Grilled Eggplant, Mushroom, & Kale Pitas

I made dinner the other night with no intention of it being anything worth sharing. We had some eggplant from the farm market & I wanted to make sandwiches, so I started building with what we had on hand.

We ended up loving these! They were quick & easy, with lots of room for variations based on what you have on hand. Kale could easily be replaced with other hearty leafy greens (chard, collards, spinach), eggplant could be replaced with zucchini, feta replaced with gorgonzola, and so on. We loved this particular combo & would definitely make it again, but if you have similar ingredients on hand, save yourself a trip to the store.

If you're looking for a quick dinner that doesn't require the oven, this is it! Great for summer nights. Enjoy!

Grilled Eggplant, Mushroom, & Kale Pitas
Serves 2

1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 medium yellow onion, sliced into half moons
3-4 baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced (or use 1/2 tsp. garlic powder to save chopping time)
4 large leaves of kale, stems removed & leaves chopped into small pieces
1/2 c dry white wine
2 whole wheat pita rounds, sliced in half
1/2 an avocado, thinly sliced
4 T crumbled feta cheese

Sprinkle eggplant slices evenly with garlic powder, sea salt, & red pepper flakes. On a grill (or grill pan) lightly coated with olive oil spray, cook eggplant slices over medium heat. After about 6 minutes, flip slices & cook the other side about 6 minutes. Eggplant should be soft & lightly browned.

In the meantime, use a nonstick skillet to cook onions over medium heat until they start to soften. Add mushrooms, cook for 4 minutes, then add garlic & kale. Once kale starts to soften, add white wine. Increase heat & simmer until wine evaporates.

Once eggplant is done cooking, slice rounds into strips about 1/2" wide. Open pita pockets & stuff all 4 halves with equal amounts of eggplant. Divide mushroom & kale mixture between the 4 pita halves. Then add sliced avocado to each, plus 1 T feta cheese. Serve immediately.

Note:
Both the eggplant & the mushroom/kale mixture can be made ahead of time & stored for up to 2 days in the refrigerator. Reheat both briefly before stuffing pitas and serving.

Avocado & Cheese Pretzel Sandwich

I realize that you don't come here to see pictures of my half-eaten food. Sometimes, though, I don't realize how good something is going to be until I'm eating it! I just had to share this sandwich with you.

This lunch was a thrown together, need to eat at my desk type lunch. We have a local company that does fundraisers through selling subs & pretzel sandwiches. Bonus - they have an "all cheese" variety. Not everyone includes that on their sale sheets, but once in awhile it pops up.

It's really a splurge...$4 for a pretzel roll w/ some cheese on it. Especially since I peel off the American cheese & just eat the provolone. I don't always have time to make my own (although those are scrumptious & totally worth the extra effort, plus I know all the ingredients in them) so sometimes I spend the money. If you've never had a pretzel roll, you need to try one right away. They're sooooo good!

Today I spread the roll with yellow mustard, sliced up half an avocado, & used the provolone cheese. It's creamy (avocado), tangy (mustard), chewy (roll) & cheesy (provolone). Every bite made me think, "mmmmmm!"

On the side I had carrot sticks with homemade roasted red pepper hummus & a pear. Tasty, healthy, & delicious!  Sometimes the spur of the moment meals are the tastiest.

I think if I had pretzel rolls every day I wouldn't appreciate them nearly as much. They're a great treat for a heartier lunch. I hope you like them, too!

Avocado & Cheese Pretzel Sandwich

Serves 1

1 pretzel roll (you can buy these by the bag in most grocery stores)

2 T yellow mustard

1/2 an avocado, sliced

2 or 3 slices provolone cheese

Open the pretzel roll & spread mustard on one of the halves. Top with avocado slices & cheese. Put the roll back together & eat.

Enjoy!

It's Bazaar!

This past weekend our church hosted its annual bazaar. It was very successful & we had a lot of fun spending the day with fellow church members while working in the kitchen.

The food doesn't vary too much from year to year, with the hits being homemade chicken pot pie, pulled pork sandwiches, hot dogs & very spicy chili. That doesn't leave much for a vegetarian to eat!

