Category Archives: Lighter Fare

Emerald Soup

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Veronica

*Updated 1/16/13: since I’m no longer in touch with the lady that gave me this recipe, I can be totally honest and tell you this was awful and please don’t make it! LOL! I blogged this on MySpace before I cared about the quality of recipes I shared (for the record, I only blog the best ones now) and transferred it here when I started my blog. I can’t bear to delete it so I just want to warn you that you shouldn’t make it!*

With both Thanksgiving dinners (we have one for each side of our family) and all the leftovers out of the way, I’m a little tired of heavy foods and was craving something light and healthy. Since Dennis is out of town for the week, I can cook whatever I want (“whee” for that but “boo” to him being gone) and I immediately thought of this soup, whose title and ingredients had caught my attention when my friend, Rhonda, first posted it on her MySpace blog.

It is creamy & flavorful and I love the delightful color. And the best part is that it’s so healthy that I felt totally justified in pairing it with a light & airy sweet dinner roll (or three)….slathered with butter. :)

Emerald Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
2 TBSP. butter
1 TBSP. olive oil
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth*
2 cups packed fresh spinach leaves or half of a 10 oz pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
2 medium potatoes. peeled and chopped (2 cups)
2 cups broccoli florets or one 10 oz. pkg. frozen cut broccoli, thawed and well-drained
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp. dry mustard
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
Dash of bottled hot pepper sauce (optional)
1 & 1/2 cups milk (I used 3/4 cup)

*Chicken broth will work but I stuck with vegetable to keep this dish vegetarian.

In a saucepan, cook onion and garlic in hot butter and olive oil over medium-high heat 4 to 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in broth, spinach, potatoes, broccoli, oregano, mustard, salt, nutmeg and hot pepper sauce. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Cover; simmer 15 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Cool slightly.

Use an immersion blender to blend the soup, or transfer it to a blender or food-processor bowl. Cover; blend or process until smooth. (Warning: leave the middle part out of the blender so steam can escape, otherwise the lid will explode off once you start blending and boiling hot soup will go everywhere!) Return to pan. Stir in milk. Heat through. Serve with croutons, if desired.

Makes 4 side dish servings (or you could double up to make it a meal in itself).

Recipe courtesy of Rhonda C.

2 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Soups & Stews, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged brocolli, emerald soup, spinach. Bookmark the permalink.

Kielbasa & Northern White Bean Soup

Posted on November 15, 2009 by Veronica

If I sit too long at the computer desk, my right hand extended and clicking away, it gets so cold that I can make Dennis gasp by sneaking it under his shirt and tucking it under his arm (I love to do this). I’ve broken out my box of winter clothes in storage and swapped them for the summer clothes that were in my drawers. (This is a habit I inherited from my mother, which comes in handy since we have a small house and don’t have room for even my meager amount of clothes.)

Currently, I’m wearing fuzzy Frosty the Snowman pajama pants, thermal underwear, and my right hand is very cold.

Do you know what these signs indicate? Yup, it’s officially soup weather!

This one is delicious(!) & nutritious so you can’t go wrong with it. I subbed butter beans for the northern white beans but I woudln’t recommend it. Go with the northern. And check out the original blog to see how beautiful this soup can look if you have a good camera, camera skills, are a better cook, and used the right kind of beans.

I’m compelled to explain that my broth is murky b/c I only had beef broth on hand, and the beans are hiding b/c I only used 1 can. You can kind of see hints of them if you look hard enough.

Kielbasa & Northern White Bean Soup

Adapted from Cooking, Dunkin Style

Olive Oil
1 package of turkey kielbasa sausage, sliced into 1/4″ rounds
2 cans northern white beans, drained & rinsed
1 (32-oz) carton chicken broth
1/2 onion, diced
4 stalks celery, diced
5 medium carrots, diced
2 cups shredded cabbage (optional–I just happened to have some leftover from the moo shu noodles)
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper to taste
Rosemary and Thyme to taste
1/2 a bag of SpinachPlace 2 tbl olive oil in your soup pot and saute the sausage until caramelized, remove and set aside.

Place the vegetables into the pan, adding more oil if needed and saute till the onions are translucent (about 10 minutes)

Add your sausage back in, then the beans, cabbage and chicken stock.

Add the bay leaf, salt, pepper, dash of thyme and some rosemary.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the carrots are crisp-tender. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes.

3 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Soups & Stews and tagged kielbasa, northern white bean, soup. Bookmark the permalink.

