Eggplant Involtini Primavera

In spite of my decision to revert to my carnivorous ways of old, I still hold a soft spot for a good vegetarian meal and cook them as often as I can.  This one got the high praise of being devoured in one sitting by several die-hard carnivores, one of whom is skeptical about eggplant.  I consider that a win!

Eggplant Involtini Primavera 

 1/4 C olive oil
1 large Italian eggplant (or 2 smaller ones)
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 leek (white only), chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped (this one was gigantic, maybe use 2 if yours aren't bruisers)
1/2 lb baby spinach
4 oz cream cheese
10 marinated mushrooms (regular mushrooms will work in a pinch, just add extra spices)
salt
pepper
1/2-1 t Italian seasoning
1 pint spaghetti sauce
1/3 C shredded cheddar

Preheat oven to 350°.

Slice eggplant lengthwise, as thinly as possible (1/4" or so).  Pan fry over medium heat in olive oil, ~2 minutes per side, until softened.  Place on paper towel to drain.

In same frying pan, sauté leek ~2 minutes, add garlic & sauté 2-3 more minutes, until leek begins to brown slightly.  Add bell pepper and sauté 2-3 minutes, until softened.  Add spinach and cook until wilted.  Add mushrooms, cream cheese and spices.  Stir until cheese is melted and spinach fully collapsed.  Remove from heat.

In greased 8x10 pan, roll eggplant slices around filling (or fold in half, which seems to be easier if you used a smaller eggplant).  Cover with spaghetti sauce and scatter cheddar cheese on top.  Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is melted and starting to brown just slightly.

Serves 3 hungry people!  This would probably serve 4-6 if dinner included side dishes, which we skipped entirely.  :)

Tortilla Soup

Early in the fall, the local farm where I get all my beef & pork from ran a special on stewing hens, so I picked up a case of 10 of them and have been playing with them off and on, trying different ways to cook them.  These aren't the plump chickens you'd buy for roasting, these are retired laying hens, so they are older, leaner, and a bit tougher.  More character, if you will.  ;)

As the name suggests, most of the recipes I've ever found for stewing hens involve making them into some sort of soup or stew.  Really, any recipe that involves long, wet cooking that will keep them from drying out would do the trick.

Tortilla Soup 

Broth:
1 3-4 lb stewing hen
3-4 carrots
3 bay leaves
1 T each ehydrated garlic & onion
enough water to cover

Soup:
1 yellow onion, diced
2 T oil (I used schmaltz)
9 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
4 carrots, diced
1 15-oz can corn (drained)
2 15-oz cans stewed tomatoes
1 chipotle in adobo, diced
4 sliced corn tortillas
1 T ground cumin
1/2 T chili powder
1/4 t each salt & black pepper

Toppings:
sour cream
shredded cheddar
fried tortilla strips
sliced avocado

In large stock pot, bring broth ingredients to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer.  Cook 1 hour.  Remove & chop hen into 6-8 pieces, then return to pot.  Cook 1-2 hours longer.  Cool enough to skin fat and remove and discard bones from chicken.  Shred meat and set aside.

In large stock pot, heat oil (I skimmed the chicken fat from the broth and used it) over medium heat, then add onions.  Sauté 2-3 minutes, add garlic, then sauté 1 minute more.  Add carrots and bell pepper and cook until onion begins to brown on the edges.  Add stock, chicken, tomatoes, cor, chipotle, spices and sliced tortilla.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20-25 minutes.

Serve with any (or all!) of the toppings.

This was just what the doctor ordered for the snuffly cold that has been going around - there is just enough heat to clear your head without too much of a burn.  If you like it hotter, add a fresh jalapeno in with the onions or double the chili powder.

