Breakfast for Dinner!

This was one of my favorite dinners. First of all, I am a sucker for any and all pancakes. But these were LEGIT. Beats any pancake house I've been to! And they are healthier. Go figure. That USUALLY doesn't happen! Second of all, most of you who really know me, know that eggs essentially make me GAG. Pregnancy has changed that. I could have eaten this whole thing if I was a little further along and had the excuse ;)

ENJOY THIS! Make it for dinner, or go ahead and make it on a Saturday for breakfast!

Ellie Krieger's Broccoli Frittata

• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 1 medium red onion, sliced (I used a yellow onion)
• 2 cups broccoli, steamed and chopped (I bought 1 bag of chopped frozen broccoli and steamed it in the bag in the microwave)
• 4 eggs
• 4 egg whites (Yes, that's a total of 8 eggs folks!)
• 2 T water
• 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
• (Not in original recipe, but I used): 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper)
• (Not in originial recipe, but I used 1/2 tsp salt)
• (Not in original recipe, but I used 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper)

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in large, cast-iron skillet (or any oven safe skillet you have). Saute onion in hot oil for about 5 minutes, until soft
2. Beat eggs and egg whites together with water  (I used a whisk)
3. Add broccoli to the skillet with the onion and mix together. Cook another 2 minutes.
4. Pour egg mixture over the onions and broccoli and make sure it spreads evenly. 
5. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook about 8 minutes. Edges should be firm, but center will be a little runny
6. Top center with cheese, and pop in the broiler for only about 2 minutes (uncovered)
7. Slice into 8 wedges and serve

*Variations are possible here. You could do mushrooms and spinach. You could go the Greek route with olives and spinach and top with feta. Possibilities are endless! Experiment and let me know what works!

Ellie Krieger's Whole Wheat Buttermilk Pancakes

• 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour OR whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk, low fat
• 3/4 cups milk, fat-free (I actually used soy milk here)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 T honey
• Cooking Spray

Directions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
2. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, buttermilk, milk, honey, and vanilla (I used a whisk)
3. Coat a large nonstick skillet or griddle with cooking spray and preheat over a medium-low heat/flame.
4. Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, mixing only to combine. Batter WILL be lumpy
5. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to ladle batter into griddle or skillet
6. Flip pancakes when they are golden brown on bottom and bubbles form on top (about 1 1/2 minutes per side). Cook other side until golden brown. Keep pancakes warm in oven while you finish the remaining ones

Roasted Butternut Squash over Arugula

Watch out men, its another vegan entree! Nick liked this one better! It was super easy, very light, but very yummy (Especially if you are a butternut squash fan.. which.. I am!) My college roommates can vouch for me on that!

Ingredients for Salad:

1 small-medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp olive oil

6 oz arugula

1/2 cup toasted almonds

Ingredients for Dressing:

1 tsp olive oil

1 T honey

1 T red wine vinegar

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Directions:

1. Toss butternut squash with oil, salt, and cinnamon. Spread on baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, toast your almonds if you haven't already and whisk together the dressing. Set both aside.
3. Place a mound of arugula on each plate. When squash is done, top with squash, almonds, and then pour dressing over each serving.

Enjoy :)

Roasted Brussel Sprouts and Chick Peas over Spaghetti Squash

First and foremost, forgive me for not posting in over a month! Why has no one held me accountable? I have actually made probably 5-6 tasty dishes that I would love to share, but the photographs are not worthy of the blog. Yes, I have standards... But alas, the reason for this post!

This is not a meal that will satisfy your "Meat and Potatoes" man. This is a vegan recipe that is very healthy and most girls will LOVE it. Men will search anxiously to no avail for some kind of chicken, beef, etc. Nowhere to be found. I loved this... and since I'm selfish.. I will share with you!

