Eggplant Ragu on Quinoa

Who knew eggplant could be yummy? It’s probably my least favorite vegetable, but this recipe makes an un-favorite veggie into a delicious meal!

I serve it over CMF Quinoa, or if time allows, I make quinoa “cakes”. The quinoa cakes are a great breakfast option, so I make enough go have for dinner and breakfast: topping them with eggplant ragu in the evening and later in the week with defrosted mixed berries I warm up 1 cup berries with 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt and it’s like dessert for breakfast.

The smoked mozzarella gives this dish a unique, gourmet flavor, but it’s delicious with fresh mozzarella as well. Another delicious alternative is fresh Bulgarian-style feta cheese (I add the feta just before serving). I’ve also made this without cheese.

The colors are so pretty, it’s a nice meal for dinner guests. Here are a couple of menu ideas:

Appetizer
White Bean Dip with Rosemary (or other CMF hummus/bean dip) with veggie sticks (carrot, bell pepper, celery etc) and pita or tortilla chips.

Main Course
Rosemary Pork Tenderloin

OR Broiled Chicken Breasts with Artichoke Hearts

OR broiled fish fillets with lemon

Any spinach-based CMF salads. It’s especially nice with the Spinach and Orange Salad giving the meal a Mediterranean flair. Or the Greens Edamame Salad for a more international fusion-style.

Dessert
Zucchini Brownies or Epicurious: Raspberry Buttermilk Cake.

Eggplant Ragu on Quinoa
Print Recipe
Who knew eggplant could be yummy? It’s probably my least favorite vegetable, but this recipe makes an un-favorite veggie into a delicious meal!
Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Eggplant Ragu on Quinoa
Print Recipe
Who knew eggplant could be yummy? It’s probably my least favorite vegetable, but this recipe makes an un-favorite veggie into a delicious meal!
Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
Quinoa Cakes
Adjust servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
Eggplant Ragu
  1. Make CMF Quinoa. While quinoa is cooking make eggplant ragu.
  2. Heat olive oil in large heavy skillet until it begins to shimmer. Add eggplant, onion, garlic, oregano, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and cook over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in tomatoes, roasted peppers, and water and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until eggplant is very tender and mixture is thick about 10 minutes.
  4. Carefully mix in the diced mozzarella cheese and let melt for 5 minutes before serving.
  5. Serve over CMF Quinoa. If time allows, I like to make quinoa cakes. I serve the eggplant ragu over the quinoa cakes and use the remainder for breakfast with poached eggs and spinach or defrosted from mixed berries I warm up 1 cup berries with 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Add a dollop of Greek yogurt and it’s like dessert for breakfast.
Quinoa Cakes
  1. Toast quinoa in saucepan over medium heat until it starts to make popping sounds. Add water, and bring to a boil. When it begins to boil, reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Turn off heat. Let rest 5 minutes.
  2. Preheat oven to 350. Generously brush a muffin tin with olive oil.
  3. Transfer to a large bowl and cool, stirring occasionally, 10 minutes, and then stir in eggs.
  4. Pack muffin cups two-thirds full with quinoa using the back of a spoon or a spatula, dipping in water if it gets too sticky. Place in oven and bake 25 minutes.
  5. Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes. Carefully remove from muffin tin with a spatula and place on plate.
To Serve
  1. While quinoa cakes are cooling, stir in parsley and half of mozzarella into eggplant ragù and on low heat simmer just until cheese begins to soften, about 1 minutes.
  2. Spoon over ragu quinoa cakes, sprinkle remaining mozzarella on top.
Recipe Notes

*Fresh mozzarella can be used instead of smoked mozzarella. I also use fresh Greek or Bulgarian feta cheese instead of mozzarella. If using feta, I cut into pieces and put on top of ragu just before serving (do not on heat the feta).

Modified from Quinoa Cakes with Eggplant Tomato Ragu and Smoked Mozzarella

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Carrot and Beet Pancakes

I’m always looking for ways to incorporate more beets into our weekly meals when staying with my father. Parkinson’s is a challenging disease; one of the ways I deal with impotence of the disease is trying to boost nutrition into my dad’s daily life.

Beets help blood flow and are brain-healthy. So beets go into breakfast smoothies and raw grated beets go into salads. These pancakes are a new way to use beets.

The first time I made them, I served them with a potato, turnip and pumpkin puree (spiced with tumeric and cumin). Yum!
And an arugula, tomato salad with green onion and CMF vinaigrette.

I’ve since made them for teatime, which is my dad’s favorite late afternoon interlude and oftentimes he wants tea rather than dinner.

I think they’d also be a lovely brunch option.

Variations:

  • Add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes to give spice them up
  • Serve with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or puree the yogurt with a clove of garlic and ¼ cup of cilantro, mint, or parsley.
  • Serve with sweet potato puree, a cauliflower and potato puree
Carrot and Beet Pancakes
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Carrot and Beet Pancakes
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Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Adjust servings:
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Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 300°F.
  2. Peel and grate beets (should be about 1 1/3 cup). Put in a mixing bowl.
  3. Peel and grate carrots (1 cup). Add to beets. Mix in egg, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper.
  4. Add flour; stir to blend well.
  5. Generously brush a baking sheet with olive oil and bake for 20 minutes or until edges begin to brown.
Recipe Notes

Variations:

  • Add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes to give spice them up
  • Serve with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt or puree the yogurt with a clove of garlic and ¼ cup of cilantro, mint, or parsley.
  • Serve with sweet potato puree, a cauliflower and potato puree
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Marinara Sauce

Homemade marinara sauce is simple and simply delicious. Store-bought sauces inevitably have sugar or other unnecessary additives. This is a great recipe to double and, when cool, keep extra jars in the refrigerator (or freezer) for busy nights. Cook some pasta, add shrimp or quickly sauce some veggies, toss with marinara sauce and dinner is ready.

