Veggie Lasagna

I have been craving some delicious Italian food, like manicotti, lasagna, and tortellini. I have been looking for an easy and delicious veggie recipe that wasn't horrible for me, and I finally just decided to attempt one.

I made a veggie lasagna for my husband and I, and guess what? It was delicious and easy! It took about an hour to make (1/2 was baking time),

Ingredients:

(Serves 3-6 people. Double recipe as needed).

•  3/4 cups shredded Mozzarella & Parmesan
• 15 oz container of low-fat ricotta cheese
• 1 24 oz jar of your favorite marinara sauce
• your favorite veggies (I used spinach, onions, and green onions).
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• Dash of nutmeg (optional)
• Lasagna noodles (about 9 noodles) for a 9 x 13 pan.

Directions:

1. If using frozen spinach, thaw and drain of all liquids before anything.
2. Cook the lasagna noodles in a large pot of boiling water for 10 minutes, or until al dente. Rinse with cold water, and drain. (or if you buy quick-cook noodles, follow directions on box).
3. In a large saucepan, cook and stir vegetables, including onions, garlic, green onions the pasta sauce. If using spinach,   
4. Mix together ricotta frozen spinach.I also put the salt, pepper, oregano and some garlic powder in as well. (Also a dash of nutmeg, cause why not?!



5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread 1/4 pasta sauce into the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer 1/3 lasagna noodles, ricotta mix, sauce, and Mozzarella/Parmesan cheese. Repeat layering, and top with remaining the remaining mozzarella/parm cheese.



6. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes. 
7. I put the broiler on for about 5-10 minutes and let the top get really cooked to be crispy. If you like a gooey top, then take it out!

Crispy top... mmmmmm.....

8. Let stand 10-15 minutes before serving.

I hope you enjoy!

Cherry Tomato Sauce with Spaghetti

I should warn all my readers (oh, because there are so many of you) that my husband and I have decided to start eating healthy. This means that most of my recipes will be low-calorie or healthier than I would normally make. I will gladly tell you of suggestions to fatten my recipes up, so don't worry my readers who love full-fat recipes.

I recently bulked up on whole-grain spaghetti when my local grocery store was having a great sale on it. I've been trying to figure out a sauce to use for my spaghetti that won't make it too caloric, since the spaghetti is caloric enough. I also realized that I had a package of cherry tomatoes that were about to go south, so I thought I would attempt to make my own low-cal spaghetti sauce. It turned out great!

This is also a great recipe for those gardeners out there who are left with hundreds of tiny tomatoes and do not know what to do with them. You can freeze the sauce and use it later, or make it in bulk and eat it up for a couple of days. Spaghetti is one of those amazing meals that gets better the longer it sits (within reason of course).

This recipe is also amazing because it takes little time and effort. I am not even going to provide you with any how-to pictures, since it's pretty obvious and easy. I hope you make it and enjoy it!

Chocolate Raisin Biscotti

So, remember how I was telling you that my husband and I are going to eat a healthy lifestyle now? Well, today I am sharing with you my chocolate raisin biscotti recipe. Makes sense, right? Actually, we have a friend/book study get-together every Wednesday with about 10-15 of my church members, and I thought I would make biscotti as a treat for everyone.  So, although these are not the healthiest of all treats, I was only tempted to eat one. I swear! And I attempted to hold my husband off, but I'm not sure how successful I was.

These can be low-calorie by using light butter, less sugar, or also a sugar substitute. I do not like sugar substitutes, so I just eat in moderation rather than going for lower calories. If you make this recipe as-is, each biscotti runs around 100 calories. I would normally use light butter, but I had some left over full-fat butter from cookies I made for an event at work. Oh well!

Also, I add a tablespoon of strong or condensed coffee for an extra flavor element. I used a Starbucks vanilla flavor, which added a slight vanilla layer of flavor as well. You can use whatever coffee you want, or leave it out completely. A chai tea concentrate might also be delicious.

Just make this recipe, which makes about 20-24 biscotti pieces, brew a cup of joe, and enjoy the day away.

Veggie Pizza from Scratch

If you think making homemade pizza from scratch is too hard, stop thinking that way. Homemade pizza takes about an hour, but most of that time is waiting for the dough to rise. The dough really consists of four ingredients (yeast, water, flour and oil) and the toppings are all up to you. I never thought about making my own dough until my friend and attorney partner at my law firm, Emily, taught me how to make pizza from scratch. I was amazed at how easy and delicious the result was!

