Open-Faced Falafel Burgers

So, as I mentioned briefly earlier, I've been trying to watch my calorie intake these days. I truly hate the word "diet", but I guess that's what I've been on. Why? Well, my reviewing job makes it my business to eat a lot of really great food, and I can't afford new pants. Therefore, dieting must be done so I can continue wearing the nice pants I already own.


So, because of this new endeavor, I've taken up an interest in Cooking Light magazine. While following recipes to the letter isn't my idea of fun, I have found that sticking to their recipes gives me a clear idea of how many calories I'm taking in, and while it may not get the creative juices flowing, it does keep me in my current clothing.


And so, a recent CL recipe attempt was their Open-Faced Falafel Burgers, which really turned out to be fantastic. Really hearty and satisfying, healthy, and pretty to boot. Plus, I used a surplus of sesame seeds and made my own tahini instead of using store-bought stuff, so I was able to feel minorly inventive. I highly recommend this recipe.

Grilled Chicken and Peppers with Skillet Corn

Longer days + warm weather = grilling in this household. And so, with Chris' help, I made this super simple meal that paid off with big flavors. Don't skip the basil, it really is the perfect touch.


Grilled Chicken and Peppers with Skillet Corn
serves 2

for the peppers:

1 red bell pepper
reserved chicken marinade (see below)
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
sweet basil leaves (for garnish)


Prepare a charcoal grill. When the coals are grey and nice and hot, grill the pepper until black and blistered on all sides. Place hot pepper in a Ziploc bag and let stand for 10 minutes. Remove from bag and rub or peel skin off. Slice into strips and toss with the reserved marinade, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and set aside.



for the chicken:

.75 lb. chicken breast tenders
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp white wine
2 Tbsp chicken stock
juice of 1 small lemon
sea salt
freshly ground pepper


Mix all ingredients other than chicken. Reserve 2 Tbsp of marinade for the peppers, then add the chicken to it, turning each piece to coat. Marinate for 20 minutes. Grill over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes per side.

for the skillet corn:

3 ears corn
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp salted butter

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft and starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add corn and saute for another 3-4 minutes, until the corn is bright and still crisp. Add salt and pepper if desired, but we found the corn so sweet and perfect on it's own, I didn't add a thing.


To put it all together, I recommend placing the chicken on a bed of corn, topping with the red pepper slices, and garnishing with the reserved pepper marinade and a few basil leaves. We ate this warm, but I think it would make a great lunch cold or at room temperature.

Artichoke-Stuffed Eggplant

Night before last Chris had band practice, and so in lieu of a big dinner I made myself a nice bowl of Lemon Risotto (substituting a shallot for the leek). While I stirred and stirred the creamy rice, I reflected on the time when an evening alone meant popcorn and television for dinner. I guess I'm really changing my attitude towards food--it's not just something to make to share with another person, it's something to feed and nurture your own self. I still watched some TV, though. Not everything changes.

Last night I was nearly sure I wouldn't have anything to write about, certainly no new recipe. We have almost no food in the house, and lacking the funds for a big grocery trip, I was nearly sure we were heading for fried egg sandwiches, which is fine, but nothing worth sharing with you guys. And then, what did I spy? A rogue eggplant in the vegetable drawer, completely forgotten about but miraculously unscathed. After a quick survey of the nearly bare pantry, I was able to cobble together this dish--half Nigella Lawson's Soft and Sharp Involtini, and half my own creation.


How was it? I don't know, but Chris liked it. By the time I was done with all of the slicing, sauteing, rolling, etc. I had developed a sour stomach feeling and ended up laying down on the couch and not eating dinner! The meal looked lovely, though, and I think it would make a very nice side dish to a roasted piece of meat. I will say, though, that I am as sick of Italian-inspired dishes as I am of baking right now.

Artichoke-Stuffed Eggplant
serves 2-3

for the sauce:

1 14-oz. can petite diced tomatoes
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch or two dried oregano
pinch or two dried basil
dash sugar
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
olive oil

Heat olive oil over medium-low heat in a large skillet with a lid. Add garlic and shallot and saute until soft, 5-6 minutes. Add tomatoes and spices, bring to a simmer, then reduce heat and cover. Cook for 20 minutes. Using a food processor or blender, puree about .75 of the tomato mixture--you're looking for a slightly chunky sauce. Add back to the pan, stir to combine, and set aside.

for the stuffing:

1 medium eggplant
oil for frying
half a can of artichoke hearts, chopped
2 Tbsp bulgar wheat
dried oregano
dried basil
1 egg
.25 cup feta cheese crumbles (more for topping)
sea salt
freshly ground pepper


Slice the eggplant in thin slices from stem to tip. Discard the two slices with the skin side out. Heat a good layer of oil in a saute pan to near smoking. Working in batches, fry the eggplant slices on each side until beginning to brown. You will need to add more oil periodically, as the eggplant will soak it up. Drain eggplant on several layers of paper toweling for at least half an hour.


