Eggplant Dressing

3 small to med. eggplants, peeled & diced
2 tbsp. oil
2 lg. onions, chopped
1/2 green pepper, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
2 slices honey wheat bread, lightly toasted & cubed
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
1 c. grated cheese (Parmesan, sharp Cheddar)


1.Boil eggplant in salted water for 5 minutes or just until tender.



2. Meanwhile, in heated oil saute onion and green pepper until onion is clear. Add garlic and saute 2 minutes longer. Stir in eggplant, bread cubes, eggs and salt.

3. Spoon into a baking dish (approx. 3 qt. capacity). Cover with the grated cheese.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and casserole is lightly browned. Serve either hot or room temperature.

Eggplant Fries

Eggplant Fries
from The Hungry Mouse

3/4 cup flour
2 tsps garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, fresh ground
oil for frying
3 baby eggplants or 2 medium eggplants
salt for seasoning
honey

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, garlic powder, dried oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper until thoroughly mixed. In a heavy-bottom medium saucepan, heat at least two inches of oil to about 350F. Peel the eggplants and slice into 3/4-inch thick fingers. Toss the eggplant slices a few at a time in the seasoned flour until well coated. When the oil is ready, drop a few sticks of eggplant into the oil – they should begin sizzling immediately. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan or have the oil temperature drop too much. When they begin to brown (about a minute) flip them over and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute. Remove the eggplant fries from the oil and let drain on a cooling rack. Serve hot with a shake of salt and a drizzle of honey. A great snacking appetizer for 4 people.

Baked Lemon Chicken

Chicken leg quarters, separated into drumsticks and thighs
Juice of 3 lemons
5 garlic cloves grated
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano

Mix lemon juice, garlic, salt pepper and oregano in a bowl and pour 1/2 of it over chicken in a baking dish. Bake at 350F for 45 minutes and baste chicken with the pan juices. Then pour the rest of the lemon juice mixture over the chicken, and bake another 45 minutes.

My mom used to make this with rice and pour the pan juice from the chicken over the rice. I usually make this with steamed broccoli. Tastes amazing and the ingredients can cost less than $5.

Almond Parsley Pesto

a bunch of parsley, 1-2 cups of olive oil (didn't use extra virgin, too strong for me), couple of garlic cloves (I used about 5 and felt it was a little too much), salt to taste and about 3/4 cup of toasted almonds. into the blender, I used 1 cup of oil and added the rest little by little until it had the consistency i wanted. I have to say i like it a lot! maybe even better than a basil pesto, but I'm biased, i love parsley anything lol.

Pistachio Pineapple Whip

1 package pistachio instant pudding
1 large can crushed pineapples with juice
1 (4 1/2- ounce) Cool Whip
1/2 cup small marshmallows, or more
1/2 cup pecans shopping list

Combine dry pudding mix with pineapple.
Fold in cool whip, marshmallows and pecans.
Refrigerate.

Hot Spinach Dip

10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and excess liquid squeezed out
1/2 cup light sour cream
5 tbsp light mayonnaise
1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano
1/4 cup scallion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup (4 oz) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
Fresh pepper, to taste
Pita chips, for dipping

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°.
Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Place in an oven-proof dish and bake at 375° for 20-25 minutes, until hot and cheese is melted. Serve immediately with pita chips. Makes about 2 1/2 cups.
Serves 10.

Nutritional information per 1/4 cup serving: Calories 92, Fat 6.8 g, Carbohydrates 3.0 g, Fiber 0.7 g, Protein 5.3 g.

Giada's Angel Hair Pasta

Angel Hair pasta
extra-virgin olive oil
red pepper flakes
grated Parmesan
lemon juice
lemon zest

"Sun-Dried" Tomatoes

To “sun-dry” your own tomatoes, slice them thin, and throw them on a cookie sheet with olive oil. Allow them to sit in a 200-degree oven for 6-8 hours, and that’s it. They completely fall apart, shrivel up, and taste great. Plus, how much are store-bought sun-dried tomatoes these days? Some exorbitant amount. I’m experimenting with freezing mine with some extra olive oil.

