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/

Cheesy Stuffed Pasta

I was traversing the frozen aisle of the grocery store trying to decide what to have for dinner when I saw
some stuffed pasta shells and decided that I could make it myself instead of settling for frozen.  I always try to make things if I can and have the time because it always tastes so much better and you can customize it. This recipe turned out wonderfully and got a great review from the hubs.

Ingredients: 

• 14 uncooked jumbo pasta shells
• 1 Tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 small bell pepper (any color), chopped (1/2 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small zucchini, diced (about 3/4 cup)
  
• 1 jar (14 to 15 oz) tomato pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend or mozzarella cheese (4 oz)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 11x7-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. Cook and drain pasta shells as directed on package.
2. Meanwhile, in 10-inch skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot. Cook onion, bell pepper and garlic in oil 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender. Add zucchini; cook 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in 1/4 cup of the pasta sauce. Cook, stirring frequently, until hot. Remove from heat.
4. In medium bowl, mix ricotta cheese, egg, Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese blend. Stir in zucchini mixture until well mixed.
5. Fill each cooked pasta shell with about 2 tablespoons zucchini mixture. Place in baking dish. Pour remaining pasta sauce over shells.
6. Cover with foil; bake 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Bake uncovered 5 to 10 minutes longer or until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Recipe from: http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/cheese-and-vegetable-stuffed-shells

Falafel

I was really looking for an excuse to eat some tzatziki sauce, so I decided to try some falafel. I have never tried falafel before, but this recipe turned out pretty nicely. It's a little involved, but not too difficult of a recipe.  For the tzatziki sauce, I bought Oikos cucumber and dill dip instead of making my own.  You can serve these by themselves, on top of a salad, in a pita, or as a sandwich. We had ours on an onion roll with lettuce, cheese, and tzatziki sauce.



Ingredients:

• 15oz can chickpeas 
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley 
• 2 cloves chopped garlic
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp. ground cumin 
• 1 tsp. coriander (cilantro)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 dash pepper
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 cup dry bread crumbs

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. In a microwave safe bowl, microwave drained chickpeas for 5 minutes to soften, then mash until thick and pasty.
3. Put chopped onions and parsley in a blender and process until smooth, stir into mashed chickpeas.
4. Add all other ingredients, except bread crumbs, to chickpea mixture and mix until blended.
5. Add in bread crumbs until mixture will hold its shape.
6. Form into 4 patties.
7. Grease a cookie sheet with cooking spray and place patties on the cookie sheet, spray the patties with cooking spray.  Bake for 15 minutes, flip patties, spray with cooking spray again and bake for another 15 minutes.

Recipe adapted from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Seans-Falafel-and-Cucumber-Sauce

Photo from http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Seans-Falafel-and-Cucumber-Sauce

Creamy Vegetables and Rice

This dish was born of necessity due to being too broke to grocery shop and needing to clean out the refrigerator!  So, I just threw together whatever sounded good and came up with creamy vegetables and rice.










Creamy Vegetables and Rice

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups white rice
• 3 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups shredded parmesean 
• 1-2 Tbsp. half and half
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 handfuls of spinach
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 5 baby bella mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine water and rice in a medium saucepan. Heat to boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 15-20 minutes.
2. Heat olive oil in a skillet.
3. Saute onion and mushrooms in the oil until onions are translucent and mushrooms begin to shrink.
4. Once rice has absorbed the water, stir in cheese and half and half.
5. Stir in onions and mushrooms.
6. Stir in spinach, one handful at a time until wilted.
7. Add salt and pepper and serve.

Veggie Naan Pizza and Jalapeno Poppers

The hubs wanted some pizza last night and I was in a snacky mood, so personal naan pizza and jalapeno poppers sounded like the perfect combination!

The pizza was loaded down with tons of veggies! We topped ours with spinach, baby bella mushrooms, diced tomatoes, onions, pizza sauce, and mozzarella. Please excuse my pizza recipe, as it is very non-specific with measurements.

A warning about the jalapeno popper recipe: I don't know what mutant jalapenos I bought, but I was sure I was going to be breathing fire and could only eat three before I thought I was going to die.  I've never tasted hotter jalapenos in my life. Using ranch helped, but not much.  If you just love hot food, this is a treat for you. If you're a baby about capsaicin-laden food, I would stay away from this recipe.

