Roasted Veggie Lasagna with Creamy Pesto Sauce

Have you ever made something so delicious that you thought you may never be able to top it? Like you might as well hang up your apron and call it a day? This was that recipe for me. Legitimately, this might be the best thing I've ever made; and it's the kind of recipe I get really excited to share with you, because I know it's really good. My husband even said he wished people could taste it through their screen, which is high praise coming from my own little food critic.

When I first started working out this recipe, I decided that I wanted to do something a little different. I knew I wanted to use a creamy pesto sauce instead of the standard marinara, but I also didn't want to leave out tomatoes completely, plus I really wanted to have something at least a little green in there. Fast forward through several Pinterest inspiration scrollings and I decided to try adding some yummy roasted veggies to the mix. I used a recipe I've been making a lot lately (see info below), which served to really balance out all of the creamy goodness going on, and it turned out to be the perfect compliment. I'm absolutely sure you'll love it, and I hope you'll share in the comments below if you do! Let's get started.

Cauliflower Poppers 3 Ways: Buffalo, Honey BBQ, & Cheesy Jalapeño

Ah, the super bowl. The best snack-eating, commercial-watching, couch-potato-ing day of the year! Oh yeah, and the football too. I'm not a huge sports fan, if you couldn't tell, but I mean no disrespect. There absolutely is something electric about game day that draws even the non sports-watchers in. For me, there is a certain level of excitement and camaraderie about it that I miss from watching games with my dad growing up. If nothing else, it's fun to hang out with good friends, eat yummy snacks, and pretend to be part of the sports community for a day. This year I'll be eating these delicious cauliflower poppers and rooting for whichever team my dad is rooting for - it's my little nod to him - love you, dad! I hope you'll give these a try and let me know what you think!

Roasted Veggie Chimichangas

Chimichangas!!! Mmmmm. My mouth is watering just thinking about these. I had the idea last night as I was roasting some fajita style veggies and wondering what I wanted to do with them (besides the obvious fajita use). I don't usually fry things, mainly because I don't want the added fat, but these chimichangas just sounded sooooo yummy. Plus I had all the stuff to make them, which is a rare feat! I decided to go for it, but I used whole wheat tortillas to make them healthy...oh who am I kidding? Let's just call it a cheat day :)

I ended up combining my favorite roasted veggies, vegetarian refried beans, lime juice, cilantro, and ooey-gooey cheddar cheese; stuffing them inside whole wheat tortillas; and then pan frying them to golden brown perfection. I finished them off with another squeeze of lime, and a healthy dollop of sour cream flavored with garlic and chives. It. Was. So. Good. I already can't wait to make these again, and, as an added bonus, I had lots of roasted veggies left over to use for other things. The wheels are already turning.

Quick Post: My New Favorite Sandwich

Oh man, this sandwich is my jam right now! It's so good I think about it during other meals, and wish they were this sandwich instead. I really love things that are spicy and tangy, so this kind of hits the spot for me.

Here's the deal: spread the olive mix on one side of the roll and avocado on the other; then pile everything else in between and mash together in a futile attempt to hold in all the deliciousness. Note: I cut the pickle and okra into strips and alternated them to make one layer - it was too overpowering to have a row of each.

Warning! This sandwich can get a little messy - proceed with napkins!

Kaiser roll (ciabatta also works really well)

1-2 Tbs MediterraneanBruschetta Olive Mix (I picked up a jar at Raley's)

Cucumber slices

1 pickle slice (sandwich style), cut into about 4 strips

1 spicy pickled okra, cut into fourths longways

Pepperjack cheese

1 Tbs feta cheese

Lettuce to taste

1/4 avocado

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Thanks for reading my blog! Please leave your thoughts, ideas, suggestions, or meals you would like to see me cook, in the comments below. Follow, share, and enjoy!

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Heirloom Tomato and Mushroom Frittata

What can I say about frittatas? Actually, I could probably say quite a bit, but any anecdotal quips I might have regarding my love for them would invariably boil down to three main characteristics: they're delicious, easy, and versatile. Here are some more words of affirmtion in case you don't believe me:

Delicious - that one doesn't take a whole lot of explaining. If you've ever had a frittata, most likely you're on board with this statement. 

Easy - I guess this could be debatable depending on what you would consider easy. I usually consider things to be easy if there aren't too many ingredients, steps, or time involved. This particular recipe meets at least two of those three requirements, so I think we're good there as well. 

