Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

from Greatpartyrecipes

Notes: Used this recipe to make them for our tea party. Tasted great.

Cucumber Sandwich Recipe

1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced very thinly
Salt
3/4 cup soft butter
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
20 pieces thin-sliced bread
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
Pepper to taste

Lightly salt the cucumber slices and place them in a colander to drain for 1 to 2 hours.

Combine the butter and garlic and apply to one side of each slice of bread.

In a small bowl, stir together the lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper. Add the cucumber slices, coating them well.

Arrange the cucumber on 10 of the bread slices, top with the other 10 slices, remove the crusts, and quarter. Serve immediately.

Makes 40 tea sandwiches.

Carmelized Onion Feta Spinach Pizza with White Sauce

from Little Spice Jar

Serves: 1-12 inch pizza

Notes: This was nice to have to change up our regular peppperoni. Everyone seemed to like it, especially Camilla. 

Ingredients

• pizza dough for one pizza
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 ounces fresh baby spinach
• 4 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced ( I didn't have any so we skipped)
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced (about 1/4 inch thick) (used regular)
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons warm milk
• 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup feta cheese (see note)

Instructions

1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the baby spinach and saute until just wilted. Transfer the spinach to a strainer and using the bottom of a glass, press out some of the excess liquid from the spinach, set aside.
2. Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet and saute the mushrooms for 3-4 minutes or until they brown just barely. Season with a little salt and pepper, remove to a plate.
3. Add the last tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet set over medium heat. Add the onions and season them with a small pinch of salt. Allow the onions to cook down for 10 minutes, stirring as necessary. Do not allow the onions to brown. Add the sugar and stir to coat evenly. Allow the onions to cook for another 10 minutes. When the onions have cooked down, add the balsamic vinegar and stir to combine, set aside.
4. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 475ºF. Flatten the pizza dough into a 12-inch circle. Create a lip or rim by thickening the dough around the crust portion. This keeps the sauce in instead of running over the sides. Transfer dough carefully to a parchment lined baking sheet. Let dough rest for 10-15 minutes.
5. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour and garlic and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes. Do not let the flour brown. Continue to whisk as you add in the warm milk. Add the parmesan cheese, and a small pinch of nutmeg if desired. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When the sauce just barely reaches a boil, remove from heat.
6. Top the prepared pizza dough with sauce, leaving the ‘lip’ sauceless. Sprinkle on three-quarters of the mozzarella cheese, followed by the mushrooms, spinach, and caramelized onions, and finish with the remaining mozzarella and feta cheese. Allow the pizza to bake for 10-15 minutes. You can turn the broiler on for the last minute of cooking if you’d like your edges and cheese to be a little more brown.

Rice & Lentil Casserole

from ball p. 127

Notes: Good. We definitely all like lentils. I may have added a touch more rice and water but I can't remember for sure.

Ingredients;
3 c. chicken broth
3/4 c. uncooked lentils
1/2 c. uncooked brown rice
1 sm. onion chopped
1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. thyme
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
Mix all ingredients except the cheese in a casserole dish. Cover and bake at 300 for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until all the water is absorbed; top with cheese 20 min. before baking is over.

Crunchy Asian Ramen Noodle Salad

from gimmesomeoven

Notes: Can't remember for sure as its been a while. I enjoyed the mango in it. I think I wondered about adding craisins? I did toast in the oven and liked that. Didn't have edamame and want to try that next time.

YIELD: ABOUT 8 SERVINGS

CRUNCHY ASIAN RAMEN NOODLE SALAD (A.K.A. BASICALLY THE BEST POTLUCK SALAD EVER)

This updated Crunchy Asian Ramen Noodle Salad recipe takes just minutes to make, and is sweet, savory, and SO good!

