Eating Healthier – Oatmeal, 4 Bean Salad and Eggplant Lasagna

About 2 weeks ago, we decided to make a change in our diet.  Eat meat only a few meals per week, instead of almost every meal.  We have been buying and cooking our own beans, it is so easy and very healthy because they are fresher and no salt is added.  We have been eating sauteed vegetables, raw vegetables, beans and more beans and a lot of fruit that we never ate enough of.

Even Syd is enjoying all the new flavors.  We are eating  healthier and enjoying it.  As I discover new yummy recipe’s, I will share them with you.

OATMEAL

1 cup oatmeal (non-instant)

1 3/4 cup water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

splash of vanilla

1/2 cup chopped pecans or almonds

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 apple diced

1 Tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar

1 Tbsp ground Flax seed

Bring water to a boil, add vanilla, oatmeal, cinnamon, raisins and apples, cook for 3-5 minutes.  While this is cooking, prepare bowls, adding your nut of choice, syrup or agave nectar and the flax.  We also mix it up by removing raisins and apple and adding blueberries (add them to bowl, do not cook them unless they are dried or something).  We have been enjoying it a lot.

We’ve been experimenting with hummus and adding beans to our meals.  I made a 4 bean salad the other day with peppers, onion, garlic, corn, beans (northern, black, dark red kidney and garbanzo) and mushrooms.  We added a small portion of cheddar cheese and it was delicious!  Here’s the recipe:

4 BEAN SALAD

1 cup of each bean (dbl the black beans)

8 sliced mushrooms

1 can no salt added corn

1/2 large red onion chopped

3 cloves of garlic, sliced thin

2 oz cheddar cheese chopped (add to salad when served)

DRESSING

2/3 c pomegranate red wine vinegar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 Tbsp honey

1 tsp dijon mustard

3 cloves of garlic

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less to your taste)

 

• Made an eggplant lasagna last night that was actually quite delicious.  I like my eggplant sliced thin, if you like it thicker, make it 1/2 “.

• Here’s the recipe.

EGGPLANT LASAGNA

2 eggplants (sliced 1/4 ” thick)

1 large yellow onion (chopped)

3 carrots (chopped)

1 celery stalk (chopped)

1/2 green pepper (chopped)

1/2 red pepper (chopped)

8 cloves of garlic (sliced thin)

8 mushrooms sliced

2 packages Pomi tomatoes (crushed)

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)

1/2-3/4 cup 2% cottage cheese

1/2 lb mozzarella cheese (part skim)

1/4 cup parmigiana cheese

Begin by slicing eggplant in 1/4 ” slices and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes, remove and set aside.  (You could also degorge your eggplant.  Slice and salt the eggplant to remove the water, let rest for 20 minutes and rinse when done, so as not to add all this salt to your meal).  While this is baking or degorging, start your sauce and your vegetable layer.

SAUCE

Saute 4 cloves of garlic in a splash of olive oil.  Add 1/2 yellow onion and Pomi tomatoes and salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste.

NOTE:  If you want to mix it up and eat meat, add 4 oz of hot spicy sausage (browned) before you add the tomatoes.

VEGETABLE LAYER

Lightly saute in splash of olive oil, 1/2 onion chopped, carrots, celery, green and red pepper and 5 cloves of garlic sliced thin.  Set aside.

LAYER

In baking dish, layer:

Eggplant

Sauce

Veggies

Mushrooms

Cottage and Mozzarella cheese

Sauce

REPEAT

Layer until the pan is full, sprinkle top with parmigiana cheese and bake for 1 hour at 350, let it rest for 15 minutes when you take it out and serve.

Hope you enjoy some of these healthier recipes, I know we are!