Easy Homemade Tomato Sauce

This recipe was inspired by other recipes but I have really made it my own now. You are welcome to use fresh herbs if you like but I just don't have those on hand as often so to make it easier I used dried. For this recipe you will need a blender.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:
1 28 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 can of tomato paste
4 small cloves of garlic (3 large cloves)
1/2 yellow onion
2 tbsp of dried basil
2 tbsp of dried oregano
2 tbsp of dried parsley
1 tbsp of red pepper flakes (or less for spice level)
1 tbsp of salt or more to taste
2 tsp of pepper
Garnish with sliced fresh herbs when simmering (optional)

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend for 30 seconds to one minute until all ingredients are smooth and very well mixed.
2. You can put in the fridge in a tight lid container/mason jar to reheat at another time or simmer in a pot for about 20 minutes.
3. To make a meat sauce with this, just brown 2 lbs of meat in a large pot and add the sauce from the blender onto the meat and simmer for 20 minutes.

As a side note, this makes about 6-8 servings of sauce. It would make about what you get in two regular size jarred pasta sauces at the store.

Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Garden Vegetable Soup

This recipe was inspired by a canned soup I like by the brand Amy's organics. It is incredibly easy and cost effective while still being tasty. I served mine with an oven baked potato but you could also enjoy this soup along side a grilled cheese on a cold day.

Ingredients:
1 onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
2 quarts of vegetable stock (8 cups)
1 can of diced tomatoes
1.5 cups of frozen vegetable medley ( I used the whole foods brand frozen vegetable medley with peas, carrots, green beans, corn, and lima beans)
1/2 cup of chopped frozen spinach
2 tbsp of dried oregano
2 tbsp of fresh parsley or 1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp of dried basil
2 tsp of red pepper flakes
3 tbsp of worcerstershire sauce
2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Add 2 quarts of broth to a large soup pot and bring to a boil.
2. Dice onion and mince garlic cloves. Add to the broth.
3. Let the onions and garlic lightly boil for 10 minutes.
4. Add diced tomatoes, frozen vegetable medley, and frozen spinach. Stir.
5. Add oregano, parsley, basil, red pepper flakes, worcerstershire sauce, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to the soup.
6. Lower the heat to medium. Simmer the vegetables, covered, in the soup for 20 minutes.
7. Serve in a bowl and enjoy!

Meatless Mondays: Spicy Black Bean Burgers

These burgers turned out very good! They are very flavorful and stayed together!

This recipe was inspired by this recipe, but I did make it my own.
Whole Foods black bean burger recipe

Ingredients: (Makes 6 burgers)
1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 cup of rolled oats, uncooked
1 egg
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp Mrs. Dash
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp of chili powder
Dash of hot sauce
1/2 cup of chunky salsa (add more if needed)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp olive oil
Slices of cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions:
1. Place rinsed and drained beans in a mixing bowl. Using a fork, mash the beans until they become somewhat of a paste.
2. Add the chopped shallots, egg, cup of rolled oats and mix well.
3. Add 1/2 cup of chunky salsa, hot sauce, garlic powder, Mrs. Dash seasoning, italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, chili powder, and salt and pepper to the bean mixture. Mix all ingredients together until well combined.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan until shimmering.
5. Form the black bean mixture into patties that are about 3-4 inches wide and 1 inch thick. (Think small hamburgers)
6. Place them in the shimmering oil and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes per side until nicely browned. If you would like to add cheese, place one slice on each burger two minutes before the burgers are done to melt.
7. Serve with whole grain buns or in lettuce wraps with ketchup, mustard, onions, tomato, and lettuce or whatever garnishes you like on your burgers. I served mine with sweet potato fries and salad. Enjoy!

Spicy Roasted Chickpeas

Found the below recipe in an internet search when I had a hankering for crispy chickpeas. I had friends try to make crunchy chickpeas at home and they would comment that most recipes weren't able to make them crunchy, I tweaked the linked recipe a bit and was able to get the chickpeas crunchy! Not rocket science, but I just cranked the heat up a bit and it helped immensely. I recommend this recipe to go with dinner as texture to a dish or as a healthy snack.