Place bulgar wheat, and a pinch each of the basil and oregano, in a small bowl. Pour boiling water generously over the mixture and then cover with a plate. Set aside to soak for 30 minutes. After it has soaked and plumped up, pour into a fine meshed sieve and let drain. Before mixing with the rest of the stuffing, press to remove as much water as possible.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine chopped artichoke, wheat, feta cheese, egg, and herbs in a bowl, mix well with a fork. Lay a slice of eggplant in front of you, with the fatter, bulbous end closest to you. Using an ice cream scooper or a large spoon, place a dollop of the stuffing at the end near you (it will be loose). Carefully roll the eggplant over--you will likely need to replace stuffing as it falls out. Gently place in a small baking pan, seam side down. Repeat with remaining eggplant slices--you are doing well to get six good rolls out of one eggplant.



Pour tomato sauce evenly over eggplant rolls. Sprinkle generously with feta cheese. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving, it shouldn't be piping hot. Maybe I should test my stomach and go try the leftovers out, this is sounding pretty good!


Stay tuned tonight to see if I make something out of nothing. I can't wait to get past end of the month expenses and have the money for a big grocery trip!

Cremini, Eggplant, and Escarole Saute

Cate at SweetNicks hosts a weekly food blogging event called ARF/5-A-Day Tuesday, which focuses on bringing more Antioxidant-Rich Foods (ARFs) to your dining table every day. I always work to incorporate at least one vegetable side dish or main course to all of our dinners, but I've never submitted a recipe...until now.


I did some homework on today's three main ingredients--escarole, eggplant, and cremini mushrooms--and I was happy to find that each is a source of one or more vital antioxidants. As we should all know by now, antioxidant-rich foods are thought to slow the chemical process of oxidation, which can lead to cholesterol deposits, the narrowing of arteries, and other various heart-related problems. The best way to add antioxidants to your diet is not through vitamin supplements, but through the many delicious fruits and vegetables they are found in.


This is a simple, flavor and texture-full dish that has an Asian flair. We had this tonight alongside Chris' favorite Crispy Shrimp, served with its sauce on the side, for dipping.


I typically eat escarole raw, in salads, but it is getting harder to find the small, tender, less bitter heads as the weather gets warmer. Wilting the escarole helps foil the bitter flavor, and the sturdy leaves hold up to heat well.


Cremini, Eggplant, and Escarole Saute
serves 4

heaping cup eggplant, coarsely chopped
1 medium head escarole
6 oz cremini (Baby Bella) mushrooms
olive oil
toasted sesame oil
crushed red pepper flakes
1 clove garlic, minced
soy sauce
sea salt

Toss eggplant generously with salt, and set aside. Wash and dry the escarole, removing the core and tough outer leaves. Slice into large, coarse pieces. Brush mushrooms clean, then slice.


Rinse the eggplant well in a colander to remove salt, pat dry. Heat about 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large, non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute, then add mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add eggplant, and another splash of olive oil, if necessary. Saute for about 5 minutes, until beginning to brown and release liquids.


Add escarole to pan and drizzle with toasted sesame oil and soy sauce. Toss well to coat and mix with mushrooms and eggplant. Sprinkle with crushed red pepper and cook until escarole is wilting. Serve with a wedge of lemon alongside, if desired.

Sweet and Savory Balsamic Poached Chicken

After last week's successful venture into the world of poaching, I have been thinking about trying it again with a new combination of flavors. After doing some research, I decided that balsamic vinegar would make a good flavor base, much like the white wine was last time. The result? Lovely caramel-colored chicken, filled with flavor with no added fat. I'm starting to really like this poaching thing. It's so easy and nearly fool-proof.


Sweet and Savory Balsamic Poached Chicken
serves 2

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast fillets
1.5 cups chicken stock
.5 cup balsamic vinegar
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp brown sugar


Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Bring stock and vinegar up to a boil in a medium (2 quart) saucepan, add chicken, and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15-18 minutes, turning once (cooking time will depend on thickness of chicken). Remove chicken from pan, set aside. Turn heat up to high, add brown sugar, and reduce cooking liquid to about .25 cups. Slice chicken thickly, spoon some pan sauce over, and serve.


We had this with Herbed New Potatoes and some pan seared asparagus. The spring asparagus is making its first appearances, and I really encourage you to pick some up and pair it with nearly anything. It was a really simple, easy meal with lots of complimentary flavors.