The List

1 medium to large spaghetti squash

1 pound brussels sprouts 

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

3 gloves of garlic, pressed

1/2 cup vegetable broth (you could use chicken)

15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Sliced or Slivered almonds if desired

The Rules  Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce squash 8-10 times with a skewer all the way through to the flesh. Place on a baking sheet and roast in the oven at least an hour, turning every 25 minutes. I probably baked mine closer to an hour and a half. Skin should soften and get brown. A knife should slide through like butter. Allow to cool and set aside until ready to handle.

2. While squash is nearing the end of its cooking time, trim and discard the ends of the sprouts. Cut sprouts in half and place on a baking sheet. Spray them all with cooking spray. Once the squash comes out, pop these babies in and bake about 15 minutes until starting to brown.

3. Meanwhile, cut squash in half, seed it, and then start shredding the squash with a fork into a large bowl. Cover and keep warm.

4. In a large skillet, cook the onions on medium-high heat until they start to become golden (5 or 6 minutes). Add sprouts, garlic, and vegetable broth and cover. Cook about 5 minutes, adding broth as necessary. Add chickpeas, basil, and red pepper flakes. Cook until heated through. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice. 

5. Toss everything with the squash in the large bowl and then serve it up with almonds as a garnish!

Enjoy :)

Tomato Bread Soup! For Warming Up!

This is a soup I've made for awhile and just realized today that it never made the blog! It's so easy, its so good, and its pretty cheap for your grocery bill! You'll have leftovers for the week, but you'll finish them off! Perfect for when the cold weather sets in!

Ingredients:

3 T Olive Oil

1 small-medium onion, finely diced

6 cloves of garlic, minced

32 oz crushed tomatoes

15 oz petite diced tomatoes

2 cans small white beans, drained (navy)

1 quart chicken broth

4 cups chopped stale bread (or torn)

Fresh ground pepper

Shredded or grated Parmesan/Parmesan Regiano

Fresh basil (optional- i left this out today)

Directions:

1. Heat a large soup pot over medium heat. Add oil to pan.

2. Saute onion and garlic for about 5-6 minutes until soft.

3. Add crushed and diced tomatoes.

4. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat and add bread and beans

6. Simmer until soup thickens to stew consistency and bread has really sucked up the soup.

7. Ladle into serving bowls and top with fresh ground pepper, cheese, and basil if you chose!

 

Enjoy :)

Tortellini Soup in TWENTY!

Yes, I just posted a tortellini soup about 2 weeks ago! This one takes a little longer to cook, and a little longer to prep, but its packed with veggies, and we have fallen in love with cheese tortellini. So here you go! Another. I like this one a little better, but Nick ranks them exactly the same!

Ingredients:

2 T EVOO

1 whole onion, chopped

2 whole zucchini, chopped

1.5 cups carrots, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

32 ounces chicken broth

9 ounces fresh tortellini

1 cup frozen corn

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Fresh basil for garnish (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot, heat your oil until hot over medium heat. Add onion, zucchini, carrots and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until onion softens (5ish minutes)

2. Add tomatoes, salt, and pepper

3. Add chicken broth and heat to boiling

4. Next, add in your tortellini and corn. Here is a quick picture of the rainbow cheese tortellini we used!

5. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until tortellini are tender (about 5-6 minutes).

6. Serve with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and some fresh chopped basil!

Enjoy :) This is sooo good. A perfect soup after a long day at work!

Feed you for Weeks SLOW COOKED MINESTRONE SOUP!

I chose the title of this post for a reason. It's an obvious one. This soup will literally last you for weeks. You can freeze it in bulk, or individual portions to get out one at a time! This is a slow cooker soup which is so great to come home to after a work day. Not only is dinner ready, but your house will smell delightful!

