Veggie Burgers

I tried experimenting with veggie burgers....... to torture my husband (bwah haha) - and he liked them. And I think they are pretty good too, so we will be making these often. Another great thing about these is you can add in some other veggies you have on hand and need to use up as well. A handful of mushrooms would go good if you like them. I don't, but I'm going to try putting them in next time because maybe it will mask the texture for me!

They also freeze great and if you don't have left over buns they make good left overs on top of a whole wheat tortilla.......(with sriracha sauce on top too, MMmmmm!)

Here's my recipe:
(Adapted from 100 days of real food)

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup garbanzo beans
• ½ cup frozen or fresh corn kernels (no need to thaw the frozen ones)
• 2 scallions, or 1/2 a small onion, coarsely chopped
• ½ red (or green) bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne (red) pepper
• 1 small raw sweet potato, peeled and chopped into big chunks
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
• ¼ cup carrot, peeled and coarsely chopped
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ½ cup bread crumb
• ¾ cup grated cheddar cheese (or whatever cheese you want)

Instructions

1. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
2. Add the corn, scallions (or onion) and bell pepper. Cook for 3 – 4 minutes.
3. While those veggies are cooking put the peeled and cut potato into a food processor (with the regular slicing blade, it is not necessary to use the grating blade) and chop it up into fine little pieces.
4. Scoop the potato out onto an old, clean dish towel and twist it tightly over the sink to squeeze all the liquid out of the chopped potato. (I didn't actually do this and it was fine without it.)
5. Meanwhile, add the garlic, cumin and cayenne to the veggie mixture on the stove and cook for 30 more seconds.
6. Remove the pan from heat and add the chopped spinach which should wilt slightly.
7. Next, add all of the vegetables to the food processor as well as the egg, bread crumbs, garbanzo beans, and cheese. Process until all items are blended together well (scrape the sides as needed.)
8. Use your hands to scoop up some of the mush, then form it into the shape of a burger. Place them on a plate lined with sheets of wax paper until you are ready to cook and/or freeze them.
9. Using the same non-stick skillet, heat 2 more tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Cook the burgers on both sides until brown (being gentle when turning them over).
10. Toast hamburger buns if desired and serve! Goes well with zucchini chips or baked potato cubes drizzled in olive oil and garlic.

Hope you enjoy!

Spinach and Walnut Stuffed Manicotti

Spinach and Walnut Stuffed Manicotti

This was a recipe I made up using two other recipes. My husband really likes meals to have texture, even when there is no meat- and adding the walnuts to this made it even more enjoyable- for us at least. If you're worried just let your family and friends know to expect the crunchiness and then it tastes pretty good. 

This is super easy to make, especially since you don't have to cook the noodles first- although you do want to plan on some extra prep time for stuffing those shells. I'd say give yourself 20 extra minutes just in case. It also works well to double this recipe and then put one of those casseroles (not yet baked) in the freezer for another busy day when you can just pop it in the oven! So yummy! Goes well with a salad and some fresh veggies or fruit.

Ingredients

• 1 package manicotti noodles
• 2 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 (15) ounce carton ricotta cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (6 oz.)
• 1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (4 oz.)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 cup chopped spinach 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 (26) ounce jar thick and chunky pasta sauce (2-3/4 cups)
• 1/4 cup water

 Directions

1. In a large bowl stir together the eggs, ricotta cheese, 1 cup of the mozzarella, 3/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, the walnuts, spinach, salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
2. Combine one cup of the spaghetti sauce and a quarter cup of water together. Spread evenly into a 13x9 inch baking dish.
3. Now preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
4. Using a teaspoon or clean hands, stuff each shell with equal amounts of the cheese mixture until it is almost falling out of both sides. Place stuffed manicotti into baking dish. Pour remaining cup of spaghetti sauce over the top of pasta. Cover with aluminum foil.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 50 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with remaining mozzarella and parmesan cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let stand 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Emily's gumbo (one pot dish)

Emily gumbo (one pot dish)

1 1/2 c celery chopped
1 1/2 c bell pepper chopped
2 c onion chopped
these 3 ingredients are called the holy trinity in the south a must have in many dishes.
1/4 c garlic minced
1 c green onions (optional)
1 lb okra sliced
1/4 c parsley(optional)
1 chicken breast
1 lb sausage (optional)
2T chicken broth (or more to taste)
3C water (may need to add more if it starts to get to dry)
creole seasoning to taste (optional)
salt and pepper to taste
 Tabasco sauce to taste
 oil
directions:
get a pot with a heavy bottom and  to cook in.  start with cooking the chicken cook the chicken whole with some oil in the pot and a lid on top, while it is cooking cut up first 3 ingredients.
after a few minutes turn chicken over and cook other side.  When chicken is done set aside and let is cool so you can cut it up (you can cook chicken how ever you want this way is just to keep it a one pot meal).
when the chicken is out add a little bit more oil and then the first 3 ingredients let them cook till onion is clear.
then add garlic and okra
*okra cooks best when put into a hot pan so make sure the pan is nice and hot or you will get really slimy okra, the taste is the same, just less slime when put into a hot pan.

once all the veggies are cooked add meat chicken broth, and other seasonings.  At this point it could be ready or you could let it sit and simmer an hour or so to let the taste set in even more.
serve with rice or if you add a bit more water it could be a soup.