Creamy Roasted Vegetable Curry

The inspiration for this recipe came to me from Erin at Erin Eats, a great blog full of healthy recipes, including calorie counts. I took her recipe for Low-Calorie Creamy Curry Chicken and tweaked it to make a smaller portion, as well as a few other adjustments. The roasted vegetables were fantastic with the creamy curry sauce, and that same silky sauce was glorious over rice.


I left out a few things (like celery, I just don't care for it sometimes), and replaced the onion with some leek. The leek was an unexpected twist, but the sweetness really works nicely with the spicy curry. I would have used onion, but I've had a bad run of luck lately, buying two bags that rotted within a week--I need to talk to my grocer about that. Anyway, this is a roundabout way of saying that you can sub out an onion for the leek.


Creamy Roasted Vegetable Curry
serves 2-3

1 boneless chicken breast, cubed*
2 medium carrots, chopped*
1 red or orange pepper, chopped*
1 medium leek (white and light green part), sliced*
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
4 oz. sliced bamboo shoots
4 oz. sliced water chestnuts
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced and sauteed
1 medium Yukon Gold potato, cubed*
.5 cup reduced fat sour cream
1 Tbsp oyster-flavored sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
curry powder (or paste), to taste
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 cup cooked rice, any variety

*I chopped all of these into about the same smallish bite-size. I wanted to be sure that you could get several flavors into each bite, and it worked really well. If you chop into a larger dice, you will need to adjust cook times.


Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Toss the potato chunks in a little olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and place them in a baking dish. Roast them for 10 minutes, since they take a little longer to cook than the other vegetables. Toss the pepper, carrot, and leek in a bit more olive oil and salt, and add them to the pan with the par-roasted potatoes. Roast for 30 minutes more, until tender and just beginning to brown around the edges. The leeks might get a little more brown than everything else, but they are crispy and wonderful. I kind of want to eat roasted leeks every day now.


Back on track, set aside your roasted vegetables. Season your chicken with a little salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, heat up a splash or two of olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken chunks on all sides, then reduce heat to medium. Add the garlic, shoots, and water chestnuts, saute for about 1 minute, until warmed through and fragrant. Be careful to not burn the garlic.


In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and surry paste/powder (I used a combination of the two). Adjust curry seasonings to desire spice level, and add a splash of water to thin. Pour over the chicken mixture, toss well to combine. Add mushrooms and roasted vegetables to the pan, toss several times to coat in the sauce. Cook for about 2 minutes more, until everything is warmed through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Serve over rice.

White Bean Dip and Baked Wonton Chips

I love it when experiments work, don't you? We had dinner guests coming last night, and I wanted to have something snacky and crunchy out for them when they arrived. However, I was serving some very rich lasagna rolls (see below) and therefore wanted to avoid inducing cardiac arrest in my guests.

And so, on a whim, I tried making some baked wonton chips and white bean dip. The chips were incredibly easy, as you see, and the dip tasted creamy but only had a little drizzle of oil. Even better, I got to use some herbs from my garden, making this the perfect submission for Weekend Herb Blogging.


White Bean Dip and Baked Wonton Chips

for the dip:

1 14-oz can cannelini beans, drained
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
1 Tbsp olive oil
a few sprigs of whatever herbs you have on hand. I used:
-lemon balm
-mint
-thyme
-rosemary
coarse salt and pepper
juice of half a lemon
1 Tbsp chives, for garnish


Place everything but the chives in a blender (or a food processor, but I don't have one. Wah), and pulse until smooth and creamy. Top with chopped chives and serve with baked wonton chips.


for the chips:

half a package of prepared wonton wrappers
olive oil cooking spray
sea salt


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the wonton wrappers in half and lay them out in a single layer. Spray with a coat of cooking spray and sprinkle lightly with the sea salt. Bake for 5 minutes, until golden brown and crunchy.



P.S. Yes, we have some new plants in the garden, and the radishes have made their way into the ground. Garden update to come once the sun decides to shine, maybe tomorrow?

Wine-Poached Chicken with Charmoula

This recipe comes almost straight from Martha Stewart's "Healthy Quick Cook", a nice little cookbook featuring light, simple menus divided by season. I use it mostly for inspiration, but some of the recipes are wonderful. I actually managed to only make a few changes to this recipe, in fact. The sauce is very lively, and while Stewart (or whoever did the actual writing) classifies it as Moroccan, Chris and I agreed that it would be fantastic with Mexican dishes as well. Must be the cumin, cilantro, and tomato juice. Start to finish, this meal took about 20 minutes to make, so it's a great dinner for busy times.



I have never poached chicken before, and to tell the truth I was skeptical. I mean, just look at it, stark white and as bland-looking as can be. However, with this dish, it made sense. It was lightly flavored, moist, and served as a perfect backdrop to the piquant sauce. So, don't be scared when you are faced with these flabby-looking slabs of poultry, it's really quite good.