Spicy Chickpea Recipe Inspiration

Ingredients:
1 can of garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder or cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste ( I added about 1 tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp pepper)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 F
2. Put rinsed and drained chickpeas in a bowl and add the spices and olive oil. Mix well.
3. Pour the chickpeas onto a cooking sheet and shake the sheet to space the chickpeas evenly. You don't want them on top of each other.
4. Roast chickpeas in the preheated oven on a greased cooking sheet for approximately 20 minutes.
5. Shake the tray a few times while the chickpeas are cooking to move them around so they cook evenly. Keep an eye on them as well when they are cooking to make sure they are not burning, everyone's oven is a little different.
6. Pull them out of the oven and enjoy!

Meatless Mondays: Chickpea Coconut Curry

This is an original recipe but you can find other recipes similar to it on the internet. I have made curries enough at this point, they're pretty easy to throw together. I love coconut curries so much! This recipe was made for meatless Mondays! The idea behind it is to help lower your carbon footprint by eating less meat even if it's just one day a week.

http://www.meatlessmonday.com/

Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tsp coconut oil or olive oil
1 can of light coconut milk
1 tbsp of chopped jalapeno
1 cup of diced fresh tomato (I used cherry tomatoes)
1 large yellow onion, chopped or 2 small onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp of lime juice
1/4 cup (or more if you want) of chopped cilantro
1 tbsp of lime juice
1 tsp brown sugar
3 tbsp of curry powder (can use store bought spice mixes or the below homemade mix)
2 cups of brown rice, cooked
Salt and pepper to taste

Curry Powder:
2 tbsp Turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a deep saute pan until shimmering. Add diced onions, jalapeno, and garlic to the oil.
2. Saute for 3-5 minutes on medium heat until onions are translucent and lightly browned.
3. Add in the curry powder and mix well with the onions, jalapeno, and garlic until the veggies absorb it. Saute for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Add coconut milk, brown sugar, lime juice, diced tomato, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring the coconut curry sauce to a simmer.
5. Add the drained and rinsed chickpeas. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until the curry sauce is nice and thick.
6. Turn off the heat and add the chopped cilantro and mix into the curry.
7. Garnish with more cilantro if desired and pour over cooked brown rice. Enjoy!

Mexican Cole Slaw

This recipe was inspired by wanting to use a head of cabbage that was going to go bad if I didn't use it on taco night, so Mexican cole slaw came to mind! The recipe is slightly tweaked from the link pasted below. If you try any recipe on my blog, it maybe should be this one. The dressing has spicy sweet sour and salty flavors, which is my favorite type of food! It's a healthier version of traditional cole slaw and has a nice zing to it. You could add this to tacos, sandwiches, or a salad.

Original recipe link

Ingredients:
1 small head of green cabbage or 1/2 head of a large cabbage, shredded
2 green bell peppers, julienne
1 small yellow onion, sliced very thin
1/4 cup of chopped cilantro
1/4 cup of lime juice
A few dashes of tabasco sauce or your favorite hot sauce
1 tbsp of maple syrup or honey
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 tsp of cumin
1 garlic clove, minced
Generous salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. After chopping and slicing the vegetables, place cabbage, cilantro, green pepper, and onion in a bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, add lime juice, maple syrup, olive oil, cumin, garlic, and salt and pepper. Whisk together and pour over cabbage, peppers, and onion.
3. Toss ingredients together until the vegetables are well coated with the dressing. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Enjoy!

Greek Frittata

This recipe was inspired by a delicious Greek pizza Harley and I get from Lost Dog! I love the flavors so much but when trying to stay healthy I cant eat pizza all the time. I used a frittata recipe from WW as a base but this was mostly an original recipe.

