Veggie Lasagna and Brussel Sprouts

For Meatless Monday, I followed this recipe for mushroom lasagna although I did alter it a bit based on my own preferences. First of all, I did not roast the mushrooms like the recipe says; I sautéd them instead. And I added portabello mushroom along with the criminis.  I also added some zucchini and a mixture of frozen spinach and kale that I had on hand. Lastly, I doubled the ingredients for the sauce. The recipe calls for a loaf pan and I wanted to make an entire casserole dish so I wanted there to be enough liquid to go around. My plan worked out well!

I started by adding a little sauce to the bottom of the dish and then laid out sheets of lasagna followed by mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, kale and about a third of the remaining sauce. I repeated this until all of the veggies were gone and ended up with 3 layers of lasagna. 

I found the most beautiful brussel sprouts at the farmer's market so I followed this recipe that I saw on Pinterest a while ago. This is similar to the roasted cauliflower recipe I follow. SO GOOD!

Pretty delicious dinner if I do say so myself!

Shepherd's Pie

I followed this recipe for Shepherd's Pie and boy was it good! I made the mashed potatoes the night before (while the lasagna was in the oven) to save a little time so when I got home from work, I threw the meat in the pan and began chopping the veggies. It all went pretty quickly and was quite simple to make. It came out REALLY GOOD! 

This is one of many reasons why we eat a lot less meat. I (usually) only buy organic, better quality meat (which is expensive-hence the eating less aspect) and you can absolutely tell the difference. It browns better in the pan and it tastes so much better. This could all be in my head but I would swear that higher quality meat his noticeably better! 

*Note: I used whole wheat flower for the sauce and I did not add the cheese on top. 

I wanted to take pictures of the layering stage but my toddler was screaming and I had to rush to get this  in so I could tend to him. Duty calls!

So good. I will definitely be making this again!

Chicken Wraps, Quinoa and Veggies

Last night I made chicken cabbage wraps with a side of quinoa (and chia seeds) and veggies (I had some broccoli and zucchini left from my farmer's market trip). 

I put chicken breasts in my slow cooker with a bottle of soy ginger marinade. I really like the soyaki sauce from TJs but there are more ingredients in that bottle than I care for. I found a similar sauce at Whole Foods that I decided to try. While it was tasty and had the flavor I was hoping for, it was pretty darn spicy. I will buy this bottle again but next time I'll probably dilute it with water. 

I separated a head of cabbage, washed the leaves and set them aside. I used a fork to shred the chicken and then I added diced water chestnuts and some extra sauce to the mixture. 

While some of these ingredients aren't favorable (sugar) they are all pronounceable and they are all "real". 

To go along with our chicken wraps, I sautéd some broccoli and zucchini in sesame oil with a little bit of minced garlic and I made some quinoa with chia seeds.  

I hydrate the chia seeds first and then add them to the quinoa when it's about 3/4 done. 

Pizza with Kale Pesto

This week I made one of our typical go-to-dinners, veggie pizza. See my previous post on veggie pizza. This pizza is simple, delicious and pretty healthy. 

Once again I used this recipe for Kale Pesto. This week I had some great veggies from the farmer's market including asparagus, zucchini and mushrooms. I also put pine nuts on ours (but not for the kids). I make 5 individual pita pizzas. Husband and I eat one each, the kids share one, I take one for lunch and I split the last one for this kids' lunches.  

The kale pesto is beautiful! And so good! 

Granola Bars

Last weekend I made these granola bars with whole wheat flower, half the amount of brown sugar and dark chocolate chips. I also substitute the canola oil for coconut oil. They were very simple and a big a hit! Everyone in my house loved them! The bars lasted us through the week and I will have the last one for desert tonight! 

Taco Casserole

I am not going to claim this "recipe" as my own as I did not come up with the general concept (I've seen several versions on Pinterest) but I did build this particular dish based on my own likes and nutritional beliefs. 

• 4-6 corn tortillas-I really like the organic yellow corn tortillas from Whole Foods. Trader Joes has a decent organic package as well (by decent I mean they're not full of unwanted ingredients). 
• Taco seasoned lentils-To save time, I made these the night before while I was cutting out all the little hearts for Valentine's Day. See this previous post for more info on homemade taco seasoning and taco seasoned lentils.
• Black Beans-I used one can, rinsed and drained
• Red Bell Pepper-diced and sautéed 
• Lettuce, Tomato and Cheese

Cut the bell pepper and sauté in a little olive oil for about 10 minutes or so. While the bell pepper is cooking, lay the tortillas in a casserole dish and top with the lentils and black beans. Top with the bell peppers and then sprinkle about a spoonful of taco seasoning on top. Sprinkle with cheese and then bake at 350 for about 20-30 minutes. Top with lettuce, tomato and salsa and enjoy! 

Instead of shredded cheese, I used the leftover bits from the heart shaped pieces I had cut out the night before for Dylan's Vday party at school. 

I didn't add the lettuce and tomatoes to the casserole dish bc my husband was working late on this night and I wanted him to be able to reheat the warm food and then top with cold lettuce (plus he doesn't eat tomatoes). This worked out pretty well. 

Really tasty and very healthy! 

