Super Easy Veggie Pasta Pot

I’ve pulled the slow cooker out of its summer hiding spot deep in our pantry. Yes. Even though this week wouldn’t have you believe it with crazy high temps -- it’s almost fall. Back-to-school. Busy season. And I can always use help in the kitchen.

Thing is, I’m tired of all my go-to crock pot recipes. Time to try something new. Will you join me? I’m on a quest to breathe life back into our dinners all while putting forth little effort. Like I wrote on Thursday’s post, I made this recipe after seeing the Summer Slow Cooker Lasagna recipe on Oh My Veggies with only a few modifications.

Behold:

VEGGIE PASTA POT

What you’ll need . . . 

• 1 medium onion 
• 1 large zucchini or summer squash
• 1 medium eggplant
• 1 medium head of broccoli
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• Large bell pepper
• Couple cloves garlic
• Linguine or other pasta noodles, uncooked*
• Jar (24 ounces) of pasta sauce (homemade is easy + delish)
• Shredded mozzarella (I used fresh)
• Parmesan 

Try to get as many of these ingredients from your garden or friends’ gardens as possible. Don’t necessarily stick to this list exactly -- keep it flexible. Use whatever is fresh and in your kitchen already. Just be sure to substitute ingredients in similar amounts so it’ll all fit in the pot.

* I used spinach linguine. I don’t know this for sure, but I don’t think cappellini would work best in this recipe. it might get too mushy. Prove me wrong!

Method . . . 

1. Chop all ingredients into chunks. Halve cherry tomatoes. Mince garlic. Then on your stovetop, heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil and cook the garlic and onions over medium heat until the onions have softened.
2. Add the rest of the veggies -- saving the tomatoes until last -- and cook until everything is slightly softened but still somewhat crunchy. Season with some salt + pepper to taste.
3. In your crock pot, pour around a half cup of sauce at the bottom. Then layer on some pasta.
4. OK. So, I didn’t measure my pasta layers exactly. Take a small handful of pasta, crack it in half, and make a thin layer. Too much? Take some out. Too little? Add. It’s not about being exact. Check out my photo for reference.
5. Cover the pasta with about a third of the veggies you cooked. Then top that with another 1/2 cup pasta sauce and then a 1/3 cup (or so) of mozzarella.
6. Repeat this layering until you run out of space or ingredients. Just make sure you top everything off with tomato sauce, cheese, and then the Parmesan. 
7. Cook on LOW for three to four hours. We had to go out on an errand partway through cooking, and I don’t feel comfortable leaving the pot on since it’s kind of old. Anyway, I stopped cooking mine for an hour at the two hour mark and resumed later. Turned out great!
8. Then let sit for half an hour to cool slightly and scoop out heaping servings. I didn’t get a photo of the end result. Just picture a bowl of steaming veggies, noodles, cheese, and sauce.

This is such a great way to get tons of veggies into your tummy. If you’re vegan, feel free to leave out the cheese, use your favorite substitute, or sprinkle some nutritional yeast in the pot. The leftovers are even better. We saved some in our freezer for a rainy day. Ada even asked for a second helping!

So, one recipe down. What should I try next?

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Cauliflower + Eggplant Mash, Two Ways

If you’d rather skip the traditional mashed potatoes this year in favor of a more veggie-filled side -- this recipe is for you. Not only that, you can transform any leftovers into a delicious veggie burger! Actually, you can do the veggie burger with any mash you might have on hand, but first I’ll cover making the roasted mashed veggies.

Chop.
Season.
Roast.
Blend.
Enjoy!

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER + EGGPLANT MASH

Makes around 4 cups total.

What you’ll need . . . 

• 1 head cauliflower, chopped
• 1 medium eggplant, skin peeled + chopped
• Handful nutritional yeast
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil
• Water
• 1 tablespoon Earth Balance

Method . . . 

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place veggies on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with the nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper.
3. Roast for around 1 hour -- stirring every 20 minutes until everything is browned and soft.
4. Transfer to a food processor and add water 1/4 cup at a time until you reach your desired consistency. I used around 1-1/4 cups water total.
5. Mix in the Earth Balance and serve in a large baking dish.

LEFTOVER MASH BURGERS

A wonderful way to use the rest!

What you’ll need . . .

• 2 cups Cauliflower + Eggplant Mash (cold)***
• 1 cup texturized soy protein
• 1 cup rolled oats, uncooked
• 1/2 cup sunflower kernels 
• 1/4 cup flax meal

Method . . . 

1. In a large bowl, simply mix all the ingredients together by hand until well incorporated.
2. You can add any extra seasonings you might want, but I found the original mix to be quite flavorful on its own.
3. Then shape into patties -- about 8 in all. 
4. *** Alternatively, if you didn’t quite have 2 cups of mash, you can use just one cup and half the other ingredients for 4 burgers.
5. Then cook in a fry pan with some olive oil over medium-high heat until browned on both sides.
6. I even froze my burgers using these instructions.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING -- and don’t forget dessert!

