Eggplant Victory

I have a confession to make: eggplant was my Achilles heel.  My Everest.  My other thing that means difficult challenge.  Since what my former roommate and I call the "Eggplant Incident of 2005" I have been fearful of cooking this gorgeous flavorful veggie.  I tried grilling, baking, casserole, all to no avail.  I would eat eggplant at restaurants, in the homes of friend's, and silently bear my shame.  But today, I have conquered the Solanum Melongena.  And it.  Was.  Delicious.

The impetus for conquering my fear came from my dear friend Beckham, he like me is a food lover and thanks to his lovely wife, a master of vegetarian delights.  He sent me a text last week that would forever change my eggplant-cowering life, "Last night's dinner: asian-y twice baked eggplant and roasted bok choy."  This text lead to a gchat exchange that piqued by curiosity.  Beckham is a natural cook: his paraphrased food philosophy being "take things that taste good, and apply heat and seasoning."  I generally need a safety net, ie recipe, in the kitchen, but decided to try his style and wing it based on an idea, and some basic Beckham tips.  Equipped with his instruction and inspiration, I set out to conquer my culinary albatross. Eggplant, consider yourself vanquished.

Twice-baked Asian Style Eggplant with Arugula and Edamame Salad
Serves 1 (with leftovers for later.  Yum)

For Eggplant
2 Japanese eggplant

2 large pieces of fresh ginger - peeled and finely diced

pinenuts

peanut butter (organic)

dark soy sauce

sesame oil

sriracha

aji-mirin (sweet cooking rice seasoning)

Chinese five spice


For Salad

edamame - cooked and shelled

arugula

ginger dressing

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Slice the eggplant in half length-wise and brush with olive oil.  Season lightly with salt and paper and bake for about 30 minutes or until eggplant is tender.  While the eggplant is baking, combine the next eight ingredients in a bowl and reserve.  For quantities, just eyeball it and remember: non-recipe cooking is liberating and makes you feel like a super hero.  Just trust me.  (The only reason I ended up using peanut butter was because I started out with too much soy and it was a wonderful correction.  If you haven't used these ingredients before, use a light hand with the sriracha, aji-mirin and sesame oil, and an abundant amount of soy.)

Scoop out the delicious eggplant meat and combine with all other ingredients.  (Accidentally cut through 3 of the 4 eggplant skins and don't sweat it.)  Place the eggplant mixture back in the eggplant skins and bake until warmed through, about 10 more minutes.

While this is baking plate a generous portion of arugula with the edamame and just a splash of ginger dressing.  Top the salad with two eggplant halves and enjoy.

Optional: Get so excited that you call your friend who inspired the dish when you are only halfway through eating.

Open-faced avocado and goat cheese sandwich. Eat and have your spirits lifted.

Oh blogging...you thwart me so.  I know I've got the raw skills to be good at this and share my passion, but life and my own laziness get in the way.

I've been having what my mom would call a boude week. ('Boude' is a cajun word which means 'to pout.')  If you're unfamiliar with the term, it's more than just pouting really: it's when you are in that place where you don't like ANY of your clothes, your temper is super short, and you feel like you can't do anything right, even though in reality, you are super fantastic awesome sauce. I don't know if it's been the weather or what, but I've just felt a little off my game and bleh.

It's cyclical of course because you are in a crummy mood, so you don't feel like doing anything, so then you don't, and then you feel crummy because you didn't do anything.  Sometimes I like to refer to this phenomenon as "being a lady" because it doesn't seem to plague men.  Oh the bliss of being a dude and not putting unreasonable, emotional, expectations on yourself.

When I'm in that icky blah place, this dish will put a smile on my face.  It doesn't fix everything because duh, it's just a sandwich, but it is a step in the right direction.

Open Faced Avocado and Goat Cheese Sandwich
1/2 avocado
1 tbsp goat cheese
1/4 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper, to taste
hot sauce, to taste
two pieces wheat bread
cherry tomatoes, halved

Mix first five ingredients together: can be done the day before.  Top bread slices with avocado mixture and cherry tomatoes. Easier to make if the bread can be toasted, but just as yum regardless.

Kale and White Bean Stew

This weekend was a busy one for me with work responsibilities (retreats on Saturday and Sunday) so I didn't have as much time for cooking as I would have liked.  Also, whenever I have to eat out a lot in a short period of time I try to cook something healthy for dinner as soon as I can to balance the scales.

