The Mothership

This recipe feeds the five of us and gives enough for maybe two servings of leftovers. Before you begin, PRESS THE TOFU for at least a few hours. To press tofu: Take tofu out of packing and drain the liquid.  Place paper towels around the tofu (I usually two-ply it).  Then place wrapped tofu on a plate or in a bowl and place a cutting board and something else heavy on top to apply pressure. You are trying to extract all the water. The more extracted the crispier. You might repeat that process one more time. Sometime I press it in the fridge overnight and change it again in the morning. Then it’s ready for baking in the afternoon. Ingredients : 2 - 14oz blocks of extra-firm tofu Olive oil 2 Tbspns Cornstarch 2 tsp. salt 1 tsp. Garlic powder 1/2 tsp black pepper Recipe :  Heat oven to 400 Slice pressed tofu in two or three even slabs. Pat dry. Slice tofu into desire rectangles or cubes for eating. The smaller the cube the crispier but it takes more time to turn them. So I u...

This dish is so easy. It took a total of less than 1 hour to put together, bake, and cool off so you can eat it. If you use regular pasta - I would bake it for an extra 5 minutes. My mom passed this recipe on to me and I doctored it a bit.  Ingredients: 1 - 16oz box of pasta (I used Chickpea pasta) 3 cups of water 16 oz. Of frozen meatballs (I used meatless) Sprinkle of salt 1 - 24 oz jar of pasta sauce 5 oz. Spinach Parmesan cheese 2 cups of mozzarella  Fresh Basil or parsley for the top of the dish Recipe : Turn oven to 450.  Spray a 13x9 dish.  Place noodles, water, meatballs, salt, pasta sauce, spinach and just a sprinkle of Parmesan into the dish. Give it a good toss to make sure everything is incorporated.  Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Be sure to give a good stir about every 10 minutes.  Take out and sprinkle on the two cups of mozzarella cheese. Bake an additional 5 minutes, uncovered.  Take out and let sit for at least 5 minut...

  Ingredients: 1 &1/4 lbs. brussel sprouts, halved and then thinly sliced 1/2 yellow onion, diced Olive oil (or any cooking oil/fat) Salt Pepper 1/2 cup pistachios, shelled and rough chopped Seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate  1 lemon, zested and then juice squeezed Red pepper flakes Crumbled Feta *optional ingredients: dried cranberries instead of pomegranates and shaved Parmesan in addition to the feta RECIPE:  Slice the Brussel sprouts in half and then thinly slice each half. Place in a bowl.  Heat a large sauté pan on medium low heat. Add cooking oil to the pan and sauté the onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Chop the pistachios When the onions become translucent, add in the Brussel sprouts.  Sauté for just a bit, enough to be warmed. You want the Brussel sprouts to stay bright green. Stir frequently so all the leaves become warm (5 minutes tops) Add in the pistachios. Cook for 1 more minute.  Remove from heat and add in the rest of the ingredien...

  If you love Lemon here is your soup. It was very filling, easy to make, and made plenty for my family. I am not a huge fan of chickpeas and I barely noticed them in the soup. ***I served this with corn bread Ingredients: Olive oil (or whatever your cooking oil is) 1 onion, diced 4 large carrots, peeled, halved and sliced 5 celery stalks 6 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp. dried thyme pepper 1 tsp rosemary 12 cups of vegetable broth, + 2 cups of water 2 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained (some can are labeled garbanzo beans) 2 bay leaves 1 cup of orzo pasta or more juice from 2 lemons lemon zest from 1 lemon 1/3 cup tahini  A handful of kale or spinach fresh parsley or dill (Optional and as a garnish - but I really think it takes it the extra step in goodness). Recipe: Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and saute for about 1 minute more until the veggies are soft. Add the thyme, a bit of ...

Tim’s family is gracious enough to be guinea pigs on some of my recipes. I wanted to make a vegetarian option of Skyline. The Bengals are going to the Super Bowl so, there has been a shortage of packets of the seasonings for making your own. So I thought I’d give it a try. This recipe was inspired from The Chunky Chef. ***this had a kick, so depending on how much heat you like and how fantastic your chili powder is, I would do more or less of the chili powder.  *** if you use this with ground beef, sauté the beef before adding it to the sauce.  4 cups of water 1 oz. Unsweetened baking chocolate 1 (6oz.) can of tomato paste 2 Tbsp of chili powder 2 tsp cinnamon  2 tsp garlic powder  1 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp allspice  1/4 tsp ground cloves  1/8tsp black pepper 1 tsp salt  1tsp sugar 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar  2 (12oz) packages of meatless crumbles ** we served this over potatoes but you can also serve over spaghetti  Recipe: In a pot, add the water...