Roasted Squash Tacos

Tacos may well be one of those perfect foods, no matter what you fill them with.  Beans, ground beef or chicken, grilled veggies, TVP, you name it.  I think I lived off bean burritos and TVP tacos through my college years!  There used to be a quirky little taco place in Seattle that was only open evenings and late nights and served a rotating (and admittedly random) set menu.  Sadly, they've closed up shop (no more late night drunken tacos, Capital Hill!).  This meal was very much inspired by their delightfully bizarre approach to their nightly vegetarian offering, which could be anything from beans to roasted cauliflower.  That one always gave me pause, and I LIKE cauliflower!


Roasted Squash Tacos


1 turban, butternut, or similar densely-fleshed winter squash, deseeded & cut into wedges
1/2 white onion, coarsely chopped
1-2 tsp olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

1 large jalapeño

1 lime
2-3 T fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 t garlic salt
1/2 t chile powder
3/4 t ground cumin

If you're using an unruly squash (and, being totally honest here, they all are), I highly recommend using grippy rubber gloves so you don't slip and cut yourself.  The turban I used was particularly troublesome, so I had to call in reinforcements. There may have still been a bit of creative cursing!

Roast squash and onion on cookie sheet with enough oil to coat and a sprinkling of salt & pepper at 400 degrees for ~30 minutes.  Onions should be browned on edges and the squash should be soft but not mushy.

Meanwhile, if you have a gas stove and a pair of metal tongs, char the skin of the jalapeño until nicely blackened and place in a paper bag to cool.  If you have electric or aren't feeling adventurous, you can roast the jalapeño with your squash!

Remove squash from peel, coarsely chop and mix with onion.  Add chopped jalapeño, cilantro, juice from lime, and spices.

I served this with some lightly marinated, grilled chicken breast, but it works fabulously as a vegetarian or vegan meal!

(The beans in the picture are from the Millenium Cookbook, which is the best gourmet vegetarian cookbook in my arsenal.  The photos alone are droolworthy, and every recipe I've made out of it has been amazing.)

Parsnip Soup with White Beans & Bacon

As part of my never-ending quest to empty out the produce drawer, we have reached the stage where parsnip overload was imminent.  Normally I serve them french fried and nestled up against a good steak or grilled chicken, but to be honest, digging through the freezer to find anything sounded like far too much trouble (sad excuse, I know), so there they sat and glared at me for a few weeks.  I kept hearing this rumour that parsnips were great in soup....and this time the gossip mill was onto something!

Parsnip Soup w/White Beans and Bacon

2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 small apples, cored and cut into 1/2" cubes
2 t olive oil
salt & pepper (pinches)

4 strips bacon
1/2 white onion
2-3 garlic cloves

2 C veggie broth
1 bay leaf
3 C milk (1%)
1/4 C white wine
1 can (14-oz) white beans
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ground pepper
pinch celery seed

2-3 garlic cloves
1 T olive oil

Place parsnips and apple on a large baking sheet, drizzle with 2 t olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt & pepper.  Roast at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes, turning once.

Meanwhile, in dutch oven or soup pot, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp.  Remove bacon and discard all but 2 T fat.  Sauté garlic & onions in bacon grease until golden brown on edges.

Add parsnips & 3 strips of crumbled bacon to the pot.  Cook for 2-3 minutes, then add broth and bay leaf.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.  Remove bay leaf and purée the soup in a blender (or with an immersion blender if you're lucky enough to have one of those magical tools), adding milk as needed until velvety smooth.  It was still pretty thick after 3 C of milk - you could add more water or broth if you want a thinner soup.

Reheat purée, adding beans, wine, and spices.

In a small frying pan, heat garlic in olive oil until fragrant & golden.  Remove from heat immediately.

Ladle soup into bowls.  Garnish with reserved bacon, crumbled, and drizzle with garlic oil.

I'm going to admit it is a little lacking in colour, but it was really tasty!  Very filling, too.  It did get a vote of 'not too weird' from one taster, but I blame that on the parsnips.  ;)

The unassuming looking sandwich there was made of pure awesome, and you should definitely have one.  Grilled ham & garlic brie (very ripe!) with dijon mustard and mashed avocado.  This one grilled funny because it was a little crowded in the skillet, but don't hold that against the poor thing.  It was still delicious.  :)