For those of you who don't want soup to last you through the winter, just half the recipe. However, I don't think you'll be sorry for having a plethora of leftover soup!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup dry elbow macaroni (whole wheat if you can)

2 quarts chicken broth

2 large onions, diced

2 carrots, sliced

half a head of cabbage, shredded

1/2 cup celery, diced

1-lb can tomatoes

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 T minced parsley

1/4 cup each frozen corn, peas, and lima beans (or 3/4 cup of frozen mixed veggies of your choice)

1/4 tsp pepper

Grated parmesan or romano cheese for "topping" soup at the end

Directions:

1. Precook your macaroni according to the box/package and refrigerate while the rest cooks

2. Combine all ingredients except macaroni and cheese in your crock pot/slow cooker.

3. Cover, and cook on low 8 hours. Add macaroni to pot when you get home and cook an additional 10-20 minutes to heat through

4. Garnish individual bowls with cheese and serve!

Funny story. I asked my sweet husband to throw the refrigerated noodles in the crock pot because he was going to beat me home from work. He ended up throwing the remaining BOX of uncooked noodles in the pot.... perhaps that's why ours served 12??? Either way, the noodles only took about half an hour to soften up and we enjoyed it all the same!

Slice up a fresh baguette and serve alongside your soup! Enjoy :)

Spaghetti- Spaghetti Squash .... ITS AMORE!

Most of you probably won't even look twice at this post because it has the word squash in it. My own husband heard what i was making and said, "Is that all we're having?" HE LOVED THIS. I loved this. It's a GREAT way to switch up your normal spaghetti/Italian night of the week. Its HEALTHY, of course, but its GOOD. Different texture, different flavor, you'll enjoy this! You can add whatever you like in your pasta to this basic recipe, but here's how I made mine:

• 1 medium-large spaghetti squash, halved and seeded
• 1 small-medium zucchini, diced (chopped small)
• 1 onion finely diced (red or sweet)
• 3 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 can of any kind of tomatoes (stewed, diced, chopped, you name it!)
• Basil if you have it, oregano if you have it, any fresh herbs you'd like!
• Pepper (I never add salt to dishes with canned ANYTHING, but you can!)
• 1/2 cup (Or more) of grated Parmesan, plus more for sprinkling on top

Now, those of you who are extremely loyal followers, you'll notice I made the standard beans... AGAIN. You must understand, these beans are like $2 for a huge bag. And they are my GO-TO vegetable for us. I will most likely force feed my children green beans in the future if I am still making them as frequently as I do now.

Anyways, back to the reason you are even reading this post in the first place! Here are your directions. Simple, I promise:

1. Cook your squash. You have options. You can bake it, you can nuke it (microwave it) OR you can do my personal fave: boil it for about half an hour in a large stock pot until fork tender.

2. Once you get the squash going, saute your onion and garlic in a little olive oil in a small skillet. Add your zucchini and tomatoes. Simmer over low heat until your squash is ready. At the LAST minute, add any herbs, seasonings, and pepper.

3. Drain squash and use a fork to get the squash out of the shell. Mix in a large bowl with sauce and add your cheese to your hearts content!

4. Serve and enjoy :) I promise you won't be disappointed with this meal! Your men will be pleasantly surprised. And so will your credit card at the grocery store.

If your husband is a meat only at meals type guy... you could easily mix ground beef into this sauce or cook some of my Chicken Parmesan to go alongside :) Just some quick suggestions!

One Pot Easy Gnocchi Dinner

This recipe was absolutely delcious! We loved it! For those of you who avoid buying grocery items you cannot pronounce, now is the time to branch out! It's a cheap, meatless meal, that is absolutely satisfying in flavor! Of course, I kept it health, but we all know that, so no need to elaborate!

What you'll need:

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1 16-ounce package gnocchi (You could use white or sweet potato! Usually Trader Joe's has the sweet potato gnocchi if you are interested.)

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup water

6 cups chopped green leaves, (about 1 small bunch)- spinach, chard, arugula will all work

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with basil and oregano

1 15-ounce can white beans, rinsed (cannelloni or navy beans)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese

The Process

First, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add gnocchi and cook, stirring often, until plumped and starting to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Next, add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil and onion to the pan and cook, stirring, over medium heat, for 2 minutes. Add in garlic and water. Stir, and then cover and cook until the onion is soft, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the leafy greens of your choice and cook, stirring, until starting to wilt. Stir in tomatoes, beans and pepper and bring to a simmer. 

