Vegan Whole Wheat Spaghetti and Meatballs

I made this recipe for my niece for dinner. She is vegan so I decided to make her a veggie hearty spaghetti with meatless meatballs (yes I know, kind of an oxymoron lol). She really enjoyed it. I would definitely rather with meat, because the meatballs break up and don't have as much flavor but it is better for you with less fat and high in protein.


"Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have." -Winston Churchill

Vegan Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients
One yellow squash
One zucchini
Three-Four Sweet Bell Peppers
1/3 of a red onion chopped
6-8 small mushrooms chopped
1-2 tbsp of minced garlic
5-6 yellow cherry tomatoes
One package of Whole Wheat Spaghetti
One jar of Mushroom and Garlic Organic Marinara Sauce
6 Nate's Meatless Meatballs (sold at Sprouts and Trader Joes)
Olive oil
1 tbsp of dried thyme
1 tbsp of dried oregano
1 tbsp of dried rosemary
1 tbsp of dried basil
1 tsp of ground sage
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring Water to a boil in a large pot
Chop onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, and zucchini
Take all chopped veggies, minced garlic and olive oil and all spices and put into a sauce pan.
Saute veggies until onions are soft and golden and squash is soft
When veggies are soft bring to med heat and add marinara sauce and frozen meatballs
Meatballs will break up and turn into more of a ground meat consistency which is fine. (If you want the meatballs to stay more in tack, you can do one of two things, you can saute or microwave them and add them to the finished sauce.)
Stir occasionally
Add spaghetti to pot cook 9-11 minutes stirring occasionally
After a few minutes of pasta cooking, turn heat on sauce to low to avoid any burning of sauce but to keep warm. Stir occasionally.
When pasta is soft, drain and serve with sauce atop.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms (Including a Vegan Alternative)

So this recipe I made for my niece and I for dinner last week. My niece is Vegan so I made a non Vegan cheesy version for me and a vegan recipe for her. She is a great eater and will try anything and loves mushrooms which are typically a food most kids even a lot of adults don't like.


"I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I'm not afraid to look behind them." - Elizabeth Taylor

Ingredients:
Ricotta Cheese
Sweet Bell Peppers (orange, red, yellow)
Large Portobello Mushrooms
Chopped Green Onions
Minced Garlic
Mayonnaise
1 tsp of dried Thyme
1 tsp of dried Basil
1 tsp of dried Oregano
1 tsp of Sea Salt
1 tsp of Pepper (can add red peppers if you like a little more spice too)
1 tsp Lemon Pepper
Shredded Parmesan cheese
A few small mushrooms

Vegan Ingredients:
all above except Ricotta, Mayonnaise, and Parmesan cheese
Instead of dairy products use Vegannaise to replace Ricotta and Maryonnaise and Use Veggie Shreds to replace Parmesan cheese

Clean mushrooms and remove stems
Set Portobello tops to the side
Chop mushroom stems and small mushrooms into small, fine pieces
Chop onions, bell peppers
In a mixing bowl combine all ingredients except the Parmesan cheese and portobello tops
Add salt and pepper to taste
Set oven temperature to 375 degrees.
Fill portobello caps with mixture to the top of the cap
Cook in over for 25 minutes
After 25 minutes add on shredded cheese to top of mushrooms
Cool for another 5 minutes

Let cool and serve

Italian Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Easter Dinner for One this Year

So my parents were out of town this year for Easter. So I made an Easter Dinner for One. My mom is not a big fan of pork so we normally just have ham and no other pork products, so I decided for Easter I was going to really take advantage of the use of pork this meal. Along with the Stuffed Tenderloin I made my Hagan Women Potato Salad. A recipe that my grandma and mom have made for a long time. That is on a separate post: http://recipesbylizzie.blogspot.com/2012/04/hagan-women-potato-salad.html

"Easter is a time to rejoice, be thankful, be assured that all is forgiven so life extends beyond the soil of earth."

