parsley if desired.

A great tasting, thick, hearty Italian soup, that is rich in fiber and nutritious. Great to make on a cold weeknight because it’s super quick and easy to prepare.

I like pureeing the beans to get my picky kid to eat this, but if you prefer your beans whole, you can skip that step. Leftovers can be frozen. Serve this with a piece of Italian bread on the side and top with your favorite grated cheese. For an extra special treat, top this with a slice of melted Alpine Lace Swiss, delicious! Vegetarians can use vegetable broth instead.

This can also be frozen and reheated at a later time for make-ahead meals.

Pasta Fagioli (Pasta and Beans)
Skinnytaste.com
Servings: 5 • Serving Size: about 2 cups • Old Points: 5 pts • Points+: 6 pts
Calories: 254.5 • Fat: 3.4 g • Protein: 10.3 g • Carb: 47.5 g • Fiber: 6.8 g

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 15 oz can cannellini beans
15 oz can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
1 large bay leaf
1 tbsp basil
1 tbsp parsley
1 tsp oregano
2 (14 oz each) cans fat free chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegetarians)
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
6 oz dry Ditalini pasta or other small pasta
grated parmesan cheese for topping (optional)

Directions:

In a deep pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat.

Blend the can of beans with one can water in electric blender until almost smooth.

Add blended beans to pan then add the can of tomato sauce, celery, carrots, chicken broth, basil, bay leaf, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper. Add 1 cup water and bring to slow boil. Let simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add pasta and cook uncovered until pasta is al dente, according to pasta directions.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with grated cheese (extra).