recipe: quinoa-crusted fish nuggets

photo from cookinglight.com

taken from: cookinglight.com 

changes: none - followed verbatim

ingredients list: 
- 1 cup uncooked white quinoa
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
- 1 large egg 
- 1 lb skinless flour or cod fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces

to make:
preheat oven to 425 degrees F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly coat with cooking spray, then set aside.

cook quinoa in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, until toasted and fragrant. remove from heat, and cool 10 minutes. transfer to a food processor, and process for 20 seconds or until finely ground. 

stir together flour, paprika, thyme, and 1/2 tsp blaok pepper in a shallow dish. stir together buttermilk and egg in a second shallow dish. place ground quinoa in a third shallow dish. 

dredge fish pieces in flour mixture, and shake off excess. dip fish in egg mixture, then dredge in quinoa, pressing to adhere. press fish in  single layer on prepared baking sheet. lightly coat breaded fish pieces with cooking spray. 

bake at 425 F for 13 minutes, turning once after 7 minutes, until golden and cooked through. serve with tarter sauce. 

result: presentation and taste-wise, these were good. texture-wise, the coating cracked and separated from the nuggets really easily - the coating was almost a bit dry so it didn't cling to the nugget like... a normal nugget. i'd still make/eat them again, but try and play around with it a little be to afvoid that 

recipe: eggplant parm

taken from: Allrecipes.com 

changes: 
- followed recommendations to "sweat" the eggplant before baking it (added in instructions below)
- used an Italian panko breadcrumb instead of regular breadcrumbs (which i will not use moving forward for breading anything)
- scaled down to 5 servings (from 10. recipe for 5 serving posted below)
- baked for 7 minutes per side at 425 F degrees (vs 5 minutes per @ 350. added in instructions below)

photo taken from allrecipes.com

ingredients list:
- 1 & 1/2 eggplants, peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/4 inch thickness)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 3 cups spaghetti sauce, divided 
- 1/2 (16 oz) package mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
- 1/4 tsp dried basil

to make:
sweat the 1/4" slices by sprinkling with sea salt and letting them sit for 30 minutes (i let mine sit in colanders so both sides can breathe). rinse, and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. 

preheat oven to 425 F degrees. 

dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs. place in a single layer on a baking sheet. bake in preheated oven for 7 minutes per side.  

decrease oven temp to 350 F degrees.

recipe: eggplant bacon

taken from: Minimalist Baker

changes: substituted soy sauce for tamari, left out liquid smoke, added smoked bacon sea salt (original recipe posted below)

ingredients list:
- half of 1 medium eggplant
- 2 tbsp avocado or olive oil
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- pinch sea salt
- pinch garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper, plus more for topping

to make:
preheat oven to 225 degrees F. line 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

cut the 1/2 eggplant in half lengthwise once more so you have two long, skinny pieces. use a sharp knife or mandolin to slice into very thin strips (resembling the size/shape or bacon). they should be about 1/8 inch. set aside. 

recipe: marinara sauce II

taken from: New York Times Cooking

changes: i didn't have fresh basil, so i opted for dried oregano. otherwise made verbatim.

photo from NYT Cooking

ingredients list*:
- 1 28-oz can whole San Marzano tomatoes
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 7 cloves garlic, peeled and slivered
- small dried whole chili, or pinch crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 large fresh basil sprig, or 1/4 tsp dried oregano

*this will make about 3.5 cups, about enough for 1 lb of pasta.

to make:
pour tomatoes in a large bowl, and crush with your hands. pour 1 cup water into can and slosh it around to get tomato juices. reserve.

in a large skillet (not a deep pot), heat the oil over medium heat. when it is hot, add garlic. as soon as garlic is sizzling (do not let it brown), add the tomatoes, then the reserved tomato water. add  the whole chili or red pepper flakes, oregano (if using), and salt. stir.

place basil sprig, including stem, on the surface (if using). let it wilt, then submerge it in sauce. simmer sauce until thickened and oil on surface has turned a deep orange, about 15 minutes. (if using oregano, taste sauce after 10 minutes of simmering, and add more salt/oregano if needed). discard basil and chili, if using. 

result: i've made a ton of different red sauces and never really found "the one" - they've either been too sugary, or just... off. this was the first marinara i've made that was just right - just a very well balanced, perfectly simple good sauce. this will definitely be my keeper... as will be buying quality san marzano base sauce, which i think is a key to this recipe.  

