What's for dinner? four readers share their favorite easy recipes to solve the dreaded end-of-the-day dilemma - vegetable lasagna, enchilada casserole, spinach artichoke casserole, oatmeal cookies

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, August-Sept, 2002

Each day you plan and prepare meals that will help fuel your workouts while rising to the lofty nutritional standards to which you aspire. It's easy to get into a rut; after all, you can eat only so much grilled chicken and steamed vegetables! Add to your mealtime repertoire with these four easy recipes submitted by readers like you. Enjoy!

vegetable lasagna

I just wanted a pasta dish that was low in fat and high in protein. Tired of lean beef I threw a bunch of my favorite ingredients together and came up with what you see here. I get so many compliments on it, I thought I'd submit it. Now everyone can enjoy it!

Tami Hassett

Vancouver, British Columbia

1 lb. extra-lean ground turkey
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 medium-size mushrooms
1 cup fresh spinach, stems removed, torn into pieces
10-oz. jar sun-dried tomatoes
15-oz. jar florentine spinach and cheese tomato sauce (or your
 favorite; we use Classico Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce)
12-oz. can tomato paste
1 cup water
Oregano to taste
16 oz. fat-free cottage cheese
15 oz.-pkg. whole-wheat lasagna noodles
1 cup shredded low-fat mozzarella cheese
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Brown meat with onion, garlic and mushrooms in a large pan. Add zucchini, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes, along with some salt and pepper to taste. Simmer over medium heat, covered, for 5-10 minutes, then add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water and oregano. Reduce to low-medium heat and simmer about five minutes, stirring often. Sauce should be watery Add cottage cheese and remove from heat.

In a 13x9-inch casserole dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, layer noodles, sauce and mozzarella, repeating up to three times. Cover the top layer of sauce more heavily with cheese, then sprinkle a little oregano on top. Cover with foil and bake 30-40 minutes. Remove foil for the last 10 minutes of baking. Let cool 10-15 minutes, then cut and serve. Makes 10 servings. Per serving: 287 calories, 26.5 g protein, 23.9 g carbohydrate, 9.5 g fat, 4.6 g fiber.

enchilada casserole

When my father was stationed in Germany more than 30 years ago my mother got this recipe from another military wife who happened to be from Texas. It has been one of my favorite meals and was one of the firs recipes I learned how to make. It's a great recipe because you can add almost anything to it. My mother made it the other day and put green chilies in it!

Tracey Varner

Vista, California

1 lb. low-fat ground beef, ground turkey or shredded chicken
1 pkg. dry taco seasoning mix
1/2 cup water
15-oz. can vegetarian refried beans
15-oz. can enchilada sauce (medium or hot)
10-oz. can Campbell's Healthy Request/reduced-fat Cream of
 Mushroom Soup
10-oz. can Campbell's Healthy Request/reduced-fat Cream of
 Chicken Soup
1 l/2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
12 com tortillas
Nonstick cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Brown meat (with onions, if desired) in a skillet, then drain. Add taco seasoning and water. Simmer 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine beans, enchilada sauce and soups. Add meat mixture and stir. In the bottom of a 13x9-inch casserole dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, add two ladles (or enough to cover the bottom) of the meat/soup sauce, sprinkle a thin layer of cheese on top, then layer six tortillas. Repeat layering of sauce, cheese and tortillas. Finish with a layer of sauce and cheese. Bake about 30 minutes or until cheese in center bubbles. Makes 12 servings. Per serving: 272 calories, 21 g protein, 24.5 g carbohydrate, 8.7 g fat, 3.4 g fiber.

spinach artichoke casserole

This recipe tastes great and offers a significant amount of protein per serving. It's also fairly low in carbs. I've tricked many people with its low-fat ingredients. It tastes just like the high-fat versions of the recipe! I obtained this recipe from a friend who competes in fitness competitions -- it's a great meal for any night!

Sharon Kyc

South Windsor, Connecticut

10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed,
 drained and patted dry
14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
4 scoops unflavored soy protein powder
3 oz. fat-free or light cream cheese
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
2 Tbsp. minced green onion
2 tsp. prepared horseradish
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 cup shredded fat-free sharp cheddar cheese
Nonstick cooking spray

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Spread mixture into a 9-inch pie plate sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until crisp on top. Makes four servings. Per serving: 267.6 calories, 37 g protein, 23.3 g carbohydrate, 2.4 g fat, 3.6 g fiber.

Oatmeal cookies

I was craving something sweet one day and decided to come up with a
recipe that's healthy instead of fatty. They taste incredible!

1 cup uncooked oatmeal
1 cup dried fruit (cranberries, raisins or tart cherries)
1 full scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup shredded coconut
14cup nuts (optional)
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ripe banana
1 Tbsp. honey (optional)
Nonstick cooking spray