Make-Ahead Eggplant Parm

 

MAKE-AHEAD EGGPLANT PARMESAN

 

I'm a single woman who shops for 1 at the grocery store. Unfortunately, more often than not, I over-buy fresh produce and end up throwing away salad greens, rotten avocados, and moldy cheeses in the middle of the week. I've been trying to incorporate more frozen fruits and vegetables into my shopping list, but of course nothing beats working with fresh whole foods, especially when you love to cook. This week I challenged myself to stretch my budget and my food's shelf-life by doing a Make-Ahead Eggplant Parmesan. And now 10 days after my trip to the grocery store, I've still got a warm home-cooked entree to eat for days to come! Whether you're looking to stretch your budget, feed a family of 5, or simply save time with prep and planning, this is a dish for you! 

 

 

Eggplant is part of the "Clean 15" so you don't have to splurge on organic. 

Ingredients: 

2 medium eggplants

salt

1 box of bread crumbs (Panko for extra crunch) mixed with Italian herbs

1-2 eggs for egg wash

1 package of provolone cheese pre-sliced 

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1-2 jars of your favorite marinara sauce

olive oil

 

tips:

Most grocery stores have bread crumbs with Italian seasoning which are delicious, easy, and usually under $2 per box. If you're using plain, or making your own breadcrumbs, I suggest adding Italian herbs like oregano and basil with garlic powder and onion powder. I already had Panko breadcrumbs in my pantry so I just added this "spaghetti & pasta" spice blend. 

 

step one.

Prep your eggplant. slice into no bigger than1/4 inch slices, sprinkle generously with salt and submerge in warm water for at least 30 minutes. This insures your eggplant isn't dry and doesn't soak up all your sauce.

step two.

Dip each slice in egg wash (egg whisked with a little water) and then pat firmly with breadcrumbs on both sides. A cookie sheet may come in handy. 

 

step three.

Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully place breaded slices into the hot oil and cook until golden (about 2 minutes) on each side and then stack into your baking dish.

step four. 

Cover layered eggplant with your favorite sauce. Some of this sauce will be absorbed by the breadcrumbs so be liberal here. 

step five. 

Top with provolone and Parmesan cheese, wrap with foil ad freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat, thaw completely and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until the cheese bubbles up nice and golden.

Monday Mantra

I'm no stranger to Mondays. 

But mantras... well, I'll admit I've always had a little aversion to the concept and even the word "mantra." When really the word by definition is just another name for a slogan. But in practice, a mantra is much more than a slogan of course. A mantra is a word or phrase that one repeats slowly and diligently for several minutes or even hours on what it supposed to be a daily basis.

I've never claimed to be a creature of habit and I certainly have never been recognized for my decisiveness, so how am I supposed to choose a slogan for myself and then commit to reciting it daily? Besides, it's all a little too close to bordering what I call "deep-end-yogi" practices* (I have yet to fully accept that application of chanting and dancing and singing, which may sound weird to some reading this, but when I've tried these things, I feel inauthentic and thus do not include them as a part of the way I practice yoga and mindfulness). I used to feel this way about meditation too, until I think I came into a part of my life where meditation suddenly became important and useful to me. I relate it to the reasoning that I grew up hating mustard, and now I have three different kinds of mustard in my fridge because I love it that much.

Could mantras be a step toward the deep-end? I don't really think so, but this morning as part of an exercise in Wanderlust: A Modern Yogi's Guide to Discovering Your Best Self, I sat on the beach and recited the following mantra 108 times over the sound of the ocean:

om namah shivaya

Yes, I felt awkward at first. I sort of hoped that no one on the beach was watching me. Then about half way through, I felt a little tired. However, for the last 10 counts, I opened my eyes and looked around at the horizon, the people splashing in the waves, a mother teaching her son to surf, and my eyes welled up a little. Perhaps from the unburdening relief from having left my stress-filled job one week ago. Perhaps just because it was a beautiful day.

I can't say whether this mantra, or the practice of recital was responsible for my sudden rush of emotion on the beach this morning. But what I can say, is that the eeriness I normally associate with mantras is maybe being broken down or changed in some way.

I have no real lesson to share from this experience other than to say, "Hey, I tried this today, and this is what I thought about it." I believe it is the trait of a good teacher to follow the path of a curious student. It is a part of my responsibility to myself and my students to continuously explore my practice and the philosophies behind it. But then to also, share those experiences in my teaching... so there.

