Meatless Monday

Spaghetti and meatballs just might be the ultimate comfort food.  The al dente noodles, rich tomato sauce and the savory meatballs to top it all off. Well, fear not, your family tradition can continue.

Here is a super healthy, meatless "Veggie Lisa" version of spaghetti and meatballs, minus tons of empty calories and fat. These meatballs are packed with not only nutrients but lots and lots of flavor!

Funny story: when I made these, I put the leftover meatballs in my fridge for lunch the next day. When I went to heat them up, they were no where to be found. Totally confused, I called my husband at work and asked him if he had seen my vegetarian meatballs.

He replied "Those were vegetarian? I got hungry late last night and ate them....all. They were good!"

Yes my complete carnivore of a husband ate my veggie balls. And loved them.

Vegetarian Italian Meatballs

1 egg, beaten

2 TBSP olive oil

3 cloves of garlic

1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes (in package, not jar)

1/3 cup fresh basil, minced

1/3 cup finely shredded parmesan cheese

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1 pinch red pepper flakes

salt and pepper to taste

·      Turn oven on to 375

·      Heat large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 TBSP olive oil and garlic. Saute for 2 mins. Add to food processor. Set pan aside

·      Add to blender: bread crumbs, basil, tomatoes, cheese, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and 1 TBSP olive oil. Pulse until well blended

·      Add chickpeas and pulse until a dough forms, don’t over blend

·      Scoop out about 1 TBSP of dough and form into balls

·      Coat in an equal mixture of some additional cheese and breadcrumbs.

·      Reheat original pan used with some additional olive oil. Brown each ‘meatball’ for about 4-5 minutes, turning to cook evenly every few minutes.

·      Place on cookie sheet in oven and cook an additional 15 minutes.

Serve with a low sugar storebought(or homemade) marinara sauce and spaghetti squash for low carb pasta.

Roasted Spaghetti Squash

1.     Wash outside of squash

2.     Cut off stem then slice in half length wise

3.     Scrape out seeds and throw in garbage

4.     Drizzle squash halves on cookie sheet with olive oil, salt and pepper

5.     Place open faced squash down and cook at 350 for 40-50 mins

6.     Remove from oven, allow to cool

7.     Turn squash over and scrape out strands

Black Bean Burger with Cilantro Greek Yogurt

When you hear the word veggie burger, what comes to mind? Probably a gummy, disgusting looking soy patty. Textured soy protein is used often in "veggie burgers' because it is 1-cheap and 2-has some protein and 3-the burgers stick together . Now, there are technically little to no vegetables in your typical veggie burger. True but sad. Many folks shy away from making their own patties because they can be slightly intimidating to make. But after years and years of trial and error, I am so excited to share the best....most flavorful black bean burger recipe with you! So many people love this recipe...even meat eaters! I also like to make the batter, shape into patties and freeze. Then when I am needing lunch in a hurry, I can pop one out, place it on the stove and have a delicious veggie burger with lots of vegetables! Also the Cilantro Greek Yogurt is awesome to have on hand as a topping to salad, soups and even veggies.

Black Bean Burgers

2 pieces toasted whole wheat bread

2 TBSP olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 TBSP seeded and deveined jalapeno pepper, minced

1 tsp ground cumin

1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 ¼ c cooked brown rice

1 tsp fresh lime juice

½ tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

¼ c chopped cilantro

·      In food processor, pulse bread to form crumbs. Set aside

·      Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, jalapeno and cumin. Sauté for 2 minutes

·      Pour mixture in food processor and add: black beans, brown rice, lime juice, salt and pepper. Pulse until beans are chopped, but do not puree. Scrape mixture into bowl and add half of the breadcrumbs and all of the cilantro. Stir until combined.

·      Form patties ( I like to make a big ball about the size of a small baseball and flatten out). Place patties on parchment lined sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm.

·      Heat 1 TBSP olive oil in pan and fry patties on 4-5 minutes each side.

