vegetarian – Parmesan Princess

26
Aug
2014

Back to School! Superfood Quinoa Eggplant Involtini!

categories: Homemade Italian, Recipes, Sides

Quinoa is a superfood packed with nine amino acids making it a complete protein. Although this is common in meats, plants do not typically contain complete proteins. Quinoa comes most commonly in red, black and white. Quinoa has a nutty taste and the white cooks the fluffiest with a more rice-like texture.

Quinoa needs rinsed before cooking. It absorbs the water and is ready to eat!

I frequently substitute quinoa for meat, as well as rice. Give your family a healthier alternative and more energy!!

Photo by Amy Wilson Photography Http://www.amywilsonphotography.com — Photo by Amy Wilson Photography
Http://www.amywilsonphotography.com

Superfood Quinoa Eggplant Involtini
(Inspired by Mary Ann Esposito of Ciao Italia)

Ingredients:
2 Medium eggplant, slices 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup quinoa
1-1/2 cup water
2 cloves of garlic, pressed
2 tbsp. Aroma seasoning by Ciao Pittsburgh (OR 1 tsp. oregano, 1 tsp. basil, 1 tbsp.parsley)
Salt/pepper
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring water to a boil in a saucepan and add quinoa.

Cook on low heat until water is absorbed.

Add tomato paste, spices, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Mix well.

This is the quick filling version. If you have a few extra minutes sauté the garlic with some finely chopped onions and peppers. (1 small onion 1 small pepper)

Coat a baking sheet with olive oil, place eggplant slices on sheet and brush tops with olive oil.

Bake the eggplant slices until they are bendable, perfectly rollable.

Bake 15 mins. or until eggplant is softened.

Let cool and stuff with quinoa mixture. (Place mixture in the middle and roll.) You will be surprised by the malleability of the eggplant after being baked.

Coat a casserole dish with olive oil. Place rolls in a single layer, drizzle olive oil on the tops, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

This recipe fed our family of four as a Meatless Monday main course served with a side of broccoli.

Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Take foil off for the last 5 minutes.

Serve as a side dish or with a salad or vegetable!

Ciao!

25
Apr
2014

Homemade Veggie Baked Spring Rolls!!

categories: Dinner, Healthy Living, Learn From An Expert, Recipes, Sides

Veggie Baked Spring Rolls

Ingredients:

2 12oz. Bags dry Slaw Mix
2 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 small onion, chopped
1 8 oz. package of baby Bella mushrooms, chopped
4 tbsp. cumin
2 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt/pepper
1 package (24)thin spring roll shells

Directions:

Add rice vinegar to a deep frying pan.
Mix in onions and cook until softened.
Add slaw mix and mushrooms.

Add spices and mix well.
Let it cook only until warmed and coated.

I tasted it 2-3 times and added more cumin and cinnamon! What a great flavor combo! (I also thought about using ginger? Maybe next time!)

Taste and add more spices as needed.
Remove from heat.
Gently peel off one Spring roll pastry.

Here is an expert! Susan?? Showing us how easy it is to roll the spring rolls!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Abqjo5A7rI

Spoon. 2-3 tbsp. of filling in center of square.

I bought the frozen spring roll pastry and let them sit at room temperature to thaw. The woman at the store warned me about buying the dry ready made shells. Apparently, they crumble when rolled. She mentioned I could keep a bowl of water and swipe water across to make them more pliable. However, mine were great! Very bendy! — I bought the frozen spring roll pastry and let them sit at room temperature to thaw. The woman at the store warned me about buying the dry ready made shells. Apparently, they crumble when rolled. She mentioned I could keep a bowl of water and swipe water across to make them more pliable. However, mine were great ! Very bendy!

Fold in right and left triangles first and then roll.
Secure By tucking in end.

My rolls were not perfect! I will watch a YouTube video next time before I attempt it! — My rolls were not perfect! I will watch the YouTube video next time before I attempt it!

Place rolls on stoneware baking sheet or jelly roll pan.
Brush with vegetable oil.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 mins.
Rotating at 10 mins.
Watch for desired color and crispness.

Yummy! They were all gone in about 15 minutes!! My family loved them!

Serve with duck sauce and/or hot mustard!

Enjoy!
Ciao!

08
Apr
2014

Twofer Tuesday!! Quinoa Black Bean And Lentil Chili Turned Tostadas! Si, Señora!

categories: Crockpot, Dinner, Healthy Living, Recipes

Superfoods that taste super good?? Yes! Incorporate quinoa as a substitute for meat, rice, and pasta to come up with your own fun new recipes! Shhhh! They will never know!

Twofer Tuesday!!! Two meals in one!

Quinoa Black Bean and Lentil Chili

Ingredients:

1 15.5oz.can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup lentils,washed and drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 35oz. can San Marzano tomatoes
4 carrots peeled, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup uncooked quinoa, cooked according to package. (2 cups water for 1 cup uncooked quinoa)
4 tbsp. chili powder
2 tbsp. paprika
Salt/pepper

Red lentils! Add a splash of color to your meals!

Directions:

Heat a frying pan on low/medium heat.
Add olive oil, garlic, onions, carrots and celery.

Don't burn your garlic! No brown! No snap crackle pop! If it burns throw it out and start over! — Don’t burn your garlic! No brown! No snap crackle pop! If it burns throw it out and start over!

Season with spices-chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper.
Cook until the carrots begin to tenderize.
Add tomatoes, lentils and ingredients from pan to a stock pot.

Let lentils cook in tomatoes for a few minutes. Stir well.