I hope you'll continue to read and learn about my discoveries along side your own.

See you on the mat, or maybe somewhere else.

Best,
Lindsey



*The best way I can describe a "deep-end-yogi" is to compare this to someone who has blind faith in their beliefs and practices. Someone who without question subscribes to a great variety of spiritual and physical practices as described within the vast yogic doctrines. Also and usually, it's someone who uses terms like "bhakti" in their email signature. This person is someone who is fully submersed. Please do not misconstrue my feelings about deep-end-yogis as negative. I love them and I am inspired by them, but I recognize that I am not among them. I still question where my beliefs reside and that is my way of acknowledging my own truth. I think I still have yet to explore the deep-end of the yoga pool.

Baked Oatmeal

Puzzled with how to have a healthy breakfast at work, my sister suggested Heidi's baked oatmeal. She served this at a brunch with some girlfriends. Not only is it great for crowds, but it's re-heatable in single-serve portions that will have all your co-workers asking for the recipe.

 

 Baked Oats with Bananas and Blueberries

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain salt
• 2 cups milk (or nut milk) 
• 1/3 cup maple syrup
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 bananas, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries or a mix of berries

 
Preheat. 375 degrees w/ a rack in the top third of the over. Butter the inside of your baking dish.


Step one. In a bowl, combine the oats, half of the walnuts, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

 
Step two. In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, milk, egg, vanilla and half of the butter.






 


 




Step three. Lay bananas across the bottom of the buttered baking dish. Sprinkle two-thirds of the berries on top. Cover with the dry mix and then drizzle the milk mix over the oats. Scatter the remaining berries and walnuts over the top.












 



Step four. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden and the oats are set. Let cool for a few minutes. Drizzle with the remaining melted butter and serve.










Serve. With a little maple syrup on top. Divine.  

 enjoy.

Broccoli Gribiche

Ode to Heidi 

Part 3.  

 

For the third and final installation of my Ode to Heidi Swanson, I'm choosing one of her recipes that highlights French home-style cooking. Heidi makes a lot of good french food, but this dish called to me for one reason: broccoli. The slight char on the broccoli makes it almost impossible to put down your fork. And the addition of capers and tarragon make this a potato salad like no other. 

 

Broccoli Gribiche

(French Style Potato Salad) 

 

Gribiche is and French sauce made of egg, oil, and herbs. In Heidi's variation, broccoli,  potatoes, and tarragon are used, but she suggests swapping in asparagus, when in season. And if you don't have the variety of fresh herbs called for, just use an equivalent amount of the ones you can find.  

 

Ingredients: 

• 1 1/2 pounds small fingerling potatoes
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. olive oil
• fine grain sea salt 
• 12 ounces broccoli florets
• 4 large eggs, hardboiled
• 2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. dijon style mustard 
• 1 tbsp. capers, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives 

Tips: Hard boil your eggs a day ahead to throw this together more quickly.

preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

step one. If the potatoes aren't tiny, slice them into pieces no larger than your thumb. Use your hands to toss the potatoes in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and spread on a baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes.

step two. Toss the broccoli in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and arrange, in a single layer, onto the same baking sheet as your potatoes. put everything back into the oven for 15 minutes until the potatoes are fully cooked and the broccoli has a slight char.

step three. Make the gribiche sauce. Mash the yolk of one hard boiled egg into a medium bowl. slowly add 1/2 cup of olive oil, beating constantly. The dressing should look smooth and glossy. (You may want to use a small food processor to save your hand the work).

step four. whisk in the vinegar, then mustard. Stir in the capers, shallots, herbs, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

step five. Coarse chop the remaining egg and egg white and fold into the dressing.

step six. Put the warm potatoes and broccoli in a large bowl and gently toss with 3/4 of the dressing. Taste, adjust flavors, and add more dressing if needed.

Split Pea Soup

Ode to Heidi 

Part 2.  