Ingredients:
6 whole eggs
1 cup of frozen chopped spinach (or fresh but I find baking with frozen spinach is actually better)
2 tomatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
1 heaping tbsp of minced garlic
1/2 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 cup of diced black olives (I used canned black olives, but kalmata olives would work well also)
1/2 cup of feta cheese
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp parsley
Sprinkles of salt and pepper

Instructions:
1. Put frozen spinach in a medium saucepan with 1/4 cup of water and bring to a boil. Stirring to break up the frozen spinach until the spinach is thawed. Drain and set aside.
2. Add olive oil to saute pan and heat until shimmering.
3. Add garlic to saute pan and cook on medium heat until fragrant. Around 1 minute.
4. Add onions to the pan and saute until translucent. Around 3-5 minutes.
5. Add diced tomatoes, diced olives, oregano, thyme, and parsley to the onions and garlic. Cook for another few minutes.
6. Add drained spinach to the veggies. Continue to cook and mix for another 2 minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. In a small bowl, crack the 6 eggs and whisk until mixed.
8. Pour eggs into a glass pie dish sprayed with cooking spray.
9. Pour veggies into the eggs and mix.
10. Sprinkle feta into the veggies and eggs mixture and mix. Sprinkle salt and pepper one more time.
11. Bake in the oven at 400 F for 20-25 minutes until the middle of the frittata is no longer jiggly and the outer edges turn a golden brown.
12. Serve and enjoy!

Sweet and Spicy Lentil Chili

Made this recipe with my friend Megan last night and we both loved it! Those who are a fan of spicy and sweet main dishes will really like this. I used the recipe below as a guide but also made it my own a bit.

http://plantpoweredkitchen.com/recipes/recipe-sweet-potato-lentil-chili/

Ingredients:
1 tbsp of olive oil
2 medium onions, diced
1 large green pepper, diced
1 jalapeno, minced
2 tbsp of minced garlic
1 very large sweet potato or 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/4 cup of green or brown uncooked lentils
2.5 cups of vegetable broth
1 15 oz can of organic baked beans
2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
2 large tomatoes diced or 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
1 tbsp chipotle pepper flakes
1/2 tsp of cumin
2 tbsp of chili powder
1 tbsp of paprika or smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste


Instructions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot until shimmering
2. Add diced onions, green pepper, garlic, and jalapeno and saute on med-high heat until softened. About 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add in diced sweet potato and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, vinegar, can of baked beans, and lentils into the pot and stir.
5. Add cumin, chipotle pepper flakes, chili powder, paprika, and salt and pepper to taste.
6. Stir all ingredients until well mix.
7. Bring chili to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer.
8. Cover the chili and let cook for 25-30 minutes until sweet potatoes are softened and lentils are cooked through.
9. Serve by itself or add toppings like tortilla chips or sour cream and enjoy!

Note: To lower the spice factor, add only half a jalapeno and less chipotle pepper flakes

Cold Veggie Asian Noodle Salad

This recipe was inspired by the recipe below but I made some unique tweaks as well. I brought this to a work potluck and it went over very well. Many people enjoyed it, especially the vegetarians!

http://www.babble.com/best-recipes/cool-off-today-with-last-minute-sesame-noodles-and-a-free-7-eleven-slurpee/

Ingredients:
2 cups of brown rice noodles (I used Annie Chun's)
1 large green bell pepper, diced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 cup of cabbage, sliced
1 cup of edamame beans
1 cup of shredded carrots
1/2 cup of peas
2 tbsp of chopped cilantro
2 scallions, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:
1 tbsp of sesame oil
2 tbsp of olive oil
3 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tbsp of hoison sauce
2 tsp of lime juice
1 tsp of powdered ginger or fresh ginger
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp of red pepper flakes
1 tsp of brown sugar

Directions:
1. Bring two quarts of water to a boil. Add half the box of rice noodles or around 2.5 oz to the boiling water. Cook for only 2-4 minutes. Taste the noodles while cooking as they cook very fast.
2. Drain noodles and place into a bowl and refrigerate until cool. About 30 minutes.
3. In the meantime, add sliced cabbage, sliced red onion, diced green pepper, cooked and cooled edamame beans, shredded carrots, and cooked and cooled peas to a large bowl.
4. Once the noodles have cooled, add them to the bowl of veggies. Gently toss.
5. Begin making the sauce in a separate bowl.
6. Add soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, hoison sauce, lime juice, ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and brown sugar to the bowl.
7. Whisk sauce together until the oil has been immersed with the other ingredients.
8. Pour sauce over noodles and veggies. Toss well to coat noodles and veggies.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste.
10. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and chopped scallions over noodles.
11. I recommend letting the noodles and veggies sit in the refrigerator overnight, but you can enjoy right then as well!

