Vegetarian Lasagna

I'll start off by saying that I love carbs. Like really love carbs as much as the next person and I still eat them, but I try to stick to the good ones like whole grains. I have mentioned before that with this pregnancy, I have been trying so hard to eat much healthier than I did with my previous one. I gained so much weight that my doctor asked me to slow down! Plus baby weight isn't fun for anyone. I have also been trying to eat as little meat as possible so finding alternatives it is!

I am sure there are a million recipes out there (Pinterest!) on how to make vegetarian lasagna, but this is how I make it. No measuring and with ingredients and veggies we like.

So simple, although it does take a bit of time to put together, but the end result is so worth it!

You'll need-

Eggplant- 1 and a half
Zucchini- 3
Cottage cheese
Mozzarella- skim, 1 2cup bag
Oregano
Organic marinara sauce- 1 jar

The first step is to roast the veggies a bit with olive oil, salt and pepper. I sliced them really thinly, laid them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at 400 degrees for about 5-7 minutes or until slightly cooked. I didn't want them browned, just pliable enough. If you've had eggplant before, you know that it takes a while to cook enough for it to be cut with a fork easily, and for it to absorb flavors. If you feel like this step is too much, or too time consuming, you can probably skip it and just bake your lasagna for a little longer! I totally wouldn't make this during the week, I save these types of recipes for the weekend, especially Sundays when I have to make bigger meals for lunch on Mondays. :)

Once you have all of the veggies lightly roasted, spread a thin layer of the sauce on the bottom of a glass baking pan and layer one of the veggies, add more sauce, cottage cheese, mozzarella and a bit of oregano then the other veggie. Continue layering until you're out of veggies!

Bake for about 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees. Cheese will melt, sauce will bubble and the veggies will be deliciously soft and flavorful. It tastes just like lasagna.

This makes about 8 servings. I always make this much because we have it for dinner and lunch the next day.

I hope you try this and enjoy it!

Couscous & Lentil Salad

On the weekends, the last thing you want to do is spend so much time in the kitchen making a full meal. I do this during the week and usually we eat out on the weekend, but that gets really expensive really quick. Plus who doesn't have the usual argument about where do we go? What do we eat? I don't know you pick, what do you crave? I'm sure you all have been there.

We had leftover couscous and lentil that I made during the week and decided that I would somehow make that a quick and painless full lunch. This dish is usually made with wheat and lentil, but I couldn't find the wheat at the store and haven't made a run to the Middle Eastern store lately.

Here's the original recipe for that, just replace the wheat with couscous as they are cooked the same or you can use wheat!

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You'll need:

Cracked wheat #1 or #2- You can get this at a Middle Eastern store or at any grocery store you'll find boxes to make Tabbouleh, just use the wheat in the box and not the spice packet.

Green lentils
Pepper
Salt
Olive Oil
1 Clove of garlic

You cook the lentils in water with the clove of garlic and a little salt for about 10 minutes or until almost done. In a large deep pan, add a little bit of water and the wheat, add the lentils with a little bit of the lentil water, salt, pepper and a little olive oil. Cover the pan and let it cook for about 10 minutes. Taste it, it should be soft but not mushy. You'll love it! I also make a cucumber, tomato, cilantro salad with lime, salt and plain yogurt. It's the perfect combination! The creaminess of the salad with the wheat. 
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For this salad you'll need:

Cucumber
Tomato
Red onion
Mint
Cilantro
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper

I was craving some sort of hearty salad, so I peeled and sliced a cucumber very thinly, diced a tomato, sliced a red onion and added mint and cilantro along with the juice of a lime, olive oil, salt and pepper. You can even add some Feta cheese and olives! It was so filling and so delicious that it was the perfect lunch. We have been trying to avoid eating meats too much, and this one was perfect for that. Super healthy too!

Let's conquer Monday friends!

