VEGETARIAN Shepard’s Pie

Shepard’s Pie is such a classic and I think this vegetarian version makes it that much more special. I’ll admit-I was a little nervous to take on this recipe because I thought it was going to be way too much work, turns out I was so wrong in the best way! Even without the meat, this dish is still so comforting and full of rich flavor. To add in some extra protein I also added in a cup of lentils. Lentils are awesome because they cook so quick plus, they have a mild taste which helps them blend really well into recipes. My daughter loves veggies but she loves them even more covered in mashed potatoes!!! But who doesn’t???

Prep time: 10 min   Cook time: 45 min    Serves: 6

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked lentils
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 carrots
  • 3 stalks celery
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/2 tsp fresh pepper
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup vegetable broth
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • 4 cups mashed potatoes

Instructions

  • Add garlic and diced onion to olive oil over medium heat in large skillet. Sauté until the onions are translucent
  • Peel and dice carrots and celery and add to to skillet and continue to sauté until the carrots are soften slightly
  • Add spices, salt and pepper. Add in tomato paste and flour. Stir and cook the vegetables with flour and tomato paste until the vegetables are coated and a pasty mixture begins to coat the bottom of the skillet
  • Add vegetable broth to skillet and stir. Allow broth to begin to simmer and become slightly thicker. Add in lentils and frozen peas and allow mixture to heat throughout
  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees and pour mixture into casserole dish.
  • Spread the mashed potatoes over the surface of vegetables. Use a spoon to make decorative pattern if you wish.
  • Bake for 15 min or until the top is browned to your liking

 

 

Honey Garlic Baked Cauliflower

Yeah, you read that right. Crispy, crunchy cauliflower with a sweet honey garlic sauce, mmm. Cauliflower is one of my favorite vegetables to make recipes with because of how versatile it is. It’s great for crumbling or ricing, cauliflower steaks, even pizza crust! In this recipe the crispy cauliflower bites are the perfect vehicle for soaking up this sweet, savory sauce. The sauce is so good-I really did lick my bowl clean!

 

Prep time: 5 min   Cook time: 30 min   Serves: 2-4

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Ingredients

  • 1 small cauliflower cut into bite sized pieces
  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • 2 large eggs whisked
  • 2 scallions finely sliced

Honey Garlic Sauce

  • 6 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • 4 cloves minced garlic
  • 6 tbsp water plus 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (low sodium)
  • *optional* 1/2 tbsp Sriracha sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Spreak panko into a thin layer  across the baking sheet. Spray panko with cooking spray and bake crumbs until golden, about 7 min.
  • Set whisked eggs aside in small bowl and line a separate baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Dip bite sized cauliflower into egg mixture then shake off excess egg (very important) before placing into sheet with panko crumbs. Cover cauliflower with panko pressing gently to help crumbs coat cauliflower completely. Repeat until all cauliflower is coated.
  • Bake for about 15-20 min until coating is a dark golden brown.
  • While the cauliflower is cooking, prepare the sauce on the stove. In a small bowl completely dissolve the water plus cornstarch and then set aside. Add all other sauce ingredients to small saucepan and bring to gentle simmer. Then add in cornstarch water to sauce and stir immediately to fully dissolve cornstarch.
  • Stir sauce occasionally to ensure no clumping and continue to stir until sauce thickens. Once sauce is thickened, remove from heat and allow to cool. The sauce will thicken even more while cooling.
  • Drizzle over cooked cauliflower.

If you wish to coat cauliflower completely in sauce, it is best to double the recipe for sauce and brush onto cauliflower with pastry brush. Garnish with scallions and serve immediately.

Garlic Parmesan ZOODLES

This is the sneaky way to get that extra serving of veggies in your kids will LOVE! I’m all about the zoodles, you seriously can’t even tell its a vegetable when you serve them with the right sauce. And it gets better, you can even buy pre-spiralized zoodles so this recipe will literally take 10 minutes. A healthy dinner in only 10 minutes?? Yep, you read that right. This recipe has all the creamy deliciousness of your favorite pasta dish, minus the carbs and gluten. Can it get any better?? This is a fun recipe to play around with, add in different grilled or fresh veggie toppings or even try using butternut squash noodles!

