Eggplant in Miso Seasoned Sauce & White Beans and Sausage with Chimichurri Sauce on Toast

Eggplant in Miso Seasoned Sauce

Ingredients and Directions for Four Servings

2 medium sized eggplants *

2 tablespoons vegetable oil plus more for brushing eggplant

Garlic salt, for sprinkling on the eggplant slices

1 white or yellow onion, peeled and sliced

4 garlic cloves, peeled and put through a press

1 cup beef broth

2 tablespoons white miso

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons soy type sauce such as tamari, Maggi or reduced sodium

Optional: Greek yogurt and parsley for serving

Wash, dry and cut the ends off the eggplants. Slice about 1/4 inch thick and brush each side with a little oil. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Either grill over medium heat about 5 to 7 minutes a side or bake in a 375 degree oven for 50 to 60 minutes until easily pierced with a fork.

While eggplant is cooking, saute the onion slices in 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat until tender - about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the pressed garlic and continue to cook for 30 more seconds. Pour in the beef broth. Whisk in the miso, apple cider vinegar and soy sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes or so.

Cut the cooked eggplant slices into fourths and add to the miso broth mixture. Gently toss. Serve with a swoosh of Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of parsley if desired.

*In the photo above, I used a combination of regular and baby eggplants.

White Beans and Sausage with Chimichurri Sauce on Toast

Ingredients and Directions for Two Servings

2 to 4 slices of good quality bread, toasted
1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced
1 (15 oz.) can of white beans such as Great Northern or cannelloni
1 medium tomato, diced
1 tablespoon diced red onion
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for cooking sausage
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Drain and rinse the beans. In a bowl, gently mix together beans, diced tomatoes, diced red onions, 2 tablespoons olive oil, vinegar, salt, garlic powder and pepper.

Place the toast on a serving plate. Ladle the bean mixture and browned sausage slices between the two servings of toast. Top each serving with a tablespoon or two of chimichurri sauce.

Roast Chicken

Roast Chicken

 Use a fairly good sized chicken - like around 3 pounds or over

The easy way: sprinkle the chicken all over with garlic salt and lemon pepper. Roast in a pan or baking sheet with sides at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for one hour and 30 minutes.

The just a little bit harder way: Mix together 2 tablespoons orange juice, 1 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon oregano,1 teaspoon Kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. and 1 garlic clove put through press. Rub all over the chicken. Place in a pan or baking sheet with sides and roast at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 1 hour and 30 minutes. 

Banh Mi Bowl, Citrus Beet Salad & Brown Rice Chickpea Stew

Banh Mi Bowl 

To Assemble Banh Mi Bowls:

1.  For each bowl, cut a fourth of a cucumber into sticks, place in a bowl, cover with rice wine vinegar. Do the same thing for 1/8 of a sliced red onion. Plain or even apple cider vinegar can be substituted for the rice wine vinegar.  On the day I made this lunch, I didn't have any carrots or daikon radish on hand, but they are wonderful to give a soak in vinegar and use in this bowl as well. Set the cucumber sticks and red onion slices aside while they sit for at least 5 minutes. 

2. For each serving, use a heaping half cup of left over cooked chicken, beef, or pork.

Whisk together:

2 cloves garlic, put through a press
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons fish sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Maggi, Tamari or soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
pinch black pepper

Place the cooked meat with the whisked mixture and saute together over medium low heat for a good 5 minutes until the meat gets a crispy brown texture on the out side.

3. According to package directions, cook one serving of rice noodles, or even thin spaghetti. Drain and place noodles in serving bowl.

4. Drain the vinegar soaked cucumbers and any other veggies that might have been soaking, and place them on top of the noodles.

5. Add the meat.

6. Finish with a handful of cilantro, Thai (or regular) basil, and sliced radishes. A few slices of a hot pepper such as jalapeno or Serrano look nice on top.

