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Alea’s Baked Zucchini Parmesan

Alea — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 22:00:34 +0000

This is my easy, frugal alternative to Eggplant Parmesan. I wasn’t quite so eloquent when my daughter asked what I was making for dinner. I told her I was making Eggplant Parmesan without the eggplant and without the Parmesan. she said, “it sounds like you’ve got nothing”. After she finished eating she leaned over and said, “You might want to consider naming this recipe based on what is in it, instead of what is missing”.

I included a layer of rice under the zucchini to make this vegetarian dish just a little more filling. Plus it helps sop up the extra spaghetti sauce.

Instead of breading and frying the zucchini, I add a layer of croutons. The croutons add the flavor and crunch you expect in a Parmesan dish, but it is a lot faster and easier. Since it is baked instead of fried, it is also lower in fat.

You can stretch cheese further by using a super fine grated cheese. That is only one cup of cheese in the picture above, but it looks like more because it is finely grated. Quite often when you eat Eggplant or Chicken Parmesan at a restaurant it doesn’t actually contain Parmesan cheese. My husband and kids do not like Parmesan cheese, so I rarely use it. If your family likes Parmesan cheese, then replace 1/2 cup of the mozzarella cheese with it.

Image

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Title
Adapted from Baked Chicken Parmesan
Yield – 6 – 8 servings
Preparation Time – 10 minutes
Cooking Time – 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 cups cooked rice
1 egg
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons parsley
2 medium zucchini
2 cups leftover spaghetti sauce (easy homemade spaghetti sauce)
2 – 3 cups croutons (fast and easy way to make croutons)
2 cups mozzarella cheese
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Directions
In a bowl, combine rice, egg, and spices. Stir with a fork until thoroughly mixed.
Add a splash of olive oil to the bottom of a 13×9 pan. Spread it around with a basting brush. Spread rice mixture in the pan.
Cut zucchini lengthwise in 1/4″ thick slices. Place a single layer of zucchini slices on the rice.
Pour the spaghetti sauce over the zucchini.
Sprinkle one cup of cheese over the spaghetti sauce.
Layer the croutons over the cheese.
Sprinkle one cup of cheese over the croutons.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until cheese is brown.
I served the Baked Zucchini Parmesan with a garden salad.

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Alea’s Baked Zucchini Parmesan was first posted on January 24, 2012 at 5:00 pm.

Alea’s Minestrone Casserole

Alea — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:00:50 +0000

The evenings have been cooling off and I am beginning to crave soups. I have one little problem…my 4-year old. He thinks he is big enough to eat the same things we eat, but he still struggles to get soup from the bowl to his mouth without any mishaps. Last week I was going to make Chicken Noodle Soup, but my son had already created several major messes – we’re talking “new house rules” messes and I did not think I could handle another one. So I changed my plans and used the soup ingredients to make Chicken Noodle Casserole. As I was making it I started thinking about what other soups I could change into casseroles and the first one that came to mind was my favorite soup: Minestrone!

I would so love to tell you that the next day was a mess-free day. However the next day my son asked me for googly eyes, a glue stick, and a marker so he could make faces. And for some odd reason, I thought he would be making the faces on the construction paper I provided. He had other ideas:

Ignore the dust, I am too busy trying to keep my son alive and my house standing to worry about dusting! He also put faces on the computer, the stove, the sliding glass door, and the globe. Needless to say, we have another house rule and I needed another no mess dinner recipe.

All of the ingredients are mixed together in a 13×9 pan but instead of adding lots of broth and making a soup, you add just a little broth and create a casserole.

Many people like to add croutons to soup, so I decided to add an Italian bread crumb topping.

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Alea’s Minestrone Casserole
Adapted from Vegetable Garden Minestrone Soup
Yield - 8 servings
Preparation Time - 15 minutes
Cooking Time - 25 minutes
Ingredients
1 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup onion, minced
1 cup zucchini, chopped
1 cup fresh green beans
1 stalk celery, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup Vegetable Broth
1 3/4 cups cooked black beans (or 15 ounce can, drained) Tip for cooking beans quickly
1 3/4 cups cooked great northern beans (or 15 ounce can, drained)
2 cups fresh tomatoes, diced (or 1 can with juice)
2 cups fresh baby spinach (or frozen spinach thawed)
1 cup carrots, julienned or shredded
1 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
2 teaspoons fresh oregano, minced
2 teaspoons fresh basil, minced
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
8 oz. small shell pasta
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
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Directions
Cook pasta according to package directions.
While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion, celery, garlic, green beans, carrots, and zucchini and sauté in the oil for 5 minutes or until onions begin to turn translucent.
Add vegetable broth tomatoes, beans, carrots, spinach, and spices to the pan. Simmer until the spinach wilts.
Drain pasta and place it to a 13×9 pan. Add vegetable mixture and beans. Stir to thoroughly combine.
Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Remove foil, top with bread crumbs and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
I served the casserole with a garden salad.
The new house rule: Do not write, glue, draw, or paint on anything but paper without an adult’s permission. That is pretty comprehensive right? Apparently not. This morning I found a roll of paper towels that he decided to write on. Grrr.