Vegetarian Jambalaya

This recipe was inspired by regular meat Jambalaya recipe posted below. However, this is mostly an original recipe and it was delicious. I can't stand tofu and that was the only recipes for veggie jambalaya I could find. Chickpeas were the perfect stand in for meat as they have more texture than your average legume. Really enjoyed this one!

http://www.chow.com/recipes/30282-chicken-and-smoked-andouille-jambalaya

 

Ingredients:

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 large onion, diced

2 green peppers, diced

1/2 jalapeno, seeded and diced

3 stalks of celery, diced

1 small yellow squash, diced

4 cups of vegetable stock or broth

1 heaping tbsp of minced garlic

1 can of diced tomatoes with juice

2 tbsp of tomato paste

2 cups of brown rice

1 can of chickpeas, drained

1 tbsp of paprika

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon parsley

1 tbsp of chipotle pepper or chipotle pepper flakes

2 tbsp of Cajun spice mix (I used Todd's Bayou Dirt) If you cant find a spice mix at the store you can just use a mix of cayenne pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder.

Salt and ground pepper to taste

 

1. Add olive oil to a large dutch oven soup pot (oven safe). Heat the oil until shimmering. Preheat oven to 375 F while cooking.

2. Add diced onions to the oil and sauté on medium-high heat for 2 or 3 minutes.

3. Add green peppers, jalapeno, celery, and garlic to the onions and sauté for 3 or 4 more minutes.

4. Add yellow squash to veggie mixture and sauté for 1 or 2 more minutes.

5. Add diced tomatoes with juice. Add oregano, thyme, paprika, parsley, chipotle flakes, Cajun spices, salt, and pepper and stir.

6. Pour in 4 cups of vegetable stock, drained chickpeas, and add two tbsp of tomato paste. Stir the mixture and taste for seasoning.

7. Pour in 2 cups of brown rice and bring stock and veggies to a boil uncovered.

8. Cover the dutch oven pot and put immediately into preheated 375 degree oven for 40 minutes.

9. Taste to make sure the rice is done, depending on your oven it may take more time.

10. Take soup pot out oven and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Spicy Vegetarian Three Bean Chili

This recipe is inspired by the link below but I definitely made this dish my own. I love one pot meals and this chili packs a lot of flavor, its a win win!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/veg-head-three-bean-chili-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 green peppers, diced
1 heaping tbsp of minced garlic
1 medium jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1 can of green chiles (6 oz)
1 can of kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans (28 oz) of diced tomatoes, drained
1 can of corn kernels, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp of chipotle pepper flakes
1 tbsp of cumin
2 tsp of oregano
1 bottle of beer (I recommend a fuller body beer, like dos equis amber or an IPA, I wouldn't use a miller lite for chili)
1/2 cup of vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Heat olive oil in a large soup pot.
2. Add diced onions, green pepper, garlic, and jalapeno.
3. Saute for 5-7 minutes until onions are translucent and green pepper is softened. Add sprinkle of salt and pepper to veggies.
4. Add can of green chiles and stir. Saute for 1 or 2 more minutes.
5. Add diced tomatoes and stir.
6. Drain and rinse beans and corn in a colander and add to veggies and tomatoes.
7. Pour bottle of beer into the beans and 1/2 cup of stock. Stir and bring to a low boil.
8. Add cumin, oregano, chipotle pepper flakes, and salt and pepper. Stir.
9. Let simmer for about 20-30 minutes to allow the chili to thicken.
10. Garnish with cheese or sour cream and chopped cilantro. Enjoy!

I like my chili a little more soupy so if you like your chili thicker, You can add a can of tomato paste or can of refried beans and cook the recipe as directed.

Black Bean and Veggie Enchiladas with Homemade Sauce

This recipe was inspired by seeing how expensive enchilada sauce in a can is and realizing how more cost effective and easy it would be to make it home! This recipe was delicious, as most enchiladas are, and was inspired by the links below.