PREP TIME: 10 MINS

 

TOTAL TIME: 10 MINS

INGREDIENTS:

SALAD INGREDIENTS:

• 1 (16-ounce) bag coleslaw mix
• 2 (3-ounce) packages of ramen noodles, crumbled (you will not use the seasoning packet)
• 1 cup shelled and cooked edamame
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
• 1 mango, peeled, pitted, and julienned (or diced)
• 1/2 cup thinly-sliced almonds
• 1/2 cup thinly-sliced green onions (scallions)
• Asian honey vinaigrette (see ingredients below)

ASIAN HONEY VINAIGRETTE

• 2/3 cup vegetable oil (or any cooking oil)
• 1/3 cup honey (or agave, to make this vegan)
• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
• pinch of salt and black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

TO MAKE THE SALAD:

(Optional first step: Heat oven to 425 degrees. Spread the crumbled ramen noodles and sliced almonds out on a baking sheet, and stir a bit to combine. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until the almonds and noodles are slightly toasted and golden. Remove baking sheet, and give the mixture a good stir to toss. Then return it to the oven and toast for an additional 3 minutes. Keep a very close eye on the mixture so that it does not burn. Remove and set aside.)

Add ingredients (including the vinaigrette) together in a large bowl, and toss until combined.

Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (This salad is much better eaten the first day, as the noodles lose their "crunch" the longer it sits, and the avocado may brown a bit. Still, it's perfectly edible and enjoyable even after a few days!)

TO MAKE THE VINAIGRETTE:

Whisk all ingredients together until combined.

Caprese Garlic Bread

Notes:Used this same idea on pizza. Only used 2 garlic cloves and was plenty. Used grape tomatoes and think bigger tomatoes would be better as you would have more bites with tomato. I cooked the tomatoes a bit but would try not doing that either. Definitely want to try again with fresh garden tomatoes and basil.

From: Two Peas and Their Pod

 Caprese Garlic Bread

Ingredients:

1 loaf ciabatta bread, horizontally cut in half
4 tablespoons salted butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz. fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place both sides of the baguette on a large baking sheet with the cut side up.
2. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic and spread evenly on bread halves. Place the mozzarella cheese slices on top of the bread, making sure the cheese covers the bread completely. Bake the bread for 12-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
3. While the bread is in the oven, make the balsamic reduction. Place the balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring the vinegar to a boil, decrease the heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is reduced by about half. This should only take about 5-7 minutes. Set aside.
4. Remove the bread from oven. Top the bread with tomato slices. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the fresh basil and drizzle with balsamic reduction. Cut into slices and serve.

Golden Harvest Soup

Notes: Had this on Halloween at home. Was delicious. Reminded me a little of broccoli soup squash style. Mom doubled it when she made it and had plenty left over.

from mom (who got it from LDS living magazine)

Ingredients:
1/4 C butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 leeks, white and light, green parts only, chopped (mom skips)
1 large potato, peeled and diced
1 C thinly sliced or diced carrots
2 C squash, diced (butternut squash is best)
3 C chicken stock or broth/boullion
1 1/2 C (approx) light cream or evaporated milk (Mom used half and half and extra milk)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large heavy stock pot, melt butter. Cook onions and leeks in butter until softened but not browned. Stir in potato, carrots and squash.
2. Cook, stirring for 2-3 min.
3. Pour in stock, cover and simmer for about 20-30 min or until vegetables are all very tender.
4. Puree in batches in blender or food processor until very smooth.

Basil and Sweet Pea Soup

from Fav Family Recipes

Notes: Tastes REALLY similar to red potatoes and peas. Want to try it with diced cooked potatoes in it next time. Hadn't thought of having it as a soup. I liked it because it reminded me of growing up and having red potatoes and peas.

This soup pairs great with some sourdough bread or a sandwich.  This gives you your basic roux base.  From hear you can make all types of soups- add broccoli and cheese for a creamy broccoli soup, add corn and potatoes for a corn chowder, and for this particular soup you add sweet peas and basil.

Ingredients

• 1/4 c. butter (not margarine)
• 1/4 c. flour
• 3 cups milk
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp. dried basil)
• 1 (14oz) can sweet peas, drained

Instructions

• In a saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter then stir in the flour. Gradually whisk in the 3 cups of milk.
• Bring heat to medium and continue to stir until the mix begins to bubble and thicken. Add salt, pepper, basil, and sweet peas (drained) and cook another minute or two.

Zucchini Lasagna

from Mels Kitchen Cafe

Notes: Tastes great! Apparently I only make veggie lasagnas since being married Daniel informed me. Oops. You can taste the cream cheese in this. Next time want to try using an electric mixer to mix cottage cheese and cream cheese to see if it will help it blend better. Used store bought marinara sauce and was great and would easily do again to save work (used about 3/4 bottle I think). Didn't know if the zucchini would be very seasoned, but it was. Cottage cheese I used wasn't liquidy and didn't drain it and had no problem with too much liquid.

