Eggplant Sandwiches

Friends of ours recently let us have their week's share of produce from their local farm share crop. We were blessed to receive some beautiful veggies including a yummy eggplant. I decided to try this eggplant "sandwich" recipe which uses no bread. It turned out to be truly delightful! Please try it if you love eggplant! Cut a medium eggplant into about 1/2" thick rounds. (Mike accidentally cut ours thinner but we made it work just as well.) He made up for it by salting the eggplant rounds before cooking to help prevent chewiness. Jut sprinkle with salt and let sit for a few or until moisture droplets can be seen. He swears by this method, so I abide. We try to make cooking, when we do it, a pleasant experience for all as opposed to butting heads..... Anyway, you're going to dip each round in a bowl of flour and coat well. Then you will dip each in a mixture of 2 eggs beaten (vegans can use soy milk and some lemon juice). Let excess egg drip off of each round, then coat in a pre-prepared bowl of panko bread crumbs and any dried herbs you desire. See my southern fried tofu recipe from September for a more lengthy breading instruction. Heat oil in a skillet and place each round in when hot,  cooking each side until golden brown. Take them out and blot with a paper towel to remove any excess oil. (Cooking time was about 2-3 minutes per side.) I then began to "build" my "sandwiches" with the eggplant rounds as the "bread". First put down a round, then lettuce of your choice (we used romaine), then tomato slices, then basil, then a cheese of your choice, (we used mozzarella, but thought goat would be delicious, too), then top with an eggplant round again. These were firm enough to pick up and eat like a sandwich which made it even better! We added a glass of organic red wine from Frey Vineyards in California and we had ourselves quite a little meal that we were proud of and was delicious! 

P.S. Vegans can substitute a vegan cheese, and really you could get completely creative with how and what you stack on this sandwich! Have fun!

Southern Fried Tofu Wedges

As summer weather begins to fade around here, I start turning to more "warming" foods and recipes, hence, southern fried tofu wedges!

Start with a 1 pound block of extra firm tofu, rinsed drained and patted dry. Cut it horizontally into 3 equal slabs, then cut each slab into 4 triangles. (My math genius tells me this will give you 12 wedges in all!)

I then make an "assembly line" of my ingredients so I can whip these bad boys up in seconds flat!

Put 2/3 cup of flour on a plate.  Put 2/3 cup of plain soymilk with 2 tsp. of fresh lemon juice in a bowl and stir. Finally, put a cup or so of bread crumbs, some nutritional yeast (optional), salt, pepper, dried oregano, basil, dill, parsley and any other dried herbs you wish to use together on a flat plate and combine well.

Now all you have to do is dip each piece of tofu in the flour and coat well, then dip in the soured soymilk again coating well, and finally coat in the breadcrumb mixture and then set aside until all pieces are coated! (Just like the days of my childhood helping mom with her breaded porkchops-except these are cruelty free and much healthier for you!)
Lastly, coat a large skillet with veg oil and heat on medium. When hot, add the tofu wedges in a single layer.  Cook until the bottoms are well browned then flip and do the same for the other side.  When you remove the tofu from the skillet be sure to place on a paper towel lined plate to blot off any excess oil.  Then add your favorite condiments and voila! We like to use hot sauce, barbecue sauce and honey in our house, but not all at the same time!

These can be eaten with a fork but we also like to just pick em' up with our fingers, dip and eat! Little ones seem to like this form of eating, too! 

Couscous with Chickpea and Cauliflower Stew

Not that I love firing up the stove top during these hot summer months, but this stew was worth it! And then we just ate outside! It took hardly any time at all and made a tasty, hearty meal. I heated 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan ("Don't get saucy with me Bernaise!") then added 1 chopped medium onion and stirred until softening began. Then I added 1 1/2 teaspoon of cumin, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and pinches of salt and pepper. I stirred some more until fragrant.

Next I added a few chopped tomatoes with their juice, a rinsed can of chickpeas and one head of cauliflower cut into small florets. A 1/2 cup of water was poured in and brought to a boil. I reduced heat and simmered, stirring occasionally until veggies got tender and liquid thickened. (About 15-20 minutes). Lastly, I folded in a 5 ounce package of spinach which I chopped and let it cook until just wilted, about 1 to 2 minutes.

One cup of couscous was put in a large bowl and I added one cup of hot water to it. I covered and let sit for 5 minutes, fluffed with a fork and served with the stew. No, you don't even need a stove top to make couscous, just some hot water! Now it's chow time!

