Eggplant Chips with Cilantro Pesto

I saw this recipe floating around on the internet somehow and quickly bookmarked it, so that I would be able to use some of my eggplant to make these chips. I always love it when I see unique ideas that use vegetables I love.

I made these for lunch one day last week and they were really tasty. I had a few problems getting the chips to crisp up, so I adjusted the oven temperature to 400 degrees F, and had to cook them for a little longer than called for. I also got a few slices that were really loaded with paprika, so next time I make them I think I will sprinkle the seasoning on after the olive oil is lightly coated onto the eggplant slices.

This recipe does take a little bit of time, so make sure you read the entire recipe before you begin. The eggplant slices need to be salted and then sit for an hour, but that is when I decided to make the pesto sauce.

There was enough pesto leftover to use on some pasta later in the week and it was delish!


Here is the recipe for Eggplant Chips with Cilantro Pesto
* I upped the oven temperature to 400 degrees, so my chips would crisp up

Heirloom Tomato and Basil Tart

I planted basil a couple of months ago and it has really been producing and growing quite a bit.
I love growing my own herbs because it saves me so much money and because it is fun to just walk out the door and snip what I need for dinner.

My hubby doesn't really care for pesto and he can't stand tomatoes, so I waited until we had a family dinner at his mom's house to make this recipe. I knew there would be enough other people who like both of those things to help get this eaten.

Making pesto is so easy. I reduced the oil in the recipe by quite a bit (I only used 1/4 cup) because I like my pesto less oily and a little bit thicker.

This turned out to be a really simple, delicious tart. Great for a group/party. And perfect for summertime when basil and tomatoes are at their peak.

Recipe for Heirloom Tomato and Basil Tart
* I only used 1/4 cup oil in my pesto

Chicken with Arugula Pesto

Do you love arugula?
I do.
It is a delicate little green that has a big bite. It is often described as "peppery" and as having a "strong" flavor.
It definitely has some taste to it and I think it is wonderful.

I love using arugula in salads, on sandwiches, pizza, basically anywhere you would use spinach.
I had a couple cups left in my fridge a couple of weeks ago and decided I wanted to make pesto with it.
I found this recipe for Chicken with Arugula Pesto on epicurious.com and thought chicken would be great with the pesto.
Some of the recipe reviews said that they subbed in a cup or so of spinach in the pesto to tone down the arugula and I am sure that was a tasty substitution.

The leftover pesto is great spread on sandwiches, wraps, as a base sauce for pizza or even with pasta.

The recipe called for poached chicken, but seared both sides of my chicken before I added the broth to the pan, so that the chicken would have a better texture on the exterior.
I should have sliced the chicken for the picture, it would have looked better, but thought of that after the fact. Oh well! It was yummy!

Recipe for Chicken with Arugula Pesto

Fried Egg and Polenta Stacks with Pesto and Spinach

This tasty lunch came about because I have been wanting to eat healthier lunches. I have been trying to get in more dark greens and I really thought this combination would be fantastic. It was. It came together really quickly too. First I sauteed the spinach and divided it between 2 plates. Then I fried 2 eggs in a very minimal amount of butter. I put one on each plate of spinach and then I sliced my polenta and warmed it in the same pan, I used for the spinach and eggs and melted a little cheese on top. Simple as can be. I topped each stack with a little dollop of pesto and enjoyed a healthy lunch and I was nice enough to share the other stack with a very lucky family member.

Fried Egg and Polenta Stacks with Pesto and Spinach by Mary Ann

serves 2

1 bag baby spinach

fresh lemon juice

garlic powder

2 eggs

2 tsp butter

1 log polenta

shredded cheese ( I used an Italian blend)

2 tsp pesto

Heat an electric skillet to medium high. Spray with cooking spray. Add spinach. Season with a little lemon juice, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Saute until wilted and divide between 2 plates.

Melt the butter in the same skillet you used for the spinach and add 1 one to each spot of butter. When egg is cooked enough to turn, then turn it over and cook until the yolk is how you like it (Cooked through for me!) Season with a little pepper and place 1 fried egg on each plate of spinach.

Slice polenta into 1/2-inch slices and cook in same pan you used for the eggs. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until browned. When the polenta is on the 2nd side, sprinkle cheese on top and let it melt.

Place polenta slice on top of egg.

Top each polenta slice with a tsp or so of pesto.

