Coconut curry eggplant with roasted cashews

What should you do with eggplant? MAKE THIS DISH. The same question popped into my head when I was grabbing this deep purple aubergine from the farmers market. I didn’t know what I was going to make, but I knew this little baby was going home with me. Although baked eggplant is one of my favorites, I don’t really like the thought of heating my oven (and so my apartment) for at least 40 minutes to an hour, especially during these warmer months. So I sliced this sucker, threw it on the grill pan with a little olive oil and salt (Isnt this how all great dishes begin?). I browned both sides, threw in some curry powder, a can of coconut milk, and let this simmer for a bit. To be honest, I forgot about it.

After 15-20 minutes I realized the stovetop was still on and ran over to check on my eggplant– they were nearly falling apart and my eggplant rounds were unrecognizable. I scrapped this soupy concoction out of the pan and into a bowl and decided to just go with it. Maybe this could be like Indian Baba-ganoush? I added shredded coconut to give it some more texture and toasted some cashews to put on the side.

The result– perfection. This little eggplant turned into this soft succulent, creamy yummy deliciousness. I love experimenting in the kitchen.. sometimes it works out great, sometimes no as I’d hoped, and sometimes I discover my favorite dishes. This is now one of them. I’m still not sure of the best way to eat it (I just gobbled it up plain before I could even think of what to eat with it), but I know it would go insanely well with the homemade paneer recipe Lauren just posted. So experiment, and hopefully you will find this recipe as yummy as I do. Happy cooking!

Coconut curry eggplant with roasted cashews

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 can (14 fl oz) coconut milk or light coconut milk
• 3 tsp curry powder (or a mix of cumin, turmeric, coriander, cardamom, and saffron)
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup  shredded coconut*
• Whole unsalted raw cashews
• Optional garnish: mint, lime

1. Cut eggplant into rounds, 1/2 inch thick. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil on med/high heat and add eggplant to pan. Brown both sides, about 3 minutes each.
2. Add coconut milk, curry powder and stir. Cover, lower heat to med/low, and simmer 15-20 minutes until very soft and falling apart. Tranfser to bowl. Stir and break up chunks with a fork then let cool.

1. Toast cashews on a small saute pan. Keep an eye on it and stir/shake every minute or two.
2. Add shredded coconut to eggplant and stir until combined. Serve with toasted cashews on top, a few mint sprigs, and lemon or lime on the side.

*you can use unsweetened or sweetened coconut, depending on your taste or what you are serving it with. I used trader joe’s sweetened coconut and it was delicious!

I think this dish is perfectly balanced with the spice from the curry powder and pepper, the sweetness of the coconut, and the tartness of the lime and mint leaves. The nuts also lend a nice buttery flavor and toasty smell. So eat up!

 

 

More Chiles Rellenos

Hi Karla,

So I haven’t posted in forever! But it’s because this is a crazy time. I had six people staying at our house this weekend, and everything has been nuts. I’ve had very little time for cooking, so I’ll do a little bit of a throwback post.

I saw that you made Chiles Rellenos! This is hilarious because Bill and I totally make Chiles Rellenos all the time. We use a fantastic recipe that I got from Bon Appetit a looong time ago, and I made this chili sauce from scratch with dried chilies that I smoke and then rehydrate. It’s stellar and the flavors are really complex.

Here’s a photo from the first time we made it that I found on my phone. This is from April 4, 2011!

We also made a tomato-mozzarella-caper-olive pasta salad that night. I remember that being very good too!

(I’m going to put all the recipes at the end. So, scroll down for those.)

It’s finally summer in Chicago, which means I’m sitting outside every day to eat my lunch. Right after mom visited a few weeks ago, I took the remainder of our arepas-with-corn-salsa breakfast to work with me and ate it in the park.

One real perk of working in a museum is that everything is so beautiful all the time!

Since I last posted, I also had some fun with veggie tacos, aka the easiest, cheapest meal around. Just toast a few little tortillas, add some veggies sautéed in your favorite taco seasonings, and top with lime soaked tomatoes, queso fresco, avocado and/or sour cream! Luckily at our nearby grocery store, this meal costs about $4, and you can pick everything up fresh on the way home. Bill and I definitely make these a lot. The ones in the picture are straight up portabella mushroom and onion tacos. It was what I had on hand. Yum!