 

Split Pea soup is quite possibly my favorite soup! If it's on the menu, I'm ordering it. And I will often let a restaurant's soup decide whether or not I choose to eat there ever again. Most places get this soup wrong because so often the split-peas can make the final product chalky, chunky, and thick; Not how I like my soup at all. But done right, I'm in soup heaven. And if I may make a shout out to two place in L.A. that I think do Split Pea right, visit The Overland Cafe in Culver City, or Il Tramezzino in Beverly Hills. But it was only a matter of time before I tried my hand at split pea soup, because well, if you like things done right, you should (eventually) learn to do them yourself. At least in cooking, that's mostly true. Heidi's recipe calls for curry powder, but I didn't have any on hand so I just used a little turmeric, and it really helped to boost that green color in the soup. As in any soup, I recommend using a broth or Bouillon that you absolutely love. I always use Rapunzel vegan vegetable bouillon with no salt added. The bay leaf is my own addition, because both above referenced restaurants use it in their recipes, and it may just be the key ingredient to why I love this soup SO much! 

 

Split Pea Soup

(Adapted from Heidi Swanson's Green Lentil Soup) 

 

 
Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter or coconut oil 
• 1 large yellow onion chopped 
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 to 2 bay leaves, whole
• 5 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or bouillon cubes dissolved in water)
• 1 1/2 cups green split peas (picked over and rinsed) 
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 3 tbps. Indian curry powder or turmeric (optional) 
• sea salt 
• 1 bunch fresh chives, minced 

Tips:

• I don't like my food spicy, so I eased up on the chili flakes. Where Heidi's recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon, I used only 1/4 teaspoon. But the little hint of heat was a very nice addition to this classic. 
• If using bouillon cubes, start a pot of boiling water while you are cutting your onions so that you can add simmering stock to your soft onions in step two.

step one. Combine the 2 tablespoons of butter, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes in a large soup pot over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the onions soften (a couple minutes). 

step two. Add the vegetable broth or stock, and the split peas. simmer, covered, until the split peas are tender (30-50 minutes).

step 3. Prepare a brown butter drizzle. Warm 3 tablespoons butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and let it brown. When it starts to smell nutty and fragrant, stir in your curry or turmeric powder and sautee for less than a minute. Remove from heat.

step four. When the pea soup mixture is finished cooking, remove from heat, and stir in the coconut milk, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and puree with an immersion blender. Make as smooth or chunky as you like. Stir in half of the spiced brown butter to taste, and add more salt, if needed. If your broth was unsalted, you may add a few teaspoons of salt at the end.

Serve. Drizzle with remaining brown butter and sprinkle with chives.

This soup is a meal in itself. A buttered roll, or toasted baguette may be all you need to finish off your plate.

Muesli

Ode to Heidi 

Part 1.  

 

When my sister was up in LA visiting me over the holidays, she pulled a cookbook off my shelf and started flipping through it. "I can't believe I don't have this one," she said, "She's got so much good stuff in here!" SHE of course, is Heidi Swanson, and the book is Super Natural Every Day. An instant classic if you ask me. It's one of my most-referenced cookbooks; Dignified with folded corners and hand-written notes pressed between the pages. So, with a renewed sense of exploration, and inspired by my sister, I ventured back into the pages of Super Natural Every Day.  Please enjoy reading and tasting some of my favorites from the great Heidi Swanson.

 

Muesli 

(AKA Overnight Oats) 

Easy, simple, bright, and customizable. Tired of the bagel selection at work, I went straight for my favorite recipe in this book, and consequently, it's on page 1. There's no better grab-and-go breakfast than overnight oats, and heidi's Muesli is perfectly balanced to be sweet, tart, and comforting.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup chopped Marcona almonds
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 1/4 cup raw wheat germ
• 1/4 tsp. fine grain sea salt
• Plain yogurt
• water
• maple syrup

Tip: Prepare each serving in a small mason jar or tupperware container for the on-the-go morning. 
 
step one. In a large bowl, toss together the oats, almonds, raisins, wheat germ and salt. Transfer to a mason jar (or tupperware) until ready to use.

step two. For each serving, spoon 1/2 cup yogurt into a bowl with 1/4 cup water, and sweeten with a splash of maple syrup. Stir in 1/2 cup of the muesli and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour, or preferably overnight.

Serving suggestion: Top with fresh berries or left-over raisins.

Customize: with chia seeds, bee pollen, or fresh banana.


Links to more of my posts and raves about Heidi Swanson:

Split Pea Soup  
Broccoli Gribiche 
Chanterelle Tacos
Maple Blueberry Coffee Cake 
Granola 
Blueberry Pie
Little Quinoa Cakes 
Chickpea Wraps