Cooking With Kids

	Vegetable Manicotti

	A great back-to-school recipe, this manicotti can be prepared in advance and kept frozen until you are ready to bake them. Ingredients: 1/2 cup carrots, shredded 1/2 cup zucchini, shredded 1 cup spinach, chopped 2 cups plain yogurt cheese 1 tablespoon Italian parsley, chopped 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon basil 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 3 eggs 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded 12 manicotti shells, cooked 1 32oz jar tomato sauce Directions: Using a yogurt cheese maker or layered cheesecloth, strain the whey from 1 quart of yogurt overnight to make yogurt cheese. One quart of yogurt will yield approximately 2 cups of yogurt cheese. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil, and cook manicotti noodles until still slightly firm, being careful not to overcook. Drain noodles, rinse with cold water. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a 9x13 baking dish, coat the bottom of the dish with 4 tablespoons of tomato sauce. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, fold vegetables, 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, herbs, salt, pepper and eggs into yogurt cheese. Using a spoon, gently fill the manicotti shells with the cheese and vegetable mixture and then place in the baking dish. Once all shells have been filled, top manicotti with remaining tomato sauce. Bake for 25 minutes. Top with remaining shredded cheese and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown. Serve warm. Yields: 6 servings Nutritional Facts Per Serving: Calories 480 Calories from Fat 130; Total Fat 13g Carbohydrates 71g Protein 27g Fiber 4g A lot of people say they just don’t have the time to eat healthy. But just by doing a little planning in advance, you can prepare delicious, nutritious meals, freeze them, and they’ll be ready in no time when you need them. This dish uses foods from 3 of the Pyramid’s 5 food groups: vegetables, grains and dairy. Eating from these 3 food groups, as well as the protein and fruit groups, is the way to ensure that your body is getting all the nutrients it needs to stay healthy and grow well. This dish contains a nice mix of vegetables and the cheese provides plenty of calcium and protein too. Add on mixed green salad when it’s time to eat and you’re set.