Spinach & Black Bean Enchiladas

Posted on November 9, 2009 by Veronica

It seems the older I get, the less meat appeals to me. Thus, Meatless Mondays were born into our household–my sneaky way of making a day without meat sound fun so Dennis plays along. :)

This recipe made both of us happy–the enchiladas are filling, have good flavor, and are figure-friendly. I do realize the picture isn’t too appetizing, but they really are good, I promise!

If you have any favorite vegetarian dishes and are willing to share the recipe, please leave it in a comment or message me!

Spinach & Black Bean Enchiladas
from The New Holly Clegg Trim & Terrific Cookbook

makes 8 enchiladas

1 (10 oz) pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 (1 1/4 oz) pkg. taco seasoning mix (or 3 tablespoons homemade)
1 c water
1 c fat-free sour cream, divided
8 (6-8 inch) flour tortillas
1 (10 oz) can enchilada sauce
1 1/2 c shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese
2 T sliced green onions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a non-stick skillet, heat the spinach, black beans, taco seasoning mix, and water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the mixture is thickened. Remove from the heat, and stir in 1/2 c sour cream.

In each tortilla, spread 1 T enchilada sauce, about 1/3 c spinach mixture, and 1 heaping tablespoon cheese. Roll up each tortilla placing the seam-side down in an oblong baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the remaining enchilada sauce over the filled enchiladas, cover, and bake for 15-18 minutes.

Uncover and garnish with the remaining cheese. Continue baking for 5 minutes longer, or until the cheese is melted. Serve with the remaining sour cream, and sprinkle with the green onions.

Veronica’s notes: I felt the filling was creamy/liquid enough without putting the enchilada sauce on the inside, so I just poured it over the top.

Nutritional info per serving: 266 cal, 14 g protein, 39 g carbs, 3 g fat, 5 g fiber, 11 mg cholesterol, 1198 mg sodium
Diabetic exchanges: 1.5 very lean meat, 2.5 starch

2 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Mexican, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged black bean, diet-friendly, enchiladas, spinach, vegetarian. Bookmark the permalink.

Squash, Sage & Ricotta Manicotti

Posted on October 20, 2009 by Veronica

I’m a big fan of sweet and savory combos, and the squash here is just sweet enough to perfectly balance the onion, sage & cheeses. This the best thing I’ve eaten in a while and although my husband hates all squash, particularly butternut, he ate his plate without complaint! Success.

Squash, Sage & Ricotta Manicotti
Adapted from Everyday Food November 2009, “Squash, Sage & Ricotta Cannelloni”

3 T olive oil, plus more for baking dish and sheet
Salt & pepper
8 manicotti noodles
½ cup finely diced white onion
1 lb. cooked & mashed butternut squash
¼ c + 2 T parmesan
¼ c + 2 T milk
1 T chopped fresh sage leaves, plus 8-10 whole leaves
1/8 t ground nutmeg
2 c ricotta (15 oz)
¾ cup shredded mozzarella, divided

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 2-quart or 8-inch square baking dish.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water, drain again and transfer pasta to a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.

In a small skillet, heat 1 T oil over medium. Add onion, season with salt & pepper, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and add the squash, ¼ c parmesan, 2 T milk, sage, and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Stir the mixture until thoroughly combined.

Put filling into a gallon-size Ziploc bag and cut the corner. Squirt the squash mixture into the manicotti tubes and place in prepared dish.

In a bowl, combine ricotta, ½ c mozzarella, ¼ c milk & 2 T parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until combined. Spread ricotta mixture over manicotti and top with ¼ c mozzarella. Bake until warmed through, about 25 minutes. Broil until top is browned, 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat 2 T oil over medium-high. Fry whole sage leaves until crispy, 15-20 seconds. Drain on paper towels. Serve manicotti topped with fried sage.

*Veronica’s notes: the original recipe does not call for mozzarella, but for 1/2 c parmesan to be mixed with the ricotta and for another 1/4 cup to top the dish. I think this would taste better but I ran out of parmesan and had to use mozzarella. I will try it with the parm next time. Also, you can leave the parm out of the filling if you like, that was my addition and is prob not necessary if using it on top.

4 Comments

Posted in Italian, Lighter Fare, Pasta, Vegetarian & Vegan. Bookmark the permalink.

Salmon Corn Chowder

Posted on September 7, 2009 by Veronica

This is a wonderful & nutritious chowder that strangely reminds me of clam chowder, even though it’s salmon instead of clams! I used grilled salmon, which I would recommend in place of the canned. I also recommend using a tablespoon of cornstarch in addition to the flour to thicken the soup. This goes great with the honey whole wheat cornbread, too!

*Please forgive the magazine photo–my camera is broken and the ones I took with my .0000000001 mp back-up camera make it look like the stew was partially digested. Not appealing at all!

