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7/31/17

Meatless Monday: Eggplant & Kale "Meatballs" With Smoked Cheddar Adapted From Skinnytaste


Need a quick, healthy and delicious recipe!? Do you stick to a meatless diet? Do you want to use a few random vegetables in your refrigerator? Then you'll definitely want to make my Eggplant & Kale "Meatballs" With Smoked Cheddar Adapted From Skinnytaste

I saw Gina's Eggplant "Meatballs" recipe last week on Facebook and decided to make it over the weekend...and actually did!

I made multiple changes to make the recipe my own:
1) I added kale into the "meatballs" mixture
2) Instead of bread crumbs, I used panko crumbs
3) I used a few extra seasonings 
4) Using smoked cheddar and doubling its amount REALLY made this recipe shine
5) Doubling the sauce amount is a must!



Meatless Monday: Eggplant & Kale "Meatballs" With Smoked Cheddar Adapted From Skinnytaste

Ingredients
Makes ~ 22 "meatballs"

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large eggplant, diced into 1/2" pieces
1 bunch of kale, ribs removed and discarded, leaves chopped
salt & pepper to taste
red pepper flakes to taste
1/4 cup water
oil spray
1 egg, whisked
1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
0.2 pounds (4 ounces) smoked Cheddar, shredded
2 28 ounce cans of tomato sauce
4 garlic cloves, smashed
10 thyme sprigs
basil for topping
ricotta (optional)


Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add eggplant, kale, salt & pepper, red pepper flakes and water, and cook on medium heat until the vegetables are tender.
3. Allow the mixture to cool slightly and then add to a food processor and pulse a few times. I left mine a little bit chunky. You don't want a paste.
4. In a large bowl, combine the egg with panko crumbs, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, parsley, smoked Cheddar, and eggplant/kale mixture.
5. Spray a baking pan with oil. Form "meatballs" using an ice cream scoop and then rolling them into uniform balls.
6. Bake the "meatballs" for 25 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, simmer tomato sauce with garlic and thyme sprigs in the same skillet you sauteed the vegetables. Make sure to cover the skillet with a lid to avoid tomato sauce splattered all over your stove.
8. Once the "meatballs" are done, remove the garlic and thyme from the tomato sauce, add your "meatballs," and simmer covered for about 10 minutes. 
9. Serve the "meatballs" with fresh ricotta and basil.


This was such an easy recipe to make. My condo smelled amazing, and I'll be having these "meatballs" for lunch with roasted butternut squash this week. Of course you can serve them over spaghetti or rice, and they'd be great in a sandwich topped with even more smoked Cheddar!

7/28/17

Weekend Dreams: Tomatoes


7/25/17

What To Do With Ginormous Summer Squash: Vegan Succotash!


If you are a gardener and have ginormous summer squash, I have a great dish for you: Vegan Succotash!!

Check out the 11 inch squash I received in my order of produce from Washington's Green Grocer. That thing could feed a family of 5 :)

I decided to cube the summer squash and turn it into a vegan succotash with a few other summer vegetables. Cured olives add a bit of interest and a great amount of saltiness. This can be breakfast, lunch or dinner, or a great base for frittata or an omelet.

What To Do With Ginormous Summer Squash: Vegan Succotash!

Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 large summer squash, cubed (about 2-3 cups)
1/2 large onion, sliced
1 orange pepper, chopped
kernels from 1 corn on the cob
salt & pepper
red pepper flakes
10 black cured olives, pitted
fresh dill

Directions
1. Heat a cast iron skillet. Add olive oil and allow it to heat.
2. Add squash, onions, and pepper and saute until translucent.
3. Add corn, season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes and saute until all the vegetables are tender and golden brown.
4. Serve topped with olives and dill.


7/17/17

Meatless Monday: Avocado Toast Meets Elote


Love avocado toast? Want to step up your breakfast? I have you covered with my Avocado Toast Meets Elote idea. This works great for a Meatless Monday meal!

This past Saturday night I was sitting on the couch, watching Moana and contemplating what to make for breakfast on Sunday. 

I'm almost always thinking about food. 

I mentally tried to picture the contents of my refrigerator and a few of the items stood out: avocado, fresh corn, and queso fresco. That's when I thought it'd be fun to combine a few of my favorite things: avocado toast and elote

Avocado Toast Meets Elote
Ingredients
sourdough bread, sliced and toasted
avocado, mashed
corn kernels sauteed in olive oil seasoned lightly with salt
sriracha
queso fresco, crumbled
cilantro, chopped
tomato, sliced & salted
iced coffee 
half & half

Directions
1. Top toasted slices of bread with mashed avocado, sauteed corn, sriracha, queso fresco and cilantro.
2. Serve with slices of tomatoes and iced coffee.

This was an awesome breakfast. Slightly messy. Satisfying. Pretty. 

What's your latest avocado toast creation?

7/13/17

Best TV Watching Food: Picnic Dinner

If you love watching TV and eating food as much as I do, I have a strong feeling you'll want to lick your computer screen or your phone screen when you'll see the photos below.

My friends Elizabeth and Sarah have been coming over to my condo on Mondays for The Bachelorette (no shame!) night, and other than catching up and watching the show together, the other highlight of our evenings is the food!!

Here are the photos from our last get together. Keep it simple: finger foods, something you can graze on, and a fun drink are the key ingredients to a fun picnic dinner.

Quick Sangria
Rose
Sliced Strawberries
Sliced Peaches
Leftovers? Make popsicles!

Cheese Plate
Triple Cream Brie
Blue
Cheddar
Baguette
Grapes
Salami


Mostly Vegetarian
Hummus
Cucumbers
Carrots
Olives
Ranch dressing
Dolmas
Salami


Not pictured: cherries for dessert.

What is your favorite TV food?

7/10/17

Meatless Monday: What To Do With Pea Shoots? Vegan Green Salad.


Last week I received a bunch of gorgeous green pea shoots in my latest order from Washington's Green Grocer. They were almost too pretty to eat. Almost.

I decided to create one of my big ass salads with everything green! You can of course add other vegetables, but I think it's fun to make a monochromatic meal from time to time. This salad is healthy, perfect for Meatless Monday, vegan and most importantly light and summery and tastes great.


The above photo is taken in front of my condo door (inside) which I've recently painted Laser Lemon. I'm in ♥ with how it turned out.

Vegan Green Salad

Ingredients
Boston lettuce
cucumbers, sliced thinly
avocado, sliced
pea shoots
basil
olive oil
salt 

Directions
Arrange the first five ingredients on a large platter, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt.


For a non-vegan twist, drizzle the salad with Ranch dressing! :)


I've also used these pea shoots on top of a turkey, cheese, and avocado sandwich, and on top of an egg salad sandwich. Check out my instagram

7/3/17

What To Do With Leftover Sangria: Boozy Popsicles

Do you have a pitcher of leftover sangria? I know it's a relatively crazy question, but you all know I'm a lightweight when it comes to drinking.

Unlike white wine that can last a while in the refrigerator, sangria will probably go bad after a day because it has fresh fruit in it. So.....blend it and freeze it in popsicle molds!

My latest sangria was made with rose, strawberries and peaches.

Cheers!


That's a bit of red, white and blue for your 4th of July!