I’ve had this one sitting in my “to post” folder for a while now. I’d almost forgotten about it until my mom put in a request for something involving eggplant, her favorite vegetable. I have several eggplant recipes waiting to be tried in the future, but since I’m a good daughter, I figured I better dig through my archives and post something sooner than later.
This dish won’t win any beauty pageants (perhaps why I haven’t posted it already), but it is pretty darn tasty. Slices of eggplant are studded with tons of garlic and parsley and then roasted in the oven until crispy on the edges and melt-in-your-mouth creamy in the center. The garlic packs a serious punch, so make sure you serve some to your sweetie too, otherwise it’ll be a lonely night. I mean, c’mon, two garlics have to cancel each other out, right?
Normally I’m a whole wheat, whole grain kind of girl. At least when it comes to bread. I’m still on the fence with pasta. I eat it, but sometimes I have to convince myself I like it as much as white pasta. With my bread though, I like it brown and healthy. I can’t remember the last time I had plain ol’ white American-style sandwich bread sitting in my kitchen.
Normally I find white sandwich bread to be fairly flat in flavor and lacking in the texture I like for my sandwiches. Now, we’re talking grocery store white bread here. Way back in the day I worked at a bread store, so I know there is good white sandwich bread to be had. You just have to buy it from a bakery… or make it yourself. So I did. And let me tell you, it wasn’t lacking a thing, except maybe those pesky whole grains we’re all supposed to be eating more of.
This bread is light in color and texture, slightly sweet, and pretty much perfect for toast, PB&J, or your favorite sandwich fixings. So forget what you thought you knew about white bread and give this recipe a try. Just throw some extra veggies on your sandwich if, like me, you feel a little guilty about ditching the whole wheat stuff.
If your New Year’s resolution was to drop a few pounds – stop reading now. If your doctor has advised you to cut back on cholesterol and saturated fat – read no further. If you follow a low calorie diet – come back tomorrow, I implore you. If you are still reading, don’t say I didn’t warn you.
For those of you still with me, you are in for a treat. A gooey, creamy, cheesey treat. We’re talking butter and cream and cheese and sour cream and more cheese. Do you feel your arteries clogging yet? Seriously, this may be one of the most fattening main dishes I’ve ever made. But I couldn’t resist. It just sounded so darn good. And the freezing temperatures make me want hearty, comfort food. (They also make me wonder what the heck is up with Tennessee’s weather. Aren’t we in the South??)
These enchiladas really are worth the splurge. They are packed with flavor from the peppers, onion, and spices. The shrimp add little pops of sweet flavor, and the cheesey sauce holds everything together for perfect, belly-warming mouthfuls. The recipe is easy enough to make it a good one for weeknight dinners, but it’s also special enough to be used for entertaining. Either way, you’ll enjoy it. Even if you do feel obligated to eat nothing but salad for the next three days.
Get ready folks, we are about to embark on a culinary whirlwind. I am feeling both guilty and inspired and you, dear readers, are going to be the beneficiaries. Why am I feeling guilty? Because I am a cheater. I made an unbelievable, from scratch, authentic Boeuf Bourguignon (Beef Braised in Red Wine) for New Year’s Eve dinner, and I was too hungry and distracted by visitors to take pictures of the finished product. Basically, I cheated you out of that marvelous recipe. But fear not, I promise to make it again one day.
In the meantime, I am feeling incredibly motivated to make some high-caliber deliciousness this week. The freezing weather (it snowed this morning!) is making me crave homey, gooey, hearty goodness. Lest I throw all healthy habits to the wind, I will try to balance my love of all things cheesey with more calorie-conscious recipes, you know, for those of you who make New Years resolutions and all. I used to do that too… sigh.
To start the year off on the right foot, here’s a recipe that’s both creamy and healthy. Sweet and savory butternut squash is roasted until it’s tender and caramelized. Combined with coconut milk for luscious smoothness and Thai red curry paste for a little kick, this soup is the perfect foil for winter’s frigid temperatures… and post-holiday waistlines.
Last night I didn’t feel like cooking. Still tired from our holiday travels, I was not in the mood for elaborate culinary experimentation. So, I asked Stan if he’d mind eating eggs for dinner. As I’ve told you before, he’s not really a foodie, so he couldn’t care less what we eat. In theory, this should have meant about 3 minutes of prep work and 5 minutes of cooking.
But no, not if you are me. Because of course, if you are eating eggs, you need toast. And if you are like me, you will not be content to simply toast up some boring sandwich bread. Oh no. You will be tempted to check your “need to try” recipe file for something bread-like to go along with your simple egg dinner. Even if it will add an hour onto your dinner prep/cooking time. Oy. If you are like me, I feel for you. You just can’t help yourself. And neither could I. But it was worth it.
Phew, I’m back. Did you miss me? I know, I know, it’s only been about a week since my last post, but I feel like I’ve been around the world and back since then. Ok, it was really only to Florida, Kentucky, and Ohio, but that covers a lot of ground and a lot of family! I decided to unplug (technologically speaking) and leave my laptop at home. This allowed me a whole week of rest from the kitchen and the opportunity to enjoy someone else’s cooking. Now it’s back to reality.
I don’t know about you, but when I get back from a trip, I tend to feel like I need a vacation. You know the feeling, you had a great time away, but when get back you are so darn tired. That’s how I was feeling this morning – tired and lazy and wanting something warm and comforting for lunch. Since I, ahem, might have indulged a bit over the past week (who likes Russian food? I do, I do!), I was looking for something on the lighter side too.
Enter this soup: plump tortellini and fresh spinach in a tomato-y broth. It’s quick and simple to make, and it packs a lot of flavor in every bite. This is just the thing to get you back into shape, mentally and physically, after a long week – whether you were stuck in the office or visiting as many relatives as possible.
Recently Stan started lifting weights. He’s doing this in part to be healthy, but mostly to gain some muscle mass. As a result, he eats all the time – even when he is not hungry. Sigh… must be nice… While his Herculean caloric consumption is not so great for our budget, it is good news for you folks because it means I have been cooking up a storm.
I came across the recipe for this casserole one day after talking with Stan about what types of food will help him pack on the pounds. Protein and whole grains topped the list. This casserole has both of those components, stirred together and baked in the oven. Now, I’m the first to admit I was a little skeptical of how this casserole would taste. I like all of the ingredients on their own, but I’d never thought about putting them all together. However, the Moosewood Cookbook has never led me astray, so I decided to give it a go. Let me tell you, the leap of faith was worth it.
