Category Archives: Vegetables

I am a Texan. I grew up here in the Lone Star State, and I still live in the Dallas metroplex, not very far from where I grew up. Does that make me a little less worldly than some others? Perhaps. I’d like to think I make up for it with adventurous dishes with international flavors, like this beef curry or a big bowl of menudo. Sometimes, though, I love embracing foods a little closer to home.

I didn’t grow up eating much Southern food. My parents aren’t from the South, and so foods like grits, okra, fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, or collard greens were mostly foreign to them. I discovered these foods as I grew older and started eating outside of my own home, and let me tell you - I’m hooked. A great many Southern foods are humble and simple, making them the ultimate comfort food.

Collard greens are fairly common in my home today, and for good reason. Of course, they’re a delicious comfort food, as previously stated. In fact, this isn’t the first time I’ve blogged about them. But they’re also inexpensive and healthy, packing a good amount of vitamins A, C, E and calcium. I love them prepared in the traditional manner – simmered for a long time with some smoked ham hocks or bacon and onion, and doused with a bit of Tabasco when served – but  I also love them prepared in a speedier and lighter manner. Surprisingly, this version is just as tasty, without the ham or bacon.

My fellow Southerners might lynch me for considering such a notion, but hear me out. There is a product out there in the world that is smoky and delicious and is not bacon. The secret to my collard greens? Smoked sun-dried tomatoes. I find mine in the Italian food section of my specialty grocery (They’re California Sun-Dry brand, and no, I’m not being paid by this company to write about these babies, I just love this product.) They’re like vegan bacon, and they’re addictive. Try sprinkling some on salads, or incorporating them into a dip. Just try not to eat them all straight out of the bag. I dare you. If you don’t have access to this ingredient, you can always substitute regular sun-dried tomatoes (or even make your own!), but you might want to include some smoked paprika or something similar to add a depth of flavor to your greens. I encourage you to seek these out though.

The other main player in these easy greens is crimini mushrooms. I love them for their meaty texture and rich umami flavor. Slice a few of these up, and you’ve added a great element to a delicious dish.

There’s not much else to it. I intentionally wanted to keep this recipe fairly straightforward, so it could still speak to the simplicity of the more traditional version. Contrary to popular belief, Southern food doesn’t have to be all butter, deep-fried, and heart-attack-inducing. Traditional foods of the South never were about those things at all. Many people in the South simply learned to create delicious dishes on very humble, inexpensive, local ingredients, and nothing went to waste. If you ask me, this should be the philosophy of any great cuisine (and is the foundation of many traditinal foods!). Serve these up alongside some gluten-free cornbread, as a side dish, or as I often do with greens, as part of a warming breakfast. But whatever you do, make them soon!

Collard Greens with Crimini Mushrooms and Smoked Sun-Dried Tomatoes (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

1 T olive oil

4 oz crimini mushrooms, sliced

1/3 c smoked sun-dried tomatoes

1 large bunch collard greens, cut from stems and chopped

1-2 c vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms and dried tomatoes for 5-7 minutes or until mushrooms are soft. Add collard greens and sauté for another minute, tossing to coat them in the remaining oil. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes or until greens are wilted, opening the lid to stir occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.

posted on Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 by altawrites Posted in Budget-Friendly,Gluten-Free,Healthy Meals,Quick and Easy,Side Dishes,Vegetables,Vegetarian 20 Comments

This soup is a bit random. Chicken, a lot of different vegetables, and even some ham all found their way into my soup pot this past weekend. But often times, isn’t that the beauty of soup? You might have a kitchen full of various bits and bites, leftovers, and odds and ends, and with the right combination and a little simmering time, you have a rustic, comforting meal. It’s not culinary extravagance, but it’s good, particularly when a cold wind is blowing outside.

