Veggie Lasagna

Mix together:

30 oz container part skim ricotta cheese
1 c Parmesan cheese
1 egg
1 handful fresh parsley (1 T dried)
1 clove garlic

Prepare:

2-3 peeled and shredded zucchini
2-3 peeled and shredded carrot
10 oz fresh spinach washed
1/2 c mushrooms chopped (optional)

You can mix all the veggies together once prepared, or just put them in layers on the lasagna...doesn't matter.


Additional Ingredients:
1 box Lasagna noodles*** (see note)
1/2 c additional Parmesan for top
2 c shredded mozzarella
2 containers of your favorite pasta sauce

Directions:

You can make this dish into 2 small 8x8 pans (one for now, one to freeze) or one large 9x13 pan. Begin by spraying your pan with cooking spray. Then pour a small amount of tomato sauce on the bottom just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Then layer uncooked REGULAR (you DON'T need the no boil kind) lasagna noodles, 1/2 cheese mixture, 1/2 veggies, sauce, then repeat....noodles, cheese mixture, veggies, sauce and noodles. This is the top of your lasagna and you should cover the noodles with any additional sauce you may have. Then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and additional Parmesan. Bake at 375 for 1 hour.

***This lasagna is very moist due to all the veggies and so do not feel tempted to precook your noodles, otherwise it might turn into lasagna soup. When the lasagna comes out of the oven your pasta will be cooked perfectly al dente....prego!

Marinara My Way

Not to toot my own horn or anything, but my marinara is drinkable!!! I love love love this recipe and I think it has a few unique twists that make it a step above the rest. It's super easy to throw together and can be done in start to finish 30 minutes! I like my marinara a tad sweet a tad creamy, and not to chunky. I am not a measure-er on this kind of stuff so my recipe is an estimate of how much I think I am adding. So if it needs fine tuning please comment and let me know. Try it, and I think you'll be kissing those cans of sauce at the store goodbye.

1 T olive oil
3/4 c of a large red onion chopped (1 medium, or 2/3 of a large onion)
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c shredded carrot
1 16oz can diced tomato
1 16oz can tomato sauce
1/2 t salt
1/4 t fresh cracked pepper
1 t oregano
2 t basil
1 T sugar
2 "shakes" Worcestershire sauce (1 T?)
1/2 c water
1/2 c half and half

Start by sweating out your onions and garlic in the olive oil. Add the carrot and allow to cook another minute or two. Pour in your diced tomato/tomato sauce and stir. Add spices, sugar, water, and Worcestershire. Allow to simmer on low heat for at least 20, but up to 30 minutes. At this point I remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender. If you don't have an immersion blender you can blend 2/3 of the mixture in a blender or food processor. (watch out blending too many ounces of hot liquids can make a huge mess!) Stir in half and half and serve. Yum!

Black Bean Chilaquile

(this pic is ugly sorry...)
This recipe comes together quickly and is healthy. It's similar to the Mexican Lasagna recipe that is also posted, but I think I prefer this one. Give it a try. I love a good veggie filled dinner that my kids will eat!

1 c chopped onions
1 T olive oil
1 can diced tomato or 1 cup chopped fresh tomato
1 1/2 c frozen/canned corn
15 oz can black beans rinsed/drained
2 T fresh lime juice
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
2 c rinsed stemmed and chopped spinach
1/2 c cilantro
2 c crushed baked or regular tortilla chips
2 c of your favorite salsa
8 oz grated cheddar

1.Preheat oven to 350. Saute onions in oil until translucent. Stir in tomatoes, corn, black beans, lime, salt, and pepper. Heat thru.
2.Blanch spinach greens or use thawed frozen spinach..drain all water from spinach. place spinach and cilantro in food processor and pulse to chop finely (do not puree)
3.Prepare an 8x8 dish with cooking spray. Spread half of crushed tortilla chips on the bottom. Spoon vegetable mixture over chips and sprinkle on 2/3 cheese. Arrange spinach mixture over cheese and top with 1/2 the salsa. Repeat layers once more ending with cheese last.
4.Bake 15-20 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy!

P.S. I have made this without the salsa before and it also works well, it will just not be as moist...but still delish!

