Eggplant Lasagne

2 large eggplants, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

thyme, salt, pepper, oregano, basil  

Parmesan cheese

pasta sauce

grated mozzarella cheese

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Arrange sliced eggplant in a single layer on 2 sheet pans. Brush on both sides using 3 tablespoons of oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the eggplant until it is soft and golden. Turn slices halfway through, about 25 minutes.

Spread half of pasta sauce on the bottom of baking dish. Lay eggplant slices on top followed by a layer of cheese.  Repeat layers.  Bake until golden brown, at 350 degrees, for 30 minutes.

Optional:  add sautéed mushrooms and onion, or sliced (uncooked) zucchini

 

Falafels

·                         2 C cooked chickpeas

·                         1 red onion, chopped

·                         1/4 cup whole-wheat flour (or whole wheat breadcrumbs or quick oats)

·                         1 1/2 tbsp. chopped garlic

·                         1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

·                         1/2 tbsp. ground cumin

·                         3/4 tsp. salt

·                         1/2 tsp. baking powder

·                         1/4 tsp. lemon juice

·                         1/8 tsp. paprika, or more to taste

·                         black pepper, to taste

  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place all ingredients (except baking powder) in a food processor, and give them a good chop.  (or mash with a potato masher)   Transfer into a bowl, add the baking powder and stir together. Using a potato masher, mash any big chunks that remain – Mixture should remain slightly chunky, not smooth.

            Spray a baking sheet thoroughly with olive oil nonstick spray. One at a time, take spoonfuls of mixture in your hands and form 15 balls, each about the size of a ping pong ball, and gently place them on the baking sheet.   Spray the top of each ball with olive oil nonstick spray, for a total of about a 2-second spray.

              Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

          Remove baking sheet from the oven, and carefully turn each ball over, gently reshaping if the bottoms have flattened.     Return to the oven and bake for an additional 10 – 15 minutes, until golden brown and slightly crispy. Allow to cool and set for at least 5 minutes.

               To serve:  Cut the whole pitas into halves, fill with spinach, 3 falafel balls, diced tomato, and top with spinach and sauce.

                                Cucumber Sauce:                         

  6 ounces plain yogurt or light sour cream                        

  1/2 cucumber - peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

1    1 teaspoon dried dill weed

      salt and pepper to taste

  optional:  1 tablespoon mayonnaise  

      Hummus sauce:  combine 2 parts hummus to 1 part water, and stir until blended. Season to taste with salt / black pepper and refrigerate until ready to serve.  

Best (lowfat) Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 C flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar (or less)

1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar (or less)

1 large egg

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups quick oats

stir in: chocolate chips or raisins, or white chips and craisins and walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. In a large bowl, with a mixer, cream together the butter and the sugars on medium speed.  

Add the egg, followed by the applesauce and vanilla extract.

Working by hand, stir in the flour mixture and the oats until just combined and no streaks of flour remain; stir in the chocolate chips.

Drop heaping tablespoonfuls (approx 1 tbsp each) of the dough onto prepared baking sheets, flattening each cookie slightly. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until cookies become light brown at the edges. (do not overcook)

Let cool on baking sheet for 3 or 4 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Vegan version:  use flax seed for egg substitute, and use mashed bananas or margarine in place of butter

Lowfat chocolate cake

3 C flour        
1 ½ C sugar      
1 t salt         
 2 t baking soda
6 T cocoa        

2 t vanilla          

1/3 C oil        

2 T vinegar

2 1/3 C water             

Mix dry ingredients together. Add wet ingredients and mix well. 350 for 30 minutes.

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

 3 oz. soft cream cheese  (or soft butter)       

1/4 C creamy peanut butter

2 C powdered sugar         

2-4 T milk               

1/2 t vanilla

Beat until creamy. Add milk as needed. Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top of frosting, after frosting the cake.

Vegan frosting:  omit cream cheese and butter.  Use almond milk, stirring until frosting is thick.  Refrigerate frosted cake.

World Cup 2006 cakes for Isaac's 13th birthday in Germany

Fajitas

Cook chicken strips in oil until done (10 min or less). 

Add sliced onions and sliced bell peppers, cook til crisp-tender. 

Add taco seasoning, 2 T water (or so), and pepper. 

Add sliced tomatoes before serving on tortillas.  Serve with toppings:  cheese, guacamole, olives, sour cream, salsa, etc.