Last year, another church member made a huge pot of vegetarian chili & it sold pretty well. This year, I thought I'd make a vegetarian dish, too. When it comes to veg dishes to please a crowd, Mama Pea's blog is always the first place I turn. Since the bazaar menu has several meat based sandwiches, I decided to do a vegetarian sandwich - the Sloppy Josephine!

While I only sold about 9 sandwiches, I was happy to have this to offer. I had fun making them, the Bup & I had a great lunch, & it was a new food for people to try. Everyone that I convinced to try a bite loved it! One church member even said, "Oh! I didn't expect this to have so much flavor!" I'm glad I could share that vegetarian eating doesn't have to be bland or boring.

Thanks for the recipe, Mama Pea! I've shared the link with several people who requested it.

For a few hours, the Bup worked the order desk. Everytime someone asked for a bbq sandwich, he'd say, "The vegetarian one, correct?" :-)  Most people looked at him like he was nuts, but I love that he asked that. There were a few takers! The lady working with him bought one just to see what he was raving about.

I was stationed in the corner next to the big pots of pot pie. I love the hustle & bustle of the busy kitchen. I'd love to eat it if they'd leave out the chicken...

Dad, over in the spicy chili corner, was cutting up onions. Lots of onions.

They were for Italian sausage sandwiches. The sauce is in the far left crockpot. Next to that is the vegetarian chili, and then the bread-maker for fresh coconut-craisin wheat bread to sell at the bake sale.

I made cake pops! Some were chocolate-chocolate & some were chocolate-peanut butter. Yum! There were only about 8 left by the end of Friday, & they were hoping to sell all the remaining goodies on Saturday morning.

We had a great turnout! There were tons of craft vendors, a silent auction, bake sale, & our annual Granny's Attic rummage sale.

Can't wait till next year. Maybe I'll introduce another vegetarian option!

Mini Pita Tea Sandwiches

I'm obsessed with all things mini. Mini automatically equals cute. When I saw the mini pitas at Trader Joe's the first time, I restrained myself. But when I went back a week later & saw them again, I had to get some.

I'm also obsessed with hummus. Any vehicle that will get more into my mouth makes me happy. When I started thinking of what to do with the mini pitas, the two automatically had to go together.

It seemed like they needed a crunch, so I added a slice of zucchini in each pita. They were the perfect size!

So cute! So crunchy! So good!

We had ours with Cranberry Green Tea, an apple, bell pepper slices & popcorn. It was a cute little Sunday lunch. The Bup felt very un-manly but somehow he got over it and ate every last bite. 

I packed more in my lunch box for work the next day. They're very transportable & make a packed lunch feel more elegant.

Mini Pita Tea Sandwiches

Serves 2

10 mini whole wheat pitas

3-5 T hummus, any variety (I used Roasted Red Pepper & White Bean Basil)

1 small zucchini, sliced into 1/4" thick coins

Carefully open the pitas by cutting around the edge. Place a slice of zucchini into each pita and top with 1-2 teaspoons of hummus. Close pitas. Enjoy!

Baltimore & The Cheesecake Factory

Last weekend I went to Baltimore with these friends! We went to Howl at the Moon, a dueling piano bar, on Friday night. They have great pianists and it's a fun atmosphere. Tiffy won a party, so we got discounts on drinks.

Since we got there right at the end of her scheduled party, we ordered both of our discounted drinks at the same time. I got a lemonade with blueberry vodka (above left) and a pineapple juice with coconut rum. Bryttani got a strawberry margarita (above right) and we ended up switching because she thought it was too sour. I love sour, so it was perfect for me!

The next day we wandered around the harbor and ate lunch on the patio at The Cheesecake Factory.

Have you ever eaten there? I might be the only person on this earth that doesn't go often. I'd been there once before, about 5 years ago, but didn't really remember it. I think maybe I split a pizza with my friend? Anyway, this was an eye opener.

Their menu is freakin' HUGE.

I don't even know how they can possible make all that food and keep everything straight. Everything we got was well-prepared, but there were just too many options!

