Eggplant...not just any side dish!

I'm not really sure what to call this dish except Delicious! Eggplant is so good this time of year, and our garden is full of it! It was easy peasy and super filling!

 I started by painting the eggplant with a mixture of 1/3 c olive oil, 1 Tbls chopped garlic, and Crushed red pepper flakes to taste. It was helpful to make shallow slits in the slices of eggplant so all the good stuff soaks in!

 

There is nothing better than walking outside to the garden in your bare feet to pick something fresh and delicious! I spotted this beautiful Eggplant and picked it just in time for dinner!

A fresh tomato sliced, 1/3 cup toasted Italian Bread Crumbs, and 1/3 c Parmesan...A light and flavorful topping to our dish.

 

 Pop these babies on the grill for about 15 minutes 

and top with the yummy topping to finish!

 Ta-Da!!! Enjoy and Happy Summer!

Summer's Bounty...

Zucchini boats were the dinner adventure for tonight! We have an overabundance of beautiful veggies from the garden, so I set to the task...recipe-less! Tonight, winging it paid off! They were delicious:-)

A Hodge Podge of yummy ingredients....

 I started by making a garlic butter. Chopped garlic and melted butter....mmmmm.

 I have discovered that prepping a meal makes it way less stressful! I get all the washing, chopping, etc ready before I start cooking anything.

 I smothered the Zucchini with the garlic butter and popped them on the grill for about 10 minutes. They looked so beautiful, I almost stopped there!

After mixing the cooked sausage, veggies, and Greens, I filled the zucchinis, topped them with the cheese and popped them in the broiler for about 5 minutes! Yumm!!

As always, the recipe is just a guideline, so feel free to give and take as you wish! Happy Summer Cooking!!

Ingredients:

3 Med. Zucchini/Yellow Summer Squash
1 lb. Italian sausage
3 cloves garlic
3 Tbls Butter
1 Small eggplant
1 Large Tomato
3 Large Leafy Collards
Small handful Basil
Salt and Pepper to Taste
1/2 Parmesan Cheese

The Art of Cooking Salmon...

If you are reading this post, I want to say thank you...and you are VERY patient!! I have not forgotten about you or yummy food. Thanks for sticking around! I have a good recipe for you that I've actually made twice in the last week and a half!! That's how good it is:-) I have cooked salmon before, but I have never cooked salmon well before. It was always dry and chewy...not the way you want to enjoy salmon. I have since learned the secret of cooking moist, juicy salmon that literally falls apart on your plate...searing it in a pan for like 10 seconds on each side!! So simple! It seals in all the scrumptious juices! Then pop it in the oven until it's just cooked through and enjoy! I hope you do...enjoy this delicious, healthy treat. And I will do my very best to make our next encounter much sooner than before:-) Happy Cooking!

Salmon Ingredients:

Milk
Flour
Crushed Almonds or Pecans
Brown Sugar


*Dip the Salmon in the milk
*Coat it in the flour, nut, sugar mixture
*Pan sear in Olive Oil for about 10 seconds on each side, just until it's golden brown
*Bake at 350* just until it's cooked through (about 10 minutes)

Roasted Veggies:

Broccoli

Mushrooms

No surprise here! I love roasted Veggies!! These were just tossed in Olive oil, Salt, and Pepper and baked at about 400*

Mushrooms & Qunioa...

Happy New Year! I found this picture when I was doing some New Year's cleaning, and I remembered how yummy it was. I don't remember the recipe exactly, but it was very simple. Roasted carrots and an assortment of mushrooms with thyme and olive oil, tossed over quinoa cooked in chicken broth. All this on top of Spinach and topped with chopped pistachios. Mmmmm....Enjoy!

This One's For You...

I think this recipe came from a dream or something. I'm not really sure, but it's strangely been on my mind for quite some time now, ever since I had some leftover canned pumpkin that I wanted to use. I'm not much of a baker, so the traditional fall desserts didn't strike my fancy, but pasta goes with everything! Or so I hoped! I now know that it definitely goes well with pumpkin...and candied pecans...and cheese....and parsley...mmmm. I must confess, though, that I was really nervous about making this last night because I had a terrible cooking day yesterday. I do a lot of cooking at work, and my attempt at meatballs ended up as slop in the garbage disposal. I hate throwing food away, so that was a big bummer. Nonetheless, I forged ahead...and I'm glad I did because this recipe just worked! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I must say that prep is essential for this because everything kind of happens quickly and at the same time. I found it helpful to have 3 different pans going at once. And I divided up every ingredient that was going into each pan and set them right next to the pan.

