Veggies – Letting Go

My workday starts at 6:30 in the morning, and I have a 30-45 minute commute…so it goes without saying I don’t have time to make breakfast in the morning.

I do however know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so I definitely make an effort to eat a nutritious meal. Here’s a recipe I whipped up that will last me all week! Hopefully I don’t get sick of it…

Ingredients

1 cup chopped bell pepper (I prefer red)
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped zucchini
1 cup chopped crimini mushrooms
1 cup diced pancetta (Italian bacon)
6 eggs
1 store bought pie crust (don’t you judge me!)
Salt and peppa!

Preheat oven to 350°. Read defrosting instructions on your piecrust. Line 9 inch baking dish with piecrust.

Prep veggies In a nonstick pan, over medium heat, cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally. I cooked this for about 10 minutes, or however long you would cook your regular bacon. I like it crispy so I went a little longer. Scoop out the pancetta and put onto a plate lined with a paper towel to absorb extra grease. With remaining grease in pan sauté veggies, season with salt and pepper, about eight minutes or until soft. Beat six eggs, season with salt and pepper. Combine all ingredients into a bowl and pour into piecrust. Bake for around 30 minutes and enjoy! Refrigerate whatever is left over.

Mangia!

God is good friends, God is good

In a effort to lighten up a bit, I decided to replicate a favorite comfort dish. I replaced lasagna noodles with zucchini (since I had a few lying around) and substituted sautéed veggies for sausage. I do have to say, I should NOT have gone with my gut, and cut down the cheese by half or so. Anyhoo, here’s what I did (with recommendations of cheese use).

Ingredients:

Bottle of Bolognese Sauce *I never buy store bought sauce… being an italian and all, my family would be so disappointed! But I wanted a quick meal, and had no homemade sauce at home – so forgive me.
1/2 cup whole milk Ricotta
1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella
3 large Zucchini, sliced long ways
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
4 Tbsp Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Get a grill pan nice an hot, over medium-high heat. Coat zucchini in olive oil and salt and pepper, and grill on each side for a few minutes, or until they have grill marks. Sauté onions and mushrooms in olive oil with salt and pepper, until soft – about 8 minutes. Mix Mozzarella & Ricotta with salt & pepper in a bowl. Line an 8×8 baking dish (I always use ceramic – so easy to clean!) with some sauce (no need to heat sauce first). Do a layer of zucchini, dot with cheese, sprinkle with veggies, top with sauce, repeat until you’ve used up the ingredients. I got 2 layers out of it – finishing with zucchini. Top with a final layer of sauce and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake for around 15-20 minutes – or until bubbly and delicious. Service with a nice glass o red wine, and buon appetito!