recipe: apple muffins

photo from The Girl Who Ate Everything

taken from: The Girl Who Ate Everything

changes: added 1/2 tsp nutmeg, otherwise made as originally written.


ingredients list: 
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 3 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 3 cups cored & diced apples (about 3 apples)
- brown sugar for topping (about 1/4 cup)

to make: 
preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line muffin pan with paper liners.

cream the sugar, eggs, oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl. sift flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a separate bowl. add dry ingredients to the creamed mixture until combined. (the batter will be extremely thick - this is OK) add the diced apples.

fill paper liners almost to the top, about 3/4 of the way full. sprinkle with brown sugar, and bake at 350 F degrees for about 20-24 minutes. will make 18 muffins, +/-. 

results: perfect tasting muffin. i just wish i didn't know how unhealthy they are, because i felt guilty the entire time i was eating it. i'd make again but see if i can health the up next time (apples sauce for the oil, maybe decrease sugar?) 

recipe: pretzel bites

taken from: Two Peas & Their Pod

changes: none - i halved the recipe but kept everything else the same, apart from reducing the cooking time (full recipe posted below) 

ingredients list:
- 1 & 1/2 cups warm water
- 2 tbsp light brown sugar
- 1 package active dry yeast (2 & 1/4 tsp)
- 3 oz unsalted butter, melted
- 2 & 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 4 & 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
- vegetable oil
- 3 quarts water
- 1/2 cup baking soda
- 1 whole egg, beaten with 1 tbsp cold water
- coarse sea salt or seasoning of choice for topping (I used Trader Joe's "Everything but the Bagel" seasoning) 

to make: 
combine the 1 & 1/2 cups water, sugar, yeast, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and and mix with the dough hook until combined. let sit for 5 minutes. 

add the salt and flour and mix on low speed until combined. increase the speed to medium and continue kneading until the dough is smooth and begins to pull away from the side of the bowl, about 3-4 minutes. if the dough appears to wet, add additional flour 1 tbsp at a time. remove the dough from the bowl, place on a flat surface, and knead into a ball with your hands. 

recipe: cauliflower crust (for quiche)

photo from Fresh April Flours

taken from: Fresh April Flours

changes: none - made exactly as written

ingredients list:
- 1 medium head of cauliflower, stems removed 
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

to make: 
spray and 8" or 9" pie dish with non-stick spray and set aside. cut cauliflower into pieces, removing as much stem as possible while keeping the florets in tact. rinse florets in a strainer or colander.

pulse florets in a food processor until they resemble corn meal. place in a microwave safe bowl and cook for 4-5 minutes. when fully cooked, set aside and allow to cool for 10 min. after it has completely cooled, use a strong kitchen towel and wring out all of the moisture. transfer dry cauliflower back to the bowl. 

preheat oven to 450 F degrees. in a small bowl, blend together the Parmesan cheese, egg, and spices. add to cauliflower and mix together. transfer the dough to a pie dish, smoothing it out to it evenly covers the bottom and sides of the dish. 

bake for 15-20 minutes until the edges are brown and the overall crust starts browning. allow to cool on wire rack while quiche (or whatever other filling your using) is prepared. 

results: good -- enough so that we've made this a few times now. i've only used this recipe for vegetable quiches, which it seems to perfectly fit the bill for (and saves quite a few calories) 

recipe: chicken thighs with couscous and kale

taken from: Eating Well 

changes: added onion powder and additional chicken broth, otherwise cooked as written

ingredients list: 
- 1 & 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 & 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 4 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium onion, halved and sliced
- 1 cup Israeli couscous
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups thinly sliced kale
- 2+ cups reduced-sodium chicken broth

recipe: buffalo cauliflower

taken from: Real House Moms

changes: scaled down to 1/2 a recipe (original recipe for 4 servings / 1 whole cauliflower posted)

ingredients list: 
- 1 medium cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 2/3 cup buffalo hot sauce 

to make: 
preheat oven to 450 F degrees. spray a large cookie sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper, and set aside.

in a large bowl, whisk together flour, water, garlic powder, salt and pepper. add cauliflower florets and toss to coat. spread evenly on cookie sheet, and back for 15 minutes, flipping once mid-way through.

remove from oven. in the large bowl, stir the melted butter and buffalo sauce together. add baked cauliflower and toss to coat. spread evenly onto cookie sheet, and return to oven to bake for 25-30 minutes or until crispy, flipping once mid-way though.

