Eggplant Parm Subs

The one bad thing about being married to Adam is that he absolutely abhors eggplant. It's the one thing he really won't eat. For some strange reason though, I was in the mood for an eggplant parmesan sub. To satisfy both of us, he made a chicken meatball sub while I prepared my eggplant. Other than the main stuffing, our meals included the same ingredients, so it was no problem to do double duty. To make a healthier alternative to the fried eggplant parmesan, I baked the eggplant until tender and then broiled them to add crispness. They turned out perfectly. Paired with a simple salad, we had a fantastically filling and comforting meal.

Eggplant Parm Sub

By really stuffing the sub, 1 medium-sized eggplant will feed 2 people, depending on the size of the sub roll.

1 medium-sized eggplant, sliced into rounds
1 egg, beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs
cooking spray
salt

marinara sauce (jarred is absolutely fine)
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
2 sub rolls

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Prepare a baking sheet by covering it in aluminum foil and spraying with cooking oil.
2. Dip the eggplant slices into the beaten egg, then coat in breadcrumbs on both sides. Lay eggplant on the baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 15 minutes, or until soft and tender. Then, broil for 2-3 minutes on each side until browned and crispy.
3. Meanwhile, heat the marinara sauce on the stove-top or in the microwave. Cut the sub rolls almost all the way through and scoop out some of the bread inside to make room for the filling. Layer a bit of mozzarella cheese on the bottom. Stuff the eggplant slices inside and top with more cheese. Broil until the cheese has melted. Top with marinara sauce. Have plenty of napkins at the ready.

Curry in a Hurry

For some strange reason, I had a craving for red curry. Naturally, I had to indulge. Curry takes hardly any time at all, and hardly any culinary skill; anyone can make it any night of the week. We used a Red Curry Paste for the base of the curry sauce. The only major change I would make would be to add a Thai red chile. The curry had fantastic flavor, but it was not nearly spicy enough for me and Adam. We added Sriracha hot sauce, but that masked the curry flavor too much. After making the basic curry sauce, add any vegetables or meats that you have laying around to create a unique dish that can't be beat. Serve with a side of rice, or switch things up and serve over noodles.


Red Curry Vegetables

Definitely add in a diced red chile pepper to add heat, which we did not use in this recipe. I plan on adding one to the leftovers for a meal later in the week. I used light coconut milk because it has much less fat and calories than it's regular counterpart but still has all the flavor.

12 oz. tofu, cubed
1 (15-oz.) can light coconut milk
3 Tbs. red curry paste
1 Tbs. brown sugar
1 Tbs. soy sauce (or fish sauce)
3 cups bok choy, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
1 can bamboo shoots
1/2 cup bean sprouts
1 lime, sliced
2 Tbs. cilantro, chopped
2 Tbs. basil, chopped
1 or 2 scallions, sliced

1. Saute the tofu in olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet until golden brown on all sides.
2. Pour in the coconut milk and mix in the red curry paste. Bring the skillet to a simmer, and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Add the brown sugar, soy sauce, bok choy, red peppers, and bamboo shoots; simmer for 10 more minutes or until the vegetables are tender. If you are adding meat, add after 10 minutes and continue to cook until done, approximately 3-5 minutes. Stir in the bean sprouts, cilantro, and basil, and squeeze in 1/2 a lime's juice. Garnish with scallions and extra lime slices; serve over rice.

Wontons for Everyone

One of the hardest things about being vegetarian (in my view) is not being able to eat soups in most restaurants. Most often, chicken, beef, or fish stocks are used rather than vegetable broth. Adam, Jeremy, and I went out to a Chinese restaurant a few weeks ago, and since then I've been yearning for some Wonton Soup. Because of this broth issue, I decided I should just make it myself rather than search the Bay Area for a vegetarian version. To accompany my Vegetarian Wonton Soup, we made absolutely fantastic Scallion Pancakes. What a perfect, comforting meal! (Although I must warn you that it leaves your kitchen looking a bit like a war zone.)