Stir in the gnocchi and sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover and cook until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

Enjoy :) I couldn't get a great picture of this dish, but I do promise you it is worth a try! We truly enjoyed it!

Whole Wheat Pita Pizzas!

Hello! Its been awhile and I'm so sorry. Work has been crazy. Went to the beach for the long weekend. And Ive been cooking off of my own blog. Can't blog my own recipes twice, you know?!

This has been a go to staple for us the past couple weeks. Trying to cut down on spending, cut down on calories, and cut down on prep time, this really did the trick! You can make these a million different ways! Here's what we did

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Pitas 

Pizza Sauce

Skim Mozzarella Cheese

Fresh Basil and Oregano (Dried will work too)

Sliced Tomatoes (Totally Optionals)

You can add any pizza toppings you like, but try and choose the healthy ones. We've also added pre-cooked diced chicken to ours!

Another option is to sub hummus for the pizza sauce. Its mighty tasty!

First, Doll them up

Here's a close up :)

You can either microwave individually about 2 minutes, or you can grill them about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. These, I've grilled, but we have microwaved others!

5 minutes later ....

And one more close up

I'm telling you, these are so yummy, but so easy! And so cheap, and mostly healthy!

Enjoy :)

Eat your Veggies .... "Pasta Parmesan!"

To be quite honest, this meal was a pleasant surprise. I had cooked 4 meals this week, none of which had substantial leftovers for Thursday evening. Knowing i had endless options of pasta in the pantry (as always!) I started to brainstorm a pasta dish. I knew I had carrots to work with, and I had bought a bag of frozen chopped broccoli for $1 at Kroger for no intentional purpose whatsoever! It worked out mighty fine I must say. This is a simple recipe.

 Takes less than 15 minutes to get on the table. Nick LOVED it. I was pretty nervous to serve this up considering it was a conglomeration of leftovers and everything but the kitchen sink basically. We left NOTHING in the pan by the end of the night. I'll be making it again!

I'm sure you're thinking, okay - enough - get to the recipe already. And I will. But let me also emphasize, this is PRETTY DARN HEALTHY!

Ingredients:

9oz pasta (Any kind you want- I used skinny whole wheat penne)

1 cup of shredded carrot

1 cup of frozen broccoli (mini or chopped) cooked 

1/4 cup light Italian Dressing

1 tsp sugar

Fresh ground black pepper

1 T red wine vinegar

1 T olive oil

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to package directions

2. If you haven't already, cook your frozen broccoli 

3. While pasta is cooking, add oil to a medium sized skillet. Once hot, add carrot, dressing, vinegar, sugar, and pepper. Cook about 2-3 minutes until soft.

4. Remove from heat. 

5. Drain pasta.

6. In a medium-large bowl, combine pasta, carrot mixture, and broccoli. Add cheese and toss together until well combined. Serve!

Enjoy :)

There's no way you COULDN'T enjoy this. SO fast. SO easy. SO yummy.

Orzo Stuffed Bell Peppers ... A NEWLYWED ALL TIME FAVORITE!

Eating Well nailed it on this recipe! Wow was it ever good! I mean, I could have JUST eaten the orzo filling, but the peppers were great too. And the best part .... MICROWAVE AND STOVE TOP. Skip the oven with this recipe. Oh, you don't want to breeze past this one. Its meatless- but you won't miss the meat! I PROMISE!

Ingredients:

4 bell peppers of your choice (Red was cheapest- so we had red!)

1/2 cup whole wheat orzo 

15 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 T Olive Oil

1 medium onion, chopped

6 oz baby spinach roughly chopped

1 t dried oregano

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese, divided

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed), chopped

1 T Sherry Vinegar or red-wine vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

So the first thing you want to do is slice your peppers in half LENGTHWISE straight through the stem. De-seed the peppers and remove white membrane. You can leave the stem attached for easy pick up, or remove it (I removed them). Place them face down in a baking dish and fill with 1/2 inch of water. Put in the MICROWAVE for about 9 minutes or until softened. (You are basically steaming them.) 