I also went to Chinatown with Golosá. This time we went to a new Restaurant called Lao Yunan, which features the cuisine of the Yunan province. The food was incredible! Among the dishes below are Yunan Mushrooms (so flavorful!), a whole plate of Bitter Melon, the spiciest Ma Po Tofu you’ve ever had (it has that chili-spice in it that Dad talks about from the Szechuan province that makes your tongue numb. It’s phenomenal!) and lots of other stuff. It was really a treat. AND we got to meet the famous Tony Hu in person! If you don’t know him: check it out! (Tony is on the list of 100 most powerful Chicagoans!)

Goat Cheese and Mushroom Chiles Rellenos with Red Chili Sauce

(from Bon Appetit, June 2010)

* 8 large fresh Anaheim chiles
* 2 Tbsp butter
* 1/4 cup minced shallot
* 1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
* 6 cups assorted sliced mushrooms (such as cremini and stemmed shiitake)
* 1/4 cup dry sherry
* 4 oz soft fresh goat cheese, crumbled
* 1 Tbsp chopped cilantro
* 8 (4×1/4×1/4) inch pieces of Monterey Jack cheese
* vegetable oil
* 3 Tbsp AP flour
* 3 Tbsp cornstarch
* 1 large egg white
* Red Chile Sauce (see recipe below)
* Sour Cream/sliced avocado/crumbled Cojito cheese (optional for on the side)

Char chiles directly over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Enclose in plastic bag and let steam for 10 minutes. Using small knife, scrape off blackened skin, taking care not to tear chiles. Carefully cut slit in each chile, from stem end to tip. Remove seeds, keeping chile intact.

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallot and thyme; saute until shallot is translucent, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute until mushrooms are browned, about 7 minutes. Add Sherry; stir until almost dry, 1 to 2 minutes. Refrigerate mixture 10 minutes. Add goat cheese and cilantro; stir to incorporate.

Place 1 piece Monterey Jack cheese lengthwise inside each chile. Divide mushroom mixture among chiles; press openings to seal. (Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill.)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Generously brush rimmed baking sheet with oil. Whisk flour and cornstarch in shallow bowl. Brush chiles with egg white; roll in flour mixture to coat. Transfer to prepared sheet.

Bake chiles until browned and Jack cheese melts, about 8 minutes per side. Ladle 1/4 cup Red Chile Sauce onto each plate.

Chili Sauce

Ingredients:

* 3 large dried ancho chiles
* 2 large dried New Mexico chiles
* 2 large dried Anaheim chiles
* 2 cups water
* 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
* 1 Tbsp olive oil
* 3/4 cup chopped onion
* 2 small garlic cloves, peeled, sliced
* 1 tsp dried oregano
* 1 cup chicken broth, divided
* 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
* 1 Tbsp packed, dark brown sugar

Stem and seed chiles; tear into 1-inch pieces. Heat large skillet over medium heat. Add chiles to dry skillet and toast until beginning to smoke, stirring occasionally, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 2 cups water; bring to boil. Remove from heat and let stand 20 minutes to soften. Drain.

Stir cumin seeds in small skillet over medium-high heat until slightly darker and aromatic, 3 to 4 minutes. Cool. Transfer to spice mill; process until finely ground.

Heat oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; saute until golden, stirring often, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and ground cumin. Add drained chiles and 1/2 cup broth; sprinkle with salt. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes to allow flavors to blend. Add 1/2 cup broth.

Working in batches, puree sauce in blender until smooth. Add vinegar and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. (Do ahead: Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill.)

View of Chicago from the University of Chicago’s new Logan Arts Center, where Golosá performed a few weeks ago.

Spring Pasta Dinners

As it’s nearing the end of the quarter, I’ve been making a lot of pasta to try and make some cheaper meals. One of these is a light vegetarian pasta for spring, and another very hearty and meaty. Dennis and I used the moose-meat (his idea) and made a an awesome tomato cream sauce to go with it. There’s a secret ingredient that makes it better too— plain yogurt! It’s my new favorite on pasta to make it super creamy without all the fat. Try it!