Zucchini Lasagna

Yield: Serves 4-6 depending on how many sides and who's eating :)

If you use cottage cheese instead of ricotta, the lasagna might have a tad bit more liquid while baking. The 10-15 minute rest at the end should help everything firm up (you can lightly drain the cottage cheese before using, if desired). Look for zucchini (or pick them from your garden) that are more small than large - the larger the zucchini, the more seeds and water it will have. Finally, check below the recipe for a concise, step-by-step on cutting the zucchini thinly for this recipe.

Ingredients

Sauce:
• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Lasagna:
• 8 ounces cream cheese, light or regular, softened to room temperature
• 3 cups part-skim ricotta or cottage cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 4 small to medium zucchini
• 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles
• 8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9X13-inch baking dish and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine all the sauce ingredients. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.
3. While the sauce is cooking, proceed with prepping the rest of the ingredients. In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, ricotta or cottage cheese, salt and pepper.
4. Trim the knobby ends from each zucchini and cut in half lengthwise (see pictures below) and then slice each half very thinly. The pieces should look like thin, zucchini pasta sheets or noodles. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini with the garlic and oregano and season with salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of each).
5. To assemble the lasagna, spread 1/2 cup sauce on the bottom of the pan. It will be a very thin, splotchy layer - that's ok. Spread out a single layer of zucchini so they aren't overlapping but cover most of the pan. A few empty spots are ok as long as it is mostly covered. Layer four no-boil lasagna noodles, slightly overlapping (I use the Barilla brand that calls for overlapping noodles; consult your particular lasagna noodle box to see if you should use 3 or 4 noodles for each layer - some brands say not to overlap; you basically want the noodles to cover the whole area of the baking pan).
6. Dollop 1/3 of the ricotta mixture over the noodles and spread into a somewhat even layer. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the top, one layer of zucchini and sprinkle with 1/3 of the mozzarella. You'll repeat this two more times (4 noodles, 1/3 of the ricotta mixture, 3/4 cup sauce, zucchini layer and mozzarella). On the final layer if you have more than 3/4 cup of sauce, that's fine, just use it all.
7. Cover the lasagna with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let stand for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Recipe Source: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
Here’s a little step-by-step on cutting the zucchini for the lasagna:

Low Fat Alfredo Vitamix Sauce

Vitamix p. 138

Notes: The vitamix is awesome when it's super hot and I don't want to heat up my kitchen cooking. This is great for a quick, low fuss meal. For some reason, I love it with peas.

Ingredients:
1/2 lg uncooked fetttuccine
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 T all-purpose flour
2 T fat-free cream cheese
1/2 C grated Parmesan or Romano cheese (had mozarella on hand)
1 1/2 T butter
optional to add when done
cooked meat
broccoli, peas,

Directions:
1. Cook fettuccine in boiling water for 10 min. or until al dente. Drain.

2. Place rest of ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.

3. Select Variable 1.

4. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to Hgih.

5. Blend for 5-6 min. Pour over cooked fettucine and toss until coated.

Tortilla Veggie Soup (Vitamix)

Notes: This was good, I kind of fiddled around with everything depending on what I had on hand. Had a veggie twist to your average tortilla soup, maybe because I added double the carrot, celery, onion, pepper, and 1/2 a zucchini (instead of squash). I didn't have cabbage or mushroom on hand. I may have added a little more seasoning. And a little more broth. Also the beans and corn were great in it as well. But I warmed them up in the microwave and then just added them when dishing it up. And had chips on the table.

Vitamix Recipe Book p. 64

Ingredients (yields 5 C):
soup base
3 C (720ml) broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable)
1 Roma tomato, halved
1 carrot, halved 
1 stalk celery, halved
1 thin slice of onion, peeled
1 garlic clove, peeled
1 thin slice of yellow squash
1 thin slice of red bell pepper
1 thin slice of cabbage
1 mushroom
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp taco seasoning
dash of cumin
optional
1/2 C cooked chicken, cubed
1/2 fresh jalapeno
1/4 C pitted olives
1/4 C corn
2 oz tortilla chips
kidney beans

Directions:

1. Place all soup base ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listeda nd secure lid.

2. Select Variable 1.

3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High

4. Blend for 5-6 min. or until heavy steam escapes from the vented lid.

5. If adding optional ingredients, reduce speed to Variable 2. Remove lid plug.

6. Drop in chicken, jalapenos, olives, corn and chips through the lid plug opening. Blend for an additional 10 seconds.

Southwest Pasta Salad

Tastes great. Skipped the chicken. Great to use as a last minute thought as usually have most ingredients on hand.

