Eggplant (Aubergine) Croquettes

These may not be the healthiest of vegetarian recipes, but they certainly are yummy!  I served mine with shells and cheese, green beans, and topped with Tabasco sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 cup Italian breadcrumbs
• 2 beaten eggs
• 2 Tbsp. dried basil
• 2 Tbsp. chopped onion
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions: 

1. Put eggplant cubes in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes.  Stir eggplant and microwave for another 4 minutes.
2. Drain any excess liquid and mash.
3. Stir in cheese, breadcrumbs, eggs, basil, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper.
4. Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan and heat. Form mixture into patties and drop into the hot oil one at a time.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy.
5. Transfer cooked patties onto a paper towel lined plate. 

Recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/eggplant-croquettes/detail.aspx

Photo from: http://allrecipes.com/cook/virgi/photo.aspx?photoID=506443

Lasagna Roll Ups

I've been slacking on my postings recently, but I'm back with a full arsenal of recipes! First off is lasagna roll ups! They're neat looking, easy to make, and most importantly, delicious! Oh, by the way, there's no need to heat up your oven for this recipe!











Ingredients:

• 8 uncooked lasagna noodles
• 4 tsp. olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 8oz sliced mushrooms
• 3 minced garlic cloves
• 6oz baby spinach
• 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 2 Tbsp. basil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 
• 1/2 jar pasta sauce
• Extra mozzarella or parmesan for topping

Directions: 

1. Cook lasagna according to package directions omitting oil and salt. When done, drain and rinse noodles in cold water.
2. Saute onion, mushrooms, garlic, and spinach in olive oil until mushrooms and onions are cooked through and spinach has wilted.
3. Remove vegetables from heat and stir in cheeses, basil, salt, and red pepper flakes.
4. Lay out lasagna noodles on a flat surface.  Spread about two spoonfuls of filling over each noodle and roll up like a jelly roll. Place rolled noodles seam side down on a microwave safe plate.
5. Top lasagna rolls with pasta sauce and a sprinkling of mozzarella or parmesan cheese. 
6. Microwave 5 minutes or until heated through. 

Recipe adapted from: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lasagna-rolls-with-roasted-red-pepper-sauce-10000000604779/

Spaghetti Squash and Portobello Mushroom Pizzas

I will start this post with a warning: If you do not like mushrooms, this is not a recipe you should try.  I can tolerate mushrooms, but it's not my all time favorite flavor. I could only eat one before the mushroom flavor became too overpowering for me to finish the second one.  My husband, however, really likes mushrooms and loved this recipe. If stuffed mushrooms make your mouth water, this is for you!












Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash 
• 4 portobello mushroom caps
• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• a few pinches of dried basil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Microwave spaghetti squash for 5 minutes to soften.  Cut spaghetti squash in half, remove seeds, and lay on a cookie sheet with cut side facing up.
3. Spray squash halves with olive oil and sprinkle with pepper.
4. Bake squash for 1 hour. Let sit until cooled enough to touch.
5. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
6. Use a fork to scrape the pulp from the squash onto a plate.
7. Remove stems from portobello mushrooms and wipe clean.
8. Arrange mushrooms top side down on a cookie sheet lined with foil.  
9. Fill each mushroom cap with about 1/2-3/4 cup of spaghetti squash.  
10. Top the squash with 1/4 cup marinara and 1/4 cup cheese. Sprinkle basil over the top. 
11. Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Recipe adapted from: http://greenlitebites.com/2012/11/16/spaghetti-squash-portobello-mushroom-pizza/

Easy One Pot Pasta

Do you need an easy meal to make during your busy work week? Of course you do! This is a true one pot meal! If you're feeling super tired, buy your onions chopped and a jar of minced garlic.  This meal can be whipped up in as little as 20-30 minutes. How much easier can you get?