This particular soup started because I wanted to find something to make using the ham bone from Christmas that I’d thrown in the freezer. I didn’t want a bean soup (although leftover ham bones make beans taste delicious), nor did I want a potato or greens soup. Instead, I opted to go rogue, and create a random soup using a chicken that was also in my freezer, dried shiitake mushrooms, and whatever veggies were knocking about in the fridge. I wanted it to be creamy and comforting, but I didn’t want it to be heavy.

What resulted as a humble soup relying mostly on long-simmered, pureed vegetables as the “cream”, plus more veggies for texture and interest. Not to mention tasty bites of chicken and a lovely ham flavor accenting throughout. It wasn’t beautiful, and it wasn’t fancy, but it warmed my belly and satisfied my soul. (It didn’t hurt that it was a bit nutritious too.)

Creamy Chicken and Vegetable Stew

1 ham bone with a bit of ham left on it

1 whole chicken

1/2 yellow onion, peeled but left in one piece, studded with 6 cloves

2 carrots, scrubbed and cut into a few pieces (don’t bother to peel)

1 stalk celery, cut into a few large pieces

1 bay leaf, 1/2 t coriander seeds, and 1/2 t peppercorns, tied into a bag with a small piece of cheesecloth

1 oz dried shiitake mushrooms

2 c vegetable broth

1 lemon, sliced

2 T olive oil

2 T arrowroot starch

1 c non-dairy milk (I used So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk)

2-3 c water

3 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 zucchini, chopped

3 c chopped kale

1/4 t cayenne pepper

salt and pepper tp taste

Juice of 1 lemon

1/4 c chopped flat-leaf parsley

Place ham bone, chicken, onion, carrot, celery, bag of spices, mushrooms, and vegetable broth in a slow cooker. Lay lemon slices on top. Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

Strain broth from meat and vegetables. Skim fat from broth, and place broth and the carrot, celery, and mushrooms (as many as you can pick out, don’t get too worried about getting every last one of them) in a blender and puree. Set aside. Pick meat from bones and tear into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven or soup pot, add olive oil. Heat to medium heat and whisk in arrowroot starch. Add non-dairy milk and whisk in. Bring to a slow boil, whisking frequently, until thick. Add broth mixture from blender, water, and carrots. Bring to a boil and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add meat, zucchini, kale, and cayenne. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add more water if needed. Adjust seasoning to taste, adding more salt and pepper as needed. Just before serving, stir in lemon juice and parsley.

Serves 6.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

posted on Friday, January 13th, 2012 by altawrites Posted in Budget-Friendly,Chicken, Turkey, and other Poultry,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Healthy Meals,Main Dishes,Soups,Vegetables 10 Comments

Have you checked out The Balanced Platter yet? It’s a brand-spanking-new website, just launched on January 1. It’s an amazing resource for reliable, comprehensive, accurate, and easy-to-access information about balanced, healthy living, and is the creation of two of my most favorite gluten-free bloggers, Amy Green of Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free and Maggie Savage of She Let Them Eat Cake. This site will feature tips and recipes for healthy living, whole foods based recipes, helpful hints for living a full and balanced life and a lot more. I feel particularly blessed, as I’ve been asked to be a regular contributor to The Balanced Platter.

In fact, today is my first post! If you visit, you can read a bit about keeping things simple when trying to maintain a healthy diet, and you can check out my recipe for braised cabbage.

It’s not the most glamorous of vegetables, for sure, but it’s comforting, easy, and delicious, which makes it perfect for keeping your “must eat more vegetables” plan on track. It’s so simple, it barely needs a recipe, in fact. To read more about it, visit The Balanced Platter. Check back often – there is a lot of valuable information to come!

posted on Tuesday, January 10th, 2012 by altawrites Posted in Budget-Friendly,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Healthy Meals,Quick and Easy,Side Dishes,Vegetables,Vegetarian 4 Comments

The other day, I was ironing out holiday plans with my sister and parents. It was determined that the only time we could all get together for Christmas was in the morning, so we decided on a brunch. At the time, the only thing I knew I’d be serving would be a nice ham, and some sort of baked egg dish (I’ve since determined we’ll enjoy a variation on this frittata). When I called my mom to discuss plans and mentioned ham, she suggested scalloped potatoes.