Vegan version:  omit chicken, cheese and sour cream.  Use cooked black beans and corn in place of meat.

ASIAN: Thai Peanut Noodles, Lumpia, etc.

Version #1:  Thai peanut noodles 

12 oz. linguine or spaghetti, cooked         
 2 garlic cloves
2/3 c. chunky peanut butter                    
1 c. chicken bouillon
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
1 c. shredded zucchini                    
up to 1/3 c. soy sauce

1-2 tsp sugar

optional: add shredded carrot

Add garlic, peanut butter, bouillon, chicken, zucchini, soy sauce, and sugar to a 3 quart crockpot. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Stir until smooth. Serve over pasta. Garnish with chopped peanuts, if desired. 

To make it on the stove:  Use cooked chicken cubes.

Vegan version:  omit chicken.  Use veggie bouillon instead of chicken bouillon.

 Version #2:  My new favorite Thai noodles:

Thai Peanut Noodles - Nora Cooks

Version #3: Thai peanut noodles

2 garlic cloves

⅔ C peanut butter

1 C chicken broth

1 C shredded zucchini

⅓ C soy sauce

1 t sugar

Red pepper

T lime juice

Cilantro peanuts

Green onions

Lumpia  /  Sweet and sour chicken

Gnocchis

5 C mashed potatoes           

 2 ½ C flour       

1 T salt      

1 egg

2 T olive oil      

Blend.    Knead until dough forms a ball. Shape small portions of the dough into long "snakes". On a floured surface, cut snakes into half-inch pieces.    Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Drop gnocchi into boiling water and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until gnocchi have risen to the top; drain and serve.  Serve with pesto sauce or tomato sauce.

Sauce for gnocchis:  tomato sauce simmered with onion, garlic, oregano, basil, olives, green pepper, salt, pepper, thyme, beef, bay leaf, mushrooms.  Eat on Christmas Eve.

Grandma Shirley's berry dessert

Riley Family Favorite Dessert -

CRUST:
2 C flour                    
1 C chopped walnuts                    
 1 C brown sugar           
1 cube butter (NOT MELTED) -- or less

Press crust into 13”x 9” pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, stirring it every 4 minutes. Reserve ¾ C to sprinkle over the top.

FILLING:

8 oz. package cream cheese, softened                 

1 C powdered sugar                 

1 container of Cool Whip (12 oz?)

Beat until smooth. Layer over COOL crust. Chill in refrigerator before pouring berries on top.

Topping: Stir (approx.) 2 T corn starch and 1/4 sugar into 1/4 C water.  Simmer with one pkg frozen berries, or use  fresh berries.    Cool.

Berry dessert for Isaac's 19th birthday.  Dad got to watch (from Kuwait) on Skype

Sweet Potato and Lentil Curry Stew

2 tsp oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 peeled and chopped eggplant

2 celery stalks, sliced

2 large carrots, diced

2 tbsp curry powder

1 cup lentils, rinsed and picked through

  2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

  1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes and juices

1 8 ounces tomato (or pasta) sauce

 1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1 inch pieces

  3 cups baby spinach

optional:  one chopped bunch of broccoli

Heat oil on medium heat and sauté onions, garlic, eggplant, celery and carrots for 6-7 minutes. Sprinkle curry powder and stir well. Add broth, lentils, canned tomatoes and tomato sauce. Bring to a boil. Add sweet potato chunks, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 25 minutes, until lentils are tender. Add broccoli for last 10 minutes of simmering.  Stir in baby spinach and cooked chicken. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
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Another version (we usually look at a few recipes and make our own version)

LLentil sweet potato stew

2 Tbsp coconut or extra-virgin olive oil

·                                 1 tsp ground cumin

·                                 1 tsp ground turmeric

·                                 1 Tbsp curry powder

·                                 1 diced large onion

·                                 Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

·                                 4 minced cloves garlic

·                                 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger

·                                 2 peeled and diced sweet potatoes

·                                 1 diced (stemmed, seeded) red bell pepper

·                                 1 1/2 cups rinsed red lentils

·                 6 C broth

·                 Chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

1.                               Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook cumin, turmeric and curry powder until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add onion with a few pinches salt, and cook, stirring, until tender, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until tender, about 2 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and bell pepper and cook 1 minute.

2.                               Add lentils and  Broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Top with cilantro before serving.