Eggplant Parm

This classic Italian dish is a super flavourful meat free choice for dinner.

Serves 4-6

1 eggplant, sliced
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1  1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1 tsp cornstarch
3 tbsps parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded cheese (mozza, provolone, cheddar)

Sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 28 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
1 - 5.5 oz can tomato paste
2 tsps dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sugar

To make the sauce:

Heat olive oil in a saucepan and brown the chopped onion. Add garlic and cook 1 minute to soften the garlic. Add the rest of the ingredients. (Don't forget, when you drain the canned tomatoes keep the juice. You can freeze it for when you're making soup.) Simmer the sauce about 5 minutes. It should be quite thick.

Set the sauce aside and start preparing the eggplant.

Take a thin slice out of one side of the skin. That will give you a flat surface to sit your eggplant on for slicing. You should be able to get about 12 slices out of a good sized eggplant.

Place the flour in a bowl.

Mix eggs and milk together in another bowl.

And in another bowl mix bread crumbs, cornmeal, cornstarch and parmesan together.

Your dredging station is ready!

Dredge each slice of eggplant in flour then dip in egg/milk and finally in the breadcrumb mix.

Prepare a broiler pan with cooking spray and place the breaded eggplant side by side. I only have one broiler pan so had to bake two batches.

Bake at 400F for 12 minutes, then slowly and carefully remove from oven. Flip them and return to oven for another 8 minutes.  I say slowly and carefully because on my first batch I reached in and pulled the broiler pan out of the oven and my eggplant slices slid right off the pan and onto the oven floor. Grrrr! (5 second rule, right?)

Once all the eggplant slices are baked oil an 8 X 11" baking dish and spoon in 1/2 cup tomato sauce. Next a layer of eggplant and another 1/2 cup of sauce.

Here you add 1/3 cup of your choice of cheese. I used herb and garlic cheddar. Then eggplant, 1/2 cup sauce and 1/3 cup cheese and the final layer of eggplant. Top with the remaining sauce.

Bake at 375F for 30 minutes, remove from oven and sprinkle on the rest of the cheese and bake 10 more minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest about 10 minutes before cutting to ensure nice neat servings.

Mango Fish Flowers

The sun is shining and it's warm out, and it's FriYAY!

3 or 4 - 6" whole wheat soft tortillas

400 g basa (or other white fish)
Salt and lemon (or black) pepper
Zest of 1 lime
1 tbsp coconut

1 avocado, sliced

Mango slaw:
1 mango, diced
2 cups coleslaw (or beet slaw) mix
3/4 cup shredded carrots
2/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1/4 cup diced red pepper
2 tbsps fresh lime juice

Lime Cream:
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tbsps mayo
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp honey

Start by making the tortilla flowers. In fact, you can make these a day or 2 ahead of time.  Turn a muffin tin upside-down, no need to oil, just place a tortilla in between the muffin cups and shape.

Bake at 375F for 10-12 minutes. Remove, cool and just keep in a bowl on the counter until ready to use.

Toss the mango slaw together in a bowl. I just love all the colours!

Mix the lime cream ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.

I like basa but any mild white fish will work. Sprinkle salt and lemon pepper on both sides of the fillets. Heat coconut oil in pan and fry fish 2-3 minutes per side or until fish flakes easily. Remove to a plate and flake or break into pieces.

Now to assemble, simply add fish and sliced avocado to the tortilla flowers, top with a good heap of mango slaw

and a drizzle of lime cream.

Yummy!
And here's a variation that's tasty too!

Eliminate the mango and top the fish off with a heaping spoonful of Spicy Peach Salsa!
Find the recipe here:

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2016/09/spicy-peach-salsa.html



Adapted from: https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/mango-chipotle-fish-tacos-recipe/

BBQ Teriyaki Pork Tenderloin

It's finally warm outside and that means time to barbecue!

Marinade:

2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup soya sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsps lemon juice
2 tbsps olive oil
1/2 tsp black or lemon pepper
1 tsp ginger

Use most of the marinade for the meat to sit in for about 24 hours in the fridge. Keep some aside for basting.

Grill on the BBQ at 350F 5 minutes per side, so for about 20 minutes. Or oven temp 400F for 18-20 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 150F.

Let the pork rest a few minutes before slicing.

Sheet Pan Potatoes

Easier than hasselback potatoes. Even easier than stacked potatoes.

5 small potatoes, thinly sliced
1-2 tbsps olive oil
Pink himalayan salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Paprika
Oregano

Place thinly sliced potatoes in a bag and toss with olive oil, separating the slices so that everything is coated.

Spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet and season to taste.

As you can see some slices are overlapping others, no problem.

Bake in a 375 F oven for 45 minutes or until golden and crispy. And tender where overlapping.

Serves 2-4

And if you are still interested in making Hasselback or Stacked potatoes, here are the links to those recipes.

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2015/10/hasselback-potatoes-done-right.html

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2017/02/potato-stacks.html

Feta Rice Salad

Lunch for two.

1 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup edamame beans
3/4 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/4 cup kernel corn
1 cup diced feta

1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
pinch cayenne

Mix the dressing ingredients together and toss with the prepared rice, veggies and feta. Chill several hours before serving.

