Meatless Monday: Roasted Eggplant Parmesan

I’m going to keep this short and sweet. This recipe is nothing but a whole lot of ooey, gooey, warm, cheesy goodness.

I’ve made eggplant parmesan before, but it was the traditional way where you slice the eggplant into discs and bread each piece.

This is a much simpler, quicker version and oh-so yummy. I enjoyed my eggplant with a whole wheat roll, which I used to dip into the ooey, gooey, warm, cheesy goodness. Fantastic. Hope you all enjoy! Oh, and don’t forget to enter my SlimKicker giveaway contest to win a FREE slow cooker!

Roasted Eggplant Parmesan
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 eggplant, sliced in half vertically
Olive oil
Salt
1/3 cup light ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp each dried basil and parsley (or fresh, if you have some handy)
1/3 cup low-sodium marinara sauce
1 small tomato, sliced
Whole wheat bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese

Directions:
1. Sprinkle the eggplant halves with a little bit of salt and place on a baking sheet, flesh side down. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and broil on high for 20 minutes. While the eggplant is in the oven, combine the ricotta cheese, basil, and parsley in a small bowl.

2. When the eggplant is done, remove it from the oven and carefully turn over each half. Spread half of the ricotta mixture on each piece of eggplant. Do the same with the marinara sauce. Top each half with a few slices of tomato; sprinkle with some bread crumbs and parmesan cheese.

3. Bake at 400 degrees until the bread crumbs are toasted (about 5-10 minutes). You can also use mozzarella instead of ricotta if you like, or even sprinkle some feta cheese on top. Yum!

Happy Meatless Monday!

Be Well xo

Meatless Monday: Curried Cashew Lentil Burgers

Two posts in a row, I’m on a roll!

I’ve got yet another tasty meat-free burger recipe for you all. Some of you may remember a couple of recipes I posted last year for asian-inspired quinoa veggie burgers and southwest veggie burgers. This recipe might be my favourite of the 3!

This protein-packed patty is chock full of heart-healthy fats and fibre, and not to mention super delicious. I got the recipe from my Canadian Living cookbook, “The Vegetarian Collection”. The full recipe is provided below, but I only made half of it since I was cooking for one :) I made one patty and saved what was left of the burger “meat” in the fridge for the following day. Hope you enjoy!

Curried Cashew Lentil Burgers

Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted cashews
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cups sliced white mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
1 can no-salt-added lentils, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp curry paste
1/4 cup dry whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:
1. In a medium skillet, toast the cashews over medium-low heat until fragrant (about 5 minutes). Transfer to a food processor.

2. In the same skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat; saute the mushrooms, onion, garlic, salt and pepper until no liquid remains (about 5 minutes). I added a couple pinches of cumin and curry powder as well. Add to the food processor.

3. Add the lentils and curry paste to the food processor; pulse to combine. Mix in the bread crumbs and cilantro. Shape into four 1-inch thick patties.

4. In a large skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium heat; fry the patties until crusty, turning once (about 16 minutes). Carefully transfer the patties to whole wheat buns and top with your favourite condiments. I topped mine with slices of red onion, alfalfa sprouts and fresh cilantro. Delicious!

Happy Meatless Monday!

Be Well xo

Spaghetti Squash & Spicy Black Bean “Meat”balls

Check out the guest blog I did for the University Health Network earlier today:

Here’s a tasty, and not to mention healthy, twist on a classic Italian dish! If you’re in the mood for pasta but want to aviod eating something starchy, you can try opting for spaghetti squash instead. This lighter, low-calorie substitute amounts to approximately 42 calories per cup and contains several essential nutrients, such as vitamins A, C and B6.

Of course, spaghetti is not spaghetti unless it’s served with meatballs! Being a vegetarian, I decided to try making meat-free meatballs for the first time. I found a simple recipe online and made a few small modifications of my own. I have to admit I was a bit worried that the meatballs wouldn’t stick together well and would just end up crumbling, but this recipe worked out fantastically! The meatballs were firm on the outside and slightly soft on the inside. The added pinch of red pepper flakes gave them a bit of a kick as well.  