Weekend + Recipe

I've been wanting to post my recipes on here but have been so lazy to set them up. Here is the one for the raw beet salad I posted on my Instagram a few days ago! It's super simple and I got the recipe from Pinterest.

It goes something like this-

3 medium beets, peeled

1 orange with zest

1 lemon with zest

chives (the second time I made this I added green onion instead-same result)

Olive oil

Salt to taste

The recipe calls for shredding the beets but I julienned them by hand. I wish I had a mandolin! I wanted the beets to have more bite than if I shred them and it's a lot of work but it's worth it. I put them in a big enough bowl to mix, I added the zest of the orange then the juice, same thing with the lemon. Salt, 2 tsps of olive oil and the chives. Mix everything and you can even let it sit in the fridge for a bit to allow the beets to marinate in the orange and lemon. It's absolutely perfect for summer as a side with any dish! Or on its own!

This weekend was nice. We went to a coworker's rib cook off between him and another coworker. I don't eat pork but I tasted them and although the barbecue taste was good, all I could taste (and think about) was the pork and it reminded me why I don't like it, ha! I grew up never eating it (I grew up that way with a Muslim dad) and I had never tasted ribs before.

Elliot loved being there and fell in love with my coworker's two yellow labs. They're such beautiful dogs and for the first time since Jack and I have owned a home, I'm finally thinking about getting a dog. I have to think about it some more though. :)

There was a cornhole competition but Elliot didn't nap that day and started getting pretty grouchy towards the end of the night before the competition started and we left but I have to say he has a pretty good arm! He was throwing like a little pro. :)

He had been asking to go to the park every day but it has been so hot! Sunday we got up early and took him, all toys in tow. He played with none of them and was too busy chasing the birds. 

I love my boys so much.

I also got my bracelet in the mail! I ordered it through PS I Adore You and I couldn't be happier. I love buying from this company as they support small businesses and a great cause, I'm all about that!

I hope your weekend was great!

Thankful

I hope everyone had an amazing Thanksgiving!! I loved it this year. We decided to have it at my mom's since we had it at our house last year and she had the day off which is a rare occurrence! It was full of yummy food and some much needed family time. Of course Elliot loved every minute of it!

We had Turkey, yams, deviled eggs, mashed potatoes, tabouleh with and without yogurt (my mom and sis made it and I think it was gone on the first serving, it was so damn good!), and I made a green bean casserole using this Pinterest recipe. It came out really good. I wanted to stick to traditional using a healthier version.

My sister makes the best turkey hands down. It was crispy on the outside and super juicy on the inside. Plus it tasted heavenly! She marinated it early that morning and threw it in the oven to let it bake for 5-6 hours.

For dessert I decided to be brave this year and actually bake something instead of buying. I was nervous I'm not going to lie! I've definitely never been a baker, I'm much better at cooking ha! I can honestly say I had so much fun baking these mini apple pies also from Pinterest and when I took them to my mom's, I had Jack try them first to give us a thumbs up or down. He gave them a thumbs up and we all dug in. They were really good and they looked so pretty! Crispy on the outside and warm and soft on the inside. I modified the recipe a bit by not adding all the amount of flour and sugar it requested but I made it up by adding a little extra cinnamon. ;) There was also a sangria I really wanted to make but we were running late so I'll be making it for Christmas. Can't wait to try it!

Even though I don't bake, I'm obsessed with cookie cutters, I don't know how many I have but I have them for every occasion! If I go to the store and see one I like, I buy it. If I'm brave enough, I'll use some I got for Christmas last year and this year to bake something festive!

Leaf tops seemed appropriate for these along with wavy edges.

It was a fun night, Jack and I had the day off but everyone else worked the next morning so we headed home a little early. I gave Elliot a bath and he was asleep about ten minutes after that. Jack and I had a few beers and watched a movie. Our plan had been to decorate outside after Elliot went to bed but that went out the window, we were exhausted too! It was a long day of cooking, baking, eating, drinking and family fun.

