This vegetable and beef chili recipe came from the Beyond Diet 7 Day Rescue plan and is one of my favorites. I can have this ready in 15 minutes and I usually have all the ingredients on hand. And of course, I make a lot every time and fill the freezer and have a quick go-to lunch idea. For lunch, I add some rice in. For dinner, I just eat it plain or use it as my pizza sauce on homemade pizzas. As a snack, I put it on top of tortilla chips with some cheese. Can I just say these are amazing nachos without a lot of the added effort and one of our faves!
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Healthy Vegetable Lasagna Recipe
I found this recipe on Pinterest and couldn’t wait to try it! Pinch of Yum has this amazing vegetable alfredo sauce that MAKES this meal and makes it HEALTHY. Yes. Healthy. The secret? Cauliflower! Cauliflower Alfredo sauce is creamy and delicious. The best part is you don’t know you’re missing the calories!
Vegetable Lasagna Ingredients:
For the cauliflower Alfredo sauce
5 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoons butter
5 cups cauliflower florets
6-7 cups vegetable broth or water
1 teaspoon salt (more to taste)
½ teaspoon pepper (more to taste)
½ cup milk (more to taste)
Parmesan cheese to taste
For the lasagna
10 lasagna noodles
4 cups cauliflower Alfredo sauce
5 cups veggies (I used chopped fresh greens, grated carrots, fresh and canned tomatoes)
3 cups mixed shredded cheese like Mozzarella, Provolone, Parmesan, etc.
salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable Lasagna Instructions:
For the cauliflower sauce:
Saute the garlic with butter in a large nonstick skillet over low heat until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
Bring the cauliflower in the water or broth for 7-10 minutes or until cauliflower is fork tender.
Do not drain.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower pieces to a blender or food processor.
Add 1 cup vegetable broth or cooking liquid, sauteed garlic/butter, salt, pepper, and milk.
Blend or puree for several minutes or until very smooth.
For the lasagna:
Preheat oven to 375°.
Boil the lasagna noodles for a few minutes until they are just starting to soften but still stiff and cool enough to handle.
Spread a spoonful of cauliflower sauce on the bottom of a 9-inch square glass baking dish with a drizzle of olive oil to prevent sticking.
Layer lasagna noodles, ½ cup sauce, one-fourth of the veggies, a good sprinkle of salt, ½ cup cheese, and ¼ cup sauce (I put the sauce in each layer twice – once under the veggies and once on top).
Repeat layers 4 times, ending with noodles.
Cover the top noodle layer with ½ cup sauce and the remaining 1 cup of cheese.
Cover with greased foil and bake for 25 minutes.
The liquid should be bubbling along the sides of the dish.
Remove the foil and bake uncovered for another 10-20 minutes or until the cheese is golden brown to your liking.
Cool for a few minutes before cutting and serving.
Notes
I used a combination of fresh diced tomatoes and canned diced tomatoes. If you do use tomatoes, be sure to drain the excess liquid out before adding them to the lasagna, otherwise, it will be too watery. I also found that sprinkling salt over each of the veggie layers helped it to be more flavorful, especially as leftovers.
Our Favorite Summer Salads
We love salad recipes any time of year, but we especially love salads in the summer when we can include fresh fruits and veggies from our garden. There’s nothing quite like home grown produce that you’ve picked yourself. Of course, if you’re in a place where you can’t have a garden, finding a local farmer’s market is the next best thing. Either way, these delicious summer salad recipes will quickly become a favorite in your home. [Read more…]
Easy Campfire Food Your Family Will Love
We love campfire food and camping out during the summer! Check out our Camping Prep List if you are new to camping. It’s great bonding time with the family and there’s really nothing like sleeping under the stars and making memories around the campfire. Fellow campers know that one of the more enjoyable parts of camping (once you’ve set up your tent, of course) is cooking over the campfire. It’s lots of fun, but so often winds up with burnt food or hot dogs lost to the flames. Ugh! Instead of that huge bummer, give these easy campfire food ideas a try! [Read more…]
Mother’s Day Menu from Sisters Know Best
Looking for a spectacular Mothers Day Menu to celebrate your Mom this year? Sisters Know Best has several ideas for each meal of the day. We know Moms are special all year long, but too often we forget to show them we appreciate all they do for us. Mother’s Day is the perfect opportunity to make her feel special all day long. If your Mom is like ours and spends all year putting your needs first and skipping things she’d like to do because you need her, a full day of pampering and great food just might be in order. Since we love to cook, a full Mother’s Day menu is how we show Mom we care. [Read more…]
Valentine’s Day – Sisters’ Favorites
Valentine’s Day: a day to celebrate love – those we love, places we love, and FOOD we love! Let’s get right to the food, shall we? [Read more…]
Get Healthy Challenge Week 4
Right from the get-go I will say that weather can be a drag! Check out this thermometer!
