Sauteed Kale with Garlic

Sauteed Kale with Garlic

 Kale is my favorite leafy green.  One cup cooked has 89% of your daily vitamin C and over 100% of your vitamin A, as well as being hearty and delicious!

 

This dish is vegan and gluten free.

 

  

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale

1 garlic clove

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Let's start by washing the kale really well. Once the kale is clean, remove the leaves from the stems.  Chop the leaves up into bite size pieces and discard the stems.  Chop the garlic into really fine pieces.  Place the garlic and olive oil into a cold pan.  Put the heat at medium.  As soon as you hear the garlic start to sizzle, add the kale to the pan.  Toss everything together, cover and reduce the heat to medium low.  Cook for about 15 minutes, tossing about every 5.  Remove the lid, add the salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.  Cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Place the kale on a serving dish and enjoy!

Tofu Breakfast Tacos

Tofu Breakfast Tacos

These delcious breakfast tacos are a great way to start your day with a fiesta!

 This recipe is vegan, omit vegan breakfast sausage to make it gluten free.

 

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

  1 package Tofurky Vegan Breakfast Sausages

1 package firm tofu

12 corn tortillas

1 can, refried beans

1 green pepper, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

1/4 onion, chopped

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  Preheat a pan to medium heat.  Add the olive oil, peppers and onions to the pan.  While those start cooking, chop up the vegan sausages and tofu into bite size pieces.  Add them to the pan and toss everything together.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Let this mixture cook for about 20 minutes, tossing often, until everything gets a nice carmelization.  Get your refried beans cooking in a pot until they are nice and warm.  Remember to check the ingredients on the beans to ensure that they are vegetarian.

Warm the tortillas on a stove burner and store them in a clean kitchen towel until you are ready to serve.  

Chop the tomatoes and add them to the taco mixture.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Now we are ready to plate!  Lay out 3 corn tortillas on a plate.  Spread a couple of spoonfuls of beans onto the tortillas and top with 1/4 cup of the taco mixture.  Enjoy!

Vegan Beefless Tips with Polenta and Peppers

Vegan Beefless Tips with Polenta and Peppers

This recipe has all of the delicious flavors of a tamale, but it can be prepared in half the time!

This dish is vegan.

 

 

Serves 2

Ingredients

 1 package Gardein Beefless Tips
1 cup cooked, firmed polenta
2 chopped roma tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped onions
1/4 cup chopped green peppers
2 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Polenta
In order to cook the polenta, we will follow the same steps as we did for making Polenta fries.  Bring two cups of water to a boil.  Add the 1/2 cup of yellow corn meal and simmer.  You will need to stir the mixture very frequently.  Simmer this mixture for about twenty minutes, slowly adding the last cup of water throughout.  Add the salt, pepper and parsley.  Keep stirring :)  When the polenta begins to pull away from the walls of the pot, you are done.

 Now pour your polenta into a 2 x 4 glass container.  Let the polenta cool to room temperature.  Cover it and place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.

After the polenta has cooled for at least two hours.  Remove it from the fridge and slice it into bite size pieces.

  

Coat a cookie sheet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Place the polenta slices on the pan and into an oven that has been preheated to 450 degrees.  Cook for 30 minutes, flipping the polenta fries every 15 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Beefless Tips and Peppers 

Preheat a pan to medium heat.  Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the pan and add the package of Beefless Tips.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes, or until they have completely thawed.  Uncover the pan, add the onions and pepper and toss all of the ingredients together.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes. 

Plating

Now that all of our ingredients are cooked, it's time to plate.  The polenta is the base of the dish, so it goes down first.  Top the polenta with the beefless tips and peppers.  Finish by adding the chopped roma tomatoes.  Salt and Pepper to taste.  Enjoy!

 

Chik Patty Parmesan

Chik Patty Parmesan

This recipe is easy and delicious, making it yet another way to jazz up a traditional Chik Patty. 

 

This recipe is vegetarian.