It sounded delicious – ham with scalloped potatoes. But I felt a twinge of heartache as I envisioned the creamy, cheesy scalloped potatoes I was accustomed to; after all, I wouldn’t be able to indulge. (Yes, that might be a touch self-centered, but I’m being honest here.) And those dairy-free cheeses (such as Daiya), while I enjoy them, don’t fool the rest of the cheese-eating members of my family. I started to go down the path to decide whether to make it and just not eat (after all, there would be plenty of other safe things for me to eat), or to make something else. Then, I thought, what if I could find another way to make dairy-free scalloped potatoes?

And just like that, I was researching.

I browsed what seemed to be a hearty handful of recipes, no two of which were alike. (Except for, you know, the potato part.) I considered the flavor combinations that were used, and started to formulate a recipe that was unique to my own tastes. I wanted creamy and decadent, but didn’t want it to taste like “fake” dairy. I wanted it to be so flavorful that no one would wonder where the cheese was.

I think I’ve accomplished that goal. These scalloped potatoes are decadent. Creamy. Golden brown on top. Rich and full of flavor. You might even think that they’re better than the traditional version, finding ways to sneak just one more bite. I hope so. I hope these potatoes steal the show at your next meal, as I’m afraid hoping they might just do that for me.

Scalloped Potatoes (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

About 3 lbs gold potatoes (Yukon Gold works well) peeled and sliced thin ( I used a mandoline)

1 c coconut milk

1 c vegetable broth (chicken broth can be used)

2 T vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)

2 T arrowroot starch

2 T sweet white rice flour

2 T nutritional yeast flakes

½ t onion powder

¼ t garlic powder

½ t dry mustard powder

¼ t white pepper

¼ t nutmeg

3 T mayonnaise (vegan mayonnaise to keep it vegan; regular can be substituted)

¼ c white wine

1 T lemon juice

Salt to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a baking dish and set aside. (I used a dish that was 7X11 inches.)

Combine potatoes, coconut milk and chicken broth in a saucepan. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving milk mixture. (Use a sieve and a bowl underneath to catch the milk.)

Clean out saucepan and add vegan butter. Melt over medium heat and add in arrowroot starch and sweet white rice flour, whisking for 30 seconds or so, to cook the flour. Add back the milk mixture, the nutritional yeast flakes, onion powder, garlic powder, mustard powder, pepper, nutmeg, mayonnaise, and white wine. Continue to whisk until smooth. Continue heating
and whisking until thickened. Remove from heat.

Layer about half of the potatoes in the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Pour half of the sauce over this layer. Press down the
potatoes to make sure the sauce covers them all around. Add the remaining potatoes and pour the rest of the sauce over the top. Press again to ensure the sauce covers the potatoes.

Bake for an hour or until potatoes are browned on top and tender throughout. Serves 8.

This post is linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays at Gluten-Free Homemaker and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

Looking for other gluten-free holiday dish ideas? Check out this discussion over at the Udi’s Gluten-Free Community!
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posted on Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 by altawrites Posted in Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Side Dishes,Vegetables,Vegetarian 11 Comments

Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger is being hosted by Kalinda at Wheat Free Meat Free. This month, I adopted the creator of this wonderful event – Seamaiden over at Book of Yum! Sea has been blogging for a lot longer than most of us (she is one of the pioneers in gluten-free blogging). I love that her recipes are decidedly different than what I would create, which I love. These recipes are often very globally-inspired, with lots of Japanese influence. Since I know little about Japanese cuisine beyond sushi, tempura, and otsu, I am intrigued and inspired by the flavors of the recipes at Book of Yum. Even more, the majority of her recipes are full of nutritious ingredients, making it easy for me to incorporate a dish or two into my dinner plans without compromising my goal to eat healthfully (most days, at least).