Vegetarian Wonton Soup

We did not do this, but I would add 1 Tbs. of soy sauce and a splash of rice wine vinegar to the broth for a more Asian touch. We added a bit of extra heat at the end by topping our soup with some Sriracha hot sauce. Also, these dumplings would be great as potstickers, if you want to make a huge batch and freeze the rest or later. And, the wonton wrappers, since you probably won't use them all, can be frozen up to 2 months in an air-tight container and saved for a later date (I'm sure I will have something soon using the rest of the wrappers).

8 cups water
3 vegetable bullion cubes (or your preferred vegetable stock option, equal to 6 cups of water)
10 thin slices of ginger
1 package oyster mushrooms, chopped
1 stalk bok choy, chopped
1/2 cup bean sprouts

12 to 15 wonton wrappers
2 to 3 oz. tofu, crumbled
1 tsp. garlic, minced or crushed
2 tsp. ginger, grated
1 stalk bok choy, minced
1 carrot, grated
2 scallions, sliced

1. Prepare the broth by bringing the water, bullion, and ginger to a boil.
2. While the broth is boiling, begin to prepare the wontons by heating a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute the crumbled tofu, garlic, and ginger. Allow the tofu to brown slightly. Add the bok choy and carrot and saute for 2 minutes. Add the scallions and mix thoroughly. Take off the heat and allow to cool while prepping the wonton wrappers.
3. Have a small bowl filled with water handy for wetting the wrappers and making the dumplings. Place a damp paper towel over the unused wrappers to keep them from drying out. Take one wrapper and place it flat on a baking sheet covered in wax paper. Put a small Tbs. of the filling mixture into the center of the wrapper. Brush water along the edges of the wrapper. Pull two opposing sides together and press so that they stick. Pull the other two sides up to meet the others; press so that there are no holes or gaps. This style of wonton is called the beggar's bundle. (It doesn't matter how beautiful they look, they will taste fantastic.)
4. Meanwhile, reduce the broth to a simmer and add the mushrooms and bok choy. (You may want to add the mushrooms before the bok choy to help add more flavor to the broth.)
5. Once the bok choy has become tender, add the dumplings and bean sprouts to the soup. Cook for 5 minutes at a strong simmer, or until the dumplings have become translucent.


Scallion Pancakes (Ming Tsai, www.foodnetwork.com)

This recipe came with a recipe for a ginger dipping sauce. We took the basics of the sauce and made our own mixture of soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, scallions, and red pepper flakes.

2 cups flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup scallions, sliced
1 Tbs. sesame oil
1/2 cup canola oil (we only used 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. chili oil)
salt and pepper

1. In a bowl, sift flour. Slowly add water in a steady stream while mixing with a wooden spoon. Keep adding water until a ball is formed. With the same procedure, one can use a food processor with a metal blade. Let ball of dough relax for about 30 minutes and cover with a damp cloth.
2. On a floured surface, roll out dough into a thin rectangle. Brush on oil mixture, cover with scallion and season with salt and pepper. Carefully roll dough like a sponge cake. Cut into 4 pieces. Take one piece and twist 3 times. Make a spiral out of this and roll again and flatten to achieve a 5 to 6 inch pancake. In a hot non-stick pan, coat with canola oil and pan sear both sides until golden brown. Cut into wedges and serve immediately with dipping sauce.

It's Just Cookies Guys, Just Cookies!

Having just come back from L.A., where I participated in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer (an amazing 2-day, 39.3 mile walk), and seeing Adam for the first time in a few days, we decided to do something we do best together--bake. Since this was an impromptu baking session, we had to use what we had. Luckily, we had butterscotch chips with a yummy recipe on the back of the bag for Oatmeal Scotchies. Maybe it's not the most high-class cookie recipe ever, but it sure is delicious (and the oatmeal makes you feel not so guilty for eating them all). We made only a half batch so that we could bake something else a little sooner, but I'm going to give you the recipe for the whole batch.


Oatmeal Scotchies (Nestle Tollhouse Butterscotch Morsels Bag)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract or grated peel of 1 orange (we used the vanilla)
3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
1 2/3 cups (11-oz. package) Nestle Tollhouse Butterscotch Flavored Morsels

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in oats and morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes for chewy cookies; 9 to 10 minutes for crisp cookies. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Calzones

I just found out that Adam is a calzone fanatic. I never knew! So, last night for dinner we made some spectacular calzones. The great thing about calzones is that everyone can put exactly what they want into theirs. It makes it really easy for meat-eaters and vegetarians to feel completely fulfilled. Served with a side of tomato sauce, these calzones were absolutely perfect.


