I LOVE COOKING!

I am at my happiest when I am in the kitchen whipping up meals. Lately I am not so comfortable standing up in there so I have been making quick & easy dishes. Not so terrible, but not exactly masterpieces! lol But hey, it's better than take-out!

Breakfast was 1/2 of a whole wheat lavash bread, 1 C cooked egg beaters, 1 light Babybel cheese shredded, 1 Morning star soy sausage patty crumbled, & a little S&P. This was delicious! After the pic I added a little Franks hot sauce. YUM!

Ever buy these packages of lentils from Trader Joe's? They are in the refrigerator section by the lettuce & veggies. 

Well I love them- I've added them to soup for a quick meal and today I decided to make a little salad with them.

Lemony Lentil Salad

1 box (1lb) TJ's Steamed Lentils

1 1/2 C shredded carrots

1 1/2 C diced celery

1 C fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons diced fresh Italian parsley

Salt & Pepper to taste

Open lentil package and add to a colander. Rinse well under warm water. They are lightly seasoned and this helps break them up too. Add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix well. Chill & serve. :) 

*You can add this over chopped lettuce or spinach. I added in some sliced tomatoes too. It's a great base of a salad or eat it as is!

Ok...so here is my big no no- takes too long to make- stand in the kitchen in pain meal:

Weight Watcher's Eggplant Rollatini with Tomato-Basil Sauce 

Course: main meals POINTS® Value:    4 Servings:  4 Preparation Time:  25 min Cooking Time:  42 min Level of Difficulty:  Moderate

Ingredients 3 spray(s) cooking spray    2 medium raw eggplant, tops and bottoms removed, sliced lengthwise into four 1/4-inch-thick long slices each    1 tsp olive oil    2 large garlic clove(s), sliced (about 2 Tbsp)    2 cup(s) canned crushed tomatoes    2 Tbsp basil, fresh, torn    1 spray(s) cooking spray    1/4 cup(s) minced onion    1 small zucchini, diced    1 large garlic clove(s), chopped (about 1 Tbsp)    1/2 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese    1/2 cup(s) parsley, fresh, chopped    2 Tbsp basil, fresh, chopped    3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese, divided    1 large egg(s)    1/4 tsp table salt    1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground    Instructions Preheat oven to 450ºF. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Lay eggplant in a single layer on prepared baking sheet and lightly coat tops with cooking spray. Bake, flipping once, until golden brown, about 10 minutes per side. Remove from oven and set aside. To make sauce, place oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sliced garlic; sauté until it begins to brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes; stir to combine and reduce heat to low. Add torn basil, stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes. Cover, remove from heat and set aside. To make filling, coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; heat over medium-high heat. Add onion and zucchini; sauté until onion starts to brown, about 5 minutes. Stir in chopped garlic and cook 1 minute more; spoon onion mixture into a small bowl to cool. In another small bowl, combine ricotta, parsley, chopped basil, and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan; stir to combine. Add cooled onion mixture; stir to combine. Add egg, salt and pepper; stir to combine. To make rollatini, reduce oven to 400ºF. Spoon 3 tablespoons of sauce in bottom of an 8- X 8-inch glass or nonstick metal baking dish and swirl to coat bottom with sauce. On a clean cutting board, place 1 slice of eggplant. Place 2 tablespoons of filling at the narrow end of eggplant and roll up; place in prepared baking dish, seam side-down. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices; arrange in a single layer in dish. Spoon remaining 1/2 cup of sauce and remaining tablespoon of Parmesan over eggplant. Bake until sauce bubbles, about 10 to 15 minutes. Yields 2 pieces of rollatini per serving.

I swear I am taking breaks...I am having FUN but I am tired. lol Ever make this before? I have but it's been so long! I know Sean will be a happy guy when he comes home. It is one of his favorites. :)

I hope everyone is having a great day! I guess the pool is suppose to open back up tomorrow, but I have 2 appointments I need to go to and wont be home for the session at the pool. So I will be ready to jump in on Friday! :) Whoohoo!

Do you like to cook? Ever make that eggplant recipe before? 

BYE! :)