Cheese & veggie crepes

I have never made anything with crepes. I've also never made crepes. This recipe calls for premade crepes, but I think if I made this again I would try making my own because these kept falling apart. The filling tasted delicious so I would definitely try them again.

Cheese & veggie crepes-adapted from Easy Family Meals by Prevention Guide
Total time: 10 minutes
Serves 4

• 4 premade crepes
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 6 ounces baby spinach
• 1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put the crepes on two baking sheets. 

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and saute about 5 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Add the spinach to the pan. Cook just until wilted. 

put one-quarter of the mixture in the center of each crepe. Sprinkle a quarter of the cheese on top. Fold the edges of the crepes around the filling. Bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

Eggplant Parmesan

Disclaimer: This recipe doesn't have any Parmesan cheese in it. None....what so ever. This recipe has feta instead, which is one of my favorite cheeses! It's super easy to put together and delicious to eat! This is a slow cooker recipe that doesn't take very long to cook!

Eggplant Parmesan-adapted from Make it Fast, Cook it Slow by Stephanie O'Dea
Total time: 4 hours
Serves 4

• 26 ounce jar pasta sauce
• 1 large eggplant
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Spray a 5 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Pour 1 cup of the pasta sauce in the bottom of the crock. Slice the eggplant into 1/2 inch thick pieces. Drizzle each piece of eggplant with the oil on both sides

In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper. Dredge each slice of eggplant and place on top of the pasta sauce. Pour the remaining sauce over the eggplant, and top with feta cheese. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or until eggplant is tender.

Roasted asparagus

I've finally figured out how to make the perfect asparagus. This is super simple, and you just need to season it however you wish.

If you don't know how to trim asparagus, it's really easy. Just take the end between your thumb and forefinger and bend until it snaps! It's perfect for those days you just want to snap something! It always breaks the wooden end off at the right spot-no more second guessing!

Roasted asparagus

Total time: 20 minutes

Serves 4

• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place asparagus spears in a 9x13 inch baking dish, doing you best to only have one layer. Drizzle with the olive oil, and toss the spears so they are well coated. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add more to taste if you wish.

Roast in oven for about 7 minutes, then toss the spears with tongs. Cook for the remaining 7-8 minutes or until tender.

Root veggies

I don't think I've ever had beets in my life. While I was making this I even asked my mom and her answer was "Nope." I'm glad I tried them! This isn't something I'd want all the time, but it was good to change things up.

I also need to say, I love the bowl I put these in with some asparagus. It's perfect when you have a few different side dishes!

Prep

My favorite bowl!

All of dinner!

Root veggies-adapted from Meals Made Easy by Real Simple

Total time: 15 minutes

Serves 4

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Bunch carrots, cut lengthwise into thin strips
• Bunch beets, cut into thin slices
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 tablespoon dried tarragon

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add the carrots and beets and cook until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and tarragon. 

Black eyed pea salsa

We were having my sister-in-law Angie over for dinner last night. My go to appetizer/snack is guacamole. I went to the store yesterday, but all the avocados weren't ripe enough or were way past ripe. I then decided to try this salsa instead. Scott was very upset when I told him I was substituting a bean dip for our favorite guacamole.

In the end, we really liked this salsa. It was fresh and a nice change. The apple cider vinegar really added an extra kick to the salsa flavor. This sits well overnight too!

Black eyed pea salsa-adapted from The New Cookbook by Better Homes and Gardens
Total time: 5 minutes
Makes 2 cups

• 1 15-ounce can black eyed peas, rinsed and drained
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 1 small red pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Tortilla chips for serving

In a serving bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Serve with chips.

Mushroom tart with black truffle oil

This recipe has been sitting at the bottom of my Pinterest board for quite some time. I think I kept passing it up because I've never used black truffle oil before and I had no clue where to get it. Well, to help any of you out there that are in the same boat, you can find it at World Market (a favorite store of mine by the way)!

Anyway, I think something went a little wrong with this recipes because the puff pastry ended up a little doughy, but the flavors were definitely all there. The combination of the gruyere cheese and black truffle oil was awesome. If anyone else tries this, let me know what you did differently!

Mushroom tart with black truffle oil-adapted from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
Total Time: 30 minutes
Serves 6

• 1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup ricotta
• 1/4 cup Creme Fraiche
• 2 egg yolks, divided
• 1/4 cup Gruyere, sliced thin
• 1 bunch green onions, sliced
• Black truffle oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Flatten the puff pastry with a rolling pin and score the outisde 1-inch edge with a knife. 