Citrus Beet Salad

Ingredients and directions for each serving:

About 3/4 cup cooked beets - that's about 1 medium beet per person.
1 medium orange, peeled and sectioned
1 medium grapefruit, peeled, sectioned, and cut into pieces if sections are large
Heaping 1 tablespoon of shelled pistachio nuts
Kosher salt
Pepper
Some good olive oil
A handful of washed and dried herbs such as dill, parsley, or basil 

Peel the beets, cut into chunks and either simmer on the stove in a small amount of lightly salted water until tender - about 7 minutes. Or, roast by putting them in a single layer, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with Kosher salt, on a baking sheet at 375 degrees for about 45 to 50 minutes or until easily pierced with a fork.

Place the beets, orange and grapefruit slices on serving plate. Top with a handful of herbs. Sprinkle with pistachio nuts, Kosher salt and pepper. Add a swoosh of Greek yogurt on the side. Drizzle with some good olive oil.

Brown Rice Chickpea Stew

Ingredients and directions for four servings.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 stalk celery, diced (optional)

2 garlic cloves, peeled and put through a press

1 (15 oz.) can broth - beef, chicken or vegetable

1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup rice, brown or white

1 cup water

1/2 cup of protein if desired, such as cooked chicken, shredded beef,pork or poached egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

scant 1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, washed and dried

Heat the oil in sauce pan and saute the onion and celery (if using) until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and saute another 30 seconds. Pour in the broth, diced tomatoes along with their juice, and the drained chickpeas. Add the cup of water and rice. Season with the oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes or until the rice is tender. Ladle into bowls and sprinkle each serving with a tablespoon of cilantro leaves

Oatmeal Raisin Banana Pancakes

I'm just going to tell you right now - these pancakes are not light and fluffy! But they are healthyish and they do taste yummy. The oatmeal gives them a lot of texture and good-for-you fiber. I started making them for something that was a little fun and different for breakfast, yet I didn't want to jump too far off the mindful eating track. The raisins and cinnamon make them taste good enough for a holiday breakfast. But the banana is key; honestly without it this dish is pretty dry! 

Ingredients and Procedures for Six Medium Sized 6" Pancakes

2 eggs
1 medium banana, mashed
1 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup buckwheat (or all purpose flour)
2 tablespoons almond milk (or regular milk)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup dried raisins

1 tablespoon vegetable oil to fry pancakes

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until the yolk and white are well combined. Add the mashed banana, oatmeal, buckwheat, milk, baking powder maple syrup, lemon juice, salt and cinnamon. Mix well to incorporate all the ingredients into a blended batter. Stir in raisins.

Heat the oil in skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Working in two batches, fry three pancakes at a time by dropping 1/4 cup of batter on skillet for each pancake. When multiple bubbles appear on surface, flip each pancake over and cook for three additional minutes.

Serve with maple syrup.  

Old Fashioned Christmas Cookies: Easy and Super Delicious!

The recipe for these cookies must be at least 100 years old. I'm guessing this because my grandmother, who was born in 1903, brought Christmas tins of these to our house every holiday season. I remember biting into them - still cold from being in the truck of the car - and literally sinking my teeth into the soft shortbread covered with frosting. Sometimes she decorated them with tiny edible silver balls which seemed to add a magical quality to them. When I was about ten, she gave me the recipe and called them "Aunt Mary's Cookies". I should have asked her who Aunt Mary was! She must have been a relative that was gone before my time. I still love this recipe and even though they don't look very Pinterest or Instagram worthy, they are absolutely delicious!  They are especially easy for kids to make which makes them perfect for the season. Merry Christmas! 

Aunt Mary's Cookies - Ingredients and Directions for 2 1/2 Dozen

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks, regular salted)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda*
1 teaspoon cream of tarter*
Decorative sprinkles

*4 teaspoons baking powder can be substituted for the baking soda and cream of tarter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit 

1. and 2.   Using a mixer, cream the confectioners sugar and butter together until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3. and 4.  Add egg and extract(s) and mix until well combined

5. and 6.  Add flour, soda and cream of tarter (or baking powder) and either stir in or use mixer until the dough is stiff and smooth.

7,  Use two spoons to drop rounded mounds onto an ungreased baking sheet lined with either foil or parchment paper and place in preheated 375 Fahrenheit  degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Cookies will be done when they are faintly brown in places around edges or on top.

