Holiday Sweet Potato Casserole

Base:
3 cups mashed sweet potatoes **
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping**:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter

Cook and mash sweet potatoes. Mix together sweet potatoes, eggs, sugar, milk, butter and vanilla. Place in a 8 x 11 inch casserole. Mix topping ingredients in a separate bowl. Spread over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 for 30 to 35 minutes.

**Note-This is a very traditional sweet potato casserole recipe that families have every year at the holidays. I, however, had never had it until my sister-in-law passed on the recipe. I love it! I tend to eat the leftovers for breakfast the next day!
**Note-My preferred way to cook and mash the sweet potatoes are to boil them in water for about 30 minutes. Let them cool a bit then peel off the skin (very easily done by hand). Then mash the meat of the potato.
**Note-I cut the topping in half. The original recipe calls for double the amount of topping. When I made it the first time, I found it to be too sweet. Cutting it in half, I find, makes no difference in the taste and quality of the dish.
**Note-I also cut down the sugar and butter in the base in half as well. Again the taste is not affected.

Family Meatballs

1 lb Ground turkey
2 Eggs
1 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
1/2 Cup Parmesan & Romano Grated Cheese Blend
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Tbsp Parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper, each

Wash your hands really well because you'll be doing all the mixing by hand. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients and mash them up in your hands, working all the ingredients into each other really well, like a meatloaf**.

This recipe makes about 20 regular sized meatballs. To do this, I score the mixture into 4 equal pieces and then make 5 meatballs out of each quarter.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.**

**Note-this is my mother's recipe modified to my cooking techniques and tastes. It was one of those that she was "famous" for. You could always count on my mother's meatballs to be delicious. Even though my family eats about 95% vegetarian, this is one recipe my husband is not willing to give up!
**I prefer to mix up all the ingredients, sans meat, with a whisk in a large bowl then add the meat and work it into the egg mixture. I find this cuts down on the amount of handling you are giving to your meat, working it less.
**I bake these uncovered for 30 minutes, then take them out and cover them with my favorite sauce for the last 15 minutes.
**Although I haven't tried, I think you could probably make a double batch of these and freeze half. Use half of the half in spaghetti and meatballs one night and the other half in meatball subs one night.

Stuffed Shells

12 ounces (1 box) jumbo pasta shells (approximately 40 shells)
2 jars tomato sauce**

**If freezing half the recipe, only use one jar of tomato sauce.

For the stuffing
2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
2 teaspoons olive oil, plus extra for serving
2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and shredded
2 scallions, chopped
2 cups (16 ounces) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded reduced-fat, part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pinch grated nutmeg

Oven at 350. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the shells, and partially cook 6 to 7 minutes — they should have started to become tender but will still be firm to the bite. Drain in a colander, Let cool. Meanwhile, in a skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the zucchini and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring every now and then, until tender and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add scallions during the final 1 minute. Transfer to a bowl and add spinach. Mix in ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, parsley, 1/8 teaspoon pepper and nutmeg, and stir to combine.

Spoon a thin layer of sauce over the bottom of two** 9-x-13-inch baking dishes. Fill the cooked shells with the cheese mixture, about 1-2 tablespoon per shell, and arrange the shells side by side in a single layer in the prepared dishes. Spoon the remaining sauce over the shells, cover with aluminum foil, and bake until the filling is heated through 25 to 30 minutes. Last 5-10 minutes, take out and cover with 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese.

**Note, this recipe makes enough for 2. I recommend making one of the pans a disposable foil pan. Spray it with non-stick spray and fill with shells. Cover with plastic wrap then foil. Carefully (so as not to tip the shells) transfer to the freezer. When ready to use, thaw overnight in the fridge. Uncover foil and plastic wrap. Pour a jar of sauce over shells and recover with foil only. Bake as above.

Lemony Green and White Beans

1 can white beans
2 c fresh green beans, halved
1 scallion, chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
zest of half a lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Make dressing and toss with beans. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour or overnight.

Black Bean and Zucchini Quesadillas

1 cup shredded zucchini
½ cup black beans
2 green onions, chopped
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 lime, juiced
4 6-inch tortillas
1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Saute zucchini, onion and spices until tender, about 3 minutes. Mix zucchini and beans together in a bowl. Spread mixture on 2 tortillas. Top with cheese and other tortilla. Microwave 60 seconds or use toaster oven until warmed through and melted. Serves 2.

Curried Quinoa Salsa

1 cup water
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup dried cranberries
3 green onions, chopped
1 c garbanzo beans

Cook quinoa and curry in water as directed on package. Mix in remaining ingredients. Serves 2.

Huevos Rancheros

4 eggs
2/3 cup refried beans
2 tortillas
1/4 cup shredded cheese
1/4 cup salsa

Prepare eggs how you like (fried, scrambled, etc.) Heat beans in microwave for 30-45 seconds. Spread tortilla with beans, top with eggs, cheese and salsa. Serves 2.