You're welcome! This week's challenge was about food so I was itching to get started.

If you're still internet-less tomorrow I'm happy to PM soccarella our menu plan before 5pm PST (8pm EST). If you don't update here, I'll just do that.

Kate - that lasagna sounds AMAZING. I love veggie lasagna and since starting this weight loss journey I've made pasta-less versions which have actually been awesome. I call them fauxsagna.

Here is my recipe for dessert which I can make occasionally because my guy LOVES this stuff and will finish off 3/4 of it so I won't be so tempted:
GREEK-STYLE RICE PUDDING (rizogalo)
15 servings - 1 serving is 1/15th of a 13"x9" pan which looks like a piece cut a little larger than the size of a credit card. I mark out two horizontal lines and four vertical lines on the pan and then scoop out my serving.

1 (scant) cup white rice (I use Basmati for extra flavour)
1 cup water
Pinch salt
1/2 gallon milk (This recipe's calorie count uses whole/homo; 2% works too though it's less rich)
3 large eggs (room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or split vanilla bean, scraped
Ground cinnamon

1. Parboil rice and water with salt in small saucepan, covered, until water is absorbed (about 5 min).

2. Meantime in a large pot bring milk to gentle boil over medium heat, adding the rice whenever it's ready then stirring occasionally thereafter -- plus vanilla bean, if using.

3. Once milk boils, lower heat so milk bubbles gently, stirring frequently -- stir any skin that forms back into the milk -- until mixture is somewhat reduced, thickened and rice is cooked. This could take 30 min or more.

4. Lightly beat eggs with sugar.

5. Remove milk-rice from heat. Add some of the hot mixture, a tablespoon or two at a time, to the eggs and sugar, to temper. Don't rush it, you don't want the eggs to curdle. Then slowly stir all of egg-sugar mixture into pot.

6. Mixture should be fairly thick at this point, but return it to medium heat, and cook, stirring gently, until only until one or two bubbles appear (just for additional thickening, also to ensure yolks aren't completely raw). This should only take a minute or so. Don't cook beyond this, or eggs will curdle.

7. Remove pot from heat and discard vanilla bean (or add vanilla extract). Pour into 13x9 glass or metal pan (or similar volume), sprinkle with ground cinnamon and let cool. Pudding will thicken further as it cools.

Nutrition:
174 calories
24g carbs
7g protein
5g fat

Oh yeah yum!!
Other ingredients for the salad:
Kroger - Homestyle Croutons Seasoned Herb
Generic - Romaine Lettuce Hearts (Corrected)
Chicken Breast - Skinless, Boneless, Oven Baked (3 ounces)


Does anyone have a better idea for a starter than scallops?

So far we've got:
Scallops (90 calories)
Vegetable Lasagna (172 calories)
Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken and croutons (265 calories)
Rice Pudding (174 calories)


That puts us at 701 calories which is awesome.

Hey y'all. This is what I'm going to PM to soccarella in a minute. I have to leave work in under an hour and the cut off for submitting our meal is in under two hours so I won't be able to do it from home. I hope this is okay with everyone!
Once soccarella posts all the team menus, I'll make sure to remind you all to vote for ours!

Yellow Team Meal

Starter: Pan Seared Scallops (90 calories)
Main Course: Vegetable Lasagna (172 calories)
Side Dish: Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken (265 calories)
Dessert: Greek Style Rice Pudding (174 calories)
Total for Meal: 701 calories

Pan Seared Scallops
Serves 2
1 tbsp olive oil
4 sea scallops
salt

Heat olive oil in a pan to medium-high
Drop scallops in, sprinkle a little salt on top and don't touch. They should sizzle nicely.
Wait 90 seconds and flip, sprinkling with another little bit of salt.
Don't touch them again for another 1-2 minutes. You should see the opacity creeping up the edge of the scallop to meet in the middle.
You can cook them longer but slightly raw in the middle is lovely and overcooking makes them rubber. Just watch them and poke them with your finger and trust they will be great.