Up next- Craving Ellie- Greek Stuffed Peppers and Barefoot Bloggers- Chicken Piccata

Pesto Pizza

This is our favorite pizza recipe. We make a yummy homemade pizza crust and cover it with delicious pesto (sometimes we make our own and sometimes we just use a store-bought variety). Then you cook chicken and veggies in Italian seasoning and spread that over the pesto. Cover it with cheese and in a few minutes you have a delicious homemade pizza. I usually double the pizza dough recipe, because we can never have too much pizza and also because my son loves pepperoni pizza too. So we have a couple of varieties and have a good old pizza party!
What is your family's favorite kind of pizza?

Pesto Pizza

1 pound chicken breast tenders

1 Tbls dried Italian seasoning

3 Tbls pesto

1 cup mozzarella cheese

2 medium zucchini, halved twice and thinly slice

yellow, red, orange, and green bell peppers, chopped

mushrooms, thinly sliced

Pizza dough:

3 and a half cups flour (you can use half whole wheat)

1-2 cups warm water

2 tbsp. yeast

2 tbsp. honey

¼ cup olive oil

½ tsp of salt

Depending on if you like thick on thin crust, this dough can make 1 or 2 pizzas

For dough- place warm water, yeast, honey, olive oil, and salt in a large bowl or mixer (if you have a dough hook). Add warm water a couple Tbls at a time and mix until you have a nice smooth dough. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Cook chicken for a few minutes, in a little bit of oil over medium high heat, and sprinkle with Italian seasoning. Before it is cooked through, add zucchini, peppers and mushrooms. Add more Italian seasoning and cook until chicken is done and veggies are tender.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray round pizza pan or 12 by 8 baking sheet. Put pizza dough on pan and roll out with a rolling pin to desired thickness. Bake for 7 minutes on 450 degrees. Spread pesto evenly over pizza crust. Top with chicken/zucchini mixture, peppers, and mushrooms. Put cheese on top. Bake for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.

Coming Tomorrow-Pumpkin Cake with Whipped Cream and Pecan Praline

Slow Cooker Vegetable Casserole

This was a really hard dish to get a good picture of. It was nicely stacked in the slow cooker, but when I dished it up, it all kinda fell apart. The pics don't do it justice. Just try to imagine beans mixed with pesto, layered with polenta, zucchini, mushrooms, cheese and then spinach and pesto on top. Oh and don't forget the tomatoes. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious this ended up being. This was a tasty, easy dish that was full of flavor and veggies. I added a sliced zucchini because I had one and we had this on a busy weekend. If you need a side dish that is full of veggies, this is a good one. But, I am not going to lie, this is the only part of the meal that I ate.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Casserole adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
2 19-oz. cans cannellini beans
1 19-oz. can garbanzo or fava beans
1/4 cup purchased basil pesto
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 16-oz. pkg. refrigerated cooked plain polenta cut in 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 zucchini, sliced

1-8 oz pkg mushrooms, presliced
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1 8-oz. pkg. finely shredded Italian cheese blend (2 cups)
2 cups fresh spinach

Directions
1. Rinse and drain beans. In large bowl combine beans, 2 tablespoons of pesto, onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
2. In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker layer half of bean mixture, half of polenta, zucchini, and half of cheese. Add remaining beans and polenta. Cover; cook on low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or on high heat setting 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Add tomato, remaining cheese and spinach. Combine remaining pesto and 1 tablespoon water. Drizzle pesto mixture on casserole. Let stand, uncovered, 5 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Weekly Lunchbox- Chunky Chicken Salad Sdwh, Sliced Veggies w/Dip, Pesto Pasta, Chocolate Sdwh Cookies- and Spicy Bulgur Salad w/ Nectarines

Some people couldn't decide between peanut butter frosting and marshmallow so they took both.

This week's lunchbox takes most of it's recipes from Todd English. There was an article on Parents.com that featured this Chunky Chicken Salad- which got a double thumbs up from my son, Pesto Pasta Salad, Veggies and Frenchy Dip, and Chocolate Sandwich Cookies. I made them throughout the week and since there was a cookie recipe, I decided to compare a recent Chocolate Sandwich Cookie from Cooking Light. I didn't make either of the frostings that went with the cookies because I had just enough leftover marshmallow frosting from Cupcake Hero and some Peanut Butter Frosting from some cupcakes a week ago. The Cooking Light Cookies were like giant cake cookies that went great with the marshmallow frosting and Todd English's cookies were very chocolately and dark, like a brownie, but they were impossible to roll out I ended up rolling them into balls and smooshing them down a little. The last salad was very delicious and used our last nectarine from the backyard. (The pic is awful because I forgot to take a pic until there was no natural light, sorry!)


