Eggplant Roll Ups

This recipe was created as I was trying to find ways to use vegetables in place of pasta or bread. The result is this Italian dish that is low on carbs, yet big on taste.

Ingredients

2 medium eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 4 slices (1/4-1/2 inch thick) for a total of 8 slices

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 cups marinara sauce

1 small onion, diced

1 ½-2 cups broccoli, zucchini, or spinach, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ cup fresh parsley, chopped

3/4 cup ricotta cheese

¼ cup fresh parmesan cheese

1 organic cage-free egg

Generous pinch of salt

Generous pinch of black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Place the sliced eggplant on a baking sheet (you could try zucchini as well – we all know there is always plenty of it to be used up!). Brush both sides with olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes, flipping them half way through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the diced broccoli and sauté for an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat to cool.

In a separate bowl, combine the parsley, ricotta and parmesan cheeses, egg, salt and pepper. Once cooled, add the broccoli mixture and combine.

To make the roll ups: lay a slice of eggplant on a flat surface. Place about 2

tablespoons of the cheese mixture at one end and roll up. Repeat for each slice of eggplant.

Place ¼ cup of marinara sauce in an 8”x 8” baking dish to coat the bottom. Place each of the roll ups in the baking dish with the seam side down – in the same manner you would when making enchiladas – creating a single layer. Pour the remaining marinara sauce over top. Sprinkle with an additional ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.

Bake in a 350 degree oven about 20-30 minutes; until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is browned.

To serve: place two eggplant rollups on a plate and serve with a side of steamed vegetables or a simple green salad.

Enjoy!

Italian Vegetable Stew

The following is a great recipe that I recently made for my family.  The recipe is from Americas Test Kitchen with Christopher Kimball.  It is one of my most favorite cooking shows. This stew is full of amazing flavor!

Italian Vegetable Stew (Ciambotta)

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS:

PESTATA

·         1/3cup chopped fresh basil

·         1/3cup fresh oregano leaves

·         6 garlic cloves, minced

·         2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

·         1/4teaspoon red pepper flakes

STEW

·         12ounces eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

·           Salt

·         4tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

·         1large onion, chopped

·         1pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

·         2tablespoons tomato paste

·         2 1/4cups water

·         1(28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained with juice reserved and chopped coarse

·         2 zucchini (8 ounces each), seeded and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

·         2 red or yellow bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

·         1cup shredded fresh basil

INSTRUCTIONS:

·         1. FOR THE PESTATA: Process all ingredients in food processor until finely ground, about 1 minute, scraping sides as necessary. Set aside.

·         2. FOR THE STEW: Toss eggplant with 1½ teaspoons salt in bowl. Line surface of large plate with double layer of coffee filters and lightly spray with vegetable oil spray. Spread eggplant in even layer over coffee filters. Microwave eggplant, uncovered, until dry to touch and slightly shriveled, 8 to 12 minutes, tossing once halfway through to ensure that eggplant cooks evenly.

·         3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in Dutch oven over high heat until shimmering. Add eggplant, onion, and potatoes; cook, stirring frequently, until eggplant browns and surface of potatoes becomes translucent, about 2 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of pot; add 1 tablespoon oil and tomato paste to clearing. Cook paste, stirring frequently, until brown fond develops on bottom of pot, about 2 minutes. Add 2 cups water and chopped tomatoes and juice, scraping up any browned bits, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and gently simmer until eggplant is completely broken down and potatoes are tender, about 20 to 25 minutes.

·         4. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch skillet over high heat until smoking. Add zucchini, bell peppers, and ½ teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are browned and tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Push vegetables to sides of skillet; add pestata and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir pestata into vegetables and transfer vegetables to bowl. Add remaining ¼ cup water to skillet off heat, scraping up browned bits.

·         5. Remove pot from heat and stir reserved vegetables and water from skillet into vegetables in Dutch oven. Cover pot and let stand for 20 minutes to allow flavors to meld. Stir in basil and season with salt to taste; serve.

 This is a great stew eaten very simply with a slice of crusty bread.  Enjoy!

The Cookbook: Earthy Girl's Guide to Meatless Meals

I am proud to announce that my E-cookbook, Earthy Girl's Guide to Meatless Meals is finally complete and available for download!

Whether you are a vegetarian, vegan or just trying to incorportate more meatless meals into your diet, Earthy Girls Guide to Meatless Meals will help you do just that.  This cookbook contains over 50 super simple recipes for every meal of the day.  Recipes such as: Popeye's Egg Sandwich; Mascarpone and Strawberry Stuffed French Toast; Okra Baby Bella Soup; Grilled Portabella Sandwich; Puff Pastry with Ricotta and Broccoli; Pesto and Cherry Tomato Pasta; Mango Black Bean Salad; or even Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting.

Eating meatless doesn't mean giving up mouthwatering delicious foods, or even your favorite meals; it means adding even more!

Here are some links on where Earthy Girl's Guide to Meatless Meals can be downloaded:

Smashwords (download available in multiple formats)  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/336940 

Amazon (Kindle e readers)  

http://www.amazon.com/Earthy-Girls-Guide-Meatless-ebook/dp/B00EFM9KC8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376252078&sr=1-1&keywords=Earthy+girl%27s+guide+to+meatless+meals

Barnes and Noble (Nook e readers)  

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/earthy-girls-guide-to-meatless-meals-patti-connelly/1116263814?ean=2940045156035

Sony
https://ebookstore.sony.com/search?keyword=Earthy+Girl%27s+Guide+to+Meatless+Meals

Kobo
http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/earthy-girl-s-guide-to-meatless-meals

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells w// Marinara Sauce

It has been awhile since my last posting. Not because I haven't been cooking, but because I haven't come up with any recipes that I felt were blog worthy!

Tonight the dry spell came to an end. And the winning dish is this Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Pasta dish. All I can say is, Yummy!

So, without further ado, here is the recipe.

Spinach and Cheese Stuffed Pasta Shells:

Ingredients:

12-14 jumbo pasta shells

10 oz. frozen spinach, chopped. (Swiss Chard would work well, too)

2 cups low fat cottage cheese, drained

2 egg whites

4 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp. fresh Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

pepper to taste

2 plus cups Marinara sauce - see recipe below

Directions:

Prepare pasta shells according to package directions, drain and cover with cold water so they don't dry out.

Drain the spinach thoroughly. I like to simply squeeze it out with my hands.

In a 13 x 9 inch baking dish, pour 1 cup of marinara sauce.

Combine spinach, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, mozzarella, egg whites, garlic powder and pepper. Stuff the spinach/cheese mixture into the shells and place in the baking dish. Cover with the remaining marinara sauce.

Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45 minutes - or until bubbling.

Marinara Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 (14.5 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes

1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

4 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

6 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup vegetable broth

Directions:

In a large skillet, over medium heat, saute the onion in the olive oil for about 2 minutes. Then add the rest of the ingredients. (If you prefer a smooth sauce with no tomato chucks, you could put the tomatoes in a blender or food processor first.

Simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Tip: Make a double or triple batch and put the extra in containers in the freezer for another meal. The sauce taste even better after all the flavors have had a chance to marry. It is a nice light sauce that is great over angel hair pasta as well.

As always, be kind and eat well!

Enjoy.