Caprese Pasta Salad

I love Caprese (and not because it looks like my name either ;p) but because I just can’t get enough of tomato and basil, which is why I can literally live for days off of nothing else than brushetta.

The Caprese is similar to brushetta in ingredients: tomato, fresh basil, garlic, EVOO, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper, and traditionally is served knife and fork style on thick slices of big, beefy tomatoes. Here is a bite-sized version using fresh mozzarella balls and grape tomatoes. You can also use cherry tomatoes, or a mixture of both.

Let’s just say that adding my bite-sized caprese salad as a pasta topper was phenomenal! It truly was awesome and I gobbled it up. The best part about this is that it becomes a meatless meal and a light summer-time dish for those evenings when you just want to throw something together quickly without a whole lot of fuss.

Make this soon. You will not be sorry!

8 oz. *whole wheat spaghetti noodles (or pasta of your choice. I think a farfalle would look lovely)

1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes

5 oz. fresh mozzarella balls packed in water (I used the little ones packed tightly in a moist package)

1/8 cup EVOO

2 -3 T. balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3  T. fresh basil, minced

1/2 t. sea salt

dash freshly ground pepper, or to taste

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Rinse tomatoes and cut into halves. If using 1-inch mozzarella balls, cut into bite-sized pieces.

Mince fresh basil and garlic. Place in large bowl with tomatoes and mozzarella, EVOO, vinegar, salt and pepper, and mix well.

The longer this mixture sits and marinates, the better it will be.

Drain cooked pasta. Top with the Caprese and enjoy!

*This particular recipe uses whole wheat spaghetti, but you could easily substitute rice noodles and make this a gluten-free meal.

These measurements yielded about 3 servings. To serve 4 or more, just double up on the measurements.

Eggplant Moussaka

It’s Meatless Monday again and I have a great recipe for you! I adapted this recipe from My Recipes: Vegetarian Moussaka, and it is great! The original version yields 4 huge servings at 343 calories each, so you know you’re eating right! I cut the recipe in half and it still was plenty for me and hubby.

 

1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch-thick slices

2 tbsp. EVOO, divided

1 cup chopped onion

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup uncooked bulgur

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1 cup *chicken broth

2 tsp. dried oregano

2 medium tomatoes, pureed**

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. flour

1/2 cup milk

1/8 tsp. salt

1 tbsp. grated Parmesan

1 egg, lightly beaten

*Since I’m not actually a vegetarian I didn’t have any problem using chicken broth in this recipe, which worked out perfectly because I had a cup of it leftover from a recipe I made last week and it was just sitting in my refrigerator, waiting to be usefull. You certainly could substitute a vegetable broth, however.

** I happened to have 2 tomatoes on their last legs so used them in place of 1 (14.5 ounce) can of diced tomatoes, undrained. It worked just as well, and some of the tomato bits I left chunky.

Preheat broiler. Brush eggplants slices with 1 tbsp. of EVOO, sprinkle with salt & pepper, and place on foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Broil for 5 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from broiler and set aside.

Set oven to preheat to 350*.

Heat skillet and add remaining 1 tbsp of EVOO to pan; swirl to coat. Add chopped onion to pan; saute 5 to 8 minutes. Add garlic; saute 1 minutes. (I usually throw my onion and garlic into the mini food processor together, which means they cook up together. It’s never a problem.) Add bulgur; cook 3 minutes or until bulgur is lightly toasted, stirring frequently. Add cinnamon. Stir in broth, oregano, and tomatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, cook a few minutes. Whisk constantly to blend well. Gradually add milk, whisking. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese and salt. Remove from heat, cool slightly. Add egg, stirring well with a whisk.

In greased baking dish (4×6) arrange half the eggplant slices on the bottom in a single layer. Spread the bulgur mixture evenly over the eggplant. Use the rest of the eggplant slices to create a second layer over the bulgur mixture. Top with the milk mixture. Bake at 350* for 30 minutes and remove from oven. Can increase heat to 475* for an additional baking time of 5 minutes, or broil until top is browned. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

 

Zucchini Fritters

Welcome to my first Meatless Monday post! This recipe came from Pinterest and I dreamed about it all the days leading up to when I actually made it.