It’s hard to motivate for anything outside with this temp! I’m lucky that I can plan my outdoor activity around the sun and wait until the temperature rises a bit. Last week Chris shared her ideas for when the weather is less than pleasant. What do you do if it’s uncomfortable to go outside and exercise? [Read more…]
Roasted Cauliflower Soup
Ever roasted cauliflower? Ever roasted it and then made soup from it? I hadn’t, but let me tell you: I love the result! This is an easy and healthy vegetarian recipe! Plus an added benefit is how incredible the spices smell as the soup heats. The longest part is the roasting so it might be a good fall or winter recipe too but in the summer also ….
It’s So Worth The Wait!!
Here’s what to do:
World’s Best Potato Salad Recipe
Hands down, this easy potato salad recipe is the best I’ve ever had… EVER. And I’m proud to say it was passed down from my mom. She’s one amazing cook and I’m glad I paid attention for this recipe. My family loves how creamy and flavorful it is and I love that it’s a healthy potato salad. I usually make a large amount for a party but below is a potato salad recipe for a few people that serves 4-5. [Read more…]
Vegetarian Orzo and Spinach Soup
If you are looking for a healthy vegetarian soup for a main course, look no more! I made this for my boyfriend’s vegetarian sister and we all loved it! I actually doubled the batch! To be completely honest, my boyfriend added a little spice to his (meat) but his sister enjoyed it as is and so did I. I’m sure you will too! [Read more…]
Homemade Kombucha Tea: half the cost with ALL the health benefits
Here’s an easy recipe for making your own Kombucha! Kombucha is a healthy fermented beverage that is nutrient-dense with a slightly sweet taste. Many people drink this for it’s ability to remove toxins and recreate healthy probiotics in their intestines. Grocery stores charge approximately $3.50 per bottle. With this recipe after your “brew” is started, you can make a gallon for less than that!! Here’s what to do:
Moist Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast
I have never had boneless skinless chicken breast as moist as this! Every bite was juicy and delicious. I’ve never thought of cooking my chicken this way. I’ve always oven roasted chicken breast and even though it was moist and flavorful, it wasn’t even close to this. It’s an easy 45 minute process that you will love! The leftovers were just as good!
Here’s what I did:
Thai Cashew Chicken Crockpot Recipe
This does not taste healthy yet it is a low fat and calorie dish. We love how the crushed red pepper and brown sugar give it a sweet and spicy flavor and the cashews offer the Thai nutty taste without the fat of peanuts. It’s quick to prep and is perfect for weekday or weekend!
Here’s what we did:
Healthy Lemon Chicken Orzo with Green Beans Recipe
My family LOVES this Healthy Greek Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup recipe! My daughter loves the Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup from Panera Bread so when I saw this recipe, I had to try it! I changed the ingredients a little bit and we fell in love! Now it’s a once a week recipe for us. And the best part is there is usually enough leftover for my husband and I to take to work the next day.
No complaints here since it’s also on the healthy side of things! [Read more…]
Healthy Pumpkin Brownies
Pumpkin brownies – two of my favorite things! How many people were shocked at the words healthy and brownies in the same title?
Challenged by my sister Chris to come up with a healthy brownie recipe a few weeks ago after she published her own healthy brownie recipe, I came up with this pumpkin brownies recipe. Knowing me well, Chris nailed it when she said that I’m an organic, natural kinda person. I like that she makes me think and urges me outside my comfy box, but — gee! I’ve got stuff going on and little time to come up with a wa-zoo recipe! Ah, the pressure….
Being the season for pumpkins, I knew my first healthy ingredient! In addition, adding veggies to dessert makes it healthy automatically in my opinion. Right? Right?
Anyway, following is my Healthy Pumpkin Brownies Recipe in response to her challenge.