Calzone

1 store bought pizza dough (not the kind you by in a tube...the kind in a bag in the refrigerated food section)
2/3 c ricotta cheese (divided)
1 c fresh grated mozzarella (divided)
1/4 c Parmesan (divided)

Any of the following toppings:

spinach
ham
broccoli (steamed)
chicken
prosciutto
fresh basil
steak and cheddar
Whatever!

(mine was chicken and broccoli)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees
Sprinkle some corn meal on a pizza stone or cookie sheet. I let my pizza stone heat up in the oven while it preheated...right Lindz??
Cut pizza dough in half and roll out each half into approx 10" circle. Your dough should be quite thin. First spread 1/3 c ricotta cheese on HALF of the circle. Top with desired toppings and then 1/2 c grated mozzarella and 2 T parm.
Do not over stuff! you should be able to close it over easily. Then wet the edges with your finger and begin folding dough over in a crimping technique (don't look to close at my picture because I was going as fast as I could since my kids were all starving!!) Basically you push down on the seam with your left pointer finger and pull the edge over so it's covering your left finger and and press...repeat around all unfinished edge. (Yours will be lots prettier than mine)
Make sure to vent your calzone with a few knife slits and brush olive oil over the top and edge. Put on a pizza stone or cookie sheet and bake at 500 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Serve with marinara on top or on the side as a dip. Enjoy!

Garden Stuffed Zuchinni

This was a great recipe that I tried for a get together I had recently. The results were SOOOO good and everyone at the party LOVED it! Even my husband who is not a zucchini fan told me how delicious it was. It was gone so fast I didn't get a picture of it, but I know I will be making this again so I will try to get one then!

1 overgrown zucchini or 4 medium zucchini's
1/2 c onion
3 cloves garlic
1/2 c bread crumbs
2 eggs
3/4 c Parmesan cheese
2 T fresh parsley (can used dried)
4 T fresh basil cut into thin strips (**see tip)
1/3 c fresh tomatoes diced small
salt and pepper
olive oil

First scoop out the zucchini. The one I used was about 14 inches long, (I wouldn't do one any bigger) Put the scooped out portion in a food processor with onion, garlic, bread crumbs, and parsley. Pulse until evenly and finely chopped. If you don't have a food processor you can do this by hand, just chop everything quite finely. Add egg, Parmesan, tomatoes, and julienned basil by stirring in. Add salt and pepper to taste. Scoop mixture back into hollowed out zucchini "boats". Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet or in a 9 by 13 baking dish. Cook at 375 for 30 to 50 minutes depending on the size of your zucchini. Slice and serve warm. Delicioso!
** Basil tip...chop basil by stacking about 5 leaves directly on top of one another. Then tightly roll leaves into a "cigar". Chop crosswise thinly and you'll be left with thin strips of basil perfect for this dish!

Sweet Potato Wraps

These are so easy for a light lunch as well as a great vegetarian alternative for a shower, or luncheon. It tastes fresh and healthy and has a different, sweet, mild flavor. I know using canned yams sounds crazy, but I promise everyone will be asking for this recipe!

Flour tortillas (I like the kind you cook in the skillet, found in the refrigerated section of your store, buy the cheese? SOO worth the extra effort)
Canned yams drained and patted dry, and sliced into long julienne like pieces
1 can vegetarian refried beans
fresh tomato diced small
shredded lettuce, romaine or iceberg
cilantro
feta cheese

Place the flour tortilla and spread refried beans over all leaving a 1 inch border around edges. In the middle place lettuce, yams, tomato, a sprinkle of feta and 2 sprigs cilantro. Roll up leaving both ends open, and secure with a toothpick. Slice in half and stack for a nice presentation.

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

2/3 c quinoa, rinsed and drained
6 red or orange bell peppers
1 T olive oil
3/4 c diced carrot
1/2 red onion diced
1 10 oz package frozen spinach thawed and drained
1 15 oz can red kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 t chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c grated mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350. Boil quinoa according to package directions. Remove pepper tops, stems and seeds. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and boil peppers for 5 minutes, then drain and set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots and onion and saute until soft. Stir in spinach and beans. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and mix in quinoa and chili powder. Fill peppers with quinoa mixture and place upright on a baking dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Add just enough water to form a very thin layer in the bottom of the dish. Bake 20 minutes or until tops are lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Giada's No Cook Spaghetti Sauce

This is one of my FAVORITE summertime recipes. Giada calls it Checca sauce. You don't have to cook anything (except the pasta I guess) and the end product is fresh and bursts in your mouth. I grow grape tomatoes every year for the sole purpose of making this dish. I promise if you try it, you will be hooked!

