Pasta Puteneggsca ;)

I apologize for the lack of photo but this disappeared WAY too fast to photograph and when creating it I had no clue it was going to be so stinking amazing. But I can't not document this creation.

• cavatappi noodles
• pesto sauce (i cheated and used a jar)
• half eggplant peeled sliced and diced (i cubed them)
• half a bag of sweet peppers sliced
• 1 can diced tomatoes

1. Saute eggplant and peppers in olive oil
2. Spice with salt pepper and garlic if desired for some flavor
3. After the eggplant has softened and changed color add the diced tomatoes
4. Continue cooking over low heat as the sauce thickens
5. Boil pasta
6. Drain pasta and mix pesto into pasta
7. Add eggplant mixture to pasta
8. Serve and enjoy!

Russian Vareniki - Strawberry Dumplings

If you have a wonderful Russian in your life like I have one in mine, then you may have experienced the heaven that is Vareniki yourself. If not - tune in and give it a whirl yourself!

Ingredients

• 2 C flour
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp veggie oil
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 lb strawberries

Instructions

1. Mix flour, salt and egg into a dough.
2. Add water and knead away.
3. Egg oil and continue kneading.
4. Cover bowl of dough with a towel and move on to strawberries.
5. Chop strawberries into small pieces and place into bowl
6. Add sugar to berries
7. Mix and set aside.
8. Go back to dough and break into manageable sections
9. Roll out the dough, and use a cookie cutter to pull out circles
10. Place a small amount of strawberries (you will figure amount more as you work) on one side
11. Fold half of the circle over into a moon dumpling shape.
12. Use water to seal the edge.
13. Use a fork to seal the edge.
14. Complete this process until the dough is gone.
15. Place dumplings into boiling water.
16. Once dumplings float, remove.
17. Serve warm. You can drizzle remaining strawberries and juice over the dumplings. We added vanilla bean greek yogurt as well and it was to die for!

Ugandan Rolex

One of the things you can find on every street vendor in Kampala is a Rolex. But not the kind you are thinking of. A Ugandan Rolex is an egg burrito inside a chapati. In fact, if you just drive down most any street in Kampala you will likely have rolexes brought to your car. The first time I had one of these was this hilarious story of trying one of the "not previously American approved restaurants" which turned out so fun and no one got sick. Ironically we all got sick from one of the Amer Approved restaurants lol. The owner was so excited to have Americans visit and did this whole welcoming thing - it was one of our favorite stories where we met the sweetest people. Anyhow - since most of his menu (not that there was a menu) was fish and meat, he offered to go buy us girls some rolex. Anyhow... I like to make it on occasion for my boy. Here you go!

• 1 eggs
• 1 thin chapati (or tortilla if you dont have any)
• salt and pepper
• handful of shredded cabbage
• sliced tomato
• cooking oil

1. Mix egg and salt and pepper
2. Pour egg mix into pan and fry it up on both sides
3. Place egg round into chapati and throw back in pan
4. Remove from pan and place a row of tomato and cabbage down the center
5. Sprinkle more salt and pepper and other desired spices down the row
6. Fold over one side and roll up the rest
7. Enjoy!

Blueberry and Goat Cheese Empanadas

I wanted to make something different for the boys to enjoy tonight. Josiah likes most things with strawberries, but I am about sick of strawberry everything, so I went with a blueberry option. And in honor of Millie and Billy we went with a goat cheese empanada for the win.

This was super easy to make and absolutely delicious to taste.

Ingredients

• 2 cups blueberries
• goat cheese
• 1 T flour
• 1 T brown sugar
• 1 t vanilla extract
• empanada dough (freezer section in grocer)
• egg
• table sugar

Steps

1. defrost empanada shells
2. preheat oven to 400
3. pour blueberries in a bowl and add flour, brown sugar, and vanilla extract and mix it up
4. lay out empanada shells and use water to keep them sticky
5. place a spoon of goat cheese and a spoon or two of blueberry mixture in shell
6. fold shell over
7. use a wet fork to press edges tight
8. poke holes in top
9. use egg mixed with water to wash the top of the shell
10. sprinkle table sugar over nadas
11. bake for 15-20 mins or until browned shell
12. enjoy!

