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Eggplant Wraps

2/27/2019

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

2 medium eggplants
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix
14 ounces spinach
16 sundried tomato pieces
3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
5 ounces sharp cheddar, cut into 16 slices
Pinch of sea salt
Black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350°F. You will need a large non-stick baking sheet.
Cut the woody top off each eggplant and discard. Slice each eggplant lengthwise into 8 pieces (16 in all) about 1/2 inch thick.
Mix oil and the herbs together in a small bowl. Lightly brush each slice of eggplant with the herby oil. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Fry each side until golden brown and softened, which should be about 3 minutes per side. When all the slices are cooked, set them aside.
Wash the spinach in cold water, toss it in a hot medium saucepan until wilted, and drain off the excess liquid.
Assemble each wrap by taking 1 slice of the cooked eggplant and placing a little of the wilted spinach on one side. Then lay a piece of sundried tomato on top, sprinkle a few toasted pine nuts over it, and top with a slice of Cheddar. Fold the eggplant over to form the wrap, then place it on a large non-stick baking sheet.
Repeat this until all 16 wraps are assembled and placed side by side on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt and a grind of fresh black pepper.
Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, until the cheese has melted and is bubbling, and serve immediately.

Italian Chicken Skillet

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

4 large chicken cutlets (boneless skinless chicken breast cut into ¼ inch thin cutlets)
1 tablespoon dried oregano, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Olive oil
8 ounces of mushrooms cleaned and sliced
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 ¾ chicken broth
Handful of spinach (optional)

Pat chicken cutlets dry. Season on both sides with ½ tablespoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Coat the chicken cutlets with flour; dust off excess. Set aside briefly.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large cast iron skillet with a lid. Brown the chicken cutlets on both sides (3 minutes or so). Transfer the chicken cutlets to a plate.
In the same skillet, add more olive oil if needed. Add the mushrooms and saute briefly on medium-high (about 1 minute or so). Then add the tomatoes, garlic, the remaining 1/2 tbsp oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper, and 2 tsp flour. Cook for another 3 minutes or so, stirring regularly.
Add the lemon juice and chicken broth.
Bring the liquid to a boil, then add the chicken back in the skillet. Cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for another 8 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and its internal heat registers a minimum of 165 degrees F.
If you like, stir in a handful of baby spinach just before serving. Enjoy hot with your favorite small pasta like orzo and a crusty Italian bread!

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Vegetarian Spinach Meatless Meatballs

2/20/2019

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Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes

14 ounces fresh baby spinach
⅔ cup crumbled feta cheese
1 tablespoon mixed dried herbs
1 egg
½ cup flour (you can also use oat flour or breadcrumbs here)
¼ cup olive oil
10 ounces dry spaghetti
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or olive oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 medium zucchini, shredded
5 ounces tomatoes
Ground pepper

Add water and salt to a saucepan, bring to a boil.
Meanwhile, add spinach to large saucepan with splash of water. Place over medium-low heat and cover with a lid. Cook until wilted, 3-5 minutes. Rinse under cold running water to stop cooking process. Squeeze spinach to remove as much excess liquid as possible. Coarsely chop, set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix the feta, dried herbs and a generous amount of black pepper, the egg, and flour. Stir in the chopped spinach, the scoop heaping tablespoons of the mixture and roll into balls. Recipe should yield about 20 balls. You can either place them on a baking sheet with parchment paper in a preheated oven at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or fry them over medium heat in 2 tablespoons of oil per batch, turning, until golden brown on both sides, 3-5 minutes.
While cooking meatballs, add pasta to boiling water, cook according to package instructions. Drain.
Return pasta to the pan off the heat, stir in butter, soy sauce and shredded zucchini. Toss with cherry tomatoes. Serve.

Chicken Parm Zucchini Boats

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

4 medium zucchini or 1 large zucchini quartered
1 lb. ground chicken
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves minced
1 cup pasta sauce
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Optional: sliced fresh basil for topping

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a 9X13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Place a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and break it apart with a spoon. Add the salt and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Stir occasionally and break down the chicken into small chunks.
Reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic to the chicken. Cook 1 minute stirring often. Add the pasta sauce. Cook 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
As the chicken cooks, cut the zucchini in half, lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop the seeds and center out of each zucchini half, leaving ¼ inch thick zucchini boat.
Place the zucchini in the baking dish cut-side up.
Spoon the chicken mixture into the zucchini boats. Press the mixture down into the zucchini using the back of the spoon.
Sprinkle the zucchini evenly with the parmesan, then the mozzarella cheese.
Cover the baking dish with foil. Bake for 35 minutes.
Sprinkle with fresh basil & serve.