In a large skillet, melt the butter and oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes or until mushrooms have released their juices and are tender.

In a medium bowl, combine ricotta, Creme Fraiche and one egg yolk. 

In a small bowl, mix the remaining egg yolk with a little water and brush on the 1-inch edges of the puff pastry. 

Spread the ricotta mixture inside the puff pastry edges. Top with Gruyere, the mushroom mixture and green onions.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Once the tart is out of the oven, drizzle with the black truffle oil. 

Sugar snap peas with mushrooms and tomatoes

Sugar snap peas are one of those vegetables you don't think about very often. For me, it's in stir fries. It's one of those items that gives the extra crunch that is just awesome. I really enjoyed making this side dish. A little bit of cheese and the tomatoes really made it pop!

One thing that I really love about this recipe-no need for added salt or pepper! I'm really not much of a salt fan, so I usually don't put it on unless it's really necessary in a dish. Pepper, I do love, but there was enough different flavor concepts going on for this side that it wasn't needed!

Sugar snap peas with mushrooms and tomatoes-adapted from Fast & Healthy Cookbook by Pillsbury
Total time: 20 minutes
Serves 5

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 4 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 cups frozen sugar snap peas
• 1/2 cup halved cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves
• 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic and cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Remove from saucepan; place in a serving dish or on a plate and cover with tin foil to keep warm.

In the same saucepan, heat 1/3 cup water to boiling. Add sugar snap peas and return the pan to boiling. Cover and simmer 3-5 minutes or until peas are crisp-tender. Drain then return peas to saucepan.

Return the mushrooms withs garlic to the saucepan along with tomatoes and basil. Cook until warm. Spoon into a serving dish and sprinkle with cheese.

Asparagus with balsamaic tomatoes

Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables. It's extremely easy to cook in just olive oil. pepper and salt. This recipe had a bit of an extra kick with the tomatoes, balsamic and feta. It wasn't anything mind blowing, but I did like the change up.

Asparagus with balsamic tomatoes-adapted from Dinner Tonight! by Cooking Light
Total time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

• 1 pound asparagus, trimmed
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 1/2 cups grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons crumbled feta
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cook asparagus in boiling water for 2 minutes until crisp tender; drain.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatoes and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar and cook for 3 minute minutes. Stir in salt. Place asparagus on a platter, top with tomato mixture, feta and pepper to taste.

Steakhouse potatoes

Oh. Em. Gee. Let me tell you about these potatoes. I think I'm pretty good at making mashed potatoes but these were something else. I couldn't. Stop. Eating them. You won't be sorry making these.

Steakhouse potatoes-adapted from Ree on Tasty Kitchen
Total time: 25 minutes
Serves 4

• 5 large red potatoes, quartered
• 1 stick butter, softened and cut into pieces
• 5 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 3/4 cup sour cream
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup french fried onions
• 1 cup cheddar cheese

Boil potatoes as if you are making mashed potatoes-about 20 minutes. Drain and return to pan. Smash with a potato masher and add in all other ingredients, mixing well. Top with additional cheese and french friend onions, if desired.

Garlic and butter green beans

This is such a simple recipe, but it's so good. It's probably all the butter. I seriously cannot say no :)

Garlic and butter green beans-adapted from thechefs(ex)wife on Tasty Kitchen
Total time: 20 minutes
Serves 4

• 1/2 cup butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pound frozen green beans, thawed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining ingredients and saute until heated through, 5 to 15 minutes depending on if beans are still frozen. 

Carrot and cumin dip

Last Christmas, my cousin bought us cookbooks, and I've finally gotten around to making a recipe out of one! The Cooking with Beer cookbook sounds awesome, but I have to say the first recipe was one I wouldn't make again. There wasn't anything wrong with it, but it just wasn't anything special. This dip was relatively easy to make and gave me a great excuse to use my new, super awesome food processor! Definitely serve with hard bread.

Carrot and cumin dip-adapted from Cooking with Beer by Paul Mercurio
Total Time: 30 minutes
Makes 2 cups

• 2 pounds carrots, peeled
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dried cilantro
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
• Crunchy bread, chips or crackers

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the carrots in half lengthwise and then crosswise. Place into a 9x13 inch baking dish and toss with 4 tablespoons oil, honey, cumin seeds and garlic. Bake for 20 minutes or until carrots are softened.

