Eggplant Parmesan

Eggplant. 

It's one of those vegetables kids have to learn about on Sesame Street*. Not exactly a mainstream veggie. It's a main feature at farm stands this time of year, but what are we supposed to do with it? 

Smother it in cheese and tomato sauce and stick an Italian cheese in the name. 

That's pretty much my answer to preparing most lesser-known produce. 

Eggplant Parmesan. Fancy name, easy to make, and tasty. 

Eggplant Parmesan, serves 4

2  medium eggplants

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

2 cups spaghetti sauce

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese 

olive oil 

salt and pepper, to taste

Slice the eggplants thinly, about 1/4 of an inch. Lay the slices on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes at 425 degrees F on each side. 

Next, spread one third of the tomato sauce on the bottom of an oven-safe dish. Cover with one half of the eggplant and one half of the mozzarella cheese. Pour on more sauce, layer the second half of the eggplant, followed by the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle the rest of the mozzarella on top and dust with the parmesan cheese.  

Bake at 425 degrees F for 25- 30 minutes. If the cheese is in danger of burning, cover with aluminum foil.  

*Eggplant: over-easy? I'd say so. 

Thanks, Sesame Street.

Spaghetti Squash with Garlic Zucchini

I've been having fun lately trying different varieties of squash this season. My sister and I bought one huge spaghetti squash to try and it lasted us about 3 meals! Here is the recipe for one meal we both really enjoyed.

Spaghetti Squash with Garlic Zucchini:

1 spaghetti squash

1 medium size zucchini

1/2 onion

2 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons olive oil

parmesan cheese 

To cook the squash, cut length-wise and remove the seeds. Place the squash cut-side down on a baking sheet that has been drizzled with olive oil. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes, depending on the size of the squash. It is ready when the flesh is easily pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the chopped zucchini when the onion is beginning to brown. Let the zucchini cook until soft. 

Remove the flesh from the squash with a fork. It really looks just like spaghetti noodles! Top with the zucchini, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with some parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Biscuits

November weather and impending finals call for comfort food. Chicken and biscuits is just the thing! It was a childhood favorite for us. With a little modification, it can be grain-free and just as delicious as when my mom made it. 

To make the biscuits, I used the recipe for pizza dough. Form into 1/3 cup sized balls and bake at 425 degrees F for 12 minutes until the peaks are light brown.

Meanwhile, boil bite-sized pieces of chicken until fully cooked. This takes about 20 minutes. 

For the white sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons garbanzo and fava flour

1 1/4 cup milk

1 vegetable (or chicken) bouillon 

Melt the butter in a sauce pan and whisk in the flour. Continue to whisk over medium heat and add in the milk. Add the bouillon and let it dissolve. When the sauce has become thick, add the chicken.

Pour the chicken and sauce over the biscuits and serve!

Delicata Squash

Last week my mom was raving about a kind of squash she had just discovered, delicata squash. I decided to give it a try and absolutely loved it! Delicata squash has a nice, mild flavor and is very easy to cook. 

To cook the squash, cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Place face down in a baking pan and add water a depth of 1/4 inch. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until it can be pierced with a fork. 

To make the filling, saute a handfull of chopped walnuts in one tablespoon of butter until they are fragrant and sizzling. Add some raisins and fill the center of the squash. 

If you're feeling adventurous, you can even eat the skin of the squash!

Zucchini Alfredo

While following my favorite food blogs this week, I noticed a common theme: alfredo sauce. It all looked amazing, creamy cheese sauce poured over a rich bed of buttery pasta. 

My first thought was, "Man, I really wish I could eat that." 

My second thought, "Zucchini noodles. Yes."

Zucchini noodles are actually quite simple to make. Slice lengthwise as thinly as possible. A mandolin is a wonderful tool for this, but not absolutely necessary. Place the zucchini on a baking sheet and brush both sides with olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 8 minutes at 400 degrees F. 

Meanwhile make the alfredo sauce:

2 tablespoons of butter 

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon garlic, or one clove

1/4 cup shredded parmesean cheese

2 teaspoons garbanzo and fava flour

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the milk and let simmer for 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and cheese. Whisk until smooth. Whisk in the flour until it becomes thick. 

Pour over the zucchini noodles and enjoy!

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Garbanzo & Fava Pizza Crust

All day I was craving pizza. 

And not just typical grain-free pizza, I wanted like real, bread-y, thick crust pizza. 

Like this. And so I made some.

I found this recipe and modified it just a bit. I love the earthiness and texture the garbanzo and fava flour gives the crust. 

All you need:

2 cups garbanzo and fava flour

1 cup arrowroot powder

1 & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 & 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 & 1/2 teaspoon oregano

3 eggs

1/2 cups milk

To make the crust, combine all the dry ingredients together. Whisk the eggs and milk and incorporate into the dry ingredients. It gets nice and gooey, so feel free to use your hands.

