Vegan Eggplant Parmesan

I have been making a change in my life and that is most of my diet is vegan food which I love. I am a person that can go with out meat and do not need it as a filler. So here and there I have been making vegan dinners for my family and so far there have been complaints and everyone has been enjoying my meals especially this one! No cheese, fresh ingredients, you will forget you are eating egg plant!  

Ingredients:

1 Medium Eggplant

1/4 C All Purpose Flour

1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs

1 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1 Teaspoon Salt&Pepper

1/2 Almond Milk

1 Teaspoon Cornstarch 

4 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Pasta

Marinara Sauce 

Instructions: 

Slice the eggplant into round less than 1/2 inch thick, sprinkle each side with seas salt, place in a colander for 15 minutes; This will help get rid of the bitter taste the eggplant may have. 

Rise Eggplant off and absorb with kitchen towels for 10 minutes until eggplant is dry.

Preheat oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with foil and nonstick spray. Durning this time start to prepare your noodles and sauce. 

Prepare your coating station: Place milk and cornstarch in one bowl; flour, salt and pepper in another bowl; and crumbs, yeast, garlic, and Italian seasoning in the last bowl. 

When eggplant is dry start breading, place your egg plant in flour, egg, then the crumb mixture. Place crumbed eggplant on foil and place into the oven. Take out 2-3 eggplant rounds at a time and fry until golden brown on each side; place back into the oven and grab 2-3 more. Egg plants should stay into the oven for at least 15-20 minutes.

Place pasta on a plate with sauce and eggplant rounds on top.

Recipe adapted from 

https://minimalistbaker.com

Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli and Cheese (21 day fix)

A 21 day fix approved meal right from Autumn! 

This cream macaroni and cheese meal will make you forget how healthy you are actually eating and even your family will not know the difference. 

Ingredients:

 3 Cups Whole Wheat Macaroni

4 Tablespoons Organic Grass Fed Butter

2 Tablespoons Whole Wheat Flour

1 1/2 Cups Almond Milk (unsweetened) 

1 1/4 Cup Grated Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese

1 lbs Chicken Breast, cut into cubes

6 Cups chopped broccoli, steamed

1 Tsp Salt

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Pepper

Directions:

Cook macaroni according to package directions. (set aside)

Melt butter in large sauce pan over medium heat.

Add flour; cook whiling whisking constantly for 1-minute or until brown. 

Slowly whisk in almond milk; cook while whisking constantly for 1-2 minutes until mixture thickens and there are no lumps.

Whisk in salt, pepper, and garlic powder

Reduce on low. Add cheese; cook, whisking constantly for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Add chicken and broccoli and stir together. 

Mix pasta and cheese mixture together and serve immediately.

Adapted by: Autumn Calabrese FIXATE

1 Green, 1 Yellow, 1/2 Red, 1/3 Blue

Chicken Spinach Pasta Bake

A quick easy healthy-ish casserole that is warm to heart and soul.  The entire family loved this and it will be a new addition to our dinner menu.  It is a creamy cheesy casserole with the fresh taste of spinach and tomatoes.  So make this for your family and devour the heck out of it.

8 oz uncooked rigatoni

1 T olive oil

1 c chopped onion

1 (10 oz) pack frozen spinach, thawed

3 c cubed, cooked chicken breasts

1 (14 oz) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (8 oz) container chive & onion cream cheese

½ t salt, ½ t pepper

1½ c shredded mozzarella cheese

Prepare rigatoni according to package directions.

Bake at 375 for 15 minutes or just until tender.

Transfer onion to large bowl, set aside.

Drain chopped spinach well

Stir in rigatoni, onion, spinach, chicken, & next 4 ingredients casserole dish

sprinkle evenly with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake covered at 375 for 30 minutes.

Uncover & bake 15 more minutes or until bubbly.

Recipe by

http://mylifewellloved.com

Birds Nest

So this one is a new favorite loved by everyone it will be perfect for a quick morning breakfast or  brunch for family and no one will know that you are using last nights left over spaghetti noodles.