Veggie Naan Pizza (Makes 2 individual pizzas)

Ingredients: 

• 1 package of naan (flat bread popular in Indian cuisine)
  
• olive oil cooking spray
• about 2 large spoonfuls of pizza sauce
• about 4 baby bella mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 1/2 an onion, diced
• 1 tomato, diced
• two handfuls of spinach
• shredded mozzarella to your liking

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil
3. Place naan on baking sheet
4. Spray naan with olive oil
5. Top with pizza sauce, mozzarella, and veggies
6. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

Ingredients:

• 8oz cream cheese at room temp. (I used a cream cheese/greek yogurt blend)
• 8oz cheddar cheese
  
• 12 jalapenos

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees
2. Slice jalapenos in half, lengthwise and remove seeds
3. In a mixer, mix cream cheese and cheddar 
4. Stuff jalapenos with the cheese blend
5. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes

Spaghetti Squash with Spinach Balls

I've been wanting to try using spaghetti squash recently and finally did tonight for dinner! It was delicious and didn't taste much different than if you used noodles but it also provided a little crunch.  The spinach balls were so, so good and savory.  This is a perfect substitute for run-of-the-mill spaghetti and meatballs!

Warning: Cutting a spaghetti squash in half is no easy task.  Be extremely careful so you don't slip and cut yourself. No, I did not do this, but I could envision it happening as I was cutting it. UPDATE: Microwave the whole squash a little before cutting it to make it easier! You can thank Marissa, a friend of mine, for that suggestion!

Spaghetti Squash and Spinach Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 spaghetti squash
  
• olive oil 
• salt 
• pepper
• 1 jar spaghetti sauce
• 1/2 an onion, chopped
• 5 white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 9oz bag of spinach
• 3 slices of bread
• 1 egg
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Carefully cut the spaghetti squash in half. Remove seeds from each side.
3. Season each half with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with nonstick foil and place each half, flat side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes.  When done, let rest until cool to the touch.
4. Using a toaster, toast the three pieces of bread until dark brown and create crumbs using a food processor.
5. Bring a large pot of water to boil.  Once boiling, add spinach and boil for 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Transfer spinach to colander and immediately rinse with cold water. Squeeze spinach in small handfuls to remove excess water and transfer to a cutting board.
7. Chop spinach and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add breadcrumbs, egg, garlic, and parmesan.  Mix thoroughly by hand and mold into balls.
8. Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet.  Brown spinach balls on all sides. 
9. Using a fork, pull the pulp of the spaghetti squash out to create noodle-like texture.
10. In a skillet, add a small amount of olive oil and heat onion and mushrooms until heated through.  Transfer to a sauce pan and add spaghetti squash, spaghetti sauce, and red pepper flakes. Mix together over medium-low heat until heated through.  
11. Top spaghetti with spinach balls and serve. 

Vegetable Pot Pie- So How Was It?

The crust didn't turn out as pretty as I anticipated, mostly because I forgot to let the crust sit out before unrolling it so it wouldn't crack.  I also forgot to add the vinegar, but it didn't seem to have an effect on the taste. We didn't even miss the chicken in this recipe, but if you must have meat with your meal, chopping up a couple of cooked chicken breasts would meet your needs!

This was again an easy recipe that was relatively quick to prepare and bake, so it's great for a busy weeknight!

What's For Dinner? Vegetable Pot Pie!

Sorry guys, this us another pictureless post, but this is an original recipe,  so I won't have a picture until it comes out of the oven!  I love chicken pot pie sooooo much, so I'm really looking forward to this veggie version!

Vegetable Pot Pie

Ingredients: 

· 2 15oz cans mixed vegetables

· 12 oz sliced white mushrooms

· ½ medium onion, finely chopped

· ¼ cup all-purpose flour

· 1 cup vegetable broth

· 1 cup whole milk

· 1 tablespoon white vinegar

· Salt and pepper to taste

· Store-bought pie crust dough



Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees with the rack arranged in the middle.

Grease a large pan with cooking spray.  Add chopped onion and cook until tender and translucent.

Add drained cans of vegetables and mushrooms and cook until mushrooms are cooked through.

Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook for 1 to 2 minutes.  Add vegetable broth and milk, stirring until mixture is smooth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes or until thickened.

Add vinegar and salt and pepper.

Spray a pie pan with cooking spray and line with one pie crust.  Pour the filling over the crust, top with the second crust, and prick with a fork.  If desired, pour filling directly into the pan and top with only one crust.

Bake 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.  Let stand 5 min before serving.

Taco Soup- So How Was It?

The husband has been feeling sick for the past few days, so soup was definitely a good meal to make! I didn't get a picture of the final product, but I can assure you it turned out delicious! I added some extra chili powder and cumin and served topped with cheese and sour cream.  The soup had a good spice to it, but not overpowering. From past experience, this soup gets spicier the longer it sits, so if you don't like spice, make sure to eat leftovers within a day or two of making.

If you're not into cooking, this is great to make because all the work involved is chopping an onion and the rest is just dumping cans into a pot. It's a very easy one pot meal that takes an hour to cook, plus the time spent chopping the onion and opening cans.  This is also a great recipe for those with little chefs who want to help out with the cooking!

For those who want to add meat, brown up some ground turkey, drain, and stir it in with the rest of the ingredients!

What's For Dinner? Taco Soup :)

I absolutely love taco soup! My mom made it a lot after she found a recipe while on Weight Watchers. This is a different recipe that does not include ground turkey, but from reading the ingredients list, it sounds easy as pie and delicious! We like to eat it with sour cream and topped with some cheese :)


Jameson’s Taco Soup

• 1 cup chopped onions
• 1 15 1/2 oz. can dark red kidney beans, not drained
• 1 15 1/2 oz. can pinto beans, not drained
• 1 15 1/2 oz. can corn, drained
• 1 14 1/2 oz. can tomatoes w/chilis, not drained
• 1 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes, not drained
• 1 4 1/2 oz. can green chilis, not drained
• 1 package taco seasoning mix

In a large pot, sauté onions in a very small amount of oil, water, or cooking spray until tender and translucent. Add all other ingredients and simmer covered for one hour.  For a thicker soup, simmer uncovered.

Recipe and Photo From: http://ieattrees.com/a-little-trip-and-vegan-taco-soup/

Brown Rice and Lentil Casserole- So How Was It?

I didn't have very high expectations of this dish because it seemed too simple to be very great.  To my surprise, this was a very hearty and savory dish. I added a teaspoon of cumin, a teaspoon of chili powder, and a 28oz can of diced tomatoes to the recipe.

If you have time between getting home from work and dinner time, this is a great lazy dish.  The only work involved is chopping the onion and opening the can of tomatoes.  Everything else is literally just dumping ingredients into a pan and stirring.  I think this could even be a crock pot dish if you wanted to make this but don't have an hour and a half after work to let it cook.

The leftovers re-heat great for lunch the next day. I'm actually eating my leftovers as I write this, and they are just as good as it was last night! I'll definitely make this again, but I'll probably try it in the crock pot instead.

For those of you who like to add meat, this could be served as a side dish with your favorite dish!

What's For Dinner? Brown Rice and Lentil Casserole

Tonight I'm trying out this casserole with a side of Cesar salad.  I've had the ingredients sitting around for a little while, but never got around to making it.  I'm substituting the cheddar for Velveeta shreds queso blanco and adding a teaspoon of cumin and chili powder for some extra flavor.

Ingredients

• 3 cups chicken broth or 3 cups vegetable broth
• 3/4 cup lentils
• 1/2 cup brown rice
• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 teaspoon italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder ( I use more)
• 1 cup grated cheese ( cheddar or a blend is preferable)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
2. Mix all ingredients except the cheese in a baking dish (I use an 11 x 7).
3. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes.
4. Then remove the foil, add the cheese, and bake for an additional 20 minutes.
   
   Recipe and photo from: http://www.food.com/recipe/brown-rice-and-lentil-casserole-74629

Portobello Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches- So How Was It?