Rigatoni with Olives and Pine Nuts

Rigatoni or other pasta

Plum tomatoes, chopped

Canned green olives, chopped

Pine nuts

Good strong olive oil 

Salt + pepper

Boil pasta as directed. Meanwhile add a good amount of olive oil (enough for dressing pasta) in a saucepan and add olives, tomatoes, and pine nuts to taste. Ad salt and pepper and simmer, stirring frequently, until tomatoes are cooked and pine nuts are starting to brown. Pull off heat. Drain pasta and add olive oil mixture. Serve or top with plenty of goat cheese which will melt to make a creamy sauce, or serve by itself for a light and refreshing spring pasta. Good cold for a picnic also. 

Moose-Meat Papparedelle

Papparedelle or other pasta

Pasta sauce

Ground meat (anything goes)

Carrots, shredded or chopped

Roma tomatoes, chopped

Cream, plain yogurt or sour cream

Egg (for topping, optional)

Salt + Pepper

Cook pasta according to directions. Meanwhile, place pasta sauce in a large frying pan. Add uncooked ground meat and simmer, adding carrots and tomatoes. Stir frequently and separate meat. When meat is fully cooked, stir in cream or yogurt until desired consistency. Drain pasta and add to sauce. Place in a large bowl. Fry up an egg and top with cheese for a richer meal (I didn’t do the egg, but apparently it was great). Bon Ap!

Stuffed Chicken with cheese and herbs

Chicken breasts (or tenders, for appetizer size)

Lemon

Herbs de provence (thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc)

Goat cheese (or other cheese)

Salt + Pepper

Kitchen twine (for tying)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lay breasts on a cutting board and place plastic wrap over to cover. Pound them with a mallet or a glass jar until flattened out evenly, about 1/2 inch thick for breasts and 1/4 inch for tenders. Be careful not to break apart. Take plastic off and squeeze lemon juice on top each one. Mix cheese and herbs together in a small bowl and spoon over chicken pieces (don’t overdo it). Roll each one up and tie with string (bow) and sprinkle with more herbs, salt, pepper and more lemon juice. Place on a baking pan with sides, non-stick spray and aluminum. Bake in oven until cooked through, about 30 min for chicken breasts and 15 for tenders (check a couple times with a knife to see doneness). and Whala! Impressive and so easy. Just serve as is and let people pull their strings off themselves.

Xo, K

Southern Comfort

This week I made something I’ve been wanting to make for a while, southern food! I bought grits at TJ’s and have been trying to think of some different recipes besides the standard gritz n’ cheddar cheese. This grit recipe is so good even non-grits lovers will like it and the collard greens are yummy and a great way to get those greens in. Lauren, grits will always remind me of you- I have no idea why. Maybe because I associate you with anything comfort food (grits, mac n’ cheese, pot pies…). I definitely never considered myself to be a ‘comfort food’ lover, but here I go… into the unknown. 

Parmesan-Perfect Grits

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium shallot, minced

1/2 cup frozen corn 

1/4 tsp salt, to taste

1 1/2 cups water

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cups stone ground grits

1/4 cup grated parmesan

Parsley or chives for garnish (optional)

In a large pot melt the butter and add shallots. Cook for a few minutes until soft. Add frozen corn kernels and salt. Add water and bring to a boil. Gradually stir in the grits. Let the water return to a boil. Set burner on lowest possible setting and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, for about 15-20 minutes. Add milk and stir for an additional 10 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Stir in grated parmesan cheese, and cream or butter for a richer taste. 

The collard greens are very easy. I just sauteed a mix of spinach, mustard greens, and kale with some bacon, shallots, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper for 15 minutes (until all greens are wilted and soft- make sure stems are removed) and its ready to serve alongside grits and a protein- whether sausage (like I have here), fried chicken or fish. Gotta love the southern comfort. The sauce was a leftover spicy paprika from my previous spanish patatas recipe. I just added a couple tsp of brown sugar. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Feast for Two

So I finally got around to making the aubergine recipe from My New Roots! And to stick with the Mediterranean theme, I made patatas bravas (spanish) with a smoked paprika sauce from the newest issue of Bon Ap, and a no-greens greek salad with shaved lemon and feta cheese. Even though there’s no meat in this meal, we literally fell into a food coma and watched all two hours of Sleepless in Seattle, unusual for a busy Sunday night. Definitely try these aubergines; I was very impressed by the paprika sauce for the potatoes too (which reminded me a little of hungarian goulash). I adapted both recipes a little bit, and here are some step-by-step photos.

