Main Dishes

Roasted Vegetable and Pesto Quinoa

After a weekend full of “cheat-day” foods, I was in desperate need of a healthy dinner tonight. This quinoa is loaded with veggies — red pepper, zucchini, eggplant, and onion — and keeps you feeling full thanks to the protein and fiber from the chickpeas. Add in super flavorful basil pesto and a sprinkle of feta cheese, and you almost forget you’re eating a healthy meal. 

Roasted Vegetable and Pesto Quinoa
Serves 6
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Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Prep Time
10 min
Cook Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  2. 1/4 cup basil pesto
  3. 1 medium red pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
  4. 1 small zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
  5. 1/2 a small eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
  6. 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
  7. 1 15.5 oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
  8. 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  9. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  10. Ground black pepper
  11. Crumbled feta cheese (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Place chopped veggies on a large rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss, and spread evenly.
  3. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through.
  4. In the meantime, cook quinoa according to package directions.
  5. In a large bowl, combine cooked quinoa and roasted vegetables. Gently stir in pesto, adding a teaspoon or two of olive oil, if needed, to thin pesto.
  6. Top with feta cheese, and serve.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Turkey, Kale, and Caramelized Onion Meatballs

I’m always looking for creative ways to incorporate more vegetables into our meals. These turkey meatballs are loaded with kale and are a perfect, healthy accompaniment to pasta with basil pesto or marinara sauce. They’re so flavorful, they’re even perfect by themselves for an appetizer. 

Turkey, Kale, and Caramelized Onion Meatballs
Yields 20
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
25 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
25 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 lb. lean ground turkey
  2. 2 tablespoons olive oil
  3. 4 cups kale, washed, dried, stems removed, and roughly chopped
  4. 1 small onion, diced
  5. 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  6. 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  7. 1 egg, beaten
  8. 1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
  9. 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  10. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  11. 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  12. 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for about 8 minutes, until golden brown. Add the kale and garlic. Sauté another 5-8 minutes until kale is wilted. Set aside to cool.
  3. In a large bowl, add the turkey, bread crumbs, egg, cheese, basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and kale and onion mix. Using your hands, mix together until combined. Form into golf ball-sizes meatballs, and place on a greased baking sheet.
  4. Bake for 25 minutes.
Notes
  1. *To freeze: Place cooked and cooled meatballs on a baking sheet in the freezer until meatballs are firm. Transfer to a resealable bag in the freezer. Heat to serve.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Lasagna “Cupcakes”

I love these mini lasagnas. They’re cuter, more fun to serve and eat, and take a lot less time to bake than a traditional pan of lasagna, but they have all the same flavors. I also like that the pasta layer is actually won ton wrappers, so they’re lighter and you don’t feel as guilty eating them. (If you’ve never bought won ton wrappers before, they’re typically in the produce department of grocery stores, in the refrigerated section.) These are a favorite for a weeknight meal or as a heavy hors d’oeuvre, and it’s easy to make them vegetarian by omitting the meat sauce and using marinara instead. 

Lasagna "Cupcakes"
Serves 6
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Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 2 packs of won ton wrappers (72 sheets total) (cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter or tops of a drinking glass, optional)
For the Meat Sauce
  1. 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, divided
  2. 1 lb. ground beef
  3. 1/2 an onion, diced
  4. 1 28 oz. can San Marzano tomatoes
  5. 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  6. 2 cloves minced garlic
  7. 2 teaspoons dried basil
  8. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  9. 2 teaspoons sugar
  10. 1 teaspoon salt
For the Cheese
  1. 15 oz. ricotta cheese
  2. 1 egg, beaten
  3. 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese
  4. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  5. 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
  6. Ground black pepper
For topping
  1. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  2. 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and diced onion, and cook until the meat is no longer pink. Drain off any liquid, and season with salt and ground black pepper.
  3. In a saucepan over medium heat, add the other 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the minced garlic, basil, and oregano, and sauté until just fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the canned tomatoes, sugar, and salt, increase heat to medium-high, and cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, and with an immersion blender, puree until smooth (or, working in batches, carefully puree in a blender). Once sauce is smooth, return pan to low heat and stir in tomato paste. Add sauce to the cooked beef, and gently stir to combine.
  4. In a large bowl, stir together the ricotta cheese, egg, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, parsley, and black pepper.
  5. Spray two muffin pans with cooking spray. Layer in each, 1 won ton round, 1 tablespoon of meat sauce, and 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture. Repeat layers once. Then add the third won ton round, top with a tablespoon of sauce, and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
  6. Bake for 20 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven, sprinkle with basil, and let rest in pan for 5 minutes before serving. Use a fork to gently pop each lasagna out of the pan.
Notes
  1. If you prefer to use store-bought sauce, you'll need about 3 cups.
Adapted from Tablespoon
Adapted from Tablespoon
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/