 

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

4 vegetarian Chik Patties

5 oz of Parmesan/Gouda cheese

 4 cups cooked spaghetti

3 cups marinara sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

basil for garnish

  

Directions

As I promised, this recipe is super easy.  Drizzle the olive oil onto a cookie sheet.  Place your chik patties on the sheet and bake in a 425 degree oven for 20 minutes, flipping once after 10 minutes.  If you want to make this dish even easier, you can microwave the chik patty, but I find that the crispyness from the oven is worth the extra time.  While the chik patties are cooking, cook your spaghetti and warm the marinara sauce on the stove top.  When everything is good and hot, all you have to do is assemble.  Add 2 cups of marinara sauce to 4 cups of cooked spaghetti.  Place one cup of the spaghetti on a plate along side the chik patty.  Top the chik patty with 1/4 cup of sauce, 1/4 of the Parmesan/Gouda cheese, and the fresh basil.   You can find the Parmesan/Gouda cheese blend at Trader Joe's or your local cheese shop.  If you want to keep it simple, either Parmesan or Gouda would be great with this dish.  Enjoy!

 

Boca Burger with Grilled Onions

Boca Burger with Grilled Onions

Jazz up a plain Boca Burger by topping it with delicious caramelized onions.  A great way to add flavor to this protein packed vegan sandwich.

Onions are great for your cardiovascular system and they also contain flavonoids that may prohibit tumor growth.

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

4 - Boca Burgers

1 yellow onion

4 leaves Romaine Lettuce

4 onion rolls

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

 Preheat a large pan to medium heat.  Chop your onions into inch long pieces.  Add the olive oil and onions to the pan.   Let the onions cook for about 15 minutes, stirring every 3 minutes or so, until they reach a nice caramel color.  Salt and pepper to taste.  In the same pan, cook the Boca burgers for about 5 minutes on each side.  To assemble the sandwich, place the Boca burger on the bottom bun, followed 1/4 of the grilled onions.  Top with a leaf of Romaine lettuce and the top bun.  Enjoy!

Vegan Gyros

Vegan Gyros

Vegan Gyros are packed full of protein.  Top with hummus, tomatoes, and cucumbers to complete the meal.

If you don't have hummus, tahini would also be a great topping.

 

 

Makes 4 gyros

Ingredients

1 package vegan gyros 

4 pitas

2 roma tomatoes, chopped

1 cucumber, chopped

1 cup white bean hummus

1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions

Preheat a pan to medium heat.  Add the olive oil and vegan gyros and cook for about 15 minutes.  Cut your pitas in half and place about half of the hummus inside.  Add the cooked gyros, chopped tomatoes and cucumbers.  Top with the remaining hummus.  Enjoy! 

 

Vegetarian Jambalaya with Avocado

Vegetarian Jambalaya with Avocado

This dish is full of the great creole flavors that you know and love.  It's spicy, delicious and of course, vegetarian.

 

Omit the sausageless sausage to make this Jambalaya vegan and gluten free.

 

 

Makes 4 servings

 

Ingredients

4 Trader Joe's Sausageless Sausage

1 cup chopped yellow onions

1 cup chopped green peppers

1/2 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped kale

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 cups vegetable stock or water

28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes

1 cup white rice

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 tablespoon dried parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

15 oz can black beans

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

1 avocado, chopped

Directions

Preheat a pan to medium heat.  Chop the sausageless sausages and place them in the pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook until the sausage pieces are browned.  Remove them from the pan.  We will add them to the jambalaya later.

Using the same pan, sautee the yellow onions, green peppers, celery, and garlic in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for about 5 minutes.  Blend the tomatoes until smooth.  Add them to the pan with the stock, rice, kale, and seasonings.  Mix everything together.  Bring it to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to low.  Simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the beans, green onions and browned sausageless sausage and cook, uncovered, for an additional 5 minutes.  Top with chopped avocado and serve.  Enjoy!