Salmon Corn Chowder
Clean Eating, September/October 2009

2 medium Russet or Idaho potatoes, peeled
2 carrots, peeled
Olive oil cooking spray
1 stalk celery, diced
1 medium yellow or white onion, diced
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
3 T whole-wheat flour
1 c skim milk
1 32-oz container low-sodium chicken broth
2 6-oz cans salmon packed in water, without bones or skin
2 c corn, freshly shucked or frozen
1-2 tsp paprika
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
1 T dill, finely minced

Place potatoes and carrots in a medium saucepan; cover with water. Boil over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes. Drain potatoes and carrots in a colander and pour cold water over. Let cool for 5 minutes. Remove potatoes and carrots and dice.

Meanwhile, preheat large stockpot over medium-high heat for 2 minutes. Mist with cooking spray. Add celery & onion and sauté for 2 minutes or until onions become translucent.

Add oil and flour, whisking briskly. Add milk, whisking in a ¼ cup at a time. (This will create a roux, or thickener, for your soup.)

Add broth and cook for at least 5 minutes. If soup seems a little thin, add more flour (no more then 1 T), a ½ tsp at a time, and whisk briskly. Add salmon, diced potatoes and carrots, corn and paprika. Reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add dill just 1 minute before serving.

Nutrients per 1 ½-cup serving: Calories: 210, Total fat: 4.5 g, Sat Fat: 0 g, Carbs: 25 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 6 g, Protein: 16 g, Sodium: 270 mg, Cholesterol: 0 mg

2 Comments

Posted in Lighter Fare, Soups & Stews. Bookmark the permalink.

Zucchini Pizza Casserole

Posted on August 17, 2009 by Veronica

Zucchini recipes abound this time of year and that usually makes me sad and wistful since I don’t grow them myself. However, they are so prevalent at the farmer’s market that I was able to get super gigantic ones for just a quarter each! Kitchen Bitch emailed me this recipe a couple weeks ago so I whipped it out to use one of them. It is a good one–I would definitely make this again and next time might try a different meat (pepperoni or sausage)–I think the possibilities are pretty endless with this one.

https://i0.wp.com/a2.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/95/cf612b44822b4b02be9495843e2829b1/l.jpg

Zucchini Pizza Casserole
Adapted from this recipe at www.tasteofhome.com
Serves 6 (9 Weight Watchers Points per serving)4 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cups (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese, divided

1 pound lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Salt & pepper to taste
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can diced tomatoes, extremely well drained

1 medium green pepper, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a 13×9 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

Place zucchini in strainer over a bowl; sprinkle with salt & gently toss. Let stand for 10 minutes. Squeeze out moisture. I took handfuls and squeezed them out over the sink–a ..LOT.. of liquid will come out!

While you’re waiting, whisk the eggs up with the parmesan and half of the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses. When the zucchini has been squeezed out, stir it into the egg mixture & press into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish.

Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook beef, onion, garlic & spices over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato sauce & tomatoes; spoon over baked zucchini mixture.

Sprinkle with remaining cheeses; sprinkle green pepper over the top. Bake 20 minutes longer or until heated through.

Carrot, Dill & White Bean Salad

Posted on July 20, 2009 by Veronica

You don’t have to sacrifice flavor in order to eat healthy. This salad is a wonderful blend of flavors with a nice dose of heart-healthy fat & good-for-you fiber. It is so good I could eat the entire recipe in one sitting, but since I’m on Weight Watchers, I measured out my portion like a good girl and managed to stick to it by eating fresh tomatoes (zero points!) on the side. Next time I’ll serve it on a lettuce leaf or even a bed of lettuce to make it even prettier.

Carrot, Dill & White Bean Salad

adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Dressing
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
1/2 cup finely diced red onion

Salad
1 teaspoon vegetable oil for cooking
2 cups sliced carrots, cut 1/4-inch thick on deep bias
3 cups cooked white beans (I used 1 can Great Northern & 1 can Chickpeas, which equaled 2 3/4 cups)
scant 1/4 cup chopped fresh dill or 1 T dried
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted (optional–I omitted to save calories)

Combine the olive oil, lemon juice, salt and onion in a small bowl. Stir and set aside.

In your largest skillet over medium high heat, toss the carrots with the oil. Let them cook in a single layer – they’ll give off a bit of water at first. Keep cooking, tossing gently every three or four minutes until the carrots are deeply browned. All told, about twelve minutes.

Add the beans and dill to the skillet and cook for a few more minutes, or until the beans are heated through.

