Liza's Lasagna

This is my famous veggie lasagna. All of my meat-eater friends say they like it better than meat lasagna and NO ONE can tell there is tofu in here, I promise! If you don't try any other of my recipes, make this one. My Italian father simply loves it and trust me he isn't your typical tofu eater!

Ingredients:

12 oz firm organic tofu crumbled

1 box no-boil lasagna noodles (you can use and boil reg noodles, just takes longer)

Vegetable oil

5 scallions, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, sliced (buy pre-sliced to save on time)

1 bag frozen chopped spinach, defrosted & drained

1 clove garlic

2 jars pasta sauce

1 egg

Emerils Italian essence

Salt

Pepper

Garlic powder

Garlic salt

Red pepper flakes

Parsley

2 bags shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

In a large skillet or sauce pan saute scallions, mushrooms, spinach and garlic in oil for 5 min. Add both jars of sauce, mix in thoroughly, set aside. In a large bowl combine tofu, egg and all seasoning mix well with hands mushing it all together Cover bottom of large Pyrex dish with some of the sauce mixture.Top with lasagna noodles covering bottom of Pan, followed by sauce, then all the tofu mixture, add a layer of cheese, top with more noodles and the rest of the sauce mixture. Cover with foil, bake 350 degrees for 45 min. Remove foil, sprinkle another layer of cheese on top, bake uncovered 15 more min. Let stand for 10 min before serving For more cheesy lasagna u can add more mozzarella for the same amount of tofu

Krazy Kumato Towers

Yes I spelled crazy with a "k" don't judge me! I thought it was cute. I'm sure you are probably wondering what the h*ll is a kumato? Haha. A kumato is just a type of tomato. These dark beauties have a color that is almost brownish. They are unique in apperance and sweeter than your average tomato. The flavor is mild and they really are great in salads or any other recipe in which you would traditionally use tomatoes.

Ingredients:

Kumatos

Fresh Mozzarella

Fresh or dry basil

Crushed red pepper

Balsamic Vinegar

Directions:

Slice kumatos approx 1cm thick

Slice fresh mozzarella into 1cm thick slices

Arrange on individual plates. First puddle a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar on to plate. Start with a slice of kumato as your base then layer with mozzarella. Repeat layering of kumato and mozzarella untill you reach desired height. I used 4 slices of kumato to 3 slices of cheese. You should always end with kumato on top. Top with basil, a touch of crushed red pepper and a slight drizzle of balsamic. This is a truly elegant looking appetizer. I served this to my father for Father's Day and it really made him feel like he was eating something special even though it was so simple to make!

Marvelous Mini Bagel Pizzas

Yes all kids like Bagel Bites, trust me my brother was their number one customer growing up. However why throw these frozen minis in the microwave when in just a little more time you can make them homemade yourself! This super simple recipe is great for kids or even served to adults as an appetizer. For a more sophisticated treat experiment with different types of cheeses, try thinly sliced fresh Mozzarella, Cheddar or Parmesan. You can truly be creative with these and make cooking fun!

OK lets get started

Ingredients:

3 Pepperidge Farm plain mini bagels

3 Tbs Ragu pizza sauce

1/2 package shredded mozzarella (or soy shreds for my vegan buddies)

Directions:

Cover your toaster oven's pan with foil for easy clean up. Place bagel halves on foil and lightly spread with sauce. Generously top with shredded cheese. Place in toaster oven on highest or broil setting. Stand in front if the toaster and watch as cheese melts. You have to watch because these toast up in just minutes. When cheese gets a nice brown color on top they are done! Delicious!

Yummy Yogurt Parfait

Nothing says summer like a delicious yogurt parfait. This cool refreshing treat is much healthier than ice cream, but still gives you all the satisfying creaminess you crave. Parfaits are a simple, yet elegant treat that makes eating healthy truly a delight.

A word on yogurt: I believe in customizing my recipes to your liking. There are so many options out there for yogurt these days it's nearly impossible to know what to pick! For this recipe vegetarians may want to opt for a nice thick plain greek yogurt such as Chobani or Fage. For my vegan friends I suggest Whole Soy brand soy yogurt. While there are many brands out there, Whole Soy comes closest to the real thing. Lately I have tried some cocconut milk based brands that are equally as satisfying.

A word on granola: My all time favorite by far granola (this is vegan folks) is Natures Path peanutbutter granola. I have only been able to find it at Whole Foods, but trust me it's the best tasting granola by far. It is also high in protein and lower in sugar than most other brands. Another newer brand that has a nice crunch is Kellog's Special K Low Fat Granola. This granola has just a touch of honey and is a great source of fiber.

Ok lets get down to business

Ingredients:

8 oz yogurt

1 cup granola

1 cup berries (I used blackberries and blueberries, but don't forget it is strawberry season friends)

1 martini glass

Directions:

Layer ingredients in a clear martini glass or any other wine or parfait glass. The idea here is to create beautiful layers of yogurt, granola and fruit. Start with a layer of granola at the bottom followed by yogurt, then fruit. In this parfait I lined the outer rim with blackberries and filled the inner layer with blueberries. Top with the remaining yogurt and a sprinkle of granola and voila! You have created a lovely, luscious summer treat! Enjoy.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Summer Strawberry Salad

June is strawberry season! Strawberries are one of my all time favorite fruits. They are so versatile and their mild sweet flavor can be baked in a pie, tossed in a salad or blended up for fun smoothies. Not to mention the amazing health benefits of these bright red beauties! Strawberries are packed with antioxidants, a good source of vitamin C and fiber. When purchasing this summer fruit don't focus on the size so much as color. In fact you will find smaller strawberries are often tastier than larger ones. I tend to buy organic deep red ones for my cooking.

To get started here are the ingredients you will need:

One package of mixed greens (Trader Joe's Sorrento mix is what I used here)

3-4 Organic strawberries rinced, dried and quartered

1 Tbs Dried cranberries

7 Organic walnuts

Drizzle of Balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Line your bowl/dish with a generous portion of mixed greens. Top with remaining ingredients and lightly toss with balsamic vinegar. That's it! How easy is that? Feel free to play around with the portions of each ingredient and customize to your liking. Fresh strawberries pair very nicely with balsamic vinegar. While this is not a flavor combo everyone thinks of when they think about strawberries, I encourage you to try it. The result is simply delish! Enjoy.