Pesto Pasta Salad Journal this as: 2 servings of [starch and legumes with 1 tablespoon fat] + 1 serving of vegetables without added fat OR as 2 servings of starch and legumes without added fat and 1 serving of vegetables with 1 tablespoon of added fat.

Please note that the nutritional analysis for this recipe is based on a fairly large serving. So if you have a small-sized serving, you will be having perhaps half of the calories and fat grams and can reduce your journal accordingly.

12 ounces pasta noodles of choice, dried (rotelle, penne, etc…)
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 cup fresh basil, rinsed and well drained
2 cups chopped vine ripened tomatoes or quartered cherry tomatoes
2 jars (6 ounce each) artichoke hearts (water packed or marinated), rinsed and drained
7 ounce container Armanino Pesto Sauce (in frozen food section of your supermarket) or 14 tablespoons of another pesto made with olive oil or canola oil, thawed
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

• Start boiling water in large saucepan. When water is boiling, add noodles and continue to boil until pasta is tender (according to directions on package), about 10-12 minutes, then drain well in collander.
• While noodles are boiling, toast pine nuts in 400-degree oven (use 300-degrees if using a toaster oven) until light brown, watching carefully (about 3-5 minutes). Cool and add to serving bowl.
• Coarsely chop fresh basil; add to serving bowl. Chop tomatoes and artichoke hearts and add to serving bowl.
• Add drained noodles to serving bowl along with pesto and parmesan cheese and toss everything together well. Store in refrigerator until needed.

Makes 10 servings (about 1 cup per serving)

Per serving: 245 calories, 9 g protein, 32 g carbohydrate, 9.5 g fat, 1.8 g saturated fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 3.5 g fiber, 168 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 35 percent.
(A same size serving of traditional macaroni salad contains around 450 calories, 30 grams of fat, and 6 grams of saturated fat)

Ranger Rick Ranch Beans Journal this as: 2 servings of starch and legumes with 1 teaspoon fat

28 ounce can baked beans (I used Maple Cured Bacon Bush's Baked Beans)
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
14 ounce package Louis Rich Turkey Polska Kielbasa sausage links (or similar less-fat sausage), cut into small, bite-sized chunks
1/2 cup catsup
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, well drained (you can leave this out if desired)
1-2 tablespoons chili powder (use 1 tablespoon for a kid-friendly version)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon minced or chopped garlic (1 teaspoon garlic powder can be substituted)
1 or 2 dashes cayenne pepper (add more to taste)
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes (optional -- if you want to turn up the "heat")

• Add baked beans, diced onion, bell pepper, sausage, catsup and diced stewed tomatoes to slow cooker.
• Sprinkle chili powder, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, salt if desired, and cayenne pepper over the top of bean mixture and stir well.
• Turn slow cooker to HIGH and heat 2-4 hours or turn slow cooker to LOW and heat 8-10 hours.
• NOTE: if you want to use a Dutch oven, preheat oven to 350-degrees, add all the ingredients to a Dutch oven, stir, and bake for 1 hour.

Makes 12 side servings (about 3/4 cup each)

Per serving: 184 calories, 10 grams protein, 28 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 22 mg cholesterol, 5 g fiber, 600 mg sodium. Calories from fat: 17 percent.
(Original recipe contains 417 calories, 20 grams of fat, 7 grams saturated fat, and 44 mg cholesterol per serving.)

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