Trilby's Salad Dressing

2 T. salt

1 T. dry mustard

1 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. marjoram

1 tsp. celery seed

1 tsp. paprika

1 T. black pepper

1/3 qt. olive oil ( of good quality)

1/3 qt. vegetable oil

1/3 qt. wine vinegar



Mix the dry ingredients. Add the oils then the vinegar and shake well

Avocaod Green Goddess Dressing & Dip

If eating healthier meals is on your agenda for 2011, start by incorporating more salads into your diet. Select fresh, in-season vegetables, fruits, and nuts and put together a salad that is full of colors, textures, and flavors. Skip the store-bought salad dressing and make your own green goddess dressing instead. This classic salad topping originated in San Francisco and has a base of herbs and anchovies. While many recipes use mayonnaise or sour cream to achieve a creamy texture, this one employs avocado and Greek yogurt. The best thing about this recipe is that the dressing can also be a dip. Pack it in a Tupperware with crudités and enjoy for lunch. Learn the technique.


Green Goddess Dip and Dressing
From San Francisco Entertains by the Junior League of San Francisco

Ingredients

1 cup chopped avocado (about 1 avocado)
3 or 4 anchovy fillets, mashed or 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons anchovy paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1-1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
Extra-virgin olive oil (for making dressing)

Directions

1.Combine the avocado, anchovies, garlic, scallions, basil, parsley, and tarragon in a food processor.
2.Add the Greek yogurt, white wine vinegar, and lemon juice. Process until smooth. Serve with crudités as a dip or over steamed green vegetables.
3.For dressing, add olive oil 1/4 cup at a time, processing constantly until the desired consistency is reached. Toss with salad greens.
Makes 1-1/2 cups

MUA Pulled Pork

MUA Crock Pot Pulled Pork

2 onions, sliced thin
2 Tbs brown sugar
1 Tbs paprika
2 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
1 (4-6 lb) boneless pork butt or shoulder
¾ cup cider vinegar
4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 ½tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 ½tsp sugar
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp garlic salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
Place onions in crock-pot. Combine brown sugar, paprika, salt and pepper;
rub over roast. Place roast on top of onions.
Combine vinegar, Worcestershire, red pepper flakes, sugar, mustard, garlic
salt and cayenne; stir to mix well. Drizzle about 1/3 of vinegar mixture
over roast. Cover and refrigerate remaining vinegar mixture.
Cover crock-pot; cook on low 12-14 hours. Drizzle about 1/3 of reserved
vinegar mixture over roast during last ½ hour of cooking.
Remove meat and onions; drain. Chop or shred meat and onions. Serve with
remaining vinegar mixture.

Simple Green Salad Ideas

From makeupalley.com Food & Nutrition Message Board

What ingredients do you put in your favorite simple green salads++ dawnsgleam 2/26/2011 4:02PM

red onion, kalamata olives,artichoke hearts, tomato, feta cheese, pepperonchinis...yum! vogue1222 2/26/2011 9:54PM

Arugula, Romaine, Cucumber & Goat Cheese pollywannacocktail 2/26/2011 7:43PM

Use those green bags too to avoid waste. I"ve had Romaine last 3 weeks. KalmiaB 2/26/2011 6:30PM

Cut up peppers, tomatoes, onion etc - keep in an airtight container and add++am to your greens. IOW, do a lot of the labor all at once and just combine em next few nights. I always toss in a small handful of sunflower seeds.
And make you own dressing. You'll save a lot of money and know what oil and vinegar you use. KalmiaB 2/26/2011 6:29PM


Great Idea! I think I'll try doing a lot of the labor at once too. dawnsgleam 2/26/2011 6:38PM

All that things that make a low cal salad high cal. Nuts, croutons, sunflower seeds, cheese, bacon angelabetsey 2/26/2011 6:06PM

chicken, pecans, strawberries or blueberries & thin cheeses:+) floridaprincess2/26/2011 5:14PM

red or yellow bell peppers, cilantro, hempseeds, avocado, tomatoes, cucumber, pumpkin seeds cjofphilly 2/26/2011 4:59PM