I opted to make two dishes – Asparagus with Walnut Dressing (pictured above), and Zucchini Crust Pizza. Both were full of veggie goodness, and were more than achievable on a weeknight.

First, the asparagus dish. I love asparagus. I love to eat the spears raw in salads, lightly steamed or blanched, or tossed in a little bit of lemon zest. Most days, I keep it simple – it’s easy to steam some asparagus, and since I love the taste, I want its vegetable-ness to shine through. However, this walnut dressing, made of little more than walnuts and tamari, doesn’t cover up the wonderful flavor of the asparagus. Instead, it compliments it.  It was perfect for not only the asparagus, but I even used a bit on a garden salad, and it was tasty on some salmon I’d also prepared that night for dinner as well. I could imagine finding lots of uses for a sauce such as this!

The zucchini crust pizza was also lovely. I did modify the recipe to make it dairy-free (using Daiya cheese), and I opted for coconut flour instead of rice flour (I was out). I only used about 2/3 of the amount of flour called for in the recipe as a result, because coconut flour is very absorbent. Otherwise, I kept the crust as true to the recipe as possible. I topped it with some mushrooms, bell peppers, olives, pepperoni and sausage. (and more Daiya) It was delicious, and I loved that instead of a bunch of empty calories, as most pizza tends to be, it was relatively nutrient-dense, and full of flavor. So much so, in fact, I had to force myself to stop eating it. I easily polished off half of the crust. Whoops. Guess that’s a sign of a successful dish!

There were more recipes I wanted to try, but there are only so many hours in the day! I have bookmarked her Vegan Detox Mint-Avocado Virgin Mojito and her Injera to try at one point in the (hopefully not-so-distant) future. I encourage you to check out her recipes – I’m sure there is more than just one or two to tempt your tastebuds!

posted on Friday, December 2nd, 2011 by altawrites Posted in Appetizers,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Healthy Meals,Vegetables,Vegetarian 5 Comments

Is it Monday again already? The weekend flew by, as they usually do. I actually am together enough this Monday morning to share a menu plan with you!

A little caveat – while I do create a menu every weekend and plan my grocery shopping around it, that doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m married to that plan. Things come up (both good and bad) that prevent me from preparing dinner on a certain night. Sometimes, I’m just plain too tired to attack a complicated meal. (This is why I often incorporate easy meals into the menu, so I can rely on those meals when I know I’m not going to have the energy to tackle a new recipe or a dish that takes a lot of steps.) I’m fine with not sticking to my plan 100%. What my menu plan does accomplish for me, however, is peace of mind. Peace of mind knowing that I don’t have to wonder what to make for dinner, peace of mind knowing I’ve (usually) purchased the required grocery items to make said dinner, and peace of mind knowing we are getting a healthy, balanced meal most of the time. I suppose it’s my way of establishing some sense of control over what can otherwise become an overwhelming, chaotic event that for a lot of people, results in grabbing take-out or processed foods.

Monday

Breakfast: salmon and baby carrots

Lunch: leftover cabbage from dinner last night, a Tanka bar, almond butter (As I was writing this, I realized that the leftover chicken I’d packed for today is really too old to be safe to eat – it’s from last Tuesday. Whoops. Major fail on my part. Good thing I have some snacks in my desk for emergencies, or I’d be only eating cabbage for lunch!)

Dinner: lamb chops, acorn squash, garden salad

Tuesday

Breakfast: hard-boiled eggs, apple

Lunch: salmon and steamed kale

Dinner: out or leftovers – I have two soccer games

Wednesday

Breakfast: green smoothie with kabocha, spinach, protein powder, and pumpkin pie spices

Lunch: chili (there is some stashed in the freezer!)

