Eggplant Tomato "Stuffing" Bake

Hold the phone... stop what you're doing... and try this. I'm not going to lie, when my Weight Watchers leader Julie was raving about this recipe yesterday I was a bit skeptical. She compared it to stuffing. Now, stuffing is one of my favorite foods in the whole world... and the key to stuffing is bread. But this recipe doesn't contain any bread. It only contains vegetables. As I bought the ingredients I was doubting Julie... but as I began to prepare this I saw the potential.

Now, I will never be someone who will tell you sugar free jello mix and Greek yogurt tastes EXACTLY like cheesecake, so I'm also not going to tell you this tastes exactly like stuffing. But the texture is spot on and the taste is fabulous. It's like an Italian stuffing... the eggplant bakes down soft and almost bread-like (especially if you let it get crisp which I did)... the other vegetables and the breadcrumbs work well together, and parmesan cheese if life, so this was amazing. A must try. I'm even going to make it for Easter because I think it's that good.

Source: Adapted from my WW leader Julie, who got it from a member named Dawn

2 Weight Watchers Freestyle Points for about 1/6 of this (about 1 cup)

Ingredients:

2 Large unpeeled eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices, then roughly diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 Roma Tomatoes chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2 eggs
1/2 cup of bread crumbs or panko
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic salt

1 tbsp dried parsley

Directions:
1- Preheat oven to 400°
2- In a large skillet , add a little bit of olive oil over medium heat; saute onion, red pepper, and garlic until onion is softened, 5 to 10 minutes.
3- In large bowl, combine tomato, eggplant, eggs, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, and seasonings (except the dried parsley). Then stir in onion & pepper mixture until fully combined.
4- Spray Pam in a casserole dish. Then add mixture and cover with foil.
5- Bake in the preheated oven until eggplant is fork tender - about 40 minutes.
6-Remove foil and bake for additional 15 minutes until crispy. Stir. Return to the oven under the broiler for about five minutes. Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.

7- Top with dried parsley and serve.

Lighter Vegetable Alfredo Pasta

I am a true believer that just because you're trying to lose weight doesn't mean you need to live on salad, grilled chicken, and almonds. In fact I could never stick to a weight loss program if it didn't allow for me to have creamy pasta like this! To keep this meal lighter I used a low fat sauce, loaded it with a whole skillet of veggies, and tossed it was pasta. I mean really... can you say delicious?? John and I were both really into this meal. The best part was that since I was using a jarred sauce this really took no time at all. I think the whole meal came together in the time it took for the pasta to cook. Can't beat that can you?

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original, inspired by Laa Loosh

1 pound pasta, any shape
Cooking spray
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces mushrooms, diced
1 jar roasted red peppers, sliced into thin strips
2 cups baby spinach
1 jar Classico Light Asiago Romano Alfredo sauce
Salt and pepper

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350. Cook the pasta according to packaging directions.
2- Spray a large skillet with cooking spray. Add garlic, stirring for about one minute. Add the mushrooms, cook until soft. Add the red peppers and spinach.
3- Add the sauce, stir well, season with salt and pepper. Allow to cook together for 5-7 minutes.
4- Drain the pasta, toss the pasta with the sauce and veggie mixture.
5- Transfer to a 9x13 dish, bake 15-20 minutes. (I transfered mine to 2 8x8 dishes and froze one for later).

** 10 WW points+ for 1/6 of the recipe

Vegetarian Enchilada Pasta Bake

I am such a visual person. I am a visual learner- I need to see it in order to do it. Forget about putting anything together from reading an instructions manuel... it will never happen. But if I watch a youtube video? I stand a chance (a small...slim...barely there chance). When it comes to food I am also extremely visual. To the point where I see recipes and release audible reactions. John may or may not be embarrassed by my reactions to reading food blogs and prefer I don't do it when other people are over. I will neither confirm nor deny this fact. With that said, when I saw the picture of this recipe I immediately added it to my menu. I didn't even read the ingredients list! I just said "Ohhhh yesssss!" and added it to the list.