Pumpkin seeds are my new favourite thing... to put on everything! zoe66 2/26/2011 5:15PM

basil, mint, parsley, pineapple, orange or grapefruit sections cjofphilly 2/26/2011 5:00PM

My new favorite salad of all time (SO and I ate it for dinner 3 nights in a row last week) is r/o Trader Joe's Champs Elysees salad mix (green leaf, frisee, radicchio, and carrots - love it because it's $1.99 and lasts forever in the fridge) with halved grape tomotoes, sliced cucumber, sliced radish, shaved red onion, canned tuna, and TJ's greek salad dressing. forte 2/26/2011 4:35PM

I also always used to make the same basic thing with balsamic vinaigrette (just balsamic, evoo, and dijon whisked together) which you can control the calories a little more, but the greek dressing only has 110 calories in 2 tbsp, so it's not bad and you want some substance. A little low fat feta is also good.

my fav simple salad: iceburg lettuce, finely sliced shallots, parm cheese tossed + in roasted hazelnut oil and lemon juice w a bit of maldon katiekabooom 2/26/2011 4:32PM

What is maldon? I've never heard of it. dawnsgleam 2/26/2011 4:38PM

amazing salt flakes. yuuuuummmer katie! milla00o 2/26/2011 4:38PM

Walnuts, thinly sliced red onion, berries (blue or strawberries, sometimes raspberries) + plus homemade vinegarette dressing. ts barbiH 2/26/2011 4:30PM

A small amount of feta cheese adds yumminess too....though it also adds calories. ;)

I love hearing about these salads! dawnsgleamA simple tooltip2/26/2011 4:29PM

For my simple green side salads, I use baby spinach, cucumber, tomato, green pepper, oregano, r/o salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and red wine vinegar. pink_jasmineA simple tooltip2/26/2011 4:27PM

Honestly, it doesn't matter to me as long as I have field greens & Brianna's French Vinaigrette. ro However, I tend to heavily favor feta or bleu cheese crumbles, cucumber, shredded carrots, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, or jicama. Homemade balsamic vinaigrette is the other favorite. elankat 4:25PM

Usually, it's just field greens mix, cuke, carrot, feta & dressing though.

Here's what I've been having lately r/o baby spinach, a handful of rinsed garbanzo beans (from a can), a handful of halved grape tomatoes, and about 1/2 of a diced red bell pepper. jago 2/26/2011 4:21PM

My latest favorite dressing is a herbs de provence vineagrette (sp!!) from Whole Foods...it's part of the 365 line. Yum!

And if I need an extra treat, or it's my entire meal, I throw on some croutons too. They're high in salt, and I should make them at home, but it's a treat. :)

I just polished off a huge salad for lunch. My fav. right now is a mix of field greens with dried ++ cranberries, walnuts, grape to. cut in half, thick shreds of carrot, chopped hard boiled egg, parm cheese shreds, evoo and a great balsamic vinager. It has a perfect balance of sweet/tart/earthy/salty/acidic. Quilley 2/26/2011 4:10PM

I just chop up whatever vegies are around, add some cheese or beans and eat r/o
as I have gotten older I realize I like simple salads more than the ones with everything but the kitchen sink in them. One thing I am noticing is I am not fond of tomato in salad anymore which is odd because I love tomato but just not mixed with greens. Dressing on the other hand, now that is my weak spot, I am loving almost every one I try lately. lol katrink 2/26/2011 4:06PM

Homemade Granola

by Quilley at Makeup Alley.com

I like a mix of freshly cracked nuts
dried blueberries
dried cranberries
dried cherries
flax seed (I know, but it adds crunch big time)
coconut oil
honey
a pinch of dried cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg
raw sunflower seeds
raw pumpkin seeds
old fashioned oats

I just heat my cast iron skillet (a large one) on med. heat and add the coconut oil. Then come the oats and I start stirring right away until I can see then get a smidge darker, then i add the spices, the seeds and the nuts and keep stirring. When I smell the nut meats toasting, I turn off the flame, cool everything down, then add the honey and the dried fruits. That's it. I also like the idea that it's not solid and I can get it as toasty as I like w/o turning on the oven. I don't measure anything, just eyeball it.

