Eggplant Parmesan

I was a little skeptically when I decided to make this. I had never had eggplant in any form and I was more nervous that my husband wouldn't like it. But it turned out great. I loved. Husband loved it. It was easy to make. The hardest part was peeling and cutting the eggplant, and that wasn't very hard. It's a great alternative to chicken.
1 eggplant peeled and thinly sliced
1 beaten egg
1 1/2 c Italian seasoned bread crumbs
3 c spaghetti sauce
8 oz mozzarella cheese
1/2 grated Parmesan cheese (use fresh)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Dip eggplant in egg, then bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake for 5 minutes on each side. In 9x13 baking dish spread sauce to cover, Place layer of eggplant then sprinkle with cheeses. Repeat with remaining ingredients ending with cheeses. Bake for 35 minutes. Serves 4.

Sour Cream & Blueberry Pound Cake

Blueberries are a "super food", or rather any berry is. They can reduce your odds of heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, and are full of anti-oxidants, hence why they can reduce cancer odds. It's important to eat them regularly, frozen or fresh are the best. I found this recipe from the lovely Martha Stewart. (Okay maybe not lovely but she does have some cool stuff). It fulfills your need for "super food" and your sweet tooth. And when I say pound cake a slice is all you need because it really does feel like you are eating a pound. So make sure you share!

3 1/4 c all purpose flour
1 T salt
3 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 c sour cream
2 c sugar
1 t vanilla
9 eggs
1 c blueberries
1 T flour

Preheat oven to 325. Butter two 5x9 loaf pans. Combine flour and salt in a bowl. Cream butter, sour cream and sugar with a mixer on high until pale and fluffy, for 8 minutes. Reduce speed and add vanilla. Lightly beat eggs and add in four additions, mixing thoroughly after each. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in four additions mixing until just incorporated. Add 1 T flour and blueberries and blend. Divide batter between pans. Tap on counter to distribute; smooth tops. Bake for 65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan for about 30 minutes. Makes 2 cakes.

Jerky Chicken

This is a spicy and sweet chicken recipe. It was very simple to make and goes great with rice, zucchini and asparagus. You can take the jerky sauce and put it on beef, pork, shrimp or anything else you can think of. I had a red pepper so I traded that for the habanero pepper and I just used garlic powder since I didn't have any garlic on hand. It still turned out fabulous.

(photo courtesy of allrecipes.com)

1 t onion, chopped finely
3 T brown sugar
4 T soy sauce
4 T red wine vinegar
2 t thyme
1 t sesame oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 t allspice
1 habanero pepper, sliced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast cut into strips

Combine the onion, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, thyme, sesame oil, garlic, allspice and pepper in food processor or blender. Process until smooth. Place the chicken into a large resealable bag and pour in 3/4 of the sauce. Squeeze out excess air and seal, Marinate in the fridge for one hour. Preheat oven boiler. Remove chicken from bag and discard marinade. Broil chicken for 7 minutes, then flip and cook for 8 minutes. Heat remaining sauce and pour over chicken when serving. Serves 4.

California Veggie Sandwich

With summer here I like to keep my meals light and flavorful. I discovered this meatless sandwich and really enjoyed it. It calls for grilling but since I don't own a grill I changed it and did it in the boiler. I also added the marinade and asparagus, since I didn't have yellow squash and I don't care for onions. The recipe calls for focaccia bread but I did asiago cheese bread. I added a side of a sliced mango. It was a perfect summer dinner.

1/4 c miracle whip, or mayo
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T lemon juice
1/8 c olive oil
1 c sliced red pepper
1 small zucchini, sliced
handful of asparagus, cut
1 small yellow squash, sliced
bread of your choice
1/2 c feta cheese

Marinade
1/2 c brown sugar
4 1/2 T soy sauce

In a bowl, mix the mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice. Set aside in the refrigerator for one hour. Mix brown sugar and soy sauce. Marinate vegetables in mixture. Preheat boiler. Cook vegetables in oven for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Spread mayo mixture on slices of bread and sprinkle with feta cheese. Place bread on separate baking sheet and place in oven until cheese melts, watch to make sure bread does not burn. Remove and layer with vegetables. Enjoy.

Baked Honey Mustard Chicken

This is a great chicken recipe, because it requires no effort! I was a little skeptical at first because I am not a huge fan of honey and my husband is not a fan of mustard, by any means. But the honey and mustard neutralize each other to create a great taste. I added broccoli rice and a fruit & lettuce salad with feta cheese crumbles.
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c honey
1/4 c mustard
1 t Italian seasoning
1 t paprika
1/2 t parsley

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle chicken with seasonings and place in a lightly greased baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the honey and mustard, mix well. Pour 1/2 of mixture over chicken. Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Turn chicken over and pour remaining mixture over chicken. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve immediately. Serves 2.

*For more servings add chicken and double honey, mustard mixture.

Greek Style Rib Eye Steak & Salad

I'm not a big red meat fan, but I do try to have it every once in a while because it has good iron in it and I've been known to lack in iron. Also red meat can be a little on the expensive side. So I bought one steak to share and added a lot of sides. This was a great recipe. Really simple, no grilling and it tasted delicious. I could have eaten my entire portion but I'm trying to eat until I'm full, not beyond.
Greek Style Rib-Eye Steak

1 3/4 lb beef rib eye steak
1 t garlic powder
1 t Italian seasoning
1/2 t kosher salt
1/8 t pepper
1 T olive oil
1 T lemon juice
2 T crumbled feta cheese
1 T sliced black olives

Rub garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper on both sides of steak. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Cook steaks in skillet for about 4-7 minutes on each side. I'd flip mine after every two minutes so it wouldn't get too burnt. (for medium-rare the meat thermometer should read 145 degrees, medium 160 degrees, well done 170 degrees). Take off skillet and sprinkle lemon juice, cheese and olives. Serve.

Fruit & Lettuce Salad

2 c baby spinach
1 Romaine lettuce heart cut
1 apple
1 c Crasins

Dice apple and place in bowl with spinach and cut romaine lettuce. Sprinkle Crasins over salad. Serve with Poppy Seed or Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing.

Chicken, Zucchini & Squash

Here is another recipe I made up by taking ideas from other ones. I've discovered cooking chicken in the oven wrapped in tin foil is a simple way to do so with great results. Sprinkled with kosher salt it brings out the juices but the tin foil holds it in resulting in a moist, tender piece of meat.
3 boneless, skinless chicken breast
medium zucchini
medium yellow squash
one lemon
kosher salt
pepper


Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Slice zucchini and squash. Cut chicken in halves and place on separate large sheets of tin foil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon all over chicken and vegetables. Wrap in tin foil. Bake for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. I added Rice-a-Roni Rice Pilaf as a side. Enjoy. Serves 3.