Broccoli and Cheddar Fritters

There is a special place in my heart for the combination of broccoli and cheese. They were just made for each other. 

I was inspired by Smitten Kitchen's recipe, but I substituted the Parmesan with cheddar instead and swapped the flour for Panko breadcrumbs. I also baked them instead of pan frying them.

When you want to eat a vegetable that is savory and scrumptious this is the recipe to make. This is the healthier version of the fried fritters you typically get at restaurants. Plus there is only a small amount of breadcrumbs and no oil used to prepare these little goodies!

These are absolutely perfect served with a dollop of creamy yogurt sauce. 

Broccoli and Cheddar Fritters
recipe adapted from smitten kitchen

Ingredients:

for the fritters

3 cups fresh steamed broccoli, chopped
1 1/2 cup of reduced fat grated cheddar cheese

3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

pinch of red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 cup of Panko breadcrumbs
Cooking spray

for the yogurt sauce

1 cup plain, fat free Greek yogurt

1 lemon, juice and zest

1/4 tsp garlic powder

salt & pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Chop the broccoli into tiny pieces, and steam for about 3 minutes in boiling water with a lid on. Mash with a potato masher until you get a nice rough consistency.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Mix in grated cheese and breadcrumbs. Add the mashed broccoli to the egg flour mixture and mix.

With your hands, form small patties and lay on a parchment lined baking sheet. Lightly spray the patties with cooking spray. Bake for 25 minutes, turning the patties after the first 15 minutes.

For the yogurt sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well. 

Baked Eggplant Parmesan with Pesto Spaghetti

This is one of my favorite ways to eat eggplant. Traditionally eggplant Parmesan is breaded and fried before baking. I made this lighter by roasting the eggplant in the oven instead. 

I stacked the eggplant slices with layers of goat cheese, mozzarella cheese, and freshly torn basil. 

I filled a shallow baking dish with a thin layer of homemade tomato sauce and baked everything until the cheese was slightly melted and had a nice golden crust on top. 

The eggplant and goat cheese are the perfect pair! If you're looking for an easy and delicious Italian meal...this is it!

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:

Olive oil, for baking sheets

2 large eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp ground paprika

3/4 cup plain dry breadcrumbs

3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons for topping

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Coarse salt and ground pepper

2 large eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

6 cups store-bought tomato sauce or homemade

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella 

1 cup crumbled goat cheese 

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Pesto Spaghetti

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup fat-free ricotta cheese

2 tbsp. reduced-fat Parmesan-style grated topping

2 tbsp. pine nuts

1 tsp. olive oil

1 tsp. chopped garlic

1/4 tsp. salt, or more to taste

1/4 tsp. black pepper, or more to taste

1 lb cooked angel hair pasta

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush 2 baking sheets with oil; set aside. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and paprika. In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, and basil; season with salt and pepper.
2. Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, letting excess drip off, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; place on baking sheets. Bake until golden brown on bottom, 20 to 25 minutes. Turn slices; continue baking until browned on other side, 20 to 25 minutes more. Remove from oven; raise oven heat to 400 degrees.
3. Spread 1/2 cup sauce in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange half the eggplant in dish; cover with mozzarella, goat cheese, and basil. Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce, and cheeses; sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan. Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 
4. Combine all ingredients for pesto in a food processor until smooth. Toss with pasta. 

Baked Penne with Roasted Summer Veggies

This pasta is seriously bursting with every summer flavor possible.  It has a handful of summer vegetables including summer squash, zucchini, eggplant, and tomatoes. To add a depth to the sauce, I added some homemade pesto, Greek yogurt, and sun dried tomatoes. There are so many flavors going on in this dish...and it's healthy!

Baked Penne with Roasted Summer Veggies (Recipe adapted from Food Network)

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, quartered and cut into cubes

2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into cubes

2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and cut into cubes

1 yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp sun dried tomatoes, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 lb whole wheat penne pasta

3 cups good marinara sauce

1/4 cup homemade or store bought pesto

3/4 cup fat free Greek yogurt

1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1/2 cup grated mozzarella plus more for topping

 

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• On a baking sheet, toss the eggplant, zucchini, summer squash, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning. Roast until tender, about 20-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta for about 8- 10 minutes. DO NOT OVER COOK.
• In large mixing bowl combine marinara sauce, pesto, sun dried tomatoes, and Greek yogurt. Mix until combined.
• In a separate bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted veggies, sauce mixture, Italian cheeses, Parmesan, and 1/4 cup mozzarella. Gently mix until the pasta is coated with sauce and the ingredients are combined.
• Pour the pasta into a 9x13-inch pan. Top with some extra mozzarella. Bake until the top is golden and the cheese melts.

Oven Baked Samosas

A samosa is the quintessential Indian appetizer. No matter what Indian restaurant we go to, we always order them. They are deep fried triangular pastries, stuffed with a savory concoction of potatoes and vegetables and served with a sweet and tangy sauce. When we decided to make them last weekend I was not looking forward to deep frying anything. I came across Rachael Ray's recipe for baked samosas and let out a sigh of relief! A healthier and lighter samosa? Could it be?

These are so good. And when I say good, I mean REAL good...Evan and I ate all of them in one sitting. The pie dough was the perfect crust and the filling was nice and spicy. If you are a fan of Indian food, or even if you've never had it in your life...you must make these!

Oven Baked Samosas

Recipe adapted from Rachael Ray
Ingredients:

1 large potato (about 1/2 a pound, use 2 if needed), peeled and diced
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons fresh ginger (about a half-inch piece), grated
1 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup vegetable stock, a little more or a little less to loosen filling
1 package (2 9-inch rounds) store-bought, raw pie dough (I just used one 9-inch round and saved the other for another day.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cook the potatoes in a large saucepan of boiling, salted water until tender, about 3-5 minutes. Drain and reserve in the same pot you cooked them in.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Add onion and cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes, then ginger, garlic, coriander, cumin, allspice, cinnamon, and salt and freshly ground black pepper, and cook about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the drained potatoes and peas and cook another minute. If the filling seems too thick, add a splash or two of vegetable stock. Remove from the heat and let cool. 
On a lightly floured surface, unroll both doughs. Cut each dough round into 8 equal wedges, like a pizza.
Spoon 1 teaspoon of the potato filling onto the middle of each wedge. Brig the three points up to each other, then pinching at the seams to form a small pyramid. Use a fork to seal all edges. Bake 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.