Cheesy crunchy noodles, eggs and pancetta? Sounds crazy but it is crazy good.

1 Cup leftover Spaghetti noodles

1/2 Teaspoon butter *room temp*

1 Tablespoon Parmesan Cheese

1 Egg

2 Tablespoons chopped crisp Pancetta 

1 Tablespoon Oil

Green onions and Sriracha *Optional*

Place noodles butter and cheese in a bowl and mix until noodles are covered.  Place oil in pan and put on medium heat.  Place noodles in pan leaving a 1"-2" circle in the middle.  Let sit on medium heat for 5 minutes or until noodles are at a brown crisp, flip over and do the same.  When sides are brown add egg in the middle and cook until liking.  

Place on plate and sprinkle on Pancetta, chopped green onion and Sriracha.

Chicken Florentine Lasagna

So let me tell you about this amazing dish that is amazing, did I say that it is amazing already?  

Chicken and bacon you cannot go wrong and covered with an delicious creamy garlic sauce that will blow you out of the water, couch, kitchen table, where ever you are reading this and of course turning chicken Florentine into a lasagna is genius.  This might be the only lasagna I will make for now on.

 Creamy Garlic Sauce *recipe below*

12 lasagna noodles, oven ready or cooked

1 pound chicken breast cubed

 3 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups bag baby spinach, raw

12 strips bacon, cooked crispy

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

Garlic Sauce

 6 cups milk

 2 tablespoons natural chicken base *Better Than Bouillon*

 8 tablespoons butter

 5 Garlic cloves minced

   10 tablespoons Flour

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon black pepper

1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese

Add the milk and the chicken base to a large saucepan or medium pot, whisk  and bring to a simmer then turn off the heat.

While the milk is off heat add the butter to another pot, along with the garlic, and place over medium heat and stir the garlic into the butter to soften.

Sprinkle the flour into the melted butter/garlic, and stir to combine; stir for about 1-2 minutes

Next add garlic mixture to the milk mixture whisking constantly to avoid lumps form forming, and allow the sauce to simmer for a few moments until thickened.

-Once thickened, turn off the heat and finish by whisking in a pinch or two of salt, the black pepper,and the Parmesan cheese; keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 350°, and lightly grease a 9x12 baking dish.

Add thin layer of sauce to bottom of the baking dish

Add 4 lasagna noodles over the sauce, and add in another, more generous, layer of the sauce.

Next, sprinkle over about half of the diced chicken, followed by about 1 cup of the shredded Parmesan and 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella.

Sprinkle over 1 Cup of spinach  followed by about 1/3 of the chopped bacon.

Repeat with another layer of 4 lasagna noodles, more sauce, the rest of the chicken, another cup of Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, the remainder of the baby spinach, and another 1/3 of the chopped bacon; then, cover with the last layer of four lasagna noodles.

Finish by topping the noodles with sauce, then sprinkle over the last cup of Parmesan cheese, the last 2 cups of mozzarella cheeses, and the teaspoon of Italian seasoning; bake for about 30-minutes, or until golden and bubbly.

Hungarian Goulash

This is one of my all time favorite meals even growing up.  I totally forgot about it to tell you the truth, so a few years back when my mom said she was making it for dinner I wanted to sprint over to her house so I could taste the amazing flavor of this dish.  So I asked for the recipe and I was in heaven, just an amazing taste of childhood.

Hungarian Goulash is a soup or stew that is seasoned with Paprika, your taste buds will thank me later.

2 LBS Cubed Stew Meat

1 Medium Onion, diced

1 Garlic Clove, Minced

1/4 Cup Shortening

3 Cups Water

1 1/2 Cup Ketchup

5 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

4 Teaspoons Salt

4 Teaspoons Paprika

1 Teaspoon Dry Mustard

1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/2 Cold Water

4 Tablespoons Flour

Cook and stir beef, onions and garlic in shortening until beef is brown, drain.

Stir in 3 cups of water, ketchup, Worcestershire, brown sugar, salt, paprika, mustard, and cayenne.

Heat to boiling, reduce head and cover and simmer until beef is tender, 2 1/2 hours.

Shake 1/2 Cup Cold Water and flour in tightly covered container.  Stir gradually into beef mixture, heat to boiling, stirring constantly.  Boil for one minute and serve over hot noodles.

Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad

Caesar salad is my all time favorite.  Something about the chicken and the creamy dressing sets me over but then to add warm pasta?  It is heaven on earth and the all time perfect light dinner.  The bowl was being scraped down at the end of the night.  You will not be ashamed to have seconds.

2 Cups Romaine Lettuce

1 Box Penne Pasta, Cooked

1 Tomato diced

1-2 Cups Croutons, depending on size

1 lbs Chicken Breast, cooked and cut into strips

1/4 Teaspoon Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Basil

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/3 Cup Caesar Dressing

Parmesan Cheese, Topping

Olive Oil

Cut chicken into strips and then cut the strips in halves.  Place chicken into pan with oil,pepper,salt,basil and garlic and cook until done.

While chicken is cooking start the Pasta.  Cut up the lettuce and tomatoes and place into bowl.

Drain pasta and place along with chicken into bowl of salad.  Mix in croutons and dressing and top off with Parmesan cheese, serve right away.

Sausage Gnocchi

I try to fit in gnocchi whenever I get the chance to.  It is such a simple,amazing delicious dish that can be made with almost anything.  This round I made a recipe with sausage with a hint of spice that the whole family enjoyed.  Nothing can ever go wrong with gnocchi unless you were to cook it wrong and that is kind impossible.

1 round of Kalbasa 

17.6 oz Gnocchi

15 oz Diced Tomatoes with Italian seasoning

2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste

8 oz Tomato Sauce

1 garlic clove minced

1/2 Teaspoon Red pepper flakes

1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella cheese

Pre heat oven to 350*

Bring water to boil and cook your Gnocchi.

While the Gnocchi is cooking, place your garlic in a pan with a splash of EVOO and let simmer for 2 minutes.  Place sauce,paste,tomatoes, pepper flakes, and garlic all in the pan and bring to a boil then turn down to a low heat and add in kalbasa.

When fully heated through and gnocchi is done, mix together in 9x13 dish and top with cheese.

Place in oven for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly

Easy One Pot Chicken Alfredo

Oh how I love alfredo, creamy white size glazed over amazing pasta and mixed in with chicken, who couldn't love it?!

If you are on my Facebook page you might have seen my discussion about what cook you look up to.  Mine is Julia Child, the woman was a a gentle giant genius!  She changed the way of cooking and she had such an over powering love of food it was insane.  Now my cooking probably will never live up to her but my main goal is do master her beef bourguignon and serve it up to amazing crowd of family.

Who do you look up to?

1 1/2 pound chicken breast *cubed*

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

3 cloves Garlic *minced*

2 14oz Cans Chicken Broth

2 Cups Heavy Cream

1 Pound Penne Pasta (or any bite sized pasta of your choice)

2 Cups Parmesan Cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 Tablespoon Parsley

Cut up chicken breast into cubes, place oil into pan along with the chicken breast cubes, salt and pepper and cook until brown.  Does not have to be fully cooked, chicken will finish cooking in sauce.

In same pot as chicken add in garlic and cook on low for 2 minutes.

Add in chicken broth,heavy cream and uncooked pasta, bring to a boil and then reduce to a low heat for 20 minutes or until pasta is done.

Remove from heat and mix in cheese and top with parsley.

One pot cheesy sausage ravioli

One pot meals are a life saver and this one is amazing flavor wise and who doesn't love ravioli!  Cheesy goodness with the spiciness of Italian sausage.  Another family favorite I am sharing with you.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casing removed
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 (16-ounce) package cheese-filled ravioli
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup basil leaves

Preheat oven to broil.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add Italian sausage and cook until browned, about 3-5 minutes, making sure to crumble the sausage as it cooks.
Stir in tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in ravioli and 1 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until ravioli is tender, about 8-10 minutes.
Remove from heat; top with mozzarella and Parmesan. Place into oven and cook until melted and golden brown, about 2-4 minutes.
Serve immediately, garnished with basil, if desired.

