Eggplant Pizzas

I've had this recipe for awhile now. I was making it pretty often. So this week when I was in the store and saw the perfect eggplant I decided that's what we would be having for dinner this Sunday!  

Yes normally I have been trying to make something new each week, but I was hungry for these. 

You will need:

~ 1 medium sized eggplant

~ 1 jar of organic pizza sauce (I use Giant's brand Nature's Promise) - you will not use the whole jar

~ 15 cherry or sweet tomatoes, quartered

~ Handful of spinach, chopped

~ 1 cup of Chicken breast cooked and diced

~ 1 cup of mozzarella cheese

~ Pink Himalayan Salt

~ Crushed Red Peppers (optional - I like things spicy, so I like to add them)

1.  Preheat oven at 425•F

2.  Slice your eggplant in even 1-inch pieces. Lay out on a cooking pan lined with aluminum foil. Sprinkle salt over eggplant.  Put in oven for 15-20 minutes. 

3. While eggplant is baking, chop tomatoes, spinach, and grate cheese (if using block or fresh mozzarella). 

4. Pull eggplant out, scoop 1 teaspoon of pizza sauce on each piece, larger pieces may be one and a half to two. 

5.  Add cheese, spinach, tomatoes, and chicken to each piece. If using crushed red peppers, sprinkle on each pizza. 

5. Broil for 3-5 minutes to melt cheese. 

6. Enjoy!!! 

Basil & Parsley Pasta

Found a new recipe I decided to change up. If you're not much of a fan for pasta sauce, here's a recipe to try!  This recipe does have a kick to it and it sneaks up on you!!  Next time I'm adding 1 pound of chopped chicken breast. 

Serves 5 - 1/2 cup each

Ingredients:

1/4 finely chopped onion

2 cloves crushed garlic

15 cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 oz fresh basil

1 small bunch of chopped fresh parsley

1/2 box of whole grain linguine or spaghetti

Sprinkle of salt (I used pink Himalayan 

Nice bit of pepper

1 Tablespoon of crushed red peppers

2 tbsp olive oil

2.5 cups cold water

Parmesan Cheese (to garnish)

Directions:

1.) Put all of the ingredients except for the parmesan into a large pot. Cook on a high heat for 2 minutes, submerging the spaghetti into the water once it’s softened enough.

2.) Lower the temperature to a medium/low heat and toss and stir continuously until the liquid reduces down into a thick sauce. Stir in chicken if adding and then top with parmesan, if desired. 

Hammer & Chisel (modified) Tuna Salad with Olives & Artichokes

I grew up eating Tuna Salad. It was always loaded with mayonnaise and relish or Krafts Sandwich Spread. I swore off tuna salad because I didn't know how to make it healthier. 

I would eat my tuna right out of the pouch or can after draining it. So when I went to Super Saturday with one of coach buddies, I was so excited when she made this for our trip. The recipe comes out of Beachbody's Hammer & Chisel, and they do use mayo, but I switched that ingredient with Greek yogurt!  It's great to have a new way to make tuna salad!!

So you will need:

5 - 5 oz cans of drained tuna

3 cups of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 cup of chopped red peppers

40 black olives, drained and chopped

4 tsp of plain Greek yogurt (or all-natural mayo as the original recipe calls for)

2 tsp of fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 tsp of oregano

1/4 tsp black pepper

Take all ingredients. Combined together and mix well. Serve on your choice of sprouted grain breads or English muffins, whole-wheat wraps, or even on a romaine lettuce leaf!!

Enjoy!!

Cauliflower Cheese Sticks

Making pizza crust and bread out of cauliflower has been around for awhile, but in our house, we are just finally experimenting with it, and we are absolutely loving the results!!  This recipe is a great substitution for cheese sticks from your favorite pizza place!!





Serving Size:  1 Stick
Makes:  8 Sticks

Ingredients:

1 Head of Cauliflower
4 Eggs
4 cloves of Garlic
1 tsp Oregano
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
2 1/2 - 3/4 cups of mozzarella cheese (You will use 2 cups for the "dough" and 1/2 - 3/4 cup for the top)

Total Prep Time:  Approximately 50 minutes - 1 hour

Preheat oven for 425 degrees.  Line baking pan with parchment paper.

Cut head of cauliflower into small pieces to put into the food processor.  I have a ninja and used the dough setting.  Chop it up, so the cauliflower looks like rice.  Put into a microwavable bowl and cover with saran wrap.  Heat in microwave for 10 minutes.



Beat all 4 eggs in a separate bowl.  Add garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper, and 2 cups of cheese.  Mix well.  Should have a dough like form.  (When I made it, there wasn't enough cauliflower to soak up all the egg mix, so I strained it).

Scoop dough and form into two different patties.  Bake for 25 minutes.



Pull patties out and sprinkle with extra cheese (I didn't use the full 3/4 cup of cheese).  Bake for 5 more minutes.

Cut into 8 strips.  Serve with choice of sauce.  We used Giant's Nature Promise Organic Pizza Sauce.  Enjoy!

**If following 21 Day Fix or 21 Day Fix Extreme Plans - Use a little less cheese in the dough and only 1/2 cup of cheese for the topping.  1 stick will equate to approximately 1/2 green, 1/2 red, 1 blue.

**Tip to make the meal a little healthier, grate your own mozzarella instead of using bagged cheese. 

Spicy California Shrimp Stacks

My college roommates and I seem to share a love for sushi.  So when one of them sent me a recipe for an at home substitution, I was so excited to make it!  Every Sunday when I meal prep, I like to try new recipes.  So this week: Spicy California Shrimp Stacks!

These are super simple to make.  I made a few changes to the recipe she sent, to make it a little healthier.  Here's what you'll need:

1 cup of Brown Rice

8 oz of cooked, de-veined and shelled shrimp

1 Avocado (it will need smashed)

1 Cucumber (diced)

2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar 

1 tsp Chives

4 tsp of Amino Acid Soy Sauce

4 tsp Plain Greek Yogurt

1 tsp Sriracha sauce

1.  Cook your rice.  Mix rice vinegar in it when done.  Lay out on sheet to cool.

2.  Cook shrimp.  Let cool.  Cut in 1 inch pieces.

3.  Dice your cucumber, putting it in a small bowl with chives.

4.  In another small bowl, mix greek yogurt and sriracha sauce to make your "spicy mayo".

5.  In a 1 cup measuring cup, fill 1/4 of the cup with cucumbers.  Spread a layer of avocado across the cucumber, add 1/4 of shrimp, and fill the rest of the cup with the rice. 

6.  Flip the measuring cup over, and drizzle soy sauce and "spicy mayo".

7.  Enjoy!!