Asparagus & Egg English Muffins

Does your breakfast need a makeover? I think we all fall into a routine from time to time. We need to throw aside our bowls of Wheaties, and try something different for breakfast. It seems as if a lot of people fall into, what I like to call, the ol' "breakfast rut." I'm guilty of this as well. I wake up in auto pilot, grab a box of cereal, pour it up, eat it without tasting it, and repeat this little routine for a whole week sometimes. Eventually I'll snap out of it and begin my mornings with something a little out of the ordinary. Seeing as breakfast is the very first step towards the start of your day, how about starting it off with something more intriguing than a bowl of cereal.

This morning I woke up and saw some Asparagus sitting in my fridge. It looked like it was on its way out, so I felt obligated to incorporate it into my breakfast. It's nothing complicated, but it's different than what I'm used to. And like I said before, change is good- even if it means switching up your morning routine.

Asparagus & Egg English Muffin

Serves 1

Time: ~7 minutes

You'll Need:

1 whole wheat English Muffin, toasted

2 eggs

6 pieces of asparagus

1 small plum tomato, sliced

2 tsp olive oil

sea salt & pepper

Chop the ends off the asparagus. 

Slice the tomato.

Heat oil in pan on medium-high.

Toss in the asparagus.

Carefully crack two eggs without breaking the yolks.

Fry for 4 minutes without flipping.

Add a little sea salt + pepper.

After 4 minutes, flip the eggs, and fry for an additional 30 seconds.

Top each half of the English Muffin with tomato slices, egg, and asparagus. 

Break the yolks.

Vegetarian Lasagna

Lasagna just might be up there at the top of my list of favorite foods. I love how versatile it is. You can
select different cheeses, toss in copious amounts of veggies, play around with layers, and switch up your
sauces. Typically, I get bored with making the same meals more than three times a month, so it's important
for me to choose recipes that can be altered. Change is good people!

Here is one of my favorite lasagna recipes. The vegetable combinations are just perfect and the addition of basil adds a nice kick to the sauce. The pasta was made from scratch using a pasta machine, however, you can make the pasta by hand, or, if you don't want to fool around with making your own, you can buy it at the grocery store. With that being said, nothing compares to fresh, handmade pasta. :)

Vegetarian Lasagna

Prep time: 40 mins

Cooking time: 50 mins

serves 4

Ingredients

 

For the pasta dough you'll need: 

2 C all purpose flour
  2 large eggs

1 tbsp dried basil

1/2 tsp salt

 

 

For the sauce you'll need:

 

5 plum tomatoes (seeds removed)

3 tbsp dry red wine

  1 tbsp sugar

  1/2 tbsp dried basil

1 tsp olive oil

 1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/8 tsp garlic powder

 

To fill the layers you'll need:

2 C lasagna style cottage cheese

1 C mozzarella cheese

2 large carrots, grated using a veggie peeler.

2 C spinach

1 C diced green peppper

1 medium yellow onion, diced

2 C Mini Bella mushrooms, sliced

1/2 C sliced cucumber

To make the pasta...

Add 2 eggs to 2 cups of flour. Shape into a ball, and knead for 15 minutes. Yes. Fifteen!!

Cut off a piece, roughly the size of a golf ball, dust it with some extra flour, and pass it through the machine.**If you do not have a pasta machine, roll it out until it becomes slightly translucent.

Next, trim along the edges with a knife to form perfectly rectangular shaped strips. You should make 9 strips (enough for 3 layers). Make sure these strips are 3 inches wide and 9 inches long.

As you wait for the pasta to dry, go ahead and chop up the veggies, grate the cheese, and make the sauce.

To make the sauce...

Dice tomatoes, toss them into a blender/food processor along with 3 tbsp dry red wine, 1 tbsp sugar, 1/2 tbsp dried basil, 1 tsp olive oil, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1/8 tsp garlic powder, and blend on high for 1 minute. Place mixture into bowl, lay aside until needed.

To assemble the lasagna...

Preheat oven to 410F

First, add 3 tbsp of sauce to the bottom of a 9x9 inch  oven-safe dish. 

Next, add a layer of pasta (3 strips arranged side by side)

On top of the pasta, add whatever veggies you want, but be sure to top them with some cottage cheese and a little sauce (~1/2 C)

Next, add another layer of pasta, followed by another layer of veggies, topped with a layer of cottage cheese and a little sauce. (~1/2 C)

Finally, add one more layer of pasta, top with 1/4 C sauce and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle some fresh basil on top of the mozzarella. 

Cover with tin foil and bake for ~50 mins.

Let set for ~30mins-1h before serving. Nobody wants to eat Lasagna Soup for dinner.

Fresh pasta before trimming the edges

The Lasagna before it was popped in the oven.

Layers

Ready to be cut & served.