Don't get me wrong: the guacamole, Chinese food, cupcakes and Italian were all delicious.  You might notice that I said I ate out twice, but that sounds like more than two complete meals.  Welcome to working with college students. :)

Anyhoo, this kale and white bean stew from epicurious was just the ticket. Of course, it was 75 degrees (thanks Louisiana) but such is life.  I also think that this soup tasted WAY better than it looks.  This isn't just a commentary on my photography skills: it looks so healthy, amiright?  In my experience, something that looks this healthy might suffer in taste but trust me when I say this is de-lish.  While I'm calling this recipe vegetarian, I did use chicken stock because I just don't like veggie stock flavor as much, but feel free to substitute whichever suits your fancy.

Let me also take an opportunity to plug the Epicurious App: tons of great recipes, really easy to use, save, and share.  Check it out!

Kale and White Bean Stew (from Epicurious, with my modifications)


2 pounds kale leaves, center ribs and stems removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped peeled carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped shallots (about 4)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 cup white wine (Elios Mediterranean White)
2 15-ounce cans white beans, drained
4 1/2 cups chicken broth
5 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon garlic red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Cook kale in large pot of boiling salted water 1 minute. Drain. Transfer to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Squeeze out excess water. Coarsely chop kale.

Heat olive oil in medium pot over medium heat. Add chopped carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic; cook until soft, stirring, about 15 minutes (do not brown vegetables). Add white wine and simmer until liquid is slightly reduced, about 7 minutes. 

Add white beans, 4 cups broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 20 minutes. Add kale and simmer 5 minutes longer. 

Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Add remainder of broth to thin stew. Mix in red wine vinegar and chopped fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper.

Vegetarian Tacos: Support that Resolution!

Well hi there!  If you're still here, thanks!  Sorry about the radio silence: after my big trip abroad I have been bushed and out of wack.  I'm finally able to stay awake past 9 pm (party time!) so let the blogging commence.  In additional, it's taken a while for me to get back into the swing of cooking, and I am fired up about trying new dishes.  Specifically, I'm trying to recommit to a balanced diet.  With the holiday and vacation, I've had a bit of a backward slide, so I'm excited about getting "back on track" if you will.

I've decided to take things a step further and try to eat more vegetarian meals.  I don't think I will ever be a vegetarian because meat is tasty, but I know it's a healthy way to go, so I'm going to be trying to find more creative ways to enjoy vegetarian meals.  This first one is almost so simple, I feel like posting it is cheating, but it was too yum to keep all to myself.  By substituting roasted mushrooms for meat I was able to have a meal that was flavorful and tasty but light on fat.

Vegetarian Tacos

1 container white button mushrooms, rough chopped
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp olive oil
2 wheat tortillas
1/8 cup shredded cheddar cheese
10 cherry tomatoes, chopped
Lettuce
1/2 Avocado, sliced
1 tbsp of cilantro, rough chopped
1 tbsp salsa
1 tsp lime juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place mushrooms on baking sheet and coat with paprika, chili powder, and olive oil.  Stir to coat.  Bake for 10 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through but still firm.

Microwave tortillas for 10 seconds.  Put cheese on tortillas (not as pictured, but how I should have done it.) :) Add mushrooms and all other ingredients and enjoy!

Note: Wheat tortillas, although healthier than flour, still pack a lot of calories.  I typically don't eat the whole tortilla because it's a little big so I tear off about 1 inch all the way around.

Cheese stuffed mushrooms, two ways

Let me start by saying I loooove mushrooms.  Love.  Them.  Let me also say that this photograph is not doing the deliciousness in that pan justice.  Someday, perhaps I'll upgrade from my iPhone camera, but for now, you'll just have to take my word for it.

I made these mushrooms for a potluck with my rockin' book club, and I think they turned out pretty tasty.  What I love about them for a potluck dish is that they can be stuffed a day ahead and baked in the oven right before serving, or can be stuffed in a hurry when you get back late from shopping, in about 10 minutes so that you still make it on time.

I have made the cheddar/bacon bit variety for years, just like I learned from my mom, but decided to make a second variation out of what I had on hand.  It was nice to have a vegetarian mushroom option, and both were tasty.

Stuffed Mushrooms

16 ounces mushrooms
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 tbsp bacon bits
2 tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
2 sprigs fresh mint, finely chopped
1/4 cup spinach, finely chopped
4 tbsp plain breadcrumbs

Wipe mushrooms with damp paper towel to clean.  Remove stems and chop finely in small chopper or processor.  Saute chopped stems in oil 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Split sauteed stems into two bowls.  Add 2 tbsp breadcrumbs to each bowl, stirring to incorporate.  Add cheddar and bacon bits to one bowl and all other ingredients to the other.  Mix to incorporate all ingredients and add salt and pepper to taste. Use less salt than usual because both the feta and bacon bits tend to be a little salty.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes until mushrooms are cooked through.

