Tag: veggies
Moroccan Lamb Patties over Zucchini Bake with Carrot Fries
Always be willing to adapt to what sounds good. If you like the idea of the meal you create, you’ll not only enjoy eating it but will feel satisfied with your efforts. And your loved ones will feel the positive energy you put into their dinner.
I bought ground lamb with the idea of making Moroccan lamb bowls similar to what I have done before. But for some reason, I just wasn’t quite feeling that. Probably because of this zucchini bug I’ve picked up and excitement over my trip to The Original Farmer’s Market on Friday. Or, if you’ve been following me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have noticed the idea of experimenting has definitely been on my mind this weekend.
What I love about this one is you could really choose whatever ground meat (or go nuts and make them veggie patties) and any herbs and seasoning you prefer. Also, the zucchini bake and lamb patties made great leftovers for a quick and easy lunch on Saturday when we were busy with our adventures and yard work for the day.
Ingredients:
- Moroccan Lamb Patties
- Ground Lamb (1 lb)
- Moroccan Seasoning (2-3 TBSP, to taste)
- Pistachios (1/4 cup, shelled and crushed)
- Zucchini Bake
- Zucchini (1 1/2 – 2 medium, grate and drain)
- Leeks (2, sliced)
- Egg (2)
- Almond Flour (1 cup)
- Onion Powder (1 TBSP)
- Garlic Powder (1-2 TBSP)
- Paprika (1 TBSP)
- Coconut oil
- Carrot Fries (4-6 large carrots)
Kitchen items you’ll need:
- Knife
- Cutting Board
- Skillet
- Baking Dish (9×9 worked well)
- AirFryer
Cooking Instructions:
- Make zucchini bake. Grease baking dish with coconut oil. Combine all other ingredients in a medium bowl until mixed together. Pour into baking dish.
- Cook zucchini for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Then under broiler for 5-10 minutes, until top is brown.
- While zucchini is cooking, prepare the lamb patties. Combine lamb, seasoning and pistachios in bowl. Divide mixture evenly into 8 patties (or 4 larger ones if you prefer).
- Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Cook about 5 minutes per side or until desired doneness.
- Peel carrots and slice into fry size wedges. Cook in AirFryer for 10-12 minutes at 380.
- Cut zucchini bake into quarters, top each with 2 lamb patties and serve with carrot fries.
Artichoke Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
It all started because there was a jar of marinated artichokes staring at me. Ok, so it wasn’t staring at me exactly. But it was sitting on my counter for longer than anything sits on my counter. So one day I thought I would pull together whatever else I had in the house and concoct something. This is, of course, my favorite way to cook!
An important thing to remember is ‘eating healthier’ doesn’t have to mean you ‘go without’. Moderation is a piece of that. So is smart substitutions. Although I’ve been gluten free for years, and there are good gluten free pastas out there, I have really grown to enjoy lentil pasta as an option. Particularly in the winter when spaghetti squash or my favorite spiralized zucchini from the farm market are harder to come by. There are a variety of options in most grocery stores now though so experiment for what you prefer. If you decide on a rice or pasta with less protein, you can ramp it up with some shrimp or chicken.
The first attempt at this one didn’t go quite right. The problem was I was working with ‘leftover’ ingredients and there just wasn’t quite enough of everything. Particularly the pesto. So here’s round two and I am very pleased. It seems simple, most ingredients straight from the pantry, but the flavors together are delightful.
One of the best things about this recipe is you can adjust any of these ingredients based on what you, your family, or guests prefer. I don’t understand those people who don’t like mushrooms, but they’re out there. So go ahead and modify if you need to.
Ingredients:
– Lentil Pasta (1 box)
– Artichokes (1 can)
– Sun-Dried Tomatoes (1/4 cup, drained and packed)
– Olives (about 1/4 cup, drained)
– Mushrooms (1/2 cup)
– Pesto (1 jar)
– Garlic (3 cloves, minced)
– Basil and Oregano (2 TBSP each, can substitute or add favorite herbs)
– Olive Oil
Kitchen Items You’ll Need:
– Mixing Bowl
– Pasta Pot
Cooking Instructions:
1. Fill pot with water and boil for pasta. Once boiling, cook pasta for 8-10 minutes.
2. While you wait for water to boil, begin marinating artichokes in olive oil, 1 clove of garlic, and herbs. Mix and set aside.
3. Drain pasta and leave in strainer while you prepare vegetables.
4. In same pot you made pasta, heat 1-2 TBSP olive oil and add artichokes and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 minutes or until mushrooms start to soften.
5. Add olives, sun-dried tomatoes and pesto and cook until heated through.
6. Mix in pasta. Serve.
Falafel Salad
Having some fun with our new AirFryer, I thought falafels would be a great thing to try. I’ve been wanting to make them again for quite awhile and a nice alternative to chicken or tuna for lunch salads.
I enjoy chickpeas in all their forms – hummus or roasted as a snack (more on that another time) or of course falafels. Fried chickpea balls!
In addition to just tasting good and leaving a feeling of satisfaction, chickpeas are actually good for us too! I love when that happens! They are a great source of plant-based protein and essential vitamins and minerals. As a slow releasing carb, chickpeas are able to give you more sustained energy without spiking blood sugar. High fiber content helps you feel full and reduce cravings and is good for digestion.
Pairing these falafels with a variety of vegetables gives this salad flavors, textures, and colors to delight the senses. Something that even skeptics are likely to enjoy. One thing to consider is that falafels are best fresh, so when preparing for salads, pop them in the microwave for about 10 seconds if possible to make them a little better. This is not required but they will start to get a little hard after about 3 days.
Ingredients:
Falafel
– Dried chickpeas, (2 cups, soaked overnight)
– Fresh parsley leaves (1 cup)
– Garlic (7-8 cloves)
– Salt and pepper, to taste
– Cumin, ground (1 TBSP)
– Coriander, ground (1 TBSP)
– Cayenne, ground (1 tsp)
– Baking powder (1 tsp)
Falafel Salad
– Falafels
– Leaf Lettuce (2 bunches)
– Red cabbage (1/2 medium cabbage)
– Carrots (1 cup, chopped)
– Red pepper (1 pepper, chopped)
– Cucumber (1 cucumber, sliced)
– Kalamata olives
Tahini Dressing
– Garlic, (1-2 cloves)
– Tahini (1/2 cup)
– Freshly squeezed lime juice (2 limes
– Salt, to taste
– Cold water, as needed for consistency
– Parsley, optional (1 cup)
– Mint, optional (1/2 cup)
Kitchen Items You’ll Need:
– Bowl
– Blender
– AirFryer
Cooking Instructions:
1. Sort and rinse dry chickpeas. Soak in water overnight using enough to cover chickpeas by 1-2 inches.
2. When ready to make falafels, drain chickpeas and blend them, parsley, and garlic until course so there are still small pieces of chickpeas in the mixture.
3. In a large bowl, mix ground chickpeas with seasoning. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 1 hour.
4. Take falafel mixture out of refrigerator and scoop into balls or patties.
5. Place falafels in AirFryer basket and cook at 380 for 15 minutes.
Falafels are best served fresh. If making ahead to eat later, I recommend heating falafels for about 10 seconds or so in the microwave before eating.
