Thought for Food

Roasted Bell Pepper Salad Dressing

1 lb red, yellow, and/or orange bell pepper
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Sugar
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 clove garlic; minced
1/3 cup basil, fresh; finely chopped

Preheat broiler. Cut seeds and stems out of peppers and lay skin-side up on a baking sheet. Broil until skin is browned and bubbling - don't be scared - it'll look a little burned. Toss peppers into a paper bag and fold over several times to seal and let sit for at least 15 minutes. The skins should now peel easily from the peppers.

Combine all ingredients except basil in blender and process until smooth. Stir in basil.

Yield: 1 1/2 c
Contributor: Cooking Light
Preparation Time: 00:30

Eggplant Parmesan

In the tradition of my mom, who turned me onto eggplant parm and who I still think makes the best ever, I don't really have a recipe for this, though this is the basic idea:

Peel and slice some eggplant - how thick you slice depends on preference - if you like meaty chunks of eggplant, go big; if you want to disguise the eggplant so the kids will eat it, go thin.

Dip the eggplant in some lightly beaten eggs or egg whites then dredge in a mixture of dry breadcrumbs, grated parmesan and any other seasoning you like: maybe garlic powder, oregano or basil.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray and layer eggplant with your favorite tomato sauce; top with tomato sauce and cheese - most people like mozzarella. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for a while, probably no less than 30 minutes, especially with thick slices of eggplant. Unwrap and bake until the cheese is lightly browned.

Saturday night feast

No doubt a scroll through my previous posts will show plenty of references to Saturday night feast night - it's a tradition Rob and I started over the summer under the inspiration of our bountiful CSA bag. Between travel and colds, we haven't endulged in a while, but we managed to bring feast night back this week with an Italian multi-course meal which, as you'll read, needn't be as time consuming as you might think.

Our antipasto was left over baba ganoush that I made last week (it was good - still looking for a great recipe though. Anyone?) and Goat Lady Dairy's Sandy Creek aged goat cheese. This is one of my favorites of their cheese though a favorite is certainly hard to choose. It's mellow and buttery with a layer of surprisingly tasty grape leaf ash. We ate these on toasted Italian herb bread from Great Harvest.

Our salad course was very simple: baby greens from our CSA bag and a shaving of pecorino romano. I happened to have made some roasted bell pepper dressing for my book club pot luck last Wednesday.

We got by with a little help from our friends on the pasta course: goat cheese and herb ravioli from Giacmo's - Giacomo's is a relatively new discovery for us, after having driven by their newer New Garden location for years. We're totally hooked now. With the ravioli, I made a sort of relish inspired by our CSA bag and Pat's suggested serving:

I sauteed Italian frying peppers from the CSA bag along with a ton of sliced garlic and chopped onion. Then I added chopped sun-dried tomatoes, a little chopped proscuitto and chopped broccoli raab from the CSA bag. Once everything cooked down, it was only about a cup of relish total but the perfect accompaniment to allow the ravioli flavors to shine.

I also used the last of the season's eggplant, also from Pat and Brian, and the last of the marinara from the freezer, to make a tiny little eggplant parmesan casserole - my favorite!

For dessert, we split a piece of cheesecake from Giacamo's - it was a reasonably sized (read: not 5 servings disguised as one) piece but still perfect to split.

Not a lot of cooking for a lot of reward - recipes below!

Recipes of the Week

Okay, so I haven't been so great about posting recipes every day and this hasn't even been the most representative week because we did some leftover eating and went to a potluck one night, but below you will find the recipes I made this week.

Just as a side note for all of you timid cooks: I almost never cook a recipe exactly the way it says. I often forgot an ingredient, or substitue something else, or have extra veggies in the fridge from our market bag that I sneak in somewhere. Just play around - sometimes it'll be great and every now and then you'll dump it all in the trash and call for a pizza. I bet even Rachael Ray has to call for a pizza now and then...

Spicy Lentil Soup and Cornbread

I was trying to think of a way to use my surplus of veggies when I ran across this. Go light on the ground red pepper if you don't like to cry a little when you eat.

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 1/3 cups water
2 1/3 cups dried lentils
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
(I had parsnips and celery in the fridge so I chopped them up and sauteed them with the onion. You could also throw in some chopped braising greens, kale or collards in the last 10 minutes of cooking for an even healthier meal.)

Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion; saut� for 3 minutes or until tender. Add the turmeric and the next 6 ingredients (turmeric through garlic); saut� for 1 minute. Add water and next 4 ingredients (water through diced tomatoes); bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 1 hour.

(The following directions are among the last-minute preparations that I always forget to do -- it was perfectly fine without being pureed but if you prefer:) Reserve 2 cups lentil mixture. Place half of remaining mixture in blender; process until smooth. Pour pureed soup into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with other half of remaining mixture. Stir in reserved 2 cups lentil mixture.

Contributor: Cooking Light
Yield: 11 1-cup servings

Southern Cornbread

1 cup flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoon Sugar
1 cup milk, skim
2 tablespoon canola oil
1 egg; lightly beaten (when you beat eggs before adding to other ingredients, it incorporates more fully)

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine dry ingredients. Combine wet ingredients and add to well in dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened.

Pour into 8 inch square dish coated with cooking spray. Bake 20 minutes or until done. Cool 5 minutes in pan on wire rack.

Contributor: Cooking Light
Yield: 9 servings
Preparation Time: 00:30

Cajun Salmon Cakes and Sweet Potato Fries

Rob will tell you that there aren't many recipes I make multiple times but this is one of my fall-back meals - doesn't take terribly long to prepare and we always love it.

Cajun Salmon Cakes with Lemon-Garlic Aioli

2 tablespoon mayonnaise - I like low-fat Miracle Whip - it's all chemicals anyway so might as well get the light version...
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic; minced
3 6-oz cans pink salmon, skinless boneless (I actually use the big can of wild salmon and crush the bones - adds tons of calcium and I never taste it)
1/4 cup green onion, chopped (when I don't have those, I chop onion or shallot or just leave it out)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoon breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon cajun seasoning blend (you can buy it or make your own blend of cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and a little salt)
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon canola oil

To prepare aioli, combine first three ingredients and set aside.

To prepare cakes, combine salmon through mustard. Form into 8 equal patties and dredge in remaining breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in large skillet and cook patties 3 minuter per side or until lightly browned. Serve with aioli.

Contributor: Cooking Light
Yield: 4 servings
Preparation Time: 00:20

Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges

6 medium sweet potato; about 2 1/4 lb
2 teaspoon Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat to 500.

Peel potatoes and cut each into fry-sized wedges. Place in a bowl and spray with cooking spray (I use a pump sprayer with my own oil in it). Combine remaining ingredients and toss with potatoes. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with non-stick foil (I thought that stuff was a crock when I first saw it but it's invaluable for these fries).

Bake 7 minutes per side or until tender and beginning to brown.

Contributor: Cooking Light
Yield: 8 servings
Preparation Time: 00:25

Butternut Cheese Pie

This one takes a little longer to make but is totally worth it. To reheat, microwave until hot then toast to crip the crust.

4 cup Butternut squash - about 1 pound; peeled, seeds removed, and coarsely shredded (you need a really great veggie peeler to work with butternut squash - and plenty of elbow greese to cut it in half.)
1/2 cup bulgur; uncooked (I usually find this is the baking aisle as a cereal with soy)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup onion; chopped
3/4 cup feta; crumbled
1/2 cup parmesan cheese; grated
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves; chopped
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
8 sheets of phyllo dough (buy in the freezer section and either thaw in the fridge overnight or let sit on the counter for 2 hours. Keep phyllo covered with a damp cloth as you work - it dries out easily.)

Combine squash, bulgur and salt; cover and chill 30 minutes.

Preheat to 350.

Heat oil in skillet and saute onions 3 minutes. Add onion and feta through pepper to squash.

Place on phyllo sheet in 10-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray (I use a pump sprayer with canola or olive oil) or brush with melted butter. Lightly spray (or brush) and top with another sheet - continue for a total of 4 sheets. Top with squash and 4 more phyllo sheets. Fold in phyllo edges for a rim and spray lightly.

Bake 40 minutes or until golden.

Contributor: Cooking Light
Yield: 8 servings

The Daily Recipe: Baked Eggplant and Feta

Last night, some of the crazy women of NAWBO put together what proved to be the world's longest Mary Kay makeover. By 11pm, we had gorgeous new looks and I had promised to start posting what I've eaten for the day, including recipes where applicable, in order to give everyone some ideas on how to shake up their eating habits in a healthful way.