This can be a stand alone dish or a side dish  Ingredients: 1 spaghetti Squash Olive oil Salt, dried oregano leaves, and powdered garlic 1-2 big slicing tomatoes, sliced into at least 6 slices  1b of ground beef or meat substitute  Salt, Oregano and garlic 5-8oz. Of a spicy cheese, shredded Fresh basil Chopped red onion Warm oven to 425. Slice squash vertically and remove seeds of squash so it is in two halves. Brush some olive oil on the inside of each half. Season with salt and garlic powder. Place squash with insides facing down on cookie sheet. Bake for 40 minutes till squash is aldenté and able to pull out in shreds.  Towards the end of the squash cooking, begin cooking your ground beef; or I used a meat substitute. I sauté the meat in the pan, adding salt, garlic, pepper, and oregano till fully browned. Set aside Grease a 7x11 glass pan. Slice tomatoes into 12 or so slices. When the squash is finished baking, let it cool for a few minut...

So, I haven’t made this in years. Because the last time I made it...it was so detestable, that my husband who will eat almost anything, couldn’t even finish it. It was so bitter. Bleh! So, we were talking with our friends April & Marques and they mentioned that their favorite dish to eat as a family is Eggplant Parmesan. So I asked for the recipe and I added a little to it. I also figured out how to get rid of the bitter taste. This recipe made enough for a 9x13 and an 8x8 freezer meal too. I do all I can to make less work for myself during the busy school year and a lot of times I’ll just make double of the dinner and make a freezer meal out of the extra. Also, I had two HUGE eggplants to use. INGREDIENTS: 2 LARGE eggplants Salt 4 eggs, beaten 3 cups of Panko bread crumbs 1 Italian Dressing seasoning packet 2 jars of red pasta sauce - your favorite 4-5 medium tomatoes, chopped 4 cups of mozzarella fresh, torn basil, about a cup copped red onion (optional) ...

I have been on a lemon kick lately. And it’s feeling like summer. So I wanted to try a new salad fit for dinner. I found something similar to this on Pinterest but of course when I went to get the recipe - it wasn’t there. So I was left with a picture. I added a grocery list since you make three separate things and use like ingredients for each part. Hopefully, this helps your brain hurt a little less. This made about 3 servings. So here we go...inspiration from Pinterest. Grocery list (made about 3 servings): 1 lemon 1 large container of broth (at least 2 cups) salt pepper 1 English cucumber avocado oil 4 garlic cloves lentils, uncooked couscous, uncooked 1 brick of mozarella, or container of feta, or goat cheese pine nuts Ingredients: For the lentils: 1 & 1/2 cup lentils, uncooked 1 cup broth (or till lentils are covered) Dash of oil (I used avocado oil) 1/4 tsp. salt For the couscous: 1 cup couscous, uncooked bit of oil (I used avocado oil) ...

I love me some buttered lemon chicken with pasta - but I’m nearing 40 and have all this time to experiment. So, I changed the ingredients to be slightly healthier. A version to add protein for vegetarians is at the bottoms;) this is another where you can do a lot of the prep in steps and come back to it. Or do it all at once and cook at the end of the day.  Ingredients: - 3 chicken breasts - 1 lemon - 1/3 cup avocado oil (or other cooking oil) - 1 tsp paprika - 1 tsp onion powder -  6 garlic cloves - 1/2tsp red pepper flakes - salt - pepper - 1/3 cup broth (I used chicken broth) - 1 spaghetti squash - 1&1/2 cup chopped tomatoes  - kale, ripped into pieces, maybe 1 cup total   - regular spaghetti (for those who are not fans of spaghetti squash - shredded Parmesan cheese RECIPE :  1. First we marinate the chicken.      - place the chicken into a gallon ziplock. Zest half the lemon over the chicken. Squeeze half the lemon over the chicken. Add th...

This recipe was given to me by a friend, Tori. She pushes me to try new foods that are simple and always with more than a motive of “it just tastes good.” She eats food with purpose and the bonus is it always tastes great. This recipe makes enough for Tim and I to have dinner and about 2 lunches each for the week. So thanks, Tori, for this simple, tasty recipe. Recipe: Ingredients: 1 large container of vegetable broth 1 purple cabbage, rough chopped  Garlic powder Salt 2 cups dry quinoa 4 cups of the vegetable broth from large container.  Garlic Salt Olive oil Balsamic vinegar *Parmesan shredded cheese, if desired. I used dairy free shreds. Begin by heating about 1/2 cup of vegetable broth in a large sauté pan. Bring to a boil.  Add chopped purple cabbage. Sprinkle garlic and salt over top. Give a stir. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about an hour, stirring occasionally    While cabbage is cooking, in a separate sauc...

