Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Merry Christmas, Alley Kats!

Pam Alexander shares two recipes this week. I haven’t tried these, but I hear from good authority both are delicious.

Turkey and Spinach Lasagna

1 pound ground turkey

½ cup chopped onion

1½ teaspoons crushed basil

1 teaspoon oregano

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 ½ teaspoons dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1 (4-ounce) can mushroom stems and pieces

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

2 cups cottage cheese

1 egg

1 box of frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

½ package whole-wheat lasagna noodles, cooked as directed

Brown turkey in skillet; add onion. Mix dry spices together; add to skillet along with mushrooms, tomato paste and tomato sauce. Simmer for 1 hour. Combine cottage cheese, egg and spinach. In 9-by-13 inch baking dish, alternate layers of noodles, sauce, cottage cheese/spinach mix and mozzarella. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before serving.

No Bake Energy Bites

1 cup peanut butter

½ cup honey

3 cups old-fashioned oats

½ cup ground flax seed

½ cup miniature chocolate chips

1 cup any combination of chopped nuts or shredded coconut

¼ cup chopped dried fruit (cranberries, cherries, raisins or apples)

Mix peanut butter and honey with a mixer or by hand until smooth. Gradually stir in oats and flax seed. Add chocolate chips, nuts and fruit. Roll dough into golf ball-size balls. Enjoy immediately or lay on wax paper on a cookie sheet and refrigerate overnight to firm them up. Store in an airtight container.

REQUEST

Two-crust vegetarian pot pie for Dorothy Hare.

Send recipe requests, contributions and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email:

[email protected]

Food, Pages 40 on 12/25/2013