When it came time to food shop I saw the sauce was enchilada sauce. Now, I'm new to Mexican cuisine. It's rising in the ranks of my favorites, but I do not love enchilada sauce. I figured I could get over it, that I'd love it because it's soooooo pretty, and to just go with it. Well... guess what? I STILL don't love enchilada sauce! I ate this, I enjoyed it, but being that I am not sold on the key ingredient I can't say this is a favorite. Typically I will only share recipes I love, but I am making an exception for this. There is nothing wrong with the recipe, in fact I'm pretty sure you will love it, so therefore I will bend my own rules. The only reason I didn't love it was because I allowed myself to be swayed by a pretty picture and not by the ingredients. I still think this recipe is excellent for other people. Just not me. So if you're into enchilada sauce go with it- this will be a huge hit!

Source: Sunny Side Up in San Diego

Ingredients:
1/2 pound pasta
1 tsp oil
1/2 red onion, chopped
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1-2 tbsp taco seasoning (homemade version here)
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cups enchilada sauce
1 cup cheese (I used Mexican blend)
2 tbsp cilantro, plus 1 for garnish
10-20 tortilla chips, crushed

Directions:
1- Preheat over to 350. Prepare pasta according to packaging directions, set aside.
2- In a large skillet heat the oil. Add the onions, jalapeno, peppers, and garlic until tender, 6-7 minutes. Stir in seasonings, black beans, and one cup of the enchilada sauce. Cook 5 minutes.
3- Stir in the pasta, cilantro, and 1/2 cup cheese. Cook until cheese is melted. Transfer the pasta mixture to a 9x13 baking dish.
4- Top with the remaining sauce and cheese. Bake 15 minutes or until sauce and cheese are bubbly. Top with tortilla chips and remaining cilantro.

Portobello Cheese"Steak"

My husband and I are both reformed mushroom haters. John, being the more adventurous eater in our household, stood strong on his resistance to mushrooms for a long time. Eventually he came around and forced encouraged me to try them. I'm still not a huge fan but I'll eat them cooked into pasta dishes or on chicken.

For the longest time he'd been asking me to make something with portobello mushrooms but I kept resisting. I've come around to the fungus, but not to the point where I want it to be the focal point of my meal. After much debate I decided to give in to his desires and made him this sandwich. Notice the key word there- "made HIM this sandwich." I had full intentions of eating this but then I got repulsed while cooking it (thank youuuuu pregnancy aversions) but ended up really liking the way it looked/smelt once it was done. John enjoyed this greatly and ate it without any words- he just devoured the sandwich. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner!

Source: Heavily adapted from Eating Well

Ingredients:
2 sub rolls
1/2 tsp olive oil
2 portobello mushroom caps
1/2 large red bell pepper
1/4 small yellow onion, sliced thin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp hot sauce
Cheese (provolone, cheddar, American- your choice)

Directions:
1- Wash the mushrooms and use a spoon to remove the gills from the mushroom (optional).
2- Slice the mushroom and the bell pepper into thin strips.
3- In a large skillet heat the oil. Add the mushrooms, peppers, and onions. Cook until all of the veggies are soft and cooked. Add in the oregano, soy, and hot sauce. Stir and cook an additional minute or two.
4- Divide the mixture in two, topping each pile with cheese until the cheese melts. Once melted remove to toasted sub rolls. Serve hot.

Crockpot Southwestern Corn Soup

Let me tell you something- this recipe far surpassed all of my expectations. I threw everything in the crockpot in the morning and all day I was thinking the soup would be pretty "meh." I'm not sure what made me doubt this recipe but I just wasn't holding out too much hope. Imagine my surprise when I lifted the lid from the crockpot, stuck my finger in (yes- finger- don't judge... I washed it, and it's my soup!), and realized that my soup wasn't "meh," rather it was delicious! John ate it hours after me and he too was obsessed. He even brought it up a couple days later. That is a good sign people, a very good sign. This was perfect when paired with a simple cheese quesadilla... I'm already planning on making this dinner again next week!

