Vegan Sweet Potato, Coconut Milk and Roasted Chili Ravioli

Photo Borrowed from PetiteKitchenesse.com

The PetiteKitchenesse.com has posted a delectable vegan ravioli recipe that I’m dying to try.

 

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

Homemade Reduced Fat Mac ‘n Cheese

You’ll Need:
1 box of Dry Shell, Penne and/or Elbow Macaroni Pasta
1 cup of Skim Milk
1 TBSP Corn Starch
1 cup of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
0.3 cup of Parmesan Cheese (optional)
Dash of Paprika (or Smoked Paprika)
Dash of Salt
Dash of Pepper

1. Cook the pasta, drain and set aside.
2. Make the cheese sauce by adding all remaining ingredients to a sauce pan. While cold, thoroughly mix ingredients with a wire whisk.
3. Bring the cheese sauce to a gentle boil, continuously stirring/mixing with whisk. Remove from heat shortly after it reaches a boil.
4. When mixture is smooth, pour it over the pasta and mix.
5. Serve.

-Angela

Fettuccini Alfredo with Zucchini Ribbons

Simply follow the directions from this Food Network recipe. If you’re in a pinch for time, substitute the homemade sauce for a jar of your favorite alfredo.

-Angela

Easy Baked Ziti

You’ll Need:
1 Box of Dry Penne Pasta
1 – 2 Jars Marinara Pasta Sauce of Choice
12 oz Cottage Cheese
1 – 2 Sprigs Fresh Basil, chopped
0.5 Onion, chopped
1 – 2 Cloves Garlic, Crushed
1 Green Pepper, chopped
1 cup Water

Mix all ingredients in a crock pot or casserole dish. Bake for 1.5 to 2 hours (until pasta is tender). Enjoy.

Other ingredient ideas include sauteed chopped mushrooms, red peppers or greens of choice, red wine, etc.

-Angela

Penne Pasta with Red Wine Crimini and Broccolini

You’ll Need:
8 – 10 oz Penne, dried
0.5 – 1 lb Crimini, washed
1 Broccolini bunch, chopped
0.5 Red Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, crushed (optional)
1 Cup Red Wine
2 TBSP Honey
1 TBSP Oil of Choice
1 TBSP Red Wine Vinegar
1 jar Marinara Sauce of choice

1. Cook Pasta, drain and set aside.
2. Saute crimini mushrooms, garlice and red onion in oil for 5 minutes.
3. Add red wine, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper to mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes.
4. Add broccolini to mushrooms and stir while cooking for 3 – 5 minutes.
5. Add marinara sauce and bring to a boil.
6. Toss pasta into the sauce and serve.

Enjoy,
-Angela

Stuffed Shells

Stuffed Shells don’t have to be the traditional ‘stuff them with cheese’ type of recipe. My wonderful husband offered to make dinner the other night and created the healthiest stuffed shells we’ve ever had! He basically rounded up all of the veggies that were aging in our fridge as a means to help clean and clear it out for our next box. LOL. Ever have one of those nights?

Keith found potatoes, carrots, roasted beets, onion, tomatoes, celery, garlic, quinoa, broccoli, cauliflower, green/red/yellow bell peppers, parsley and mushrooms. He chopped everything up really small and mixed it together in a pan. After veggies were lightly cooked, he proceeded to stuff precooked shells just like you would with a traditional recipe. Topped with sauce, they baked for ~30 minutes. He added some cheese on top as an insurance policy so our youngest would want to eat it. (Anything new and unusual is a huge hit if we sprinkle cheese on top… sigh.) We went into this adventure knowing it could be a hit or a flop. We were impressed (and a little surprised) that everyone had seconds and the pan was nearly empty by the end of the meal. Nice!

My only comments for this dish would be to leave the beets out… as I presume most families would NOT venture into beets with their shells. I would add artichokes, maybe roasted asparagus, a lot of mushrooms, basil, maybe some super savory smashed white beans… you get the idea. I’d avoid the super strong flavored veggies. Jen’s roasted tomato sauce would be amazing with this dish too.

Have fun with it and THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. You never know what NEW and creative dish awaits your family.

-Angela

Spaghetti with Zucchini

I find spaghetti dishes fun to make… because a different sauce can created every time. Today’s sauce included of sauteed onions, garlic, fresh basil and zucchini.

You’ll Need:
Spaghetti, cooked
1 jar of Pasta Sauce of choice
1 medium Onion, chopped
1-3 cloves Garlic, chopped or crushed
2 small Zucchini, cut into wedges
Oil
1 sprig fresh Basil, chopped

Saute onions and garlic in oil. When starting to brown add zucchini. After 3-5 minutes add fresh basil and sauce. Bring to a gentle boil and remove from heat. Add pasta and serve.

-Angela

Spinach Fettuccine White Wine Alfredo with Asparagus and Fresh Spinach

You’ll Need:

8 oz. Spinach Fettuccine, cooked
1 TBSP Butter
3 Scallions, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 cup White Wine of choice (optional)
0.5 to 1 cup Heavy Cream
1 TBSP Flour
0.25 to 0.5 cup shredded Parmesan Cheese
0.5 lb Asparagus, steamed
2 cups Baby Spinach, raw
Salt and Pepper to taste
Cherry Tomatoes to garnish

1. Make Alfredo Sauce: Brown garlic and scallions with butter in a skillet. Add wine and cook for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to ‘low’ and add cream. Using a wire wisk, stir  in flour, parmesan, salt and pepper until lump free.
2. Pour sauce over pasta and veggies.
3. Allow pasta to steep so that spinach will steam.
4. Garnish with tomatoes if desired.
5. Serve.

Note, by adding the flour, you will have a thick alfredo sauce instead of a thin white wine sauce in this recipe.

-Angela