Ingredients and Directions for Basic Butter Cream Frosting - Plenty for 2 1/2 Dozen Cookies

1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick regular salted)
2 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon salt

Using a mixture, cream all ingredients together until light and fluffy.

Frost each cookie and decorate with anything you wish!

Australian Pub Food: Chicken Parmigiana

When we went to Australia a couple of years ago, I'm sorry to say this exhibit in the Melbourne Museum is as close as we got to seeing a kangaroo and an emu.  

But in our limited time there we did see the Sydney Opera House and ....

... Melbourne's famous St. Kilda Beach. In fact, we walked all over Melbourne as Allison showed us the sights of the city she lived in for a few months. (Later during her time in Australia she worked up north in an Uranium mine - but that's a whole other story!) 

One thing we made sure to do was pop in to one of the pubs by the beach and get a parma - also called a parmy depending where you are in Australia. This dish would be called Chicken Parmesan in the United States, but its Aussie full name is Chicken Parmigiana and it's usually served with french fries, either underneath or on the side. Sometimes there is the option of ordering it with a ham slice under the melted cheese.

 It was amazing to me that a dish that would be served in a fine Italian restaurant here, was considered bar food there! I've made this dish for many years, sometimes substituting eggplant or even round steak for the chicken, and the girls always loved it. If you make it, send me a line or two and tell me how it went: yatesyummies@gmail.com.

Chicken Parmigiana - Serves Four 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

One of the reasons this dish is yummy is that the sauce is nice and rich! So the first thing you want to do is make this quick, easy sauce and let it simmer on low heat while you are preparing the chicken.

Ingredients and Procedures for Parm Sauce

2 (15 oz.) cans of tomato sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon powdered garlic

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Mix ingredients together in a sauce pan. Let the mixture simmer over medium/low heat for 20 or 30 minutes.

Ingredients and Procedure for Chicken

4 (4 to 5 oz.) chicken breasts

1/2 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk or water

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Vegetable or olive oil

Rinse the chicken breasts and pat them dry with paper towels. Set aside.

In a bowl mix together the flour, salt and pepper.

In a second bowl whisk together the egg and the milk or water.

In a third bowl mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and dried oregano.

Using tongs, take a chicken breast and dredge it in the flour. Then coat it in the egg mixture and finally cover it with the bread crumb mixture.

Put enough of the oil into a skillet so it covers the pan and is about a 1/4 inch deep. Heat the oil over medium heat. Brown both sides of the chicken breasts about 5 minutes per side. Be careful not to let the pan get too hot because you want the chicken to be golden brown and not burnt.

Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and drain the oil out of the skillet. Return chicken back to an oven safe skillet or place it in a baking dish. 

Spoon the simmered Parm Sauce over each breast and place in the preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Carefully take hot skillet or baking dish out of the oven. Top each breast with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and continue baking for 10 additional minutes or until cheese is browning and bubbly.

Serve with french fries as they do in the pubs or opt for a nice green salad!

                              

Cucumber and Radish Salad

We've been traveling in our motor home for a couple weeks now. We went up through Michigan and crossed over into Canada. Then we traveled across the entire expanse of lower Ontario, went into Quebec and entered the Unites States again via New York. Upstate New York is a lot like upper Michigan; the 45th Parallel runs through both states - except New York has mountains! In both Michigan and New York we were gifted cucumbers and I found myself trying to do something other than just slicing into a lettuce salad. Pairing the cucumber with radishes gave them a kick and the yogurt kept it refreshing. But what I really liked was the flavor the thin red onion slices gave the salad; the yogurt mellowed them out and it made this quick and easy side really yummy!

Ingredients for Four Servings:

1 large cucumber

2 radishes

1/3 of a medium red onion

1/3 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon dried dill

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Wash and cut the ends off the cucumber. Thinly slice and put into bowl. Wash and thinly slice radishes and add to cucumber. Peel onion, thinly slice and place in the bowl. Spoon in the yogurt and the salt, dill and pepper. Gently toss and refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.