Ingredients: 

• 4 cups vegetable broth 
• 2 Tbsp olive oil 
• 12 oz. fettuccine 
• 8 oz. frozen chopped spinach 
• 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes 
• 1 medium onion 
• 4 cloves garlic 
• ½ Tbsp dried basil 
• ½ Tbsp dried oregano 
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes 
• freshly cracked pepper to taste 
• 2 oz. feta cheese 

Directions: 

1. Add four cups of vegetable broth to a large pot. Break the fettuccine in half to make stirring easier later, and then add it to the pot. Also add the canned tomatoes (undrained), olive oil, frozen spinach, onion (thinly sliced), garlic (thinly sliced), basil, oregano, red pepper, and some freshly cracked black pepper.
2. Make sure the ingredients are submerged under the liquid, place a lid on top of the pot, and then turn the heat on to high. Allow the pot to come up to a full, rolling boil over high heat then remove the lid and turn the heat down to medium.
3. Allow the pot to continue to boil over medium heat, without a lid, for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir the pot every few minutes as it cooks to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom, but avoid over stirring which can cause the pasta to become sticky and mushy. The pot must be boiling the entire time.
4. After the pasta is cooked, crumble the feta cheese over top and serve.

Recipe and photo from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/05/italian-wonderpot/

Lentil Tacos

Sorry for the lack of pictures with this post, but I lost track of time and dinner wasn't ready until 10:00 last night, so I was more worried about eating my food than photographing it! I was very impressed with these tacos. They were easy to make and tasted just like beef tacos! I did use beef broth to give it a more authentic flavor, but you could use vegetable broth if you're on a pure vegetarian diet. We also tried veggie shreds instead of real cheddar cheese to top our tacos, and again I was impressed, so if you want to cut down on the dairy, you should try it!

Ingredients: 

• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2/3 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2/3 cup dried lentils
• 1 package taco seasoning (or less, to taste)
• 1 2/3 cup beef or vegetable broth
• 2/3 cup salsa
• 10 flour tortillas or taco shells
• Optional for topping: lettuce, onions, tomatoes, sour cream, taco sauce, cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir onion and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes. Mix lentils and taco seasoning into onion mixture; cook and stir for 1 minute.
2. Pour chicken broth into skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer until lentils are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Uncover the skillet and cook until mixture is slightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes. Mash lentils slightly; stir in salsa.
4. Serve about 1/4 cup lentil mixture in each taco shell.

Recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/tasty-lentil-tacos-2/

Ratatouille

Colorful assortment of veggies? Check! Marinara for extra savory taste? Check! Cheesy goodness for good measure? Check! This meal is packed full of vegetables and very filling. I could only eat half of my bowl before I threw in the towel. My favorite part of this dish is that the only dirty dishes it produced was the dish it was cooked in, a knife, a cutting board, and a measuring cup. Easy and delicious? Yes, you can have both!












Ingredients:

• 1 cup marinara sauce
• 1 small onion
• 1 small eggplant
• 1 medium zucchini 
• 1 medium yellow squash
• 3 medium tomatoes
• Salt, pepper, basil, and oregano to taste
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella 

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice the onion
3. Slice eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and tomatoes to 1/4 in. thickness.
4. Cut eggplant slices in half.
5. Coat the bottom of the baking dish with 1/2 cup of marinara sauce.
6. Arrange vegetables, excluding onion, domino style in the baking dish.
7. Top vegetables with onion slices, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano.
8. Pour remaining marinara over the vegetables and top with cheese.
9. Cover dish with foil and bake for 30 min. Remove foil and bake for another 15 min. until cheese begins to brown.

Recipe from: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2014/05/oven-roasted-ratatouille/

Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Fettuccine Alfredo

You really can't beat a good, creamy bowl of pasta, can you? But all that creaminess can be a huge fat and calorie bomb, unless you can cut out the cream! This recipe somehow magically produces a wonderful, creamy sauce without a drop of milk or cream! You could also do without the parmesean if you want, but I love my cheese!





Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoon butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 20 ounces cauliflower florets
• 2 cups water
• 1/2 cup parmesean, or more to taste 
• 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• black pepper, to taste
• 1 pound fettuccine
• 3 handfuls spinach
• 3-4 spoonfuls sun-dried tomatoes

Directions

1. Saute the minced garlic in the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Allow to cook for a few minutes, until the garlic is tender and fragrant, but not browned.
2. Begin to cook fettuccine according to package directions.
3. Add water and cauliflower to the saucepan, and bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot for 8-10 minutes, until the cauliflower is softened.
4. Transfer the entire contents of the saucepan into a blender or food processor, and season with salt and pepper. Process until very smooth and creamy, with a texture similar to traditional cream sauce. (Always be careful when blending hot liquids-- the steam pressure can blow the lid off your blender!)
5. Pour sauce over drained pasta and stir in spinach and tomatoes.

Recipe adapted from: http://detoxinista.com/2013/05/creamy-cauliflower-alfredo-dairy-free-nut-free/