Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

It's the weekend- yay!  Time to make a good family breakfast :)  This weekend I experimented with pancakes and apples since I have apples coming out of my ears.  The apples are from our CSA, and I have no idea what kind is which, but I know they're all delicious.

Anyone want to tell me know about apples and which kinds are best for making certain kinds of foods?  In the meantime, I'll use whatever apples I grab first out of the fridge :)

Oh, and now-- let's talk about my new, fabulous gadget!!!  It suction cups to your counter, so it doesn't move.  When you attached the apple, the gadget peels, slices, and cores your apple while you turn a crank.  It is the best thing ever!!!!

Now onto these delicious pancakes!!!

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Ingredients

• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbs oil
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tbs sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients except apple.  Fold in apple pieces.

Heat griddle/frying pan, and spray heated pan with cooking spray.  Spoon 1/2 to 1 cup of pancake mix on pan and cook.  When done, top with your favorite pancake accessories.

Enjoy!

Baked Zucchini and Tomato Casserole

Okay, I know zucchini season is almost over-- or it's done, but I had to share this recipe.  I found zucchinis in the bottom of my fridge and scrambled to make something to use them before they went bad!  I did a quick search, found this recipe from LaaLoosh, and adapted it slightly.

It was a wonderful meal.  It can be a main dish and filling or a side dish too.  Very versatile, simple, but oh so delicious!

Baked Zucchini and Tomato Casserole

Ingredients
2 medium zucchini, peeled and sliced lengthwise
2 medium summer squash, peeled and sliced lengthwise
4 large plum tomatoes, sliced thinly
1/2 cup Italiuan style breadcrumbs
1/4 to 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees, and spray 13 x 11 cooking dish with cooking spray.  In a small bowl, combine basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

In the cooking dish, place a layer of zucchini/squash along the bottom of the pan.  Evenly sprinkle seasoning mix and then add a layer of tomatoes.  Repeat until there are no zucchini/squash and tomatoes left.

Cover and bake for 25 minutes.  Top casserole with cheese and breadcrumbs, and lightly spray top of casserole with cooking spray.  Bake uncovered for another 20 minutes.

Serves 6.

Garden Chili

We had a pot-luck at Weight Watchers last week, and I was at a loss of what to bring--something healthy but tasty and easy to make.  I was at a loss of what to bring-- I could do the healthy and tasty but was a little short on time.  I was going to make my trusty stand-by:  ants on a log :) but then realized I could bring what I made for dinner the night before.

It was perfect!  People raved over this chili I adapted from A Spicy Perspective.  They loved it so much they shamed me when I forgot to bring the recipe the next week.  So here it is-- on the blog and in their inboxes.  I hope you enjoy it as much as they do.  It is super tasty (and vegan to boot)!

Garden Chili

Ingredients

• 1 Tbs. Olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 spicy pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 stalks celery, diced
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 3 ears corn, shucked and cut off the cob
• 2 Tbs. cornmeal
• 15 oz. cans cannellini (white) beans, drained
• 15 oz. cans kidney (red) beans, drained
• 2 – 15 oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 Tbs. ground cumin
• 2 Tbs. chile powder
• 2 tsp. salt
• Black pepper to taste 

Instructions
1. Add the oil to a large pot and set over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onion and garlic and saute for 5 minutes.
3. Add the peppers, sweet potatoes, corn, celery, and cornmeal. Stir and saute another 8-10 minutes.
4. Add all the remaining ingredients and stir well.
5. Cover, lower the heat, and simmer for approximately 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are soft.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes

Number of servings 8
6 WW P+ a serving **to reduce points, substitute black beans for kidney beans, now 5 points a serving

Asparagus Lasagna

Yay for our one-month anniversary dinner!  Austin’s favorite vegetable is asparagus, and I heart pasta, so when I saw this recipe from name of One Perfect Bite, it was an obvious choice for our dinner.   Unfortunately, I have a nasty problem of not reading recipes before deciding to make them.

Word to the wise-- when making this recipe, give yourself PLENTY OF TIME FOR PREP.  Before putting the lasagna in the oven, I was in the kitchen close to an hour.  I got home to make dinner after 7 pm, so we didn’t sit down for dinner until 9 pm :(

I would love to make this dinner again on a Sunday afternoon, with plenty of time to enjoy cooking the meal.  There was some terms thrown around in this recipe that I had never heard of like bechamel.  I learned that it is basically a white sauce with a fancy name...moral of the story, it’s tasty.  Asparagus lasagna is yummy!!!  A+ for this recipe.