Well I didn't get a picture of the final product because we were hungry and I was ready to eat!  As you can see from the pictures, this is full of mushrooms and bell peppers.  I hate mushrooms and bell peppers but theses sandwiches were amazing!  We had them with some roasted potatoes tossed in olive oil, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

The recipe calls for red peppers, onions, and portobello mushrooms. I used a jar of roasted red peppers, a green bell pepper, an onion, and two containers of baby bellas.  I also used munster instead of provolone cheese and added a little mayo. This will definitely be a repeat dish!

What's For Dinner? Portobello Philly Cheese Steak Sandwiches

I'm seriously craving a hearty and delicious sandwich, and a cheese steak seemed to fit the bill.  The only problem is I just got back from four days of vacation (read four days of eating bad) and needed to get back into the swing of eating well.  I'm not a big mushroom fan, so this recipe is a dive into the unknown for me. Let's see how it goes! 

Makes: 4 sandwiches

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 medium onion, sliced
• 4 large portobello mushrooms, stems and gills removed (see Tip), sliced
• 1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano, or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth, or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 3 ounces thinly sliced reduced-fat provolone cheese
• 4 whole-wheat buns, split and toasted

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until soft and beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Add mushrooms, bell pepper, oregano and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are wilted and soft, about 7 minutes.
2. Reduce heat to low; sprinkle the vegetables with flour and stir to coat. Stir in broth and soy sauce; bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat, lay cheese slices on top of the vegetables, cover and let stand until melted, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Divide the mixture into 4 portions with a spatula, leaving the melted cheese layer on top. Scoop a portion onto each toasted bun and serve immediately.

Recipe and Photo From: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/portobello_philly_cheese_steak_sandwich.html

Spinach Lasagna- So How Was It?

This was by far the easiest lasagna I've ever made!  It took all of maybe twenty minutes to assemble and an hour start to finish.  The response after my husband's first bite was a very excited "Oh my God, babe this is so good!" So I'm guessing that means it's a hit, and I'd have to concur.  This will be a repeat dish in our household!

For those who gotta have the meat, ground beef would work well or chicken if you're feeling adventurous!  Some zucchini would be a welcome addition along with some diced onion.

What's for Dinner? Spinach Lasagna!

We love spinach and we love lasagna, so I'm looking forward to this meal! The best part of this recipe is that it calls for oven-ready lasagna noodles, which I never knew existed until now.  Hopefully they come out just as well as regular lasagna noodles, and if they do, I'm pretty sure it will make my life way easier!

Just in case anyone is wondering, yes, we are seeing results from this new life change. My husband has lost THIRTEEN POUNDS!!! I have only lost two, but it's better than nothing! We've also been out of the gym for the past two weeks, so after vacation is over and we get back into the swing of things, I'm pretty sure our weight loss will ramp up!

Skinny Spinach Lasagna 

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
• 6 ounces fresh spinach
• 2 lbs. ricotta cheese (I used 1 lb. whole milk and 1 lb. nonfat)
• 1 egg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• a squeeze of lemon juice (optional, to taste)
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 1 24 ounce jar of spaghetti or marinara sauce (I used Trader Joe's tomato basil)
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions 

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and thyme; sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add the spinach; sauté until just barely wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, egg, salt, nutmeg, and a squeeze of lemon juice. Add the spinach and stir to combine. Transfer some of the mixture to a food processor and pulse a few times to break up some of the spinach pieces (totally optional, but makes for a really nice texture).
3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spread a little bit of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Layer with 3 lasagna noodles, ⅓ of the spinach mixture, ¼ of the tomato sauce, and ¼ of the cheese. Repeat and pour ½ cup water over the two layers. Repeat once more, ending with noodles, sauce, and cheese. Pour ½ cup water over the whole thing again and cover tightly with oiled foil.
4. Bake for 30-40 minutes; when the liquid is bubbling and the noodles have softened, remove the foil and bake uncovered for 10 more minutes. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving so that the lasagna noodles can soak up all the extra moisture.

Recipe and photo from: http://pinchofyum.com/skinny-spinach-lasagna

What's For Dinner? Black Bean Quinoa Burgers!!!!!

Tonight we are having the BEST veggie recipe I have found so far! I don't usually repeat recipes unless they are really good, and we have this once a week! These burgers will change your life, or close to it. We usually have ours on a pretzel or ciabatta bun with some good cheese, creamy sriracha sauce (mayo and sriracha mixed to your heat preference), and spinach. The leftovers are just as good as they were for dinner, so lunch is taken care of if you're only cooking for two! I cannot wait for dinner tonight!