Dinner: crustless chicken “pot pie”, sauteed okra

Thursday

Breakfast: hard-boiled eggs, possibly cauliflower rice pudding, if I get time to make it

Lunch: leftover chicken “pot pie” and okra

Dinner: steak, sweet potato puree (see below!), broccoli

Friday

Breakfast: hard-boiled eggs, apple with almond butter

Lunch: sardines with celery, leftover broccoli

Dinner: meatballs with spaghetti squash (GF pasta for the kids and hubby)

 And now, on to the maple sweet potato puree.

Sweet potato puree is one of my favorite “go-to” side dishes. It’s easy, and my husband and I love it. We’re both huge sweet potato fans, and this is a great way to enjoy them. With a little drizzle of maple syrup, they are sure to make a meal seem special. The best part? I cook them in the microwave!

I’m honestly not much of a microwave “cooker”. I use the microwave to reheat foods and to heat water for herbal tea. During the fall, I also use it to easily “roast” pumpkins and spaghetti squash (that’s a topic for another post!), but honestly, that’s about it. Except when it comes to sweet potato puree. Microwaving the sweet potatoes speeds up the whole process, and since I am pureeing the flesh anyway, it doesn’t deter from the flavor one bit. (In fact, it results in a creamier puree than if I was to boil cubes of sweet potato, since there isn’t additional water in it.) Now that I’ve started making this using the microwave, I don’t think I’ll go back to the slower, more dirty-dish-making method.

Maple Sweet Potato Puree

5 medium-sized sweet potatoes

2 T maple syrup

Salt and pepper to taste

Using a fork, poke holes in each of the sweet potatoes 4-5 times. Place the sweet potatoes in the microwave on top of a plate or paper towels. Microwave for about 12 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft when squeezed. (Squeeze carefully – don’t burn yourself!) Remove and set aside for a few minutes, until they are cool enough to handle.

Get your food processor ready with the metal “S” blade. As soon as you can handle the sweet potatoes, cut open the skin and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Place the flesh in the food processor. Drizzle syrup over, and turn on the food processor. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides if necessary. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. The sweet potato puree should still be hot enough to serve, but if it’s not, you can place it in a small saucepan and heat it over low heat on the stovetop.

If desired, drizzle additional maple syrup over each serving. We don’t usually do this, but it sure makes the photo look more drool-worthy! Serves 4.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

posted on Monday, October 17th, 2011 by altawrites Posted in Budget-Friendly,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Healthy Meals,Kid-Friendly,Side Dishes,Vegetables,Vegetarian 12 Comments

Wow, it’s been a week since I’ve posted anything on this lil’ ol’ blog. It’s not because I don’t love you. I do. I think life just got in the way a bit. And that’s not always a bad thing.

This past weekend was busy, as always, and I spent a good deal of time in the kitchen…as always. When I wasn’t in the kitchen, I was spending time with the kids, and enjoying some time with my husband, celebrating our 6th wedding anniversary. However, when I was in the kitchen, the kitchen adventures were not blog-worthy. I made a chicken and sausage stew that was just mediocre. I scrambled eggs, sauteed zucchini, and fried some bacon for Sunday breakfast. I attempted a grain-free carrot cake, but wanted to make it in layers. I should have lined the pans (even though I greased them) with parchment, because they stuck, and came out in quite a few pieces. It was a promising start, however, because those crumbled bits did taste pretty good. Hopefully I’ll have a successful version soon, but until then…

Here are some green beans.

While that sounds like the consolation prize of the year, let me assure you – these are anything but consolation-prize green beans. They are definitely more than the sum of their parts. Something magical happens when smoked paprika enters the picture. It’s one of my favorite spices – a little bit adds a wonderful depth and interest to a dish without overwhelming. Paired with the fresh green beans, nutty pecans, and just a touch of oil, smoked paprika welcomes the cooler temperatures and heartier flavors of fall. It’s becoming a mainstream spice, and I’ve found it at just about any well-stocked grocery.