Calzones

Adam added his favorite calzone filling, pepperoni, to his, while I kept mine to the veggie fillings.

Dough:
1 1/4 cups water
1 big Tbs. yeast
1 Tbs. sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 cups flour

8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
3 cups spinach
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
1/4 cup pepperoni, sliced and quartered
1 cup mozzarella

1. Prepare the dough in the bread machine on the dough setting by placing all of the ingredients, in order, in the machine.
2. Saute the mushrooms in a skillet on medium heat until softened. Add the spinach and continue sauting until wilted.
3. Divide the dough into four equal parts. Roll it out into about 5-inch circles. Place the fillings in the center of the circle. Fold the dough over to make the ends meet. Press together with your fingers and then again with a fork. Make a few slits in the top to allow steam to release during cooking. Spray with cooking spray (or top with an egg wash) and sprinkle Parmesan cheese and garlic salt on top.
4. Place the calzones in an oven preheated to 400. We baked the calzones on a pizza stone, but they could also be baked on a prepared baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Serve with tomato sauce and enjoy!

Lentil Question Answered!

Sharon asked me the other day what to do with a lentil craving. My answer is this:

My mom used to make this lentil salad, which I absolutely loved! The original recipe came from Vegetarian Planet (one of the best vegetarian cookbooks out there). My mom switched it up by adding caramelized onions and serving it over lettuce leaves to make it more of a meal, which I highly recommend. This salad is perfect for a light dinner or lunch. I hope you enjoy, Sharon!


French Lentils with Caramelized Balsamic Vinaigrette (Vegetarian Planet)

2 cups lentils
5 cups water
1/4 cup currants (my mom often used crasins)
5 Tbs. balsamic vinaigrette (or balsamic vinegar and olive oil to taste)
1 large tomato, chopped into cubes
2 Tbs. minced shallots (or onions)
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup basil leaves, sliced, for garnish

1. Bring lentils and water to boil in a saucepan. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Add more water if the lentils get too dry. When tender but chewy, add the currants and simmer for 2 more minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl.
2. While the mixture is still hot, add the balsamic vinaigrette.
3. Mix in the remaining ingredients. Serve warm or chilled.

Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

My mom got me this cookbook, Pasta Harvest, about a year ago and I hadn't used it (until yesterday), despite all of the recipes looking absolutely fantastic. I decided that it was about time I used it. Of course, I altered the recipe a bit, but the recipe for Fusilli with Roasted Red Pepper Cream definitely wet my appetite for more of Pasta Harvest's recipes. I am going to share with you the original recipe and put in parenthesis my alterations, so you can choose to make it my way or their way. (My version is the much more healthy version that is still delicious.) We paired the pasta with roasted broccoli.

Fusilli with Roasted Red Pepper Cream (Pasta Harvest)

1 Tbs. olive oil
3 oz. pancetta, minced (omitted, much to Adam's dismay)
2/3 cup minced yellow onion
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 large, heavy red bell peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 cup chicken stock (veggie broth)
1/4 cup heavy cream (skim milk)
salt and cayenne pepper
1 lbs. dried fusilli
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs. minced parsley

1. Heat olive oil and pancetta in a 12-inch skillet over moderately low heat (I skipped this whole pancetta part). Cook, stirring occasionally, until pancetta begins to crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion and saute until softened, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and saute 1 minute to release fragrance. Add bell pepper, stock, and cream (or milk) and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes.
2. Puree sauce in a food processor (or blender) until almost completely smooth (a little texture is nice). Return to skillet and season with salt and cayenne to taste. Just before pasta is ready, reheat gently.
3. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving about 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Transfer pasta to a large warm bowl. Add sauce and toss to coat. Add 1/2 cup of the Parmesan and toss again, adding as much of the reserved water as needed to help the sauce coat the noodles nicely. Serve immediately on warm dishes. Top each serving with some of the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan and the parsley. (Adam and I forgot to do most of this step, so we just put the noodles on the plates, which were not warm, and topped them with the sauce, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.)