Southwest Pasta Salad
Recipe by Our Best Bites

Ingredients
1/2 lb bowtie pasta
1 14oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 roma tomatoes, diced or about 3/4 C or halved cherry tomatoes
1 large red, yellow, or orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 C sliced green onions
1/2 C frozen fresh corn
zest from 2 limes
optional: 8 oz diced cooked chicken (this is fantastic)
1/2 C Queso Fresco or Cotija Cheese (or you could sub grated jack, cheddar or pepperjack)
Dressing:
6 Tbs fresh lime juice (about 3 juicy limes)
1/4 C white wine or rice vinegar
4-5 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
2 tsp sugar (add a touch more if your limes are extra sour/bitter)
3/4 C canola oil
1/2 C roughly chopped cilantro

Directions

To prepare dressing place Boil pasta in salted water until cooked.  While it’s cooking, prepare dressing.
First zest your limes and place the zest in a large salad bowl.
Place the lime juice, vinegar, garlic, chili powder, cumin, coriander, salt and sugar in a blender.  (Basically everything except the cilantro and oil)  Process until smooth.  With the motor running slowly, add the oil in a steady stream until incorporated.  Add the cilantro and pulse so it gets broken up, but some pieces still remain in tact.
When pasta is done cooking, drain and rinse immediately with cold water to cool.  Place the pasta in the large salad bowl with the lime zest.  Add black beans, tomatoes, diced pepper, green onions, corn (no need to thaw the corn),  and chicken if desired.  Toss with dressing.  Taste, and add additional salt and pepper to taste.  For best results, chill for 1 hour before serving.  Right before serving, sprinkle cheese on top.  Serve with extra lime wedges if desired.
Makes about 4 dinner sized servings or 10-12 side servings

Mexican Soup (Refried Bean Soup)

from Ball Cookbook p. 51

Ingredients (makes 2-3 servings):
4 slices bacon, diced
3/4 C chopped onion
3/4 C chopped celery
1/2 C chopped green pepper
1 clove minced garlic
1 (16 oz) can refried beans
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp chili powder
dash hot sauce (or a few, optional)
1 can chicken broth
shredded cheddar cheese
chopped tomato
crushed tortilla chips
chopped cabbage (optional)

Directions:
1. Cook bacon in microwave or preferred method (recipe says to cook in pan and then use grease to cook onion and co., but this made too strong of a bacon flavor in my opinion).

2. Saute onion, celery, green pepper and garlic in a pan until tender

3. Add beans, pepper, chili powder, and hot pepper sauce.

4. Stir in chicken broth and bring to a boil.

Serve with toppings.

Creamy Tomato Macaroni & Cheese

I had an open can of Italian diced tomatoes and used those instead of tomato paste. Still turned out tasting good. Could try adding chicken or sausage with it if meat is desired.

from a Pretty Life in the Suburbs

Serves: 4-5

 

Ingredients

• 1 lb (450 g) elbow macaroni (used mini fusili (sp?)
• 1 tbsp butter
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1½ cups milk
• 2 tbsp flour
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• 1½ cups cheese (mild, medium or sharp Cheddar Cheese or Monterey Jack)
• 2 tbsp parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Then drain and set aside.
2. In a pan, melt the butter and cook the onion and garlic until lightly browned.
3. Add the flour to the onion mix and stir, mixing thoroughly.
4. Whisk in the milk, and stir until the mixture is thickened.
5. Add the tomato paste and oregano. Stir.
6. Gradually stir in the grated and parmesan cheeses.
7. Add the pasta and stir.
8. Serve right away and enjoy!

Her Notes

I put my finished macaroni in an oven proof dish, covered it, and kept it in a 300 degree oven until dinner time. (Maximum time was 15 minutes.)