 

Celebration Sandwich

Celebration Sandwich

This delicious sandwich is full of bready, cheesy goodness.

 

 Good food is a great reason to celebrate!

 

 

Ingredients

 

1 asiago bagel

4 Trader Joe's chickenless crispy tenders 

1 slice gouda cheese

  1 roma tomato

1 leaf romaine lettuce

1 tablespoon veganaise (or mayo)

salt and pepper

Directions

 

I was inspired to make this sandwich after my thoughtful family gave me freshly baked bagels and gourmet cheeses for my birthday.  So for me, this is a birthday celebration sandwich :)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Bake the chickenless crispy tenders for 30 minutes, flipping once halfway through.  Slice the bagel, tomato and cheese.  Spread the veganaise on the top bagel and add salt and pepper.   To assemble the sandwich, place the chickenless crispy tenders on the bottom slice of bagel.  Top the tenders with the gouda cheese, roma tomato and romaine lettuce.  Place the top of the bagel on top of it all.  Enjoy!

Tofu and Black Bean Enchildas

Tofu and Black Bean Enchiladas

These enchiladas are easy to make and super delicious!  This method can be used with cheese, beans or ground crumbles.  The only limit is your own creativity.

 

This dish is vegetarian.

 

Makes 10 Enchiladas

 

 

Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

8oz can tomato paste

2 cups water

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

Directions

Place all of the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour the Enchilada Sauce into a pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes.  That's it!

Enchiladas

 

Ingredients

10 flour tortillas

1 block extra firm tofu

15oz can black beans

1/2 tablespoon cumin

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup green onions, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Remove the tofu from the block and drain any excess liquid by wrapping the tofu in a paper towel.  Roughly chop the tofu into small squares.  Preheat a pan to medium.  Add the olive oil and tofu to the pan.  Break up the tofu with a wooden spoon, so that it resembles crumbles.  Drain and rinse the black beans and add to the pan.  Add the cumin, salt and pepper and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often.

Take a 9x13 glass baking dish and place a layer of enchilada sauce on the bottom.  This will prevent our enchiladas from sticking to the bottom of the dish.  To assemble the enchiladas, take one tortilla and place 1/2 cup of the tofu/black bean mixture in the center.  Roll the tortilla into a tube, leaving the ends open.  Place the enchilada into the baking dish.  Repeat until you have 10 enchiladas and your dish is full.  Pour the remaining enchilada sauce over the enchiladas making sure that everything is completely covered.  Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the enchiladas and cover the baking dish with foil.

Place the baking dish into an oven that has been preheated to 425 degrees.  Cook for 35 minutes, remove the foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Top with green onions and serve with a simple salad.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

Baked Falafel

Baked Falafel

Baking falafel gives us a healthy alternative for this Middle Eastern classic.

 

This dish is vegan and gluten free.

 

 

Ingredients

 

 15 oz can garbanzo beans

2 tablespoons chickpea flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon tahini

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

 

Drain and rinse the garbanzo beans.  Mash the garbanzo beans with a potato masher until they reach a paste like consistency.  Add all of the remaining ingredients, except the olive oil, and mix well.  Shape the mixture into golf ball size rounds and flatten slightly.  Drizzle a cookie sheet with the olive oil and preheat the oven to 425.  Place the falafels onto the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes, flipping once after 10 minutes.  Serve with hummus or tahini.  Enjoy!

Poblano and Cheese Arepas

Poblano and Cheese Arepas

I have found yet another use for polenta... Arepas!  Polenta makes the arepas creamier than the traditional, fluffy style and they are super easy to make.

Other filling options could be spinach, onions or tomatoes!

 

 This dish is vegetarian and gluten free.