·      Top burger with cilantro greek yogurt, avocado, tomato and wrap in a lettuce cup

Cilantro Greek Yogurt

½ c plain Greek Yogurt

2 tsp fresh lime juice

2 TBSP finely chopped cilantro

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp ground black pepper

·      Combine yogurt, lime juice, cumin, cilantro and pepper. Stir well and allow to sit in fridge for 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.

My Favorite (Healthy) Kitchen Tool

*this post may contain affiliate links

Growing up when people asked me what my favorite food was I always answered "Pasta!." I loved everything about pasta, the texture, the taste, different sauces to use. etc. I mean, who doesn't love pasta? However when staying fit and keeping your waistline in check, pasta is one of the foods to avoid. My kids have learned to love the taste of whole wheat spaghetti but I prefer to skip the extra carbs. When I started replacing my pasta with vegetables, I lost weight pretty much immediately. Unfortunately pasta is not synonymous with weight loss (insert sad face here.)

But chin up my beautiful, fit friends, all hope is not lost. We can still dream about warm, fresh marina, spicy pesto and maybe even a low fat Alfredo sauce atop our noodles. Wait, did you say...noodles?? Yes, I still eat noodles, they just happen to made out of vegetables. Yellow squash, carrot, beets, zucchini and sweet potato make my absolute favorite veggie noodles. The best part about veggie noodles is that they literally take minutes to make with this tool. On average I use this Spiral Vegetable Slicer three to four times a week. I also have friends that call me often to ask to borrow it, that's how great it is!!

Not sure how to make veggie noodles? Here are some quick tips:

• you can eat the noodles raw, but I like to saute or steam mine in a pan for about 5 minutes. I like to eat them warm, soft (but not soggy), with a dash of olive oil and salt
• not all veggies are created equal. sweet potato and carrot might take a little longer to saute
• smaller, straight veggie segments work best
• top with whatever you like marinara, pesto, roasted broccoli, shaved Parmesan, or fresh black pepper
• spiralized noodles should last 2-3 days in the fridge when placed in Ziplock baggie

Also I love making this "No Carb" lasagna with my spiraled zucchini. You can find the recipe for this here

I love being able to think about dinner as one meal, I will make the sauces and whole wheat pasta for the family and then I will have my veggies noodles all ready to be served in a matter of minutes right along with theirs. Next to my blender, this tool has saved me from carb overload a time or two. Try it out, see what works for you and let me know what you think!!

XO,

Veggie Lisa

Healthiest Fast Food Options for Road Trips and Travel

Healthiest Fast Food Options for Road Trips and Travel

Veggie Lisa "No Carb" Lasagna

1 TBS olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

3/4 c diced red onion

3 (14 oz) cans diced tomatoes

1 tsp dried oregano leaves

8 basil leaves, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

3-4 cups spinach

2-3 medium zucchinis (spiralized or sliced thin)

1 large egg, beaten

1/3 cup parmesan cheese grated

1.5 cups ricotta cheese (part skim)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 

Add oil to skillet. Add in garlic and red onion. Saute for 2 mintues and then add in tomatoes, oregano, basil and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine and then let cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is fully reduced,, about 15 mins. The sauce should have no excess liquid, almost to the point where it sticks to the bottom of the pan.

While the sauce reduces, place a skillet on medium heat and add the spinach to wilt. Remove when it is wilted and take out of pan. Add in the zucchini noodles for 2 minutes tossing frequently. Place cooked noodles in colander and pat dry to remove as much moisture as possible. Set aside

Add ricotta, parmesan and egg to a bowl. Mix well and set aside.

Once the sauce is done, gather all ingredients. Take out a casserole dish (i used an 8 by 8) and add a layer of tomato sauce on the bottom. Then add a layer of noodles. Then the ricotta. Then add in another layer of tomato sauce. Then add in ALL of the spinach. Then add more ricotta. Then Noodles. Then the last of the sauce and top with mozzarella.

Cover with tinfoil and bake for 40 mins. After 40 mins take out and let rest for 10 mins. Carefully pour the extra liquid out and cut into 6 equal portions. Remove from pan and put portions in individual containers so they don’t get watery.