Lasagna (Dairy and Egg Free)
This almond ricotta is amazing.
- 2 cups raw almonds + enough water for soaking
- 1 cup filtered water
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (optional)
- Juice from half a lemon
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- About 1/2 to 1 cup fresh basil, packed
- 1 package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped finely
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 pound ground turkey or beef
- 28 ounce can whole tomatoes
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 25 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup water
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 13.25 ounce whole wheat lasagna pasta
- Cover almonds with water and soak overnight.
- Drain and rinse almonds.
- Combine all ingredients except spinach and basil in food processor. Process until smooth, for several minutes, scraping sides as needed. Add basil and process until smooth. Stir in chopped spinach.
- Combine olive oil, onions, garlic, and oregano and sauté until onions are fragrant and translucent.
- And turkey and brown slightly.
- Add remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer.
- Remove from heat.
- Place the sauce, almond ricotta, and uncooked noodles next to the pans for ease of assembly.
- Scoop a small amount of sauce to the bottom of two pans.
- Layer uncooked noodles, almond ricotta, and sauce.
- Repeat another layer of noodles, almond ricotta, and sauce.
- Cover tightly with aluminum for oil and bake at 350° for 60 minutes.
- Let stand 10 minutes.
- Makes about 2 - 9x11 pans. Freezes well.
You Need a Budget
Food is an important part of our lifestyle. That’s why I have been trying to post as many recipes as possible in the limited time I have to dedicate to this site. This is a break from my usual recipe posts touch on another important topic in our family – our budget. Bulk cooking is our family’s solution to healthy and delicious meals during the week. It’s also easy on the budget. Bulk cooking takes some planning, time and effort, but it’s worth it!
I recently stumbled upon an app to track your budget from listening to podcasts on my commute. I have spreadsheets and lists to try and track our budget in the past, but they never worked well. This app/software is called YNAB (you need a budget). It’s $60, and I’m a penny pincher, but this is worth it. Check it out if you need a budget. We all need a budget.
If you use the link below, you’ll save $6.
Pork Tenderloin
- 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
- 1 teaspoon thyme and/or sage
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 pork tenderloins (about a total of 2 to 2.5 pounds)
- 1 onion, sliced
- 3 fresh tomatoes, diced or one can of diced tomatoes
- About 5 red potatoes, diced large in 1 inch cubes
- 1 small can of V8
- 1/2 bottle of Chardonnay
- Combine first seven ingredients and rub on pork tenderloins (other than the salt, you can be flexible with the other ingredients). Refrigerate at least one hour, or preferably, overnight.
- Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large oven safe pot.
- Brown pork tenderloins, about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
- Add onions and cook until translucent. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Move to oven and bake at 250° for about an hour and a half.
- Remove pork tenderloins and allow to rest for a few minutes before slicing.
Citrus Marinated Salmon
- 3 tablespoons orange juice or grapefruit juice
- Juice from one lemon
- Juice from one lime
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
- 2 tablespoons onion, minced
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1/8 teaspoon fennel seed
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 4-6 salmon fillets (approximately 6 ounces each)
- Combine garlic and ginger in food processor and purée until minced. Add onion and purée.
- In large resealable bag, combine all ingredients except salmon and mix.
- Add salmon, seal bag, and turn to coat.
- Allow to marinade in refrigerator one hour or up to 2 days.
- In a nonstick skillet, heat one tablespoon olive oil on medium high heat until hot.
- Pan fry fish side down approximately 3 minutes until lightly browned.
- Flip gently and pan fry 3-5 minutes until just done.
Meatballs
- 1 pound ground turkey (or beef, venison, or any mixture)
- 1 slice of naan or two slices sandwich bread, puréed into breadcrumbs
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger, minced (optional)
- 1 medium onion, chopped finely
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Place naan or bread in food processor. Pulse to fine crumbs. Remove to large bowl.
- Place garlic and ginger in food processor and pulse until minced.