Cook on low covered for 45 minutes.
Add cooked quinoa and heat through. (5-10 minutes)

The smell is amazing!! Spice it up with some red pepper flakes and hot sauce of you need a kick! — The smell is amazing!! Spice it up with some red pepper flakes and hot sauce if you need a kick!

Twofer Tuesday! This dish becomes your Mexican tostada base for another meal! Toast your tostada shells. Heat your chili. Add toppings of your choice like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sour cream, shredded cheese and avocado!

Serve with Corn bread! Enjoy !
Ciao!

18
Mar
2014

Superfood Quinoa Crockpot Stuffed Peppers!! Anti-aging Disease Preventing…Yes, Please!!

categories: Crockpot, Dinner, Recipes

The term “superfood” is used by nutritionists, doctors and scientists to describe foods with extremely high nutritional benefits and obvious disease fighting chemical properties. Dr. Oz is pretty convincing in his arguments promoting superfoods for anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, cancer fighting, cancer prevention and the overall health of our bodies’ systems!

Some of Dr. Oz’s favorites:
Sweet potatoes
Kale
Black soy beans
Quinoa
Red wine

In our crazy busy worlds, let’s try to add some superfoods a few times each week. Ever heard of chia?? It can add 10+ years to your life! Look for plenty of chia recipes coming soon!!!! All I need to hear is anti-aging, cancer preventing and red wine and I’m in!!

So Here it is:

Superfood Quinoa Crockpot Stuffed Peppers

Be healthy , look younger and feel great!!

Ingredients:
5-6 whole peppers- hollowed out and de-seeded with the tops cut of (see photo)
2tbsp. Olive oil
2 cloves garlic pressed
1 small onion chopped
5 carrots peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks chopped
1/3 cup chopped spinach
1 35oz can San Marzano tomatoes
1-1/2 cups quinoa- cooked
2tsp. of Salt/pepper/sage
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

I keep the ‘hats”, the top of the peppers you cut off, for a cute presentation!

Directions:
Cook quinoa according to package -3 cups water cook until tender,quinoa will absorb water

1 cup quinoa 2 cups water -it absorbs the liquid!

Meanwhile,
Add olive oil to frying pan on medium heat and add garlic

Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook 5-10 minutes

Add can of tomatoes.

As soon as carrots start to soften, add tomatoes!

Let it cook another 10 minutes

Add chopped spinach last

In a large mixing bowl, add quinoa to veggies and stir until blended.

Carefully spoon mixture into peppers

Mix well together. Taste - add extra salt, pepper, sage or spice it up with some cayenne pepper! — Mix well together. Taste – add extra salt, pepper, sage or spice it up with some cayenne pepper!

Add 2 cups of water to crockpot.

Set peppers in crockpot

Peppers will hold each other up in the crockpot! Be sure to see how many fit and choose your peppers accordingly! Maybe you need tall peppers instead of fat!

Cook on low for 3-4 hours

**Careful not to overcook the peppers!! You cannot cook them all day in the crockpot or you will end up with Quinoa Stuffed Pepper Soup!!**

Serve with a simple salad.
Always top off with freshly grated parmesan!! Enjoy!

14
Mar
2014

20 Minute Gourmet Pasta Tossed In A Pan Sauce! Open a bottle of wine…You Got This!

categories: 20 Minutes or Less, Homemade Italian, Recipes

This recipe is great! I never add more than 2 veggies! Peppers an spinach tonight!

Get home at 5 and have nothing prepared for dinner? We are all there multiple times per week! Relax, my 20 minute pasta dish is healthy, easy and quick!! Best part…It looks like you have cooked all day!

20 Min.Gourmet Pasta in Pan Sauce

Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic presses
2 tbsp olive oil
1 35 oz. can LaValle whole tomatoes
Salt/pepper
Choose what you have in the fridge! If none – move on there is nothing wrong with a pan marinara sauce! Today, I have a pepper and a bag of spinach.
1 pepper chopped
1 cup fresh spinach
1 pack Mushrooms sliced
1/2 cup Italian olives sliced
1 zucchini sliced
1/2 cup Pepperoni
Etc.

1 lb. of your favorite pasta- farfalle for us today!
Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions:

Put hot water in a stock pot on the stove, add 3 pinches of salt and bring to a boil.
Heat your largest frying pan on medium/low heat.
Add olive oil
Add garlic
Stir with wooden spoon- remember no brown- if it is crackling it is too hot!

If garlic burns throw it out and start over! Start over med/low heat. — If garlic burns, throw it out and start over! Start over med/low heat.

Add peppers (raw veggies) put a lid on and cook 5 mins.
Add can of tomatoes.
Salt and pepper
Put a lid on and let it cook. Totally fine to boil and bubble. You want to quickly cook the veggies and let the flavors mix together.

Chop up tomatoes as you stir . We like to have some chunks of tomato!

When water is at a rapid boil add pasta and follow directions and cook until al dente. Perfectly chewy!

Add some salt to the hot water. Wait for a rapid boil! Relax, you have time!

Strain pasta in a strainer over the sink. Take advantage of the pore opening steam facial!!

I love it! Freshen up for dinner! Blot with a paper towel!

Add a few spoonfuls of sauce in a serving bowl and coat pasta so it doesn’t stick. Mix in spinach last!

Serve with a nice ciabatta! I happened to have one in the freezer! OR Make a quick garlic toast in your toaster! Toast bread, butter it and sprinkle on garlic salt and Italian seasoning!

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Tag: vegetarian