Eggplant Meatballs

I'm BAAACK. Can you believe it?  I wonder if I even have anyone who cares but I am gonna give this blog another shot. :)

A couple days ago I saw someone cooking eggplant meatballs on the Today Show.  I had never heard of them before and I thought they sounded really good.  I couldn't however find the recipe on their website so I kind of just went off of what I remembered from the show.  I think they turned out really good. They are also really easy.  Give em a try.  If you do I would love to know what you think.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Eggplant
• olive oil, salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs (I used 1/2 C of italian style and 1 C plain)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 C grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 t. oregano
• 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
• 1 t. salt
• Canola oil
• marinara sauce
• spagetti

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut eggplant in half, place on cookie sheet and brush with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 35 minutes. 

In the meantime combine breadcrumbs, eggs, parmesan cheese, parsley, oregano, garlic and salt in a mixing bowl. When eggplant is finished scrape it out of its skin and combine it with other ingredients.  Mix well. 

In a heavy sauce pan heat about an inch deep of canola oil on medium high heat.  Roll up mixture into balls and place into the oil.  Fry each side in oil for about 3 minutes or until brown (it will depend on the heat of your oil and how dark/crispy you want them).  Place eggplant balls onto paper towels to drain for a minute and then place into hot marinara sauce.  Serve over spagetti. (I am also going to enjoy an eggplant meatball sandwich tomorrow for lunch!)

Here is the eggplant oiled, salted and peppered ready to go into the oven. 

 Just out of the oven.

Scraping the eggplant out of its skin.

My bowl of ingredients.

The ingredients combined with the eggplant.  I know, doesn't that just look so appetizing?

Frying the balls.  I like em dark.

 Place them in the marinara sauce and enjoy!
By the way, creating this post made me crave them so I went and ate a cold one out of the fridge and it was really good!  I can't wait for my meatball sandwich tomorrow.

7 Grain Whole Wheat Bread

I am a bread snob. I am really picky about my bread and I don't like any store bought bread sold in the stores in the Boise area.  Everything has too many nasty ingredients that are too hard to pronounce. I know very well that they are not needed to make bread. And if that wasn't enough I really think they are nasty.  I order my bread from Utah and it is shipped to me monthly.  That works great until we sometimes run out and then we have to go bread less, buy from Great Harvest which I do love but my girls don't and it is more on the expensive side or deal with nasty bread until my next shipment comes. I would eventually like to get to a place where I make all our bread but I have not found the perfect recipe yet.  I have tasted some good bread from friends but most of those recipes require a Bosch because they make something like 8 loaves. I can't afford a Bosch right now so that is going to have to wait.  Anyway, I have found/created a recipe that I really love.  The only problem is the base recipe that I started with only makes one loaf.  Which is good since I don't have a Bosch yet but I am going to try and double it next time and see how that goes in my Kitchen Aid.  Okay enough all ready, I will now get to the recipe. :)
The thing I love about this bread is that it is the perfect balance of moist, dense and crunchy.

7Grain Whole Wheat Bread

• 2 1/2 teaspoons yeast, or 1 packet active dry yeast dissolved in 2 tablespoons warm water
• 1 1/3 cups warm water
• 
  
  1/4 cup  vegetable oil
• 
  
  1/4 cup Agave Nectar (you could sub Honey)
• 
  
   2 1/2- 2 3/4 cups fresh ground Whole Wheat Flour (if you don't have a grinder buy a really good whole wheat flour)
• 
  
  1 cup 7 grain mix ( I got it in the bulk section at Winco)
• 
  
  1/4 cup nonfat dried milk
• 
  
  1/8 cup vital wheat gluten
• 
  
  1 1/4 teaspoons salt

 

Mixing: In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir till the dough starts to leave the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased surface, oil your hands, and knead it for 6 to 8 minutes, or until it begins to become smooth and supple. Add the other 1/4 cup of flour if you think it needs it. (You may also knead this dough in an electric mixer or food processor, or in a bread machine programmed for "dough" or "manual.") Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise till puffy though not necessarily doubled in bulk, about 60 minutes, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.