Baked Turkish Aubergines

also Aubergines n’ Greens taken from MNR (Serves 2)

1 large eggplant

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Coarse salt

Feta cheese

Honey

Crushed red pepper

Toasted sesame seeds

Ground pepper

Mint (optional)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Halve the eggplant lengthwise and score at an angle to make cross-hatch pattern. Drizzle olive oil on each half and sprinkle with salt.

Place on baking sheet and bake in oven 35 minutes, until very tender. Take out and set oven to broiler. Crumble a generous amount of feta on eggplant halves and place in oven for another 2-3 minutes until cheese starts to melt (but keep a close eye on it!). After taking it out of the oven, drizzle a couple tsp of honey on each half (or more if you like), sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds and chili flakes, and top with fresh mint and pepper. 

These lovely ladies are great as a side dish or main, just scoop out the insides. They are meaty, spicy and ever-so-sweet! I opted out of the sesame tahini the other recipe calls for, but I dont think it missed it at all— you could really taste the eggplant this way. Next time ill try these with goat cheese and caramelized onions for a bit of variety… because they are too good not to make again!

Patatas Bravas (a traditional Spanish tapa dish)

as seen in Bon Appetit Magazine

Note: rather than using Russet potatoes I used baby dutch potatoes which have a lot of flavor and are the perfect size for dipping. I also opted out of frying these and baked them instead making them a lot less greasy. I used good smoked paprika Tia Di brought back from Spain and added a touch of cayenne for spice. Serves 4

1-2 lb dutch yellow baby potatoes

1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp smoked paprika (I used Pimenton de la Vera)

1/2 tsp of cayenne (spice it up!)

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and ground pepper

(Heat oven to 400F.)

For Sauce: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until translucent (about 8 min). Add bay lead and next 3 ingredients and cook, stirring constantly for 2 min. Stir in 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors comt together, about 10 more min. Remove bay leaf, season with salt and pepper and purée in a blender or food processor. Serve warm with potatoes (below).

For Patatas: Cut potatoes into wedges, leaving skins on, and toss with olive oil and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt. Bake in oven 45 min or until tender and slightly golden. Sprinkle with more salt, if needed, and serve with dipping sauce (above)

No-Greens Greek Salad

Cucumber, quarter-sliced

Ripe vine tomatoes, quarter sliced

Kalamata olives, halved

Garbanzo beans, rinsed

Extra virgin olive oil

Feta cheese

Lemon juice and peel

Fresh mint

Toss first four ingredients together with a squeeze of lemon and a drizzle of olive oil. Crumble large chunks of feta on top, grate or zest some lemon peal (trust me, more is better here) and top with fresh mint leaves and some ground pepper. Opa!

So there it is, a mediterranean feast for two. Though I regret not having friends over because this really is party food. It’s healthy, its comforting, its fun to prepare and it goes great with some homebrew (Red IPA is what we’re drinking here). Like they say in Greece, “Stin Iyiamas” also known as “to our health!” 

Chilaquiles

If you have never heard of Chilaquiles (often Chilaquiles Verdes) then please go to your nearest (real) Mexican food restaurant and order them. 

Chilaquiles are tortillas (usually corn, usually quartered) cooked in salsa with onions. Usually they would say “fried in salsa,” but that makes them sound greasier than they are. You really don’t need much oil, or much of anything really, to make these and they are so delicious.

Last night two of our friends had their engagement party. It was super awesome. I made bacon wrapped dates (a staple party food around here. I’ll share the recipe sometime soon) and friends brought all sorts of amazing food. It was also held in the bar where they both work. Needless to say, we all stayed until closing. SO, I woke up very late today and wanted a big brunch. This was perfect.

You can top the chilaquiles with anything you want, but some usual toppings (and my favorite) are mexican cheese and fried eggs. 