Place the contents of the skillet in a large mixing bowl, sprinkle with the brown sugar and pour the lemon-olive oil mixture over the top. Toss gently. Let sit for ten minutes. Toss gently once again, taste and adjust with more salt or sugar or lemon juice if needed to balance the flavors. Serve warm or at room temperature and finish by sprinkling with the almonds just before serving.

Serves 6 – 8 as a side.

Veronica’s Notes: I didn’t have fresh dill and was only able to scrounge up 1 1/2 tsp of dried dill–it was still really good but I could tell it would have been even better with more dill so I left the original amount in the recipe. Also, for the few of you actually interested, I calculated that this dish (without the almonds) is 9 points if divided into 4 main-dish servings, and 4 points if divided into 8 side-dish servings.

Soba Noodles in Peanut Sauce

Posted on July 17, 2009 by Veronica

I checked out a cookbook from the library called You Won’t Believe It’s Vegan, by Lacey Sher and Gail Doherty, and I knew as soon as I saw the recipe for the “Soba Noodles in Peanut Sauce” that I had to try it. It seems that all my foodie friends are cooking up Asian fare lately and I don’t want to be the only one left in the dust, even if my past attempts have somewhat disappointing.

Well, I now have ONE successful Asian dish under my belt! I’m so proud, it’s ridiculous!

I asked my friend, Pia, what she would call this type of dish and she said “fusion” b/c the noodles are Japanese, but peanut sauce is usually used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking. Whatever it is, the combo here is delicious! I rounded out the meal with some bright vegetable spring rolls, which was kind of like eating a hand-held salad. How fun is that?!

Soba Noodles in Peanut Sauce
Serves 4
Savory & simple, these soba noodles are tossed in spicy peanut sauce and served with fresh carrots and scallions. Top with snow pea shoots and sesame seeds for a gourmet touch.

8 oz soba noodles
1/2 c Peanut Sauce (recipe follows)
1/4 c matchstick-cut carrots
1/4 c thinly sliced scallions
1 T toasted sesame oil
Pinch of sea salt
Sesame seeds, for garnish
Bean sprouts, for garnish

Fill a 6-quart stock pot with water and bring to a boil. Add the soba noodles to the boiling water and cook for 7 minutes. Drain the noodles into a colander and run under cool water until slightly cool to the touch. Using a medium-size bowl, toss together the noodles, peanut sauce, carrot, scallion, sesame oil, and a pinch of salt. Serve family style or divide into individual servings, garnished with sesame seeds and sprouts.

Peanut Sauce
Yield: 2 cups

1 c peanut butter
3 cloves garlic
3/4 c water
1/4 c plus 1 T tamari
Pinch of cayenne
1 (2.1 oz) package Eden Pickled Ginger with Shiso, with liquid, leaf removed*

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend well. Will keep for 4-5 days refrigerated.

*Variation: Instead of using pickled ginger, you can add 1 T of finely grated fresh ginger, 2 T of agave syrup, and 1 T of rice vinegar.

Veronica’s Notes: I cheated and used a prepared peanut sauce (House of Tsang Bangkok Padang Peanut Sauce), which was spicy and delicious. This made the recipe super easy and only took 10 minutes to prepare from start to finish. Also, I would imagine that sugar would work fine in place of the agave nectar (in the variation on the peanut sauce) if you don’t have any and don’t want to buy it.

2 Comments

Posted in Asian, Lighter Fare, Main Dishes, Pasta, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged noodles, peanut, sauce, soba, vegan. Bookmark the permalink.

Bison

Posted on June 22, 2009 by Veronica

Many of you know that I prefer bison to beef and thought you might be wondering why. Here’s my answer, taken from http://www.bigbendbison.com/health.htm.

Health Benefits

TASTE
People are rapidly discovering the deliciously healthy taste of bison / buffalo. Buffalo meat tastes similar to fine beef, with just a slightly sweeter and richer flavor. Bison is naturally flavorful and tender and can be prepared much the same as beef. Publications ranging from Gourmet Magazine to the Old Farmers Almanac are heralding bison as the meat of the future.

VALUE
Bison falls into the gourmet or specialty meat category at your supermarket or meat market. Click here to find a local retailer. The value of buffalo is not what you pay, but what you get in return. Nutritionally you are getting more protein and nutrients with fewer calories and less fat. Buffalo is a dense meat that tends to satisfy you more while eating less.

HEALTH
Bison are handled as little as possible. They spend their lives on grass, much as they always have, with very little time in the feedlot. They are not subjected to questionable drugs, chemicals or hormones. The members of the NBA feel so strongly about this that they have a resolution opposing the use of these substances in the production of Bison for meat.