The next day was leftover day!! This has been a tradition since I was little and we have continued it every single year. I don't think there's been a year that we haven't done this. My mom packed us a good amount of turkey for the next day. We got up bright and early and made some turkey tortas. Seriously, if you're having turkey for Christmas, make these the next day! They are so good. 

I shred the turkey with two forks and sauteed thinly sliced onion on a pan, I then threw the turkey in and warmed it up with the onion. I took some bread rolls, split them in halves and toasted them on a pan for a bit with some olive oil. I spread a little mayo, mustard and a lot of avocado on each. Topped them with the turkey, tomato slices, spinach and baby kale (that's all we had but we usually use lettuce). They are to die for and what a better way to use your leftover turkey! 

We made some coffee and had them for breakfast. Elliot ate the bread with some shredded turkey on the side.

We stayed in the house the entire day on in our jammies and relaxed. We had more turkey for lunch and dinner with the other leftover sides we had on Thanksgiving, watched movies all day and played with Elliot. I am so thankful for having Jack and Elliot and my beautiful family. I don't know what I would do without them. I'm happy and healthy and I couldn't ask for anything more!

Now we are on Christmas mode! We decorated outside during the weekend and we put up our tree about three weeks ago. We already did most of our Christmas shopping and we are set to go! Onto more decorating and shopping now! And lots and lots of Christmas movies!

Have a great week!

It's Hummus!

First and foremost, thank you all so so much for the advice and sweet comments on Instagram on Elliot's rash and Facebook, blog and Instagram comments and encouragement on my Paci Battles post. I'll say it again, this is why I love this community! I love you all!

Elliot's rash is still pretty bad and we do think it is Roseola. We will see the doctor again on Wednesday and hopefully we get our questions answered. We spent the entire weekend indoors since the doc advised to keep Elliot away from other children, family and the outdoors so going out for breakfast, or anything else for that matter, wasn't an option.

Every time I make hummus, Jack and I go back to SATC2 when Samantha's menopause meds are confiscated at the airport when they get to Abu Dhabi and she eats hummus the entire time because she says it's her meds' replacement. So funny! Then Charlotte asks what she's eating when they're having breakfast and she says "It's hummus!" Hence my post title. :)

When my mom makes it, she cooks the garbanzo beans in her pressure cooker from scratch because the taste is just better but we never have time or the patience for that so for this recipe we will use canned. I usually grab a couple of canned garbanzo beans from the Middle Eastern store but we found that Goya's are really good as well as the Middle Eastern store is all the way on the other side of town. ;)

You will need-

1 can of garbanzo beans
2 cloves of garlic
1 lime
2 tbsp Tahini (If you've never had it, it's a paste made from sesame seeds and olive oil)
A pinch of cumin
Salt to taste

This is the easiest hummus recipe and the original! You won't be able to beat the taste with the store bought one. Heat up the garbanzo beans in a pot along with the garlic cloves. When they start boiling, turn it off and put in blender along with all of the liquid (you need it). Add the juice of the lime, the Tahini, cumin and salt. Blend everything until it has a smooth consistency, sometimes it gets thick and the blender stops stirring it. That's when you know you got the perfect consistency! If it's a little too liquid don't worry, once your pour it on a plate it thickens after it cools down.

I add a couple of garbanzos on the top, a little cilantro and olive oil. This is how my dad made it since I was a little girl and I've tried store bought and they don't come close to the taste of this one. You can also add a little more lime if you like it that way or squeeze a little on top after you spread it on the plate. Eat it with pita bread or pita chips! It's the perfect party dip and even more perfect breakfast!



We eat our hummus accompanied with a couple of eggs and lots of fresh veggies!

Enjoy and have a great Monday! :)

Minestrone Soup.

