Category Archives: Pasta and Pizza

Pasta Salad Primavera (with Greek Yogurt)

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This lighter version of pasta salad uses Greek yogurt and lots of fresh veggies.  It’s terrific for summer, easy to make and very satisfying.  It is also great as a crowd pleaser or lunch for one, but either way, I’d make extra!

Pasta Salad Primavera (recipe from Slimmer: The New Mediterranean Way to Lose Weight by Harry Papas, recipe used with permission, book released in June 2012, to buy the book click here or visit website at www.theslimmerbook.com)  Makes 1 serving.

1 1/2 cups cooked small pasta shells
1 Tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 Tablespoons diced green bell pepper
2 Tablespoons shredded carrot
1/2 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 small cucumber, diced
1/2 cup cooked broccoli florets
1 ounce cooked baby shrimp (may substitute diced chicken breast, diced turkey, or flaked tuna)

For the dressing:
2 Tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon cocktail sauce
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

1.  Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl and toss to combine.

2.  Make the dressing by stirring together the ingredients in a small bowl.  Pour the dressing over the salad.  Stir gently to coat all the ingredients, taste for additional seasoning, and serve or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Makes 1 serving. Let me know how you enjoyed the pasta salad primavera (with Greek Yogurt) in the comments section…

Spaghetti Bolognese (with Greek Yogurt)

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This Spaghetti Bolognese (with Greek Yogurt) is a lighter version of a Mediterranean classic that’s easy to make and uses Greek yogurt to replace the cream you’d normally find in a Bolognese.  I think it’s much better and tastier than my regular Spaghetti Bolognese and I don’t think I’ll make Bolognese without Greek yogurt again.  Delish! And the kidlets loved this one.

Slimmer Spaghetti Bolognese (recipe from Slimmer: The New Mediterranean Way to Lose Weight by Harry Papas, recipe used with permission, book released in June 2012, to buy the book click here or visit website at www.theslimmerbook.com)  Serves 1.
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/2 cup thinly sliced white mushrooms
4 oz lean ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons dry white wine
One 8 ounce can tomato sauce
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 small cinnamon stick (optional)
A pinch of ground allspice (optional)
0 to 2/3 cup water depending on how thick you want the sauce to be (also, if you use more water you may want to cook it down some)
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped parsley leaves
1 Tablespoon non-fat Greek yogurt
2 oz. spaghetti, cooked according to package instructions
1 Tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese to serve

1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat, add the onion, green pepper , mushrooms, and beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook, using a fork to break up the meat, until the beef is browned and the vegetables are softened, 6 to 8 minutes.  Add the wine and cook a further minute.

2. Stir in the tomato sauce and paste and add the cinnamon and allspice if desired.  Cook the mixture while stirring for an additional minute.  Pour in the water, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the mixture is thick and well blended, 10 to 12 minutes.  Add the parsley and yogurt. Stir well to combine, and cook 2 minutes more.  Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan, toss well to coat and heat through.  Serve topped with the Parmesan.

Makes 1 serving.

Enjoy your Spaghetti Bolognese with Greek Yogurt and let me know what you think!

Slimmer Greek Salad Pita Pizza

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Greek Salad Pita Pizza was very easy and a big crowd pleaser.  Fun for guests!  You can also make it on the grill.

Slimmer Greek Salad Pita Pizza (recipe from Slimmer: The New Mediterranean Way to Lose Weight by Harry Papas, recipe used with permission, book to be released in June 2012, to buy the book click here or visit website at www.theslimmerbook.com)  Serves 1.

1 individual pre-baked pizza crust or 1 whole wheat pita
Marinara sauce, about 1-2 Tablespoons (for homemade, see below)
1 cup Mediterranean greens such as arugula, escarole, romaine or radicchio
4 or 5 cherry or grape tomatoes
2 Tablespoons sliced cucumber
2 Tablespoons sliced green bell pepper
1 Tablespoons shaved red onion
2 or 3 Kalamata olives
1 ounce crumbled feta cheese

Method 1
1. Preheat the oven according to pizza crust directions. Place the crust on a baking sheet and spread the sauce over. Chop the olives and sprinkle them with the crumbled feta over the sauce.
2. Bake according to package instructions until the cheese melts and the pizza is well heated and crisp on the edges, about 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish.
3. Toss the salad with the dressing in a medium bowl and pile on top of the cooked pizza.  Serve immediately.

Method 2 (if you like warm salad!)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit.
2. Spread marinara sauce over pita bread or pizza crust.
3. Pile all ingredients on top.
4. Bake for about 12 minutes.

Marinara Sauce (Homemade) (recipe from Slimmer: The New Mediterranean Way to Lose Weight by Harry Papas, recipe used with permission, book to be released in June 2012, to buy the book click here or visit website at www.theslimmerbook.com)

2 cups chopped fresh or canned tomatoes
1 Tablespoon tomato paste
1 Tablespooon olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano

1. Combine all the ingredients except the herbs in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often.
2. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, 10 to 12 minutes.  Add the herbs and cook a further 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and set aside to cool slightly.
3. Blend on low in a blender or food processor or with a handheld blender just until smooth. The sauce can be frozen in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 months.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Enjoy your Greek Salad Pita Pizza!  Let me know in comments what you thought…

Easy Seafood Risotto

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This was terrific.  You make the seafood risotto part separately so I fed that to the kids with white rice before mixing the risotto together – the seafood risotto was fantastic but too exotic for them!  The kiddos seem to do well with the rule of 7 – by the time we’ve stuck something in front of them 7 times they love it.  1 down, 6 to go.

 

Easy Seafood Risotto (recipe from Slimmer: The New Mediterranean Way to Lose Weight by Harry Papas, recipe used with permission, book to be released in June 2012, to buy the book click here)

 

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion or shallot, minced (I used 1 large onion when I doubled it)
1 garlic clove, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Tableespoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup crushed tomatoes
A dash of cayenne pepper (this added a great kick to it)
2 cups cooked mixed seafood such as small shrimp, mussels, baby scallops, or calamari (when I doubled it I used 1/2 lb scallops and 1 lb shrimp, not sure how many cups it was but it worked well)
2 cups cooked plain Arborio rice, hot
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley

 

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring often, for 2 minutes.  Add the vinegar and cook a further minute.

 

2. Stir in the tomatoes and cayenne, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, and cook until thickened and somewhat reduced, about 10 minutes.

 

3. Add the seafood and continue cooking until heated through, about 3 minutes.  Remove from the heat, stir in the rice and parsley, and serve immediately.
Makes 2 servings (I doubled this and were no leftovers)

Enjoy the Easy Seafood Risotto! Let me know what you think…