results: another winner winner, cauliflower dinner. good texture, good buffaloy flavor. i served this in a kale salad with avocado-poblano dressing, tomato, parmesan, and garlic croutons -- it was a perfect healthy dinner, would make again, esp considering how easy it is. 

recipe: non-dairy (cashew) ricotta

photo from The Simple Veganista 

taken from: The Simple Veganista 

changes: skipped the nutritional yeast

ingredients list: 
- 1 & 1/2 cups raw cashews, soaked
- 1/2 cup water (reserved from soaked cashews)
- juice of 1 large lemon or 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast, optional
- 1 garlic clove
- dash of onion powder
- himalayan sea salt & cracked pepper, to taste

to make: 
soak the cashews for at least 2 hours in a bowl of water, covering the cashews with about 2-3 inches of water. 

drain the cashews, reserving 1/2 cup of the water. add reserved water, cashews, and all remaining ingredients into a blender or food processor, and process until creamy, scrapping the sides down every few minutes. add additional seasoning to taste, if needed. 

store in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

results: 
we were skeptical when we tried cashew mozz cheese, but liked it, and even still just as skeptical when we tried cashew ricotta... and liked it. we used it for a mushroom marsala pasta bake and a white pizza with mushrooms... the slight nuttiness of the cashew ricotta worked quite well on both. it was good enough that i'd attempted to make a 100% dairy-free lasagna with this and cashew mozz cheese. 

recipe: general tso's cauliflower

taken from: PureWow

changes: 
- skipped the 5 small dried chiles, added some cracked red pepper
- skipped the 2 tbsp mirin (didn't have any, added 1 tbsp dry sherry)

ingredients list - cauliflower:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup cornstarch
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup neutral oil (peanut or vegetable)
- 1 head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets 

ingredients list - sauce:
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 6 scallions, white part finely sliced, green part chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 5 small dried chiles (optional, i subbed some cracked red pepper)
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp mirin 
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- sesame seeds, for garnish

recipe: meatless (mushroom) meatballs

taken from: allrecipes.com (Chef John)

changes: none - made exactly as written.

ingredients list:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb fresh white or baby bella mushrooms, finely chopped or zipped through a food processor
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 oz finely shredded parmesian-reggiano cheese
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf (italian) parsley
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- finely ground black pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 pinch dried oregano

recipe: vegetable lasagna roll-ups

taken from: Food Network - Ree Drummond

changes: decreased amount of mushrooms (from 24 oz to 16 oz, and used baby bellas instead), skipped yellow squash, subbed chicken broth for wine, added spinach, forgot to add tomato paste, didn't cook lasagna noodles -- let them soak in water while i chopped & prepped everything else, decreased amount of mozzarella (from 1.5 lbs to 1 lb)

ingredients list:
- 1 lb lasagna noodles 
for sauce:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 lb baby bella mushrooms, chopped
- 2 zucchini, diced
- 1/2 cup white wine, or chicken broth
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 28-oz can diced tomatoes, drained
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1 large handful of spinach
ricotta mix:
- 32 oz ricotta
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 2 eggs
- salt and freshly ground black pepps
- 1 lb shredded fresh mozzerella
- grated parmesan, for sprinkling

to make: 
noodles: cook the noodles according to the package instructions, then rinse under cold water and set aside until ready to use. OR -- soak in hot/warm water until ready to use (they should soften by the time the ingredients are prepped)

sauce: heat olive oil and a large skillet over medium eat. add the garlic & onions and cook for a minute. add red peppers and saute for another minute or so. add the mushrooms, zucchini, and spinach and cook for a few minutes. pour in the wine (or broth), and add the red pepper flakes, some salt & pep and stir. pour in the tomatoes and tomato paste. stir to combine, then simmer for about 20 minutes or so. stir in the parsley when removing from heat.

ricotta mix:
in a bowl, combine the ricotta, parmesan, eggs, 1/4 teaspoon salt and some pepper.

to assemble: in large rectangular baking pan, spoon half the sauce on the bottom of the pan. spread out noodles on a work space, and spoon 1/4 cup of the ricotta mix onto each one, spreading it evenly across the noodle. roll each noodle + cheese mix tightly, and place rolled noodles in the pan on top of the sauce. top with remaining sauce, and sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. bake immediately at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes, uncovered, until bubbly. to cook from frozen, bake covered at 350 F for about 40 minutes, then uncover and bake until cheese is bubbly, about and additional 10 minutes. 

(this can also be prepped in separate trays / loaf pans if freezing separately)