Todd English Sandwich Cookies above, Cooking Light Cookies below

Chunky Chicken Salad Sandwich From Todd English, on Parents.com
6 oz. leftover skinless chicken breast or rotisserie chicken, cut into small chunks
1/4 cucumber, diced
2 Tbs. fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbs. fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
4 slices whole wheat bread
2 tsp. soft butter (optional)

Step 1: In a bowl, mix all ingredients except bread and butter. Toast bread or, to grill, spread one side of each slice with butter. Spoon half the chicken salad onto a slice of toast or bread, butter side down. Top with another piece of toast or bread, butter side up. Repeat. If grilling, place in a skillet on low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned. Cut in half.

Sliced Veggies and Frenchy Ketchup Dip from Todd English, Parents.com
For kids over age 4, pack raw veggies with 1/4 cup of this delicious dip. In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup ketchup and 1/4 cup light mayonnaise. Stir in 2 Tbs. diced pickles.

Pesto Pasta Salad from Todd English taken from Parents.com
1 lb. orzo pasta
2 cups basil, chopped
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
5 pitted black olives
2 large, ripe tomatoes, diced

Step 1: Cook orzo according to the package directions. Drain and place in a bowl with very cold water and a few drops of olive oil so it cools fast. Drain again.
Step 2: In a food processor, pulse basil, cheese, remaining oil, garlic, and olives until mixed.
Step 3: In a large bowl, stir together pasta, basil mixture, and tomatoes.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies from Todd English, taken from Parents.com
Makes: 20 cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 cup cocoa powder
1 cup plus 3 Tbs. all-purpose flour
3 Tbs. water
Instructions:
Step 1: Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and mix together. Gradually mix in cocoa powder and flour. Stir in water.
Step 2: Form dough into a flattened disk; chill for 30 minutes.
Step 3: Preheat oven to 325?F. Carefully place dough on parchment paper; roll out to approximately 1/4" thick. Cut into circles using a 1 1/4" round cookie cutter. Place on cookie sheets. Bake about 5 to 8 minutes, until the cookies are firm at the edges and no longer doughy in the middle. Cool completely. Spread cream cheese frosting (see recipe below) on the cookie bottoms; assemble to form a sandwich cookie.

Cream Cheese Frosting
In a bowl, combine 1/4 cup low-fat cream cheese, 1 1/3 cup powdered sugar, and 6 Tbs. softened butter. Mix well.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies with Marshmallow Cream Filling from Cooking Light

Cookies:

1 cup sugar

5 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour (about 9 ounces)

5 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup fat-free buttermilk

Cooking spray

Filling:

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (about 2 1/2 teaspoons)

3/4 cup cold water, divided

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup light-colored corn syrup

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 375°.
2. To prepare cookies, combine 1 cup sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 2 minutes). Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and eggs; beat until combined. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, cocoa, 1 teaspoon salt, baking powder, and baking soda; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until set. Cool on pans 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.
4. To prepare filling, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water in a large bowl; set aside. Combine remaining 1/4 cup water, 1/2 cup sugar, syrup, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until a candy thermometer registers 244°. Remove from heat. Gradually pour hot sugar syrup into softened gelatin mixture, beating with a mixer at low speed, then at high speed until thick (about 6 minutes), scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; beat until well blended.
5. Quickly spread about 2 tablespoons filling over bottom side of 1 cookie; top with another cookie. Repeat procedure with remaining filling and cookies.

Spicy Bulgur Salad with Nectarines from the Top 100 Recipes for a healthy Lunchbox by Nicola Graimes

1/2 cup bulgur wheat

scant 2 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 Tbls olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 ripe nectarine, halved, pitted and sliced

3 Tbls pinenuts, toasted

2 Tbls chopped cilantro

pepper

1. Put the bulgur in a saucepan with the stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the stock is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let hte pan stand 5 minutes with the lid on.

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet and fry the garlic for 1 minute, then add the spices and cook another

minute. Remove from the heat, add the bulgur, and stir to coat it in the spices. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

3. Stir in the nectarine, pine nuts, and cilantro. Season with pepper.

Can be made in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Fusilli with Pistachio Pesto

Who doesn't love pesto? Especially when it is freshly made? It is so pretty to look at and tastes amazing. This has an interesting twist though. Instead of using the usual pine nuts in the pesto, it uses pistachios. This was a wonderful light lunch, with basil plucked from the backyard. I made it, tasted 1 bite, went upstairs for a few minutes, and when I returned it was gone!
Fusilli with Pistachio Pesto adapted from Cooking Light

8 ounces uncooked fusilli or rotini whole wheat pasta

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup shelled, roasted pistachios, divided

1 1/2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Lemon wedges (optional)

1. Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. Rinse pasta with cold water; drain.
2. Combine basil, 3 tablespoons pistachios, oil, salt, and garlic in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping sides. Transfer basil mixture to a large bowl; stir cheese and reserved 1/4 cup pasta water into basil mixture. Add pasta and tomatoes to basil mixture; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon pistachios. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

BB-Pasta, Pesto and Peas

I have joined the Barefoot Bloggers. It sounded fun, cooking recipes from The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten, and doable- we post twice a month on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month. I love to cook almost as much as I love to bake, and I already own all of her cookbooks, so I felt this was a good group for me to join. Tara of Smells Like Home, started this group. The pictures didn't turn out very well,(don't you love the smudge on my camera lens?), but the majority of us enjoyed this meal. We have one pasta hater and one pesto hater, but they ate it anyway. I didn't toss the pasta with olive oil, used fat-free mayo (I hate mayo, but can stand fat-free when used in salad type dishes) and also used alot less mayo then she called for. I also used half whole wheat pasta because, really, anyway I can make something healthier, I go for. I added more peas and I really enjoyed this dish. Oh, I almost forgot to mention, this recipe was chosen by Elizabeth of Ugg Smell Food.
Pasta, Pesto, and Peas
Copyright, 2001, Ina Garten, All rights reserved
3/4 pound fusilli pasta

3/4 pound bow tie pasta

1/4 cup good olive oil

1 1/2 cups pesto, packaged or see recipe below

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 1/4 cups good mayonnaise

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 1/2 cups frozen peas, defrosted

1/3 cup pignolis (pine nuts)

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook the fusilli and bow ties separately in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 to 12 minutes until each pasta is al dente. Drain and toss into a bowl with the olive oil. Cool to room temperature.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, puree the pesto, spinach, and lemon juice. Add the mayonnaise and puree. Add the pesto mixture to the cooled pasta and then add the Parmesan, peas, pignolis, salt, and pepper. Mix well, season to taste, and serve at room temperature.

Pesto:

1/4 cup walnuts

1/4 cup pignolis (pine nuts)

3 tablespoons chopped garlic (9 cloves)

5 cups fresh basil leaves, packed

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups good olive oil

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 15 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is thoroughly pureed. Add the Parmesan and puree for a minute. Use right away or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top.
Notes: Air is the enemy of pesto. For freezing, pack it in containers with a film of oil or plastic wrap directly on top with the air pressed out.
To clean basil, remove the leaves, swirl them in a bowl of water, and then spin them very dry in a salad spinner. Store them in a closed plastic bag with a slightly damp paper towel. As long as the leaves are dry they will stay green for several days.
Yield: 4 cups

Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Super Stuffed Meatballs

I don't have cable TV. I hardly ever watch anything, but rarely I sneak in the last 15 minutes of Rachael Ray's Talk Show because I know that is when she is cooking. I saw her make these giant meatballs (hers were much larger than these) and she stuffed them with mini mozzarella balls and grape tomatoes. This is my take on her Caprese Stuffed Meatballs.

This was our night before the half-marathon dinner! Carbs, Carbs and more Carbs

I wanted to make my meatballs smaller than hers, so I used grape tomatoes and chunks of fresh mozzarella that I cut myself.

Makes 16-20 "big" meatballs

Meatballs:

3 pds ground turkey, 93% lean

3 Tbls onion, shredded from a small onion

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1-2 Tbls Italian seasoning

8-10 grape tomatoes

8-10 cubes fresh mozzerella

Sauce:

the rest of the onion, chopped

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes, seasoned with oregano and basil

2 14- oz can diced tomatoes,seasoned with olive oil and garlic

1 8-0z can tomato sauce

1/2 cup prepared basil pesto

zest of 1 lemon

16 oz Whole wheat spaghetti noodles, cooked

For the meatballs: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together with hands, until all ingredients are evenly mixed. Divide meat into 16-20 sections. Grab a section and flatten it with your hand. Press down in the middle and insert either a piece of mozzarella or a grape tomato. Close the meat mixture around the cheese or tomato and make sure it is sealed. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray and make the rest of the meatballs in the same way. Drizzle meatballs with a little olive oil and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until meat is cooked all the way through.

For the sauce: Heat 1 Tbls olive oil in a large dutch oven over medium heat. Add the rest of the onion and saute until tender and slightly browned, 5-7 minutes. Add all the tomatoes and tomato sauce and cover. Bring to a low boil and turn off the heat. Puree the sauce in batches in the blender and place in a large bowl. Stir in the pesto and lemon zest.

To serve: Place noodles and sauce on a plate, Top with 1-2 meatballs and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 6 + lots of leftovers