 

Makes 12 Arepas

 

Ingredients

1 cup of yellow corn meal (polenta)

5 cups of water

1 tablespoon parsley

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 Poblano peppers

12 oz shredded, chihuahua cheese

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Bring four cups of water to a boil.  Add the yellow corn meal and simmer.  You will need to stir the mixture very frequently.  Simmer this mixture for about twenty minutes, slowly adding the last cup of water throughout.  Add the salt, pepper and parsley.  Keep stirring :)  When the polenta begins to pull away from the walls of the pot, you are ready to put it in a cylinder container to shape.  If you don't have a cylinder tupperware, you can also use a glass.  Place the polenta filled cylinder into the fridge for at least two hours.  This can also be done the day before.

Okay, now that your polenta has solidified, we can cut it into 24 slices.  Preheat a oven to 450.  Place the sliced polenta onto a cookie sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook for 45 minutes, flipping the polenta slices halfway through the process.

Slice the poblano peppers, discarding the seeds and the veins.  Saute the sliced peppers in one tablespoon of olive oil until they are soft and have a nice caramel color.

Now that the polenta slices and the poblanos are cooked, it's time to assemble our arepas.  Each arepa will consist of 2 polenta slices, 1 ounce of chihuahua cheese and about a 1/4 cup of the poblanos.  I find that it works best to start with 1 slice of polenta, then add 1/2 ounce of the cheese, followed by your peppers, then another 1/2 ounce of the cheese and finally the other slice of polenta.  This allows for the cheese to get melty and hold the whole thing together.  Serve with a side salad or some refried beans.  Enjoy!

 

Tofurky Panini

Tofurky Panini

This hot sandwich is nutritious, delicious and easy to make!

Substitute your favorite soy deli slices and cheese to personalize this panini.

 

 

Ingredients

 

2 slices of wheat bread

4 tofurky deli slices

1 ounce muenster cheese

1/4 cup fresh baby spinach

1 small roma tomato, sliced

1 tablespoon olive oil

  Directions

 

We are going to assemble our paninis from the bottom up.  Start with one of the slices of wheat bread and top it with 1/2 ounce of the muenster cheese.  Next add the slices of tomato and the baby spinach.  Follow that with the tofurky slices and the remainder of the cheese.  Top with the 2nd slice of bread.  Preheat a pan to medium heat.  Place 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil in the center and place the sandwich over the oil.  Pour the rest of the oil on top of the sandwich.  Cook for about 4 minutes on each side.  Use a spatula to press down on the sandwich.  This will help keep all of the ingredients in tact and make it into a panini.  Enjoy!

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

Garlic and potatoes are a match made in heaven! This delicious side dish is vegan and gluten free so everyone can enjoy it.

 

Substitute your preferred milk or potato to make this dish your personal favorite.  

 

 

 

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

4 medium red potatoes

5 garlic cloves

1 tablespoon olive oil

3/4 cup almond milk

1 tablespoon parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

We are going to keep the skins on our potatoes for this dish, so be sure to clean them really well.  Chop up the potatoes into 2 inch size pieces, place into a pot and cover with water.  Bring the water to a boil and cook, covered, for 15-20 minutes.

Peel the garlic cloves and lightly saute them in a pan with the olive oil.  You want the garlic to cook slowly and barely get brown.  This should take about 5 minutes.  Remove the garlic from the pan and place on a cutting board.  Salt the garlic and use a knife to spread the garlic into a paste.  Place the garlic paste into a small bowl with the remaining olive oil from the pan and mix thoroughly. 

When the potatoes are fork tender, drain the water and mash the potatoes.  Add salt, pepper, and parsley.  Add the almond milk, a little at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.  Combine the garlic paste into the mashed potatoes.  Enjoy!

 

Tofu Scramble with Polenta

Tofu Scramble with Polenta

A tofu scramble is a delicious and protein packed breakfast.  Add polenta and you get a comfort food that will fill you up and keep you going throughout your busy day.

 

Make extra polenta to use as fries for tomorrow's meal!

