Lasagna with Roasted Eggplant

You’ll Need:
1 Box Lasagna Noodles
1 Jar Marinara Sauce
1 large container of Small Curd Cottage Cheese
3 Egg Whites
1 cup Roasted Eggplant Puree
8 oz Shredded Mozzarella
0.33 cup Parmesan Cheese

1. Mix cheeses, eggplant puree and eggs in mixing bowl. (Note, only use half of the shredded mozzarella in this step.) Set aside.
2. Spray a baking dish with oil.
3. Spread ~0.5 cup of marinara sauce on bottom of pan.
4. Place 3 lasagna noodles (uncooked) on top of sauce.
5. Spread 0.33 of cheese mix on top of noodles, completely covering noodles.
6. Lightly cover cheese mix with some marinara sauce.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 two more times.
8. Place 4th layer of noodles on top of lasagna.
9. Spread the remaining sauce on top of the noodles.
10. Sprinkle the second half of the mozzarella on top of the lasagna.
11. Cover and bake for 40 minutes at 375 F.
12. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes at 375 F.
13. Remove from oven and allow to sit and cool for 10+ minutes.
14. Serve.

-Angela

Roasted Eggplant Puree

I decided to try something new with our eggplant from last week’s box. I wanted a recipe that would allow me to add eggplant to several other staple dishes without it being noticeable. So, with a little thought, I decided to roast the eggplant with some tomatoes and herbs. The aroma of these vegetables and herbs roasting was incredible. I’m sure it had more to do with the garlic then anything else, but nonetheless, it was wonderful.

If your family enjoys eggplant, you may choose to only roast it and serve with pasta, chicken, rice, etc. But if you find some resistance at the table or want to freeze it in several smaller portions for later use, consider pureeing it. I’ll be honest, I hid it in a lasagna today and NO ONE noticed. They sure did enjoy dinner though. LOL

You’ll Need:
1 Eggplant, peeled and sliced (0.25″ thickness)
3 Roma Tomatoes, sliced (0.25″ thickness)
3 Garlic Cloves, crushed
0.25 to 0.5 cup Olive Oil
1 TSP Basil
1 TSP Oregano

1. Spray dish with oil.
2. Lay eggplant slices in single layer on bottom of dish.
3. Brush oil on top of eggplant slices.
4. Lay tomato slices on top of eggplant.

5. Brush oil on top of tomatoes.
6. Add garlic, basil and oregano to top of tomatoes.

7. Roast at 350 F for 1 hour.
8. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

9. Blend vegetables in a blender or food processor until smooth.
10. Store for use in other dishes (pastas, soups, etc.).

-Angela

Truly Authentic Mexican Salsa

Straight from Diwa Brown’s Recipe book on The Family Garden’s website, an authentic salsa recipe using fresh jalapeno peppers, bell peppers, cilantro, onions and more from their fields.

You’ll Need:
2-3 Jalapeno Peppers, chopped and boiled for 2-3 minutes
1 Green Bell Peppers, diced, blanched
1 clove Garlic, crushed
1 15 oz. can Tomatoes, diced
0.25 cup Cilantro, fresh, chopped
pinch of Salt
quarter to half of large Red Onion, chopped

1. Blend all ingredients (except onion) in food processor.
2. Add onion.
3. Serve.

Note, if you prefer to use fresh tomatoes instead of canned, you can cut 2-3 tomatoes and steam/boil them for a couple of minutes until tender. They will easily replace the can of tomatoes in the recipe. You may need more salt added to the salsa.

Angela’s Experience:
I had the kids help me make our salsa, and was concerned about the potential heat rating of using 2-3 jalapeno peppers with just 15 oz. of tomatoes. So, we adjusted the recipe. In the end, we feel the heat intensity would still rate the salsa as a “Hot” salsa using our adjustments. If you happen to have a lime lingering in your fridge, a little bit of its juice would make a nice touch.

We used:
28 oz. can Diced Tomatoes
1 Jalapeno, chopped and boiled
4 small Cloves Garlic, chopped
0.5 cup (or more) Cilantro
0.25 Jumbo Red Onion OR 2 Scallions, chopped and blanched
0.5 Green Bell Pepper, chopped and blanched
1 Lime, juiced OR 1 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
1- 2 TSP Salt

Put everything in the blender/food processor and mix until desired texture is reached.

If you happen to have an avocado calling your name, mash/chunk it and mix with 1-2 TBSP of this salsa… and you’ll have a guacamole!

Basil Hummus

Photo Borrowed from Simply Recipes

Simply Recipes just released a new recipe for Basil Hummus. Check it out!

Easy Summer Sandwich

Sandwiches needed a new twist in our home, so we pulled out the hummus and cheddar cheese, sliced a tomato, cut the red onion and washed some romaine. Everyone customized their own lunch. Some wanted hummus and no cheese with all the works. Others wanted cheese and no tomato. Honest, the options are endless and the kids are enjoying a break from peanut butter and honey or almond butter and jelly. Roasted/Grilled eggplant works well on these sandwiches too.

