Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant Parmigiana

This has got to be probably the best eggplant parmesan I’ve ever had. We think it’s better than Olive Garden’s, which used to be our favorite. This recipe is very easy and so delicious!

2 eggplants (2 ½ lbs.), cut in ½ inch thick round slices
¼ cup olive oil (no need to really measure this, just use what you need)
3/4 tsp. salt (use as much as you want)
½ tsp. pepper (use as much as you want)

1 26 oz. jar pasta sauce
1 ½ cups mozarrella cheese (you could use more...yum!)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
italian seasonings, basil, or whatever you like

1) Broil eggplant preferably on a broiler rack, in oven in approximately 2 batches. Layer half of eggplant on broiler rack and brush with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil 4 inches from heat for 6 to 8 minutes per side until lightly browned and tender. Flip eggplant and do the same on the opposite side. Do the same with the second batch of eggplant.

2) Spread ½ cup of pasta sauce in lasagna pan. Line with ½ the eggplant. Spoon on 1 ¼ cup more of sauce, top with 1 cup of mozzarella, remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle with the parmesan and seasonings. Cover with foil.

4) Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is browned. Let sit 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Fried Tofu

This is probably my favorite way to eat tofu now. It's nice because it doesn't have that mushy texture and it has a nice crispy coating. It tastes a lot like the fried tofu I liked getting at Asian restaurants. Now, you can easily make it at home.

Fried Tofu

16 oz. extra firm tofu

Tofu Mix:
5 tbs. sesame seeds (I got away with using 3.)
4 tbs. corn starch
4 tbs. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. sugar

canola or vegetable oil for frying

Place the drained block of tofu on a plate. Cover the tofu with a folded paper towel the size of the block of tofu. (I just used a clean dishcloth. It was more absorbent.) Then place another fairly heavy object on top. (I used a small cutting board and balanced 3 cans of vegetables on top to make a press.)



After about 5-10 minutes, remove the plate and throw away the wet paper towel. (You don't have to do this if you use the dishcloth.) Drain off the water that has been pressed out of the tofu. Now cover once again with a fresh paper towel and put it back on the plate. Press your tofu this way for 15 minutes.

Place pressed tofu on a cutting board and slice it into 1 inch cubes.

Stir together tofu mix ingredients and place in a pie plate or bowl. Roll the tofu cubes in the mixture until well covered. (You might have to reroll them because the tofu absorbs the coating quickly.) Place the covered tofu cubes on a plate next to the stove where you'll be frying.




Pour 1/2 to 1 cup of oil or other high-heat oil into a small frying pan. You want oil to be about 1 inch deep (If using a larger pan, you may need more oil.) You will also need tongs and a paper towel covered plate.

Place pan over medium-high heat. To test if your oil is hot enough, using tongs, dip a corner of a tofu cube in the oil. If it begins to sizzle and cook, the oil is ready.



Turn heat down to just above medium and fry the tofu. Using tongs, place the tofu cubes in the oil, allowing them to cook 1 minute or so (Mine took longer). Turn the tofu cubes over with your tongs to cook 1 minute on the other side, or until cubes are a light golden brown. When golden brown, remove from the oil and place on paper towels to drain.


This is served with the Asian Brown Sauce and rice.

Tips:
This is best when served hot because the coating stays crispy. Once it's microwaved, it gets soft.

You can also just dip it in the Asian Brown Sauce and it eat it like that.


This is also a healthy and great finger-food for the kids....literally!



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Black Bean Burgers

These burgers are way better than they sound. I made a double batch of these last time and they didn't last that long. We stored them in the freezer for a quick meal. I top it just like a cheeseburger with ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, cheese, and lettuce and tomato. These are cheap and delicious and good for you too!

Black Bean Burgers

Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Cooking Time: 10 minutes

2 cans (15 ounces each) Black Beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup yellow cornmeal
½ cup chunky salsa
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon garlic salt
Hamburger buns

Place beans in food processor; process until fairly smooth. Add flour, cornmeal, salsa, cumin and garlic salt. Process until well combined. Spoon mixture into 6 balls on a large plate and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours before cooking.

Heat barbecue grill or ridged grill pan over medium heat. Coat grill or pan lightly with oil. Form each ball into a 4-inch patty about ½-inch thick. Place the patties on the grill or in pan and cook until browned and heated through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. (I just cooked these in a frying pan with olive oil and it worked just fine.)

Serve on hamburger buns with your favorite toppings.



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Lentil Oat Loaf

This recipe is one I made by combining elements of a few different recipes together. I wanted something that was economical and yet tasty to make. Most lentil loaves have a lot of expensive ingredients in them or they're really lacking in the flavor department and dry as well. It's not a substitute for a meatloaf, but it is a nice healthy, cheap meal that you can easily double. I'll add a picture after I make it next.