Shaping: Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled work surface, and shape it into an 8-inch log. Place the log in a lightly greased 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, cover the pan loosely with lightly greased plastic wrap, and allow the bread to rise until it's crowned about 1 inch above the edge of the pan (20 min-1 hour). A finger pressed into the dough should leave a mark that rebounds slowly.

Baking: Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for about 40 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil after 20 minutes. Test it for doneness by removing it from the pan and thumping it on the bottom (it should sound hollow). Remove the bread from the oven, and cool it on a wire rack before slicing. Store the bread in a plastic bag at room temperature.

Here is a picture of the 7grain mix so you can see what it looks like-

Here is a picture of Agave encase you don't know what it is- 

Roasted Cauliflower

Did you know you can bake cauliflower in the oven? I will be honest, I just learned this.  I guess I just never thought about it before.  I can easily say this is one of my favorite veggies now.  It is safe to say that even those who really dislike veggies will like these.  My girls ate them and said they tasted like french fries and I realized they kind of do.  They are super easy too.

Roasted Cauliflower

• One head of cauliflower
• 1 T Olive oil
• Salt
• Garlic powder
• Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut cauliflower into individual florets and place on a cookie sheet.  Drizzle olive oil over cauliflower, sprinkle salt and garlic powder over it to taste. With a spatula toss cauliflower to evenly coat it with olive oil (you may do this in a bowl with a lid and shake it to get more even coverage, I just don't want to dirty extra dishes). With a fine cheese grater, grate Parmesan cheese over cauliflower.  Bake in oven for 20-25 min.  Serve immediately to preserve crunchiness. 

*There are many other possibilities for toppings. You can just do olive oil and salt; or olive oil, pressed or chopped garlic and lemon juice; olive oil, red pepper flakes and cheese etc. Have fun.

Kale

Kale is another one of those great vegetables like chard that we should try to eat as much as possible.  But also like chard and possibly even more so it is not the easiest vegetable to eat.  But I believe that if you don't like a certain vegetable you just have to find a way to cook it that helps you like it.  When my parents came to visit this past weekend they shared two really great recipes for Kale.  I seriously love these recipes and can't wait to get to the store to buy more Kale so I can cook them again. They are both wonderful sides but I could eat the salad as my main dish.

This first one was given to my mom from one of her friends who got it from a friend but my Mom made some really great changes to it that make it even better.

Kale Salad with Oranges

1 bunch kale

1 T olive oil

1/4 t kosher or sea salt

1 lime, juiced

1 t balsamic vinegar

1 T red onion, finely chopped

1 orange, peeled & sliced

*I don't think it would hurt to double everything in this recipe for 1-1 1/2 bunches of kale.
 
Chop or tear kale leaves into small pieces discarding the thick stem. Steam kale for 5-6 minutes just to soften it. Drizzle the kale with olive oil & sprinkle with salt. Massage the kale with your hands to soften it, then allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes. In a small bowl combine lime juice, vinegar and onion. Pour over kale and toss. Add the orange. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes. Serves 4.

*optional- you can also add other greens to this salad such as broccoli florets or water cress.  Just steam them with the Kale. We added water cress to the salad pictured above.

Kale Chips

This recipe was given to my parents by my Aunt Linda.  It was so good.  You can eat these as a side or a snack anytime.  I can't wait to eat it as my movie snack.  I LOVE THEM.

1 bunch of Kale
1 T olive oil
salt *optional

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and strip leaves from the thick stem and rib. Dry in a salad spinner. Drizzle olive oil over leaves and massage into them. Either lay out whole leaves onto a cookie sheet or you can tear them into individual pieces. Sprinkle with a little salt.  Bake for about 9 minutes until they are crunchy.

 *we should have removed more of the stem then we did in the picture above.

Now go eat you some Kale!