We also eat it with corn bread:
1 c flour
1 c cornmeal
1T b. powder
1/4 c sugar
3/4 t salt
1 c milk
1 egg
 1/4 c oil
mix dry ingredients then wet then mix together put in a greased  brownie pan, the kind smaller then an 9x13. Bake 400 for 20 min, until lightly brown,
tastes yummy with honey butter: 1/4c soft butter 1/2c honey mix and spread.

Zucchini lasagna

I made this for dinner and LOVED IT!  I got my lasagna fill without the carbs. So I did not follow a recipe I just made my lasagna same as normal (how ever you like to make yours) all you do is instead of adding noodles slice a zucchini to look like lasagna noodles and put them in place of the noodles, cook as normal and enjoy with much less guilt.

Cauli pizza and now zucchi pizza

cauli pizza

I found that you can also replace the cauliflower with zucchini and/or yellow squash just use about the same amount of zucchini as you would cauliflower and do everything else the  same.

Cauliflower Crust Pizza (adapted from here)

• 1 recipe of Cauli-Rice 
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella (I used part skimmed)
• 1/2 tsp fennel seed 
• 1 TBS. Italian seasoning 
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. fresh ground pepper

Toppings of your choice, tomato, pesto or Alfredo sauce, cheese, precooked meats* & precooked veggies*
Preheat oven to 450F.  Line a baking sheet with either a Silpat or parchment paper.
Place the cooked Cauli-Rice into a tea towel and squeeze all the water out of the Cauli-Rice.  It is important to get the rice as dry as possible so that there won’t be extra moisture in the crust which will prevent it from crisping up properly.
In a medium bowl combine the dry Cauli-Rice, egg, 1/3 cup shredded mozzarella, fennel seeds, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper and mix to combine well.  Press the cauliflower mixture into an even thickness on the prepared pan, either into a round or rectangular shaped pizza.  I kept the crust pretty thin, about 1/4-inch thick.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until the crust is firm and golden brown.  Remove the pan from the oven and turn off the oven and turn on the broiler and move the rack to up close to the broiler. Top the cooked crust with sauce, cheese and toppings of your choice.  Place under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly and melted
Enjoy!
* Meats and veggies need to be cooked before placing them on the pizza as after the crust is baked, the pizza is only under the broiler to melt the cheese, not long enough to properly cook meats and veggies.


*Cauli-Rice

• 1 head fresh Cauliflower

Remove the leaves and hard center core of the cauliflower.  Cut into florets.  Wash and then allow the cauliflower to dry completely.  (You want the cauliflower completely dry and you will NOT be adding any water when cooking, this helps to cut down on the boiled cauliflower taste and smell.)  Once dry, fill the bowl of a food processor about half full and using the chopping blade and the pulse action, process the cauliflower until it looks like the size of grains of rice.  Add the processed cauliflower to a microwave safe bowl and repeat with the remaining cauliflower.  Once all the Cauliflower has been processed and added to the microwave safe bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap or a lid.  Microwave on high for 7 minutes.  Remove from the microwave and fluff up the Cauli-Rice with a fork and if desired add a pat of butter, salt & pepper.

I found the basic recipe here

no dough pizza this looks intresting, but not lo cal that is for sure

I saw this on FB and may try it out, just to see how it tasts.
NO DOUGH PIZZA!!!!!!! This one is a WINNER!!!!
Gluten Free, Low Carb, Diabetic Friendly!!!!!!
For when you absolutely want pizza but not all the carbs!!!!!!!

Crust
1 (8 oz) package of full fat cream cheese, room temperature
2 eggs
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Topping
1/2 cup pizza sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
toppings - pepperoni, ham, sausage, mushrooms, peppers
Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 350.

Lightly spay a 9×13 baking dish with cooking spray. With a handheld mixer, mix cream cheese, eggs, pepper, garlic powder and parmesan cheese until combined. Spread into baking dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes, our until golden brown. Allow crust to cool for 10 minutes.

Spread pizza sauce on crust. Top with cheese and toppings. Sprinkle pizza with garlic powder. Bake 8-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.