When they come out, drain the water out and flip them over.

Meanwhile, toast up your orzo in a medium sauce pan for about 1 minute. Add 1 cup of boiling water (or really hot water). Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 8 minutes. Drain and rinse in cool water.

Mash chickpeas into a thick paste (leaving some whole) and set aside. 

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion and cook 4 minutes until soft. Add oregano and spinach and cook 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted

Add sun-dried tomatoes, chick peas, orzo, vinegar, and salt. Cook until heated through.

This in and of itself could be a meal or side dish. SO good! Add 1/2 cup of your feta cheese and cook 1 minute more and remove from heat.

Stuff your peppers! Sprinkle remaining feta cheese over top each pepper.

Cover pan with foil until ready to serve. They will stay pretty warm for awhile! We, of course, served ours alongside the TJ's green beans, but chose any veggie you like!

We WILL be having the leftovers tonight. These were phenomenal!

Enjoy :) It'll be a favorite!

Chickpea and Tomato Pasta

I pulled this recipe off of the Rachael Ray Show website. I saw her make it one day. Chickpeas? Love them! Tomatoes? Love those too! Pasta- I think we all know how I feel about whole wheat pasta! I couldn't pass this up. It's got a little kick to it too which makes it more fun that just spaghetti! i used the curly guys, but you could use penne, or shells, or any kind of pasta you like!

Skinny Shopping List:

1 pound of whole wheat pasta

3 T EVOO

1 medium onion, finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or grated

1 fresh sprig of rosemary, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (2 healthy pinches)

Black pepper to taste

1 can 14-18 oz chickpeas, rinsed and drained

2 T tomato paste

1 cup chicken stock

1 28 oz can Italian crushed tomatoes (or regular, and add your own italian spices)

Grated parmesan cheese for serving

Fresh or dried parsley for garnish

Quick Fix:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Cook to al dente.

Meanwhile, heat EVOO in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, rosemary, red pepper, salt and black pepper. Cook 7-8 minutes until very tender.

Pulse the chickpeas in a blender or food processor to fine chop them. DON'T puree them, you aren't going for hummus. You just want the chick peas to be distributed throughout the sauce! Once ready, add them to the skillet.

Now add tomato paste and stir. Add chicken broth as well as 28oz can of tomatoes. Salt and pepper if needed

You've got a healthy sauce cooking up right there. Proteins coming from a 99 cent can of beans instead of a 5 dollar package of chicken!

Once pasta is ready, drain, and then toss with sauce and serve. Top with parsley and grated parmesan cheese. Serve and ENJOY :) I had the leftovers the next day for lunch, and my were they tasty. Even better than on day 1!

"Egg-cellent" Eggplant Parmesan

This is a wonderful, easy, healthy, and CHEAP meal. No meat instantly saves you anywhere from 5-10 bucks! I originally pulled this recipe off of www.eatingwell.com. If you are afraid of eggplant, try this dish. You'll love it, and won't even know you're eating eggplant! The flavor is very dominated by the italian seasonings and sauce!

Ingredients:

2 medium sized eggplants

3 egg whites plus 3 T water mixed together until frothy

1 cup bread crumbs (I used whole wheat, but you don't have to!)

Salt and Pepper

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup slivered basil leaves
2.5 cups tomato sauce
(I used a Classico Roasted Garlic Pasta Sauce that was on clearance for $1.50)
3/4 cups shredded part skim mozzarella (NOT FAT FREE- that stuff won't melt!)