It's really perfect in the morning with yogurt and sliced fruit. Mmmm, I think I will go make some now, lol.

WH FOODS CRANBERRY SAUCE

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=recipe&dbid=155

Cranberry Sauce is a favorite dish to serve with holiday meals. This very quick recipe will make it easy for you to add this delicious accompaniment to your meal without much effort.

1 12oz bag of fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp minced orange zest
¼ tsp cinnamon
½ cup crushed pineapple
½ cup honey


Directions:

Bring orange juice, ginger, zest and cinnamon to a boil on high heat in a medium saucepan.
Rinse cranberries and add once liquid is boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for about 10 minutes.
Add crushed pineapple and honey. Remove from heat and cool.
Yields 2 cups

VEG. WEST COAST ENCHILADAS

2 cans organic refried black beans
3 ripe avocadoes, mashed
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 red or yellow bell pepper, diced
2 cups enchilada sauce or 1 1/2cups salsa mixed with 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup cashews, chopped
1 1/2 cups shredded vegan cheddar cheese
12 organic yellow corn tortillas

Directions:

1.Preheat oven to 400F.

2.Heat black beans slightly on stove, it makes them easier to work with.

3.Mash avocadoes in med. bowl, add diced tomatoes, garlic, cilantro, bell pepper.

4.Heat 1 cup enchilada sauce (or half the salsa/water mixture) in a saucepan. Soak each tortilla just until soft.

5.Layer each tortilla with 2 tablespoons each of beans and avocado mixture. Sprinkle with cashews and vegan cheese.

6.Assemble enchiladas into 2 9x11 baking dishes.(Each will hold 6 enchiladas). Pour remaining sauce over top. Sprinkle with extra vegan cheese if you like. (I do!)

7.Bake for about 20 minutes, or until tops are slightly browned.

Enjoy! These are great for a dinner party and awesome as leftovers the next day!!

These are also great if you like to add extra chopped cashews on top during baking. YUM!!

Serves: 12 enchiladas

Preparation time: 15 min. assembling and 20 min. baking

VEG VINEYARD MINESTRONE

From: Jennifer - ShadedMuse@aol.com

It's VERY cold here, so I'm planning to throw together a big pot of soup tonight.
Just thought I'd share my favorite recipe with all of you.

Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :2:00

1 medium onion -- chopped
2 carrots -- sliced
2 celery ribs -- chopped
1 zucchini -- chopped
2 cloves garlic -- minced
6 cups vegetable broth
3 cups water
1 cup red wine
1 x 28 ounce can tomatoes
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 x 16-ounce can kidney beans
2 cups shredded cabbage
1/2 cup pasta
In a large pot, combine onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, garlic, stock, tomatoes, water, red wine, and basil and marjoram.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour.
Add beans and cabbage and cook 10 minutes.
Stir in pasta and cook uncovered 10 minutes.
Serve.

HONEY SPONGE CAKE

I adapted this recipe for sweetening with honey instead of sugar. This cake is really good!

5 eggs, at room temperature
1 C unbleached all purpose flour, sifted
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup honey
1-2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Combine flour and salt, mixing well. Separate eggs. Beat yolks for about 5 minutes. Beat egg whites just until soft peaks form. Add vanilla. Drizzle in honey while beating. Continue to beat for 1-2 minutes, just until stiff peaks form; avoid overbeating. Fold in flour 1/4th at a time. Fold in beaten yolks. Pour into ungreased tube pan. Bake in 325F pre-heated oven for 1.25 hours or until done. Your cake may cook more quickly, so it's a good idea to check for doneness after it's cooked for 45 minutes. Carefully invert cake pan, on a bottle or on the cake pan's "feet", for cooling. Serve & enjoy!