Mothers' Day "In The Raw" Brunch

Long gone are the lazy days of Sunday brunches at corner cafes since my little guy has turned two. Although my second choice this year was even better than the best Sunday brunch at ANY corner cafe! We all went to Arnold's Cafe in Lansdale, PA (which was originally located in Manayunk) It's a raw foods cafe and health food store, so it's pretty darn casual and kid friendly, too! Score! And everytime I eat there I get so inspired to buy, prepare and eat more raw foods everyday. Preparing raw is a lot of fun, but of course having someone else make it is even better! They have a delicious menu of salads, entrees, smoothies and desserts! I am literally like a kid in a freaking candy store when we go there! I decided on a "Zesty" salad, Mike got a "Toona Sandwich" which was all vegetarian and all raw! We also got a blueberry smoothie which my two year old slurped down without coming up for air, some "Rejuvenator" juice which was apples, carrots, celery and ginger all put through a juicer, and ended with a banana, carob and date whip which is literally better than any icecream I have tasted! Okay, now my mouth is watering! I forgot to mention they also have soups and wraps and host a whole bunch of workshops and potlucks to inspire and educate on raw food living! It's worth checking out and may just inspire you as well! Happy Momma's Day to me!!!

P.S. Arnold's is big on their "Green Smoothie" mission. Promoting them for building strong immune systems, prevention of cancers and other diseases.....sooooo..........we have been on a green smoothie kick here in our house (bananas, leafy greens (such as spinach) apples, water and some blueberries) and we are loving every slurp!

"Chickpea of the Sea" Sandwich

What a great, healthy and animal friendly alternative to your average tuna or chicken salad sandwich. It's also a great picnic season food and a better packed lunch option then opting for yet another overpriced crappy lunch at work! (ahem, Mike)

Anyway, I loved, loved, loved this sandwich and it is packed full of protein and other vitamins! Take a look:

Strain and rinse a can of garbanzo beans (chickpeas) and throw them in your food processor. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a pinch of cumin, a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, squeezed juice from half a lemon, salt and pepper to taste, two stalks of celery cut into one inch pieces and three scallions cut into one inch pieces. I also added nutritional yeast for extra vitamins, but it's optional. Next I ran the processor on low then high to get a nice chopped consistency for the celery, scallions and chickpeas. You can chop it to a smoother or chunkier consistency as you prefer. I then spread it on toasted multigrain bread with flax seeds, added nice crisp pieces of lettuce and finished with some vegan mayo spread. With the additional sides of chips, carrots and cucumbers, this tasted like a club sandwich served at a favorite corner cafe! Except I didn't have to dish out $12.00 for it. (But I did have to clean up.)

Edamame and Penne

This one is all about quickness, as I came up with it after I realized my husband wasn't going to be home for dinner and I had a few minutes until my sleeping toddler awoke from his nap.

I prepared the penne as directed on box, steamed the (frozen) edamame, and got some minced garlic warmed in olive oil with salt and pepper. While the oil was warming, I added the steamed edamame to it for just a few minutes. When pasta was done, I strained, then added the oil, garlic and edamame mixture right on top while warm and finished with some parm and fresh ground pepper.

Yum.

"Let Them Eat Broccoli"

I was never fond of broccoli. I usually preferred it raw if at all, with some veggie dip. But over the years I have really learned to enjoy it- and thank goodness! I recently came across an article that states that a study conducted by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine found that broccoli contains a chemical called sulforaphane that kills a pesky bacteria called "helicobacter pylori" (WHERE do they come up with these names?) which causes stomach ulcers and potentially deadly stomach cancers. So increasing it in your diet can prevent suffering from stomach aches and can also quite possibly prevent stomach cancer. In some Third World countries millions are infected with helicobacter pylori, likely linked to poverty and poor sanitation conditions. The research suggested that even a minor change in diet such as eating more broccoli can essentially help people heal themselves.

So if THAT isn't enough for you to get chomping on some of the green stuff, then how about the fact that it contains vitamin C, dietary fiber, and multiple nutrients with cancer fighting compounds? Basically, find a way to work it into your and your family's diets! Try it raw with veggie dip alongside some other colorful veggies. Or try it steamed with a dash of sea salt as a side dish. Chop it into salads, make a cream of broccoli soup, experiment with some new broccoli recipes! And get healthy!