Serves 2

Source: Heavily adapted from Food.com

Ingredients:
1 (15 oz) can cream style corn
1 medium russet potato, peeled and chopped small
1/2 small yellow onion, diced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1/2 cup chunky salsa

1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp butter

Directions:
1- Combine the first 7 ingredients in the crockpot. Cook on low 7-9 hours.
2- Add the milk and butter, turning the heat up to high and allowing it to cook an additional hour. Stir well- serve hot.

Roasted Vegetable Stromboli

My favorite way to prepare veggies is to roast them. I feel like it brings out the flavors without compromising the consistency. Sometimes steamed veggies can get... mushy? I guess that's the best way to put it! Roasting them just lends itself to the perfect consistency and flavor.

A few weeks ago I roasted a big pan of vegetables and threw them all in a bowl to use for meals throughout the week. I'm so glad I did this because it made dinner so easy! I just had to grab my roasted veggie bowl and spoon out the desired amount for each recipe. I'll be sharing the other recipe with you soon so you can see a practical use for your pan of vegetables (that is, if you don't want to just eat them as-is!)

This stromboli was amazing. John told me it needs to be repeated frequently. It's kind of fun, I can see it being a hit with kids, and it's a little different from what I typically serve for dinner. I coasted the crust with an oil and seasoning mix that really took this to the next level. I loved the crisp top and the soft vegetables... ugh... now I want this again soon!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
2 cups roasted vegetables* (see below for details)
1 batch pizza dough
1 cup mozzarella cheese
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Tomato sauce

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 450 with a pizza stone in the oven (if you don't have one just cook it on a baking sheet).
2- Roll out your pizza dough into a long rectangular/oval shape.
3- Using a pizza cutter, start on the right side of the dough and slice 1/3 of the way in, making 1 inch slits down the side. Keep going until the whole side is covered in 1 inch slits. Repeat on the left hand side, also 1/3 of the way in.
4- Spoon the vegetable onto the 1/3 of the dough in the center. Top with the cheese.
5- Start at the top, take one slit from the right and fold it over the center. Repeat with the dough slit directly opposite. Keep repeating until the dough is "braided" and covering the filling.
6- In a small bowl combine the oil, salt, and garlic powder. Brush over the dough.
7- Transfer to the stone. Bake 15 minutes or until golden.
8- Slice and serve with hot marinara sauce.

* Roasting veggies- I used 2 zucchini, 1/2 a head of broccoli, a handful of baby carrots, 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, and a green pepper. I diced them, drizzled with olive oil, and cooked about 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through, at 375. For this recipe I smashed the tomatoes so they were flat, but that step isn't necessary. Use any veggies you want. This yielded a lot of veggies, enough for two meals.

Dinner Spanakopita

A couple weeks ago we went to the wedding of our good friends, Natalie and Mark. We were so excited to go, not just to share in the joy of our friends, but also to EAT! You see, Natalie and Mark got married at the same place as John and I so we were thrilled to finally get to eat the food since we didn't eat anything on the day of our wedding. One of my favorite foods during their wedding was the spanakopita that was being passed during cocktail hour. If I ate less than 5 I'd be surprised, I grabbed one every time the tray passed!

After gorging myself on them at their wedding you'd think I have had my fill, but no... I needed more. So I decided to try my hand at making them at home. I remembered seeing a recipe for them on Annie's blog a long time ago so I dug it up and made them. They were surprisingly easy to make and so very delicious. I sung my own praises as I ate this, declaring myself a kitchen Goddess (yeah... I know... I'm not proud). I paired them with a simple Greek salad and called it a day. Perfect dinner in my opinion!

Source: Slightly adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Ina Garten

Yields 6 strudels

Ingredients:

2 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 small yellow onion, chopped small

2 green onions, yellow and white parts, chopped

1 10 oz package frozen spinach, defrosted and drained

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbsp. bread crumbs

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 cup small crumbled feta cheese

12 sheets phyllo dough, defrosted

6 tbsp. butter, melted

Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 375.