The Ultimate Chopped Greek Salad

So my sister and I have been obsessing over this chopped greek salad at our local greek eatery (Hungry Greek) and after repeating visits there much this month I decided to try and replicate it. We absolutely loved our version - though next time I would see if I can buy their dressing or try to make my own. Also would add the beets next time that we forgot this time.

• iceburg lettuce
• romaine lettuce
• tomato
• feta 
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 cucumber
• kalamata olives
• black olives
• chopped beets (optional)
• chopped gyro meat (optional)
• potato salad (we got a small container from Publix deli)
• greek dressing ( I just got marie's greek vinaigrette but next time I would pay more attention to this and possibly buy a bottle from the local greek restaurant)
• pita (who eats salad without bread?)

1. Wash, peel and chop the cucumber
2. Wash and Chop the lettuce, tomato, feta, onion, and olives
3. Place the potato salad at the bottom of a large bowl
4. Mix together lettuce, tomato, cuke, onion, and olives in the bowl
5. Sprinkle feta on the top
6. Pour dressing over the top
7. Mix it all up
8. Toast the flatbread or pita for the side
9. Serve and Enjoy!

PS Make sure you put the collossal olives on your fingers and eat some like that 

General Tso's Chicken

My sweet sweet husband has one really sweet habit that makes me crazy sometimes. Every single time he goes to any restaurant he has a particular thing that he always gets. For instance - if we go to any Chinese restaurant he will get General Tsos Chicken; if we go to any Thai restaurant he will get Chicken Pad Thai; if we go to Winners he gets the Birdie Sandwich... every every dang time. I want to break his OCD and every time hope he will try something new - "here doesn't this look good?" at which point he always takes it into consideration and when it is time to order goes back to his old standby. Every every dang time. So yes - I see it as a challenge to expand his horizons - but yes I also find it absolutely adorable how faithful he is to his choices. So... it was only fitting that I find a recipe to make my sweet sweet husband General Tso Chicken. I made one version vegetarian with fake chicken and one with real chicken breast.

• 1C veggie broth
• 2T low sodium soy sauce
• 1T chopped fresh ginger
• 2t rice vinegar
• 2t sweetener
• 1t curry paste
• 2T Franks sweet and spicy hot sauce
• 2T evoo
• 1 package of boneless chicken breast (or 1 bag fake chicken strips)
• 1 handful of green onions
• half package of frozen broccoli

1. Mix broth, soy sauce, ginger, vinegar, sweetener, and curry in a bowl until it is well blended and put aside for a while
2. Saute the chicken in evoo in a pan until heated through - remove from pan and put in a plate for a while
3. Pour broth mixture in to pan and simmer until it thickens a bit
4. Place chicken, green onions, and broccoli back into pan and coat with sauce until cooked through
5. Serve over rice (though if you skip the rice and franks sauce this works for stage 1 south beach diet)

BBQ Tofu Pasta

So I was looking for new ways to enjoy tofu and found a recipe that involved grilling the tofu chunks and then pouring barbecue sauce on top. I decided to take this and mod and created the recipe below. It was awesome and we enjoyed it for dinner and then leftovers for days.

• tofu
• red and green bell peppers
• mushrooms
• garlic
• bbq sauce
• shells pasta

1. saute tofu in evoo in pan until crispy
2. sauce peppers, mushrooms, and garlic in another pan until soft
3. combine both pans and boil water for pasta
4. drain cooked pasta and add to pan with veggies and tofu
5. pour bbq sauce of your choice over the concoction until it is covered and mix
6. Enjoy!