What I love most about this, however, is its simplicity. During the week, my days are pretty full. The alarm goes off before 5:00 AM, and I’m up. I squeeze in a quick workout, and I’m out the door to work by 6:30-6:45, so I can try to beat some of the traffic and get to the office in under an hour (my commute is over 30 miles each way). I get home around 5:45 PM, and by then, I’m beat. Most of the time, the creative juices just aren’t flowing, and I am ready to figure out the quickest way to get dinner on the table. This is where simplicity is king. Unfortunately, that often means my side dishes and vegetables are nearly afterthoughts – I simply steam fresh vegetables and season with salt and pepper. While I love steamed fresh veggies, especially broccoli and asparagus, adding an ingredient or two makes a big difference without actually adding a lot of effort. Such was the case with these green beans – opting to toss with coconut oil and these spiced pecans made the green beans seem special.

In fact, they seemed special enough to serve company, or even at a holiday dinner. In fact, I would love to serve these at Thanksgiving, come to think of it. I’ll have to keep that in mind as time draws nearer.

Until then, I urge you to make these green beans.

Green Beans with Smoky Pecans

¼ c chopped pecans

1/8 t smoked paprika

1 lb fresh green beans, ends trimmed

1 t coconut oil

Salt to taste

Heat a small skillet to medium heat. Add pecans and toast, tossing/stirring regularly, for a few minutes. (Make sure you don’t walk away – the nuts can burn quickly!) Remove and toss with the smoked paprika and set aside.

Set up a medium saucepan with a steamer insert. Steam green beans until crisp-tender, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from steamer. Toss hot green beans with coconut oil. Season to taste with salt and toss in pecans.

Serves 4.

posted on Thursday, October 13th, 2011 by altawrites Posted in Budget-Friendly,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Healthy Meals,Quick and Easy,Side Dishes,Vegetables,Vegetarian 4 Comments

gluten, dairy, and egg-free fried green tomatoes

Sea at Book of Yum is our most gracious hostess for Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger again this month. I immediately knew I wanted to adopt Lexie’s Kitchen. Why? Well, other than the fact that Alexa is a super-cool mom dedicated to healing her son through a diet, she also is an innovative genius in the kitchen.

Example A: she made nacho cheese-stuffed jalapenos without dairy. Yep. I actually made these prior to adopting Alexa, and I didn’t take a photo, unfortunately. The nacho cheese was the best dairy-free cheese I’ve had to date. I MUST make it again. And the jalapeno poppers? Spicy (I must have had some HOT peppers), but amazing. If you make them, don’t skip the bacon. It definitely takes those little bites of fire to a whole ‘nuther level.

If that doesn’t convince you, how about example B: the fried green tomatoes pictured above. These were perfectly timed, as I saw a bunch of green tomatoes at the farmer’s market. Until making Alexa’s recipe, I had not attempted to fry green tomatoes since I went gluten-free, and never without cornmeal. Trust me, you don’t miss the cornmeal in these babies. They’re crispy on the outside, and pleasantly juicy within.

But just those two appetizers weren’t enough, in my opinion. In keeping with the seasons, I opted to try a version of her sausage and seasonal vegetable stuffed squash. I found large pattypan squash at the farmers market, so I opted to use them rather than delicata squash. Unfortunately, I had to make a few more unplanned changes to my stuffing mixture – I went to use the rest of some italian sausage I had in the refrigerator, and it was bad. Into the garbage it went, and I opted instead to make my stuffing vegan. I bumped up the spices a bit to compensate.

These babies were flavorful just the same. Soon, however, I’ll have to grab some delicata squash and some fresh sausage and try Alexa’s version again.

I didn’t get a chance to make these st(raw)berry cheesecakes, but they’re also on my “to do” list. Because who doesn’t love mini healthy cheesecakes?

Her blog is helpful for other areas of life as well. For example, she teaches you how to make a natural deoderant that works (something I must try one day!). How cool is that?

