This is a vegetarian dish that I keep in the fridge at all times. It’s a great recipe to prepare on a Sunday (when things are hopefully calmer in your house) to have on hand all week for lunches and dinners. We all love it in my house, even baby Chloe. I feed her individual lentils one after the other and she can’t seem to get enough of them. As for Kenya, as soon as he found out that the type of kale I use in the recipe is called “dinosaur kale”, he was downing it by the spoonful!

I buy nearly all of the ingredients for this recipe — the lentils and the vegetables — at the farmers market where they’re certified organic, in season, and cost the same price or less than I would find them for at the grocery. When you can make a healthy, high protein, tasty and exotic recipe like this one that everyone in the family loves, it makes for a very happy mommy!

Indian Lentils (Serves 4-6)

1 Tsp Fresh Ginger, grated
1 Garlic Clove, grated
1 1/2 Tsp Ground Cumin
2 Tsp Ground Coriander
1/4 Tsp Turmeric
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Medium Shallot, minced
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste (mixed with 3 Tbsp Water)
1 1/4 Cups Green Lentils
1 Cup Green Beans, chopped
1 Cup Carrots, cut into coins
1 1/2 Cups Kale, shredded (I used Dinosaur Kale)
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 Cup Cilantro, chopped

1. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl with 1/4 cup of water to make a paste.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the shallots over medium heat for 1 minute.
3. Add the spice mixture and cook an additional 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the tomato paste mixture and cook an additional 1-2 minutes or until the liquid is almost evaporated.
5. Add the lentils and 5 cups of water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and cook for 25 minutes.
6. Add the vegetables, salt and cilantro and cook for an additional 15 minutes or until vegetables and lentils are tender.
7. Serve.

Pasta and shrimp. Two of my family’s favorite foods. That’s good news for me because they’re relatively inexpensive (money saving tip: buy pre-packaged frozen shrimp in your grocery’s freezer aisle) and I can keep them on hand for quick recipes just like this one. I’m pretty sure that we eat shrimp or pasta in our house 5 days a week, so combining them in this recipe just made sense. This is one of those dishes I like to make on the nights that I’m exhausted (uh, that would be every night), and need something that is super easy to prepare, will be a hit with the family and looks totally gourmet.

Lemon-Wee Shrimp Pasta (Serves 4)

1 Tbsp & 1/4 Tsp Salt, divided
1 Lb Rigatoni
1 Lb Large Raw Shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used frozen shrimp that I defrosted)
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Cup Clam Juice
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Parsley, chopped

1. In a large pot, bring 4 quarts of water and 1 tbsp of salt to a boil.
2. Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
3. While pasta cooks, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a large non stick saute pan over medium heat.
4. Add the shrimp, garlic, salt and cook for 3 minutes.
5. Place the shrimp, garlic and 1/4 tsp salt in a saute pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring halfway through (make sure not to overcook the shrimp).
6. Remove the shrimp to a plate and pour the clam juice into the same large pan.
7. Bring the clam juice to a boil for 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half.
8. Whisk the butter, lemon juice and parsley into the saute pan and add the pasta, shrimp and as much of the reserved pasta water as nessecary to make a sauce to coat the pasta.
19. Serve.

Growing up, one of my favorite recipes of my mother’s was her lasagna. It was always a special dinner when she made it.

Now that I’m a mom, I love making lasagna for my own family. It’s a hearty and healthy dish that turns any meal into a special occasion. Recently, I wanted to send Kenya to school with some for lunch. I decided to play around a bit and make these lasagna rolls. They’re really fun for kids because the lasagnas are individual portions and kids feel special when they get anything that is their “own”. They’re also great for mom and dad because they fit snugly in your little one’s lunchbox with out making a mess. The best part about this dish? It’s got a carbohydrate, vegetable, protein and dairy so you know your family is eating a balanced meal all in one dish!

Lasagna Rolls (Serves 6-8)

9 Lasagna Noodles (I cook 1 extra in case they tear while boiling)
1 Egg
16 Oz. Ricotta Cheese (I used part skim ricotta)
1/2 Cup Parmesan cheese, divided
1 Tsp Italian Herbs
1 Tsp Salt
1 Cup Spinach or Broccoli, cooked and finely chopped (I used frozen, thawed and drained well)
1 1/2 Cups Marinara Sauce (or 1 1/2 cups Weelicious Tomato Sauce)
1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided

1. Cook lasagna noodles in salted water 2 minutes less than package directions call for and rinse with cold water.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
3. In a bowl whisk the egg, ricotta, 1/4 cup parmesan, italian herbs, salt 1/2 cup mozzarella and broccoli or spinach to combine.
4. Place 1/4 cup of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9×11 inch baking dish.
5. Spread 1/3 cup of the ricotta mixture on each lasagna noodle, covering the sheet and roll up jelly roll style.
6. Place the lasagna rolls seam side down in the baking dish and top with remaining marinara sauce and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.
7. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
8. Uncover and continue to cook an additional 15 minutes.
9. Serve.

* You can also prepare the dish through step 6, cover and freeze. When ready to eat, bake for 45 minutes covered and 15 minutes uncovered.

This is the most recent Good Bite episode I did. It’s all about beef on a budget! I shared my recipe for Skirt Steak Fajitas and they’re delicious. Matt from MattBites.com and Lisa from HomesickTexan.com are the other contributors and always have fantastic ideas, especially when it comes to beef on a budget!

Here’s a roundtable discussion:

This is David Lawrence cooking up my recipe:

Sweet, creamy, beautiful, delicious… there are so many words to describe these little edible jewels filled with silky puree. These bites are easy to pick up with your fingers and look gorgeous on a platter. You could even serve these at a fabulous cocktail party and make extras for the kids.
But back to the recipe. Purses?? Huh? Well, I found some gorgeous gala apples at the farmer’s market and was trying to think a fun and original recipe for a birthday party. I had also kept passing wonton wrappers at the market and wanted to play around with them. Apples are full of fiber and vitamin C and sweet potatoes are a powerhouse of nutrition especially given their abundance of beta-carotene and vitamin C and E.
These only took minutes to prepare and you can serve them warm or cool. You could also serve the puree on its own to babies over the age of 8 months.
Of course Kenya ate almost the entire recipe in one sitting (that seems to be the norm with him these days), so I highly recommend making a double batch!

Sweet Potato, Apple, Cheddar Purses (Makes 10 purses)

1/2 Sweet Potato (yams), peeled and cubed
1 Small Apple (about 1/2 Cup), peeled and cubed
2 Tbsp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1/8 Tsp Cinnamon
10 Wonton Wrappers (found in the refrigerator section of your grocery)
*Bowl of water

1. Place the sweet potatoes in a steamer pot over boiling water and cook for 3 minutes.
2. Add the apples and continue to cook another 3 minutes or until fork tender.
3. Place the apples, sweet potato, cheese and cinnamon in a food
processor and puree until smooth.
4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
5. Place a wonton wrapper on a clean surface. Place a tablespoon of the puree in the middle of the wonton.
6. Take the four corners of the wonton and lift them up around the
puree.
7. Pinch the wonton together in the middle, just over the puree, to seal. Moisten your fingers with a little water and pinch once more to ensure a good seal.
8. Repeat process with remaining wonton wrappers. When all 10 are formed into purses, place 3-5 at a time in the boiling water.
9. Cook for 2 minutes.
10. Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate, cool and serve.