Our waitress was only on her second day and she did pretty well, considering. We loved the brown bread (I need to make this!) and she brought us another basket with just brown bread and no white. Nice!

"Guacamole Made-To-Order - Ripe Avocado, Onion, Tomato, Chiles, Cilantro and Fresh Lime. Served with Tortilla Chips, Salsa and Sour Cream."

As an appetizer, we got guacamole. It was just okay. We asked for medium heat and it was killer spicy. Plus, I load mine with lime when I make it at home, so this was lacking in flavor to me. I still ate plenty, though!

"Fresh Baked Pizzettes - Roasted Pear and Blue Cheese: Pecans, Arugula and Caramelized Onions"

I loved this! By the time I was done with the bread and guac I wasn't very hungry, but it was perfect. I ate half plus the arugula off the other half so it wouldn't get soggy.

"Vietnamese Tacos - Steamed Asian Buns with Roasted Pork, Marinated Cucumbers, Carrots and Onion with Chiles, Cilantro and Sesame Seeds."

This was Bryttani's meal. So pretty! I tasted a carrot and the dressing on it was pretty good.

"Grilled Shrimp and Bacon Club - Charbroiled Shrimp, Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato with Our Special Dressing. Served with French Fries or Green Salad."

Tiffany & her sister shared this monster sandwich. They got a side of avocado to add to it. I've never been into club sandwiches, but they said it was delicious.

Ater we finished eating, we walked around the harbor. There was a man doing a sideshow who was balancing skateboards on his chin. He had quite a crowd but we didn't stay long. It was hot in the sun and we just weren't into it.

There was a new candy store in the shopping area, so of course we went in! They had giant versions of lollipos, rice krispie treats, jaw breakers, etc. plus some clothing.

Can you imagine putting your baby in this? Haha.

On our way back to the car, we stopped for cheesecake to go. I got the Chocolate Coconut Cream Cheesecake ("Coconut Cheesecake Topped with Coconut Cream Custard, all on a Chocolate Macaroon Crust") and the Chocolate Tuxedo Cream Cheesecake ("Layers of Our Fudge Cake, Chocolate Cheesecake, Vanilla Mascarpone Mousse and Chocolate"). The Bup always likes the Tuxedo Cream, but I wasn't a huge fan of either. They were okay, but I'm definitely a pure chocolate cheesecake person. None of that white cheesecake for me!

I'd go back again, but I wouldn't seek it out, mainly because I enjoy trying new restaurants and supporting the local businesses.

Question: Do you like eating at The Cheesecake Factory? If so, what is your favorite menu item and cheesecake flavor?

Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches

If you ever want to eat a sandwich the size of your head, come on over. We'll dive right in and let the juices run down our arms. If you can open your mouth wide enough to bite into it, that is!

First you prep everything. Once the food gets on the grill, you want to be able to stay there. Or if you're lucky enough to have 2 people cooking, that works even better. The Bup does the grilling in our house, so I'm usually running in and out making sure he has everything.

See the small cuts all around the eggplant slices? They're very important. It'll taste the same whether you cut the skin or not, but it's a lot easier to eat if you take the time to cut it. 

Sprinkle the seasonings over the slices and get ready to grill. 

If you have seasonings left after you sprinkle one side, you can add them after you flip the slices on the grill.

Now for the toppings.

Crisp up the bread a little bit and then add eggplant. Next comes Mmmm Sauce (from Mama Pea), swiss chard, and sliced tomatoes.

You can vary your toppings. If you're a cheese lover, use that in place of the sauce. If you don't have swiss chard, use spinach. Some other great additions are mustard and/or half of a grilled bell pepper. We like the flavor combo here, but have had this sandwich with many variations and it's always delicious!

Add more eggplant and another slice of bread to complete the sandwich.

Stare it down. Don't be intimidated. Attack it with confidence and with a napkin at the ready.

Then sit back, sigh a little, and enjoy the meal!

Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches

Serves 2

1 medium eggplant

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 medium tomato, sliced

1 cup swiss chard, chopped (any green - spinach, lettuce, etc. - would work here)

4 T Mmmm Sauce (or mustard or sliced cheese, if preferred)

4 thick slices sourdough bread

cooking spray

Score the skin of the eggplant by using just the tip of the knife and dragging it from the stem to bottom of the eggplant. Make a cut about every 1/2" all the way around. Slice into 1/2" thick rounds and lay on a tray in a single layer. Mix Italian seasoning, garlic powder, black pepper and salt in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the eggplant slices. Lightly spray grill rack with cooking spray and cook eggplant slices for about 5 minutes per side, or until grill marks appear. Meanwhile, toast bread on the top rack of the grill. Assemble sandwiches, layering 1 slice of bread, 2-3 eggplant slices, Mmmm Sauce, swiss chard, tomato, another 2-3 eggplant slices, and 1 slice of bread. There may be a few eggplant slices remaining, depending on the size of the eggplant. If so, serve on the side or reserve for future use.

Portobello Reubens

We finally had a proper spring day. Everyone knows that the only thing to do on a proper spring day is to GRILL!

With wine, of course, on the patio.

And then eat out there, too. Spend as little time inside as possible.

This sandwich was inspired by the Ice House, a restaurant in town. We went about a year ago and I got their Portobello Reuben sandwich. The last time we went they had removed the sandwiches from the dinner menu and I was so hungry for that sandwich that I had to recreate it. 

Portobello Reubens

Inspired by the Ice House

Serves 2

2 Portobello caps, cleaned

pinch of sea salt

pinch of black pepper

6 T sauerkraut

4 T shredded sharp cheddar cheese

2 T nacho cheeze sauce (from Angela's blog) (or Thousand Island dressing)

2 whole wheat rolls or flatbreads

Preheat grill to low. Sprinkle salt and pepper over Portobello caps and grill until the gills start to lay to the side, about 5 minutes per side. Divide sauerkraut and cheese evenly between the two caps and heat until the cheese melts. Remove from grill and place on buns. Add nacho cheeze sauce and enjoy*!

*Please consider eating these outside. Everything grilled tastes better outside. I promise.

Brunch Paninis

One of my friends and my favorite things to do when we get together is cook. We have fun and get to visit without spending lots of money. Our favorite things to make are customizable. We all have different tastes and food ideas. Usually that means we make personal pizzas, but on Saturday morning we made brunch paninis.

Tiffany's was California style with avocado, mozzarella, spices & turkey.

It was so good we stuck her in Lexus' cage so we could have it. I picked out the turkey...

Bryttani's was a pizza panini with mozerella, spices, and turkey pepperoni.

Mine was vegetarian - peanut butter and apple slices. Sadly the pb didn't ooze out - I should've used more!

And now I need to get my own panini maker. What is it about squashed sandwiches that is to appealing? It must be the nice grill lines.

Quick Dinner

See those tomatoes? They're from my garden. It's January! I have 1 left, lonely on my counter, to use for a very special dinner. Any ideas on the best use?

I got lentil burgers and homemade wheat rolls out of the freezer before I went to the gym. After I got home I made a salad and guacamole to go with the burgers. Of course, there was wine during the chopping of veggies. I like having it before the meal and then saving a few sips for during dinner.

I didn't use the non-stick pan and then forgot to spray this one, so they stuck a little and fell apart, but they mashed back together easily. My pan was permanently stained (at least to my scrubbing skills) but after dinner the Bup washed it with steel wool and it's as shiny as new now! I'm sure that won't last... :-)

Mmmm guacamole. With my almost last tomato! And blue chips!

Lentil Burgers
slightly adapted from Amy Dacyczyn
Makes 11 patties

2 c cooked lentil-bulgur mixture (see directions below)
2 c homemade whole wheat bread crumbs (or store-bought)
1 c chopped onion
1/2 c chopped green pepper
4 T Italian seasoning
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 eggs (or 2 T soy flour + 2 T water)
1/2 c milk

To make the lentil-bulgur mixture, bring 3 c water, 3/4 c dried lentils, and 3/4 c bulgur to a boil. Simmer mixture for 45 minutes or until moisture is absorbed.* Mix 2 cups of cooked lentil-bulgur mixture with the next 5 ingredients. Add eggs, stir until combined. Add milk and stir again. Chill for 30 minutes. Form into patties. Cook on a non-stick skillet until heated through, about 5 minutes per side. Freeze any additional patties in a gallon baggie by placing them in layers with wax paper in between. They will thaw in about 30 minutes.

