Zucchini Pasta

Imagine this--


You're sitting on your couch on a Sunday evening (after drinking way too much coffee), watching some Breakout Kings (very good show, I would recommend finding it on Netflix), relaxing and preparing for the start of a new week. All of a sudden you hear a loud crash to your left. You look over wondering what in the heck just happened. You sprint to your laundry room thinking that something fell or broke. But no, nothing is out of place. Next you look around your kitchen trying to find the source of the noise. You open up your pantry and the top two shelves have collapsed.

The next couple hours include trying to unload all of the food from the pantry while trying to hold up the shelves and not cause any of the bottom four shelves to break as well, making a trip to Lowe's to find replacement hangers for the wooden shelves (and not finding exact replacements but instead splurging for metal instead of plastic ones in hopes of making them more sturdy), trying to get the shelves to go back in because the metal brackets stick out from the holes more than the plastic ones, and finally putting all of your food back on the shelves.


What a night! I mean, aren't shelves in pantries supposed to support a half dozen types of flour, multiple kinds of pasta and every type of canned bean? Plus you need your tomato soup and chicken 'n stars in case you get sick. And all your cooking oils and vinegars and seasonings and everything. Cheap-o apartment building.

I think I'll put in metal shelves that are soldered to the sides of the pantry when I have my own house.


So if you ever get mad at the inanimate objects in your house when they fail to do their job, make this nice and summer-y "pasta". It'll help you calm down and remember that even though you may have spent the evening yelling at your apartment, you are lucky to have a place to store lots of food and the money to buy that food.

You know, it'll put things in perspective.

Zucchini Pasta (adapted from food.com)
Ingredients:
1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/8 in slices
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 lb ground turkey
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme
3 basil leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
parmesan cheese, for garnish.

Directions:
Heat 1/2 tbsp oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add the turkey and cook until browned, approximately 6-7 minutes. Add 1 clove of garlic, onion, tomato, bay leaf, basil and sugar. Cook, uncovered until moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf.

In a skillet, heat the other 1/2 tbsp oil and garlic clove over medium heat. Add the zucchini strips and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes until the zucchini is tender and golden.

Serve the zucchini hot topped with the turkey mixture. Garnish with freshly grated parmesan cheese, if desired.

Eggplant Manicotti

I love coffee. Coffee. Coffee. Coffee.

I may be on my second large cup of the day. I brewed it to sit out on my porch to do some reading and enjoy the beautiful cooler weather outside. It was glorious.

Grad school turned me into a coffee addict. I admit it. I'm addicted. I'm okay with drinking a cup everyday for the rest of my life. Don't judge me, okay?

Sometimes my coffee drinking goes a little overboard. Sometimes the caffeine affects me in funny ways. Like this one time when I was proctoring an organic chemistry exam and my boss had brought in coffee for the students. Most students didn't come down to the front to get it and as a results, my boss and I drank almost an entire jug of Dunkin' Donuts ourselves. Needless to say, back in lab later that afternoon, I had waaayyy too much energy. And when I have way too much energy, I can be kinda funny. Or at least people laugh at me. ;)

Coffee has nothing to do with this recipe. But I figured I'd tell you anyway.


This eggplant "manicotti" is great. The eggplant replaces pasta as the shell. If you want to cut time on making this dish, just pick up a jar of marinara from the store. But the homemade version below is very good. You can make it ahead of time, if you'd like.


Now please excuse me while I go make coffee #3.

Eggplant Manicotti (adapted from Now Eat This! Cookbook)
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant, cut into 1/6 in thick slices lengthwise
salt and pepper
cooking spray
1 cup of ricotta cheese (fat-free or low fat, preferred)
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil and oregano
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce (your favorite jarred or from recipe below)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 F.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the eggplant slices on the baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Roast eggplant until almost tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool until you can handle it.

Combine the ricotta, 1/4 cup parmesan, basil and oregano in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Spread 3/4 cup of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 8x10 baking dish.

Spoon 1/8 of the ricotta mixture on to each eggplant and roll up to encase the filling. Place the eggplant, seam side down, in the baking dish. Cover the eggplant with the remaining marinara. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and remaining parmesan cheese.

Bake until heated through, approximately 20 minutes.

Serves 4.


