In Honor of Meatless Monday- A Few of my Vegetarian Recipes you'll Love.

Meatless Monday is a ritual of mine because it promotes good health and well-being. I love to try and incorporate it into my recipes as well as to help out my vegetarian friends for some new and exciting meatless cuisine.
Below are a few of the many recipes I've created with Meatless Monday in mind.

Vegetable Loaded Eggplant Lisagna

Chefs Note: If you use gluten free or regular breadcrumbs with Italian seasonings then you can omit the parsley, basil and oregano – unless you want extra herbs). You can also use sweet potatoes or any other leftover vegetables in your refrigerator!

Ingredients

• Olive oil
• 2 red peppers
• 1/2 cup butternut squash, cubed
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon Simply Organic red pepper flakes
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup almond meal (or gluten free breadcrumbs or italian breadcrumbs)
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon Simply Organic dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon Simply Organic dried basil
• 1 teaspoonSimply Organic dried oregano
• 1 large eggplant
• Sea salt and Pepper
• 1 (14.5 ounce) petite diced tomatoes, drained (reserve for soup)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.
2. Add peppers to pan and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes.
3. Coat butternut squash with olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Add to the baking pan with the peppers and bake for 30 minutes.
4. In a large sauté pan heat to a medium temperature. Add in about 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. When hot add in mushroom and onions. Let sauté for 5 minutes then add it onions, garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook for another 5-7 minutes then remove from heat and place in a bowl.
5. Slice eggplant about 1/2 thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Let sit.
6. In one large bowl whisk the eggs. In another large bowl add almond meal, tapioca flour, parsley, basil and oregano.
7. Using the same large sauté pan over medium-high heat coat the bottom with olive oil (or coconut oil). Dip the eggplant into the egg batter to coat both sides then coat with almond and herb mixtures. Shake to remove excess flour. Add to the pan and sauté each side for about 3 minutes (until it is brown). Do in batches and keep on a plate.
8. When butternut squash is done add to a bowl.
9. When red peppers are done add to another bowl and cover with plastic for 10 minutes. Then remove skin and cut into large pieces (removing seeds and stem).
10. To prepare the lasagna. Coat the bottom of the baking dish with oil. Add a layer of eggplant to cover the bottom. Next add a layer of butternut squash then top with roasted peppers, then mushroom and onions. Top with remaining eggplant then petite diced tomatoes. You can sprinkle additional parsley, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.
11. Bake for 35 minutes then enjoy!

Portobella Mushrooms stuffed with Avocado and Walnuts

Ingredients

• 4 large portobella mushrooms
• 2 large avocados, peeled and smashed
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried Rosemary
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts (divided)
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees,Remove brown gills from the undersides of mushrooms using a spoon; discard gills.

Remove stems, and reserve for another use, if desired.

Place mushrooms on a lightly greased baking sheet and put in the oven for 10 minutes. Let cool.

In a bowl combine avocado, garlic, rosemary, lime juice, and salt. Combine well with a fork. Then stir in 1 1/2 tablespoons walnuts.

Fill each mushroom evenly with the avocado mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining walnuts, and drizzle with olive oil.

Put bake in the oven for 5 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Mushroom, Tomato and Onion Frittata

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon unsalted organic butter or coconut oil
• 12 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 2 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 Garlic, clove, minced
• 8 large eggs
• Water
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 green scallions, sliced, plus more for garnish
• 1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

Directions

Preheat broiler. In a large oven save sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter or coconut oil. Add the sliced mushrooms, tomato slices and red onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes until tomato is just softened.

Remove from pan and put on a plate. Wipe pan down with a papertowel.

In a bowl lightly beat eggs with 1 tablespoon water, salt and pepper. Stir parsley, scallions and the mushroom and tomato mixture.
Add remaining tablespoon of butter or coconut oil to the sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the egg mixture and then cook for 5-6 minutes until golden underneath and nearly set. Use a rubber spatula to rub around the edges of the frittata.

Place pan under preheated broiler for 3-4 minutes or until just set and top is golden. Slide onto a board. Garnish the top with additional scallions Slice and Serve!

Classic Caponata (perfect to make ahead-of-time)

Ingredients

• 3-5 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 1 1/2-pound eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 1 yellow onion, cubed
• 1 celery stalk, sliced
• 5 Garlic, cloves, chopped
• 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried Oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 4 ounces olives, cut in half

Directions

1. In a large pot over medium heat, add oil then eggplant, onion, celery stalk and garlic cloves. Sauté until eggplant is soft and brown, about 15 minutes.
2. Add diced tomatoes with juice, basil, parsley, oregano, salt, pepper, then red wine vinegar, drained capers and olives. Cover and simmer until eggplant and onion are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes.
3. Transfer Caponata to serving bowl.
4. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

I hope you enjoy these Meatless Monday recipes and share with your friends and family!