Friday, September 21, 2012

Eggplant Marinara + DAIYA Giveaway!

It's Friday!  Woohoo!  Did you guys check out the guest post from Katie @ From Icecream to Marathon?  She shared some great tips for those looking to start running.  She's running a half-marathon tomorrow and I just want to take this time to say- GOOD LUCK, KATIE!  Can't wait to hear all about it!

One of my monthly goals is to eat 1 vegan meal a week.  What is a vegan?  A vegan is a person who consumes absolutely no animal products.  (No, not even dairy!)  I used to be a vegetarian and, do plan on going back to the lifestyle at the start of the new year- but I am a cheese fanatic.  Giving up cheese (dairy- not so much, we don't drink cows milk in our house- the thought of milking an animal for their breast milk just grosses me out!) seemed impossible.

Until I discovered Daiya.  What is Daiya?  I'll whip out my favorite vegan cookbook- Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook and let it tell you:
"Daiya is a plant-based, soy-free cheese that could hardly be considered an "alternative."  It comes in block or shredded cheddar and Italian blends that melt like chocolate in 110-degree heat.  Besides being loaded with vitamins B and B12, Daiya has gained the vegan blessing with no artificial ingredients, preservatives, or cholesterol.  Did I mention it's low in fat?"
 It's as amazing as it sounds!  Trust me!  Here is a recipe I *love* using Daiya's Mozzarella style shreds.
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Spaghetti Squash and Eggplant Marinara

:Ingredients:
1 Medium to large spaghetti squash
1 large eggplant
3 cups of your favorite marinara sauce
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 bag of Daiya Mozzarella style shreds

:Directions:
Split the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seed.  Bake it on a cookie sheet (cut side down) in the oven at 350-degrees until tender.  (About 25 minutes.)  Let cool.


Get a skillet very hot and add about 4 Tablespoons of olive oil.
Wash your eggplant and slice into 1/4 inch thick slices.
Place slices into skillet and let fry until browned on both sides and drain on paper towels.
*The eggplant really soaks up the oil, so you may need to add a bit more each time you flip them.*

Scoop out the stringy squash flesh into a casserole dish.  Salt and pepper the squash and add about a cup of marinara sauce and 1/4 of the bag of Daiya.
Place the fried eggplant slices on top of the squash-- overlapping as necessary.  
Salt and pepper, cover with the remaining marinara  sauce and Daiya.
Bake in a 350-degree oven until hot and bubbly.
(About 30 minutes)

YUM!  Enjoy!  It is such a yummy meal!
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Guess what?!  The makers of Daiya have provided me with the opportunity to offer a lucky reader the chance to win some free products!
(How neat is that!?)
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**You have 5 chances to win!**

-Leave a comment telling me whether or not you have tried Daiya.
-Follow me on Google and leave a comment saying you did so.
-Follow Mama's Got A Big Belly on Facebook- leave a message saying that you did so.
-Follow Mama's Got A Big Belly on Twitter - leave a message saying that you did so.
-Tweet about this giveaway by copy/pasting this:
Enter to win FREE @daiyacheese on @MamasBellyBlog http://mamasgottabigbelly.blogspot.com #Daiya #Giveaway #Free #BellyBlog
and leaving a comment saying that you did so.

**For more than one entry you  must leave a comment for EACH entry.  Each comment will count as 1 entry.  Winner will be announced next Friday morning!**

I'm so excited for the winner to try this AWESOME product!

13 comments:

  1. Looks yummy! Can you get daiya at any grocery store?

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    Replies
    1. In Mankato- they sell Daiya at the Hilltop Hyvee in the organic section- otherwise you can buy it at the co-op in St. Peter!

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  2. Thanks, darlin!!
    Wow, that looks SO good! I wanna win some Daiya!!

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  3. This sounds amazing! I'm going to have to try this!

    Have you ever tried soaking your eggplant in water before you cook it? I think it stops the eggplant from absorbing so much oil when you're cooking it.

    Also, I've never tried daiya. :)

    I love your your blog and always look forward to reading when you post something new!

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  4. I've always wanted to try Daiya, but I haven't found it in my local grocery store! Awesome giveaway :)

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  5. I follow you on twitter, too!
    @j_mosh

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  6. I tweeted about the giveaway: https://twitter.com/j_mosh/status/249342453046452224

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  7. I've never tried it but I've been interested in it. :)
    Carrie C

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  8. AZIA! I have never tried Daiya! Looks and sounds amazing, though! Thanks for this recipe--I'm going to try and make it asap! LOVE this blog, friend! :)

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Comments are good for the belly!