 

 

Makes 4 servings

 

Ingredients

 

Polenta

1 cup of yellow corn meal (polenta)

5 cups of water

1 tablespoon parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Spinach

5oz fresh spinach

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

 1 garlic clove, minced

salt and pepper to taste

Scramble

1 block of tofu

6 morning star veggie sausage links

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 oz muenster cheese

2 roma tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Polenta

Bring four cups of water to a boil.  Add the yellow corn meal and simmer.  You will need to stir the mixture very frequently.  Simmer this mixture for about twenty minutes, slowly adding the last cup of water throughout.  Add the salt, pepper and parsley.  Keep stirring :)  When the polenta begins to pull away from the walls of the pot, you are done.

Spinach

Place the olive oil and garlic into a cold pan.  Turn the heat to medium.  When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the spinach to the pan.  Toss the spinach around with the garlic.  (Make sure to not leave the garlic on the bottom of the pan or it will burn and make the whole dish bitter.)  Add the salt and pepper and cook for approximately 10 minutes.

Scramble

 Preheat the pan to medium heat.  Add the olive oil and veggie sausages.  Cook for about 5 minutes and remove the sausages from the pan, chop them into bite size pieces and return them to the pan.  Remove the tofu from it's container and dry off any extra moisture with a paper towel.  Cut the tofu into bite size pieces and add it to the pan.  Add salt and pepper.  Cook for about 15 minutes.

Now it's time to assemble the scramble.  Place 1 cup of cooked polenta onto the plate.  Add 1 1/4 oz of the spinach and a quarter of the scramble mixuture.  Add 1 oz of shredded muenster cheese and the chopped tomatoes.  Enjoy!

 

 

Simple Arugula Salad

Simple Arugula Salad

Arugula has a wonderful peppery flavor and a simple lemon dressing is the perfect compliment for making a delicious salad.

 

This quick and easy salad is vegan and gluten free!

 

  

Serves 4

 

Ingredients

 5 oz fresh arugula

1 avocado, diced

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Rinse your arugula in cold water to clean it and freshen it up.   Dice the tomato and avocado.  Toss them together with the arugula.  In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper.  Whisk the dressing with a fork until the ingredients are fully incorporated.  Pour the dressing on top of the salad and gently toss.  Enjoy!

Tofu Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

Tofu Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce

This recipe is a tofu treat for your vegan taste buds.

Keep leftovers in the freezer for easy weeknight meals!

 

 

Ingredients

 

Peanut Sauce

3/4 cups unsalted peanut butter

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon chili sauce (optional)

Stir Fry

6 oz spaghetti noodles, cooked

1 package firm tofu

1/4 cup teriyaki sauce

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 carrots, sliced thinly

5 green onions, chopped

1 cup alfalfa sprouts

1 cup edamame

Directions

 

Peanut Sauce

Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until they are fully incorporated.  It's just that easy!

Stir Fry

 Let's start with the tofu.  Preheat a large skillet or wok to medium heat.  Add the olive oil and tofu and cook for about 5 minutes.  Pour in the teriyaki sauce and make sure that all of the tofu is evenly coated.  The goal here is to get a nice teriyaki crust on the tofu, which should take about 10 minutes.  Toss frequently.  Add the sesame seeds and crushed red pepper, always making sure to coat the tofu.  

Get a pot of water boiling and cook the edamame for 5 minutes.

Back to the stir fry, add the garlic, ginger, 2 of the sliced carrots, and the peanut sauce to the wok.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Add 3/4 cups of the alfalfa sprouts, the edamame, cooked noodles and green onions to the stir fry.  Cook for about 2 minutes.

To serve, place about a cup of the stir fry onto a place and garnish with the remaining carrots, green onions and sprouts.  Enjoy!

 

 

Three Bean Vegan Chili

Three Bean Vegan Chili

This recipe is both delicious and comforting.  A perfect dinner on a snowy winter night.

Use it for a topping on french fries or soy dogs!