Chilaquiles

Oil (corn or canola work best)
5-6 small tortillas (I use the ~4in. diameter ones) quartered
Salsa verde (Or whatever salsas you have on hand. Pureed salsas like salsa verde, salsa ranchera, or salsa taqueria work better than chopped ones. I like La Preferida.) 
1 small yellow onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
1-2 cloves of garlic, pressed and chopped

Put 1-2 tbs oil in a non-stick pan. Sauté the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes, or until soft and slightly translucent. Add quartered tortillas and saute until they begin to brown. Add a little oil if the pan seems dry, but there should be plenty of liquid from the onions. Add ~1 cup of salsa. (Note: I actually used two salsas here. I added a little bit of very hot red salsa to the salsa verde to give it a kick.) Ass enough to coat the tortillas, but not so much that they are swimming in it. Carefully flip the tortillas and let the whole thing cook for a few minutes. Once everything is starting to brown, it’s ready!

As I said, I topped mine with some grated mexican quesadilla cheese and two fried eggs. I also love me some rice and beans, so I made that as well. 

Ta da!

Raspberry & Goat Cheese Beet Salad

Lauren,

I’m so sad to hear you got sick. Was it the lunch place at your work? I hope you’re feeling much better now. I’ve never gotten food poisoning but I hear its a disaster. I also checked out that new blog, what a find! Did you see the newest post? Fresh doughnuts, yum! I’ll also have to try that beet dumping recipe… and finally get out my pasta maker. Speaking of beets, I made myself an awesome beet, raspberry, and goat cheese salad a couple days ago I based off something I had recently at my local co-op (the picture above). They didn’t add goat cheese, chives, garlic, or orange, but I have to give them credit for pairing the awesome two-some: beets and raspberries. I’m so surprised how well these flavors go together, especially to liven up a root vegetable like beets for spring! This is my new favorite side dish, a must-try!

Spring Beet Salad

6 medium red or striped (red/white) beets with skin on

8 cloves garlic in shell

Red onion, thinly sliced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp raspberry vinegar

touch of balsamic vinegar

Grated orange zest (optional)

Salt/Pepper to taste

Small log fresh, soft goat cheese

Bunch fresh chives, chopped

Place beets in baking dish with some water to cover bottom, cover with foil, and bake in the oven at 400F for almost an hour. For the last 10 min, toss garlic cloves on a different baking sheet with olive oil and salt and bake until brown and tender. After cooling, peel beets and garlic cloves. Combine olive oil, vinegars, red onion, orange zest, and S & P to taste. Add beets/garlic and toss gently. Cover with plastic and chill in refrigerator while preparing goat cheese (below).

Place goat cheese and chives in a large bowl and using hands (or a fork) mix until well combined. Roll into log, cover in plastic, and chill in refrigerator until firm. Crumble into  pieces or slice thin rounds and add to beet mixture. Sprinkle fresh chives on top and serve with warm bread or main dish. Bon Ap!

Note: You can do so much with the leftover goat cheese, so make extra!! I made it with eggs this morning, and I’m also planning on making some goat cheese & chive biscuits (below) and maybe experiment with grits, corn, goat cheese and chive pancakes! I love this combo on anything… I bet pizza could be good too, with some fingerling potatoes and garlic, yum!

Feel better soon! Good food always quickens the healing process. Inspirational quote of the week: “COOK with LOVE,  EAT with PASSION!” 

Love, K

Veggie Lasagna

Hey Karla,

So pardon my absence, but I got food poisoning (LOVELY.) Thankfully, not from anything I made myself. One of my coworkers got sick too, so we’ve pinned down the source pretty accurately. Anyways, I don’t need to go into detail about it. It sucked.

It’s also the reason why this lovely lasagna is now chillin’ in my freezer. I haven’t been eating much other than chicken soup and avocados.

So, this lasagna comes from Green Kitchen Stories (big surprise), and the recipe is really long, so I’ll just sum it up here:

Veggie Lasagna á la Green Kitchen Stories
(link here!)

