eggplant parmesan

yes! eggplant parmesan for ONE! how could you not be excited? of course, you can easily double or quadruple this recipe and make many mouths happy. happy tasting!

courtesy of: vegetarian times
serves: 1
30 min

- 1/2 c spaghetti sauce, divided
- 1/4 c low-sodium breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp italian seasoning
- 1 1/2 tsp canola oil
- 1 japanese eggplant, cut into 1/4" thick slices on the diagonal
- 1 small egg, beaten
- 1/4 c grated low fat mozzarella cheese, divided
- 2 tsp grated parmesan cheese, divided
- 1/4 tsp dried basil

1. preheat oven to 350. coat a small baking dish with cooking spray, spread with 2 tbsp spaghetti sauce.

2. combine bread crumbs and italian seasoning in a shallow bowl. heat oil in nonstick skillet over med-hi heat. dip eggplant slices in egg, then in breadcrumb mix. cook slices in single layer in oil 1 - 2 min per side, or until light brown. place half of eggplant slices in single layer in prepared baking dish and sprinkle with 2 tbs mozzarella and 1 tsp pmaresan. discard remaining egg and breadcrumbs.

3. place remaining eggplant slices, remaining sauce, and remaining mozzarella and parmesan over eggplant in dish. sprinkle with dried basil. bake 15 min or until golden brown or microwave 5 min, turning baking dish halfway through cooking time to heat evenly.

pink lentils with zucchini

pink lentils cook in just 10 min, making them ideal for quick dinners. a splash of vinegar at the end brightens the flavors of both the lentils and the spinach without adding extra fat or calories. for a different flavor combination, substitute the cilantro for the sage and curry powder for the mustard. happy tasting!

courtesy of: vegetarian times
serves: 1
20 min

- 3 tbsp pink lentils, rinsed and drained twice
- 2 tsp chopped fresh sage
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt, divided
- 1 tsp canola oil
- 1 small zucchini, quartered and sliced 1/4" thick
- 1/2 c chopped tomato
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 c baby spinach leaves
- balsamic vinegar for drizzling

1. combine the lentils, sage, mustard, 1/8 tsp salt, and 3/4 c water in a medium saucepan. cover and bring to a boil. reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 8 - 10 min, or until lentils are tender, but not soft.

2. meanwhile, heat oil in skillet over med-hi heat. add zucchini, tomato, garlic, remaining salt, and 1 tbsp water. cover, simmer 3 - 4 min or until zucchini is tender, but still crunchy. stir in lentil mix and cook 2 min more. season with salt and pepper if desired. serve hot over spinach leaves. drizzle with vinegar.

hearty couscous

you can use any left over veggies you have in the fridge to top this dinner for one! try adding tofu or chicken for variation. it can also be multiplied to feed a crowd. happy tasting!

courtesy of: vegetarian times
serves 1
20 min

- 1/3 c whole wheat couscous
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 1/4 c finely chopped green onions
- 1 c diced red bell pepper
- 1/4 c finely chopped fresh basil
- pinch cinnamon
- 2 tbs dry roasted unsalted sunflower seeds
- 2 tbs crumbled feta cheese

1. heat skillet over med-hi heat. add couscous and toast 3 -4 min, stirring occasionally. transfer to plate.

2. heat oil in same skillet over med-hi heat. add green onions, and saute 2 min. stir in bell peper, basil, and cinnamon. saute 2 min or until basil is wilted. add 1/4 c water and bring to a boil. add couscous, reduce heat to med-low, cover, and simmer for 5 min or until water is absorbed. transfer to plate and top with sunflower seeds and feta.

kidney bean and tomato curry

this indian curry recipe puts a whole new spin on rice and beans for supper. if you're not keen on kidney beans (i'm not), try white, black, pinto, or chickpeas. add trimmed green beans, sliced squash or okra and serve over rice. for further variationl, add 1/2 c cooked chicken. can easily be multiplied to feed a crowd. happy tasting!

courtesy of: vegetarian times
serves 1
20 min

- 2 tsp veggie oil
- 1/4 c finely chopped onion
- 1/2 c finely chopped tomato
- 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 1/8 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground corriander
- 4 tbsp plain low-fat yogurt, divided
- 1/4 c cooked kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/4 tsp garam masala
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- chopped cilantro for garnish, optional

1. heat oil in a medium skillet over med-hi heat. add onion and cook 7 - 10 min or until light brown. stir in tomato, ginger, turmeric, and corriander. cover and cook 2 -3 min or until tomatoes are soft. whisk in 2 tbs yogurt and 1/2 c water. stir in kidney beans (and any veggies you might be using), cover and bring to a boil. reduce heat to med-low and simmer 10 min.

2. mash a few kidney beans in the pan, then stir in garam masala and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, if desired. serve topped with remaining 2 tbs yogurt and garnish with cilantro.

rice noodle bowl with veggies

it's been a long time since i made dinner for just one, however, i do remember these next few posted recipes coming in handy on more than one occasion back in the day {which was a wednesday, by the way}. add 1/2 c cooked chicken or beef or pork to this one for variation. it can also easily be doubled, tripled, etc to accommodate a hungry family. happy tasting!

courtesy of: unknown
serves 1
20 min

- 1 1/2 oz dried rice noodles (1/4 c), broken into 1" pieces
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp chile sauce, or to taste
- 2 tsp canola oil
- 1/4 c finely chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 c thinly sliced red bell pepper
- 1/2 c broccoli florets
- 1 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts, optional

1. bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a med saucepan. add broken noodles. remove fro heat and let stand 5- 7 min or until noodles are rehydrated. drain and discard water.