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Roasted Veggie + Tomato Hummus

Another kid + adult-friendly recipe today. I think you'll be seeing a lot of these as we attempt to expand Ada's will-eat list. It's not that children can't eat the same foods as adults, but -- well -- really, they can't.

Since I started my love affair with cooking, I've gotten salt and seasonings heavy. Specifically with spice and heat. When I'd attempt to serve Ada some of our favorite foods, I'd quickly realize I shouldn't have added that 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne, for example. Or that glug of Texas Pete. Oops.

But taking the spice and salinity down a notch doesn't mean eating bland, boring foods.

I'm thinking hummus.
Does that sound good to you?

If you don't have tahini in the cupboard (likely the case over here), you can improvise.


A can of chickpeas + a few pulses of the food processor . . .


ROASTED VEGGIE + TOMATO HUMMUS

What you'll need . . . 

• 1/2 cup (heaping) roasted veggies*
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup Pomi strained tomatoes
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

* If you don't have roasted veggies on hand (we just eat them ALL the time), simply cut up eggplant, portabellas, bell peppers, onions, etc. into large chunks. Toss in some olive oil and a little bit of salt and pepper and roasted in the oven at 400 degrees F for around 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes until well browned.

Method . . . 

1. In your food processor, toss in your veggies, chickpeas, and olive oil. 
2. As you pulse, add in the strained tomatoes a couple tablespoons at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
3. Store in an air-tight container for up to a week (though ours only lasts a couple days!).

You may remember from the Boozy + Bold Tomato Sauce recipe that I've signed on to take the Pomi challenge. This month's mission? Using Pomi with eggplant -- I think this is a delicious combination!

Do you ever make hummus without tahini? What's your favorite mix?

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Vegan Stuffed Eggplant

VEGAN STUFFED EGGPLANT

What you'll need . . .

• 2 medium eggplants 
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 small cooking onion, chopped 
• 4 cups chopped red Swiss chard 
• 1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed 
• 2 portabella mushrooms, washed and chopped 
• 1 teaspoon tumeric 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• 1 cup tomato puree 
• Several tablespoons olive oil

Method . . . 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil, spritz with some olive oil, and set aside.
2. Cut off the stem of each eggplant, then cut in half. Scoop out a good amount of the meat. Then rub the inside with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside. 
3. In a large pan over medium-high heat, toss in 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then add the garlic and onions and cook until glassy. Add in the tumeric and cook for a couple minutes. 
4. Toss in the mushrooms and swiss chard (I didn't include stems, but that's just my personal preference) and cook until wilted. Then turn off heat and toss in the kidney beans. 
5. Stuff each eggplant with a portion of the mixture until all of it is used up. Then place in the oven for 15 minutes. 
6. Take out of the oven and spoon tomato puree atop each -- as much as you'd like. I also sprinkled ours with some nutritional yeast and more salt and pepper. A bit of olive oil, too. 
7. Return to oven and cook for another 15 minutes or until the eggplant is softened, but not mushy.

Here's a close-up of the stuffing. It's delicious!


Of course, you can stuff the eggplants with anything you want! I'm really into stuffing veggies lately -- if you missed 'em, I posted a recipe for Quinoa Stuffed Portabellas. It's just another great way to make a cheap meal as nutritious as possible.

What's your favorite stuffed recipe? I'd love some suggestions!


Today on Writing Chapter Three is more information about my decision to be a Stay-At-Home Mom. Mostly budget stuff, but there's a lot more to write on the topic. If you've ever considered being a SAHM but don't think it's possible, I hope this post helps!

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Mixed-Vegetable Curry with Mango Relish

I figured we could all use a break from pizza, stromboli, and more pizza. I've been using bread, cheese, and sauce for just about everything lately. Might have something to do with my racing burnout (by the way, thank you all for your fantastic suggestions for how to get over the slump!) -- any food resembling pizza is my go-to for comfort. But summer is the time to cook with fresh fruits and veggies. Time to experiment with combining new flavors.

This mixed-vegetable curry recipe can be made using just about any veggie-combo you like. We like eggplant, zucchini, and mushrooms. You may choose okra, broccoli, and tofu. I've written it before (and I'll write it again), there are no rules in cooking! At least not strict ones that can't be messed with every now and again.

And if you love mangoes, just wait until you try this mango relish! The combination of sweet, peppery, and garlic-y . . . it's divine. It's refreshing, too -- and goes perfectly with the flavors of this dish. I imagine you could substitute another kind of fleshy fruit -- maybe nectarine or peach, etc. However, I highly recommend sticking with mango. It's simply the best fruit ever.


MANGO RELISH

What you'll need . . .

• 1 ripe mango, skinned and chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
• 1 fresh chili pepper, seeded and chopped
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Method . . .

1. Throw all ingredients (except salt/pepper) into a food processor and gently pulse.
2. When I processed -- some of the ingredients were chopped finely, some were in bigger chunks. I kept it this way for a variety of texture.
3. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste.