Layer 1: Tomato sauce (1 med onion (chopped), 3 cloves garlic, 1 chili pepper, 2 tbs capers, 25 olives (kalamata? I used a cheaper variety), 4 quartered tomatoes, 2 cans tomatoes, basil, S&P)

Layer 2: Noodles (cook according to package instructions)

Layer 3: Lemon Ricotta (Ricotta cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, basil, lemon pepper)

Layer 4: Roasted zucchini and eggplant, sauteed mushrooms and kale

Repeat!

Here are some of my step-by-step photos:

Then top this with Mozzarella so it looks like this:

All-in-all, it’s a good recipe. As you can see, my tomato sauce was pretty runny, which was unfortunate, because it meant that the whole thing didn’t hold together so well. If I made this again (which I probably won’t because Bill wasn’t a huge fan… I’ll explain in a sec) I would add a layer or two of mozzarella in the middle, and also use crushed tomatoes instead of canned whole tomatoes. I would also give the tomato sauce a longer simmering time so that it could thicken up more.

I liked this, but don’t expect it to taste like your normal lasagna. The capers and olives come through pretty strong and they definitely give it a different feel. Because all the cheese on the inside is ricotta, nothing really sticks together very well, and it is more of a combination of different ingredients than a complete whole.

This lasagna also totally sold me on something Deb from Smitten Kitchen said a few weeks ago, that really we all need to come to terms with the fact that cooked ricotta cheese really isn’t that great. It’s kind of mealy, and definitely pales to real cheese, etc. In fact, next time I make lasagna, I might just follow her latest recipe, which she swears is the real deal: Lasagna Bolognese. It’s definitely something I know Bill will like. I don’t know that I’ll be making my own pasta (I don’t have a pasta maker after all) but the rest of it sounds pretty awesome. Maybe I could still get a few thin slices of eggplant in there anyways.

But for now, this Lasagna is happily hanging out in my freezer so I can eat it in small chunks whenever I feel like it.

On other topics, my sweater is going really well! Up to ~11inches on the body at the moment. I forgot to take a picture of it this morning, and I forgot my phone at home today, but I’ll try to post a picture of it soon.

L

Green Sushi Salad

So I finally got a chance to try Green Kitchen Stories’ Green Sushi Salad (we talked about it a few weeks ago) and I have to admit, I’m not SUPER impressed, for a few reasons.

First of all, here it is!

First of all, I totally took out the seaweed about five second after snapping this picture. I thought that this would make me warm to it, but honestly, seaweed tastes super gross 😦 hahaha.

Also, I’m not really into the whole raw mushroom thing. They’re soooo much better cooked. I think next time, I would cook the mushrooms down a bit, just like they blanch the broccoli.

There ARE serious upsides to this salad, though. I used raw leeks instead of green onions, and they were fantastic. Also, the tofu marinade/salad dressing was SUPER. Here’s a picture of the tofu marinading:

Marinated Tofu
300 g tofu
5 tbsp sesame oil
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 clove garlic
1/2 red chili
2-inch (6 cm) fresh ginger, peeled and minced

And then you just let that chill in the fridge for two hours or so.

So I think in the future, I would make this more like a stir fry, with a bunch of raw components. (Snap peas, avocados, cucumber)

I also was a little more into this recipe yesterday than I am today. It was good when I was eating it, but I couldn’t quite get myself to take the leftovers with me to work today for lunch.

Oh well! I AM going to try their lasagna tonight when Bill gets back from Iowa, and I think later in the week I’ll also have a post about something called “Mexican Lasagna” that we had this weekend at a friend’s house. It will blow your mind!

Also, on the non-food front, I’m knitting a sweater! I don’t have any pictures right now, but I’ll show you when I’ve made a little more progress. It’s super cool.

L

Involtini di Melanzane

So, this week, MyNewRoots had a post about eggplant… I’m sorry. Aubergine. But it’s an aubergine recipe from Green Kitchen Stories that really got me pumped up about cooking today.

So good, it requires my second post of the day.

Here’s the filling, (quinoa, feta, pistachios, capers, onion, garlic, 1 raw egg):

This then gets rolled up into roasted eggplant slices:

Then top with a spicy tomato sauce:

This may be my new FAVORITE thing.

Here’s the whole recipe!

Go Make It!