Alea’s Minestrone Casserole was first posted on September 27, 2011 at 5:00 pm.

Healthy, Low Cost Lunch Ideas from Budget Dietitian

Dana S — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:33:16 +0000

As a registered dietitian, I want to send my soon-to-be first grader off to school with a healthy lunch. However, I know that if I don’t keep lunch interesting, all the healthy stuff will get traded for Oreos!

To help with packing, I am listing out healthy & budget friendly options for brown bag lunches. These options are also relatively easy; no carving a carrot into a swan!

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Healthy, Low Cost Lunch Ideas
Entree Ideas:
The classic pb&j as well as pb& honey sandwiches
Nitrate free lunchmeat & cheese sandwiches
Cottage cheese and fruit
Homemade muffin with a side of string cheese
Tic-Tac-Toe
Cold Pasta Salad with veggies & cubed cheese
Hummus & Vegetable Wraps
Egg Salad Sandwiches
Tuna Salad Sandwiches
Ants on a Log
Celery filled w/ Cream Cheese dotted with Dried Cranberries
Asian Chicken Salad Wraps
Hard Boiled Egg
Hummus w/ Whole Grain Pita & Carrots/Green Peppers to dip in it
Marinated Vegetable Pasta
Cream Cheese & Sliced Strawberry Sandwich
Couscous Salad w/ Leftover Chicken & Vegetables
Leftover Cubed Chicken w/ BBQ Sauce to dip in
Peanut Butter & Banana Roll Up
Pita Pizzas
Fruit Roll-Up
Chicken Salad
Babybel (or other cheese) and whole grain crackers
Chicken Kabobs w/ Peanut Sauce (or BBQ sauce for the less adventurous)
Entree Salad such as Greek Salad, Caesar
Cheese Sandwich
Fruit & Yogurt Parfait
Side Dishes:
Unsweetened Applesauce
Carrot Sticks or Shredded Carrots
Whole Fruit like Bananas, Apples, Oranges, Clementines, Pears, Plums, Peaches
Olives
Cut Veggies w/ Dip
Dried Cranberries, Apricots, Apples, or Raisins
100% Fruit Leather
Fruit Salad
Raw Veggie Kabobs
Raw Fruit Kabobs
Trail Mix
Cut Fruit w/ Yogurt Dip
Yogurt
Canned fruit in light syrup or fruit juice
Dried Fruit mixed with an Unsweetened Cereal (such as Cheerios or Rice Chex)
Side Salad w/ Favorite Dressing
Corn Salad
Fruit Cut into Wedges such as Apples, Oranges, Peaches
Grapefruit Half
Homemade Granola Bars
Secret Message Bananas
What is your favorite foods to pack in your kids lunches?

Healthy, Low Cost Lunch Ideas from Budget Dietitian was first posted on August 18, 2011 at 7:33 am.

Tricia’s Fried Green Tomatoes

Tricia H — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 22:34:38 +0000

Sliced, dipped, dredged and fried tomatoes equal a plateful of delights as the showcase of veggie night. It’s an annual treat. I make fried green tomatoes maybe twice a summer. Veggie plate night, of course being a frugal way to feed our hodgepodge. And fried green tomatoes, of course being a way to liven things up a bit.

I explained to the children that fried green tomatoes are served as high dollar appetizers in fine restaurants. So I’ve heard. The taste being similar to fried zucchini but a little more on the tart side.

This is the same process I use for fried okra. Though standing and frying okra is a true act of love!

(pictured above with a little bit of fried okra thrown in for good measure)

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Fried Green Tomatoes
Yield – 8 servings
Preparation Time – 10 minutes
Cooking Time – 10-15 minutes
Ingredients
2-3 green tomatoes (unripened)
buttermilk, enough for dipping (don’t have buttermilk, make substitute)
cornmeal, enough for coating, maybe 1/2 cup
enough oil to cover the bottom of your iron skillet
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Directions
Slice your tomatoes. Not too thin and not too thick.
Fix a cereal bowl full of buttermilk and one full of cornmeal. No certain amounts.
Pour your oil in your skillet and heat up on medium high.
Dip individual tomato slices first in buttermilk.
Next, dredge in cornmeal. (Turn over and coat both sides.)
Drop carefully into the hot oil. Fry less than five minutes on each side.
When nice and brown, remove to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. You might want to blot the oil with another paper towel a bit as well.
Season to taste with salt and pepper if you like. We didn’t and they were mighty tasty.
Cost $ Pennies

Serve with cornbread, macaroni and cheese and your other favorite vegetables. We enjoy a veggie plate at least once a week – especially when vegetables are fresh and plentiful. Tasty and frugal! Sweet tea or iced coffee are a bonus for adults. You might also like Erin’s Grilled Green Tomatoes. Get every bite of summer you can!