We paired it with sparkling wine (aka champagne) from Chandon in Napa Valley- we went there in 2009 via the Napa Wine Train and saved it for a special occasion.  I think a one-month wedding anniversary was a good reason to pop that cork :)

Asparagus Lasagna

Ingredients

2 large garlic cloves, peeled

salt for boiling pasta

2 pounds asparagus 

1 olive oil béchamel (see below)

about 1 cup Parmesan

Sprinkling of herbs, tarragon, parsley, basil, and oregano

1/2 pound no-boil lasagna noodles

Directions

Fill a pot with water and add garlic cloves.  Bring to boil.  As the water boils, break off ends of asparagus and save ends.  Add ends to boiling water along with salt.  Reduce heat to medium low, partially cover, and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove asparagus ends and garlic cloves from water and discard. Bring water back to a boil, and add asparagus stalks. Boil thick asparagus stalks for five minutes.  Transfer them, using tongs, to a bowl of ice water. Do not drain cooking water. Allow asparagus to cool for a few minutes, then drain and dry on a clean kitchen towel. Cut all asparagus into 1-inch lengths. Set aside.

While asparagus is boiling, start  béchamel!

Whisk 1/2 cup of cooking water from asparagus into béchamel, along with 1/4 cup of Parmesan and herbs. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Spray cooking spray on 3-quart baking dish. Bring water back to a rolling boil, and drop in enough lasagna noodles to cover surface of the baking dish (3-4 lasagna noodles). Boil just until pasta is flexible (about three minutes for no-boil lasagna). 

Spread thin layer of béchamel over bottom of baking dish. Cover with a layer of pasta. Stir asparagus into remaining béchamel, and spread a layer over noodles. Sprinkle on 2 tablespoons Parmesan. 

Repeat with parboiling pasta,  béchamel  and asparagus, and cheese.  End with a layer of pasta, and if you have any béchamel left, spread it over the top and sprinkle on the remaining Parmesan. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle 1 tbs of olive oil over lasagna, and cover tightly with foil. Bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbling. Uncover, and continue to bake until top just begins to color, about 10 minutes. 

Olive Oil Béchamel 

Ingredients

2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 

2 tbs finely chopped onion

2 tbs flour 

2 cups skim milk 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions

Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy medium saucepan. Add onion, and cook for about three minutes. Stir in flour, stirring, for about three minutes until smooth and bubbling but not browned. Whisk in milk all at once, and whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Turn heat to low, and simmer, stirring often with a whisk and scraping bottom and edges of pan with a rubber spatula, for 10 minutes, until sauce has thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves six.

Black Bean and Quinoa Griddle Cakes

Have you checked out the Picky Eater Blog?  If not, you should!  I have been following Anjali since I started Food Ramblings, and my most common comment is "I can't wait to try this!"

Finally, I am trying one of her recipes.  It was worth the wait because this griddle cakes were good!  The do fall apart when flipping them, and you can make them more veggie burger like by adding an egg.

I adapted the recipe a bit with the ingredients I had at home.  One of those was with peppers.  The original recipe called for yellow and red peppers.  I had a green red pepper and what I call a "scary, red pepper."  Good substitutes-- added a little extra spice.

Scary, red pepper is the one on the right.  These are all veggies
we got from the CSA that I have idea what they are :)

Black Bean and Quinoa Griddle Cakes

Ingredients

3/4 cup quinoa, cooked according to package instructions (should be with 1 1/2 cups water)

15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained

6 green onions, chopped halfway up

1 green pepper, diced

1 red scary pepper, diced

3-5 oz low-fat mozzarella cheese

3 tsp cumin

2 tsp chili powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

A few squeezes of lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Cook quinoa according to package directions and chop veggies.  Add all other ingredients to cooked quinoa and mix well.

Form small patties using all of the quinoa mixture with your hands. Heat a pan over medium heat that was sprayed with cooking spray, and pan fry each patty until both sides are slightly crispy and golden brown.

Serve with salsa (me) or bbq sauce (Austin).

Grilled Ratatouille Pasta

Yum, pasta!  I love a good pasta dish, but it is so hard for me to eat small quantities of pasta.  I saw this recipe from Comfort of Cooking and saw adapting it as a great way to combine with love of pasta (but only using a 1/2 pound of pasta for 4 servings) with some healthy, tasty veggies.  This was a huge hit in our house!!

