Today's Fare: Alternative Recipes for Lasagna, Meatloaf, and Cheesecake

These three inventions turned out to be really tasty today, so I thought I'd share them with you.

LASAGNA
Tear corn tortillas into strips to mimic the size of lasagna noodles. Layer them in an 8"x8" casserole dish which has been buttered, oiled, or sprayed. Crumble some uncooked ground turkey atop the tortillas. Then add a layer of sliced cheddar cheese. Top that layer off with low-fat ricotta to which you have added dried onion, garlic, Italian mixed herbs, salt, and pepper (or your seasonings of choice). Pour a generous amount of spaghetti sauce (I used Ragu's Tomato and Basil Chunky variety) over this to cover. Then repeat all the layers and cover again with the sauce. Top with a sprinkling of corn tortilla shreds. Bake at 350 for approximately an hour (remember, I'm at nearly two miles high, so it will vary for you--things cook quickly up here). Cut into squares and serve.

MEATLOAF
Hand mix upwards of a pound of ground turkey with the following: wheat germ, ground flax seed, a half cup of cooked cauliflower broken into bite-sized pieces, about 3/4 cup of low fat ricotta, a healthy amount of katsup, fresh or dried onion, garlic, seasonings of your choice (see the above for mine), and a half cup of spaghetti sauce. Once this is well-mixed, transfer to a loaf pan and bake at 350 for close to an hour, checking to make sure juices run clear. Top with more katsup, slice, and serve.

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY CHEESECAKE
Crush and roll out the contents of one sleeve of graham crackers with your rolling pin. Melt about 1/3 cup of butter in the microwave then add to crumbs. (You can use more butter--or less--so long as the crumbs are well-moistened.) Add melted butter to crumbs and mix until the crumbs are moist. Break up a small handful of the nut of your choice (I like walnuts, pecans work well too) into very small pieces and add to crumb mixture. Transfer to a deep-dish pie pan and pat crust mixture evenly across the bottom of the pan. Pour one 6 oz. cup of Greek yogurt over the crust and smooth out with a frosting knife or small spatula. Sprinkle yogurt with chocolate chips. Pour one can of "lite" or "less sugar" cherry pie filling over the chips, spreading to cover all layers. (Make sure you use a brand of filling that is "mostly fruit" or "more fruit".) Let set in the refrigerator for a few hours. Serve with a sprinkling of sugar or sugar substitute on top, if more sweetness is desired.