Add the carrot mixture and remaining ingredients to a large food processor. Pulse until blended-it will be a bit chunky. Serve with  crunchy bread, chips or crackers.

Cauliflower Rice

I made this to go with the Greek Chicken Stew. It was great with the stock. I don't know that I would make it with anything that didn't have a sauce to it. It wasn't bad, just not a ton of flavor.

Cauliflower Rice-adapted from Skinny Ms.
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1 head cauliflower florets
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Boil cauliflower for 8 minutes or until fork tender. Drain. Return to pan, add oil, salt and pepper and mash like you would potatoes until a consistency you prefer.

German Cucumber Salad

I made this recipe as I had accidentally bought too much yogurt and needed to use it up. It didn't hit anything out of the park, but maybe I'd like it more in the summertime?

German Cucumber Salad-adapted from Stumbling Upon Happiness
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves 2

• 1 cucumber
• 1 large tomato
• 1 small onion
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon dill
• Pinch of salt

Slice the cucumber, tomato and onion into thin slices. In a large bowl, mix together dill and salt. Add yogurt and lemon juice until well combined. Mix in vegetables until well combined. 

Greek Pita Pizzas

My dad used to work for a company that had its own cafeteria. One of his favorite meals was the pita pizzas they would make. Take a small pita, and top it with any and all the toppings you'd like. He then brought this home to us. It was so much fun! You could cut up your favorite veggies, meats and add as much cheese as you want!

This recipe brought that memory back to me. A bit different though with hummus instead of sauce, feta instead of mozzarella. The original recipe recommends tzatziki sauce, but we didn't use it on ours! A simple way to use up extra ingredients (whether you go Greek or not!)

Greek Pita Pizzas-adapted from Annie's Eats
Total Time: 15 Minutes
Serves 4

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
• 4, 8-inch, pitas
• 1 tablespoon red vinegar
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 small red onion, diced
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup hummus
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. Lightly brush both sides of each pita with olive oil. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons olive oil, red vinegar, salt, pepper and oregano. Whisk to blend. Then stir in onion, olives and tomato and toss to coat.

Top each pita with about 2 tablespoons hummus, quarter of the mozzarella cheese, quarter of the vegetable mixture, and finally a quarter of the feta cheese. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until vegetables are tender and cheese is melted. 

Trattoria Spaghetti

Scott just got home from his fraternity's alumni golf weekend. I had a pretty laid back weekend-a good friend, Julie had her bridal shower which was so cute! Great brunch (and sangria!) from Thunder Bay-I'd definitely recommend it for your next gathering!

The Sangria!

Super cute. I LOVE the tags :)

Flowers in Julie's wedding colors :)

A very sunny picture of Megan & I

 After the shower, I had a busy weekend of cleaning and organizing the apartment. I had been wanting to clean out our storage closet and spare bedroom forever. It seems as though we never truly unpacked in the spare room. Now it looks like a bedroom a bit more!

After all that this weekend, I just wanted to have a relaxing night once Scott got home. This meal takes about 20 minutes. It has a lot of veggies in it, and still a lot of flavor without a ton of fat for you. It's also meatless, which I'd like to try to do a few more times a week when possible! I changed up the recipe (which I put below) with what vegetables I have on hand. You can certainly add whatever you'd like to it!

Trattoria Spaghetti-adapted from 365 Last-Minute Meals by Better Homes and Gardens
Total Time: 20 Minutes
Serves 4

• 9 ounces dry spaghetti
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 green pepper, diced
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 2 ounces crumbled feta cheese with garlic and herbs

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain then return to pan or a large bowl.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, mushroom and pepper and stir for about a minute. Add in tomatoes and carrot. Cook, covered for about 5 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Add tomato mixture to pasta and mix thoroughly. Stir in feta cheese.

Green Beans with Balsamic, Mushrooms and Parmesan

Seeing the title of this just made me want to eat it. On top of that, I found this on Pinterest, so, of course, the original poster's image is amazing! A great new twist for your side dishes. I put this together the night before, covered & put in the fridge, and had Scott put it in the oven once we were ready to eat. It worked out great!

Green Beans with Balsamic, Mushrooms and Parmesan-adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 6

• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pound frozen french green beans
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients except for the cheese. Toss to coat well. Place mixture on a large cookie sheet. Roast for 20-30 minutes or until beans are tender-crisp. Top with parmesan cheese.