The Elements:

Candied Pecans:

1/2 c. Chopped Pecans

2 Tbls. Maple Syrup

In a small fry pan, over medium heat, toss the syrup and pecans together, stirring often until the syrup is absorbed and the nuts get roasted and sticky. Remove from burner and let cool. 

Pumpkin Sauce:

2 Tbls. Butter

1 c. Canned Pumpkin

3/4 to 1 c. Half-n-Half

dash of Cinnamon

1/2 Tbls. Maple Syrup

In a small saucepan, add butter over medium low heat. Stir continuously until butter begins to brown. Be careful not to overcook, or the butter will burn. Once the butter browns, add the half-n-half and pumpkin and stir to combine. Add the Cinnamon and Syrup and stir. You may have to adjust the amounts of cream and pumpkin to achieve the texture you want. I wanted mine smooth, so I added more cream as necessary. I also tasted it often and adjusted the amount of sweetness I wanted, so feel free to experiment.

Pasta:

Stuffed Cheese Ravioli that you get in the refrigerator section

1 Tbls. Oil (to prevent sticking)

Chopped Fresh Parsley & Parmesan Cheese for garnish

Cook the pasta according to package directions, making sure to add the oil so the pasta doesn't stick. Once finished, toss pasta with the Pumpkin Sauce. Serve on a plate and top with the Pecans, Parsley, and Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!

A Few of My Favorite Things...

I would like to say "Thank You" for reading this and for faithfully checking back!! I am sorry that I left you hanging, left you to stare at the same old recipes for weeks with no new inspiration! I hope you have found some yummy new things to cook. Life kind of got away from me for a bit, but I've wrangled it back and will try to make it up to you with 2 new posts, both of which are delicious!! Still not satisfied?? What if I told you I made up one of the recipes myself with you in mind!?! That's right! You mean that much to me!!!

Well, this recipe is really more of a technique, but I think it's soooo delicious every time! I have only recently discovered the technique of roasting veggies, but it has become one of my favorite ways to cook vegetables. Throw in fresh whole mushrooms...oh man! You found my weakness:-) It's also a great way to use up stuff in the fridge, so have fun!

Toss all the chopped veggies in some olive oil (or you could get fancy and try some fun flavored oils!), add a sprinkle of Salt and Pepper, and finish with a good helping of freshly chopped Rosemary (or your favorite herb). Bake at 400 degrees until the veggies are tender and starting to get that yummy roasting smell that makes you close your eyes and take a deep breath! They're done!

Come Sail Away....

...In my Zuchinni Boat! These were delish, and they were made entirely from my dad's garden stuff, except the cheese. I think dishes like this are a real summer treat and it's a great way to use up all the leftover produce in the fridge! I got this recipe from a new cookbook I acquired: Gluten-free, Sugar-free Cooking by Susan O'Brien. And though the recipes lack sugar and gluten, they are overflowing with flavor, so don't let that scare you!!

Here it is...
6 large zucchini (I used 3 because my large and her large are very different:-)
1 lg red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 lb mushrooms, cleaned and stemmed
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 Tbls olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs, beaten

I also added tomatoes and eggplant to mine because I needed to use them up. I thought they were a great addition! Feel free to clean out your produce drawer; I don't think you could mess this one up:-)

Preheat oven to 350.

Wash the zucchini and place in a steamer. Steam until crisp-tender, about 10 minutes. Cut off the ends and cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the insides, mash and place in a large bowl. Set the zucchini shells aside. In a large skillet, saute the red bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic in oil until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add the herbs, mashed zucchini pulp, and half the cheese mixture. Mix well. Add the beaten eggs and cook until the mixture is thick and heated through. Stuff into the zucchini shells and top with the remainder of the cheese. Place in a baking dish. Bake until heated through and the cheese has melted, about 20 minutes.