2- Heat the oil in a saute pan. Add the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the green onions, cook 2 minutes. Set aside.

3- In a mixing bowl combine the spinach, egg, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Add the onion mixture, stirring until well combined.

4- Gently fold in the feta.

5- Place one sheet of phyllo on a flat work surface. Brush lightly with butter. Top with an additional sheet of phyllo, repeating until 4 sheets are layered. Using a pizza cutter, slice the phyllo in half, lengthwise. 

6- Spoon about 1/3 cup spinach mixture onto the top of one phyllo rectangle. Roll the dough as if folding a flag, folding the dough over the filling then folding diagonally over itself. Repeat until a triangle is formed (there are videos of this on youtube if you're confused). Place seal side down on a baking sheet. Repeat until all triangles are formed. 

7- Brush the tops with melted butter, sprinkle with flaked salt (kosher salt works well) and bake 30-35 minutes until golden brown. 

Summer Risotto

Risotto isn't something I typically think of as a summer dish. It's cheesy rice, which to me says "heavy", which in turn screams winter or fall. Yet lately I've been dreaming of risotto. There's some therapeutic about making risotto, pouring the broth into the rice, watching it absorb, adding more broth, etc. It takes awhile but it's so easy that it's almost mindless.

This risotto recipe was really lovely. The tomatoes popped, releasing a lot of their juice into the risotto. This made it lighter and bit more summery. I used tomatoes and zucchini, but if you have a plentiful garden you could add whatever you have on hand. Also, I roasted my veggies because I'm a fan of the affect roasting has on vegetables, but if you don't want to heat up your kitchen you can easily just cook them in a pan. The flavor of this was excellent with a nice tomato/cheese harmony. I am excited about the leftover risotto, I will be turning it into risotto cakes for lunch tomorrow and I'm already psyched to do it!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1/2 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half (about 1 cup)
1 zucchini, sliced in coins and cut in half
Olive oil
Salt/garlic powder

1 tsp. olive oil
1 tsp. minced dried onions
1 cup arborio rice
4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
1 cup pecorino romano cheese, freshly shaved
Salt/pepper

Directions:
1- Preheat the oven to 350. In a small dish toss the tomatoes and zucchini together. Drizzle olive oil over the mixture, season with salt and garlic powder. Bake for 45 minutes or so.
2- Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil and lower the heat to a simmer.
3- In a large skillet, heat the 1 tsp olive oil and add the onion. Once it's hot, add the rice and stir well. Once it begins to lightly toast, add 1 cup of broth and lower the heat to medium/low. Allow the rice to absorb the broth. Once it's absorbed, add another cup. Continue until all broth is added.
4- When the last cup of broth is cooking with the rice, remove the veggies from the oven and stir into the rice mixture. Add the cheese, stirring well. Season with salt and pepper.
5- Allow to continue cooking until most of the liquid is absorbed. Serve hot.

Eggplant Parmesan Panini

Chicken. Pasta. Chicken. Pasta. Pizza. <--- Look familiar? Yeah- that's my weekly dinner menu.

Now and then I get so sick of this routine that I decide to shake it up and go in a totally different direction. When that happens I think of three things: breakfast, appetizer night, or sandwiches. I love paninis and much prefer them to their cold counterpart, the sandwich. I made these the other night just using what I had on hand and they came out great. Really, no major recipe here- just some basic ingredients thrown together! Serve it with a nice salad (or a bag of chips- I won't judge) and you are in for an easy, delicious meal!

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

Ciabatta bread
Olive oil
Eggplant cutlets, breaded and cooked
Marinara sauce
Sliced mozzarella cheese
Torn basil

Directions:
1- Using a pastry brush, brush the outside of the ciabatta bread with olive oil.
2- Slice open. Using a spoon, spoon a thin layer of marinara sauce on each side of the bread.
3- Top with breaded eggplant cutlets on one side. Layer with slices of mozzarella cheese, more marinara sauce, and some torn basil.
4- Replace with the other slice of bread.
5- Place on a lightly heated grill pan. Press down gently and allow to heat, about 3-4 minutes. Flip, grilling both sides. Serve hot.