Vegetarian Tex Mex Casserole

So a craving for ground crumbles took over me this week and I bought a bunch of bags of the Boca variety while at publix this week. Too bad they werent on bogo. I decided I was going to make this casserole, some vegetarian cincinatti chili, and who knows what else. So anyhow, we made this last night. The boys tore it up. And I thoroughly got my craving satisfied. Here is the recipe I came up with - try it, enjoy it, share it, mod it.. :)

• veggie crumbles
• rigatoni
• 1 can tomato soup
• 1/2 vidalia onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• frozen corn
• 1 can black beans
• a little cheddar
• rotel
• chili pepper
• red pepper (or berbere if you are a berbere addict like me)
• salt and pepper

1. boil pasta and set aside
2. pre-heat oven to 350
3. in a pan saute the garlic and onions in evoo until onion is translucent
4. add crumbles, corn, rotel, and black beans until heated thoroughly
5. add soup and spices and cook until warm
6. mix pasta into pan
7. move to casserole and sprinkle a little bit of cheddar over the top
8. cook in oven for 12-16 minutes depending on your oven
9. Enjoy!

Spiced Pork Chops & Mango Salsa

Rare is the day that I touch meat. But every once in a while I have to get down and dirty in animal flesh for my boys. So when I saw that Publix had pork chops on BOGO this week I decided to make it happen. I found some recipes and tweaked them to our taste.

Pork Chops

• pork chops
• allspice
• berbere
• salt & pepper
• rosemary
• basil
• honey
• evoo
• balsamic vinegar

Mango Salsa

• 2 diced mangoes
• mint
• chives
• lemon rind
• lemon juice
• stevia
• red pepper

1. slice tofu, dry, and marinate in allspice, bebere, rosemary, basil, salt, pepper, a tiny bit of honey, evoo and balsamic in the fridge for a few hours 
2. chop mangoes and mix with mint, chives, rind, juice, stevia, and red pepper to taste 
3. saute tofu in nonstick pan until crispy 
4. serve with salsa drizzled over

Tofu with Mango Salsa

I was looking for a good pork chops recipe and decided to try the same method from the pork chops on my tofu. It was outstanding and plateLickWorthy.

tofu filet

• tofu
• allspice
• berbere (or crushed red pepper if you don't have berbere)
• salt & pepper
• rosemary
• basil
• honey
• evoo
• balsamic vinegar

mango salsa

• 2 diced mangoes
• mint
• chives
• lemon rind
• lemon juice
• stevia
• red pepper

1. slice tofu, dry, and marinate in allspice, bebere, rosemary, basil, salt, pepper, a tiny bit of honey, evoo and balsamic in the fridge for a few hours
2. chop mangoes and mix with mint, chives, rind, juice, stevia, and red pepper to taste
3. saute tofu in nonstick pan until crispy
4. serve with salsa drizzled over

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

So... I was making the boys pork chops last night and thought it would go well with mashed potatoes. Unfortunately the only potatoes I had were tiny little potatoes and guess what! I didn't feel like spending hours peeling tiny little potatoes. And when I pondered making mashed potatoes with the skins I recalled a recipe I had seen for smashing potatoes instead of mashing them. So I looked up some recipes and combined my favorite parts of them. And since they were insanely yummy - I figured I would share what I did with you.

• small potatoes
• olive oil
• salt & pepper
• garlic

1. boil the potatoes in a pot of water
2. once they are soft remove them from the water
3. take two dish towels and place a tater in between
4. smoosh the potato with your fist until it is quasi flat
5. place a parchment paper on a baking sheet
6. move your potatoes one by one to the baking sheet - if any of them crumble just smoosh it back in
7. drizzle evoo over and under all the taters
8. shake salt and pepper over the taters
9. drizzle chopped garlic over the taters
10. Roast them in the oven for about 40 minutes
11. 
12. If they aren't brown yet broil under a watchful eye to make them crispy
13. Serve and ENJOY!

Spinach Pesto Tofu

I had this for the second time today and combined it with the balsamic roasted brussel sprouts for a yummy and very filling dinner for the family. Last time, Josiah and I were licking our bowls. This time I put a tad too much evoo so we weren't licking anything, but noone left a drop on their plate... that is for sure. So I share with you to enjoy. :)

• extra firm tofu
• 2 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup peanuts
• a handful of pine nuts
• 2 cups parmesan cheese
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1.5 cups of evoo

1. drizzle tofu with evoo and broil for 15-20 minutes or until its the crunch that you prefer 
   
   
2. dry tofu on towels
3. mix the remaining ingredients in the blender until smooth
4. drizzle the pesto over the tofu until properly saturated (you should have enough pesto to store for two or three more tofu blocks in freezer or fridge depending on how long until you use it again)
5. Enjoy!

Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts

I made this again tonight and realized that I never posted it on the blog. It is way too good not to share and super super easy. I have been growing brussel sprouts in my vegetable garden in the back yard so have been able to have plenty of roasted brussel sprouts lately and my hubby and lil boy love them too!

• brussel sprouts
• evoo
• balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper (and any additional seasonings you enjoy)
• shredded parmesan cheese

1. lightly oil a glass dish
2. spread out brussel sprouts so none of them are touching
3. drizzle evoo, plenty of balsamic vinegar, spices, and parmesan cheese over the sprouts
4. broil for 10 minutes or until browned and soft
5. Enjoy!

Meatless Lettuce Wraps (In the order of P.F. Changs or Chilis)

So. I can't tell you how many times I have been to Chilis and watched a friend eat those lettuce wraps while I silently drool over the concept. As a big fan of flavorful food and one who yearns to like lettuce more it was something I wish I could enjoy. When I found a couple copycat recipes for the chilis lettuce wraps and the lettuce wraps that they make at P.F. Changs I knew that I could make a version without meat that my family would enjoy. Not to toot my own horn... but toot. It was fantastic. My son ate his two huge wraps in the blink of an eye and then was stealing lettuce off of our plates before we could eat ours. My husband asked for more despite being stuffed. And I couldn't wait until everyone was gone today and I could sneak the leftovers for lunch. Bwahahaha - yeah its all gone now. So steal my recipe and fill your bellies. Of course if you want to, you can always substitute my fake chicken with chicken or any other meat.

• big outer lettuce leaves (we used iceburg but anything is usable)
• boca fake chicken strips, defrosted and chopped
• 1/2 of a sweet vidalia onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 Tablespoons of chopped fresh ginger
• chopped peanuts
• green onions
• 1 can of corn
• 1 can of black beans
• hoison sauce
• 2 T teriaki sauce
• 1 T rice vinegar
• 1 T evoo
• 1 T peanut butter
• 1/2 T water
• 1/2 T honey
• 1/2 T chili sauce

1. Cook fake chicken and onions over light evoo in pan until browned
2. add garlic and ginger
3. add corn and black beans
4. add teriaki, vinegar, evoo, peanut butter, honey, water, and chili sauce
5. cook until well blended and browned
6. add green onions to the top and cook until they soften
7. scoop mixture into lettuce, top with peanuts, wrap tightly
8. Serve hot with hoison sauce and ENJOY!

Eggplant Rollitini

A traditional food in my family for Christmas Eve has always been Eggplant Rollitini. My grandma used to make them with prosciutto and everyone would line up and eat them just as fast as she could serve them. Everyone would feign calm but was really waiting until the next plate of rollitini would come out and to make sure they were in good position to grab one before they disappeared.

My grandmother passed a couple years ago and this year when we had Christmas Eve (since I have been typecast as the Eggplant Chef) it was requested that I make rollitini. I believe it was a success, at least I think thats what it means when there were lies and thievery involved in the snatching and hiding of rolls and people were guarding them with their lives. While these were meatfree, noone complained about the absence of the italian sausage. So here is the recipe to share:

• 2 large eggplants
• eggs
• panko breadcrumbs
• evoo
• ricotta
• marinara sauce
• mozarella cheese
• parmesan cheese
• italian spices (basil, parsley, pepper, etc)
• garlic