Lentil Oat Loaf

SERVES 6 , 1 loaf

Ingredients

1 ½ cups dried lentils
3 ½ cups of water
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup rolled oat (quick or large flake)
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup BBQ sauce (I like Sweet Baby Ray’s Vidalia Onion BBQ sauce best.)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
2 teaspoon seasoning salt (Could use less if you find it too salty….I like salt.)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

1) Cook lentils in water until tender. Slightly mash.
2) Mix lentils, onion, oats, and cheese in a large bowl and mix well.
3) Add the beaten egg and mix well.
4) Add sauce, garlic, Italian seasonings, salt, and pepper.
5) Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and pour/scrape the lentil mixture into it. Even out the top surface with a spatula or fork and top with more barbecue sauce.
6) Bake uncovered 30-40 minutes at 375 deg. F.



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Falafels

Falafels are a Middle-Eastern dish. I hate chickpeas, but I love this recipe. These falafels are so yummy and moist and there's no need to buy the yucky, expensive box-mix stuff. I just made these last night and my kids gobbled them up. I made a triple batch and stuck the leftovers in the freezer for a quick meal. I will say that they didn't look anything like the picture. I have no idea how they got them to stay in such a nice patty shape. Mine were not uniform in shape, but it didn't matter. The taste was so delicious. You're supposed to serve this with a yogurt sauce, but we didn't like the recipe. We just dip it in homemade ranch dressing or my homemade French or Russian dressing. I posted the dressing recipes as well. You can also serve them in pita breads like in the picture.

Falafels

1 cup dried chickpeas
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup fresh curly parsley, stems removed, tightly packed (I used dried parsley and just eye-balled how much I put in.)
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in 1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Vegetable oil for frying


Yogurt Dipping Sauce: (Like I said, I didn't like this sauce, but you might.)
6-ounce container of plain yogurt
3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh curly parsley (could use dried, but use less)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse the chickpeas, then soak them in a medium-size bowl in several inches of water overnight in the refrigerator. (we've found the patties won't hold together as well if you use canned chickpeas.)

2. To make the sauce, whisk together the yogurt and water in a small bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Makes 1 cup.

3. Drain the soaked chickpeas and place them in a food processor. Add all the remaining ingredients and blend, scraping the sides if necessary, until the mixture is creamy, about 1 minute total.

4. Heat an inch of oil in a large, heavy frying pan to 375 degrees (a spoonful of the mixture should sizzle as soon as it's immersed). Scoop up a heaping dinner tablespoon of the falafel mixture and gently place it in the heated oil. Place 4 or 5 more spoonfuls in the pan. Fry the patties until they're thoroughly brown on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes, then flip them to brown the other side.

5. Drain the patties on a plate covered with a paper towel and sprinkle with additional salt, if desired. Serve with yogurt dipping sauce. Makes 16 to 20 patties.



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Old World Manicotti

This manicotti recipe is very easy to make and doesn't require a lot of ingredients and the flavor is delicious.

Old World Manicotti

12 large manicotti shells
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 cups ricotta cheese
6 tbsp. chopped fresh basil or 2 tbsp. dried basil (or italian seasoning)
1 (26 oz.) jar prepared spaghetti sauce, divided
1/2 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese

1) Preheat oven to 350*. Spray 13 X 9 in. baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2) Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cool water. Let pasta dry on paper towels.

3) For filling, in medium bowl, stir together 3 cups mozzarella with the ricotta and fresh basil. Using a teaspoon, carefully stuff pasta shells with prepared cheese mixture.

4) Spoon 2 cups spaghetti sauce into prepared baking dish. Arrange stuffed pasta over sauce. Pour remaining spaghetti sauce over top of pasta. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

5) Bake manicotti for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the parmesan; bake for 10 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

Tips: To stuff the manicotti easier, you can put the filling in a large, heavy-duty resealable bag and cut a small piece off the tip. Then, squeeze the filling into the pasta. Another easier way, might be to use jumbo pasta shells instead. I found that the manicotti seemed to break open when I filled it, but the results still tasted great.



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Baked Lentils

This is probably one of our family's favorite recipes and it's very economical to make. It's slightly sweet and so tasty. I think it's really supposed to be a side dish like baked beans, but we use it as a main course all the time. Our favorite way to serve it is burrito-style. We fill a flour tortilla with the baked lentils and microwave some shredded cheddar cheese on top. Then we top it with lettuce, tomato, and then we drizzle it with some homemade french or russian dressing (I'll be posting these recipes as well) that I make. It's soooo delicious and very good for you. Lots of protein and fiber. Our young kids love it as well just topped with the melted cheddar cheese. I often triple the recipe because we go through it so fast.

Baked Lentils

1 cup lentils
2 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tbs. brown sugar
1 tbs. ketchup
1 tbs. molasses
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1/2 c. vegetable oil

Rinse lentils; drain. Combine lentils, water, onions and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 45 minutes. Add other ingredients; put in casserole dish. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. (Make sure you don't forget to stir it or it will scorch and get dried out.) Serves 4 to 6 people.



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