Lasagna with Roasted Eggplant

You’ll Need:
1 Box Lasagna Noodles
1 Jar Marinara Sauce
1 large container of Small Curd Cottage Cheese
3 Egg Whites
1 cup Roasted Eggplant Puree
8 oz Shredded Mozzarella
0.33 cup Parmesan Cheese

1. Mix cheeses, eggplant puree and eggs in mixing bowl. (Note, only use half of the shredded mozzarella in this step.) Set aside.
2. Spray a baking dish with oil.
3. Spread ~0.5 cup of marinara sauce on bottom of pan.
4. Place 3 lasagna noodles (uncooked) on top of sauce.
5. Spread 0.33 of cheese mix on top of noodles, completely covering noodles.
6. Lightly cover cheese mix with some marinara sauce.
7. Repeat steps 4-6 two more times.
8. Place 4th layer of noodles on top of lasagna.
9. Spread the remaining sauce on top of the noodles.
10. Sprinkle the second half of the mozzarella on top of the lasagna.
11. Cover and bake for 40 minutes at 375 F.
12. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes at 375 F.
13. Remove from oven and allow to sit and cool for 10+ minutes.
14. Serve.

-Angela

Little Quinoa Patties with Orange Avocado Sauce

Jen Marvin, one of our members and dedicated volunteers, introduced me to Heidi Swanson’s cookbooks and recipe blog (101 Cookbooks). I’ve been hooked ever since.

In Heidi’s latest cookbook, Super Natural Every Day, she introduces The Little Quinoa Patty. With a quick search online a friend of mine found another recipe blogger has been raving about these little delights on Sparrows & Spatulas.

I follow Heidi’s recipe pretty closely, using my own bread crumbs from our previously posted Multi-Grain Bread, choosing only egg whites, and adding 1 to 2 TSP of smoked paprika to the mix before forming and cooking the patties. (See Heidi’s book or Sparrows and Spatulas’ site for the recipe details.) My only kitchen note is that forming the ball/patty is tricky. I’ve found the best method is to scoop two large spoonfuls of mix into the oiled pan and then use a spatula to flatten and form the patty. An additional note for reference, I use a cast iron skillet with a metal spatula, on medium-low heat.

The new creation with this dish is the Orange Avocado Sauce. I simply mix a little of this and a little of that… Here’s a summary:
1 Avocado, smashed
0.5 Orange, juiced
1 TBSP Fresh Parsley, chopped
0.5 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
0.5 TBSP Honey
Dash of Salt
Dash of Pepper
1 TSP Smoked Paprika

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and add a sprinkle of Smoked Paprika on top.

Additional Notes:
*This is a great basic recipe to build on.  You could easily add mushrooms, peppers, herbs, various cheeses, black beans, etc.
*These are great with a variety of sauces. The kids tend to enjoy them with ketchup and barbeque sauce. Heidi recommends a spicy sauce.
*Quinoa is high in protein (14g per 100g)… making them a great meat alternative.
Our Best Bites highlights many of quinoa’s benefits and how to incorporate it into your every day dishes in a May 2011 post.
*Heidi has several other quinoa recipes on her blog. Check them out.

-Angela

Boiled Kale with Fried Egg and Toast

 

A friend and long-time Gainesville resident whose just moved to the DC area, Marcy Hairston, suggested I try boiled kale with fried egg and toast.  She says its her favorite dish.  It originally appeared on a fantastic blog called Orangette.  Check it out!  This blogger, Molly Wizenberg is not only a great cook, but a great writer of a culinary book called A Homemade Life:  Stories from Recipes from My Kitchen Table.  Its a really great read.

Photo borrowed from the Orangette Blog

Eggplant Parmesan by Angela

I have finally prepared an Eggplant Parmesan that the kids like. In fact, they’ve given it a HUGE thumbs up! Yeah!!! Because of the success, I’m sharing the recipe in hopes to bring a love for eggplant to your family.

You’ll Need:
1 Eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch slices with the skin removed
1 cup of your favorite bread crumbs OR 1 cup of Ian’s Panko Breadcrumbs OR 1 cup of Grape Nuts (R) OR 1 cup of Corn Flakes, crushed
1/4 cup of Grated Parmesan
1 TBSP of Italian Seasoning or mix of fresh Parsley, Oregano, and Garlic
2 Eggs
2 TBSP Dijon Mustard
1/3 jar of Marinara Sauce
2-3 TBSP of Oil

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the eggs and mustard in a separate bowl. Dip the eggplant slices in the wet mixture, coating both sides. Then dip the eggplant into the dry mixture, coating both sides. Fry the eggplant in a skillet or pan until both sides are golden brown. Place fried eggplant slices into a glass pan and bake at 350F for 20 minutes. After removing the eggplant slices from the oven, cover with marinara and serve with your favorite pasta.

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

You’ll Need:
1 cup Butter or Margarine, softened or melted
3/4 cup Honey
1 cup Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1.5 cups of Oats
1 tsp Baking Soda
2 cups of Pumpkin Puree
2 cups of Dark Chocolate Chips

In a mixing bowl, make a cream sauce by combining butter/margarine, brown sugar, honey, egg, vanilla and pumpkin puree. In a seperate bowl, mix all dry ingredients (with the exception of the chocolate. Combine wet and dry ingredients in a mixing bowl until thoroughly mixed. Stir in chocolate chips. Place approximately 2 tbsp of dough on greased sheet and bake at 350F for 12 minutes. The cookies bake best if the dough is relatively flat and about 1/4 inch thick before baking. Note, the dough will be gooey and you will not be able to roll it. Just spoon the dough onto the sheet.

These cookies freeze well and can be refrigerated too.

Breakfast for Two, Featuring the Pumpkin Roll

A quick and delicious breakfast… his and hers egg whites on a pumpkin roll, with sides of fruit. (Our pears and grapes have been dynamite!)

Curried Potatoes with Eggs Over-Easy

Curry Potatoes with Eggs Over-Easy

(Serves 4)

Butter or Olive Oil

Vegetable Broth

2 Medium Yukon Gold Potatoes (peeled and cut into french-fry-sized sticks)

1 lb. Baby Spinach Leaves

1/2 lb. Sliced Button Mushrooms

8 Farm Fresh Eggs

Curry Powder

Sour Cream

Saute potatoes in butter or oil.  When potatoes start to brown, add a touch of vegetable broth.  Add mushrooms and continue sauteing.  Add curry powder to taste.  When potatoes are tender, add spinach and cook until wilted.  Add several tbsp. sour cream to mixture.  Stir well until incorporated.  In the meantime, cook 8 eggs sunny-side up.  Place potato mixture on a plate and cooked eggs on top of mixture.

Garden Pies: A Fall Harvest of Quiches, Pot Pies and Savory Turnovers by Organic Valley

Organic Valley has some wonderful recipe suggestions just in time for your fall cuisine. Here’s the link to the goodness: http://www.organicvalley.coop/recipes/features/veggie-pies/

Wish List for 9/15/10

$40 Full and $25 Half Shares (a mix of the following): Brussel Sprouts or Sugar Snap Peas Carrots Celery Cucumbers Garlic Baby Spinach or Romaine Scallions Yukon Gold Potatoes Mushrooms Yellow and/or Red Cherry Tomatoes Bananas Blueberries Strawberries Grapes Apples … Continue reading →

Recipes for September Boxes

Members have requested some recipe help on and off for the past few weeks, so I have decided to do my best to provide recipes for some of our most frequently prepared dishes. Additionally, some members have even been so … Continue reading →