Easy Low-fat Marinara (adapted from Now Eat This! Cookbook)
Ingredients:
1/4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup diced yellow onion
1 tsp crushed red pepper
28 oz can tomato puree
1/4 cup water
small piece of parmesan cheese rind
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

Directions:
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, salt and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion and garlic are translucent, approximately 5 minutes.

Add the tomato puree, water and cheese rind. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 25 minutes.

Chop the basil and oregano and stir into the sauce. Simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes. Season with salt and crushed red pepper to taste.

Makes approximately 3 cups.

Beet and Brown Rice Sliders

Give me a second to explain before you automatically hit the little x in the corner of your screen. I know, I know, beets. You have this strong aversion to beets. But why? Have you actually ever had beets before or is your dislike due to stigma? Have you eaten beets that didn't come out of a can?

To tell you the truth, I had never tasted beets before 2012. When I moved, I told myself that I was going to expand my vegetable repertoire. A few on my list included beets, brussel sprouts, and various greens. The first time I made beets, I simply roasted them in the oven (375 F for 30-60 minutes depending on the size) until they were soft. I ate them as a side for some meal, because I was a little wary; however, I loved them! They have this sweet and earthy (aka tastes like the air smells after it rains) taste that is delicious. Ever since then, I've been trying to incorporate this gorgeous purple roots into main dishes. I have a few successes to share with you.

Let's start today with these beet and brown rice patties. I found this in the July 2012 Cooking Light Magazine in my parents house. I heavily adapted the recipe but followed the general idea. They were great. And the extras even heated up well. I roasted the beets the day before, peeled them when they cooled and then grated them after they spent the night in the fridge. I would definitely suggest that.

Come on. Give beets a chance! They may surprise you.

Beet and Brown Rice Sliders (heavily adapted from Cooking Light July 2012)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cooked, shredded beet (about 1 medium)
1/2 cup cooked, cooled brown rice
1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp finely chopped onion
dash each of salt and pepper
1 egg white
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
cooking spray
12 slices of whole wheat baguette
3 tbsp blue cheese crumbles (or other cheese of choice)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450 F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and allow it to warm in the oven.

Combine the beets, rice, panko, parsley, onion and salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix the egg white and mustard and then add to the bowl. Stir until well mixed. Form the mixture into 6 evenly sized small patties (be careful to press together, it may crumble slightly).

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the patties and cook for approximately 2 minutes. Remove the patties, flipping to place the top side down on the preheated baking sheet.

Place the baguette slices on the baking pan with the patties and bake for approximately 10 minutes. Remove the sheet and place one patty on 6 of the baguette slices. Top with 1/2 tbsp of blue cheese crumbles. Bake for an additional 2 minutes until the blue cheese is hot.

Top each sandwich with another slice of the baguette and enjoy.

Makes 2-3 servings.

Black Bean and Mango Curry

There is a certain day that I always dread. If you are a girl or live with a girl, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about.

The morning you are standing in the shower and you realize that the water is not draining out as rapidly as normal. The morning you realize that it is once again time to clean the hair out of your shower drain. 

EWW.

Seriously one of my least favorite days ever. 

It happens maybe 2-4 times a year for me. I have to get down on my hands and knees, unscrew the shower plug and use a bent paper clip to remove the wet clumps of hair. I always follow it with a little bit of drain-o with hopes of extending the time between this unfortunate event.

My sister once told me that she knew she was going to marry her husband when he volunteered to clean out the shower drain in the house she shared with two other girls. I think he used one of those fancy sewer snake thingys, which I'm sure is a better fix than my paper clip contraption. I look forward to the one day when I can pass this unfortunate duty onto my husband (provided he wants to take over the job). I promise that I'll make him yummy food when he is done (and all 361 other days of the year as well).

I'll probably make him this delicious mango and black bean curry. The curry is spicy and the mango brings some sweet to the table. It is very refreshing.

Perfect for the day after cleaning out the drain.

Black Bean and Mango Curry (adapted from Get Cooking)
Ingredients:
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon butter
1/2 medium red onion, diced
1/2 heaping tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 mango, chopped
1/2 cup water
brown or white rice, prepared as directed, for serving
diced scallions, for garnish

Directions:
Melt butter and oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, curry powder and salt and cook while stirring about 5 minutes, until the onion begins to soften.