NOTE: Freeze any cake that won't be eaten in a day.

5 eggs------------400 calories
1 C flour---------400 calories
1/2 C honey----480 calories
______________________
1 cake------------1,280 calories
1/12 cake--------128 calories

TOFU-STUFFED PEPPERS

http://www.deliciouslivingmag.com/recipes/index.cfm?fuseaction=recipedetails&recipeid=416

NOTE: This makes enough to stuff 8 fairly large green peppers. Parboil the peppers and bake stuffed peppers in the oven.


The texture of the tofu will be more crumbly and meat-like if you freeze it first, then thaw. Drain thawed tofu well—pressing the tofu between paper towels will release extra moisture—so that the flavors in the sauce are not diluted (or just really squeeze as much moisture as you can from the tofu).


3/4 pound tofu, crumbled
4 large green peppers
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, chopped or minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound mushrooms, washed and sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
3/4 teaspoon salt, to taste
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons fresh marjoram, minced or 1 teaspoon dried
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 14-ounce can stewed tomatoes
1 cup cooked long-grain rice
1 Roma tomato, quartered
1/2 cup water
Freshly ground black pepper
Sour cream to garnish

1. When frozen tofu has thawed completely, drain as described above.

2. With small paring knife, cut out top of each green pepper and scoop out seeds and inner membrane. Set aside.

3. In 8-quart Dutch oven or small stockpot, sauté onions, garlic and tofu in olive oil, about 4-5 minutes.

4. Add mushrooms, salt, oregano, diced tomatoes and marjoram. Sauté for another 3-5 minutes.

5. Add soy sauce, stewed tomatoes and rice. Mix, and remove from heat.

6. Fill each pepper with mixture, pushing down gently with spoon to add more stuffing.

7. Quarter remaining tomato, and wedge each piece into top cavity of each pepper.

8. Place peppers in stockpot, leaving remaining tomato/rice mixture around the peppers.

9. Add water and grated black pepper; cover. Simmer for 20-25 minutes, until peppers are fork-tender but not mushy.

10. To serve, spoon extra sauce over peppers, and garnish with dollop of sour cream. Makes 4 servings as main course, or 8 if halved and presented as a side dish.

SWEET GLAZED TOFU CUTLETS

http://www.evitamins.com/healthnotes.asp?ContentID=2751001

We challenge anyone who thinks tofu is tasteless to try this recipe. Let it cook as you stir-fry the veggies for the Indonesian Noodles.

Ingredients
1 pound (455g) firm tofu, drained

1 Tbsp (15mL) safflower or canola oil

1 tsp (5mL) sesame oil

2 Tbsp (30mL) honey

2 Tbsp (30mL) soy sauce

2 Tbsp (30mL) sherry

2 scallions, sliced, for garnish

Directions
Cut tofu crosswise into 1/4-inch (0.5cm) thick slices. Blot slices between paper towels.

Combine oils, honey, soy sauce and sherry, then heat mixture slowly in a large skillet.

Arrange tofu slices in the skillet, then flip to coat with sauce on both sides. Fry tofu over moderately high heat until the underside is golden and crisp, then flip and fry the other side. Serve cutlets garnished with scallions.

These are great cold too!

Nutrition Facts
Calories: 170
Fat: 10g
% fat calories: 51%
Cholesterol: 0mg
Fiber: 1g

SALMON OR MACKEREL LOAF

1/2 cup onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/2 cup seasoned or unseasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 Tb freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 Tb Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine all ingredients (a food processor makes very quick work of this
and produces a smooth loaf). Place the mixture in a well-buttered ceramic or
heavy metal loaf pan or terrine. Cover the dish and place it in a pan of
boiling water in a preheated 350°. Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to cool for 10
minutes. The loaf may be unmolded onto a plate or served from the baking
dish.
There are a number of alternatives to preparing this loaf. An extra egg
holds it together better. Separating the egg whites from the yolks, beating the
whites, and folding them into the loaf produces a lighter final result.