Jack and I have always sort of planned our meals for the week to know exactly what to buy at the grocery store. It's such a pain to go in and not know what you need and you end up getting stuff you don't use and spending double so a list helps a lot. Coming up with that list is what's so hard! So as we are having breakfast Sunday morning (our usual day to do the shopping) we jot down what it is that we will be having. It's hard because we don't know if we will be craving that particular meal but we try to come up with dishes that are simple and quick but still good and healthy.

Some meals are regulars in our menu but lately I feel like I have been making the same things over and over and it gets tiring and boring! In an effort to start with brand new recipes, I resorted to my handy app that I've been using since Jack and I got married. It's called Spark Recipes and it is awesome. You can find recipes by category, or you can search for one you want. It also gives you really easy directions and it even tells you how many calories each recipe is!

This past week we decided that our meals would be light, quick, healthy but still hearty so we decided on some good soups and salads. We both love minestrone soup but are aware of how much sodium the ones from the restaurants contain. I found one on this app and bought all the ingredients. The best part? You don't have to add any salt! All the flavor is in the herbs and spices. I made it last night and thought I'd share the recipe because it is so so good!

You'll need-
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, cut up with juice. (I actually got two of the 14 oz cans already cut with low sodium)
2 tbsp. parsley
1&1/2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1 bay leaf
5 cups vegetable broth (again, low sodium)
1/4 cup of any whole wheat pasta you like, we used rotini which to be honest isn't the best but it was okay.
2 cans of beans (we used black beans & cannelini-low sodium)
2 cups desired veggies- we used zucchini & carrot

Cook onion, garlic & celery until tender. Add the tomatoes with juice and all herbs & pepper. Add broth. Let it simmer for a while then add the veggies, simmer for a while longer, add the pasta and beans then cook until pasta is ready. See how simple it is?



We paired it up with healthy grilled cheese sandwiches. We used whole wheat bread, American cheese and used a little bit of olive oil instead of butter.

Elliot loved it too! I actually dipped the bread in the soup before giving it to him so that he wouldn't choke on it. Tonight we are making taco salad bowls! I'll share that recipe too!

Recipe.

As promised, here's the recipe for the delicious fish dish I posted on my Instagram (@shadiabrown).

This is very simple yet so so good and so healthy!

You're going to need:

Any fish that you like (I used Tilapia)
A can of tomato sauce (no salt added)
2 cloves of garlic
Cilantro (Yum)
2 small tomatoes
Parsley Flakes
Paprika
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Cover a container in foil, make sure it's not too shallow otherwise it can spill and cause you a whole lot of mess and trouble in your oven. Add a little Olive Oil to the bottom. Add the Tilapia. Dice the tomatoes with some of the cilantro, the garlic, and a little more Olive Oil. Mix in a container and add to the fish. Add some of the tomato sauce to the fish as well with a little bit of water so it doesn't dry up. Sprinkle a little salt & pepper, parsley flakes & paprika. Put in the oven at 400 degrees. I know it's hot but when you need to cook things fast to get all your other shit done, trust me, you'll do the same. Besides, fish cooks pretty quickly! Check on it after about 15-20 mins. It should be juicy but cooked. I also added a couple of chilies for a little kick but this is completely up to you depending on your tolerance for heat.

For the salad all you need is baby spinach and yellow, red and orange peppers. The ones that are meant to go on a veggie tray. Slice the peppers and add lime and olive oil to the salad. Simple and quick.

I sauteed brussel sprouts and mushrooms in a little Olive Oil and some lemon pepper. We love lemon pepper around here. This is the perfect veggie side dish.

Update: Forgot to add the watermelon water! Jack took care of this one. Cube watermelon in the blender and add some water. Blend and enjoy! We never add sugar because it's naturally sweet and granted,  watermelon is not always as sweet as it should be, but it's so refreshing when it's lightly sweet.

The best part about this whole thing? Eating it!

Did you really think I would write a new post without sharing a picture of my Button? :)

Happy Wednesday!