WE STAND BEHIND OUR PRODUCT
The members of the National Bison Association are proud to introduce “Certified American Buffalo“ as a new seal that offers customers an extra degree of confidence in the quality of bison meat products. Every package containing the new Certified American Buffalo seal comes from producers who adhere to a USDA-audited program to assure that the products can be traced to the ranches of origin, and that animals are never given growth hormones or fed low-levels of antibiotics or animal byproducts.

NUTRITION
Research by Dr. M. Marchello at North Dakota State University has shown that the meat from Bison is a highly nutrient dense food because of the proportion of protein, fat, mineral, and fatty acids to its caloric value. Comparisons to other meat sources have also shown that Bison has a greater concentration of iron as well as some of the essential fatty acids necessary for human well being. Readers’ Digest magazine has even listed bison as one of the five foods women should eat because of the high iron content.

Read Dr. Marchello’s Study

Premium Natural Bison

With changing health needs, growing concern about fat and cholesterol combined with an aging population,

preventative maintenance has become a growing part of our health plans. Food products that address these needs have seen and continue to see increased attention from consumers. Among these food products, is a product very much North American, which meets the dietary needs of many. The bison, once driven to the verge of extinction has slowly been making a comeback in prestigious restaurants and food service outlets all over North America. Until now, supply has limited the availability of the product. More and more consumers of fine food are finding the exquisite tenderness, sweet, and full bodied nature of bison to their taste. In addition to the flavour profile that bison delivers, it is densely composed of nutritional elements as well as reduced fat and cholesterol. Discover why bison meat is becoming a leading culinary trend, treat yourself to the finest food available, treat yourself to bison.

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Posted in Lighter Fare, Meats. Bookmark the permalink.

Tamale Pie

Posted on June 19, 2009 by Veronica

Did you know that Campbell’s has a “Fiesta Nacho Condensed Soup?” I didn’t, until I made my friend, Katy’s, mother’s tamale pie, which calls for it. As soon as I tasted it, I knew I had to try it in other things to have some fun with it.

You know that slightly spicy cheese & tomato dip (I think it’s made with Velveeta & Rotel) that people bring in crockpots to potlucks & serve with tortilla chips? Well, that is what the soup reminds me of! And at 120 calories/half cup–I can guarantee you it’s a calorie bargain compared to the Velveeta dip (you’d get less than half as much Velveeta dip for that many calories).

After making the tamale pie….

I bought a few more cans and made nacho appetizers (which we turned into a meal)….

And then whipped up some nacho tacos (just replace the cheese with the heated soup)

As for the tamale pie, it was very good (everything was good, but this blog is about the pie so I’m concentrating on that). It will definitely be a recurring meal at our dinner table. I’m almost embarrassed to say it’s the best thing I’ve eaten in a few weeks b/c it’s so simple to prepare & doesn’t that sort of mean I’m a bad cook if I can’ t make something from scratch that tastes better? Oh well, I don’t care!

Honestly, I don’t know if the best thing about it is how easy it is to make, how tasty it is, or that it’s Weight Watchers friendly. That’s right, people! You can have a big slice of beefy, cheesy, cornbread topped pie without feeling guilty!!! Now how’s that for a winner?

Tamale Pie

Recipe courtesy of Katy R.
Serves 6

1 lb. lean ground beef (I used bison, so mine was lower in cals than what is stated below)
1 pkg. taco seasoning (or 3 tablespoons homemade)
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 can nacho cheese soup
1 can corn, drained
1 box of Jiffy corn bread
1 egg
1/2 cup milk (I used skim)

Brown meat & drain off any fat. Stir in taco seasoning, Rotel tomatoes, and can of corn. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour into 13×9 baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray & spread nacho soup over the beef. Mix Jiffy mix with the egg & milk & spread over the nacho cheese soup. Bake at 425 until cornbread is brown on top, about 15 minutes.

Serve with a salad and you are good to go!!! *Heads up to Moms: this dish is very kid friendly!

Nutrition Facts (prepared with lean ground beef & skim milk)
Per Serving
436 Calories
15.2 g Fat
6.9 g Saturated fat
113 mg Cholesterol
835 mg Sodium
42.9 g Carbohydrates
2.8 g Fiber
12 g Sugar
31 g Protein
*9 Weight Watchers Points

Based on a 2,000 calorie diet, one serving provides
15% Vitamin A
14% Vitamin C
17% Calcium
25% Iron

______________________
Update 7/15/09

I made this again today, but this time added a cup each of quartered and sliced zucchini and yellow summer squash, along with a cup of diced onion. This really bulked up the filling layer and it was no less tasty. There is no end of variations on this recipe, I’m sure–I think beans would be a wonderful addition or even replacement for the meat.