Creamy Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup

Healthy Delicious is a blog I came upon many many moons ago and I have been starring recipes in my google reader since then.  I recently came upon this recipe for Creamy Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup and couldn't wait to try it.

This was definitely a selfish receipe: my fella isn't a big fan of sweet/savory combos so I had a feeling that he wouldn't be a big fan, but I had to give it a whirl.  I was right it wasn't his cup of tea...er...soup, but it is definitely one of my new favorites for winter.  He is a trooper and doesn't mind fending for himself when I'm feeling a little experimental, even though he did the peeling/chopping.  What a guy!

I am a sucker for anything chipotle but this soup is definitely something special. It was smooth, flavorful, and delicious.  Next time I made it I might only puree half just to give some tooth to the soup, but the flavor was spot on and comforting.

Creamy Sweet Potato and Chipotle Soup (taken from Healthy Delicious)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp grated ginger (I used dried)
2 gala apples, peeled and chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water
1 chipotle pepper, chopped
1 cinnamon stick

Heat the oil in a 3 quart soup pot set over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened.  Add the apples, celery, and sweet potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.

Add the stock, water, and cinnamon stick and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer until vegetables are soft - about 30 minutes.  Discard the cinnamon stick and stir in the chipotle.

Puree soup with stick blender until smooth and serve.

Stuffed patty pan squash. Thank you, farmer's market!

Shreveport has a great Farmer's Market that sadly had its last market of the season this past saturday: womp womp.  Luckily, I was able to grab a few things, including some patty pan squash and I was very jazzed with the results.

I'd only cooked patty pan squash once before and didn't have a recipe on hand, but based on a brief google search I knew I wanted to stuff it.  This recipe came together by investigating what I had on hand to get rid of before going out of town for Thanksgiving. As they say, "Necessity is the mother of invention," which certainly rings true when throwing together a meal.  It makes me a little anxious to do something completely new, but it's damn satisfying when it turns out well, and let's be real, it turns out well most of the time because of my MAD skillz.

I picked up yellow bell peppers and onion and the farmer's market and decided to use mint, to once again try to hack away at the towering mint plant I have in my yard.  In an effort to do a little pre-vegetarian detox, I tried to go light and vegetarian so I added corn, cheese, and rice, and called it a day.  It was a little time consuming to cook the squash, then scoop it out, but now that I've done it once,  it'll be easy peasy next time because there WILL be a next time, oh yes.  This dish, despite the lack of meat, is also fella approved, when served with a salad.

Stuffed Patty Pan Squash (Serves 3)
3 large patty pan squash
2 servings rice (Cooked w/ chicken stock.  Cook w/ veggie or water if desired)
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar.
1 clove garlic
1/2 onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp cayenne
4 ounces manchego cheese, chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint

Heat 1 inch of water in a large sauce pan or stock pot.  Bring to boil, then add squash and cover.  Cook for about 10 minutes until a fork can easily pierce the skin.  Put to the side and let rest and chill for a few minutes.  Carefully slice the top (stem side) off and remove seeds and discard and reserve all of the squash. Add cooked rice, lemon juice, and cayenne, and taste.  Adjust seasons as necessary and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat 1 tsp of olive oil in same pan that cooked the squash.  Add garlic and cook one minute.  Add onions and bell pepper and cook until transluscent.  Add corn, balsamic, and oregano and saute for 2-3 minutes until warmed and add salt and pepper to taste.  Combine this mixture to rice/patty pan mixture and stir thoroughly.  Stir in manchego and mint and taste once more for seasonings.  Stuff squash, overflowing with mixture and cover loosely with foil.  Cook in oven for 10 minutes, until just warmed.

Realize that you actually only needed two of the squash and eat the other one for lunch tomorrow.  SCORE!


 

Polenta w/ Veggies and Tomato Sauce and a side of growth

Mmm...polenta.  Tasty, warm, and perfect for a chilly day.  It's a great alternative when you are burned out on pasta, but in the mood for a great tomato sauce, and a simple way to have dinner at home for your 2 year 6 month, monthiversary (say it with me, "Aww.")

If you haven't eaten polenta before, it has the consistency of firm grits, and is super easy to cook, just stock and polenta, and you are good to go.  While I like to be a making-it-from-scratch kind of gal, today, I went with prepared polenta because that's what I had on hand.