 

Ingredients

2 - 15oz cans black beans
2 - 15oz cans kidney beans
2 - 15oz cans pinto beans
1 - 28oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 - 6oz can tomato paste
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon dried parsley
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place your olive oil, garlic and onions into a large stock pot and heat to medium.  When the garlic and onions start to sizzle add the jalapeno and green peppers.  Salt and pepper the veggies and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the beans and the tomatoes.  I like to blend up the tomatoes first, to make for a smoother chili, but feel free to add the tomatoes in whole if you prefer it chunkier.  Add the tomato paste and the remaining herbs and spices.  Salt and pepper to taste, but beware that as the chili cooks down and the liquid evaporates, it can become easy to over salt.  Cook the chili for about 45 minutes, stirring often.  Top with green onions and serve.  Enjoy!

 

Couscous with Pistachios and Herbs

Couscous with Pistachios and Herbs

This salty, sweet dish is a contradiction of the senses!

Serve hot or at room temperature.

 

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup Israeli couscous

1 cup water (add more if needed)

1/4 cup shelled pistachios

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons orange juice

 1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon dried parsley

1/2 tablespoon dried mint 

salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat a pot to medium heat.  Add the olive oil and couscous and toast the couscous until it is slightly browned.  Add the water, stir and bring the couscous to a boil.  Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often.  (As the couscous cooks, you may need to add additional water.  Just keep an eye on it and once the couscous is soft it is done.  If you have ever cooked rice-a-roni, it's the same method.)  Add the remainder of the ingredients and cook for an additional 5 minutes.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy!

Eggless Egg salad

Eggless Egg salad

Eggless Egg salad is not only quick and delicious, but it is also packed with protein.

Make Eggless Egg Salad ahead of time, for a great post-run recovery meal.

 

 

Ingredients

1 package firm tofu

3 tablespoons veganaise

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 celery rib, chopped

1/8 cup onion, chopped

1/2 tablespoon celery salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Drain the tofu and soak up excessive liquid with a paper towel.  Roughly chop the tofu and place into a large bowl.  Add all of the remaining ingredients and mix well.  I like to smash the tofu as I mix, to give it the texture of a traditional egg salad.   You can eat it by itself, or serve it with your favorite bread.  A side serving of fruit will complete the meal.  Enjoy!

 

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

 This recipe requires some prep work, but it makes a ton of food and the leftovers are amazing!

Freeze leftovers in individual containers for quick and easy weeknight dinners.

 

Ingredients

1 eggplant

1 batch of marinara sauce

 2 cups breadcrumbs

2 cups water

1 cup Parmesan cheese

8 oz fresh mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup fresh basil

3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions

Slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch slices.  I like to leave the skins on as they are packed with nutrients.  If you find the skins to be bitter, you may prefer to peel your eggplant before slicing.  Fill one bowl with water and another with breadcrumbs.  You can use store bought breadcrumbs, but I like to use homemade.  Just place the ends of a loaf of bread (the slices that no one wants for their sandwich) into a blender with some salt, pepper, garlic powder and parsley and set the blender to crumb.  It's just that easy!  Add 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs.  Take your eggplant and dip it into the water and then into the parmesan breadcrumbs, making sure that each slice is totally covered in crumbs.  Place the covered eggplant slices onto a cookie sheet that has been coated with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  You will need two cookie sheets to hold all of the eggplant slices.  Place the eggplant slices into a oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees.  Cook for 15 minutes on each side.

Now that the eggplant is cooked, we can begin to assemble our dish.  Take a 9 x 13 baking dish, drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom and coat the bottom with marinara sauce.  Place the eggplant into the dish, followed by a layer of marinara sauce (completely covering the eggplant), and a 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.  Repeat.

 

 Cover the baking dish with foil and place it into the oven that is still at 400 degrees.  Cook for 40 minutes or until the sauce starts to bubble at the sides of the dish.  Remove the foil, top with slices of fresh mozzarella and place the dish back into the oven.  Cook for an additional 10 minutes.  Top the eggplant parmesan with fresh basil and the remainder of your parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!