Eggplant Lasagna (Lazy Girl's Rollatini)

I love eggplant rollatini, but frankly it's too much trouble to make except for special occasions. It also requires frying the breaded eggplant--something I rarely do. A simple solution is to take the same ingredients and put them together in a different way. This eggplant lasagna has the same ingredients as eggplant rollatini, but the eggplant is breaded and oven-fried, making it a lighter option.

Serves 4-6

1 large eggplant

1 egg plus 1 egg white

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

olive oil nonstick spray

1 lb part skim ricotta

1/4 cup grated pecorino romano

1 egg

3 tbs chopped parsley

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella

1 jar Bertolli vodka sauce (or your favorite sauce)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 2 baking sheets with olive oil nonstick spray. Beat the egg and egg white. Peel the eggplant and slice it into 1/4 inch rounds. (I prefer to salt both sides of the eggplant, leave it for 1 hour, rinse in cold water, and dry thoroughly. I do this to take any bitterness out of the eggplant, but you may wish to skip this step).

Dip each slice in the egg mixture, then in the breadcrumbs. Place on the baking sheets, then spray each slice with the olive oil nonstick spray. Bake for 15 minutes, turn slices, spray, and bake for 15 minutes more. The slices should be lightly browned and crispy as in this photo.

While the eggplant is baking, mix the ricotta,grated cheese, egg, parsley, garlic powder, and most of the shredded mozzarella together. Place a few tablespoons of sauce in the bottom of an 8 inch square glass baking dish. Fit some eggplant slices to cover the bottom. Cover with sauce, then spread all the cheese mixture over that. Fit the remaining eggplant slices over the cheese, top with sauce, and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven, uncovering for the last 10 minutes of baking. Let set for 10 minutes, then serve.

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TASTE NOTES

What I love about this dish is that it combines my two favorite eggplant preparations in one--eggplant parmigiana and eggplant rollatini. It serves 4 very generously or 6 with a small side of pasta.

Pasta Carbonara for Two

This is a dish I seldom order in a restaurant because there's a better than even chance they'll ruin it by adding cream. Authentic carbonara does not have any cream in it. In fact, it was conceived as a dish to eat when one has been out late (or early, as the case may be) and is looking for a little something to snack on.

Serves 2-3
1/2  lb dried spaghetti
Kosher salt
4 oz pancetta, but into small dice
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 oz finely grated Pecorino-Romano cheese
freshly ground black pepper
Optional garnish: braised leeks

Bring an 8 quart pot of water to a rapid boil. Add the pasta and 2 tbs salt and cook until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain.

While the pasta is cooking, put the pancetta and oil in a large heavy duty skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until golden brown (5-7 minutes), but don't render all the fat. Remove the skillet from the heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and cheese along with 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Slowly whisk in about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water.

Immediately after draining the pasta, add it to the skillet, then quickly pour in the egg mixture, tossing continuously with tongs until the pasta is well coated (15-30 seconds). Add more of the reserved water if needed to achieve a creamy consistency. Serve immediately with more freshly ground black pepper to taste.
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TASTE NOTES
This is a dish best eaten as soon as it is prepared. Frankly, leftovers do not reheat well, so plan to eat it all up or eat the leftovers cold. Don't let the simplicity fool you. Carbonara is a very satisfying dish, unfussy, but unctuous.

Chicken Enchilada Casserole

I love Mexican food, but it's not always the healthiest choice when you're eating out. So I'm always on the lookout for a recipe that isn't too heavy on the fat or cheese, and this adaptation of a recipe I found online fit the bill. While it isn't a fast and easy weeknight recipe, with a little planning it can be. For example, you could substitute rotisserie chicken for the chicken thighs. Or, you could roast the chicken thighs the night before or prep the whole casserole on the weekend to be baked on Monday night (in which case you would need to leave the casserole out to bring to room temperature or increase the cooking time). If you're on the lookout for a fast and easy chicken enchilada recipe, you might want to check out this one  from my files for a weeknight meal and try the recipe that follows on the weekend. But please try it, because it is very, very good.

4 servings (10 WW pts. + per serving)
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
cooking spray
cumin
chili powder
1/3 cup freshly chopped cilantro
3 oz Neufchatel  cheese(reduced calorie cream cheese)
salt and pepper
2 cups chopped onions, divided
6 chopped garlic cloves, divided
1 cup lower sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup salsa verde
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup shredded lowfat Mexican cheese
9 (6 inch) corn tortillas
Optional:  2 tbs chopped jalapenos

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°.