Corn on the Cob-Boiled

Corn on the cob is a staple of summer. Scott isn't a huge fan as he doesn't like the corn getting stuck in his teeth, so I don't buy it very often. We'll usually have it at his dad's for Sunday cookouts. I got two ears of corn from Growing Power, so I decided to give it a try!

Our grill has been out of commission for some time. We haven't quite figured out what's going on with it. Scott either needs to spend a day looking at it, or we'll solely use our mini Weber. I decided to Google some other ways to make corn on the cob. I found this recipe for boiling it, and it was quick and delicious! You don't get quite the charred feel as on the grill, but it takes about 10 minutes, and it's done!

Corn on the Cob-Boiled-adapted from Epicurious
Total Time: 10 Minutes
Serves-as many as you want :)

• Ears of corn
• Butter and salt for serving

Fill a stockpot large enough for all the ears of corn with water, and put on the stove to boil. Husk the ears of corn, making sure all the silky threads are pulled off. Place ears into boiling water and boil for at least 5 minutes. Serve with butter and salt.

Roasted Red Pepper Balsamic Portobello Burger

Woof. I have just been terrible at posting. I don't know why I've been so lazy. It's not like it takes a long time! I've even started trying to tell myself I should skip all the old stuff, as I don't remember a whole lot, and just post what I'm making new. But I want to share EVERYTHING with you, so I'm going back.

I remember liking these 'burgers' a lot. Using the english muffin as the 'bun' is awesome for portobello burgers as they have a moist texture, so you don't want too much 'soft' bread. Anythin with balsamic is good for me. The original recipe calls for asiago cheese, which I can only imagine is amazing on these. I used cheddar as that's what I had on hand. Still can't complain.

Oh don't you just love the shot of the paper towel in the background. I'm so classy sometimes...

Roasted Red Pepper Balsamic Portobello Burger-adapted from How Sweet It Is

Total Time 25 Minutes

Serves 4

• 2 medium red peppers
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large portobello mushrooms
• 4 slices cheddar cheese, or cheese of your choice
• 4 English muffins

Preheat broiler. Core and seed red peppers, and slice into pieces. Place skin side up on a baking sheet and broil for about 10 minutes or until black and charred. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring balsamic vinegar to a boil. Reduce to a low simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes or until liquid reduces by half and in syrupy. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl to cool and thicken.

In a small bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons olive oil, paprika, onion powder and salt. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle the inside of the portobellos with the remaining olive oil, then brush the olive oil mixture on the tops of the portobellos and cook tops down for about 5 minutes, or until slightly juicy. Flip and add the cheese slices. Cook for about 5 minutes more or until the cheese has melted.

While the mushrooms are cooking, toast the english muffins. Place the portobellos on an english muffin half, top with a slice of red pepper and the balsamic glaze and enjoy. 

Zucchini and Rice Casserole

This was a great casserole! We ate it for a main dish, but it would be a fantastic change up for a side dish too. It would go great with chicken, ham or pork chops. I pretty much love everything with zucchini in it.

Zucchini and Rice Casserole-adapted from Comfort Food by Cooking Light
Total Time: 60 Minutes
Serves 8

• 2 1/2 pounds zucchini, sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 cups cooked rice
• 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 ounce grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. IN a large stock pot, bring zucchini, onion and chicken broth to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Drain; partially mash with a potato masher.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Spoon mixture into a greased 9x13 inch pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly and browning.

Quinoa Parmesan

Quinoa is a new favorite dish and I can't wait to continue making it. When I first started cooking, Scott told me I had to learn to cook chicken parmesan some day. I think this is a pretty darn good vegetarian version!

Quinoa Parmesan-adapted from Pink Parsley
Total Time: 50 Minutes
Serves 4

• 1 eggplant, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 15 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray.

Toss the eggplant with salt and pepper and place on a paper towel lined plate. Microwave for 10 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Meanwhile, cook the quinoa according to package directions, using the two cups of water.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the eggplant and onion, and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Stir in mushrooms and cook an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all vegetables have softened and started to brown.

Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and both cans of tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, remove from heat and stir in the cooked quinoa, 2/3 cup of mozzarella cheese and basil. Pour into prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining mozzarella, parmesan, panko and melted butter. Sprinkle over the top of the quinoa.

Cover the dis and bake 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake an additional 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the top begins to brown.