Work the dough into a round and place on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with olive oil. Bake at 425 degrees F for 15-20 minutes. 

Spread on any toppings that suit your fancy. This one was perfect for my sister and me, only one of whom eats meat. 

Happy compromise. 

Pop the pizza back in the oven until the cheese gets nice and melty, about 6 minutes. 

Yum! 

Asparagus and Eggs

Today I want to share another one of my favorite meals my Dutch host mom made: hard-boiled eggs with poached asparagus!

Asparagus is a vegetable I've known and loved from childhood, but this paring was new to me. It's  fresh and simple, with minimal ingredients. All that is required is some fresh asparagus, eggs, salt and pepper. 

First hard-boil the eggs. I usually count on three eggs per person. While the eggs are cooking, poach the asparagus in a large skillet, turning the asparagus with a fork. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until they are tender. 

I love watching them turn such a beautiful, bright green color!

Sprinkle the eggs and asparagus with salt and pepper to taste. My family liked to mash up the eggs, cut the asparagus into bite-size pieces, and mix it all together. 

What makes this meal special is the egg-cracking competition which takes place beforehand. Everyone chooses their egg and tries to crack the others' eggs by knocking them together. 

The last egg standing wins. 

Who ever said you can't play with your food?

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Butternut Squash with Apples, Raisins, and Walnuts

Fall is here!

I love making this recipe because you get to smell so many wonderful and quintessentially fall scents. It's just scrumptious. 

Here's all you need to make this wonderful fall dish:

 1 butternut squash

1 tablespoon olive oil

5 tablespoons butter

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 apple, chopped

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 cup raisins

1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle the olive oil on a baking pan (aluminum foil is a good idea, too). Remove the seeds, peel, and cube the squash. Spread out the squash on the baking sheet into one layer. Bake for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast the walnuts until they are slightly brown and become aromatic. 

In a sauce pan, melt 2 tablespoons butter and saute the apple pieces. When the apples are softened, remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

When the squash is roasted, add it to the sauce pan with the apples. Add the rest of the butter, along with the walnuts, raisins, and vanilla. Bring the heat up to medium-low and stir for about 5 minutes.

This dish is great served warm or cold.

Enjoy!

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Cheese Tacos

Here is a delicious and creative solution for taco shells- cheese! 

I had so much fun making these cheese shells. It was much easier than I expected, too. And the best thing about them? All it takes is one ingredient:

Lay slices of provolone cheese on a baking sheet. Bake for ten minutes with the oven preheated to 350 degrees F. Watch them closely so that they don't burn! The cheese is done when the edges are lightly browned. 

Here's the fun part:

After baking, drape the cheese on something long and cylinder-shaped with paper towels underneath. This clothing rack worked perfectly! Let the cheese drape for 2-5 minutes, or until hardened. 

Fill the cheese shells with whatever your little heart desires and dig in!

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P.S. This recipe is from this amazing cookbook, which I highly recommend. It's wonderful!

Portabella Mushroom Pizza

Giving up pizza has got to be one of the most difficult things about not eating grains. 

So don't do it.

There's just something about gooey, melted cheese and good old tomato sauce that no one should have to do without. I've discovered some pretty creative and yummy ways to enjoy pizza grain-free. Today I want to share how to make little pizzas with portabella mushrooms as the crust. I eat them for dinner, but they also make make great appetizers if you use smaller mushrooms. 

Here's all you need:

Portabella mushrooms

Tomato sauce

Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Toppings of your choice- I used prosciutto and black olives

Thoroughly wash the mushrooms and remove the stem. Scrape out the insides and place on a baking sheet. Bake for seven minutes in an oven preheated to 400 degrees F.

When the mushrooms are done, spoon on the tomato sauce, add the cheese, and load on the toppings!

Put them back in the oven until the cheese is melted, it'll take about eight minutes. 

Enjoy!

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Arrabbiata Sauce and Chickpeas with Zucchini Noodles

Vegetables are amazing. With a little creativity and courage, you can do just about anything with them! Take zucchinis, for example, besides practically becoming their own food group in my diet, they can be used as a noodle replacement. And zucchini noodles are super easy to make. 

I like super easy.

To make the Arrabbiata Sauce, saute a small onion and one tablespoon of minced garlic in olive oil. Throw in a chopped red bell pepper and let it sizzle until soft, about three minutes. 

Add two tomatoes and a couple dashes of black pepper. Let the sauce simmer for about twenty minutes. When it looks saucy, add in a twenty-eight ounce can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed. 

Meanwhile, thinly slice strips of zucchini and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and dust with salt and black pepper. Bake in the oven preheated to 400 degrees for about 8 minutes. 

Layer the zucchini noodles in a dish and top with the sauce.

Enjoy your vegetables!

scb

P.S. This recipe was adapted from this amazing blog.