Grilled Ratatouille Pasta

Ingredients
1/2 pound whole wheat pasta (I used linguine)
1/4 cup olive oil, divided, plus more for grilling
3 small red potatoes, cut in half and sliced
1 red pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 small eggplant, cut into thick slices
3  tomatoes, cut into thick slices
3 tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tbs dried parsley
Salt, pepper, garlic powder

Directions
In a medium pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain pasta and add to large pasta bowl.

Heat a grill pan (it was raining, so outside grilling was a no-go) to medium-high; lightly oil hot grill.  Add vegetables, and sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

Turn occasionally until browned and tender. Transfer vegetables to a cutting board and let cool slightly.

Roughly chop vegetables and add to pasta. Add 2 tablespoons of balsamic; mix. Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with parsley.  Serve hot/warm.

Serves four.

And apparently, I make weird faces...thanks for these pictures Austin :)

Kale Chips with Love

We have been wanting to try kale chips for a long time-- but have always used kale for something else first.  This week, we received kale in the CSA basket, and Austin grabbed it to make kale chips immediately.

Here are Austin's kale chips with love (recipe from Food Network.

Kale Chips  

Ingredients
1 head kale, washed and thoroughly dried
2 tbs olive oil
Salt, for sprinkling

Directions
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees.  Remove the ribs from the kale and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces. Lay on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil and salt. Bake for 20 minutes.  Turn leaves and bake for another 20 minutes, until crisp.  Enjoy!

I just liked to this picture and had to share it :) 

Fried Green Tomatoes

More tomatoes!!!  This time, they are green.  One of my favorite movies is Fried Green Tomatoes, but can you believe that I have never eaten a fried tomato.  Seriously.

The CSA basket came with gobs of green and red tomatoes, so I decided to try my hand at green tomatoes.  I didn't have all the ingredients at home, but since the recipe I used was already adapted from a Paula Deen recipe by her sons, I figured I could adapt it a bit too.

I thought they were tasty, but of course, I had nothing to compare it to.  Oh, and see the last picture in the post- now I know why you should only fry green tomatoes and not red ones :)

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients
1/2 cup low-fat whipping cream (original recipe called for buttermilk)
1 egg white
10 drops hot sauce (about 1/2 tsp)
1 cup cornmeal
3/4 tsp salt
1 tbs vegetable oil
3 large green tomatoes, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 1/2 pounds)

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a large cookie sheet with nonstick spray.  Combine whipping cream, egg white, and hot sauce in a medium bowl. Mix cornmeal and salt in another bowl, like a pasta bowl. Dip the tomato slices into the liquid mixture, then into the cornmeal, gently turning to coat.

Heat 1 1/2 tsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the tomato slices in a single layer and cook until browned on one side, about 4 minutes.

Transfer the slices, browned-side up, to the cookie sheet.

Lightly spray the tomatoes with nonstick spray. Bake until the tomatoes are golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes. Serve hot.

Whoops- here's a picture with the red tomatoes.

Roasted Tomatoes

The Sunday before our wedding, Austin went into the kitchen and came out hours later.  Here's what he presented:

Huge brownie points to the future hubby (as if I wasn't going to marry him in 6 days anyways)!!  Sirloin steak and tomatoes from the CSA and toasted couscous.  There is nothing better than a meal like this on a Sunday afternoon.

Hope you enjoy this simple tomato recipe that Austin found and adapted from the Food Network.

Roasted Tomatoes

Ingredients
24 large cherry tomatoes (in red and orange), halved lengthwise
3 tbs olive oil
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Arrange the tomatoes on a sheet pan, cut sides up, in a single layer. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle the garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper over the tomatoes. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, until the tomatoes are concentrated and beginning to caramelize. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Brown Rice and Zucchini Casserole

Zucchini is coming out of our ears, so when I saw this recipe after logging onto e-tools, I printed it out immediately for dinner that night.  Recipe was good, not great.  If I were to make again, I would add more seasonings and maybe even some ground sausage.  The recipe below reflects the changes I would make.

Brown Rice and Zucchini Casserole

Ingredients
3 medium zucchini, shredded through the large holes of a box grater
2 tsp salt
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cup cooked medium-grain brown rice, cooled to room temperature
1 cup low fat ricotta cheese
1 Tbs fresh, chopped basil
3 oz low-fat mozzarella cheese
1 Tbsp all-purpose whole wheat flour
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
1/4 cup breadcrumbs, mixed Panko and Italian style
2 Tbs Parmesan cheese
1 pound Italian sausage (casings removed)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown Italian sausage, drain, and set aside.