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and coat 2 baking sheets, and one baking dish with cooking spray
2. Chop the ends off of your eggplant and then slice into 1/4 inch thick peices
3. Have your station set up:

- Small bowl with egg-wash mixture (3 egg whites and 3 T water)
- Medium bowl or plate with bread crumb mixture (1 cup bread crumbs, 1/4 cup grated parmesan, salt and pepper)
- Baking Sheets Nearby (I needed 2) to avoid making a mess

Dip each slice in the egg-wash. Then lightly coat in bread mixture. Place onto baking sheet. Repeat until all slices are ready to go!

Here is what they look like before going into the oven

 

You'll want to bake them for 15 minutes, then remove and flip each slice, then bake 15 more minutes.

Meanwhile, add your fresh basil to your sauce (you could use dried basil, or just omit it altogether, but I don't recommend it!)

 

Next, while they are baking, and don't forget to flip them, coat the bottom of your baking dish/pan/casserole dish with 1/2 cup of the sauce.

When eggplant are ready, place half of the slices on the bottom of the baking dish. Top with 1 cup of the sauce. Then 1/2 of the mozzarella. Layer the remaining eggplant, top with remaining sauce, and top with the remaining mozzarella and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.

Pop it all back in the oven to bake for another 15-20 minutes or until cheese is brown and bubbly.

Plate up, serve, and enjoy :)

This would go well with pasta and or a salad and maybe even some fresh bread. We just had leftover salad from Valentine's dinner. I think I'll make pasta when we have the leftovers!

Nick said it was a keeper. And please understand: it is rare that Nick says that about a meatless meal. He also isn't a huge fan of eggplant from past experiences, but he had 2 servings of these guys! I'M JUST SAYING! Take a chance on them!

Romantic Dinner for 2! PART THREE: Homemade Ricotta Cheese, Pine Nut, and Spinach Stuffed Ravioli

These guys were my pride and joy of the evening. I have wanted to make my own ravioli for SO SO long now! I saved them for Valentine's Day! I have never been happier with something I've made than with these guys! I cheated and used Won Ton Wrappers instead of true pasta dough, but, it still counts, right? See what you think!

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 shallot, finely chopped (And I mean FINELY)
1/2 pound baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
8 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Flour for dusting
1 (12-ounce) package won ton wrappers
1 egg, beaten with 1/2 tablespoon cold water
2 tablespoons butter

For any of you who are unfamiliar with shallots, they look like this. VERY similar to onions. I ordered mine from myproduceguy.com. They deliver FRESH produce to your door! Very exciting. They gave us a dozen red roses for free just for ordering around Valentine's Day!

Here we go, hang on tight!

First, you want to saute your shallots in a large skillet in oil for about a minute over medium heat. Then, start adding your spinach in batches and let it wilt.

Unwilted:

 

Good to go:

  

Once all spinach is wilted, remove from heat and put into a medium-sized bowl. Allow it to cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate it for 20 minutes.

Once cooled and ready, remove from refrigerator and place in a sieve. Squeeze all excess liquid out of the spinach leaves. If you don't have a sieve, then just take balls of it in your hands and squeeze out the liquid that way. Once dry, chop up the spinach, place it back into the bowl and mix with ricotta cheese, 6 T of pine nuts, 2 T Parmesan, nutmeg, salt, and pepper.

Ta da! You have your ravioli filling. I wish you could smell this right now!

 

At this point, you want to lightly flour your counter, and lightly flour 2 baking sheets. Have your egg-wash mixture ready to go and a pastry brush (or clean paint brush) nearby.

Take your Won Ton Wrappers and lay about 6 out on your surface. Paint the edges with egg wash

 

Take a small spoon and scoop a drop of filling into the center of each wrapper

 

Take 6 new wrappers, and place them right over top. Seal the edges (Leaving no air bubbles inside) and place on your baking sheet Repeat until all wrappers are used up.

 

I had about a tray and a half, with lots of leftover filling. At this point, cover them with a damp towel and refrigerate until ready to cook. You can also freeze them at this stage, and then cook them right out of the freezer if you want to. 

I saved my leftover filling. I plan on stuffing it into some chicken next week. Check back to see how it goes :) 

About 2 hours later, I was ready to cook. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add raviolis. Stir GENTLY to keep them from sticking to each other. It would be okay to do them in batches if necessary.