A big thank you to Sea at Book of Yum for hosting Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger again this month. As always, I love spending time getting to know my fellow gluten-free bloggers a little more. In this case, reading and trying out recipes from Lexie’s Kitchen definitely showed me that there are so many delicious treats that can be made, even on a gluten and dairy-free diet!

posted on Thursday, October 6th, 2011 by altawrites Posted in Appetizers,Budget-Friendly,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Healthy Meals,Main Dishes,Side Dishes,Vegetables,Vegetarian 8 Comments

I love eggplant. This is a relatively new occurrence for me. I never hated it before, I just didn’t really “get” it. I love that they are these gorgeous purple orbs (okay, yes, eggplant comes in more colors than just purple, but my eye really focuses on the purple ones!). They beckon at the farmers market or in the grocery, saying “buy me! bring me home!”. But I would bring a large eggplant home, and over and over, I would end up with a flavorless, spongy, less-than-appetizing vegetable. Oh, sure, I’d try to grill it or saute it, but it never lived up to my expectations. I was nearly ready to give up on eggplant.

Then I discovered baba ganoush. Apparently, roasting eggplant turns it from spongy and flavorless to creamy, velvety, and delicious. I could seriously sit down to a bowl of baba ganoush and polish it off all by myself. It’s that good.

That baba ganoush launched an entirely new relationship with eggplant. I think my chief mistake prior to that point in time was that I was undercooking it. Since I learned how to make baba ganoush, I also have fallen in love with eggplant in dishes like moussaka and ratatouille. I’ve even since returned to the grill with eggplant, making this too-hot-to-turn-on-the-oven grilled ratatouille.

Now that it’s starting to get cooler and summer is coming to an end, I thought a warm salad would be a perfect way to enjoy the end of eggplant season. Since we are also nearing the end of the (over)abundance of summer squash, I thought it would be perfect to include it in the mix as well. Paired with some mint from my garden and a lovely tomato jam, this dish was a great way to say “farewell” to summer.

What, you don’t have tomato jam? Well, I’m sorry to say, I won’t share any of mine. It’s too delicious, and I’m going to be stingy. Stephanie over at Recipe Renovator was giving away some tomato jam a while back, as part of a huge blog event (hosted by Bloggers Without Borders) to raise money for Jennie, who unexpectedly lost her husband, and I bid on it. Well, I won, and not long after, a jar of delicious jam arrived at my doorstep. After I’d opened it and eaten a few spoonfuls, (it was good enough to eat by itself) I thought I ought to incorporate it into a meal. The jam really made this salad into something special. Stephanie does share her recipe here, so if you don’t have tomato jam, you can make your own! I haven’t tried it, but I bet that you could skip the canning part if you wish and simply freeze some of it. That is, if you don’t eat it all before then.

Warm Eggplant and Summer Squash Salad

1 large or 2 small purple eggplants, sliced about 1/2 inch thick

2 yellow summer squash, sliced about 1/4 inch thick

1-2 T coconut oil, warmed enough for easy brushing

kosher salt

2-3 T tomato jam

1 T chopped fresh mint, plus a few additional mint leaves for garnish

ground black pepper

Preheat the broiler and line two baking sheets with foil. Spread out the eggplant and squash slices in a single layer on the foil. Brush with coconut oil and sprinkle with salt; flip and oil and salt the other sides. Place the baking sheets, one at a time, under the broiler for a minute or two, or until the vegetables are browned. Flip the vegetables and brown the other sides. (Be sure to stick around – walking away when something is under the broiler ensures that you burn it!) Remove the vegetables and place them in a large bowl. Add tomato jam and mint to the bowl and gently toss to coat the vegetables. Season to taste with pepper and additional salt, if needed. Serve warm or near room temperature.

Serves 2-4.

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free.

posted on Wednesday, October 5th, 2011 by altawrites Posted in Budget-Friendly,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Healthy Meals,Quick and Easy,Salads,Side Dishes,Vegetables,Vegetarian 9 Comments

 Before August brought the seemingly endless heat, I planted some butternut squash. It started out so well – it grew  by leaps and bounds every day, started blossoming, and gave promise of much delicious winter squash. Then the heat got the best of it. In spite of my watering, my butternut was just no match for 105-110 degree days. (I guess squash isn’t a desert plant!) I had three small butternut squashes from one plant before they all shriveled up, like just about everything else in the garden.