Toss zucchini and salt in a large colander; set in the sink for 10 minutes. Rinse well to remove salt. Squeeze it by handfuls to remove all excess moisture. Transfer to a large bowl.

Stir in the eggs, brown rice, ricotta cheese, mozzarella, flour, lemon zest, thyme, basil and pepper until well-combined.  Add Italian sausage and mix well.

Spray a 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray. Spoon and spread the zucchini mixture into the pan. Mix the breadcrumbs and Parmigiano-Reggiano in a small bowl; sprinkle evenly over the casserole.

Bake 25-30 minutes.

Serves 8, 4 points a serving (without meat).

Risotto in a Lemon Cup

When I saw this recipe while perusing the internet, I knew I had to make it....it's so cute!  Risotto in a lemon cup; yes please!!  I love the presentation of this and hope you do too.  It's adapted from the Food Network, based on what was in my pantry and fridge.

Risotto in a Lemon Cup

Ingredients
2 cups low-sodium beefbroth
2 tablespoons butter, plus 1 tablespoon
1/4 diced onion
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 Tbs grated Parmesan, plus 1 Tbs
2 tablespoons skim ricotta cheese
1/2 a lemon, zested amd juiced
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 lemons, for serving

Directions
In a medium saucepan bring the broth and 1/2 cup water to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep hot over low heat.

In a medium, heavy saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the rice and stir to coat with the butter. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes.

Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of the broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter, 2 tablespoons of Parmesan, ricotta cheese, the lemon zest and juice, and the salt and pepper.

To serve, cut 1/4-inch off the bottom of each lemon so they stand on their own. Take 1-inch off the stem end. Using a grapefruit spoon scoop out the flesh of the lemon and discard. Fill each lemon with about 1/2 cup of risotto. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Chili-Cheddar Grits with Grilled Corn and Tomatoes

Austin cooked again!  I was super stressed leading up to the wedding, so he did such a wonderful job making me feel supported by cooking and doing other housework too.

With this recipe, the pictures are not what they it should really look like, but the taste profile is absolutely there!  Austin ended up pureeing all the veggies together instead of just the tomatoes, making it a grit soup.  Whether it's grit soup or more chunky veggies, you're still going to gobble this meal down :)  This is another recipe adapted from Fine Cooking.

Chili-Cheddar Grits with Grilled Corn and Tomatoes

Ingredients
3 medium ears fresh corn, shucked
1 tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb. medium plum tomatoes, halved
2-3 summer squash, peeled and quartered
salt and black pepper
1 cup quick-cooking (not instant) grits
4 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
4 oz. extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (about 1 cup)

Directions
Lightly rub the corn with 1 tsp. of the oil. In a medium bowl, toss the tomatoes with the remaining 2 tsp. oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Put the corn, squash and tomatoes, cut side up, on the grill and cover (or in a grilling pan on the stovetop). Grill, turning the corn occasionally (don’t turn the tomatoes), until the corn is browned in places and the tomato skins have darkened and the flesh has softened, 8 to 12 minutes.

Set aside 4 tomato halves for garnish and put the remaining tomatoes in a food processor; pulse until smooth. When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut the kernels from the cobs.

In a heavy-duty 4-quart saucepan, bring 3-1/2 cups of water and 2 tsp. salt to a boil over high heat. Whisk in the grits, chili powder, and the tomato purée. Bring to a boil and stir in two-thirds of the corn kernels and the scallions.

Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, partially covered and stirring frequently, until the grits are tender and thick, about 5 minutes. Add the cheese and a few grinds of pepper; stir until the cheese melts. Divide the grits among 4 soup bowls and top each with a tomato half and some of the remaining corn.

Grilled Avocados with Salsa

Found this great recipe from Buns in My Oven- love to grill and it felt a little more tropical...like maybe I can eat it in Jamaica?!?

What do you think we're eating and drinking on our amazing honeymoon?  Post a comment below...

Anyways, here's this simple but great recipe!  We paired it with grilled chicken breast :)

Grilled Avocados with Salsa

Ingredients
2 avocados, halved and pitted
1 lime
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup salsa (homemade or store-bought)- we did store bought
salt, to taste

Directions
Preheat the grill to high heat.  In a small bowl, whisk the juice of the lime with the olive oil.  Brush the lime and olive oil combo on the avocado.  Grill for 5 minutes or until grill marks appear and the avocado is just warm.  Remove from the grill and fill the whole with salsa. Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

Too Much Corn (Part 2) and a Recipe

What a cliff hanger- you had to wait through the weekend to see what I do with all that corn...haha.