Unrolled Rollatini

When I did my last blog giveaway I asked you what you love seeing most on the blog. It's funny, being the woman behind the keyboard, typing up my little antics about food, and sending them out to the world. I never know what people actually make, or like for that matter, unless they comment. But even that doesn't tell you much because only a teeny tiny fraction of my readers comment (hey- what's up with that?! GUILTY! YES YOU!) so I am still somewhat in the dark. So I just go about my merry way, cookin' and yuckin' it up, and hope that you all like what you see. Well, when I asked what it is you like to see the answers were quite evenly divided: sweets and quick/easy dinners. I knew I liked you people... I knew it.

I'm a big fan of quick and easy dinners. Sure, sometimes I'll reach deep into my inner Martha Stewart and slave away in front of the stove for hours, but for the most part I really prefer food that does its own thing. And apparently you all agree. So here's a great "does its own thing" dinner for you!

I love eggplant. It's a new found love, especially since I used to be a veggie hater, but it's deep. I really love it when it's fried and covered in cheese... because pretty much everything is better when fried and covered in cheese. Eggplant rollatini is a love of mine and it reminds me of my mom. We always share it when we go out. I was really craving it the other day but I just wasn't in the mood to fuss with an eggplant so I bought some Trader Joe's breaded eggplant cutlets and threw this together lickety-split. And it was gooooood. I know from the picture you can't tell there's eggplant down there, but trust me, there is. It's hearty, it's comforting, and dare I say it tastes even better the next day?! I dare. And now I dare you to make this. Go on... shoo. And then send me the leftovers.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
1 pound box breaded eggplant cutlets (or homemade if you prefer)
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg white
1 tsp. Italian seasonings
1 tsp. garlic powder
1-1.5 cups mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1-2 cups marinara sauce (depends how saucy you like it)

Directions:

1- Preheat the oven to 350. Cook the breaded eggplant cutlets according to packaging instructions and set aside.
2- In a bowl combine the ricotta, egg white, Italian seasonings, and garlic powder. Stir well.
3- Cover the bottom of an oven safe dish with marinara sauce. Add a layer of eggplant cutlets. Top with a generous layer of the ricotta mixture. Add some marinara and spread it over the eggplant. Sprinkle with parmesan and 1/2 cup of mozzarella.
4- Repeat step 3, layering eggplant/ricotta/sauce/parmesan/and mozzarella. The top layer should be just eggplant with sauce and some mozzarella.
5- Bake for 30 minutes, until the sauce starts to bubble. Serve hot.

Mushroom Stroganoff

First and foremost, congratulations to the winner of my last blog giveaway. The winning comment was:

The Fenner's said...

I have a hard time saying "No" to anything baked. I loved baking more than cooking, so I love sweet recipes!:) Just found your blog by the way! Love it!

February 17, 2011 5:56 PM

I hope you enjoy your items! But onto the food...

It's funny how much blogging has changed the way John and I eat. When I started blogging the list of things we didn't eat far surpassed the list of things we did eat. Mushrooms were definitely on the "do not eat" list. John and I were both anti-fungi people. Yet with time we both have learned to like mushrooms- so much so that I was willing to put this pasta recipe on the menu with mushrooms playing a starring roll.

I have never been much of a stroganoff person because stroganoff typically involves beef, and beef just isn't a favorite of mine. So this recipe jumped out to me when I saw it. Plus it never hurts to get some extra veggies in, ya know? I will say that while there is nothing wrong with this recipe, in fact it's quite tasty and John loved it, I'm still not a stroganoff person! For me it comes down to the sour cream- it's not a favorite of mine and it plays too much of a starring roll in this. However, the other ingredients really compliment it nicely and make for a very comforting pasta dish. Not to mention my undying love for egg noodles... I could eat them daily. If you are a stroganoff person this will without a doubt be a bit hit. It's a nice healthier version of a comfort classic.