It was AH-MA-ZING! 

This awesome recipe also came with a great sauce. You must try it! This is such a great meal for those days you want to go meatless. I’m not big on fried foods, but once in awhile is a treat, and this meal almost makes up for the fact that it’s fried Serve with a salad.

Vegetable oil for frying

3 cups grated zucchini

1 cup diced onion

2 eggs

1 cup flour (I use 1/2 all-purpose, unbleached & 1/2 whole wheat mix)

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

*Pour oil into skillet about 1/2 inch deep and turn heat to medium. While oil is heating up combine zucchini, onion, and eggs in a large bowl. Give the mixture a good stir.

In a smaller bowl combine flour and the remaining ingredients. Then add to zucchini and fold in until mixed well.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoons, frying about 6 fritters at a time.  Cook on each side about 2-3 minutes, depending on how crispy and brown you want them. When the centers are firm, remove from oil and drain on a plate lined with paper towel.

 

Chili Lime Aioli

 

1 cup prepared mayo

juice from half a lime (about 1-2 ounces)

1/2 tsp. chili powder (add to taste)

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

*Simply combine the ingredients, stirring well. Refrigerate until slightly chilled to take the mayo taste out. Serve with fritters

 

Now I’m thinking of all kinds of fritters….Corn Fritters, Cheese and Broccoli Fritters, Apple Fritters, even a Coconut Chicken Fritter. The possibilities are truly endless. I hope you enjoy   

Meatless Mondays aren’t just a fad.

How many of you eat a whole chicken breast or steak weighing in at an average of 8 to 10 ounces per meal? I know I do. In fact, you probably don’t even realize how much meat you’re consuming per meal, but the suggested amount is only 4 ounces of lean meat. So let’s say you eat a burger for lunch. Unless it’s a small burger from McDonalds {yuck!}, it’s probably going to be between a quarter to half a pound. Then for dinner you prepare a meal that allows for each family member to have a full chicken breast of their own. That’s well over 4 ounces again. It way more meat than our bodies need daily.

For optimum health we need to get away from canned foods (especially those with BPA- but this toxin is found in a lot more things than just cans, it’s also in our plastic, for example); meat, eggs, and dairy products that contain hormones, among other things; breads and cereals that include disgusting ingredients such as L-cysteine.

This is not a complete list by any means, and it doesn’t even cover things like soaps, shampoos, dish washing liquids, etc. All those things can be and are absorbed into the skin (or eaten off of “clean” plates and forks) and are just as toxic, but we’ll have to get to that another day.

So, in order to actually afford eating better we need to be realistic and smarter about it. If we should only be eating 4 ounces of meat at a time then spending more money on grass-fed beef or organic meats is more possible. Plus, who says we have to eat meat at every meal? You can get just as much protein from beans, legumes and eggs.

That’s when I realized that I don’t have to search out a ton of new recipes (even though I will anyway just because I’m always looking for new recipes) but instead I just have to incorporate healthier ingredients into the recipes I already love Then it came to me- why am I not searching out more vegetarian meals?

And so Meatless Mondays on The Home Heart begins!

Now, I know this isn’t a new idea by any means, in fact it’s all over the blog world. But for us it is new, and not only that but I hope to plan out my future menus with more than just one vegetarian meal a week. I began this project by surveying my Facebook friends with the question, “What’s your favorite meatless meal?”

Here are some of the replies:

1. Vegetarian Moussaka

2. Eggplant Parmesan

3. Spinach Stuffed Manicotti

4. Linguine Frittata with Greens

5. Butternut Squash Risotto

6. Vegetable/Eggplant Lasagna

7. Black Bean Soup

I intend to try these, and any other awesome recipes that come my way, and feature them on Meatless Mondays. If you have a favorite vegetarian recipe that you’d like to share, please feel free to post it here or contact me through The Home Heart on Facebook. There is a link on the upper right side of this blog. I would love to see what great meatless meals you are all eating.