All but one, that is. A few weeks ago, seemingly from nowhere, I had one last plant that got a second wind and started to grow again. I was unsure whether it would be strong enough to set any fruit, but yesterday, when I went out to water, I noticed two blossoms on it. So I’m hopeful that we’ll get a few more butternut squash from my garden before the season is over.

These three small squash were used in this hash for breakfast yesterday morning. Along with some zucchini, a bit of onion, and some spices, this was a hearty, wake-up-your-tastebuds change from the usual morning fare. I topped mine with some perfectly fried eggs.

This week is back-to-reality time for us, as we go back to work after taking a week off and traveling. I started to get prepared by boiling some eggs for our lunches, and hoped to make some more granola bars (recipe will be in my book!) for my husband. However, my usual marathon Sunday cooking was short-circuited by some air conditioning issues we started having. The oven was turned off (along with just about every light in the house) when the house started heating up. We had it working for a while, but I already deviated from the meal plan, swapping meatloaf (Sunday’s planned meal) for a cooler, simpler option planned for Monday night – grilled chicken with salad. Here’s to hoping the A/C is in full working order later this week so I can still use the oven. Meatloaf will have to wait until this next weekend – good thing I have room in the freezer for the meat!

Monday:

Breakfast: hard-boiled eggs, leftover asparagus, carrots, and spaghetti squash

Morning snack: pear

Lunch: garden salad topped with grilled chicken breast with a homemade honey mustard dressing

Dinner: leftover curried chicken wings, mashed potatoes, green beans (A/C guy is coming this afternoon, so this may be very up in the air!)

Tuesday:

Breakfast: leftover chicken breast, spinach-blueberry-banana smoothie

Lunch: leftover curried chicken wings, carrots, spinach, pear

Dinner: chicken piccata, spaghetti squash, broccoli

Wednesday:

Breakfast: eggs, spinach-peach smoothie

Lunch: leftover chicken piccata, spaghetti squash, broccoli

Dinner: pumpkin shepherd’s pie (if this is successful, I’ll share the recipe!), braised cabbage

Thursday:

Breakfast: eggs, braised cabbage

Lunch: leftover pumpkin shepherd’s pie, tangelo

Dinner: roasted whole chicken, zucchini and sun-dried tomato casserole, mashed sweet potatoes

Friday:

Breakfast: leftover chicken and sweet potatoes

Lunch: leftover zucchini casserole, eggs

Dinner: out – it’s Brandan’s 15th birthday, so we’ll be celebrating!

…and now, for the curried squash hash.

Curried Squash Hash, inspired by Everyday Paleo

1 T coconut oil

1 1/2 c diced butternut squash

1/2 c diced zucchini

1/4 c diced red onion

2 t Madras curry powder

1/2 t cinnamon

A couple pinches of salt

Heat a large, heavy skillet to medium-high heat. Add coconut oil and allow to melt, swirling around the pan to coat. Toss butternut squash, zucchini, onion, curry powder, cinnamon, and salt together in a large bowl. Add to skillet and saute, allowing to cook undisturbed for a minute or two at a time before stirring, so that the pieces of squash get browned and crisp. When squash is tender, remove from heat and adjust seasoning as needed. This should take about 6-8 minutes.

Enjoy unadorned, or toss in crumbled, cooked bacon, and top with fried or poached eggs.

Hope you have a great week!

 This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays over at Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free and was shared at Gluten-Free Detroit Metro for GF Menu Swap.

posted on Monday, September 19th, 2011 by altawrites Posted in breakfast,Budget-Friendly,Dairy-Free,Gluten-Free,Healthy Meals,Quick and Easy,Side Dishes,Vegetables,Vegetarian 12 Comments