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day, among many other holidays, is just another excuse to feed our kids (and ourselves) food coloring, sugar and chemicals wrapped up in pretty heart shaped packages. I decided to go with healthier alternatives this year. Dylan's Valentine's for school were filled with goldfish instead of candy.  What an oxymoron..."a healthier alternative" and "goldfish" are not exactly synonymous but I made a concession. I really wanted to use the simple/cute idea I saw on Pinterest and I wasn't about to put swedish fish in all the little bags so goldfish it was. Goldfish crackers are not on my "approval" list but enough of that already...

We brought heart shaped fruit (cantaloupe, pineapple and watermelon), heart shaped cucumbers and cheese and whole wheat chocolate zucchini muffins to bring to the Valentine's party at Dylan's preschool. Normally I post links to the recipes I use but I am going to refrain from sharing the recipe I used for the muffins bc it wasn't right. The batter came out like playdough, not very muffin like at all. I added quite a bit of water to get a better consistency but something was just "off". I tripled checked the recipe to make sure I didn't screw anything up. What are ya gonna do?! 

Pork Tenderloin, Quinoa "Fried Rice" and Glazed Carrots

Tonight's dinner was described by my husband as one of the best meals I've ever made. What a compliment! We had pork tenderloin, quinoa fried rice and maple glazed carrots.  I found all three of these recipes on Pinterest and they were all amazing! I have made the quinoa fried rice before but the other two were new for us tonight! 

Last night I made the marinade and let the pork soak in it overnight. I did reserve a few tablespoons for the pan sauce, as the recipe said. I also cooked the quinoa for the fried rice last night, just to save a little. Because I had done part of the prep work last night, this meal wasn't all that complicated. When I got home from work, I seared the tenderloin and then threw it in the oven. While the pork was in the oven, I started on the carrots and quinoa. Miraculously, I timed everything perfectly and it all came together beautifully. 

I made each dish according to the recipe except I did add some chopped broccoli and hydrated chia seeds to the quinoa. Everything came out so good! I highly recommend each of these recipes! 

Searing the marinated pork filled my kitchen with the best smell!

Quinoa fried rice in the making.

Busy cooktop.

Why have I never made glazed carrots before? They were SO GOOD!

Pan sauce.

The lighting in the picture makes it look a little dark or burnt but it was perfect! I took it out right at 160 and let it rest a few minutes. 

I used a cookie cutter to mold my son's quinoa in the shape of a heart (since Valentine's Day is in a couple days)! He loved it!

My plate!

Tuesday's Lunch

Today I sent my son to school with an apple sandwich with a heart shape cut out of the center, a hardboiled egg, some whole grain crackers w/ havarti cheese slices, walnuts and a coconut wrapped date. He also had a bottle of water and a pouch of kefir (like yogurt). He will usually eat all of this stuff when I put it in his lunch but today he came home with the date, crackers and egg yolk. He eats all of these things at home so I am not sure why he rejected them at school today. Kids! 

Potato Leek Pie

Our Meatless Monday meal this week consisted of one of my favorite dinners, Potato Leek Pie. I randomly found this recipe for Potato, Leek and Feta Tart when I was searching for meatless meal ideas. At first I followed the recipe exactly but the last few times I have made this, I've baked it in a pie dish rather than as a tart. I honestly think the tart comes out a little better but I don't care for the store bought pie crusts and the only one I have found to be acceptable (as far as ingredients, nutrition, etc) is sold as a frozen pie crust already formed in a pie tin at Whole Foods. One day I will be adventurous and make my own pie crust! 

Regardless of pie or tart, this recipe is SO GOOD! My family loves it and I shared it with my mom (who has a very hard time getting meatless meals past my dad) and they both really like it too. She has made it a few times herself now! Give the recipe a try!   

Before baking. 

All done. When you bake it as tart, the crust tends to protect the insides and the potatoes cook up nicely. 

Helpful

Just a few helpful things I have found on Pinterest over the months/years...

Great article on grains.

Very interesting article on snack foods and GMOs by Food Babe.

Another article on GMOs and some helpful information on how to avoid them while shopping. I have busted Trader Joe's TWICE by advertising a fruit as Organic while the actual fruit was labeled with a number 4. I started checking the stickers after I saw this post on Pinterest months ago. I was so angry that Trader Joes would betray it's customers that I complained to corporate about it. Who actually checks the stickers on the produce to make sure it's organic? Be cautious. Just bc the sign reads Organic, make sure to check the sticker on the item. It must start with a 9.

Check out this post by Deliciously Organic on 15 Tips for Buying Organic on a Budget! 

Chicken Pot Pie w/ Biscuits

I found this recipe on Pinterest for Chicken Pot Pie w/ Cheddar Biscuits. My mom makes the best Chicken Pot Pie and I have wanted to make it for a long time but I never remember to copy her recipe. I have read it before though and I knew that this one on Pinterest was very similar to the one she makes. So I thought I'd give it a try.

I followed the recipe pretty closely but:

• I did not use the red pepper bc it just sounded gross in a pot pie. 
• Instead of peas I used peas and carrots. 
• I added one celery stock and a cut up red potato that I had softened for a few minutes in the microwave first (pot pie cannot not have potato)!
• I also used whole wheat flour (bc I just don't use white).  

My mom uses crust for her pot pie (most call for crust) so I almost omitted the biscuit topping to use a crust instead; but I thought I would be brave after all and go for something different. Absolutely delicious! 

I have to say, it didn't come out looking exactly like the picture from the original recipe but it was REALLY good! My family ate it up (and then ate some more up).

Cooking the chicken.

Step one complete. 

Step two complete. 

Letting it rest before tear into it!