Today, I am sharing my pizza dough recipe with you. The toppings are really up to you, but I used veggies and Italian cheeses.  I also used pesto as my pizza sauce, mostly because my husband is obsessed with pesto. You can go sauce-less or use a tomato-based sauce if you prefer.  All the other ingredients in the dough, like the herbs and spices, are up to you and completely optional. I like to put a lot of stuff in my dough, because why not? Make your pizza with toppings you love and sauces and herbs you enjoy.

I also was lucky enough to feature this recipe as a guest post on a blog that I enjoy, A Girl I Know. Please check out her blog!

{Skinny} Spinach Artichoke Dip

I am always looking for low calorie dishes to bring to parties and to make as side dishes for parties. I stumbled upon a similar recipe for a low calorie spinach artichoke dip, but felt the dish needed some more cheese and some slight low-calorie alternatives. Today I thought I would share you my low calorie version.   

This recipe makes about 4 cups of the dip, and each 1/2 cup serving is around 75 calories. Considering how many calories the traditionally made dip has in it, this is amazing. I have made it for several parties, and it has always been well received. My husband especially loves it. 

There are some options that you can play with for this recipe. If you want to add some extra fat, you can put some chopped cream cheese, or even some low-cal cream cheese to keep it healthy. You can also add some more vegetables, like shallots or broccoli. You can also change the cheeses, or add some different cheese flavors like parmigiano reggiano or muenster. I have made many variations, but this one has turned out to be a crowd favorite. I hope you make it and enjoy it!

Lemon Mustard Pasta Salad

One of my favorite recipes to bring to get-togethers and family gatherings is my lemon mustard pasta salad. I make it often for side dishes for dinner, and its just a light and delicious pasta salad. It's citrus-y, sweet, salty, soft, and crunchy all at the same time!

You can make substitutions and additions. Some people like olives or capers in their pasta salads, some people hate onions, etc.

It's very easy to make - it probably takes about 20 minutes to finish and about an hour to chill in the fridge.

Vegetarian Mushroom Risotto

My husband LOVES risotto. I mean, he really, really loves my risotto. I cannot remember the first time I made it, but after he had it, he looked at me like I was a five-star chef. And you know the best thing? It is really, really easy to make. Risotto sounds really fancy and hard to make, but it is not. I am not a trained chef, and I think I make a good risotto. One of my favorites to make is my mushroom risotto. I thought I would share my recipe for you today!

One thing you should know is that risotto does take a lot of care and a decent amount of time. I would say you need to block out about 30-45 minutes of cooking time, where you are actively in the kitchen stirring the rice. This is not a "put in the oven and walk away" type of meal. But, if you take the time to make it, the payoff is worth the care.

I am a vegetarian, so I make a vegetarian version of risotto using vegetable broth. If you are not a vegetarian, and you prefer chicken or beef broth, feel free to substitute. Also, if you are not a fan of onions, garlic, or mushrooms, use another ingredient you enjoy, like asparagus.

This recipe makes about 2-4 people's portion. I cooked this exact recipe for my husband and I, and we managed to eat it all. I should mention one more time, however, how much my husband loves this recipe. I think this portion could feed four people. If your family eats like us, then I would suggest doubling the recipe.

Raspbery Apple Bread Pudding

One of my earliest food memories is making bread pudding with my mom. Now, to explain one thing, my mom is not the best cook in the world. We typically had some sort of mexican food or hamburger helper when I was young. I will say that her mexican tacos are delicious, but I cannot really remember much else. Then when I became a vegetarian when I was 16, my mother stopped making me food. Not because she was mad at me for changing my diet habit, but more because she had no idea how to really make vegetarian food. Of course by that time, I was fully capable of cooking for myself. I soon developed a real love for cooking that I continue to have.

Anyways, I remember a time when my mom gave me a bunch of bread to break apart into little pieces by hand. We made bread pudding a lot because it was cheap and easy to make. I know now another reason was because it was also delicious. So delicious.

Since I have been married, I have made bread pudding twice. I thought I would share the recipe and the how-to for my latest creation: Raspberry Apple Bread Pudding with Raisins and a Lemon Sauce. What a mouthful. I had no intention to made it so fruity, but I figured I had all these fruits. Why not?!

Here is the recipe. I did not measure exactly, but here are my estimates: