Eggplant Lasagna Roll Ups

In the past, I have made lasagna roll ups with great results. I do a noodle outside with a ricotta cheese/spinach mixture on the inside. I had seen people do something similar with a zucchini outside (instead of the noodle). I have been intrigued to try this but it's not zucchini season yet so I did it with an eggplant!

I had pinterested about it and found a recipe (that for some reason refuses to open so I am unable to give credit) but I had to make some changes.

Ingredients:

• 1 large eggplant, cut length wise in slices (about 12 slices for 1 eggplant)
• about 1/2 cup sour cream
• about 1 cup ricotta cheese
• basil
• shredded parmesan cheese (I would've used mozzarella if I had it)
• pasta sauce of your choosing

Directions:

They talk about purging the eggplant. This is a process that gets rid of its bitter juices. I will probably not do this next time because I found my sink dry after doing it and even after rinsing, it make the eggplant really salty. If you are interested, you rub salt on your eggplant slices and let sit in a colander in the sink. Then rinse after about an hour. (Maybe I'm missing a step and that's why mine didn't work? I'm not sure).

Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add in as many eggplant slices that fit. Cook a couple minutes on each side, until browned. Repeat until all slices are cooked. 

Mix up the sour cream, ricotta cheese, basil, and some of the cheese in a bowl. Spread on each slice of eggplant and roll up. Put in a baking dish and cover with pasta sauce (I used about half a jar) and the remaining cheese. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes (just enough to heat everything through. The original recipe doesn't call for the oven at all. You wrap your eggplant with the cold cheese mixture and serve. Eww!). This also assures that your eggplant is cooked all the way.

This recipe was a HIT! I think David and I both rate this an 8+ out of 10! He says he would still prefer noodles but I almost don't notice a difference. The eggplant flavor is really mild and it cuts easily with your fork. With 3 roll ups a person, this serves about 4 people. Compared with a regular lasagna noodle and a serving of 3 roll ups, the eggplant saves you over 200 calories! Incredible! 

I love healthy recipes and substitutions that actually taste good! Now, this recipe is definitely not healthy but by swapping the noodles for eggplant, I believe it helps! 

Parmesan Ham Noodle Dinner

I tend to make noodle dishes on Mondays. I'm not entirely sure why that is but seeing as today is Monday, we had noodles! Tonight's was based very loosely on several recipes so I will post what I specifically did.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of cooked ham, cubed
• 1/2 large yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 package (4 oz) of button mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• oregano
• basil
• parsley
• garlic powder
• 2/3 of a 16 oz box of shell noodles, uncooked
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
• 2 cups milk
• 3 cups water
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in mushrooms, onions, and ham. Cook until the veggies are cooked. 

2. Add in seasonings and cook another minute.

3. Stir in milk, water, flour, and noodles. (You can use the entire box if it fits in your skillet but mine did not). Cook for 10 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.

4. Add in peas. Cook for another minute or two. 

5. Stir in cheese and sour cream. Continue cooking until heated through.

This came together very quickly, especially after the veggies were chopped (I am very slow at prep work). David rated this an 8 out of 10 but wasn't sure what would make it better. I rate it about an 8.5. There was an unusual flavor to it and I'm not sure if it was the Parmesan cheese or the sour cream. I added in both because mine was still too liquidy with just a couple minutes of cook time left. Plus, I always seem to have sour cream I'm trying to use up. It is a very good dish though and I would definitely make it again (or something similar, depending on what I have on hand). You could easily adapt the veggies, cheese, or even the meat choice. The possibilities of this are endless! I love dishes like that!