Roasted Veggie Stacked Enchiladas

I made this tonight and I loved them, but I do love roasted vegetables, so that probably had something to do with it :) I will definitely be making these again!

Recipe from: www.twopeasandtheirpod.com
Roasted Vegetable Stacked Enchiladas
1 large red pepper, chopped, seeds removed
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium yellow squash, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups red enchilada sauce
Small corn tortillas
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash, and onion on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and toss until vegetables are coated. Season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables for 30-40 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove vegetables from oven and let cool to room temperature. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease an 8x8 square baking pan and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine roasted vegetables, black beans, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and cilantro. Stir and season with salt and pepper.
3. Spread 1/4 cup of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking pan. Add a layer of tortillas, to completely cover the bottom of the pan. You might have to cut the tortillas to make them fit. Top with 1/3 of the vegetable/bean mixture and 1/3 of the cheese. Make a second layer of tortilla, enchilada sauce, vegetables/beans, and cheese. Top with with a layer of tortillas, enchilada sauce, vegetables/beans, and cheese. Spray a sheet of aluminum foil with cooking spray and cover the pan.
4. Bake enchiladas for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and the enchiladas are bubbling. Remove enchiladas from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve warm.

Pesto Pasta Salad

So I made this tonight for a block party potluck we were invited to and we needed to bring something vegetarian for Jared to eat. We love pesto, so we loved this! It does make a TON though, so if it's just for your family, you probably want to make less.

Recipe Source: www.melskitchencafe.com
3/4 pound fusilli pasta 3/4 pound bow tie pasta ( I just used only fusilli)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups pesto (jarred or from your own favorite recipe)
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted
1/3 cup pine nuts
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is cooked to your liking. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature, tossing every once in a while to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other as they cool.
In a food processor or blender, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pine nuts, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Cauliflower Pasta

Ok, so I made this last night and got mixed reviews. The kids LOVED it and Jared added marinara sauce to it to make it better. I liked it, but thought the flavor was a bit subtle. When I had it again today for leftovers I thought it was great. Honestly, I'm not totally sure if mine turned out totally right, my cauliflower didn't mash enough to make a sauce, but I kind of liked having the cauliflower be chunky. Anyway, if you like cauliflower, you should try this!

Ingredients
1 pound penne rigate
Salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, cracked from skin and sliced
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 head cauliflower, stem removed and chopped
1 cup vegeteable (or chicken) stock
4 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped (or 3/4 tsp. dried)
3/4 cup grated Romano, 3 generous handfuls
Salt and black pepper

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt and pasta and cook to al dente. Drain and reserve 2 ladles of pasta water.
While water is coming up to a boil and pasta cooks, make sauce. Heat a deep skillet over medium heat with extra-virgin olive oil. Add garlic and cook 3 minutes, then remove. Add onions and cook 5 minutes then add cauliflower, stock and the rosemary. Cover the pan and cook 15 minutes. Uncover the sauce, add 1 to 2 ladles of pasta water and mash the cauliflower with the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher. Add the pasta and cheese to the cauliflower and toss to combine. Season the dish with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Cilantro and Lime Rice

I have made this as a side a few times for our family. While I am not great at cooking rice properly (mine is usually either too well done, or not done enough) I do think this rice is delicious!

Cilantro Lime Rice

Adapted from: twopeasandtheirpod.com

1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice

1 teaspoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice

1 (15 ounce) can vegetable broth

1 cup water

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

4 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

In a a saucepan combine rice, butter, garlic, 2 teaspoons of lime juice, broth and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low 15-20 minutes, until rice is tender. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, sugar, and cilantro. Pour over hot cooked rice and mix in as you fluff the rice. Serve warm

Vegetable Sandwhich with hummus and olive tapenade

Vegetable sandwhich with hummus and olive tapenade
Recipe from: www.ezrapoundcake.com

Oh goodness, I love this sandwhich! It is so perfect for summer, but really I would eat it every day! The sandwhich idea I got from Ezra Pound Cake, but I found the olive tapenade recipe by looking on allrecipes.

2 slices whole-wheat bread
1/2 cup hummus. Homemade or store-bought, any flavor. I have also just used mayoniase when I didn't have hummus and I liked it just as much.
1 tablespoon black olive tapenade
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
Feta cheese

Black Olive Tapenade:
1 cup olives
1-1/2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1/8 cup minced fresh parsley leaves (or scant 1 Tbsp. dried)
2 - 3 grinds of black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Combine all ingredients except oil in a food processor.
Slowly add the oil and pulse, retaining some bits of olive and caper for texture.

Spread one side of bread with hummus or mayo, and the other side with tapenade. Top hummus side with cucumber slices, carrot, and sprinkle with feta. Place tapenade side on top to form sandwhich.