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Herb-Crusted Cauliflower "Steaks"

2/14/2019

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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes

1 head of cauliflower (1.5-2 lbs.)
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon black pepper, divided
8 ounces green beans, trimmed
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 (15 oz) can white beans, rinsed, drained
1 cup cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons mayo
1 teaspoon dijon mustard

Arrange racks in middle and upper third of oven and preheat to 425 F. Remove leaves and trim stem end of cauliflower, leaving core intact. Place cauliflower core side down and work surface. Using a large knife, slice in the center from top to bottom to yield 2 1"-thick steaks; reserve remaining cauliflower for another use.
Place cauliflower on rimmed baking sheet. Brush both sides with 1 tbsp. oil; season with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Roast on middle rack, turning halfway through until cauliflower is tender and brown, about 30 minutes
Meanwhile, toss green beans in 1 tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper on another rimmed baking sheet. Arrange in a single later and roast in upper third of oven until green beans begin to blister, about 15 minutes.
Whisk garlic, lemon zest, 1/3 cup parsley, and 6 Tbsp. oil, 1 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Transfer half of mixture to another medium bowl. Add panko and Parmesan to first bowl and mix with your hands. Add white beans and tomatoes to second bowl and toss to coat. Whisk mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl.
Remove sheets from oven. Spread mayonnaise mixture over cauliflower. Sprinkle 1/4 cup panko mixture evenly over cauliflower. Add white bean mixture to sheet with green beans and toss to combine. Return sheets to oven and continue to roast until white beans begin to crisp and panko topping starts to brown, 5 to 7 minutes more.
Divide cauliflower, green beans, white beans, and tomatoes among plates. Top with parsley.

Cauliflower Melts

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes

1/4 cup olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 Medium head of cauliflower cut into ½ in.-thick slabs to make total of 8 slabs
1/2 cup golden raisins
8 1/2 in.-thick slices crusty bread
4 ounces manchego cheese, cut into 8 slices
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine the oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Add the cauliflower slabs and toss to coat. Arrange the cauliflower on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, flip the slabs, and bake another 10 to 20 minutes, until softened and roasty. Set aside to cool but keep the oven on.
Meanwhile, soak the raisins in water for 10 minutes. Drain.
Lay the bread on the baking sheet and arrange the cauliflower on the bread, cutting it to fit as needed. Sprinkle with raisins and top with the cheese.
Bake until the cheese melts, 7 to 10 minutes.
Top the toasts with chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Click here to download a PDF of this week's recipes!

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Roasted Golden Beet Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

2/6/2019

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Prep Time: 45 minutes
Assembly Time: 5 minutes

Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons fresh navel orange juice (juice of ½ one orange)
1 ½ tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
1 ½ teaspoons dijon mustard
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Salad
5 ounces baby spinach or salad green of your choice
2 medium golden beet
2 oranges
2 green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup crumbled feta cheese (optional)
½ cup toasted walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Remove the tops from beets, peel, and chop into bite-size pieces. Place on rimmed baking sheet, drizzle lighlightly with oil, season with salt & pepper. Roast until tender (30-45 minutes).
While beet is cooking, place orange juice, vinegar, maple syrup, dijon, and lemon juice in a bowl, whisk until combined. Whisk in olive oil, salt & pepper to taste.
Slive tops and bottoms off 2 oranges, and working from the top to bottom, cut off the peels and as much of the white pith as possible. Once peeled, turn sideways and slice the oranges gently, then cut into quarters.
Place spinach (or other salad green) in a large bowl. Add the roasted golden beets, oranges, green onions, and cheese, tossing with enough vinaigrette to coat. Toss the crumbled feta and walnuts, serve & enjoy!

Oatmeal Stuffed Baked Apples

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

4 McIntosh apples
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups water
1 cup rolled oats
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup hazelnuts (or walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup hazelnuts (or walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.)
4 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

Preheat oven to 400 F. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray, or coat lightly with oil.
Remove the stem and core from each apple to create a small hole in the center large enough to be able to stuff the oatmeal inside.
Chop up the apple that you remove from the center. Sprinkle the apples insides with cinnamon.
Bring water to a boil. Add oats, apple pieces, and salt and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring often until the oats are thick and creamy, about 10-15 minutes. Stir in cream & brown sugar.
While the oats are cooking, heat the nuts in a skillet over medium-low heat, shaking or stirring constantly. Cook until they are toasted and fragrant, about 6-8 minutes. Remove, let cool and then coarsely chop.
Drizzle the inside of each apple with maple brown butter (recipe below), reserving some for topping. Fill each apple with the oatmeal and top with toasted nuts. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until the apples are soft.
Serve immediately with remaining apple brown butter.

Maple brown butter: Heat butter over medium heat in a saucepan, whisking constantly. Cook until it bubbles and the brown bits appear on the bottom of the pot, about 4-5 minutes. Quickly stir in the maple syrup and remove it from the heat. Whisk for another 30 seconds.

Click here to download a PDF of this week's recipes!

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Eggplant Wraps

Italian Chicken Skillet

Vegetarian Spinach Meatless Meatballs

Chicken Parm Zucchini Boats

Herb-Crusted Cauliflower "Steaks"

Cauliflower Melts

Roasted Golden Beet Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

Oatmeal Stuffed Baked Apples

Recipe Archives