Prep time: 5 min     Cook time: 5 min     Serves: 2-4

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Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 2 cloves minced garlic
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • 2 1/2 tbsp milk
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
  • 4-5 zucchini, spiralized or 1 package pre-spiralized
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • *optional* sliced cherry tomatoes or fresh veggie of your choice

Instructions

  • In large saucepan, melt better over medium heat and then add minced garlic.
  • Add cream cheese and milk
  • Allow a simple sauce to begin forming
  • Add in zoodles and toss to coat with sauce
  • Add in parmesan cheese and cook together until noodles are barely fork tender and all the cheese is melted.
  • Garnish with veggies of choice and serve right away

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Spinach Lasagna Roll ups

Okay, so this was my first time making lasagna roll ups! It was way easier than I thought it was going to be. I’ve always loved lasagna, it’s a great comfort food, but I never really found a vegetarian version I fell in love with, until this one! The homemade sauce is SERIOUSLY amazing, and doesn’t take all day to make! My little one loves pasta, but I totally get bored of the same pasta with sauce so I was super excited to try this recipe.

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Prep time: 20 min     Cook time: 25 min     Serves: 8

Ingredients

Tomato Sauce

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 small diced onion
  • 28 oz crushed tomato
  • 3 minced cloves garlic
  • 3 tsp dried basil
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp dried parsley
  • salt and pepper to taste

Filling

  • 10 oz frozen spinach
  • 15 oz ricotta cheese
  • 2 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella
  • 2/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • 1 egg

Noodles

  • 12 lasagna noodles

Instructions

  • Heat olive oil and diced onion in sauce pan over medium heat. Sauté until onions are translucent. Stir in crushed tomatoes, minced garlic, dried basil, oregano, and parsley. Cover with lid and allow sauce to simmer 20 min over medium to low heat.
  • While sauce is simmering, prepare the lasagna noodles according to directions on box. Once cooked, drain and allow to cool to room temperature. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  • Prepare the filling by mixing together the frozen spinach (thawed and drained), ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, and egg.
  • Once the noodles have cooled, lay them down on parchment or wax paper on a flat, smooth surface.
  • Spread a layer of the filling evenly along the length of the noodles. Roll the noodles.
  • Pour 1 cup of your tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Place the lasagna roll ups into the baking dish then add remaining sauce and top with remaining mozzarella cheese on top. Bake for 25 min.

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I used a round baking dish (obviously) so mine probably won’t look like what yours will, but you get the picture! Either shape still tastes so yummy!

 

Slow cooker VEGETARIAN chili mac

This slow cooker vegetarian chili mac is so yummy and even easier to make. Plus, this recipe makes enough for your whole family to eat and then still lots to freeze! When I saw mac n’ cheese plus chili, I can’t lie I was sold on just the thought of all that melty cheesy goodness. I mean who doesn’t LOVE cheese?? Its delicious, feeds a crowd, and cheap to make! Talk about a win-win. Oh, and if you live in upstate NY like I do-we’re still getting snow in April, so it’s great for cold days!

 

Prep time: 20 min    Cook time: 3 hours 30 min    Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

  • 10 cloves of minced garlic
  • 1 small diced onion
  • 15 oz drained kidney beans
  • 15 oz chili beans- do not drain
  • 15 oz stewed tomatoes-do not drain
  • 4 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 2 tbsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1 lb elbow macaroni uncooked
  • 3 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
  • fresh chopped parsley, for serving

 

Directions

  • Add garlic and onion to a skillet with 1 tsp olive oil and let sauté 10-15 min until onion is translucent
  • Add garlic and onion, kidney beans, chili beans, stewed tomatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper to 6 quart slow cooker.
  • Cook on high for 2-2 1/2 hours until contents are bubbly
  • Add uncooked macaroni noodles and cook an additional 20-40 min until noodles are al dente. Stir and check noodles every 5-10 min.
  • Once noodles cooked, add in cheddar cheese.
  • Serve garnished with fresh parsley and extra cheeseIMG_7261