Source: Adapted from The Svelte Gourmet

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter
1/2  large onion, diced
10 ounces mushrooms of your choice, sliced thin
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 
2 tsp flour
1 cup light sour cream
12 oz  wide egg noodles


Directions:
1- Heat salted water to a boil and cook noodles until al dente. 
2- In the meantime, melt butter in a medium saucepan. Cook onions until slightly soft, then add mushrooms. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms release some of their water. 
3- Add flour, stirring well to combine, then add white wine, salt, pepper,  and Worcestershire. 
4- Cook on medium until liquid reduces and begins to thicken and mushrooms are tender. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. 
5- Add hot, cooked noodles and stir gently so sauce coats noodles.

Low Fat Creamy Mushroom Pasta

I love Bethenny Frankel. If you are reading this and going "WHO!?" you clearly don't watch as much trashy reality TV as I do. I credit most of my 25 pound weight loss (and year of maintenance) to Bethenny and her book "Naturally Thin." I recently discovered her website and have been bookmarking some of her recipes. This one had me at hello. Low fat+creamy=happy.

I am a fan of pasta dishes that come together quickly. I'm also a fan of lighter meals that taste decadent. This came out excellent. I used too much pasta and not enough sour cream (I halved the recipe but I think I used too much pasta... I'm not good as estimating pasta quantities). Even with my slightly less creamy pasta it was still awesome. John and I both enjoyed it. Winner winner... mushroom dinner?! Sure. Why not.

Source: Adapted from Bethenny.com

1/2 box whole wheat fettuccini or linguine
6 mushrooms, sliced thin
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1  tbsp butter
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/3 cup parmesan cheese


Directions:
Bring pasta water to a boil, seasoned with salt.


In nonstick pan, over high heat spread out the mushrooms and the onion powder with 1 tablespoons of oil. Sauté for approximately 5 minutes without touching or moving the mushrooms. Then flip them over and leave them sautéing for another 5 minutes. 


With tongs, remove pasta from water and add to pan and toss thoroughly.


Add butter, low-fat sour cream, and vegetable broth, remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper. Again, toss thoroughly.


Top with parmesan.

Eggplant Florentine

The more I cook the more I begin creating my own recipes and stepping away from printed recipes. I find that most of my original recipes are inspired by meals I've had out at restaurants. John and I recently went to an Italian restaurant and split an eggplant appetizer. It was so stinking good that I knew it'd be making an appearance in my house soon. The best thing about this recipe is that it is super easy but it looks impressive and it tastes impressive. The crispy coating on the eggplant offers nice contrast to the soft inner layer of the eggplant and the spinach. The tomato sauce ties it all in together. When John took the first bite of this he said "OH WOW!" which is a much better reaction than anything I have made recently. Best of all it comes together in less than 20 minutes. A real must try.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:
Frozen breaded eggplant
Frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
Part skim mozzarella cheese
Tomato sauce
Fresh basil, sliced thin

Directions:
1- Cook the eggplant according to the instructions on the box.
2- Once the eggplant is cooked, take one piece and top with 2 tablespoons of chopped spinach, 1-2 tablespoons of mozzarella cheese, and a pinch of basil.
3- Place another breaded eggplant cutlet on top. Place in an oven safe dish. Repeat the process with as many pieces of eggplant as you wish.
4- Pour tomato sauce over the top of the eggplant.
5- Bake for about 5-10 minutes at 400, until the cheese is melted.
6- Top with basil.

Very Veggie Quesadillas

I am constantly looking for ways to get more vegetables into me. I love veggies but it's hard to find ways to make veggie based dinners that are also decadent and enticing to my husband. However, when it comes to John, I can put just about anything inside a flour tortilla and make him eat it. Quesadillas are a huge hit in our household. I mean can you really go wrong when you add cheese and tortillas with some salsa and veggies? I think not.

I was channeling my inner Sandra Lee with this recipe. I went to the salad bar at my local grocery store and grabbed a bunch of salad bar ingredients to make these. It makes the whole meal take 10 minutes from start to finish. You definitely can't beat that! Also the veggies are totally up to you- whatever you have or want, just toss it in and go with the flow.