1. 2. Place chicken thighs in a baking pan and seaons  with cumin and chili powder. Spray with nonstick spray. Cook for 20 minutes, turn over, and return to oven for 20 minutes more. Let cool for 15 minutes then shred chicken with 2 forks.   Place chicken in a medium bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons cilantro, corn, Neufchatel cheese, salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Set aside.
2. 3. Spray a nonstick skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup onion; sauté 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 3 garlic cloves; sauté 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add onion mixture to chicken mixture; stir to combine.
3. 4. Combine remaining 1 1/2 cups onion, remaining 3 garlic cloves, broth, salsa, 1/4 cup water (and jalapeño, if desired) in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender to blend completely (or let cool 10 minutes and puree in a blender).
4. 5. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tortillas; cook 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Remove tortillas from pan; repeat procedure with remaining tortillas. Cut tortillas into quarters.
5. 6. Spread 1/2 cup salsa mixture in the bottom of an 8-inch square glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 12 tortilla quarters over salsa mixture. Spoon half of chicken mixture over tortillas. Repeat layers, ending with tortillas. Pour remaining salsa mixture over tortillas; sprinkle evenly with cheddar cheese. Bake at 425° for 15 minutes or until bubbly and lightly browned. Top with remaining cilantro.
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7. TASTE NOTES
8. This was absolutely worth the little bit of effort it took to put together. The salsa verde adds just enough spice for me and the serving is quite generous. A bonus is that it is even better reheated!

Easy Garlic Chicken

I'm always on the lookout for recipes that use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. I prefer dark meat despite its slightly higher fat content and buy this cut in bulk and repackage it in freezer bags. It's not only delicious and versatile, it's economical as well.  While I have many ways to prepare Asian-style garlic chicken, I don't remember ever using butter in the marinade.  The original recipe called for 1/2 cup of butter, which was far more butter than a pound of chicken called for. The 3 tablespoons  was more than sufficient. The original recipe also called for soy sauce, but I prefer teriyaki. If you want dinner on the table with very little fuss, give this one a try.

INGREDIENTS
3 tbs butter
3 tbs low sodium teriyaki sauce
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tbs chopped parsley
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking pan with nonstick spray. In a microwave safe bowl, heat butter, teriyaki sauce, garlic, and parsley until butter melts.  Brush both sides of the chicken with all of the butter mixture. Bake 20 minutes, turn chicken and baste. Bake another 20 minutes, turn chicken and baste. Cook chicken under the broiler another 3-4 minutes on each side, until browned.
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TASTE NOTES
I was very pleased with the results of this easy recipe. The chicken was exceedingly moist and flavorful. Nothing beats butter for a satisfying mouth feel. I will be making this chicken often and plan to try it on chicken breasts as well as thighs. There is plenty of  "sauce" left over for those who want an accompaniment for their rice.

I'm a Believer--Overnight Irish Oatmeal

I spend time nearly every day reading my favorite blogs and following links on those blogs, widening my circle of "must reads" and filling my Pinterest boards with great new ideas. One of the more "pinteresting" ideas I came across this week was a very easy method for cooking Irish oatmeal. If you haven't tried Irish oatmeal (steel cut oatmeal),   I urge you to do so. In my opinion, it bears no resemblance to the mush that is regular oatmeal. It is nutty, has a bit of bite left to it, and provides a healthy, filling breakfast. The downside for me was that it took 30 minutes to make with a bit of attention necessary (stirring to keep it from sticking).
Thanks to my addiction for reading about food, I can now have Irish oatmeal whenever I want and with a minimum of effort.

To make 4 servings, the night before, using a large* saucepan bring 4 cups of water to a boil with a pinch of salt. Pour in 1 cup of steel cut oats and stir. Cover, turn off the heat but leave on the same burner (the residual heat helps cook the oatmeal), and leave overnight. You'll awaken in the morning with nothing more to do than put your serving in a bowl and reheat it in the microwave.