*I made twice this amount and froze the rest for future use. I plan to use it to make burritos by adding taco seasonings.

Childhood Cheese

When I was a kid, grilled cheese sandwiches were always the fall back meal for when Mom and Dad were eating a super spicy meal (this happened often since they are spicy food lovers). I learned quickly that I should make my own because Mom always burned them. I had them on whole wheat bread with Swiss cheese. No substitutions, please. When I met my husband and discovered he hadn't had one of these, I had to introduce it to him. He's a grilled cheese lover now, too.


For awhile, I was so caught up in fancy recipes that the grilled cheese sandwich went to the wayside. But every time I have one, I can't believe I forgot about them. There's something so right about biting into toasty bread oozing with melted cheese. Simple but perfect.

I've graduated to "grown-up" grilled cheese with the addition of other varieties of cheese, tomatoes, swiss chard, spinach, onions, mustards, and other delicious goodies. The whole wheat bread is still a staple, although sometimes I do mix it up and use sourdough. Last night I made a revolutionary advancement in the world of grilled cheese. I guess it doesn't take a normal, sane person 2 hours to make 2 sandwiches, but it was worth every minute. I found a recipe for a pasta with roasted tomatoes that I wanted to try, but we'd just had pasta the day before, so I thought I'd make the roasted tomatoes as a side dish.

After slicing, squeezing out the seeds, and mixing with olive oil, oregano and garlic powder, I laid the tomatoes on a baking sheet and put them in oven. After 30 minutes, I was supposed to flip them over. Each individual little tomato half. That looked like a daunting task and they were still a little juicy for that, so I just moved them around a little so they wouldn't stick. Mmmm...they smelled SO good. I threw two ears of corn on the pan with the tomatoes to roast and hopefully soak up some of the flavors coming from the tomatoes. The result: slightly charred, wonderfully chewy tomatoes. It was like eating tomato candies, they were that good. Lucky for my husband, I moved them out to the dining room. Otherwise, he would have missed out.

Roasted Tomato Grilled Cheese
Yield: 2 sandwiches


4 slices sourdough bread
1 tsp. butter, softened
Dijon mustard
4 slices Swiss cheese (the hubby) 
4 slices Garlic Cheddar cheese (me) 
Roasted tomatoes


Place a flat, nonstick pan on the stove and turn the burner on medium. Very lightly butter one side of each slice of bread. Spread dijon mustard on the opposite side of two slices of bread. Place butter side down on pan. Lay cheese slices on top of the mustard, then add roasted tomatoes. Top with other slice of bread. Keep burner on low and do not leave the sandwiches unattended. Flip after the bottom is lightly browned. If you find they are browning too quickly, turn the burner down. The key is to melt the cheese without burning the bread! (This is where I ran into problems as a child, when Mom burnt the bread and the cheese didn't get a chance to melt. Sorry Mom, I know you were busy but I have to mention this because it was tragic. And no, scraping off the burnt part does not completely erase that burnt flavor.)

Note: Our local farm market has a cheese stand (Country Sunrise Creamery) where they sell this delicious garlic cheddar cheese. Here's where I would usually start talking about buying local and eating foods that aren't covered in pesticides but I'll spare you this time.

 Roasted Tomatoes

1 lb. yellow plum tomatoes, sliced in half and seeded
1 T olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder


Preheat oven to 375°. Cut tomatoes in half, squeezing out excess seeds. Mix with remaining ingredients. Lay tomatoes, cut side down, on baking pan and drizzle any remaining mixture over tomatoes. Roast for 30 minutes and then flip. If you're planning to roast corn on the cob, now's the time to add it. Roast for another 30-40 minutes, turning corn once or twice.