With a few minor modifications, this recipe can also be vegan-friendly. Regardless of your dietary preferences, this dish is sure to please your palate :) Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash & Spicy Black Bean “Meat”balls

Makes about 12 “meat”balls (each roughly the size of a golfball). Serves 2-4.

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash, cut in half length-wise, seeds scooped out
1 can no-salt added black beans
1 egg (vegan substitute: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water)
1/4 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce (vegan substitute: try this vegan-friendly worchestershire sauce recipe)
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese (vegan substitute: nutritional yeast)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion power
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Cooking spray
1.5 cups of your favourite low-sodium pasta sauce

Directions:
1. Place the squash, cut side down, in a large pot filled with a couple of inches of water. Cover and bring to a boil for about 20 minutes, or until the squash is tender. Allow the squash some time to cool, then scrape a fork across the flesh to separate the strands. Season with a bit of pepper, sea salt, or herbs such as basil and oregano.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.
3. Pour the beans into a large mixing bowl and mash with a potato masher until almost smooth. Mix in the egg, breadcrumbs, worchestershire sauce, parmesan cheese, and seasonings with a fork.
4. Use a tablespoon measure or spoon to form meatball-sized portions, using your hands to roll them into ball shapes.
5. Arrange on the baking sheet, spray with a bit more cooking spray (this will help them develop a bit of a crisp on the outside), and bake for about 20 minutes.
6. Divide the spaghetti squash into bowls. Combine the “meat”balls and pasta sauce in a sauce pan and gently stir until heated through. Divide the warm “meat”balls and sauce over the spaghetti squash. Garnish with some parmesan cheese or freshly chopped basil. Dig in!

Homemade Strawberry Pomegranate Applesauce

Hello, blogging world! Sorry I’ve been so absent as of late. I got caught up in holiday celebrations and was busy wrapping up the last few weeks at my internship. I’m excited (and slightly terrified) to announce that I’m back on …

Meatless Monday: Stuffed Butternut Squash

I’ve had a mild obsession with butternut squash lately. It’s just SO GOOD, and can be used in so many different ways! I had pinned a recipe on Pinterest a while back for stuffed acorn squash and figured why not try it with a butternut squash? I didn’t really follow a specific recipe for this. I sort of made it up as I went along, throwing a bit of this and that in whenever I saw fit. Here’s the jist of the recipe:

Stuffed Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

1 bottom half of a butternut squash, seeds removed – the squash should be hollowed out like a bowl so it can be easily stuffed

1/4 cup cooked quinoa (you can also substitute any other leftover grains you may have lying around, such as brown rice or bulgur)

1/4 cup black beans, rinsed and drained

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup mixed vegetables, chopped (I used peppers, onions, tomatoes and mushrooms)

1 green onion, thinly sliced

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

2-3 tbsp feta cheese*, crumbled

1/2 tbsp Parmesan cheese*

*Feel free to omit the cheese to make this recipe vegan-friendly, or substitute with non-dairy cheese.

Directions:

1. Place the butternut squash, cut side down, on a baking tray lined with tinfoil. Bake in the oven at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until tender.

2. While the squash is roasting, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan on medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chopped vegetables and saute until softened, about 4-5 minutes. You can also add a pinch of chili flakes if you want a bit of heat.

3. Remove the frying pan from the heat. Add the quinoa, black beans, green onion, cilantro, and feta cheese to the vegetables; mix to combine.

4. Carefully turn the squash over so it looks like a bowl. Stuff the squash with the vegetable/quinoa/bean mixture; sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Place the squash back in the oven and broil for about 2 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.

5. Eat and enjoy!

This recipe was so tasty and very filling. I plan on making it again very soon!

Happy Meatless Monday :)

Be Well xo