*the large saucepan is to accommodate the continued boil even after the heat is turned off; I didn't use a large enough pan the first time and had spillage all over the stovetop

Aside from delicious oatmeal ready in the few minutes it takes to reheat in the microwave, clean up was a snap since there was no chance of the oatmeal sticking. Some of my favorite add in's are:

chopped apple sprinkled with cinnamon
peanut butter
honey
sliced almonds

Slow Cooker Chicken and Black Bean Tacos

I enjoy using my new slow cooker both for the ease of preparation and clean up as well as for the way it allows me to take the "fix it and forget it" approach to cooking (after all, there are quilts to be made, books to be read, sales to be investigated). When I saw a recipe for chicken and black bean tacos on Skinnytaste, I decided to give it a try. With minor modifications, here is the recipe:

Slow Cooker Black Bean and Chicken Tacos

Servings: 4 • Size: 3 tacos •  Points+: 8 pt 
Calories: 313 • Fat: 8 g • Carb: 41 g • Fiber: 8 g • Protein: 22 g • Sugar: 4 g
Sodium: 716 mg (without added salt)


Ingredients:

• 12 oz raw skinless chicken tenders or breast
• 15 oz can low sodium black beans, drained and rinsed (Goya)
• 10 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1-2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp plus 1/8th tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano 
• 1 medium scallion, diced
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro

For the Slaw: 

• 1 1/3 cups shredded red cabbage
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar 
• 1 tsp olive oil
• salt and black pepper, to taste

For the Taco:

• 12 crisp corn taco shells

Optional toppings: (not calculated)

• low fat sour cream
• pico de gallo
• 1 medium haas avocado, sliced
• salsa
• fat free shredded cheese

Directions:

Season chicken with pinch of salt, garlic powder, oregano, and half the chili powder and  cumin. 
Add the beans and tomatoes to the crock pot and season with the remaining chili powder and cumin. Place chicken in the crock pot and cover. 
Cook on HIGH 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Meanwhile, combine shredded cabbage with vinegar and oil, season with salt to taste; set aside. 

Remove chicken from the crock pot and shred with two forks. Drain bean and tomato mixture and transfer to a platter, or back to the crock pot to keep warm. Top with shredded chicken, scallions and cilantro.

To serve, warm the taco shells according to package directions. Fill with equal amounts of bean and chicken mixture. Top with cabbage and your favorite toppings.
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TASTE NOTES
You'll be clamoring to move dinner up when you smell this cooking. I topped my tacos with low fat sour cream and the cabbage slaw and they were delicious. Next time, I'll add some avocado as well. The 3 tacos were very filling along with a tossed salad. The chicken and black beans would be equally delicious served over some yellow rice.

Another Slow Cooker Split Pea Soup

I've come to the conclusion that the real reason I buy spiral hams are so I can squirrel away the bone to use for split pea soup. I dutifully wrapped and froze the bone from the Christmas ham and with the weather forecast predicting very chilly weather for the rest of the week, today seemed the perfect day to whip up a batch. I've posted other recipes for split pea soup, some made in my Dutch oven and others in the crock pot. This is a simple recipe, but it yields a lot of wonderful, thick split pea soup. I love making it in the crock pot because it's so easy. You don't have to soak the peas and the texture is perfect. An added bonus is that  the soup freezes well.

1 lb dried green split peas, rinsed and picked over
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 ham bone (with a generous serving of ham attached)
1/2 - 1 tsp garlic powder
2 cubes of chicken bouillon
6 cups water

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker, nestling the hambone in the center. Cook on high for 5-6 hours. Really, can it get any easier than that? And it makes a lot of soup!

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TASTE NOTES
This is a great way to get your veggies in. The carrots make the soup sweet and the absence of potatoes makes it leaner. All you need are some croutons and dinner is served. The soup is very thick; if you prefer it thinner, use some low-salt chicken broth or water.

Merry Christmas 2012

Though the menu varies from year to year, some favorites are always on hand to help celebrate Christmas. It just wouldn't be Christmas without an antipasto, a pasta of some kind, a ham or roast, and a variety of sweets. Whatever is on your table this year, I hope you're enjoying it in the company of family and friends.
Buon Natale,
Arlene

Cinnamon Bun Cake

Cinnamon Bun Cake

This easy-to-make cake doesn't just taste like cinnamon buns, it tastes better. It should be reserved for very special people in your life because it is love on a plate.

If you aren't already familiar with the blog Mennonite Girls Can Cook, don't let another day pass without visiting it. I can honestly say that every single recipe I've tried from MGCC has been delicious (and I confess to being partial to their baked goods). Betty R scored a home run with this one. The only negative is you may end up eating the whole thing!