Enchiladas
http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/black-bean-veggie-enchiladas

Enchilada Sauce
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/easy-enchilada-sauce-recipe/index.html

Ingredients for Enchilada Sauce:
2 tbsp of coconut oil or vegetable oil
2 tbsp of flour
1 tsp oregano
2 tsp of chipotle or chili flakes
1 10 oz can of organic tomato paste
2 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
Dashes of tabasco sauce (depending on how spicy you like the sauce, I added 4 dashes)
Salt to taste

Ingredients for Enchiladas:
1 tsp of olive oil
2 bell peppers, sliced
1 large onion, sliced
1 can of green chiles
1 can of black beans, drained
1 tbsp of lime juice
1 tbsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of oregano
1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
6 Whole wheat tortillas
2/3 cup of shredded cheese (Optional)

Instructions for Enchilada Sauce:
1. Heat 2 tbsp of coconut oil or vegetable oil in a medium saucepan for approx. 30 seconds
2. Add the 2 tbsp of flour to the oil and stir until dissolved. Approx. 30 seconds
3. Add oregano and chipotle flakes, stir.
4. Add tomato paste and 2 cups of stock. Whisk together in saucepan.
5. Add dashes of tabasco sauce and salt to taste.
6. Bring to a slow boil and simmer for 15 minutes while preparing the enchiladas.

Instructions for Enchiladas: (Preheat oven to 350 F)
1. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in a large sauté pan
2. Add sliced green peppers and sliced onions to the oil. Saute' peppers and onions on medium heat for 3-5 minutes until onions are translucent.
3. Add can of green chiles, drained black beans, lime juice, garlic, cilantro, and oregano. Stir to mix ingredients and sauté for 3 more minutes.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Spoon the black beans and veggie mixture into the tortillas. Add just enough down the middle of the tortilla so that its easy to close but you still get a good amount of black beans and veggies.
6. Roll the tortilla and place seam side down into a 13 x 9 rectangular baking dish.
7. Do this for all 6 tortillas.
8. Gently pour all sauce equally over the tortillas.
9. Sprinkle cheese on top (optional)
10. Bake in the 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling.

Creamy tomato and pasta soup

This recipe was inspired by a creamy tortellini recipe seen below. I wanted to make a plant based version of the creamy soup. If you like tomato soup, I highly suggest this recipe it was pretty yummy and reheated well.

http://www.keyingredient.com/recipes/171098794/creamy-tomato-tortellini-soup/

Ingredients:
1 tsp of coconut oil
2 14 oz cans of diced tomatoes
1 tbsp of tomato paste
2 cups of vegetable stock
1 14 oz can of light coconut milk (I used trader joe's brand)
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups of green beans
1 tbsp of dried basil
1 tbsp of oregano
1 tbsp of parsley
1 tsp of thyme
8 oz of whole wheat penne (4 cups cooked)
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Add 1 tsp of coconut oil to a stock pot. Heat oil until just melted.
2. Add minced garlic cloves and diced onion to the heated oil and saute for 5-7 minutes until onions are translucent.
3. Add green beans to the onions and garlic and saute for an additional 5 minutes.
4. Add diced tomatoes, vegetable stock, coconut milk, tomato paste, oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, and salt and pepper to pot. Stir.
5. Heat the soup up to a boil and then let the soup simmer for 20 minutes.
6. While the soup is simmering, bring another pot of water to a boil and add the 8 oz of whole wheat penne. Cook for 7-10 minutes until Al Dente.
7. Drain pasta in a colander.
8. Add pasta to simmering soup and stir.
9. Serve and enjoy!

Complete breakfast smoothie

This is an original smoothie recipe. I like this smoothie because its a full meal, at least for me, it keeps me full until  lunch.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup of fresh seasonal fruit, I used strawberries for this one (any berries or peaches would work well too)
1  large ripe banana
1 cup of frozen mixed tropical fruit. (If you cannot find a mix I would suggest just using frozen pineapple.)
1.5 cups of unsweetened vanilla almond milk or soy milk
1 tbsp of natural peanut butter
1/4 cup of rolled oats

Instructions:
1. Add  fresh fruit and banana into the blender first.
2. Then add frozen fruit, peanut butter, and rolled oats.
3. Add approximately 1.5  cups of almond milk to the smoothie,  add only enough to cover the top of the fruit. You can add more as blends depending on the thickness you prefer. 
4. Blend and enjoy!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