Versatile - that's a no-brainer. You can pretty much throw any suitable ingredients you have in your fridge into this thing and it will turn out great; it's kind of like soup that way. Also anything that can be prepared for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is a winner in my book. The only other food I can think of that has a similar versatility is cold pizza - I once ate leftover pizza for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the next day. I'm not necessarily proud of this achievement, but it was delicious nonetheless.

Now that we're on the same page, let's take a closer look.

Cheesy Twice Baked Potatoes with Black Beans & Olives

Have you ever bought a bag of potatoes, but couldn’t think of anything to do with them? Of course not! You can do practically anything with potatoes! Boil em, mash em, stick em in a stew (sorry, I couldn’t resist). They can be initially time consuming, but if you bake them in advance, you can quickly make roasted potatoes, homemade French fries, potato salad, and now these delicious twice baked potatoes. You’re welcome.

I got the idea for these from a cheesy bread recipe my mom used to make when I was a kid. She would scoop out the inside of a long piece of French bread, mix it with cheddar cheese, red onions, olives, and mayonnaise, then put it back in and bake it until bubbly and delicious. It was always the first thing to go at any party, and I thought it would be easy to adapt to twice baked potatoes. I was planning to make them ahead of time for dinner tomorrow, but we ended up eating most of them tonight. I think that means they’re blog worthy!

Peppers Stuffed with Couscous & Veggie Sausage

Lately it seems like I’ve had zero energy when I get home. I feel all kinds of motivated on my drive home, thinking about all the cleaning, cooking, and general productiveness I’m going to accomplish; but the second I kick off my shoes and put on my comfy clothes, all of that is pretty much out the lounge-loving, internet-surfing window. But today I found the solution…caffeine! Ha ha

I’ve been excited to make these peppers for a while now, so I took advantage of my sudden burst of energy and decided to finally give it a try. I used flavored couscous and Italian veggie sausages to make it easy, and even used baking time to do the dishes AND a load of laundry. That means I don’t have to be productive for the rest of the week, right?

By the way, I apologize for the bad pictures – I was hungry and impatient!

Sweet & Spicy Grilled Cheese on Sliced Pugliese

The other day I was in the grocery store, wrestling to make my way through the hordes of holiday shoppers picking up their last minute Christmas dinner items (I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who waits until the last minute - high five, guys!), and I noticed these really wonderful looking, golden pineapples. 

This triggered a memory of a recipe I had seen recently for a baked, rice stuffed pineapple dish, and I immediately thought wouldn't that be the perfect side dish to bring for Christmas dinner?! I had visions of presenting this perfectly prepared dish, oohs and awws abounding as I placed it directly in the center of the table (ha!), so into the basket it went along with all my good intentions...then in a bag...then on the counter where it took up residence - long past the holiday festivities. My good ole friends Lazy and TV convinced me that it was too much trouble! (Perhaps it's time to make some new friends in the new year?)

Anyway! There was a point to this story, which was that I needed to do something with this miserable pineapple that I bought before it turned to mush on my kitchen counter. So it got demoted from Christmas side dish extraordinaire, to a sweet and spicy grilled cheese! Sorry pineapple!

Mushroom Medley Burger with Feta and Herbs

Every now and then, while perusing my local grocery store, and usually while feeling totally unispired, I will come across something that totally sets my wheels in motion. What starts out as a mundane venture turns into a sudden surge of possibilities. A furry of ingredients leap into my basket, piling up into precarious positions; bags are flying; produce is being squeezed; and I can hardly keep up with my own train of thought.

I appreciate moments like that because they remind me of why I love cooking so much - that spark of an idea that gets ignited into something I can share with the people I love.

That is exactly what happened when I got the idea for this burger. I came across a package of fresh herbs, diced onions, and cheese intended for topping a steak, and instantly the mushroom medley burger unfolded in mind. I picked up some fresh herbs, two kinds of onions, crimini and oyster mushrooms, and some delicious onion rolls; I couldn't wait to get back and start cooking!

Red Pepper Quinoa and Chipotle "Sausage" Stuffed Yams

Nothing says fall like the vibrant orange and earthy goodness of my favorite root vegetable. Yams, with their rough and tumble outside and surprisingly sweet inside, are the one thing I always have to have after the long summer months are over. Even though they’re available all year round, they just don’t taste the same to me unless the air is a little cooler, the breeze a little stronger, and the leaves a little yellower.