Meanwhile, bring butter to a frothy simmer over low heat in a large skillet. As ravioli finish boiling, drop them into the butter. Once they are all in the skillet, add the remaining Parmesan and Pine Nuts. I added some salt and pepper here as well.

 

I heated up some plain pasta sauce to serve over top (and underneath) 

 

Sprinkle with some grated Parmean, serve, and enjoy. These were SO delicious!

Red Curry Vegetable Bowls!

Ingredients:

10 oz frozen corn

1 1/2 cup frozen bell pepper stir fry mix

1 1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame

1-15 oz can of Coconut Milk (I always use reduced fat)

1 T Red Curry Paste

2 t Soy Sauce

Optional: Basil for serving

Rice or Couscous for serving

Were I to make this again, I would add:

1- 15 oz can chick peas

1 sweet potato diced up, and pre-cooked

Directions:

Bring half the can of coconut milk to a boil. It should thicken up and bubble around the edges.

Whisk in curry paste and stir for 2 minutes, constantly.

Add in 1/2 cup water and remaining coconut milk. Cook 2 more minutes and bring to a steady, low boil.

Add the corn. Cook 2 minutes.

Add edamame. Cook 2 more minutes

Add Stir Fry Mix and soy sauce. Cook about 6 more minutes until veggies are tender and flavors are distributed. If you opt for chick peas and potatoes, add them in as well.

Serve over rice or couscous. I used couscous because I had a lot on hand. WE LOVED IT! Make sure to ladle curry sauce overtop dish so it soaks into the rice. I also chose to slice up some fresh basil to top it off. TOTALLY optional. 

This meal was cheap for us because I happened to have edamame and corn in the freezer and intentionally wanted to use them up. Obviously had soy sauce, so the grocery list was slim (that being the goal this week).

I was aiming for a "Meatless Meal" for both budget and for the nutritious benefits of some of the veggies. We were both FULL afterwards. Its healthy. Its easy. Its quick. Minimal cooking time. 

Enjoy :)

Tuna Pasta Puttanesca (Remix!)

So, tonights dinner was a "Remix" of the traditional pasta puttanesca. Delicious nonetheless, in my opinion. Nick didn't hate it. It was a way to beef up on the protein! I must confess... today in the torrential downpour, i lost the receipt :( But I can guarantee that this meal is less than $10!!

Tuna Pasta Puttanesca:

8 oz of any kind of whole wheat pasta you prefer ( used the twirly kind because it was on sale, and I used probably more like 10-12 oz!)

1 T Olive Oil

2 cloves of garlic, minced

12-15 oz white chunk canned tuna, drained and patted dry (canned chicken would work as well)

1 can 14.5 oz diced tomatoes

1/4 cup of pitted and chopped greek, spanish, or kalamata olives. (I used spanish because they were cheapest!)

2 T capers

1 tsp. dried oregano

1/2 tsp. dried red pepper flakes (although i omitted these because... we didn't have red pepper flakes!)

3/4 cup chopped arugula (I use baby spinach because its way cheaper!)

Grated Parmesan Cheese to taste

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to box directions.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil to the pan. Once heated, add 2 cloves of garlic and saute about a minute. Add the tuna and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the olives, capers, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Once well blended, add the tomatoes and simmer about 5 minutes. Finally, add the spinach/arugula and stir until wilted.

Drain pasta and add to skillet. Mix well, top with cheese and serve :) Yummy!

My grocery bill today was about $10, but that included buying olives and capers for the first time, which i now have plenty leftover for the next time this dish comes around. The great thing about this pasta is its so versatile. If you want real meat, cut up some chicken and brown it in the pan before adding all the rest of the ingredients. If you want no meat, omit the tuna, nothing else changes! It's so quick and easy and so tasty! One more picture for ya:

This serves 4. However, with Nick and I, it only served 2 tonight!!!! Enjoy :)