This recipe was inspired by the recipe below. This is something I will add into my recipe routine, it was very good and very low in points. Two baked eggplant slices without cheese are only 1 WW pt!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/baked-eggplant-parmesan-2/

Ingredients: Makes 5-6 servings.
2 large eggplants, peeled
Salt
2 jars of tomato sauce, and perhaps more to add on spaghetti
1 cup Panko bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 tbsp Italian herb seasoning
1 tbsp Garlic powder
1 tsp Onion power
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup of low fat mozarella cheese (optional)
1/4 cup of parmesan cheese (optional)
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil

1. Peel and slice the eggplant into a little less than 1 inch thick discs.
2. Place slices in a colander, one level at a time to make sure all slices are salted, and sprinkle each level with salt liberally.
3. Let sit for an hour and then pat the slices dry, this step is to help draw water out of the eggplant to take remove the bitterness.
4. Once eggplant is dry, preheat the oven to 350 F and mist a foil covered baking sheet with olive oil.
5. Put panko crumbs in a bowl, add italian herbs, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
6. Crack eggs open into a bowl and whisk until blended. (About 30 seconds)
7. Dip the eggplant slices into the egg on both sides.
8. Then dredge eggplant slice in Panko crumbs on both sides until evenly coated and place onto baking sheet.
9. Once they are all covered in crumbs, place in the oven for 10 minutes.
10. While the eggplant slices are cooking, ready a 13 x 9 roaster or baking pan by ladling one layer of tomato sauce thinly on the bottom.
11. Take the eggplant slices out of the oven and place single layer of eggplant discs onto the layer of sauce in the roasting pan. Sprinkle with parmesan (optional).
12. Ladle another thin layer of sauce over the first layer of eggplant discs.
13. Place another single layer of eggplant discs on top of the first layer of eggplant. Ladle sauce over the second layer. Sprinkle with parmesan and mozarella (optional)
14. Bake for 35 minutes in the 350 F preheated oven.
15. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil.
15. Serve with whole wheat spaghetti and salad to make a complete healthy dish!

Healthy Homemade Salad Dressing: Mustard lime vinaigrette

When you've run out of salad dressing, this homemade dressing works great in a pinch! It only takes 2 minutes to to make and is only 1 pt per serving. The dressing was inspired by the recipe below.

http://australian.food.com/recipe/lime-mustard-vinaigrette-232084

Ingredients (single serving):

1 tsp of olive oil

1 tbsp of dijon mustard

1 tbsp of lime juice

1 tsp of dried chives

Sprinkle of salt 

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients together in a bowl and whisk until blended. (30 seconds)

2. Pour over salad and enjoy!

Easy, Healthy Ramen Noodle Soup

This is an original recipe that I whipped together one night with a lovely birthday gift of organic ramen noodles from my friend April! To make this low calorie and a healthier soup I did not use any oil.

Ingredients:
1 pack of ramen noodles, preferably organic to make it healthier. (I recommend this brand http://www.hakubaku.com/content/view/54/75/)
4 cups of of vegetable broth
3 cups of water
1 zucchini, sliced thinly into quarters
1 onion, diced
1/2 a small head of cabbage shredded
1.5 tsp of Chinese five spice
3 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
1 tsp garlic powder
1/3 cup of soy sauce
1 tsp of red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:
1. Add 1/2 cup of vegetable broth to a large soup pan. Begin heating the stock on medium-high heat.
2. Add onion and cabbage to the broth and saute for about 3-5 minutes until cabbage and onions are lightly translucent.
3. Add in zucchini and saute for another 3-5 minutes.
4. Add .5 tsp of Chinese five spice, 1 tbsp of rice wine vinegar, and tsp of garlic powder to the veggies and stir.
5. Add rest of vegetable broth and 3 cups of water to the veggies.
6. Add 1 tsp of Chinese five spice, 2 tsp of rice wine vinegar, 1/3 cup of soy sauce, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to soup.
7. Bring to a simmer and let cook for 10-15 minutes.
8. While the soup is simmering, bring 6 cups of  salted water to a rolling boil in another pot and add dry ramen noodles.
9. Boil for 4 minutes and drain the noodles.
10. After the soup has simmered for 10-15 minutes, place a 1/2 cup of r
amen noodles in a bowl and pour soup over noodles. Enjoy!