This week and the beginning of next week will feature recipes that Austin and I have made over the past month but haven't been blogged yet.  We are currently on our way back to Virginia and heading to Jamaica tomorrow :)  Expect some tropical blog posts soon!

But back to the kitchen!  Corn chowder is one of my favorites, so with an abundance of corn, of course we needed to make chowder!  This recipe is adapted from finecooking.com.

Summer Corn Chowder with Scallions, Bacon & Potatoes

Ingredients
6 ears fresh corn
scallions (about 10 medium)
3 slices turkey bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 Tbs. unsalted butter
1 jalapeño, cored, seeded, and finely diced
1 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
3-1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice (about 1-1/2 cups)
1-1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup light cream

Directions
Husk the corn and cut off the kernels (I used a new gadget, and it rocks!). Reserve two of the corn cobs and discard the others. Trim and thinly slice the scallions, keeping the dark-green parts separate from the white and light-green parts.

Line bacon on cookie sheet and cook for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cut bacon into 1/2 inch pieces.

In a 4 qt saucepan, melt the butter.  When the butter is melted, add the white and light-green scallions and the jalapeño, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring, until the scallions are very soft, about 3 min.

Add the broth, corn, corn cobs, potatoes, and thyme and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are completely tender, about 15 min. Discard the corn cobs.

Transfer 1 cup of the broth and vegetables to a blender and puree. Return the puree to the pot and stir in the cream and all but 1/3 cup of the scallion greens. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for a couple of minutes to wilt the scallions and blend the flavors.

Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve sprinkled with the bacon and reserved scallions.

Too Much Corn- Part 1

What do you do when you have corn coming out of your ears?  There's a couple things I do-- one is cook...the other, of course, is to save.  My boss' family has a farm, and she came into work one day with her trunk full of corn.  I took many a ear, but then I didn't know what to do with it.

So I blanched and froze enough corn to take us through the winter.  Start with a huge stock pot of boiling water.  Husk all the corn and break into pieces.  I found this to be easier that boiling who corn cobs, and they're easier to stack in the freezer bags.

Boil corn for about 10 minutes.

Drain corn in colander and put into ice bath.  My ice bath was the other side of the sink with half cold water and half ice.

When the corn cools, put in freezer bags and store until needed.

Enjoy for as long as the corn lasts.  Considering I eat 3-4 ears of corn at a time, I don't think this frozen corn will last long :)

Eggplant Involtini

Yum; that's all  I have to say.   This recipe, adapted from Bev Cooks, is filling and hearty (Austin said he didn't even know there wasn't meat in it) and tastes so fresh.  It's a perfect summer dish!

Eggplant Involtini

Ingredients
1 eggplant, sliced thinly into 6-8 strips
2 tomatoes, cut into small pieces
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup ricotta cheese, skim milk
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 green pepper, diced
1 tsp crushed red pepper
1 egg
1 garlic clove, minced
Basil (fresh is preferable, I couldn't find any at the store, so I used freeze dried basil, and it worked perfectly!)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (my meal had mexican blend cheese)
Salt and Pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 375.  Use food processor to smooth fresh tomatoes.  Add diced tomatoes to food processor and continue to pulse.  Spoon about a cup of tomato sauce over the bottom of a 2-quart baking dish.

In batches, place slices of eggplant on a microwave safe dish and cook on high for 3 to 4 minutes, until pliable. Continue with the remaining slices.  After eggplant cooks, pat dry with paper towels.

Meanwhile, combine the ricotta, parmesan, egg, garlic, basil, green pepper, crushed red pepper, and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small bowl or cup. 

Spoon the ricotta mixture in the center of each eggplant slice. Sprinkle with basil. Roll slices up and place in the baking dish, seam side down.

Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the roll ups. Sprinkle with cheese- both shredded and some additional parm cheese

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cheese is melted.  Just retying the recipe is making my mouth water!

Serves 5, 6 points a serving.

Beer and Cheddar Cheese Risotto

I have pasta on the brain- I have been craving something rich and creamy, and risotto absolutely fills the role...yum.  Beer, cheese, Italian, and risotto.  I am in heaven- thank to Gourmet Betty for helping with this craving!