I like to use yams in many different ways; they really are a versatile vegetable, pairing well with both sweet and savory dishes. I like to bake them, roast them, add them to stews and casseroles; sometimes I’ll even throw leftover yams into a nice autumn salad. This time I decided to bake them and stuff them with roasted red pepper quinoa and Mexican chipotle veggie sausages. I let flavored ingredients do most of the work for me, so this one is super easy!

Breaded Eggplant Mini Pizzas with Homemade Sauce

What a wonderful few days this has been! It’s amazing what just a week’s time can do to change the seasons of our lives. Not only has the actual season turned from summer to fall (my favorite time of year!), but I also got a new job that I know I will love, after months of searching and hoping. As I write this blog post with a purring cat curled up on my lap, an oversized sweater keeping me cozy, and a bright outlook for the near future, I feel content (now someone knock on wood, so I don’t jinx it!).

And in honor of my contentment, I present to you: Eggplant Mini Pizzas! Because they are sure to make your bellies content…okay, not the best segue, I admit; but they are really tasty, and they did make my belly quite happy! 

Pesto Cheese Stuffed Shells with Mushrooms & Spinach

This recipe definitely has me wondering why I have never tried making stuffed shells before. I’ve had them previously in the form of those frozen, low fat/low calorie/low taste meals meant to torture dieters (if you are not familiar with these, then I am sincerely happy for you), but never anything like this. Just thinking about the deliciousness I’ve missed out on gives me pangs of remorse, but I digress. 

I had several ideas for the filling, but was inspired by a pesto chicken version I saw recently on What's Cookin, Chicago?; plus I still had plenty of pesto left over from those Monster Veggie Sandwiches I just made, so that pretty much sealed the deal. On a side note, the pesto turns the filling a fun shade of green, which makes them look like little stuffed ninja turtles…I’m not sure if this is bad or awesome.

Vegetarian Enchiladas with Green Chile Sauce

If you know me, then you know I LOVE Mexican food. When I became a vegetarian it was one of
the things I had the hardest time adapting to. All of the wonderful, yummy Mexican meals I liked before contained mass quantities of delicious meat, and trying to make them vegetarian just wasn't the same. 

One of my favorite dishes, pre-vegetarian, was my mom's chicken enchilada recipe, which was absolutely amazing. She used chicken, chipotle peppers, black beans, olives, jack cheese, and green chile sauce. I was really craving some of these delicious enchiladas recently, so I decided to recreate my own meat free version, and see how it compared. To my surprise, I think I like the vegetarian version better! I was really happy with the result, and to top it off, I decided to make my own roasted green chile sauce from scratch. The best part? This recipe made enough for two dinners and two lunches, meaning I didn’t have to cook tonight!

"Everything" Cheese Spread

Last night my husband and I were at our local grocery store. I’ve been eyeing these delectable looking everything bagels in the bakery department for a while now, and decided to go ahead and pick them up for breakfast this morning. I could smell the onion and garlic seeping through the package, and could practically feel the poppy seeds in my mouth, the way they pop and crunch with every bite. I was so ready to toss them in my basket when I turned them around to look at the nutritional information (I like to torture myself): 330 calories, and only 3 grams of fiber. Next to them were the whole wheat variety (staring me down with their bran crumbles on top) with only 280 calories, and 9 grams of fiber. I liked what I was reading on the whole wheat variety more, but I was practically drooling over the everything version. Now since I don’t often buy bagels, I was okay with splurging on something not entirely healthy, but then I had a thought: what if I buy the whole wheat bagels (which I also really like) and make an everything-type spread to go on top! Problem solved. 

Panini Sandwiches

Panini are one of my favorite things to make. There are practically endless flavor combinations to suite all tastes and preferences, and they are incredibly fast and easy to make, especially if you actually have a Panini maker or similar appliance. The day I realized I could use my George Foreman Lean Mean Grilling Machine to make these delicious pressed sandwiches was a turning point in my sandwich making endeavors! Never again will I stand over a skillet waiting for cheese to melt while my bread burns. NEVER AGAIN, I SAY!

Although the Foreman Grill (or other such appliance) makes Panini making a cinch, you could very easily achieve a similar result with a grill pan or regular skillet, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t have one of these glorious machines at your disposal!