Fridays are always big days for eating out for me, mostly because my husband and I have a big breakfast with my dad every Friday at New York Deli. We think it's the best breakfast spot in town, mostly because of their huge selection of omelets. Today, I had the mushroom swiss made with egg whites and whole wheat toast on the side. (On a recent afternoon visit there with one of the make-over ladies from last night, I had a piece of pecan pie to which our Friday morning waitress, Sandy, quipped that it was going to take a lot of egg whites to balance that one out. It's all about the 80/20 rule!)

I had a lunch date at Panera which is always a good choice because most of their soups are pretty light and filling, especially with a whole grain baguette on the side. Today's soup was my favorite: black bean.

For dinner, I finally whipped out the ole pots and pans for my end-of-week scramble to use up as many of last week's market veggies as possible before getting more. Today's challenge: eggplant, bell peppers and potatoes. I was craving mashed potatoes and made them with garlic, light sour cream (there is a brand at Earth Fare that's light without any weird ingredients - tastes great too!) I stumbled across this recipe on Food Down Under to use everything else.

2 bell peppers
3 medium eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (I always use extra though)
4 ounces feta cheese (you can get light feta at the store or goat feta from Goat Lady Dairy at the market)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (yes, freshly ground does make a difference)
1 teaspoon dry oregano or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped
1 teaspoon dry basil or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped
1 slice whole grain bread

Preheat your broiler. Remove the seeds and stems from peppers and place peppers skin side up on a baking sheet. Broil until mostly blackened then seal in a zip-top bag. Set aside for 15 or so minutes.

Reduce the oven to 350.

Meanwhile, coat a skillet with cooking spray (I use oil in a refillable pump bottle) and preheat the pan. Add as many eggplant rounds as possible and cook until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Layer browned sliced in a 9X12 baking dish coated with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining eggplant.

Once all the eggplant is cooked, throw the onion and garlic into the hot pan and saute until lightly browned and smelling great, about a minute. Spread those on top of the eggplant.

By now, your bell peppers should be well steamed and the charred skins should slip right off. You can encourage them with your nail if needs be. Chop and sprinkle on top of onion. Top that with the feta, pepper, oregano and basil. Chop the slice of bread in a food processor or by hand into rough breadcrumbs. Sprinkle on top of the casserole.

Bake for 20 minutes. Enjoy!

Garden Insect Mystery

Rob took this picture in our backyard, initially thinking it was a hummingbird. We think it might be a shrimp/butterfly/frog hybrid, possibly caused by the radon recently detected in our neighbor's home. Do you know what it really is?

Rustic Tomato-Basil Tart

1 1/2 pounds red and yellow tomatoes in 1/4 inch slices
1/2 tablespoon salt, divided
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons sour cream (I use low-fat Organic Farms - no weird ingredients)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
1 tableshoppn cornmeal
1/2 cup basil, shredded, divided
1/3 cup shredded fontina cheese (we used Goat Lady Dairy Providence instead)
1 tablespoon fresh oregano, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Arrange tomato slices in a single layer on several layers of paper towels; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Let stand 20 minutes; blot dry with paper towels.

Preheat oven to 400�.

Place corn, juice, and sour cream in a food processor or blender; process until smooth. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/4 cup cornmeal, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add corn mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Knead gently 3 or 4 times.

Slightly overlap 2 (16-inch) sheets of plastic wrap on a slightly damp surface. Place dough on plastic wrap; press into a 6-inch circle. Cover with 2 additional (16-inch) sheets of overlapping plastic wrap. Roll dough, still covered, into a 14-inch circle; place on a large baking sheet in freezer 10 minutes or until plastic wrap can be easily removed. Line baking sheet with parchment paper; sprinkle paper with 1 tablespoon cornmeal. Remove 2 sheets of plastic wrap from dough. Place dough, plastic wrap side up, on baking sheet. Remove top sheets of plastic wrap.

Combine 1/4 cup basil, cheese, and oregano. Combine 2 tablespoons flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Arrange cheese mixture on dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Using a sifter or sieve, sift 1 tablespoon flour mixture over cheese mixture. Arrange half of tomatoes over cheese mixture. Sift remaining flour mixture over tomatoes; top with remaining tomatoes. Fold edges of dough toward center; press to seal (dough will only partially cover tomatoes). Bake at 400� for 35 minutes or until crust is brown; let stand 10 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup basil and pepper.

6 servings

Contributor: Cooking Light