- Add onions and pulse until finely chopped.
- Combine all ingredients in large bowl or stand mixer and mix until well combined.
- Form meatballs to use immediately for freeze.
- Double, triple, quadruple, or increase as many times as you like. Freezes well. For an easy and quick meal, add meatballs in one layer to the bottom of a crockpot and pour your favorite jar of spaghetti sauce over it. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours for a delicious meal.
Beef and Vegetable Dumplings
- 8 cups high gluten flour
- About 4 cups boiling water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- Several tablespoons garlic, minced
- Fresh ginger, minced
- 8 ounces mushrooms (regular and/or shiitake) chopped finely
- About 6-8 cups Napa cabbage, chopped finely (works out to about one small or half large cabbage)
- A bunch (About 2-4 cups) Mustard greens, chopped finely
- Small bundle (about six) green onions, chopped finely
- 1 1/4 pound organic ground beef
- Salt to taste ( I use about 3 to 4 teaspoons)
- 1-2 teaspoons powdered ginger (optional)
- To make wrappers, place flour and salt in stand mixer, or mix by hand. Slowly add boiling water until dough forms. (I like to do this in small batches, usually about 2 cups of flour per batch.) Place in large bowl or pot and cover so dough does not dry out. When ready, roll out dough to a 1-inch tube, and cut into about 1/2 inch slices. Roll into 3-inch circular wrappers.
- To make the filling, sauté garlic and ginger and olive oil for a few minutes until fragrant. Add mushrooms and sauté for a few more minutes. Combine in a large bowl with remaining ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Use about 1 tablespoon filling per dumpling.
- For potstickers, arrange dumplings in a nonstick pan and add one cup of water. cover and cook 20-30 minutes until all of the water is absorbed and bottoms are browned.
- Uncooked dumplings freeze well. Arrange in a single layer on a pan and place in freezer. When frozen, combine in a large ziploc bag.
Beef Brisket Braised in Red Wine
Talk about yum! This Beef Brisket Braised in Red Wine recipe is one of my all-time favorites.
- Approximately 3-pound beef brisket
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 to 3 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Several tablespoons oil, such as olive or grapeseed oil
- 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- Several carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces
- 1 cup red wine
- 1/2 cup store-bought or homemade chicken or beef stock (optional, or just use more red wine)
- Whisk together the paprika, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, and 1 tablespoon oil. Slather the spice paste all over the brisket, and set aside for at least 20 minutes at room temperature (or overnight in the refrigerator).
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat, until shimmering. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent and lightly browned in spots, about 10 minutes. Transfer the onions to a 9"x13" casserole dish.
- Add 2 more tablespoons oil to the pan, allow to heat till shimmering, then add the carrots and cook until browned in spots, about 5 minutes; add the carrots to the onions in casserole dish.
- Return the sauté pan to the stove, add 2 more tablespoons oil, and increase the heat to high. When the oil just starts to smoke, add the brisket and allow to brown undisturbed for about 5 minutes on each side. Place the brisket on top of the bed of vegetables.
- Deglaze the pan by adding the wine and chicken stock, and using a flat-sided wooden spoon to scrape up the brown bits from the pan. Bring the liquid to a boil, allow to simmer for 3 minutes, then pour it over the brisket and vegetables.
- Cover the casserole dish tightly with heavy-duty tinfoil and braise for 3 hours in the oven at 300 degrees (or about 5 hours in a crockpot).
- Remove the brisket to a carving board to rest.
- Strain the liquid.
- Simmer liquid for 15-20 minutes to reduce, then add a corn starch slurry (mix 1-2 tablespoons corn starch to 1-2 tablespoons cold water) until it thickens.
- Slice the brisket as thin or thick as you prefer, and either serve immediately with the sauce and braised vegetables, or add the slices back into the casserole dish and refrigerate (tightly covered) for a day. If serving a day later, reheat it in a 300ºF oven until warm.