Add the beans and stir to coat completely with onions and seasoning. Cook on medium-low for about 5 minutes. Add the mango and water, bring to a boil, cover and cook for 5-10 minutes.

Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Serve over cooked rice, garnished with scallions.

Indian Eggplant Casserole

Today is one of those days that I am longing for bangs. Could be those bangs from elementary school that started in the middle of my head. Or the ones I curled so perfectly every morning during 8th grade as I was growing out the layers. Today, I am regretting my lack of bangs.

Why?

I was so inspired by Michael Phelps and his 22 Olympic medals (holy-moley, what an accomplishment!) that after I soaked up some sun at the pool yesterday, I decided to try a few laps. Now, you should know that I quit swimming before I learned how to dive, I can tread water but I really have no skill for any of the traditional strokes, and I have a fear of opening my eyes under water. Which is why I ended up banging my forehead on the lip of the pool yesterday. Now it hurts and I'm supporting a very attractive bump (hence, the sudden desire for bangs). Actually, the bump isn't super noticeable, but it is a little red and swollen and kinda looks like rug burn (or maybe sunburn from afar). Fail, Julie, Fail.

           I suppose there will be no gold medal for me in Brazil 2016. :(


What wasn't a fail was my second attempt at Indian cuisine this weekend. I came across this stuffed eggplant recipe a few weeks ago. I picked up an eggplant from the Farmer's market with the recipe in mind. Of course, the recipe calls for smaller Asian eggplants instead of the large purple one I got. Also, it called for ground bison; I have no idea where I would get bison and how much money it would cost me, so I opted for ground turkey instead. I decided to be inspired by flavors the stuffed eggplants and create a "lasagna" of sorts. The eggplant separates layers of the Indian spiced ground turkey, mushrooms and rice. It really turned out great.

Once again, you'll have to ransack your spice cabinet to get all the correct flavors. But it is worth the long ingredient list. You can certainly remove the mushrooms if you are adverse to them or replace the ground turkey with tons more mushrooms if you are going for a vegetarian meal. I made the dish for me, myself and I, but have included how I would adapt it for four servings at the end of the recipe.

Indian Eggplant Casserole (inspired by Eating Well)
Ingredients:
4 1/4 inch slices of eggplant (about 1/4 large eggplant)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/4 lb ground turkey
1/2 cup long brown rice, cooked
2 button mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
1/2 tbsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tbsp tomato paste
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 tbsp breadcrumbs
Cooking spray
Greek yogurt or sour cream, for serving

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Arrange the eggplant slices a baking sheet and brush with 1/2 tbsp olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the eggplant is roasted thoroughly.

Heat 1/2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a medium skillet. Add the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant. Add the ground turkey, paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala and crushed red pepper. Cook until the turkey is cooked through and no longer pink. Add the rice,  mushrooms, and tomato paste and cook for approximately 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Lightly spray a mini-loaf pan with cooking spray. Layer 1 eggplant slice on the bottom followed by 1/4 of the turkey mixture. Follow with another eggplant slice, followed by 1/4 turkey mixture again. Repeat until all is added. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs on top.

Bake for 15-20 minutes until pipping hot.

Serve with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Serves 1.

**To make four servings, multiple everything by four and layer eggplant and turkey in an 8x8 baking dish.

Sausage and Tortellini Stew (Crockpot)

Y'all know that I love food, right? I mean, you can't be reading this blog and come to any other conclusion, right? But what you might not know is that I love some people almost as much as food. I have a number of really great friends from different stages in my life. People, who I may live halfway across the country from, who are my best friends. We can pick up exactly where we left off and be totally real with each other and have an enjoyable time together.


I was lucky this week to have a visit from one of my dearest friends from college-- Jenny. Her family lives outside of Chicago and she is home visiting for a couple of weeks, so she popped down for an evening of catching up. I was very tempted to skip out of work the next day, just to spend more time with her.

Let me tell you a few things about Jenny. Actually, I sometimes call her Ney because in college I learned that she doesn't like that Forrest Gump calls his Jenny, Jen-ney. So, of course as the wonderful and kind friend I am, I started calling her Je-ney-ney, that got shortened to Ney eventually. Anyway, Jenny is a high school math teacher in NC (she moved there after college when I did!!) and her love and compassion for her students is quite amazing. I admire that she has the patience and strength to deal with teenagers on a daily basis.