Pizza

Need an idea for dinner?  Make pizza!  It is a great go to on days I have no idea what to cook.  The ingredients are things I usually have around and making them from scratch is easy.   Pizza gets a bad rap. But there is a way to make it healthy by using thin whole wheat crust, not too much cheese and lots of vegetables.  Also if you make the bulk of your meal being salad with one slice of pizza then you're golden.  Especially if the pizza isn't loaded with veggies (like the one above). There are so many options for toppings that I usually just look in my fridge and see what I have and do that.  Some really great combination's are:

• pesto sauce, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, red onion (above)
• tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and fresh sliced tomato
• tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, zucchini, black olive, bell pepper, artichoke, onion, and Feta cheese.
• pesto, mozzarella cheese, artichoke, mushrooms, red onion.

Possibilities are endless. You can either put fresh veggies on and cook or saute them first in olive oil and garlic for a little different taste.  Either way.
Some tips to making a great pizza are:

• Use a pizza stone. If you don't have one, buy one.  You won't be mad you did.  The pizza cooks so much better and makes a huge difference. I got mine from Williams Sonoma a couple of Christmases ago, I see them at T.J Max and Ross all the time, I think Pampered Chef sells one, or you can buy an untreated tile from home depot and it works the same.  You cook with them on the bottom rack in your oven so you never even have to take it out.  Having it in there will not effect your other cooking.
• Get a pizza peel. It makes putting it in and getting it out much easier. You can get it at all the same places as a pizza stone. Except maybe home depot. Unless you have mad carpenter skills.
• Make your own simple tomato sauce (recipe below).
• Use fresh mozzarella whenever possible. You can get it at any grocery store, Costco probably has it for the best price. When you use fresh.  Instead of grating it, slice it off into chunky slices and put it on the dough before the sauce. Similar to this-

If you don't have a pizza stone I don't want to discourage you from making pizza.  It is still really easy. The trick will be to either really oil your pan or just use corn meal to prevent it from sticking. I have made plenty this way too and it will be great.

Whole Wheat Pizza Crust
The main part of the recipe is from my sister in law, Laura. The only thing I do differently is add flax and use all whole wheat. It is such an easy recipe because you do not have to let it rise.  If you do, I think it turns out a little bit better but you really don't have to which is perfect in a time crunch.

1 C water
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 pkg. yeast
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoons of ground flax seed

Dissolve sugar, yeast and salt in warm water. Mix in vegetable oil. Add flour one cup at a time and mix (or knead) until dough is smooth and elastic. Spread out or roll out into circle.

*also you can buy some really great pre-made crusts that I use when I am even in more of a time crunch.  Winco sells a really great whole wheat crust in the cheese section.  If you have a Whole Foods they have a great one too.

Tomato Pizza Sauce
Simple is better.  Promise.

1 can of whole tomatoes
1/4-1 t. sugar
pinch of salt
pinch of dried oregano or a bit more if it is fresh

Drain most of the fluid and remove seeds (optional).  With an immersion blender, blender or food processor blend tomatoes.  Then add sugar, salt and oregano.  There you have it!

Pizza Assembly

With Pizza Stone: Preheat oven to 525 degrees
Roll or spread out dough.  I like it better thin.  Sprinkle an even light coat of corn meal on pizza peel.  Lay dough down on peel.  Spoon sauce on. Assemble toppings.  Right before you place the pizza on the stone sprinkle some additional corn mean on stone.  With pizza peel slide pizza off onto stone.  Cook for 8-12 min.  Depending on how thick the dough is and how many toppings.  Ready when cheese is bubbling and starting to brown. Use the pizza peel to take it off the stone.  Enjoy.


Without Pizza Stone: Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Roll or spread out dough.  Put oil or cornmeal on on pizza pan or cookie sheet.  Place dough on it.  Spoon tomato sauce on it. Assemble toppings.  Put in oven and cook 15-20 minuets depending on how thick crust is ans how many toppings.  Enjoy

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

Wow, I am sorry to my 11 followers (love you guys!) that I have been failing miserably. 