My fella and I switch out grocery shopping every week and this weekend was his turn.  He bought the prepared polenta, although I would've preferred to make it from scratch. I'm the first to admit I can be particular and down right anal about items from the grocery store, but I've learned a thing or two in 2 years and 6 months.  If I make a fuss about the type of polenta he bought, then he will feel bad, and eventually, I'll feel bad when I realize how incredibly stupid I'm being.  In addition, if I try to project my particular craziness onto him, that's not going to work and he'll eventually refuse to go to the store, because I'm being crazypants. Sometimes, you need to just tone down the diva.  I'd like to say it's a lesson I always remember, but hey, at least I remembered it this time!

The benefit of prepared polenta for this dish is that it makes life simpler.  If you make the polenta from scratch, you'd need to cook it, which take about 15 minutes, then refrigerate it, THEN slice it and sear in a pan. As my fellow blogger and HILARIOUS woman, Eimear commented in her post for pot pies about using prepared puff pastry vs from scratch, "Now tell me who in God's name has a) the time, or b) the inclination to do that?  Just buy it.  You're keeping someone in a job.  Good for you." So what I'm basically saying in a very round about way, is that my fella actually did me a solid by buying the prepared polenta, but I won't give him the satisfaction of saying so.

Polenta with Veggies and Tomato Sauce
Prepared polenta, one tube (Look for it in the refrigerator aisle)
1/2 tbsp and 1 tsp Olive Oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 yellow squash, chopped
1/2 cup of mushrooms, chopped
1 tsp oregano
1 cup tomato Sauce
1/4 cup red wine
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan Cheese (optional)
Peperoncini Peppers (optional)

Slice polenta 1/2 inch thick. Begin searing, 2-3 minutes per side in a hot non-stick pan with 1 tsp oil.  Keep warm in oven as you prepare the sauce. While polenta is cooking, heat rest of oil in a skillet.  Saute garlic for about 1 minute, then add onion.  Cook until translucent, 2-3 minutes, then add squash and mushrooms.  Cook until mushroom and squash begin to break down, and add oregano and salt and pepper to taste.  Add tomato sauce and red wine and simmer for 5 minutes to develop flavor, longer if you have the time.  To serve, sprinkle with parmesan cheese and have peppers on the side for added flavor.

Making a Pasta Dinner: Demystified

Oh pasta, you are yummy.  People say we shouldn't be together too much because of your carbs, but I say, well, their probably right.  Even so, as long as you don't eat it all day every day, you should probably be fine.  I tend to go with whole wheat pasta which has a bit more nutritional value, and it also has a nutty flavor which I like, and my boyfriend tolerates. :)

What I really love about cooking pasta for dinner is that recipes aren't necessary.  I'm a recipe lovin' gal, but sometimes you just don't feel like walking back and forth, measuring things and reading a recipe.  Sometimes, you just want to wing it.  Also, it very simple.  Most pastas cook in about 6-8 minutes so if you start cooking your pasta while prepping the other ingredients, you can have dinner on the table in about 10-15 minutes.

Incorporate whatever you have a hankering for: meat, veggies, herbs, cheese.  I'll give you my basic pasta dinner formula, then the ingredients I used to make the deliciousness seen above and to the left.

1. Start with a pan on medium with about a tbsp olive oil.  Add onions and garlic and cook for about 1-2 minutes.

2. If cooking meat, add this now.  Cook most of the way through and drain for sausage/ground meats.  Cook all the way through for chicken, or use cooked chicken.

3. Start cooking pasta in pot according to package directions.  Salt the pasta, but oil isn't necessary in the pasta water.

4. Add veggies to sauce based on how long it takes to cook then, and how much you would like them cooked.  Cut vegetables the same size for routine cooking times.  Salt and pepper and add dried herbs such as thyme, oregano, and red pepper flakes.

5. Add some wine for flavor (optional step).  Red wine goes great with pasta, I typically use something dryer because that's what I like to drink.  When the pan is starting to dry out from cooking the veggies, add the wine and let simmer for a little while.

6. Add sauce at the end, tomato-based, cream, pesto, whatever suits your fancy.  Use something store bought, or make your own by simply adding in canned tomatoes, or cream/milk, or both! Some folks use cream, but due to the health factor, I just can't.  I typically add in a bit of milk at the end, depending on if I think more liquid is needed. Salt and pepper again, to taste.

7. Finish with some fresh herbs: italian parsley or basil are both great.  If you've got wee tomatoes, I suggest throwing a few in right at the end, just enough to warm them.  They add another texture to the dish and burst with flavor.