Italian Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

Ingredients:


1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp of dried thyme
1 tbsp of dried oregano
1 tbsp of dried basil
1 tsp of dried rosemary
4 slices provolone cheese
2 cups fresh spinach
2 thin slices black forest ham
4-6 think slices of prosciutto

Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of the tenderloin to within 1/2 inch of bottom of loin.
Open tenderloin so it lies flat (butterflied).
On each half, make another, lengthwise slit down the center to within 1/2 inch of bottom
Cover with plastic wrap
Flatten to 1/4-in. thickness with mallet
Remove plastic wrap
In a bowl combine all spices and herbs
Rub pork with spice and herb mixture.
Make a layer with the cheese
Then a layer with spinach
Then a layer with the ham
Press down gently.
Roll up jelly-roll style, starting with a long side.
Tie the roast at 1 inch intervals with kitchen string.
Sprinkle with remaining celery salt, garlic powder and pepper.
Place on a rack in a shallow baking pan.
Bake, uncovered, at 375° for 40-50 minutes until juices are clear

Enjoy!

Hagan Women Potato Salad

So my Grandma and my Mom have been making this potato salad since I can remember. My grandma was the first I know of to have the recipe and my mom slightly adapted to it. I am kind of picky when it comes to potato salads. I don't like it when they have too much mustard or too many pickles or sour cream or dill. I like simple when it comes to potato salad. This recipe is very easy. I made it for Easter this year.


“Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a tribe, call it a family; whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one!” —Jane Howard

Hagan Women Potato Salad

Ingredients:

9-10 potatoes (Yukon golds or Idahos are always good)
Mayo (lots to your taste)
1/2 Red Onion
1 tbsp  of chopped dill pickle
1 tsp Spicy Brown Mustard
6-8 hard boiled eggs (6 chopped into salad and 2 sliced on top)
Salt and Pepper (A good amount of salt to taste as you add and pepper)
1 tsp Cider Vinegar
1-2 stocks of celery

First mix the couple of cups of mayo with pickle, mustard, vinegar and add a little milk to thin bit, not too much.
Set aside while you boil the unpeeled potatoes in salted water.
When boiled and cool enough to handle, peel, cut and blend in mayo mixture. (If a little warm, helps favors absorb into potatoes.)
Add eggs and some celery
Add onions.
Hint: Also keep some of the mayo mixture to add right before you serve be cause as it cools in fridge it dries up a bit.
Decorate with the sliced eggs and sprinkle with paprika.
Remember to taste before decorating top and adjust seasoning as needed.

Personal Notes: Grandma Hagan does not add celery. Auntie Ann likes to use a whole dozen eggs.

Lentil Salad

This recipe I have made for my family many of times. It's very easy to tweak for your liking and very easy to make. I make it vegan for my niece and sister. It is pretty healthy for you. Lentils are high in fiber and have many benefits. Having a vegan niece and sister, diabetic mother and a father with heart disease lentils are a great option. They stabilize blood sugar, lower cholesterol, contain B vitamins (regulate your digestive system), high in iron, and are packed with protein. Hope you enjoy!


"He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything."
Arabian Proverb

Lentil Salad

Ingredients
Trader Joe's fully cooked Lentils (whole package) ** Making lentils from scratch is quite time consuming and quite a feet sometimes to get the lentils at the right tenderness, I suggest buying lentils that are fully cooked especially since this is a cold recipe
 Two Roma Tomatoes
6-8 grape tomatoes
1 cucumber
3 green onions
1/4 red onion
1 head of romaine
2-3 pinches of dried thyme
Salt and Pepper
Balsamic Vinegar
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp of Orange Blossom Water
1 tbsp of Minced Garlic

Empty packaged lentils into a large mixing bowl. Separate lentils with a fork until lentils are not clumped together anymore.

Chop all ingredients finely and combine all veggies and liquids in a large mixing bowl.

Toss all ingredients together.

Chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes and serve.

You can substitute the balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil and orange blossom water for whatever kind of homemade or store bought dressing you like.