Vegetarian Fajitas

Earlier this week, my husband was really sick and I could not take care of him much because I had to work all day. On my way home from work, I was brainstorming with meal ideas that would be quick (because I was really hungry) and that would help fight his illness (because he was really sick). By the time I got home, this delicious meal popped into my head! Because everything is cooked in a pan, it was quick to prepare; and because of the ingredients, Chris started feeling better the next day! The combination of the onion and peppers provide a very powerful antiviral and antibacterial quality to this meal, not to mention the nutrients from all the other whole foods!

You will need (for 4-5 servings):

1 large onion, sliced

1-2 peppers, chopped or sliced (the more colors you have, the more nutritional variety you have!)

2/3 cup of sliced mushrooms (amount depends on your preference really)

1 roma tomato, chopped

1 lime, quartered

3-4 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1-2 Tbs of oil (preferably oil that is refined for high heat, like sesame oil, to avoid free radicals in your meal)

Multi-grain tortillas

1 can of black beans, heated, rinsed and drained

On Low-Medium heat, add oil to pan. When oil is heated, add onion, peppers and mushrooms. Stir frequently, until vegetables begin to soften. Do not overcook! Meanwhile, in a sauce pan, heat black beans on low heat.

When vegetables have softened, add tomato. Stir frequently for a few minutes until tomato is slightly cooked. Then remove pan from heat.

On a tortilla, layer: small amount of black beans, small amount of vegetables. Garnish with cilantro, and juice of lime quarter.

Wrap and enjoy!

Note: My husband and I each had 2, and they kept us full for quite a while!

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Vegetarian Lasagna

This is a great healthy and hardy meal that will not leave you feeling weighed down afterward! My husband loves to eat meat, but he loved this meal so much he had 3 helpings!

9 lasagna noodles, cooked al dente

1 16 oz cottage cheese

1 egg

1 zucchini squash (can also add or substitute with eggplant)

1 yellow squash

1 large red onion

1/2 jar spaghetti sauce

sliced fresh mushrooms*

fresh spinach leaves*

shredded mozzarella cheese*

shredded romano cheese*

paremesan cheese*

sliced olives*

*to taste

Thinly slice both squashes and red onion, then individually saute them lightly. It is important to saute each separately so they can retain their unique flavors (you may lightly season with garlic salt or herbs). Beat egg into cottage cheese. Line a 9x13 pan with a small amount of sauce.

Each layer gets, in this order:

3 lasagna noodles

cottage cheese

mushrooms

onions

yellow squash

zucchini squash

spinach

mozzarella cheese

romano cheese

small amount of spaghetti sauce

repeat 2 more times

top with olives, and parmesan cheese

You may worry that the lasagna is very "full" in the pan, but don't worry the spinach cooks down a lot in the oven.

Bake at 350 for about 45 min, *then let it cool for about 10 min so it can solidify!*

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PIZZA!!!

I was on a pizza kick the other day, but wanted it to be semi-healthy. I love buying pre-made crusts and just throwing a bunch of stuff on them. It's fun!

For this pizza I used

-1 medium zucchini

-a handful of grape tomatoes

- a handful of green onions

- Ranch salad, spritzer (normal Ranch would be just fine)

Brush the crust with a little EVOO and decorate your pizza with the remaining ingredients. Then throw on a couple handfuls of whatever cheese you want (I used mozzarella) and bake according to the packaged crust directions. Mine was a whole wheat thin crust and came out almost flat bread/cracker texture. I loved it, but the hubs likes a thicker, bready crust.

My version of CPK's BBQ Chicken Pizza!

-1 pre-made crust

- a couple glugs of your favorite BBQ sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's... all the way!! Woot woot!)

- 1-2 grilled chicken breasts (or enough off a rotisserie to your liking)

- diced or julienned red onions (I buy them pre-cut along with my green onions... I HATE cutting oninos)

- small handful of green onions (not pictured)

- mozzarella cheese, as much as you want

Brush the crust with a bit of EVOO then squirt on a nice, thin layer of BBQ sauce. Cut up the chicken and arrange that on top with the rest of your ingredients, with the cheese last. Bake according to crust package directions.

YUM... enjoy!

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Manicotti

*I always half this recipe for just me and my husband. But if you're going to feed more than 3 people, the full recipe is sure to impress :)*

What you need:

1 pkg manicotti noodles (14 noodles)
1 1/2 lbs large curd cottage cheese
2 eggs slightly beaten
2 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup dry)
1 tsp. salt
1 jar spaghetti sauce (1 lb 10 oz size)

What you do:

Start by cooking the noodles. (For half the recipe, 6-7 minutes makes them perfect: sturdy enough to hold up when you stuff them, but soft enough to eat.) Combine the rest of the ingredients (minus the sauce). Pour enough sauce in the pan to generously cover the bottom of it. Once the noodles are done, stuff them with the mixture. I will admit, this part is time consuming (usually takes me about 10-15 minutes). But it is so worth it! I have found that a baby spoon works best because it is small enough to actually stuff down into the noodle. I hold the noodle with one end in my palm so it doesn't leak out while I stuff the other end. Place stuffed noodles in pan and cover with the rest of the spaghetti sauce. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 15. (For half the recipe I do 30 covered and 5 uncovered).



Not the best picture, but this is what it looks like before you bake it (and pretty much it looks the same when you take it out of the oven)

Enjoy!

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