Strawberry Daiquiri Smoothie

This smoothie is very healthy and really tastes like a strawberry daiquiri minus the rum. :-)

Ingredients:
9 fresh strawberries (frozen does not get the same flavor)
3/4 cup of frozen mixed berries
1 ripe banana
1.5 cups of unsweetened almond milk
1 tbsp of chia seeds/flax seeds

Instructions:
1. Slice strawberries in half and add to blender
2. Add sliced banana, chia seeds, and frozen mixed berries
3. Slowly add almond milk to the fruit. The almond milk should only go as high as the fruit or the smoothie ends up too watery.
4. Blend and enjoy!

Vegetarian Coconut Curry Soup

This may be the best recipe I've made so far. It was inspired by the recipe below, but it is obviously not 5 ingredients but it was very easy to make. If you enjoy coconut curry, you will love this soup!


http://www.zenfamilyhabits.net/2010/01/5-ingredients-5-minutes-5-meals-simple-noodles/


Ingredients:
4 oz of brown rice noodles (I used Annie Chun's brand, half a box is plenty!)
1 can of light coconut milk
1 bag of frozen (unflavored) asian stir fry mixed vegetables
1 can of baby corn, drained
1/4 cup of lime juice
4 cups of vegetable stock (1 carton)
1 cup of sliced shitake mushrooms
2 tbsp fresh, grated ginger
2-3 tbsp of red thai curry paste (I used thai kitchen)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp chinese five spice
Salt and pepper to taste
Cilantro, chopped

Instructions:
1.  Add a 1 cup of broth to a large soup pot.
2. Add sliced shitake mushrooms, garlic, and ginger to the 1 cup of broth and bring to a low boil and simmer for 5-6 minutes. This step is to soften the mushrooms.
3. Once mushrooms are softened, add the rest of the broth, can of coconut milk, frozen vegetables, lime juice, and drained baby corn.
4. Add 2-3 tbsp of red thai curry paste and stir. Amount of curry paste depends on how spicy you like your soup. The soup should turn a light orange color if you have enough curry paste in it.
5. Let soup come to a slow boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
6. While this is simmering, bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Add 4 oz of dry brown rice noodles to the water when it is at a rolling boil.
7. Cook the noodles for 3-4 minutes. Drain and rinse with cool water.
8. Add salt, pepper, and chinese five spice to the simmering coconut soup. Taste to see if it needs more spice or curry paste.
9. Put rice noodles in a bowl and pour the coconut soup over the noodles.
10. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy!

Spicy Vegetarian Taco Soup

This recipe was inspired by the below Paula Dean Recipe. I wanted to make a healthy version of taco soup. Definitely will make this again, it was very easy to make and tasty.

Recipe Inspiration
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/taco-soup-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:
1 tbsp of olive oil
1/2 large onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tbsp of chopped jalapeno
1 zucchini, cubed
1 can of pinto beans
1 can of black beans
1 can of corn kernels
1 tin of green chiles
1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 tin of sliced black olives (optional)
4 cups of vegetable stock
1.5 cup of water
2 tsp of cumin
2 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 packet of taco seasoning or 2 tbsp of taco seasoning
2 tbsp of lime juice
Salt to taste

Tortilla chips, avocado, cheese, cilantro, or sour cream for toppings!

Instructions:
1. In a large pot, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil
2. Add minced garlic clove, onion, and jalapeno to heated oil
3. Saute for 5 minutes on medium high heat until onion is translucent
4. Add cubed zucchini and saute for 3-4 minutes
5. Add cumin and cayenne pepper to veggies and stir
6. Pour the vegetable stock and water into the pot
7. Pour black beans, corn, pinto beans into a strainer and rinse and then add to the soup.
8. Add 1 tin of green chiles, taco seasoning, and drained olives.
9. Add 2 tbsp of lime juice and a sprinkle of salt and bring to a boil.
10. Let soup simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
11. Serve with chopped avocado, cheese, sour cream, and/or tortilla chip pieces.