Rice with Cheese

This was a last minute change when I decided that just plain brown rice would be too boring. I needed to do something quick to dress it up.


Rice with Cheese
1 batch brown rice
1 handful parsley, chopped
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 chunk (about palm size) goat cheese (mine was chive and garlic flavored)
Cook brown rice. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Veggies in Foil

This is a great side dish for any grilled meal. I made it to accompany chicken breast marinated in raspberry walnut vinaigrette. Try that once. Tasted delicious, but it was kind of, umm, pink. Anyway, onto the veggies...


Veggies in Foil
3 cups chopped veggies (I used pattypan squash, a handful of cherry tomatoes, a banana pepper, and some weird sweet orange peppers)
salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
couple of shakes of tabasco sauce
Mix together all ingredients and let sit for 20 minutes. Wrap in a foil pouch with a small opening at top to vent. Cook over high heat on the grill for 15-20 minutes.

Gruel

Gruel is basically what I call any dinner made out of the assorted leftovers in the house. The basic formula is fresh or frozen veggies + cooked meat + something to create sauce + rice product. It's also nice since it uses only one pan and combines all your major food groups. I'm sure it's not worthy of posting, but since it was quite tasty, I figured, what the heck! This variation leaned Italian, which isn't surprising since basically everything that sounds appealing to me during this pregnancy is Italian, but you can make it take on whatever flavoring you are in the mood for by adjusting the sauce you create and the seasoning.


Gruel
olive oil
1/2 lb browned turkey
2 small zucchini, sliced
1 small red onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large can chopped tomatoes
Handful fresh basil and parsley, chopped
Crushed red pepper
1 batch brown rice (I go for the boil in bag variety since I have some sort of block about cooking rice)
In a large skillet, heat olive oil and brown turkey. Add zucchini, onion, and garlic and let brown lightly. Add tomatoes, stir to combine, and let simmer for a few minutes. Add basil, parsley, red pepper (to taste), and rice. Stir to combine and adjust seasonings.

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan

I got two lovely eggplants from the CSA this weekend. Since I was being assisted by a two year old, I thought a traditional parmesan preparation would be a little too much to manage, so I opted to grill the eggplant instead. I was going to make this on the grill outside, but the dark clouds hovering over my house made me retreat inside to the stovetop grill instead. 


Grilled Eggplant Parmesan
Two medium eggplants, peeled and sliced in 1/2" slices
1/2 batch or jar tomato sauce
1 cup shredded provolone cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper
Generously salt eggplant slices and let sit for 10-15 minutes. Dab eggplant dry with a paper towel. Wipe grill grates with olive oil. Grill eggplant on both sides. Place a layer of eggplant in a medium casserole dish. Top with tomato sauce and provolone. Layer remaining eggplant, sauce, and cheese. Use parmesan cheese on top layer. Cook in 425 degree oven until cheese is lightly browned.

Fruit Sorbet

So, my doctor basically told me I was getting too big too fast at my last appointment. This, of course, led to me eating too much because I started obsessing about what I was eating. After that, I took a deep breath and figured that I really am a pretty decent eater aside from my near obsessive need to eat dessert every night and my ability to consider both a piece of peanut butter pie and a berger cookie a single dessert as long as they were on a plate together. I decided I just need to stock my house with desserts that might not make me fat. Well, that's probably a little more information than you needed about me! Moving right along...


Fruit Sorbet
2 2/3 cup pureed fruits (I used a mix of plums, peaches, and blueberries)
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup sugar
2 tblsp lemon juice
Mix ingredients and put in fridge to chill. Mix in ice cream machine according to machine's instructions.

Farfalle with Tomato and Brie Sauce

I totally stole this recipe from my time at Fazzini's. I forget what it was called, but it only ran on special and I would order it every single time. Good stuff! If you're committed to healthy eating at every meal or are on a diet, you can go ahead and skip this one... For those of you who are left, you can start with any red sauce you like, but I think it's essential to have chunky tomatoes, chunks of garlic, and fresh basil. These can all be added fresh to any sauce you prefer. 


Kevin's review of this was pretty funny. He said the brie gave the pasta a texture that made every bite feel like the best bite of eggplant parmesan. I'm not certain I get it...


Farfalle with Tomato and Brie Sauce
1 package farfalle
1 batch tomato sauce (I made mine fresh with 1 large can chopped tomatoes, 5 cloves garlic, fresh basil, parsley, and oregano, white pepper, salt, and a pinch of sugar)
1 zucchini, sliced (Totally optional. I only put this in because Kevin loves veggies in pasta.)
1/2 small jar pine nuts
1 8oz wheel of brie, cut into chunks with rind removed
Cook farfalle according to package directions. While the farfalle is cooking, heat up tomato sauce and any veggies you're using. Just as the farfalle is coming off the heat, add the pine nuts and brie to the sauce and stir until brie melts. Ahh... Enjoy!

Grilled Chicken with Basil Sauce

The basil at the community garden was looking awesome this week and, since I've put a hurtin' on mine after a month of putting fresh basil in everything, I grabbed a nice big handful. This was meant to be pesto, but upon further inspection I realized I didn't have pine nuts or parmesan cheese and so I went for a simple basil and tomato sauce. I served this with a side of snap peas. 


Grilled Chicken with Basil Sauce
1 package chicken breast
1 big handful basil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 cup olive oil (or more for desired thickness)
1 tomato, diced
salt and pepper
Grill chicken. In a small food processor, combine basil, garlic, olive oil, and salt and pepper until it reaches desired consistency. Stir in diced tomato. Serve over sliced chicken breast.