Ingredients
8 ounces spaghettini or angel hair pasta
4 scallions (white and pale green parts only), coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 (12-ounce container) cherry tomatoes, halved
1 (1-ounce) piece Parmesan, coarsely chopped
8 to 10 fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine the next 7 ingredients in a food processor. Pulse just until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped (do not puree).

Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the tomato mixture and fresh mozzarella in a large bowl. Add some of the reserved pasta water (about 1/4 cup) if the sauce looks dry. Serve immediately.

Oven Roasted Carrots and Beets with Goat Cheese and Rosemary

Hi guys...NOT the greatest picture, but that said...this is a little number that I whipped up from the garden. I grew purple carrots this year just for fun (that will explain why the carrots are not orange in the picture) Anyway this is a quick healthy side, that tastes so gourmet without all the fuss...

4-5 carrots peeled and chopped into 2 inch pieces
1 bunch beets (about 4 beets) peeled and sliced thin
3 T fresh chopped rosemary (you can use dried, but only use 3 t dried)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c crumbled goat cheese (you can use feta)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Wash all veggies. Cut the tops off of the beets and also the little "rat tail" like things. Peel carrots and beets with veggie peeler. Sometimes I don't peel the carrots, but I would always peel your beets. Then slice your beets as thin as you can so they will crisp up like a potato chip. (Mine are too thick in this picture) Chop carrots into 2 inch pieces. Place veggies in a gallon size Ziploc bag with olive oil, rosemary and generously salt and pepper. Shake it up until veggies are coated and pour onto a cookie sheet. Bake in oven 20 minutes, then flip and bake 20 more. When veggies have a crisp outer shell and are soft on the inside they are done. About 5 minutes before removing beets from the oven, top with cheese, and allow the cheese to heat and melt slightly. Serve warm or cold.

Bowtie and Black Eyed Peas Pasta Salad

This is a great, summery pasta salad. Whip it up for your next summer get together.

8 oz bow tie pasta cooked according to package directions
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes I used a pre-seasoned variety
1 16 oz can black eyed peas drained and rinsed
1 small jar artichoke hearts coarsely chopped
2 T olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 c pre-crumbled feta cheese
1/2 c cooked and crumbled bacon
3 T fresh parsley chopped

Drain cooked pasta. Drizzle with olive oil. Stir in all other ingredients. Serve room temp or chilled.

Awesome Vegetable Chili

, v3 16 oz. cans spanish style stewed tomatoes
2 16 oz. cans stewed tomatoes
1 16 oz. can pinto beans
1 16 oz. can black beans
Chili powder to taste
3 to 5 chili peppers red and green, large pieces.
2 to 3 stalks celery, large chunks
3 to 4 carrots, large chunks
1 large diced onion
1 16 oz. can pitted black olives, drained
6 each mushrooms, sliced
1 12 oz. package corn, frozen
2 16 oz. can tomatoes, whole stewed
1 to 3 cloves garlic, sliced
1 cup sour cream
10 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1 bunch scallion top, chopped
1 bag tortilla chips

Leave veggies large so people know what they are chomping on. Place all ingredients in a large pot. Simmer together for 6-8 hours. Stir occassionally. Serve in oven proof dishes. After spooning in chili, covers with sliced scallions and shredded cheddar cheese. (Sharp gives the best flavor) Serve with torilla chips and garnish with sour cream.

Freezer/Family Friendly Bean and Cheese Burritos

So, this is one of my go-to meals that I make all the time. It's cheap, my kids gobble it up, and it can store in the freezer for a quick and healthy lunch or dinner later. The flavor is great, and they are quite healthy too. You've gotta try 'em.