I used short grain calrose rice, leftover from a previous meal, but I think jasmine rice would work well here. I guess it's a matter of preference as to which type of rice to use. Or which type of rice is leftover in your fridge!

Garlic Eggplant Fries

Ok, I've got to tell you...for something so simple these were pretty darn yummy!

1 small unpeeled eggplant, cut in long strips
3 tbsps olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp minced garlic
pink Himalayan salt
fresh ground pepper
parmesan

Toss eggplant strips with oil, garlic powder and minced garlic. Spread out on a parchment lined baking sheet and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.

Bake in a 400 F oven for 15 minutes. Toss and return to the oven for an additional 10-15 minutes until lightly browned and tender.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese to serve.

Serves 3-4

Mediterranean Chicken Thighs

Sometimes a meal doesn't look so good, but it tastes great!

6 bone-in chicken thighs
2 tbsps olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsps butter
2 tbsps flour
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup 10% cream
2 cups chopped spinach
2 tbsps chopped sundried tomatoes
2 oz crumbled feta

Trim any extra fat from the chicken thighs then salt and pepper to taste. Heat olive oil in a skillet and brown the chicken about 3 minutes on each side. Remove to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 375 F for 20-25 minutes.

Prepare the sauce in the same skillet as the chicken was browned in.  Lightly brown garlic then add butter, flour, salt and pepper and stir to a smooth paste. Mix broth, wine and cream and whisk into the skillet cooking on medium 2 minutes until it makes a smooth sauce.

Stir in the spinach and sundried tomatoes. Return the cooked thighs and stir to coat.  Serve topped with crumbled feta.

Garlic Chicken Pizza

It's an elimination game night for the Habs...do or die!

And it's pizza night.  Chicken pizza because while I love the Montreal Canadiens, in a game like this I always watch through my fingers over my eyes. Like a chicken.

Sauce:
2 tbsps olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tbsp flour
1 tsp basil
salt and pepper

12-15 cherry tomatoes, halved
a handful of spinach
1 cup chopped cooked rotisserie chicken
340g Italian blend shredded cheese
1/2 cup diced green pepper
Olive oil

Your favourite pizza dough for a large sized pizza, either frozen from the deli section of your grocery store or you could try this one 

http://hotandcoldrunningmom.blogspot.ca/2014/03/this-is-best-pizza-ever.html

Start the sauce by heating olive oil in a saucepan. Add garlic and very lightly brown. Add flour to milk and stir into the pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.

Prepare your pizza dough on a 38 cm/15" pan then spread the sauce on top. Add chicken, green pepper and spinach.

Finally top with cheese and halved tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake in a 500 F oven for 11 minutes, preferably on a pizza stone.

Then grab a glass of wine and Go Habs Go !

Crispy Cornmeal Fish Fillets

Have you had trouble with soggy fish fillets? You won't with this recipe.

400 g basa fillets, or any white fish
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp malt vinegar
1 tbsp grainy mustard


Breading:
1/2 cup fine cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp thyme

Mix milk, malt vinegar and grainy mustard and set aside 15-20 minutes.

Mix the breading ingredients together.

Spray a broiling pan with cooking spray. Using a broiling pan instead of a baking sheet keeps the coating nice and crisp. No soggy fillets here!

Dip each fillet in the milk mixture

then coat with the breading on both sides.

Place on prepared pan.

Broil 4" from heat approximately 4 minutes per side. The fish should flake easily.

Perfectly golden!

Tomato Feta Salad

Isn't it pretty? And pretty simple to make too!

Arrange equal parts cherry tomato halves, cubed feta and torn spinach leaves in a shallow bowl, about 1 cup each.

Then mix up the dressing:

1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1  1/2 tbsps olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tbsp basil
1/2 tbsp oregano

Drizzle the dressing on and serve at room temperature.

Thai Eggplant and Potatoes

I was at my daughter's place a couple of days ago getting my hair highlighted and looking like some foil-haired alien trying to make contact with my home planet! While waiting for my hair to turn beautiful we were watching an episode of Chuck and Danny's Road Trip on Food Network Canada. The guys were picking up some unique veggies at an outdoor market. An interesting looking one to me was Thai eggplant.

I just happened to see them today at the grocery store and thought I'd give them a try.

Not like the large, dark purple eggplant or aubergine I'm used to seeing, these Thai eggplants are green and quite small.

7-8 small potatoes, diced
1 onion, diced
15 Thai eggplants, quartered
1 large green pepper, diced
2 + 1 tbsps virgin coconut oil
2 tsps fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp garlic, minced
2 tbsps soya sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsps water
Chopped pickled hot peppers to garnish (optional)

Heat 2 tbsps coconut oil in a wok to medium high. Add potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally for about 15 minutes until golden. Add onions and cook for another 5 minutes then remove to a plate.

Add 1 tbsp coconut oil to the wok and add eggplant and green pepper. 

Cook 5-7 minutes until eggplant softens slightly.

Mix ginger, garlic, soya sauce, sugar and salt together. Return potatoes and onions to the wok and add the seasonings. Stir together.

Mix cornstarch and water together and add to the vegetables. Stir to coat, cook 1 minute and serve. Sprinkle chopped hot peppers if using.

Serves 4 as a side

Turned out quite nice I think.

And so did my hair!