It also makes a lovely gift. Place in a jar, tie with a ribbon and a “homemade” or “made with love” note.

 

Marinara Sauce
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Marinara Sauce
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Ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until onion is translucent.
  2. Add garlic, oregano, basil, marjoram and crushed red pepper, stir and cook 2 - 3 minutes.
  3. Add tomatoes and simmer gently, partially covered, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Mash with a potato masher. (I like it somewhat chunky, but if you prefer smooth, put it in blender or use immersion blender.
  4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe Notes

Note: Can be prepared one or two days before and refrigerated.

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Turkey Meatloaf with Dried Apricots

Apricots seems to bring some kind of alchemy to this meatloaf, adding moisture, texture and a delightful flavor. Ground bison or beef can be used instead of turkey.

Toss some vegetables with what I think of as “roasting oil “ (about 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil mixed with 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt) and place them around the meatloaf in the roasting pan/Pyrex. Some of my favorite combinations are:

  • 1 large baking potato, 1 large sweet potato cut into cubes and 2 poblano peppers (or red bell peppers) seeded and cut in similar fashion
  • About 2 cups of Brussels sprouts trimmed and cut in half, and 2 cups of diced potato (or new potatoes cut in half)
  • Large head of broccoli cut into large chunks: NOTE: add the broccoli after meatloaf has baked about 25 minutes.

Add a green salad and voila, dinner is ready.

Double the amount and freeze the extra turkey meatloaf to have later for later in the month or use leftovers for a quick dinner:

  1. Meatloaf spaghetti: chop it and warm up with 1 – 2 cups marinara sauce
  2. Shepherd’s pie: saute a chopped onion, carrot and celery, add chopped meatloaf and place in a pyrex covered with leftover Sweet Potato and Butternut Squash Puree or leftover Delicious, Nutritious Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes
  3. Stuffed bell peppers or zucchini: mix with leftover rice or quinoa and 1 – 2 eggs. Hollow bell peppers or cut zucchini in half, scoop out and add into meatloaf mix. Roast in oven 20 minutes at 350 degrees, add grated cheese and cook until melted.
  4. Meatloaf tacos: chop it up and serve in taco shells alongside guacamole, salsa (chopped tomato, onion and cilantro), plain Greek yogurt and grated cheese
  5. Meatloaf quiche: 2 cups chopped meatloaf, 2 eggs, 1 cup milk,1 cup pease or chopped veggies (broccoli, celery and carrots) 1/2 – 1 cup shredded cheese. I make this easy   whole-wheat crust. from 100 Days of Real Food.
Turkey Meatloaf with Dried Apricots
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Servings
6 servings
Servings
6 servings
Turkey Meatloaf with Dried Apricots
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Servings
6 servings
Servings
6 servings
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Brush a loaf pan or roasting pan with olive oil (or 13 x 9 Pyrex).
  2. Heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion, celery, carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion becomes translucent, about 8 – 10 minutes.
  3. Mix in garlic, chili powder, cumin, tumeric and 1/2 teaspoon salt (and red pepper flakes if using) and cook another 2 – 3 minutes.
  4. Meanwhile, in a bowl mix oatmeal, turkey, dried apricots, parsley, eggs, teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until just combined. Add cooked onion, carrot mixture, stir until combined.
  5. Place into loaf pan, or form into a 9- by 5-inch oval loaf and place in roasting pan.
  6. Bake 45 minutes.
Recipe Notes

A Color My Food recipe

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Coconut Red Lentil Curry

Red lentils are made from whole yellow lentils that are peeled and split in half, exposing the red color under their outer seed coat which makes them cook quickly.

This dish comes together easily and leaves bellies full and happy.
If cooking for children or those who don’t enjoy spicy food, leave the Serrano/jalapeño peppers out of the pot; serve them on the side so people can add them as desired.

I serve it over brown rice; start cooking the rice first as it takes longer than the curry.

Variations:

  • Use green or brown lentils instead of red; add 10 minutes cooking time
  • Replace cauliflower with broccoli, zucchini with butternut squash, or bell peppers
  • Use parsley instead of cilantro
Coconut Red Lentil Curry
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Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Coconut Red Lentil Curry
Print Recipe
Servings
4 servings
Servings
4 servings
Ingredients
Adjust servings: servings
Units:
Instructions
  1. Heat oil in a medium pot over moderate heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until edges are golden, about 6 minutes. Add carrot, ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add cumin, coriander, turmeric, salt, and chile and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
  2. Stir in water, lentils, and coconut milk, then simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in zucchini and cauliflower and simmer, covered, until lentils and vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
  3. Serve with cilantro scattered on top.
Recipe Notes

Modified from Epicurious: Coconut Red Lentil Curry

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