Broccoli Soup

 

 Note: wondering if this could be made in the Vitamix?

Mom's (Granny's) Broccoli Soup

Ingredients:

1-2 medium Potato

2-3 cloves Garlic

1 medium Onion

1 1/2 bunch Broccoli

3 C Chicken Broth (just enough to cover broccoli to simmer)

Milk, Cream, or Half & Half

Sour Cream

Optional: Cauliflower, Carrot, etc.

 

Directions:

1. Saute onion and garlic in butter. Add cut up broccoli, potato, chicken broth, and salt. Boil til softened.

2. Puree in blender. Hold back on chicken broth and can add later if needed.

3. Add cream, half & half, or milk to desired consistency.

4. Salt and Pepper to taste.

5. Serve w/ sour cream.

 

Another recipe from the Food Network

We enjoyed this recipe. I did add a little more broccoli, I think, than it called for, per reading the comments. I want to ask mom her recipe and try it out as well. I didn't do the croutons this time. I used my immersion blender, but would probably just throw it in the full blender next time to make it smoother (as Camilla would probably do better that way).

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup cream
• Homemade Croutons, recipe follows

Directions

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, onion, carrot, salt and pepper and saute until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, until the flour reaches a blonde color. Add stock and bring to boil.
Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Pour in cream. With an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and then replace the lid back on the pot. Serve hot with Homemade Croutons.

Homemade Croutons:

• Day old French bread
• Olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut bread into cubes and place in a large bowl. Drizzle cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix well.
Spread seasoned bread onto a sheet pan and bake for about 15 minutes.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Roasted Butternut Squash Mac' n Cheese

from Censational Girl

 

This was easy and great to make a day ahead and then bake and serve later. And as you can see I substituted a lot of things for ingredients I had on hand and didn't use exact measurements on everything. And it turned out great, which is one reason why this is awesome. I actually had an acorn squash on hand I needed to use so I used that and it tasted great. I may have had a little more macaroni and less squash because of this and using macaroni shells instead, but it didn't taste too "noodley".

Roasted Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:
4 cups diced raw butternut squash (acorn works too)
3 cups (about 12 oz) uncooked elbow macaroni (used shells, usually just use a full 16 oz box)
sprig of fresh sage or ½ tsp dried sage
3 tbsp olive oil
7-8 oz. fontina cheese (used a mix of parmesan, mozzerella, and colby I had on hand)
½ tsp salt
¼ cup butter
⅔ cup half and half (used whole milk, have also used sour cream and might like it better?)
⅓ cup breadcrumbs (plain or seasoned)


Directions:

1. Coat the butternut squash in olive oil, top it with chopped sage and roast it in the oven at 350º for 40 minutes or until cooked through.
2. Cook macaroni in salted water according to box instructions. Remove roasted butternut squash from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes. Place squash in mixing bowl or blender. Add half and half and salt and puree with hand mixer or in blender until smooth.
3. Toss cooked macaroni with pureed squash mixture and layer in large baking dish. Sprinkle top with breadcrumbs, melted butter, and shredded fontina. (I did the cheese then breadcrumbs, then melted butter which was great as the breadcrumbs were a little crispy)
4. Bake a total of 35 minutes at 350º, uncovered for 15 minutes until topping is slightly browned, then cover with foil for remaining 20 minutes. 

Serve hot! Serves 6-8 people.

Capellini Pomodoro

Olive Garden's Capellini Pomodoro
Love this but always feel guilty ordering it as it is so easy to make at home. From the official Olive Garden recipe archives.

Prep Time:

10 minutes

Cook Time:

10 minutes

Serving Size:4

Ingredients

14 oz capellini pasta (angel hair)
8 medium tomatoes, cut into ½” pieces
11 fresh basil leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
6 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Procedures

1. COOK capellini pasta according to package directions.
2. MIX diced tomatoes, chopped basil, garlic and oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. DRAIN pasta. Toss pasta with tomato mixture in a sauté pan and heat throughout.
4. SERVE immediately.

Eggplant Lasagna

from Allrecipes.com

  Best if made a day ahead and allowed to sit in the fridge til baking. I used the ingredients for this, but made it like a lasagna, one pan with one layer of pasta and the other without. Both were good and definitely want to do again. Want to try frying. 