How about you. How often do you enjoy a veggie plate?

Tricia’s Fried Green Tomatoes was first posted on July 28, 2011 at 5:34 pm.

Dana’s Marinated Vegetable Pasta

Dana S — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 23:32:28 +0000

This is a great light summer recipe that is loaded with vegetables from the garden or farmer’s market. We make a version of this dish at the Cooking Class that I teach for our hospital. It is always delicious and is a great way to highlight summer produce.

I used Ronzoni Smart Taste pasta for this dish. It is also great with whole wheat pasta for added fiber and nutrients. I often get either pasta for $..50 or less with coupons! (Erin here: I usually get this pasta for free with the right coupon matchup!) An inexpensive way to up the nutrition for my family.

You can use any combination of vegetables that you family likes or that is in season. I used red & green peppers and zucchini this time around. Asparagus, summer squash and mushrooms have also been fabulous in this dish. The trick to this dish is to marinate the vegetables after you cook them. The marinade really soaks in once the veggies have softened.

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Marinated Vegetable Pasta
Yield – 4-6 servings
Preparation Time - 8 minutes
Cooking Time - 15 minutes
Ingredients
1 box “smart” pasta or whole wheat pasta ($0.50 with coupon)
2 large red pepper, cut into strips ($1.30)
1 large green pepper, cut into strips ($.69)
2 small zucchini, cut into half moon shapes ($1.00 or FREE from the garden)
1 small onion, diced ($.25)
3 minced garlic cloves ($.10)
2 tsp oil ($0.01)
1/4c balsamic vinaigrette ($0.25)
Parmesan cheese (to taste) ($0.75)
Directions
Saute vegetables, garlic and onion until crisp tender (around 5-8 minutes).
While vegetables are cooking, boil pasta according to box directions.
Once vegetables are crisp tender, place sauteed vegetables into bowl. Pour balsamic vinegar over veggies and cover. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes.
Toss pasta and marinated vegetables. Top with cheese if desired.
Cost $ 4.85 (less if you use zucchini from the garden!)

Dana’s Marinated Vegetable Pasta was first posted on June 21, 2011 at 6:32 pm.

Alea’s Broccoli Salad with Kohlrabi and Chicken

Alea — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 23:30:17 +0000

I like to operate from a menu plan, but during the summer my menu plan is written in pencil and subject to change after visiting the garden. On today’s tour I discovered that some of my kohlrabi and broccoli plants were beginning to flower. I immediately began harvesting…and creating a new dinner plan.

My daughter describes kohlrabi as a B list vegetable – not cool enough to make it on to Veggie Tales.

After you cut off the stems, peel the kohlrabi bulb with a vegetable peeler to remove the tough outer layer. It is often described as tasting like broccoli stems, which is what inspired me to modify my broccoli salad recipe to include it, but I think it tastes more like jicama. When I shared my observation with my family, my daughter noted that jicama is another one of those uncool veggies that nobody knows about.

Kohlrabi greens are edible. I like to save them to add to soups and salads. I used kohlrabi greens with this recipe to create a bed and placed the Broccoli Salad with Kohrabi and Chicken on top of them.

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Alea’s Broccoli Salad with Kohlrabi and Chicken
Adapted from Nutty Broccoli Salad
Yield – 4 – 6 servings
Preparation Time - 20 minutes
Cooking Time – It doesn’t require cooking if you have leftover chicken, but it does require 3 – 4 hours of refrigeration.
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
4 cups broccoli florets
2 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and julienned
1 cup julienned carrots
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
1 large apple, diced
1/2 cup pecans
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
Dressing Ingredients
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette
1/4 cup honey
Directions
Mix salad ingredients together in a large bowl.
Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl, stir well.
Pour dressing over salad, mix until thoroughly coated.
Refrigerate at least 3 – 4 hours, until chilled.
Serve cold over kohlrabi greens.

Alea’s Broccoli Salad with Kohlrabi and Chicken was first posted on June 14, 2011 at 6:30 pm.