It's really that simple.  Also, remember the pasta cooking NEVER and ALWAYS.  NEVER rinse your pasta.  This makes it difficult for sauce to stick to the pasta.  In fact, if you add a little pasta water in to the sauce, it'll help it to coat the pasta, which brings me to the always.  ALWAYS toss your pasta in the sauce before serving and coat thoroughly to ensure pasta sticks to sauce.  An alternative, we'll call this ALWAYS PLAN B is to at least put a little olive oil on the pasta to keep it from sticking and serve pasta on the side.

And now, the ingredients of my deliciousness, in order of entry into the dish:
Buitoni Whole Wheat Tortellini, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Onions, Garlic, Salt, Pepper, Mushrooms, Oregano, Thyme, Red Wine (about a cup), Sun-dried Tomato Pesto (store bought, from Whole Foods), parsley, fresh tomatoes.

Use my idea, or come up with your own.  (And by the way, making pesto couldn't be simpler.  Typical pesto is pinenuts, basil, parmesan cheese, and olive oil, but substitute any nut and herb and make your own combo.  Freeze leftovers in an icecube tray, then pop out the cubes and put them in a plastic bag.)

Happy Pasta-ing!

Quinoa: Embrace it, love it.

Tonight I whipped up a simple, healthy, delicious dinner of quinoa.  If your response to "quinoa"(pronounced keen-wa) is "quin-huh?" allow me to explain and ROCK YOUR WORLD.

Quinoa is (per my box of quinoa) an important grain that dates back over five thousand years to the vast and mighty Inca civilization of South America.

I know: whoa.  The takeaway from this is if it has been around for 5000 years and popular with Incans it has to be easy to cook, since they didn't have hand blenders, kitchenaid mixers, pizza stoners, or, ya know, electricity.

The reason you want to eat this superfood is because it is a grain that has more high quality protein than any other grain, so it is pretty darn healthy.  The reason you want to cook it is because it is sooo simple.  So simple that you can do it IN THE MICROWAVE.  Take that, Incans.

This recipe is actually an Ashlie original so my measurements aren't exact: I played this recipe fast and loose, and titled it "Quinoa and Mushroom with Arugula Salad."  Remember a few posts ago when I commented on chefs that use fussy names for simple things?  "Arugula salad" is a fancy way of saying, "I piled some arugula on top of this quinoa."  Yeah.  Fan-cy.

Quinoa and Mushroom with Arugula Salad (Makes 2 servings)

1 cup quinoa                                        2 cups water or stock

1/4 diced white onion                          2 cloves diced garlic

1/2 cup diced red/green bell pepper     8-ish button mushrooms, sliced

Oregano, Red Pepper Flakes               Sherry or Wine

Sprig of Fresh Mint, chopped              1 tomato, chopped

Bunch of Arugula

1. Mix 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups stock or water in a microwave safe bowl.  Cover loosely and microwave on high for 8 minutes.  (Note: In my opinion stock adds a LOT of flavor, so use if available. I used chicken, but veggie would be fine.)

2. While this is happening, relax for a few minutes, maybe watching some Star Trek on Netflix.

3. After microwaving is complete, stir and let quinoa sit, covered, for 8-15 minutes.  (That seems like an odd period of time.  Basically, you just want the liquid to have evaporated, and the quinoa to be fluffy).

4. While the quinoa is fluffy-izing, heat about a 1/2 tbsp of oil (extra virgin, canola, whatever your preference) and add in the onion and garlic.  Stir and cook for about a minute: not too long or else the garlic can burn.  Add bell pepper and cook for another minute.

5. Add mushrooms and dry seasonings to taste.  Let mushrooms cook down for 2-3 minutes until liquid is evaporated from pan. 

6. Pour in enough sherry to cover mushrooms, about 1/4 a cup.  Realize there isn't much left in the bottle of sherry, and add a little bit more.  Sherry is goooood.

7. By this time, the quinoa should go back in the microwave for about 2 minutes. Fluff it once again, and now it's done!

8. Add the mushroom mixture and the chopped tomato to the quinoa and stir to mix.  

9. Go outside and grab some fresh mint from your front yard, chop, and add to the mixture. (If you don't have fresh mint in your front yard, plant some mint, STAT.  Mint needs a lot of sunlight and very little water.  Left alone it might just take over your home and neighborhood.  If you pay for mint at the store, you are getting robbed I tell you.  ROBBED.)  The mint is non-essential to the recipe, I just wanted a bit of fresh greenery.  Feel free to use parsley if you have it on hand, or omit all together.

10. Plate 1/2 of this deliciousness and add a big handful of fresh arugula.  Voila!  Tasty and delicious, and since it serves two, you have either lunch or dinner for tomorrow.  This recipe could also be used as a side dish to a protein, I'd suggest pork loin.

And there we have it, quinoa, demystified and deeeeeelicious. :)