Ingredients: 

Makes 5 burgers

•  1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
•  1/2 cup quinoa
•  1 cup water
•  1/2 cup bread crumbs
•  1/4 cup minced yellow bell pepper
•  2 tablespoons minced onion
•  1 large clove garlic, minced
•  1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
•  1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (such as Frank's RedHot®)
•  1 egg
•  3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:

1. Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Roughly mash the black beans with a fork leaving some whole black beans in a paste-like mixture.
3. Mix the quinoa, bread crumbs, bell pepper, onion, garlic, cumin, salt, hot pepper sauce, and egg into the black beans using your hands.
4. Form the black bean mixture into 5 patties.
5. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
6. Cook the patties in the hot oil until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Recipe from: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Quinoa-Black-Bean-Burgers

Creamy Veggie Pasta Skillet- So How Was It?

This dish was extremely easy to make and only resulted in a dirty pan, plate, cutting board, and some measuring cups. For me that's not a lot because I'm pretty good at using every pot and pan in sight when making a simple meal for no reason whatsoever. It took me about an hour to make only because I needed half and half and my husband had grabbed evaporated milk by mistake, so I had to wait for him to get the half and half and get home to finish cooking.  Without that slip-up, this is easily a 30 minute meal.

This is a nice feel-good pasta dish that's very hearty and packed with veggies. Look at all those veggies!

We also had a Caesar salad on the side, so I'm pretty sure we got our five servings in for the day! If I use this recipe again, I will likely replace the carrots for something else. They were a tad overpowering, and I don't like sweet tasting pasta dishes, but if you like to cook with carrots, you'll probably enjoy it. For you meat lovers, this would be good with Italian sausage or chicken.  My final verdict? This is a good, quick meal for a busy weeknight, but it does not make a good lunch the next day and it would be better without the carrots.  

What's for Dinner? Creamy Veggie Pasta Skillet

Tonight I'm making Creamy Veggie Pasta Skillet from http://foxeslovelemons.com/creamy-veggie-pasta-skillet/ for the first time. Most of the recipes I will post will be new to me because I like a lot of variety and am fairly new to the veggie game. I will do a follow-up post on how it turned out and if I'd make it again! From the ingredients list, this dish sounds fail-proof and full of veggies!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
  
  
• 1/2 large bunch broccoli, finely chopped
• 2 medium shallots, minced
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce
• 8 ounces whole wheat spiral pasta
• 2-1/2 cups water, plus additional if needed
• 1/2 cup frozen green peas
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
• Chopped fresh parsley, for serving

Instructions

1. In large high-sided skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and cook 4 to 6 minutes or until tender-crisp, stirring occasionally. Add shallots, carrots and salt; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer vegetables to bowl; set aside.
2. Add marinara, pasta and water to skillet; heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium; cook 15 to 17 minutes or until pasta is tender, adding more water by 1/4-cupfuls if necessary, stirring occasionally.
3. Stir in peas, half-and-half, red pepper flakes and reserved vegetables; cook 1 minute or until vegetables are heated through. Serve pasta garnished with Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Recipe and photo from: http://foxeslovelemons.com/creamy-veggie-pasta-skillet/

Why Veggies?

About a month ago, my husband and I decided we needed to change the way we eat and we needed to do it now. We do not use the word "diet" because we plan on maintaining it. Are we vegans? No. Are we vegetarians? No. We are just trying to eat tasty food and feel better, a side effect of that being a major reduction in the amount of meat we consume.  We used to eat meat with every lunch and dinner, so 14 times a week. Now, we have meat with a meal maybe 4 times a week depending on whether there are dinner leftovers for lunch (if not we have a turkey sandwich).

I am definitely not a trend follower. I could care less what other people are doing, what music is cool, and what the new style is each season, so I assure you I'm not jumping on any train with this new way of eating and am not doing it to be cool or whatnot. I am simply trying to be a better me, and I wanted to start this blog as a resource for anyone who is interested in incorporating more vegetable based meals into their life. Personally, I hate vegetables, so I can promise you the recipes I use are meat eater friendly!