Wine-Poached Chicken with Charmoula
serves 2

for the charmoula sauce:

1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
.5 tsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
.25 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsely
.25 cup tomato juice (more to thin)
.25 cup chopped fresh cilantro
.5 tsp sea salt
freshly ground pepper


Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Add more tomato juice, if necessary, to reach a sauce-like consistency. Set aside to let flavors meld.

for the wine-poached chicken:

1 cup dry white wine
.5 cup chicken stock
5 sprigs flat-leaf parsely
8 whole peppercorns
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
sea salt
freshly ground pepper


In a heavy sauce pan big enough to hold the chicken in one layer, combine the wine, stock, parsely, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a lively simmer. Add the chicken and poach, turning once, for 15-17 minutes. Season to tast with salt and pepper. Remove to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.


To serve, slice the chicken into 4 slices and pour Charmoula over the top. Delicious alongside Toasted Israeli Couscous and a chopped green salad. Enjoy!

Mimosa Soup

Sometimes you reach a point where you've just had too much. Too much sugar, too much fat, too much everything. This is a good soup for when you've reached that point, and need something to make you feel cleansed.

This recipe comes from a book I'm a little embarrassed to own (it's about those damn French women and how they don't get fat, okay?). In the book, it is prescribed as a diet aid--eat nothing but this soup for nearly two days to jumpstart a new "programme". I usually just have it for lunch and snacks for a couple of days. It is bland, but in a comforting way. My recipe deviates from the original slightly, I added some salt (illegal!), a bit of chicken stock, and broccoli. Because I love broccoli.


Mimosa Soup
serves 1 for a couple of days

1 small head lettuce
several handfuls baby carrots
1 broccoli crown
1 small head cauliflower
1 turnip
1 large leek
1 c. chicken stock
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
.5 cup chopped parsely
hard boiled eggs


Clean and chop all vegetables in rough pieces and put them in a pot, except for the cauliflower and parsely. Add chicken stock and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered, for 35 minutes. Add the cauliflower and parsley and cook for another 10 minutes. Use salt and pepper to taste (remember, light on the salt!)


Puree in a blender in batches. Serve drizzled with a little olive oil and a chopped hard boiled egg. Not the prettiest soup in the world, but very light, filling, and terribly healthy.

Steamed Salmon with Soy Maple Glaze and Edamame Rice

One fun thing about housesitting for family is the opportunity to pore through their cabinets and refrigerator, looking for inspiration in new ingredients. Stumbling upon some lovely wild salmon in the freezer, and still thinking about that dread "healthy eating", I set out to make an Asian-inspired dish that focused on maximizing flavor and minimizing fat.


I've never steamed fish before, and now I'm not sure why. It was so easy, didn't stink up the kitchen, and took all of 4 minutes to cook. In fact, at 20 minutes, the rice was the most time-intensive thing on the menu! I've been mired in a writing project this week, so I was really digging the simplicity. And oh yeah, it was good. Really good, in fact. With the added benefit of making you feel virtuous for eating something with so little added oil.

Steamed Slamon with Soy Maple Glaze and Edamame Rice
serves 2

for the Edamame Rice:

.5 cup shelled edamame beans
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
coarse sea salt
1 c. cooked brown rice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 Tbsp olive oil


Drizzle the toasted sesame oil over the edamame, sprinkle with coarse salt, and toss to combine. Set aside.


Heat olive oil in a medium non-stick saute pan over medium high heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and the edamame (including the sesame oil in the bowl). Stirfry for 1-2 minutes, then add the cooked brown rice. Stirfry for 2-3 minutes more, until rice is showing some golden brown color and everything is toasty. Add salt to taste, then serve underneath steamed salmon.

for the salmon:

2 6-oz. skinless wild salmon fillets
.5 c. soy sauce, divided
1 clove minced garlic
2 Tbsp. minced ginger, divided
3 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar, divided
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar
1 Tbsp. maple syrup

Place salmon in a shallow bowl. Combine 2 Tbsp of the soy sauce, 1 Tbsp. ginger, the garlic, and 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar and pour over the fish. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.


Place the remaining vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, lemon juice, brown sugar, and maple syrup in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half and somewhat syrupy. Keep and eye on it, if you let the glaze reduce too much it will burn. Set aside and keep warm.

Fill a large sauce pan with 1 inch of salted water and bring to a boil. Remove the salmon from the marinade and place in a steamer basket that fits snugly in the pan. Pour marinade over the salmon, cover, and steam* for 4 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve salmon over Edamame Rice, and drizzle with the warm glaze.


*You can also bake the salmon, wrapped in foil, for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.