I honestly am sorry that I have not been regularly posting. 

A combination of going out of town, jury duty, a virus on my computer, 

a virus in my body and life are responsible for that. 

But I think I am back in business. 

By the way, I love when you let me know you have tried something and your feedback on the recipe is great

Let me know if you ever find any great changes that improve a meal and please send me your favorites.  

We went to LA to spend some wonderful time with my Brother Taylor and his wife Kayce. Kayce made this 

awesome soup for us that they learned how to make in a cooking class at Sur Le Table. This is the original 

recipe posted first and then my variations on the recipe second.  The variation makes it vegetarian but the 

orignial really is wonderful so I need to include that one.  If you don't like bacon, want a healthier version or

want a vegetarian version that follow the second recipe.  It is still extremely delicious, I promise!

Sur Le Table Butternut Squash Soup
Yield: 6 servings
 
4 bacon slices
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp caraway seeds
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 pound carrots, chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored,a nd chopped
3 thyme sprigs
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California bay leaf
3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 cups heavy cream
Mascarpone to garnish (optional) we did not do this step
 
1. Cook bacon in a 4-6 quart heavy pot over medium heat until crisp.
Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain.
 
2. Add garlic and caraway seeds to fat in pot and cook, stirring
occasionally, until garlic is pale golden, about 1 minute. Add squash,
carrots, apple, thyme, bay leaves, broth, water, 3/4 teaspoon salt,
and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and boil, uncovered, until vegetables are
tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard thyme and bay leaves.
 
3. Puree about 4 cups in blender, in batches if necessary, until
smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return to pot and
season with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Stir in cream. Serve topped with crumbled
bacon.
 
4. Finish with a dollop of mascarpone.

Vegetarian Butternut Squash and Apple Soup  

2 T olive oil 

4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp caraway seeds (I did not have these so omitted them and it was still great but if would be best with them)
2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped
1/2 pound carrots, chopped
1 Large Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
3 thyme sprigs
2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California bay leaf
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth (Pacific foods one is my favorite)
2 cups water
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 cups heavy cream (or 1 cup milk/1 cup cream)

1. Heat oil in a heavy pot over medium heat.  Add garlic and caraway 

seeds and saute for minute, stirring occasionally.

2.Add squash, carrots, apple, thyme, bay leaves, broth, water, 3/4 teaspoon salt,
and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and boil, uncovered, until vegetables are
tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Discard thyme and bay leaves.
 
3. Puree about 4 cups in blender, in batches if necessary, until
smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return to pot and
season with salt, pepper, and vinegar. Stir in cream. Serve 

Bean and Cheese Quesadilla

This is my first recipe suggestion from a friend! Thanks so much Katie!  Brad is out of town and I was running errands with three really hungry girls until 5:30 today so I got home and needed something quick.  Perfect!  Katie had just emailed me this recipe and it looked good and easy.  It is a great variation on a boring cheese quesadilla and it is really good and adds some health. Ayden and Laela scarfed it down.  Alex on the other hand wouldn't try it and went to bed hungry because she was too stubborn to try something that had beans in it.  I know she would have liked it too.

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion {i used more}
1 (15.5 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (10 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup salsa
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons butter, divided
8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese, divided

Directions
1.Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in beans and corn, then add sugar, salsa, and pepper flakes; mix well. Cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.
2.Melt 2 teaspoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place a tortilla in the skillet, sprinkle evenly with cheese, then top with some of the bean mixture. Place another tortilla on top, cook until golden, then flip and cook on the other side. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.

{I didn't have monterey jack cheese so I used pepper jack for mine and sharp cheddar for the girls without the red pepper flakes since Ayden can't handle the spice.  I also used the uncooked tortillas and a nonstick pan so the butter was not necessary.}

Thanks so much Katie!! Keep em coming.

I think this blog is just a great place for ideas whether they are difficult or easy recipes sometimes we just need an idea because we all know that deciding what to make it half the battle! So send me whatever you have.