2. meanwhile, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, chile sauce, and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl. set aside.

3. heat oil in a skillet over med-hi heat. add onion and garlic, and stir fry 1 min. add bell pepper and broccoli, and cook 1 min more. add soy sauce mix, bring to a boil, and cook 1 min more or until bell pepper and broccoli are tender. stir in noodles. serve sprinkled with roasted peanuts, if using.

strawberry shortcake trifle

i came across this strawberry shortcake recipe while looking for another strawberry recipe, but it looked so delicious that i couldn't pass it up. it's so different from most other shortcake recipes i've studied. tweeked and tasted over the weekend, it's no wonder it's highly rated over at the food network. from my kitchen to yours... happy tasting!

adapted from: paula deen
serves: 6
10 min

- angel food cake (i made my own, next time i will use store bought)
- 8oz cream cheese, room temp
- 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 12oz whipped topping, thawed
- 1 c sugar
- 3 tbsp corn starch
- 3 tbsp strawberry gelatin (jell-o)
- 1 c water
- 2 c fresh strawberries, sliced

1. dice cake using a serrated knife.

2. mix together cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, and whipped topping. set aside.

3. in a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, gelatin, and water. cook over medium heat until thick. remove from heat and allow to cool completely. fold in berries.

4. assemble in a bowl by layering: cake, strawberry mixture, cheese mixture until all ingredients have been used.

optional: top with whole strawberries and fresh mint for serving.

gazpacho

earlier this week, j and i enjoyed homemade gazpacho with my parents. while, i agree with my little brother that eating gazpacho is a little like digging into salsa with a spoon, i do think it's great my mom did some chopping and dropping in her kitchen. this inspired me to check out some gazpacho recipes online and after some taste testing, my favorite hails from the divine barefoot contessa. happy tasting!

courtesy of: ina garten
serves: 4 -6
20 min

- 1 hot house cucumber, halved and seeded (not peeled)
- 2 red bell peppers, cored and seeded
- 4 plum tomatoes
- 1 red onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 23oz tomato juice (3 cups)
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper

1. roughly chop the cucumber, peppers, tomatoes, and onion into 1" cubes. put each veggie separately into a food processor fitted with a steel blade and pulse until coarsely chopped. do not over process!

2. after each veggie is processed, combine them in a large bowl and add the garlic, tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper. mix well and chill well before serving. the longer the vegetables sit, the richer the flavors.

new!

"sunday brunch" is the newest feature on my personal blog, which specifically showcases breakfast recipes. i'll be linking every third week here, instead of reposting. i highly recommend you try the market crab benedict. happy tasting!

market crab benedict

chinese egg whites and tomotoes

french toast casserole

pineapple upside down biscuits

i'm not so good with the whole distant relative relationship thing, so we'll call sherry, my eleventh cousin nine times removedish, she sent me this recipe the other day and my tummy can't wait to try it! i love pineapple upside down anything and paula deen is definitely in my top 5 favorite southern gals {with scarlet o'hara, reese witherspoon, and two of my grandmothers}. and like all things paula deen, it starts with a sticka butta. this must be a winning recipe. happy tasting!
courtesy of paula deen
submitted by sherry thompson
makes: 10 biscuits
10m prep, 15m bake

- 10 maraschino cherries
- 1/4c butter, room temp
- 1/2c packed light brown sugar
- 10oz crushed pineapple
- 1 pkg refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 count)

1. preheat oven to 400. grease 10 cups in a muffin tin. strain the can of pineapple juice, saving the juice for later.

2. combine the pineapple, sugar, and butter in a medium bowl and mix well. divide among the muffin tins. place a cherry in the center of each muffin tin, making sure it hits the bottom of the tin. place 1 biscuit on top of pineapple/cherry and spoon one tsp of reserved pineapple juice over the top of each biscuit.

3. bake 12-15min, or until golden. cool for 2min and invert the pan onto a plate to release the biscuits. serve warm.

granola bars

school's out for summer! with my older, more self sufficient kids at home for the summer, i thought it was a good idea to be one step ahead of the game this week and have a handy breakfast available for them to help themselves to in the wee hours of the morning. this granola bar recipe was uber quick and incredibly easy. i accidentally left these in the oven for an extra hour (oops!) and it was still yummy ~ mega crunchy, but still super yummy. i will be trying it again, next time using a timer... happy tasting!


adapted from nigella lawson
makes 16 chunky bars
10 min prep, 60 min bake

- 1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 cups oats
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup peanuts
- 1 cup mixed seeds (i used pumpkin, pepita, and sunflower)

1. preheat oven to 250. prepare a 9x11 glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or line with tin foil. in a small pot, warm the sweetened condensed milk.

2. in a large bowl, combine remaining ingredients and coat with warm milk. press into prepared baking dish and bake for 1 hour.

3. remove from oven, let cool 15 minutes and cut into 16 chunky bars. let cool completely before serving. store in an air-tight container for up to 10 days.