Recipe from

http://damndelicious.net/

Meatball Parm

A different spin on spaghetti and meatballs but this makes it that much better.  A baked meatball dish covered with cheese.  Really what else could you want?  The whole family really enjoys any thing with sauce and meatballs so I knew this would be a win.

1 lb Ground Beef

1 Teaspoon Garlic *chopped*

1 egg

1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups Shredded Motz cheese

1/2 Parm cheese

2 Tablespoons dried parsley

2 jars of spaghetti sauce

noodles *optional*

Preheat oven to 350*

Mix together beef,garlic,egg,crumbs and salt together and form into meatballs, place on baking sheet and bake for 15 mins.

Mean while start to boil your water and place in noodles when water is ready

Place half of your sauce in a 9x13 dish, when meatballs are done place them on top of sauce in pan and place rest of sauce over meatballs.  Spread both cheeses on top and then top with parsley.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 mins until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbly.

Serve over noodles if you choose to

Wonder Pot

What the heck is a wonder pot you ask?  Well the most amazing pasta dish ever!!  Not kidding, this is going on our weekly menu.  The whole family ate this in 5 minutes it is just that crazy good.  It is so fresh and you all make it in one pot!  You cannot beat that.

So yes this is going to be a side dish ever week until we all get sick of it but I don't think we ever will.

4 cups vegetable broth 

2 Tbsp olive oil 

12 oz. fettuccine 

8 oz. Fresh spinach leaves

 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes 

 3 cloves garlic (minced)

 ½ Tbsp dried basil 

½ Tbsp dried oregano

 1 tsp red pepper flakes

2 oz. feta cheese 

Add four cups of vegetable broth to a large pot. Break the fettuccine in half to make stirring easier later, and then add it to the pot. Also add the canned tomatoes (undrained), olive oil, fresh spinach, garlic (minced), basil, oregano, and red pepper.

Make sure the ingredients are submerged under the liquid it is ok if some is sticking out.  Turn heat on high until boil.

Allow the pot to continue to boil over medium heat, without a lid, for 10-15 minutes, or until the pasta is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Stir the pot every few minutes as it cooks to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom, but avoid over stirring which can cause the pasta to become sticky and mushy. The pot must be boiling the entire time.

After the pasta is cooked, crumble the feta cheese over top and serve.

Adapted by

http://www.budgetbytes.com

Chili Pasta Bake

My first attempt for my Stacy Challenge Month.  This has everything that was on her list so I am pretty darn proud because this turned out amazing that the whole family was ranting about it.  In this cold weather who doesn't love chili? 

You knows what even better?  Taking Frito's and dipping them to eat this instead of a fork.  Yes I just went there.

½ Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 pound Ground Beef

1/2 Onion Minced

1 dash Salt

1 dash Black Pepper

½ pounds Cooked Pasta shells, small 

15 ounces Tomato Sauce

14-½ ouncesDiced Tomatoes And Green Chilies

15 ounces weight Kidney Beans Rinsed

1-½ Tablespoon Chili Powder

2 teaspoons Cumin

1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Powder

¼ cups Water

2 cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Sour Cream for topping, optional

Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

Drizzle the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and sauté for about 3 minutes. Add the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink.

While the ground beef is cooking, cook your pasta to firm al dente. Once cooked, drain and set aside for now.

After the ground beef is cooked, add the tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and green chiles, beans chili powder, cumin, cayenne and water. Give it a stir and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, stir in the cooked pasta. Stir to combine.

Pour the chili pasta mixture into a 9×13 pan. Flatten out with a spatula and sprinkle with cheese. Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until the edges are bubbling and the cheese has fully melted.

Spoon into serving dishes and top with sour cream