We've been friends since we were freshman in college. Since then, there have been way too many wonderful memories to tell you even a small fraction here. However, I think the time that brought Jenny and me the closest was during our month long trip to South Africa.

We stayed crammed in little bedrooms together:

We got to interact with some many wonderful kids together:

We braved the cold, cold, cold nights (who knew it got so cold in Africa?!?) together:

And we strengthened our friendship daily:

I know that she will always be one of my besties. :)

Jenny's trip was too short but luckily I got to cook for her. I chose a crockpot recipe because I didn't want to spend our already limited time in the kitchen. The sausage and tortellini are great and the cabbage and tomatoes really fill it out. It makes gobs (Jenny, you should have eaten more!) and I've been eating leftovers for days. You could easily cut it in half if you wanted to feed only 2 people (and still have a some leftover).

Sausage and Tortellini Stew (adapted from Better Homes and Garden)
Ingredients:
1 cup of chopped onion
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp molasses
1 cup beef broth
2 tbsp corn starch
2 14.5 oz cans Italian style diced tomatoes
3 cups water
2 cups frozen green beans
8 oz fully cooked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-in slices
2 cups shredded cabbage
9 oz package of refrigerated whole wheat three cheese tortellini
Freshly grated parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:
Combine the onion, olive oil and molasses in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for approximately 6-7 minutes until the onions soften. Dissolve the corn starch in the beef broth and add to the pan. Bring to a boil while stirring until it thickens.

Add the contents of the saucepan to your slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, water, green beans and sausage and stir. Cook on low for 8-10 hours (or high for 4-5 hours).

Turn the slow cooker to high and stir in the cabbage and tortellini. Cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Garnish the soup with parmesan cheese.

Jalapeno Caramel Sauce

My apologies on the tardiness of this post.

I actually made this recipe back during the disaster night in my kitchen. Remember then? Remember the candy thermometer? I was just keeping you in suspense, on the edge of your seats, coming back to my blog every day (I'm pretending that you have been in suspense since June when you first saw that I used the candy thermometer; please don't burst my bubble by saying you don't remember).

Anyway, I had been wanting to try my hand at homemade ice cream toppings and Father's day gave me an excuse. I was heading home to see my dad the weekend after the holiday and I wanted to make him something special. He enjoys ice cream, so I figured this would be perfect. He also likes spicy things so I thought it would be fun to add a little extra flavor to the caramel by infusing the heavy cream with jalapeno before making the sauce. It really added something to the caramel (in my opinion, and agreed upon by my dad and sister. My mom didn't love it, but then again she isn't a big jalapeno fan). The caramel isn't overly spicy but you definitely get an aftertaste in the back of your throat of a jalapeno kick. I think it compliments some vanilla bean ice cream perfectly.

You can certainly skip the infusing the milk stage (or try infusing the milk with something). The caramel making isn't too difficult although you certainly need a candy thermometer to make it. Temperature is key in making candies.

Jalapeno Caramel Sauce (Caramel recipe and instructions from Brown Eyed Baker, addition of jalapeno Julie's own concoction)
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp diced jalapeno pepper (about 1/2 of a pepper)
2 cup granulated sugar
12 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces
1/2 tbsp kosher salt

Directions:
Warm the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once it has nearly reached a simmer, add the jalapeno and stir. Cover and let steep for at least 2 hours (the longer you let it go, the more the jalapeno flavor will infuse in the cream). After steeping, place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the cream into it. Using a wooden spoon, squeeze all of the cream from the peppers.

Allow cream to cool to room temperature.

Add the sugar in an even layer over the bottom of a heavy saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat, whisking as it melts. Don't worry about clumps that form, as you continue to stir everything will melt. Once all of the sugar melts, cook until it has reached a deep amber color and the temperature reaches 350 F.

Once the caramel reaches 350 F, add the butter all at once. Be prepared for it to bubble up, but continue to whisk until it is completely melted.

Remove the pan from the heat and slowly pour in your room temperature jalapeno cream. Be careful because it will bubble up a lot again. Whisk until all of the cream as been incorporated. Add the salt and whisk again.

Allow the sauce to cool for 10-15 minutes and then pour into a glass jar. Let it cool to room temperature and then store in a refrigerator.

In order to use, you will need to warm the sauce (in the microwave for 30 sec to 1 minute).