Source: Stephanie Cooks Original

Ingredients:

1 whole wheat tortilla
1/4 cup chopped broccoli
1/4 cup assorted chopped pepper
1/8 cup chopped tomatoes
1/8 cup chopped mushrooms
1/4 cup baby spinach
1/4 cup reduced fat Colby Jack cheese
Cooking spray
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder

Directions:
1- Heat a skillet over medium heat. Place the tortilla down and add the cheese.
2- Top with the veggies. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
3- Allow to heat over medium until the cheese is melted. Fold the quesadilla in half, using the back of a spatula to push the two sides together.
4- Cook until both sides are crisp.

** 4 points when using a 2 point tortilla

Olive Garden Salad

The Olive Garden brings back happy memories for me. I have had many meals there with my friend Maria. I have gone there on a couple dates with John when we were first dating. I went to lunch with just my dad there (something that was rare growing up.) And I can remember the first time I went there- on vacation in Florida when I was under 10. I begged my mom to go since they always played the commercials in New Jersey but there weren't any locally. She finally gave in and we went. My dad got meat loaf which I still remember because I thought that was such a weird choice. The food is decent, the bread sticks are amazing, and the salad is really good. But the happy memories really make me love Olive Garden.

Therefore when I saw this recipe for their salad I knew I needed to make it. Our friend James came over for lunch yesterday and this was one of the things I served. Now I didn't think it tasted exactly like Olive Garden's salad but it was close and VERY good. Don't skip out on the croutons, they were awesome. John and James kept dipping the extra croutons in the left over dressing- they were that good.

Source: The Sisters' Cafe

Olive Garden Salad Dressing:
½ c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. white vinegar
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 Tb. corn syrup
2 Tb. Parmesan cheese
2 Tb. Romano cheese
¼ tsp garlic salt – or one clove garlic, minced
½ tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp parsley flakes
1 Tb. lemon juice

Salad:
1 large head romaine lettuce
slices red onion
black olives
2-4 banana peppers
2 small tomatoes, quartered
½ c. croutons
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

For homemade croutons:
4 slices sandwich bread
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tb. butter
salt and pepper
dried parsley flakes

Mix all dressing ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If this is a little too tart for your own personal tastes, add a little extra sugar.
Chill one salad bowl in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Put lettuce in bowl. Place on top of lettuce red onions, black olives, banana peppers, tomatoes, and croutons. Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like, and add plenty of Olive Garden Salad Dressing on top.

For the homemade croutons:
Cut off crusts of sandwich bread, and cut bread into cubes. Melt butter in small saucepan and add minced garlic. Toss sandwich cubes in the butter and spread out in a pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper and parsley flakes to taste. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°, turning half way through baking.

Crustless Spinach Quiche

It's my turn again to make breakfast for my husbands office. I made a quiche last time so I wasn't thrilled with the idea of making quiche again but I was short on time and quiche is so easy. I found this recipe on Allrecipes and liked how it wasn't full of heavy cream and bacon (like my last quiche haha!) I wasn't sure about crustless since crust is the best part but I decided to go with it anyway. This came together extremely easily and quickly. It looked beautiful when it came out of the oven. Obviously I can't try it since it would be rude to send a quiche with a slice missing but I am sure it's excellent- it certainly smells fabulous.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
5 eggs, beaten
3 cups shredded Muenster cheese (I used cheddar)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated.

In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan.

Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Salad Stuffed Shells

Once May rolls around our weekends are full of BBQ after BBQ. I found this recipe awhile back and have been dying for summer so I could make them. I brought them to my parents and thought they were pretty good. I made a simple garden salad but the options are limitless! Below is what I used but it is up to you and your tastes.

Ingredients:
Lettuce, chopped
Cucumbers, diced small
Tomatoes, diced small
Shredded cheddar cheese
Carrots, diced
Jumbo shells, cooked and cooled
Salad dressing (I used roasted red pepper Italian- yum!)

