fresh food bites an average joe’s guide to eating healthier
Who You Callin’ a Turkey?
the joy of eggplant
Another year has passed and we are about to be graced again with the most football lovin’, too-much-food grubbin’ familygathering holiday of the year. Of course, I’m talking about Thanksgiving – a day where we gather with loved ones to give thanks for all of life’s blessings. But, we all know it’s really to give thanks for having an excuse to pig out, stretch out on the couch and try our goodness-to-honest best to stay awake during the football games.
FALL EGGPLANT AND SQUASH QUICHE
Sure, the celebration is all about the bounty, but in the end where does that bounty end up? Exactly – you get my meaning. However, the bigger question might be – the same one we faced last year and the year before that – where is all of that leftover turkey going to end up? I know the easy (and delicious) thing is the classic turkey, dressing cranberry sauce sandwich. But, why not push the envelope a bit, while remembering that, since Thanksgiving is over so are the excuses to pig out. It’s time to get back to healthy eating. At the same time, you might want something hearty, something fit for the next football weekend.
So, when I bought the cutest little eggplants in the world from Sundrees Urban Market, the wheels in my brain started turning. I used a few of them to make some delicious, but I wanted to use the rest in a dish that screamed “It’s fall.”
Well, guys, hearty and football are good, but what about the ladies? You know the gals have much more refined taste buds than we male Neanderthals. The ladies must eat too and, if they are going to be so kind as to put up with all our male posturing and yelling at the television, why not at least make it worth it to their taste buds? Most guys love chili – it is perfect gunky, messy, football manfood. The best thing about chili is that you can make it a kazillion different ways and it is still hearty and delicious. So bros, check this out: a chili recipe man enough for the game and gourmet enough for your obviously much, much, MUCH better and more refined other half.
chow bella simple tips and recipes on cooking with natural goodness
I love eggplant, though I did not discover until I was 22-years-old. I spent my youth confident that the strangely-shaped, purple vegetable was one I would never love – chalking it up there with brussel sprouts (which have also found a place in my heart).
To me, squash exudes the feeling of autumn – so I looked for something to combine the two vegetables. Scientifically speaking, both are considered a fruit, but for consumption they are vegetables in regards to flavor, usage and nutrition. As I prepared to make my dish, I read up on squash – I am amazed at the plethora of winter squash varieties. I have used spaghetti and acorn squash before, but for this recipe I decided to try something different, a delicata squash. The delicata is an oblong-shaped squash with a cream colored, green-striped outer skin and a golden inner flesh and ranges from five to 10 inches long. I found a vegetable quiche recipe on British website Good Food to use as a base for my creation. It didn’t hit me until I started measuring ingredients that the recipe was in metric measurements. Since I am not a math genius, nor do I know how to convert grams or milliliters into anything recognizable in the U.S., I found an online converter to get the gist of what
the recipe required. Then, as is my proclivity, I changed it significantly, subtracting and adding ingredients to make it my own. The entire affair was quite comical, but the finished product was a huge success. Eggplant can take on a wonderful meat-like quality when used in certain ways and this quiche was no exception. The squash became tender in such a lovely way that it beautifully complemented the other ingredients. It is a perfect quiche for the discerning vegetarian, yet combines the vegetables in a way that can be appreciated by nonvegetarians, too. Emma, my 4-year-old daughter, asked for three pieces and had more for lunch and dinner. In our house, this is the highest praise a cook can receive. I hope you enjoy – Happy fall! article and photo by ELLIE BENSON boyandabride.virb.com
3. Sprinkle the rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll out the dough using short sharp strokes to avoid stretching, giving the dough a quarter turn each time you roll to keep the shape.
Pumpkin Up Turkey Bean Chili
4. Set a flan tin (or a pie pan) on a baking sheet. When the dough is about two inches larger than the tin, lift it by draping it over the rolling pin and lay it across the pie tin. Press the dough into the corners of the tin using your fingers, don’t trim off the edges. Chill for 30 minutes.
INGREDIENTS 1 tsp. olive oil 1 large chopped onion 2 cloves chopped garlic 1 ½ tsp. oregano 1 ½ tsp. cumin 1 ½ tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. black pepper 1 cup minced bell pepper 14 ½ oz. chicken broth 15 ½ oz. drained canned great northern beans 16 oz. drained canned red kidney beans 14 ½ oz. canned crushed tomatoes 16 oz. canned pumpkin 2 ½ cup light meat skinless turkey, cooked and cubed ½ cup water
DIRECTIONS 1. Heat oil over medium heat, add onions, garlic, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt, black pepper and green pepper. Cook until onions and green pepper tender. 2. Stir in chicken broth, bean, tomatoes, pumpkin, turkey and water. Bring to a boil. Allow to simmer on low for 45 minutes. Average calories for this recipe are around 258 and the total fat content is under 3g. With carbs under 40g, sugars under 4g and a whopping 22g of protein, this chili is healthy a and perfect way to get your energy up for yelling at the television every time your favorite QB throws an interception! by JOHN “STONEY” CANNON John believes that anyone can learn to eat healthier - in small steps - taking one bite at a time.
from chow bella’s kitchen: Fall Eggplant and Squash Quiche
A delectable blend of winter’s fruits and goat cheese
INGREDIENTS FOR THE PASTRY CRUST: 1 cup flour 2 tbsp. cold water
½ cup cold butter
DIRECTIONS FOR THE CRUST: 1. Measure the flour into a mixing bowl. Cut the cold butter into small pieces, add to the flour and toss to coat. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour, lifting it in the bowl to keep it light and cool. Continue until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs. 2. Sprinkle in 2 tbsp. cold water and mix with a roundended knife until the mixture starts to come together. Gather the dough with your hands. Put the dough onto a work surface sprinkled lightly with flour. Knead lightly to form a smooth ball.
5. Heat oven to 390 degrees. Fill the pastry crust with a round of baking paper and add pie weights (or rice) to weigh it down. Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully remove the paper and weights. Cook the pastry for five more minutes (this is called baking blind). Let cool completely.
INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING: 3 tbsp. Butter 5 mini eggplant, cubed ½ Delicata squash, cubed ½ red onion, chopped 1 ¼ cup milk 2 tbsp. flour 3 large eggs ½ tbsp. salt (optional) ½ tbsp. adobo (optional) ¾ log full-fat soft goat’s cheese, sliced
DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat the oven to 340 degrees Melt the butter in a saucepan and cook the vegetables and onions for five minutes, until they begin to soften. Add milk and flour and stir over the heat until it thickens to a smooth sauce. Cool for five minutes, stirring occasionally. 2. Beat the eggs into the sauce and season. Pour into the pastry shell and layer the top with goat cheese slices. 3. Bake for 40 minutes until the filling is set and turns golden. Cool for a few minutes before removing from pan.
vergelive.com | community driven news | November 16, 2011 27