MIXED-VEGETABLE CURRY

What you'll need . . .

• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled and minced
• 1 fresh chili pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3/4 cup cold water
• 1 tablespoon sunflower or canola oil
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons cardamom seeds
• Pinch of ground tumeric
• 14-ounce can fire-roasted, diced tomatoes, drained (but not rinsed)
• 12 ounces white mushrooms, chopped
• 1 medium zuchinni, chopped
• 1 small eggplant, chopped
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped (optional)

Method . . .

1. Place garlic, ginger, chili pepper, and 3 tablespoons of water into a food processor. Pulse until smooth and well combined.
2. Heat oil in large saucepan. Add coriander, cumin, and cardamom seeds and allow to sizzle in the pan. Add the ground cumin and tumeric and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add garlic paste you created (in the food processor), tomatoes, and water. Stir well.
4. Add veggies and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for five minutes.
5. Then remove the cover and turn up the heat to medium. Cook another 5 to 10 minutes -- until veggies are soft (but not overly soft).
6. Stir in the cilantro and serve with the mango relish -- over basmati rice.

This recipe is adapted from one that appears in the Vegetarian cookbook (Nicola Graimes, ed.).

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Tarka Dhal for Dinner

I see this dish spelled both "Tarka Dhal" and "Tarka Dal" -- so, if I'm making an error in the title, I apologize. No matter how you spell it, though, this recipe is incredible. It's just one version of many dhals that are served throughout India. And since many of these folks are vegetarian, dhals are a key part of the diet there. As a vegetarian myself, I can assure you the same will be the case for me (and Stephen)!


So, in our last post, we covered the beauty of the microwaved sweet potato. You can eat it plain. You can eat it smothered in cheese. And now -- you can eat it covered in spices. With red lentils. And garlic. And eggplant. Etc.


Here's how . . .

What you'll need . . .

• 2 tablespoons canola or sunflower oil
• 1 medium cooking onion, sliced thinly
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (heaping) red lentils, rinsed
• 1 sweet potato, microwaved
• 1/2 eggplant, chopped
• 2-1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder

Method . . .

1. Poke holes in your sweet potato with a fork and microwave on high for five to six minutes. Remove from microwave, and gently scoop the potato out of its skin. Mash 1 tablespoon of it . . . and chop the rest into soft cubes.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola or sunflower oil in a large pan and add the onions. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes over high heat, then add the coriander seeds. Cover pan until the seeds begin to pop. (You'll hear it.)
3. Remove the lid from the pan and add the garlic, ginger, and salt.
4. Stir once and add the lentils, 1 tablespoon of the sweet potato mash, and water. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Stir in the sweet potato cubes, chopped eggplant, lemon juice, and basil and let simmer for another 10 minutes. (Until lentils are tender.)
6. Remove from heat and serve into bowls.
7. Mix together the other 1 tablespoon of oil with the garam masala and chili powder (this is a topping). Pour over the tarka dhal and enjoy!

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Roasted Eggplant Lasagna

I'm not even one-sixteenth Italian. And this lasagna recipe hasn't been in my family for generations. In fact, I doubt my parents (or grandparents for that matter) would enjoy this dish for its lack of meat, noodles, etc. But we like it quite a bit. It's healthy and full of the nutrients needed to keep us going. Too bad she doesn't photograph well . . . or you'd see her delicious layers of roasted eggplant, gooey ricotta, tomatoes, and spinach.

Good news, though. You can see her for yourself! Why not Sunday night? It's a date.

What you'll need . . .

• 3 1-pound eggplants, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch thick pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 pounds part-skim ricotta cheese
  
• 2 handfuls baby spinach
  
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 to 2 containers sauce (we used Newman's Own Roasted Garlic and ended up using a bit of a 2nd container)
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella
  

Method . . .

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Brush two baking sheets with olive oil.
2. Prepare your ingredients.
   
3. Transfer eggplant to prepared sheets. Toss with 2 tablespoons oil. Roast eggplant until tender, about 25 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Set aside.
   
4. Mix ricotta cheese, spinach, shallots and rosemary in a food processor. Pulse only until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Oil 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 1/2 cup tomato sauce in dish. Arrange 1/3 eggplant "noodles" in single layer in dish. Spread half of ricotta mixture over noodles. Spoon about 1 cup sauce over that. Now 1/3 of the mozzarella. Arrange another 1/3 of eggplant over that. Add another layer of the ricotta mixture. Spoon another 1 cup sauce over. Arrange another 1/3 of the mozzarella over the sauce. Repeat layering 1 more time. Spread remaining sauce over. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella. Cover tightly with lightly oiled foil.
   
6. (Can be prepared a day in advance; just be sure to chill properly.)
7. Bake until lasagna is heated through, about 45 minutes. Uncover; bake until cheese begins to brown and sauce is bubbling slightly at edges, another 15 minutes.
   
8. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
   

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