Beer and Cheddar Cheese Risotto

Ingredients
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion (I used a scallion because I was all out on onions- gasp!)
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 12oz beer (I used Sam Adams Coastal Wheat)
1 1/2 cup fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1 cup arborio rice
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 pound Italian sausage (casings removed)
1/4 cup cheddar cheese (reduced fat)
1/2 bag fresh spinach, chopped
Salt, pepper

Directions
In a medium to large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and Italian sausage.  Cook and break apart sausage.

At the same time, heat up broth in a small pot and keep warm.

Once the sausage is cooked, add the rice and stir until toasted, about 4 minutes.

Add a third of the beer to the toasted rice, cook until liquid is absorbed, then continue to add beer 2 more times until the bottle is empty.  Then add the broth is 1/2 cup increments. Wait until the liquid is absorbed before adding additional liquid to the pan.

Cook until the rice is tender and creamy. Stir in the butter, cheese, and spinach until well mixed.  Add Salt and Pepper to taste.  Serve and enjoy!

Serves 4, 11 points a serving.

Italian Veggies

Austin and I came home from the gym last night (Yes- we are going to the gym- hurray!), and we had no idea what we were going to make for dinner.  I don't do well without plans, and all Austin wanted was pasta.  As you know, there is nothing I LOVE more than a carb-filled plate of pasta, but wouldn't that negate my workout at the gym??

I thought so, hence a compromise.  We would make pasta but it would only be half a meal.  I rummaged around my fridge full of veggies and found a great way to add to the pasta :)

The pasta was whole-grain penne with Trader Joe's vodka sauce- so yummy!

Italian Veggies

Ingredients
2-3 summer squash, sliced
3-4 red potatoes, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs Balsamic vinegar
basil, oregano, Italian seasoning

Directions
Coast pan with olive oil.  Cook onions, potatoes, squash, and spices until onions are translucent and potatoes can be pierced with a fork.  Drizzle with balsamic.

Serves 4, 4 points a serving.

And here's the amazing thing-- while my dinner was still Points Plus friendly, I was too full to finish my plate.  AND, I stopped eating instead of stuffing myself- that's progress :)

Kucoots

Kucoots is one of my favorite summer meals.  Growing up, my mom always had a vegetable garden full of zucchinis and tomatoes, making kucoots a staple.  I actually have no idea where the name came from, and google-ing this recipe name yielded no results on the recipe's origins :(

The meal is light and fresh and could be served over any grain.  We normally use pasta, but I think it would be great over couscous next time I make it.

If you make a big pot of kucoots, eat what you want for one meal and save the rest of a winter night when you need a taste of summer :)

Kucoots

Ingredients
1 28 oz can, diced tomatoes with basil and oregano
1 large zucchini (or 3 small), peeled and quartered
1 summer squash, quartered
3-4 small red potatoes, cleaned and quartered
2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp basil
1 Tbs olive oil to coat pan

Directions
Coat saucepan with olive oil.  Add garlic and cook until browned.  Add rest of ingredients, bring to boil and then simmer.  Cook until potatoes can be pierced easily with a fork.

Serve over pasta.  I normally make angel hair, but rotini works too (it's all I had in the cupboard!).

Serves 6, 8 points a serving.

Zucchini Tots

Last week, we got our first CSA produce for the season.  I was so excited!  I knew I was going to make chicken for dinner the night we picked up the produce, but I didn't know what else I was going to add to the meal.  I had to wait until the basket came home....no plan for a complete meal makes me nervous...

When the CSA basket came, there were so many goodies; I had no idea what to choose to make as the side dishes.  I decided on fresh green beans with almonds and zucchini tots from Emily Bites.  Getting all these fruits and veggies each week will definitely keep me on my toes when it comes to cooking, but I'm looking forward to eating more fresh foods this summer :)

Zucchini Tots

Ingredients

1 cup shredded zucchini, or 1 medium to large zucchini (using grated)

¼ onion, chopped

1 egg

¼ cup dry bread crumbs (Italian seasoned bread crumbs)

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

1 tsp salt 

1 tsp pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 12 cup mini muffin pan with cooking spray.

Combine all ingredients.  Fill the 12 muffin cups evenly and press down the filling to make compact.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the tops are beginning to turn golden. Run a knife around each cup to help the tots come out.

I LOVED these tots- Austin was sad they weren't made of potatoes, but that could be for next time :)

Each tot is 1 point- score!