Meat Free Monday: Cheese Manicotti

First off, let me state that I am not a vegetarian. I have tried at various points in my life to give up meat but then the scent of a good steak on the grill always pulls me back into my carnivorous lifestyle. There are various website that will tout the benefits of a vegetarian lifestyle – this site however is about making small changes.

There are reports that show that perhaps eating meat every day isn’t healthy for our bodies or our environment. I am not an expert so I will list some of those sites below so that you can research for yourself and determine what works for you and your family.

• FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS
• Compassion in World Farming
• Meatless Mondays

Going forward on Mondays we will be sharing a recipe that we have previously tried for Meat Free Monday – in hopes that you will find this small change something easy for you and your family to try along with us. This week’s recipe is below:

Cheese Manicotti

8 whole grain manicotti shells
1 cup lowfat cottage cheese
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded lowfat part-skim mozzarella cheese
1 egg white
2 TB chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon oregano leaves
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
16 oz organic canned chopped tomatoes
4oz diced green chilies undrained
1TB cornstarch

Cook manicotti as directed on the package.

Heat oven to 350’F. In a medium bowl combine cottage cheese, parmesan, mozzarella, egg white, parsley, oregano and cayenne. Blend well then spoon cheese mixture into manicotti shells. Place side by side in a 2 quart backing dish.

In a medium saucepan, combine tomatoes, green chilies, and cornstarch. Cook until mixture boils and thickens – stirring constantly. Pour over filled manicotti in baking dish. Cover and bake at 350’F for 40 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

I made this recipe kid friendly by using mild green chilies. This gave it a little bit of spice but not so much that my kids wouldn’t eat it. I also sprinkled a little mozzarella to the top of the dish prior to baking. When the dish was done cooking I sprinkled with a little more fresh parsley just to make it look pretty. My whole family loved the manicotti and I will definitely make this recipe again.

Let us know if you try this recipe or have a meatless Monday recipe to share.  Happy Eating…