Grilled Eggplant Lasagna

I've been working on cutting back on the amount of meat I consume, for many reasons; my health, the health of the animals being raised for our consumption, and for the environment.

This has allowed me to branch out into new areas of food!  I never thought I could do much of a vegetarian diet, but I have been amazed at what I'm enjoying.

This recipe came because I'm also trying to cut back on carbs.  Yes, it does sound like I'm trying to take all the joy out of my life, but I'm finding it another opportunity.  AND, I'm not cutting out carbs or meat 100%, just cutting back.

Get to the point you say?  I agree.  Here's the recipe:

Cut two medium sided eggplants into 1/4 inch thick slices.  Cut length wise for long strips that will be used in place of the noodles.

In a bowl combine 1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 teaspoon of onion powder and stir.

Heat a grill pan to medium high (you could also use a grill, but I'd still use a grill pan as you may lose some eggplant in the slats of a grill and ain't nobody got time for that).

Brush the olive oil mixture to coat one side of the slices of eggplant and place on the grill pan, then brush the side that's still facing up so it's ready for flipping.  I could to 3 slices at at time on my little pan.  Cook about 3-4 minutes and flip once you have good grill marks across and cook another 3-4 minutes and repeat until all the egg plant is cooked and set aside.

Then dice one medium onion, shred 2 carrots, chop two stalks of celery, and chop one medium fennel bulb.  Place in a pan over medium heat with 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil  with salt and pepper and saute until the onions become translucent.  You want to cook out as much of the moisture as you can without browning the veggies.  Then set aside.

Slice one package of baby bella mushrooms and set aside.

In a bowl combine one container of ricotta cheese with 2 eggs, 1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, garlic power, and the juice from half a lemon, and...you guessed it, set it aside.

Now, take a 9x13 baking dish and brush with olive oil or use a cooking spray.  Then add a very thin layer of your favorite marinara sauce and top that with your first layer of eggplant slices and try to get as much coverage as possible.  Top with a layer of the sauteed onion mixture, then top with a layer of the ricotta cheese mixture, add a thin layer of marinara, then repeat.  On top add your mushrooms, then top with fresh sliced mozzarella (I needed to balls) and another 1/2 cup of Parmesan. Cover with foil and cook in a 375 degree over for 30 minutes covered, then removed the cover and let it cook another 30 minutes.  There's a lot of water in the veggies and you'll want to be sure that can get out.

Remove and let sit at least 15 minutes so the lasagna will set.

Then, enjoy!!!!!  A photo will come later, but this tasted so much better than I imaged it would.  It's also going to be great for a dinner with my vegetarian family and my gluten free family because it's both!

Meat"less"loaf

Another one I can't take credit for.  I did add worschtestireire sauce.
http://www.food.com/recipe/really-good-vegetarian-meatloaf-really-33921#activity-feed

GREAT vegetarian chili

http://www.kitchentreaty.com/slow-cooker-black-bean-pumpkin-chili/

I'd like to claim I created this, but I didn't.  I used the recipe above and substituted one can of fire roasted diced tomatoes for a plain one and at the end I added hot sauce, Hungarian smoked paprika, and more salt and pepper.  I also just used pumpkin pie spice instead of the cumin, cinnamon, etc.   VERY good!!!!

I really didn't know what to expect from this, but I think the pumpkin adds a depth of flavor that can be missed when doing a vegetarian chili..  

It was a hit at the ole' chili cook off at work!  Even with the meat eaters. 

Maple and orange glazed salmon on brown jasmine and wild rice, topped with sautéed leeks and corn made with a wine reduction.

That title is long, but it about explains it!

First,  add 1/4 maple syrup, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, zest of 1 orange,  and juice of 1/2 orange, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 tablespoon soy sauce into a gallon bag and added 2 salmon pieces and let marinade for about 30 minutes. 

Start cooking your brown rice in chicken stock (or vegetable stock) and once almost done add prepared wild rice.

Bake salmon at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes depending on thickness. At the same time sautee I chopped leek,and  2 sliced cloves of garlic in a pan with olive oil. After about 3 minutes, add 1/4 of a dry white wine and add frozen corn. Cook until wine has been cooked off and for about 2 more minutes utility leeks slightly brown.
To assemble,  place finished rice in the bottom of a bowl or plate,  top with salmon,  then top with leeks and corn! That's all! Then eat!