-Angela

Curry Squash Soup

You will need:
1 Butternut Squash, peeled and chunked
0.5 – 1 cup Split Peas
1 Onion, chopped
1 Garlic Clove, crushed
32 oz. Vegetable or Chicken Broth of choice
pinch of Curry Powder (optional)
1 – 2 cups Rice or Barley, cooked (optional)
0.25 cup Parsley (optional)
1-2 Roma Tomatoes for garnish

1. Cook peas for 20 minutes in broth.
2. Cook squash in water until tender. Drain and mash/blend until smooth. (You may need to add a little bit of broth to the squash mixture before mashing/blending.) Add squash to the broth mixture.
3. Saute onion and garlic in oil and add it to the broth mixture.
4. Add curry, rice/barley and parsley if desired.
5. Bring soup to a boil and cook until peas are tender. (Add salt and pepper as preferred.)
6. When serving, garnish with freshly sliced tomatoes.

Enjoy,
Angela

Taco Salad with a Twist

My most recent adventure has been the addition of quinoa in my everyday dishes, adding protein to my dish makeover. In this ‘makeover’ I simply added red quinoa to my black beans (sauted with garlic and onions) and placed them on top of a bed of greens, tomatoes, salsa and bell peppers. It was quite delightful and very filling.

Consider adding quinoa (red or white) to your dishes. It is super high in protein and tastes like cous cous.

-Angela

Stuffed Peppers

Have you ever considered stuffing a bell pepper with something other than ground meat and rice? While making boxes on Wednesday, and fully grasping the reality of how many green peppers we were getting in our box, I quickly began thinking of a stuffed pepper recipe for dinner. 

You’ll Need:
0.25 cups Red Quinoa
0.25 cups White Quinoa
0.75 cups Water (to cook the Quinoa)
1 cup Brown Rice
1.25 cups Water (to cook the rice)
1 can of Black Beans, washed
3 large Scallions, chopped
6 large Green Bell Peppers, gutted
1 batch of Jen’s Roasted Grape Tomato and Garlic Pesto

Start with cooking the rice (~60 minutes) and quinoa (~30 minutes). Add the beans and scallions to the cooked rice and quinoa and mix in a large bowl. (You can add salt, pepper, garlic, cooked mushrooms, tomatoes, etc. if you wish.) Now you have your stuffing.

Pack as much of your stuffing mix into each pepper. You might hear air escaping as you gently push the mix, compressing it. When peppers are stuffed, place them in a casserole dish and top with Jen’s sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees Farenheit for ~60 minutes. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

Enjoy your protein, calcium, anti-oxidant and fiber packed gluten-free vegan stuffed peppers!
-Angela

 

Easy Tomato Soup

Last summer my daughter and I were on a Girls’ Day Out with some extended family. We ventured over to a little tea house and had quite a delightful afternoon (followed with some much needed window shopping). The new owner of the tea house was quite friendly and shared her recipe for our favorite tomato soup! (Needless to say I had been trying to recreate it for about a year at this point!!!)

I was shocked with how easy it was to prepare and a bit disappointed that she used canned tomatoes… but have since found the recipe to be a true delight (and lifesaver) on those rough days when the kids need lunch and I’m clearly spinning too many plates and can’t focus. It truly is my son’s FAVORITE soup of all time. (Funny… since it’s a tea house recipe.)

Of course, I had to tweak the recipe a bit, to add some health to it. Here’s what we’ve got:
2 cans of Greenwise Basil, Oregano and Garlic Diced Tomatoes (she uses Hunts)
dash or two Dried Basil
3-5 oz Baby Spinach (Beet Greens would also work well)
1 cup Heavy Cream (milk works too)
Salt (~1 TBSP)
Sugar (~2 TBSP)

Blend the tomatoes, basil and spinach in a food processor for approximately 20 seconds or until most of the chunks are gone. Pour the mixture into a pot and heat. Add salt and sugar, tasting frequently until you like the flavor. If too salty, add more sugar. If too sweet, add more salt. (Be careful not to go overboard.) Add cream (or milk) if desired and continue to heat. No need to bring to a boil after the cream has been added. Just stir thoroughly and serve.

About the Teahouse:
The original name of this delightful tea house (when I first tried the soup) was Tea by the Sea, in Berlin, MD (where Run Away Bride was filmed!!!). I believe its current name is Main Street Enchanted Tearoom. I’ll try to find some pictures of Berlin, just for fun, to add to this post real soon.

Broccoli and Asparagus Pasta with White Wine Sauce

Though the name of this dish and it’s appearance might lead you to assume it’s time-consuming, it really wasn’t. If I can make this on a day when I’m feeling drained and exhausted, you can too.

You’ll Need:
2/3 box Whole Grain Spaghetti
half head of Broccoli, florets
half pound of Asparagus, cut into 1-2 inch segments
half Red Onion, chopped
half pound Crimini Mushrooms, cut into quarters
1 cup Turkey/Chicken/Tofu, chopped, cooked
3 cloves Garlic, chopped or sliced
half cup of Roasted Tomatoes
1 – 2 TBSP Oil
half  TBSP Butter
1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
half cup Parmesan Cheese
1 cup White Wine

1. Cook pasta according to box.
2. Steam broccoli florets until tender.
3. Steam asparagus cuts until tender.
4. Saute 2 cloves of garlic, onions, mushrooms and turkey/chicken/tofu in oil.
5. Add broccoli and asparagus to sautéed onions and mushrooms and remove from heat.
6. Make cream sauce: Heat butter and 1 clove of chopped garlic in a small sauce pan. Add wine and allow to cook for 2-10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cream and parmesan cheese. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.  (If nervous about making this sauce, consider reading this recipe.)
7. Serve by pouring sauce over pasta and veggie mix. Top dish with roasted tomatoes.

Most importantly, enjoy the dish.
-Angela