Ingredients:

• Cake:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 3 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• Topping:
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• Glaze:
• 1 3/4 cups icing sugar
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon maple extract

Method:

1. For the cake:
2. Cream butter and sugar, add eggs, vanilla, and milk.
3. Add dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Pour into a 9 x 13" greased pan.
5. Topping:
6. Stir together topping ingredients until creamy
7. Drop evenly over batter by tablespoons and swirl through the batter with a knife.
8. Bake at 350º for 45 minutes.
9. Glaze:
10. Whisk glaze ingredients till smooth.
11. Drizzle over warm cake.
12. Best served warm..although it tastes great even after it has cooled!

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TASTE NOTES
I wish there were an audio component to blogging because I would simply let you listen to the sounds that spring to your lips while eating a slice of this warm, gooey, delicious cake. This is going to be Christmas Day breakfast (any leftovers may make it to the dessert table later, but I'm not making any promises).

Christmas Cookies

There was a time when Christmas baking began the day after Thanksgiving. It would take the 4 weeks between that holiday and Christmas for the stollen to mellow and for me to bake all my favorites (and there are many). Cookies were wrapped and frozen until just before Christmas when I would make up trays and platters to give away as gifts. Of course, it was always necessary to sample the wares and that is one of the reasons I no longer do that kind of baking.

Needing to make up about 15 small bags of cookies to give away to local seniors served by a volunteer group I work with, I turned to a simple recipe that goes together quickly and produces a stiff dough that rolls out easily and bakes up in 12 minutes. The recipe yielded 12 dozen cookies. These are butter cookies, not too sweet, and, for some reason, they've been labeled Italian Christmas cookies. My mother always made them in twists, but I opted to use small to medium-sized cookie cutters.

Cookies
12 cups flour
12 large eggs
1 lb unsalted butter
4 cups sugar
3 Tbs baking powder
2 Tbs vanilla
2 Tbs almond extract

Glaze
2 cups confectioners' sugar
milk
dash extract (almond or vanilla or anise or peppermint)

Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, baking powder, extracts, and 3 cups of the flour. Add remaining flour until a stiff dough forms. At this point, you can divide the dough and color it, if you wish. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Work with 1/4 of the dough at a time. Roll out on a floured surface to 1/4 inch thickness and cut out desired shapes.If dough gets warm, place it back in the refrigerator until it chills. You must keep your surface well-floured. Place cookies on silicone mats and bake 10-12 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Cool completely, then glaze and decorate with sprinkles, colored sugar, etc.

To make glaze:  add dash of extract then small amount of milk; add just enough milk to make the glaze like a thick Alfredo sauce.
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TASTE NOTES
A simple, not-too-sweet butter cookie, these cookies are perfect for baking with children or for when you need a large quantity of cookies in a short amount of time. The dough puffs up nicely when they bake and they keep well in an airtight tin.

Chicken Yakitori Rice Bowl

My photography skills haven't improved, but I have finally managed to load my camera's software program on my laptop, so I thought I'd share an incredibly easy (15 minutes, honest!) and delicious stir fry that I tried tonight. I've been getting Cooking Light magazine for quite a number of years and am almost always pleased with the recipes I try. I even decided to go with the flow and use the boil-in-bag basmati rice, which just made getting dinner on the table that much easier.

2 (3.5 oz) bags boil-in-bag basmati rice
1/4 cup lower sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (sweet rice wine available in most supermarkets)
3 tbs sugar (note: I will reduce this to 1 1/2 tbs next time)
1 tbs rice vinegar
2 tbs fat free, lower sodium chicken broth
3 tsp peanut oil, divided
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs
8 oz snow peas, halved lengthwise diagonally
1 bunch green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces

Cook rice according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

Combine soy sauce and next 4 ingredients (through broth) in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat.

Heat a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken thighs to pan and cook about 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. Transfer to a cutting board, cool slightly, then cut into 1 inch strips.

Return pan to medium high heat; add remaining 1 tsp peanut oil. Add snow peas and scallions and saute 2 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture and chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes or until liquid is syrupy and chicken is thoroughly heated, stirring frequently.

Place 1 cup rice in each of 4 shallow bowls and top each serving with 1 cup of chicken mixture.