¾ cup rice (brown or white)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 jalapeño chile, chopped (ribs and seeds removed, for less heat)
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cans (15 ounces each) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 box frozen corn kernels (10 ounces)
6 scallions, thinly sliced
8 burrito-size (10-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 ounces)
Salsa and sour cream (optional)


Cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add onions, garlic, jalapeño, and cumin; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Add tomato paste, and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
Add beans and 1 ½ cups water; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 10 to 12 minutes. Add corn; cook to heat through, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in scallions.
Heat tortillas according to package instructions; fill with rice, bean mixture, and cheese.
Assemble: Mound ¼ cup rice, ¾ cup bean mixture, and ¼ cup cheese on one side of tortilla. Fold, and hold in sides. Starting from filled end, holding sides in as you work, tightly roll into a bundle. Place on a baking sheet, seam side down, and prepare remaining burritos.
Serve immediately, with salsa and sour cream, if using, or wrap individually in plastic and freeze up to 3 months.
Per serving: (without salsa and sour cream) 519 calories; 18.6 grams fat; 18.7 grams protein; 70.5 grams carbohydrates; 7.4 grams fiber

Note: Before wrapping individually, freeze burritos on a baking sheet so they don’t come apart in the process; then put back in freezer.

Reheating From Frozen:

Microwave and oven: Remove frozen burritos from plastic wrap. Place on a microwave-safe plate; microwave on high for 3 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet; bake at 450° until crispy, about 10 minutes. This is our favorite quick method.
Oven only: Remove frozen burritos from plastic wrap; rewrap individually in aluminum foil. Place on a baking sheet; bake at 450°, 40 minutes; remove foil, and bake to crisp, 5 to 10 minutes. (To reheat defrosted burritos, remove any wrapping, and bake for 10 minutes.)
Microwave only: Remove frozen burritos from plastic wrap. Place on a microwave-safe plate, covered with a microwave-safe bowl, and defrost at high power for 3 to 4 minutes; uncover, and microwave on high, 3 to 4 minutes longer.

Vegetarian Mexican-Style Lasagna

Mexican-Style Lasagna
Serves 4 | Prep Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour and 20 minutes



1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
4 scallions, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 ounces fresh baby spinach
Nonstick cooking spray
8 corn tortillas (6-inch)
1 can (15.5 ounces) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup prepared salsa (mild or medium)
8 ounces pepper Jack cheese, grated (about 2 cups)



Preheat oven to 425°. In a food processor, combine cilantro, scallions, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper with as much spinach as will fit; pulse, adding remaining spinach in batches, until coarsely chopped.
Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. Lay 4 tortillas in bottom of dish (they will overlap slightly). Layer with half of beans, salsa, spinach mixture, and cheese; repeat with remaining ingredients, ending with cheese and pressing in gently.
Cover dish with foil; place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes; remove foil, and continue baking until golden, 15 to 20 minutes more. Cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.


Per serving: 446 calories; 21 grams fat; 21.6 grams protein; 48.2 grams carbohydrates; 10.4 grams fiber

Pasta and Vegetarian Dishes

Acorn Squash Lasagna
Chicken Tenders Parmesan with Penne
Farfalle with Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese (Omit the Kapers!)
Fettuccine with Spinach Pesto
Broccoli Calzones
Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Turkey Meatballs
Home Made Mac and Cheese
Scallops Florentine
Thai Peanut Sauce with Chicken and Noodles
Healthy Colorful Frittata
Zia Via's Chicken Linguine
Vegetarian Mexican Style Lasagna
Awesome Vegetable Chili
Bean and Cheese Burritos
Alpine Pasta

Healthy Colorful Frittata

This is a great dish to throw in any veggies that you like, it’s healthy, filling, and delicious!

1 c broccoli florets
¾ c sliced fresh mushroom
2 chopped green onions
½ c chopped tomatoes
2 handfuls of spinach leaves
1 T butter
1 c cubed cooked ham
8 eggs
¼ c water
¼ c Dijon Mustard
½ t Italian seasoning
¼ t garlic salt
1 ½ c (6 oz) shredded cheddar cheese
OR you can do half cheddar and half gueyier

Saute veggies (except spinach and tomatoes) in butter until tender. Add ham, and heat through. Remove from heat and keep warm. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, water, mustard, Italian seasoning, and garlic salt until foamy. Stir in cheese, and ham and veggie mixture. Pour into a greased shallow 1 ½ quart baking dish. Bake @ 375 for 22-27 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.