Ingredients

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder, divided
• 2 cups grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning (maybe more or add fresh over sauce?)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup vegetable oil for frying
• 2 large eggplant, peeled and sliced about 1/8 inch thick.
• 1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese (tried doubling and too much, maybe 22.5 oz?)
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1 (28 ounce) jar tomato pasta sauce, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 
2. In a shallow mixing bowl combine 3 eggs, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. In a separate, shallow dish or plate, pour the flour.
3. To fry eggplant: Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Dredge eggplant slices in flour, then in egg mixture and fry slices 2 or 3 at a time in hot oil. Place fried slices on a paper towel lined plate to drain.To roast eggplant: Heat oven to 350 F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper/lightly grease it. Dredge eggplant slices in flour, then in egg mixture and place on cookie sheet. May take 2 cookie sheets. Roast in oven about 20 min. (until bottom is slightly crusty) then flip and roast other side.
4. In a large bowl combine ricotta, 1/2 cup mozzarella, remaining 1 cup Parmesan, remaining 1 tablespoon garlic powder, 1 egg, parsley and spinach; mix well.
5. Spread about 1/3 of the pasta sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Place one layer of roasted/fried eggplant over pasta sauce. Then place a layer of lasagna noodles if desired on top. On top of that spread a 1/2 of spinach mixture evenly. Repeat to form 2 layers of each.Pour remaining pasta sauce on top and finish with sprinkling remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese on top.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 375 uncovered for about 40 minutes.

Chickpea Tacos

I loved the slight crunchy, chewiness of these. Definitely want to make again.


Ingredients:
1 can 15 oz chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 T tamari (can omit)
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 packet taco seasoning

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400. Whisk tamari, lemon juice and seasoning together. Toss with chickpeas until well coated Place on sprayed/lined tray and bake 20-25 min until crunchy.

2. Serve as meat filling for tacos. Use tortillas and fill with chickpeas, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, tomato, etc.

Spicey Kale Lasagna

from A couple Cooks

I think this surprised Daniel as well how good this was. Could easily add meat like sausage or hamburger, but was great meatless. In the future I edited the recipe to include more tomatoes as I didn't think it didn't make enough sauce when I was making it. And we had fresh herbs on hand and I love them, so I threw them in as well. Definite do again. Especially as Daniel was happy about having it for lunch twice afterwards.

Spicy Kale Lasagna Serves about 8
What You Need 1 pound no-boil whole wheat lasagna noodles (or noodles cooked according to the package instructions)
1 1/4 pounds kale (around 2 bunches, I used just 1 and it worked but 2 would probably be best) or substitute spinach
4 cups cottage cheese
3/4 cup parmesan cheese 
2 cups mozzarella cheese 3 tablespoons olive oil 3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
3 (14 oz cans) crushed tomatoes (with herbs, if available)
1 teaspoon lemon juice 
Fresh oregano, basil, rosemary, and/or thyme (optional)
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

What To Do
1  Preheat the oven to 375°F.

2  Prepare the kale: In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil. Remove the stems from the kale. Boil the kale for 2 minutes, then drain and rinse under cold water until cool enough to handle. Using a towel, wring out as much water as possible from the kale. Chop it and season with salt and pepper.

3  Make the tomato sauce: Meanwhile, dice 3 cloves garlic. In a cold saucepan, combine garlic, 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to medium high heat, stirring as the mixture heats up. Saute for about 30 seconds, then add the crushed tomatoes and fresh herbs if desired. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon lemon juice.

4  Make the filling: Strain out all liquid from the 4 cups cottage cheese (squeeze it in a strainer, if necessary). Add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper.

5  Assemble the lasagna: Place a thin layer of tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9” x 13” baking dish. Cover the sauce with a layer of noodles, then half of the cheese mixture, half of the kale, and half of the remaining sauce. Add another layer of noodles, the remaining cheese, and the remaining kale. Top with the remaining noodles, then the remaining sauce. Sprinkle the top with 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup parmesan.

6  Bake for 45 minutes, until bubbly and browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving to absorb some of the liquid.

Crepe Broth Soup

von Ingo (Duisburg)

1 packet vegetable broth
1 pfannkuchen (crepe) per person

Cut up pfannkuchen in strips then serve in cooked warm broth