Eggplant Parmigiana

 I'd like to thank good old Betty Crocker for this one. It's a great vegetarian dish and not too hard to make. I cut the recipe in half since I was cooking for myself but it is supposed to serve about 6. The recipe calls for making your own sauce but for time saving I used Newman's Own Sockarooni pasta sauce. Yum!


2 cups Italian Tomato Sauce
2 small unpeeled eggplants
1 large egg
2 tablespoons water
2/3 cup dry bread crumbs (I used the garlic and herb version)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used 2% for less fat)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
Cut eggplants into 1/4 inch slices. In a shallow dish, mix egg and water. In another shallow dish, mix bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Dip eggplant into egg mixture, then coat with bread crumb mixture.
In a skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook eggplant a little at a time in oil about 5 minutes, turning once, until light brown; drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining eggplant, adding 1 or 2 tablespoons oil if necessary.
In ungreased 11x7 inch baking dish, place half the eggplant, overlapping slices slightly.  Spoon half of the sauce over eggplant. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce and cheese.
Bake uncovered about 25 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese is light brown. 

Turkey, Mozzarella and Spinach Stromboli

This sandwich makes a great hot lunch or dinner and can be served with soup. I adapted it from a ham and cheese stromboli recipe that I've made a few times.


1 can Pillsburry Crusty French Bread
1 cup 2% mozzarella cheese
Low fat, low sodium deli turkey breast
about 1 cup baby spinach, more or less to your liking
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese


Preheat oven to 375. Grease a baking sheet. Unroll the french bread and sprinkle with cheese, spinach (enough to cover) and turkey leaving about 1/2 inch around all sides. Unfold the turkey so that it completely covers the spinach and cheese. Roll like a jelly roll starting from one of the short ends. Place seam side down and tuck ends under. Brush butter on the top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. 

Healthier Apple Crisp

I got this recipe out of a Costco Cookbook. It uses canola oil instead of butter, whole wheat flour, nuts and no salt. Canola oil and walnuts are a good source of Omega 3s. I also left the peels on the apples for added fiber and nutrients. It's quick and easy and a guilt-free dessert. It can be served with vanilla fro-yo or ice cream. 


6 granny smith apples, cored and sliced
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts (pecans can be used also)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup canola oil, plus more if needed

Preheat oven to 375. 
Place apple slices in a large bowl, add lemon juice and toss to coat with juice.
To make the topping, combine oats, walnuts, brown sugar, wheat flour and cinnamon in a bowl, and stir to blend. Add canola oil and stir again. If it seems too dry (should clump together when you squeeze it), add another teaspoon or two of oil.
Transfer apples to a 13x9 inch baking dish. Add the topping, spreading it evenly over the apples; do not pack it down.
Bake until the apples are tender and the topping is golden, 45-50 minutes. Serve warm. Makes 12 servings.

Hearty Chicken Noodle Soup

I was just trying to use up some of my vegetables and stuff in the pantry, but it warmed me right up in this 20 degree weather! Serves 2.


1 chicken tenderloin, cooked and chopped
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (add more if you like your soup a little more brothy)
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1/4 onion, diced
1/2 teaspoon garlic
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
~ 1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cups whole wheat pasta


Add olive oil to sauce pan over med-high heat. Add carrot, onion and celery and cook until slightly tender. Add chicken broth, garlic, and seasonings and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook until done. In the last 5 minutes of cooking, add chicken. Serve and enjoy.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Quinoa with Vegetables

I've been wanting to try roasting a butternut squash for quite a while. My roommate and I both thought it was great even with just the olive oil, salt and pepper. Since I was only cooking for 2 we only ended up eating half of the squash, so double the recipe for more. The quinoa is a great source of protein and tastes great too! 


1 Butternut squash
1/2 carrot, shredded
1/2 cup chopped green, red, and yellow pepper
1 cup broccoli
olive oil
salt 
pepper
lemon pepper


Roasted Butternut Squash
Cut in half and seed one butternut squash. Brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place face down in a baking dish and cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for about an hour or until tender when poked with a fork.

Quinoa with Vegetables
Cook 1/2 cup of quinoa according to package directions. I cooked mine with broth to add more flavor. Meanwhile, stir fry vegetables in olive oil until crisp-tender. Season with salt, pepper and lemon pepper or other seasoning of choice. Set aside. When quinoa is cooked, fluff with fork and stir in vegetables. 

This is from Costco but can also be found at
Fred Meyer in the bulk section

Almond Chicken Salad Wrap

I got this chicken salad recipe out of my Volumetrics Diet book. I had no pita pockets so I decided to put it on one of my whole wheat tortillas and a bed of spinach. 


1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken breast (I boiled mine to cook it)
1 cup halved, seedless red grapes
1/2 cup diced celery
1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
whole wheat tortillas 
baby spinach


1. Combine chicken, grapes, celery, mayonnaise, and pepper in medium bowl and mix well.
2. Place spinach on a tortilla, top with 1/4 of salad mixture and about 1 tablespoon of almonds. Wrap and enjoy!

Oats and Honey Wheat Bread

I found this bread recipe on all recipes and made a few adjustments to it. I found the oats on the top to be messy and make no difference in taste but the honey on the top is yummy. 

Ingredients

2 cups boiling water                                          1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F)

1 cup rolled oats                                                 2 cups bread flour

1/2 cup honey                                                     2 cups whole wheat bread flour, plus more for 

2 tablespoons butter                                            kneading

2 teaspoons salt                                                   2 tablespoons honey, warmed slightly

1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast          2 tablespoons rolled oats

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Directions

In a large mixing bowl, combine boiling water, oats, 1/2 cup honey, butter and salt. Let stand for about 1 hour.

In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until dissolved and creamy, about 10 minutes.

Pour the yeast mixture into the oat mixture. Add 2 cups of flour; mix well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead. Add flour as needed to until smooth and elastic, about 20 minutes. Dough should be tacky but not stick to hands. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and form into loaves. Place the loaves into two lightly greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Cover the loaves with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Bake at 375 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Remove loaves from pans, brush tops of loaves with 2 tablespoons honey and sprinkle with oats.

The Lunch That Keeps on Giving

This recipe was inspired from a friend's pasta salad recipe. I made some of it to take to school for my lunch for the week. It has kept really well and is an easy, delicious way to get some whole grains and vegetables in your diet. If you like other vegetables, feel free to add them!

Whole Wheat Pasta Salad
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 carrot
2 celery stalks
1 roma tomato
Your favorite Italian dressing
1 box whole wheat rotini
~2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Italian seasoning, to taste


Heat oven to 425. Chop vegetables and mix with olive oil, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Spread on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10-15 minutes, flipping vegetables occasionally until slightly tender.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to box directions. Drain pasta, mix with vegetables and mix with just enough dressing to make it wet but not soupy. Add more seasonings if necessary and refrigerate.



                                                                                                                                                                        

Hidden Nutrition Raspberry Smoothie

I got some wonderful advice from a friend who was hiding vegetables from her kids. Put spinach in a fruit smoothie! I know, it sounds gross but TRY IT, it's great! My smoothies are always variable so these measurements are rough estimations, add amounts to your liking. 
Today's recipe:


1 banana
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 cup milk (add to get desired thickness)
1 handful of baby spinach
2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter


Add ingredients, blend, enjoy.