1. preheat oven to 350
2. mix 1 large container of ricotta, 1 egg,  and 2 cups of mozarella in a bowl with spices and at least 3 cloves of garlic, a few tablespoons of parmesan cheese
3. mix a few tablespoons of parmesan with the panko and some pepper and spread in a plate for coating the eggplant
4. mix egg and water into a wide tray to soak the eggplant in
5. peel the eggplant and then slice it into long thin strips
6. soak eggplant in egg solution and then coat each one with the panko and parm
7. allow the coated eggplant to dry a bit before frying
8. fry the coated eggplant in evoo
9. dry on paper towels
10. coat the bottom of a baking dish with marinara sauce
11. smooth the ricotta mixture along the length of the eggplant strip. if you were to add meat you would put it in the center here
12. roll each strip up tightley, place seam side down, place a toothpick in it if need be to hold it together
13. line them up in the baking dish
14. bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese bubbles
15. serve and ENJOY!

Oven Roasted Tater Crunch

While I was excited about trying this vegetarian version of a bacon potato recipe I didn't really know what we were in for. My son will not eat anything on his plate once he catches a sight of this. Everything else goes by the wayside as he downs this and asks for more and more and more. My husband ignored the other items I had cooked and ate as many potatoes as he could without getting eyes from me to slow down. They both ate them for lunch the next day and the day after. I think we can call this a success since both my son and husband are big bacon fans and normally turn their nose up at veggie bacon.

• evoo
• veggie bacon
• yukon gold small potatoes
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup parmigiana-romana cheese
• salt
• pepper

1. Peel  potatoes
2. Boil in water until fork tender (8-13 mins)
3. Slice veggie bacon into small pieces
4. Preheat oven to 425
5. Cook bacon in pan in evoo until color changes but not crunchy yet (will cook more in oven)
6. Prepare glass baking dish with evoo
7. Once taters are cooled off cube and place on baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper
8. Bake for 35 minutes (turning halfway through to evenly brown
9. Reduce temp to 375 and sprinkle with parm, garlic, and bacon
10. Bake an additional 10-20 minutes until parm is melted and bacon is crunchy
11. Serve and ENJOY!

Crunchy Bean Tacos

Looking for a healthier version of mexican for my husband I came across this recipe and figured I would give it a try. Not only did the man and the boy scarf these down but they scarfed down any leftovers immediately for the next lunch both days I made them this week.

• corn tortillas
• 1 can black beans
• 1/2 red onion chopped
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp paprika
• a handful of chopped fresh cilantro
• shredded mexican cheese
• 1 avocado
• hot sauce
• salsa
• sour cream

1. Mix beans, onions, spices, cilantro a dash of evoo and any other seasoning you would like in a bowl
2. Heat some evoo in pan
3. Place 1 or 2 tortillas at a time in the pan to heat for a moment then put mixture, and cheese on half the tortilla, use a spatula to fold
4. Heat on each side until browned
5. Remove from heat and serve with avocado, hot sauce, salsa and sour cream

Vegetarian Mexican Stuffed Shells

I found this recipe for a meat version on Pinterest a long time ago and finally got around to cooking it tonight. With the taste still in my mouth and trying to keep up the willpower to leave the leftovers in the fridge... I will hereby record this amazing mouthwatering, cheese flowing, flavor popping recipe below... as my husband said "you made both your boys happy tonight".

• 1 package veggie crumbles (can be replaced with ground beef)
• 1 T taco seasoning
• 1 cup water
• 4 oz creamcheese
• 16 jumpo pasta shells
• 1 jar salsa
• taco sauce
• 2 cups mexican cheese
• 2 green onions
• sour cream
• black olives

1. preheat to 350
2. cook crumbles in a pan with taco seasoning and water
3. once it is cooked well, add creamcheese and simmer until it melts
4. set meat aside to cool
5. cook pasta and drain
6. coat bottom of glass baking dish with salsa
7. take each shell in your hand, fill with meat mixture and line up in baking dish
8. pour taco sauce over shells
9. cover dish with aluminum foil
10. bake for 30 minutes
11. remove from oven
12. fill shells with cheese
13. return to oven uncovered and bake for 10-15 more minutes
14. remove from oven and cover with green onions and black olives
15. place a few on a plate with some sour cream and shredded cheese
16. enjoy and try not to eat the whole pan