So - every now and then I find a picture of something on social media and forget where I found it. But I try to recreate it. I believe this recipe was inspired by a picture from Instagram on Meal Mentor. Their food always looks amazing - and their pictures too. So, tonight we have lentil tacos. Anytime there is something to be boiled I use a broth. Hands down instead of water because it gives better flavor. However, obviously you could use just water. But IMO broth is better. Also - I enjoy making dinner in multiple steps I can do throughout the day.  This way I can do a little, and play a little, do a little, play a little. In this case I made the lentils ahead of assembly.  And added seasonings in a crockpot instead of a stove.  Either way will be fine and tasty. Recipe: 3 cups of water or vegetable broth 1 cup of uncooked green lentils 1 garlic clove chopped 1/8 tsp salt 1/2 cup vegetable broth (extra) 1 tablespoon of chili powder 1 tsp of paprika 1 ...

Thanks to my sister-in-law for the inspiration behind this meal:) I made this for a family member who is a vegetarian.  I used soy grilled strips that had the consistency of chicken, called "fake chicken."  Everyone enjoyed it, and it had the same texture as lasagna.  In my opinion, this was even easier than a conventional lasagna, and has less calories and more nutrients. I think if you used sausage this would have even more flavor and serve those that want the meat.  If you make it with sausage you will need to brown the sausage before adding it to the rest of the mixture.  Also, I don't think cheese is necessary, but gave it that extra umph. If you want "cleaner" lasagna, look no further Recipe: 1 Spaghetti Squash Olive oil Garlic Salt Olive oil 2 or 3 garlic cloves, minced 1 red pepper, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1 zucchini, chopped  2 medium whole tomatoes, chopped fresh spinach (about a handful or two) salt dried oregano basil f...

Ingredients:  2 (14 oz) cans Black Beans, drained 1 (14 oz) can kidney beans, drained 1 (14 oz) can corn, drained 1 (14 oz) can of Mexican stewed tomatoes 1 (14 oz) can of Diced tomatoes 1-2 Tablespoons of chilli powder 1/2 Tablespoon of garlic 1 chopped onion 4 chopped green onions *1 can of extra water* serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, and chopped cilantro and corn bread:)   combine all ingredients into slow coooker.  I usually fill one of the cans that I emptied with water and pour it over top for the extra water.  Stir together.  Cook on high 5 hours. Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream or cilantro as options.  I usually make cornbread to go along with this. **you can also do this in a pot on the stove. Just sauté onion and garlic first then add all the other ingredients. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer covered for 30 minutes or longer:) sometimes I start this at naptime and it simmers all afternoon. 

A butternut squash is always so tasty and makes such a large amount that I wanted to make a dish that would be easy to prepare ahead of time, cook up in the evening in one pot, and also used the majority of the squash. Another plus: it's also made from whole foods and is easy to bring together at the end of the day, which is what I always need. I'm not sure why, because dinner is at the same time every night, but yet dinner sneaks up stealthily to a mom of hungry children. This makes a lot, so I hope you like leftovers:) Oh, and you'll need a large skillet with a lid.  *You could chop the squash and asparagus in the morning and just put in the fridge in a air tight container till ready to cook.  *I omitted the nuts for some of the kids. You can stir them in, but I just chopped some for the week and will sprinkle them  to the top of each serving. *Did I mention there will be leftovers? So I didn't put the full amount of spinach in. I figured I would add more to each serv...

So, this is somewhat of a repeat post, but I have improved upon this soup:). This soup is a family favorite for all...even the baby cleaned his plate! I never have to beg them to finish their plates.  This time I've added chicken and more liquid. I added the chicken because we wanted it a little more hearty. It's still really tastey without chicken. I would still add the extra broth and liquid. Enjoy! 1 lb. of Chicken Tenderloins cut into bite sized pieces 2 (15oz) cans of white Cannellini Beans, drained and rinsed  1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes  1 large tomato, chopped 1 white onion, chopped 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced 2-3 Tablespoons Smoked Paprika 1/2 tsp salt or more to your liking Olive oil (or coconut oil) 1 bunch of Kale, rinsed, stems removed, and chopped  1 14oz. can of vegetable broth Extra water Parmesan cheese, shredded  Put about a tablespoon or more of the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, onion, and garlic to sauté. Sprinkle s...