Vegetable Lasagna
Serves 12
Sauce:
2 6 oz cans tomato paste
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried oregano
1 diced onion
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (opt.)
1 cup water

Filling:
3 portobello mushrooms, sliced
1 tsbp smart balance spread (or butter if you are opposed to this and don't mind the calories)
1 pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 zuchinni, sliced into strips lengthwise
2.5 cups low-fat mozzarella cheese

1 pkg lasagna noodles

Combine sauce ingredients and simmer at least 30 minutes (I like to simmer all day baby)
Sautee mushroom slices in smart balance spread/butter for about 5 minutes (until they are giving out liquid) and let cool. Line a baking sheet with foil, and lay out the zucchini slices, and sprinkle with salt. Broil for 3-4 minutes and let cool.

Put a scoop on sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan, layer lasagna noodles on top. Top with 1/3 of the cheese and sauce, 1/2 of the mushrooms and spinach. Layer zucchini slices down. Repeat. Put final layer on noodles on top, and cover with remaining sauce and cheese. Cook at 350F for about 40 minutes.

Caesar Salad with Chicken
Serves 4
Dressing: (from http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/08/skinny-caesar-dressing.html )
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove
1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 anchovy fillets
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 tbsp fat free Greek yogurt

24 leaves Romaine lettuce hearts
24 croutons (Kroger - Homestyle Seasoned Herb Croutons)
12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts

In the bowl of a food processor add the cheese, the lemon juice, garlic clove, mustard and the anchovies. Turn the machine on and let it run for 15 to 20 seconds. Add the oil and yogurt and let the machine run for another 15 seconds. Set aside.
Place the chicken breasts in a glass or metal pan, season with salt & pepper and bake at 350F for 20-30 minutes until a thermometer reads above 165*F in the thickest part or when you slice into it the juices run clear.
Tear the romaine into pieces, toss with a serving of the dressing, top with 6 croutons and 3 ounces of chicken per plate.

Greek Style Rice Pudding (rizogalo)
Serves 15 ( is 1/15th of a 13"x9" pan which looks like a piece cut a little larger than the size of a credit card. I mark out two horizontal lines and four vertical lines on the pan and then scoop out my serving.)

1 (scant) cup white rice (I use Basmati for extra flavour)
1 cup water
Pinch salt
1/2 gallon milk (This recipe's calorie count uses whole/homo; 2% works too though it's less rich)
3 large eggs (room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or split vanilla bean, scraped
Ground cinnamon

Parboil rice and water with salt in small saucepan, covered, until water is absorbed (about 5 min).
Meantime in a large pot bring milk to a gentle boil over medium heat, adding the rice whenever it's ready then stirring occasionally thereafter -- plus the vanilla bean, if using. Once milk boils, lower the heat so the milk bubbles gently, stirring frequently -- stir any skin that forms back into the milk -- until the mixture is somewhat reduced, thickened and rice is cooked. This could take 30 minutes or more.
Lightly beat eggs with sugar.
Remove milk-rice from heat. Add some of the hot mixture, a tablespoon or two at a time, to the eggs and sugar, to temper. Don't rush it, you don't want the eggs to curdle. Then slowly stir all of egg-sugar mixture into pot.
Mixture should be fairly thick at this point, but return it to medium heat, and cook, stirring gently, until only until one or two bubbles appear (just for additional thickening, also to ensure yolks aren't completely raw). This should only take a minute or so. Don't cook beyond this, or eggs will curdle.
Remove pot from heat and discard vanilla bean (or add vanilla extract). Pour into 13x9 glass or metal pan (or similar volume), sprinkle with ground cinnamon and let cool. Pudding will thicken further as it cools.

I'm sorry everything was so rushed but I wanted to make sure we at least got our 2 points for submitting and the possibility for more by winning. I'd love to hear your bruschetta recipe though! I think we had some delicious items and people could easily reduce calories by removing the chicken from the salad or skipping the starter or dessert. I know I don't eat four courses for dinner on any kind of a regular basis. If I were having a dinner party maybe, but then I'd be going over calories with wine.

I'm definitely going to be making that lasagna and also making that caesar salad dressing. I'll probably make a massive caesar with more chicken and no croutons as a dinner on its own.

But yes, please post your bruschetta recipe here! And don't forget, we all need to post a recipe including veggies in the main forum thread this week to complete the individual challenge.