Directions:
1- Take all of your salad ingredients and toss them together in a bowl.
2- Stuff each shell with salad until it is full.
3- Right before serving drizzle dressing over the shells.

Pasta Salad

Ahhhh summer... such a wonderful time of the year. As a teacher I am fortunate to still have summer vacations! However even though I have the summer off it is nothing like the summers of childhood. I miss those long days of waking up early, changing into my bathing suit, and swimming in the pool all day. When we weren't swimming we were running in the backyard, eating outside, and having a BBQ at night. One side dish that graced every BBQ in my childhood was pasta salad. My mother always makes it for summer get togethers and still does. John and I are going to a BBQ today for Memorial Day so I decided to make a big tray of Mom's pasta salad to take with us.

I make this recipe constantly because it is seriously John's favorite thing I make. There are so many varieties and I usually just use whatever veggies/pasta I have on hand. Get creative- the options are limitless!

Ingredients:
1 pound of pasta (I usually use either tri-colored rotini or tri-colored tortellini)
1 block of cheese, preferably cheddar or Monterey Jack, diced into small pieces
1 bottle of Italian Salad dressing
2-3 peppers, chopped into pieces

Other optional ingredients I have used and enjoyed:
pepperoni
black olives
mushrooms
red onions

Directions:
1- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Cool pasta completely.
2- Chop all of the veggies you want to use into bite sized pieces.
3- Toss cheese, pasta, and veggies with 1/2 of the Italian salad dressing.
4- Allow it to chill for at least 2-3 hours in the fridge.
5- Prior to serving, pour in the rest of the dressing and toss.

Mushroom and Garlic Cream Tartlets

I decided to make this recipe for an appetizer on Mother's Day. They were a hit and everyone liked them, especially my mom. I thought of her immediately when I saw this recipe and knew she would love them. Sure enough she did. An excellent recipe and a real must try the next time you have a get together!

NGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 package (8 oz) fresh mushrooms, finely chopped
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations™ refrigerated flaky dough sheet
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms, flour, onion and garlic; mix well. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender. Add cream and cheese; mix well. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until most of liquid has evaporated.
2. If using crescent rolls: Unroll dough into 2 long rectangles; firmly press perforations to seal. If using dough sheet: Unroll dough; cut into 2 long rectangles.
3. Cut each rectangle into 12 squares. Place 1 square in each of 24 ungreased miniature muffin cups. Firmly press in bottom and up sides of cups, leaving corners of dough extended over edges of cups. Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon mushroom mixture into each cup.
4. Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle with parsley. Cool 5 minutes. Remove tartlets from pan. Serve warm. Cover and refrigerate any remaining tartlets.

Sauteed Vegetables in a Pesto Sauce

Happy Mother's Day everyone! If you are a mother I hope you had a wonderful and enjoyable day. If you are not, I hope you had an opportunity to spend it with someone you love. I am so sorry I have been neglecting my blog. I have no excuse... shame on me. I have been barely cooking but it is time to get back on the wagon!

Today we hosted a small dinner party for our immediate families. I will be posting several blog updates this week from the meal. When you think of Mother's Day you think of brunch, barbecues, etc. right? Well... unfortunately my mother couldn't come until after 3 which rules out brunch, and we don't have a grill, so there goes BBQ! I went with an Italian feast because honestly, who doesn't love Italian food?

One of the side dishes I chose was this zucchini. I wanted something light, summery, and healthy. It came out great and was very tasty. I made it ahead of time and warmed it up in the microwave which worked out perfectly. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
5 small zucchini, sliced into thin coins
8 ounces of mushrooms, cleaned
1 can of fire roasted tomatoes
1 cup of pesto sauce

Directions:
1- Spray a skillet with cooking spray. Toss in the zucchini and mushrooms, sauteing until almost completely cooked.
2- Add the canned tomatoes, cook for about 3-4 minutes or until some of the juices are evaporated.
3- Toss in the pesto. Saute until warm throughout. Serve immediately.