N.I. - cal 441; fat 8g; prot 29.4 g; carb 59.9 g; fiber 2.6 g;  (11 points plus)
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TASTE NOTES
As I noted in the recipe above, I will definitely cut the sugar in half next time. That said, this was a delicious and simple stir fry. I liked that it was sweet, but it was overly sweet to my taste. I love scallions, particularly when they are stir fried and might add even more next time. Try this one soon; with a bag of snow peas, it is so simple.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's been a long time since I've posted, but I couldn't let such a fabulous foodie holiday pass without wishing my favorite bloggers and readers a Happy Thanksgiving. For those of you who are cooking today and will, undoubtedly, have lots of leftovers, here are some favorites of mine guaranteed to clean out your refrigerator.

TURKEY EMPANADAS

http://arlene-thefoodoflove.blogspot.com/search/label/Turkey%20Empanadas

VEGETABLE SOUP WITH STUFFING DUMPLINGS

http://arlene-thefoodoflove.blogspot.com/search/label/Turkey%20Vegetable%20Soup%20with%20Stuffing%20Dumplings

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Lemon-and-herb Stuffed Pork Chops

It's been a while since I last posted. One excuse is that lately there have been more compelling things to do than cook. On the plus side, it's given me a chance to make some old favorites as well as to indulge my passion for sandwiches. I consider a bacon, avocado, and chicken salad sandwich a 3 course meal. Another reason I've been absent from the blogosphere is technology has failed me. When the lens on my digital camera broke, I bought a new one, albeit one I have not fully learned to use. Nevertheless, I knew enough to upload my simple photos. Now my PC is in the final throes of dying on me. I know that I will have to buy a new one or become proficient in uploading photos to my laptop. Given that I just bought a new sewing machine (a Cadillac of a machine), I'm trying to put off this unexpected purchase.

In any event, I'm not ready to give up The Food of Love quite yet, so despite being unable to upload the photo of this dish, tonight was a good time to see what a healthy make-over on stuffed pork chops would taste like.

Serves 2 - 4
from Best Darn Food Ever

1 small celery stalk, finely chopped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
3 tbs panko bread crumbs
1 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
4 (1/4 lb) boneless pork loin chops, trimmed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To make the stuffing, mix together all the ingredients except the pork chops.

Make a pocket in each chop by inserting a small, sharp knife into side of chop and cutting back and forth until pocket is formed. Fill each pocket with about 2 tbs of filling.

Spray large, nonstick ovenproof skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Add pork chops and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes on each side. Cover skillet and transfer to the oven. Roast until pork is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Uncover and roast 4 minutes more.
(N.I. 174 cal, 6 g fat, 5g carb, 1 g fiber, 23 g prot; 4 PP)
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TASTE NOTES
While these will never replace a cornbread-stuffed or sausage-stuffed chop (yes, nothing succeeds like pork-stuffed pork), they were very flavorful and made a satisfying dinner with spinach sauteed in garlic and olive oil and a potato side dish. I think I might add very thinly sliced apples or sweet potatoes next time I make these.

Going Crazy under the Sea

This piece, which measures 41" X 31," was conceived about a year and a half ago. Last July I sketched out the design and began piecing the blocks by machine. The fabrics are a combination of silks, velvets, brocades, tulle, and man-made "fancy" fabrics. There is extensive hand beading, including 9 beaded motifs that I designed and that took between 3 and 6 hours each to complete. All seams are hand embroidered using a wide variety of threads. The silk sea anemone in block 10 was also my own design. When I began the piece, I knew perhaps a dozen embroidery stitches. By the time it was finished in April (2012), I had learned several dozen more.

I learned how to finish a crazy quilt thanks to Allie Aller's book and blog. The quilt has a false back which is hand basted through several layers, a task that requires you to look after each stitch to make sure the stitch doesn't show on the front. I then put a fancy back on it and, using a number of tutorials from the web, I attached a facing instead of a binding. (Having used a ribbon binding on my first piece, Going Crazy in the Garden, and receiving not-so-good reviews from a quilt show judge, I determined to learn how to face the quilt.)I intend to use facings on all future wall hangings.

Going Crazy under the Sea is hanging in my sewing room at present because I intend to place it in a show in September. After that, however, it is headed to Longboat Key, Florida where I have a special place reserved for it. This was truly a labor of love with a steep learning curve. I'm currently ruminating on the next piece in my "Going Crazy" series.

 Here are some close up's of individual blocks.