My Favourite Lunch February 26, 2010
Posted by Teresa in : Lunch , add a commentMy new favourite lunch is simple, and so delicious! I roughly dice 2 rona tomatoes. I open up an avocado and dice it too. Add them together in a glass bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil over, a tiny bit of vinegar (not the white kind, a nice balsamic or apple cider), then a few spices: oregano, sea salt, and black pepper.
That’s it! Stir and enjoy! You can have it on a pita, which is nice, or just plain on your plate!
If you need more excitement, you can add some diced celery, too.
My second favourite new lunch is a cold salad, too! 
A can of chick peas (or mixed beans), diced celery, almonds, and a little finely diced sundried tomato. A similar dressing as for the tomato-avocado salad, or a mixture of these spices, just a little of each: cumin, paprika, onion powder, sea salt. You can also add a little cubed cheese (whatever is handy)!
Chocolate Chip Cookie Squares February 26, 2010
Posted by Teresa in : Dessert , add a commentI made these recently for a group of people — how yummy! Great for a potluck – quick and easy to make! I, of course, left off the coconut and other nuts.
Ingredients
- 2 cups + 2 Tbsp bleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar, or slightly less — I used the Organics kind that isn’t totally white.
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 package (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips (340 g)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted (optional)
- 1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)
Preparation
Place oven rack in lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts on rimmed baking sheet and bake until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer nuts to cutting board to cool; chop coarsely and set aside. Toast coconut on same rimmed baking sheet, stirring 2 to 3 times, until light golden, about 5 to 7 minutes; set aside. (Keep a close eye on the coconut when toasting as it can burn quickly.) Lower oven temperature to 325 °F. Lightly butter a 13- by 9-inch baking pan; set aside. If the pan is glass or Pyrex, turn the oven heat down to 300 °F.
Whisk flour, salt and baking soda together in a medium bowl; set aside.
In a Large bowl, whisk melted butter, brown and granulated sugars together until combined. Add egg, egg yolk, and vanilla and mix well. Fold dry ingredients into egg mixture until just combined. Do not overmix. Fold in chips, coconut, and nuts, if desired, and turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing top with spatula.
Bake until top is light golden brown, slightly firm to the touch, and edges start pulling away from sides of pan, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature on wire rack, 1 to 2 hours. Transfer to cutting board, cut into bars and serve. Mine did not pull away from the sides of the pan at all (glass pan), but they were done and still a little moist, the way they should be.
Makes about 3 dozen (1 1/2- by 2 1/2-inch) bars.
Eggplant Parmigiana February 26, 2010
Posted by Teresa in : Dinner , add a commentWell, we’ve gone mostly vegetarian, and I haven’t posted here in ages, but there’ll be a flurry of new recipes in the next little while (if I have time). I made this one tonight, and although it takes about 50 minutes to make, it’s worth it!
Ingredients
- 4 medium eggplants (or less, just scale ingredients accordingly)
- 3 cups breadcrumbs, or use croutons and pound them into crumbs
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 4 cups mozzarella, shredded
- jar of pasta sauce, any variety, or plain tomato sauce and add your own spices (oregano, basil, onion salt, celery salt, garlic powder)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400.
Slice the eggplant (leave the skin on) into 1/3 inch thick discs. Whisk the milk and eggs together.
Line two baking sheets with parchment or spray with cooking spray (do not use foil).
Dip each piece of eggplant into the egg mixture then coat well with breadcrumbs and place on baking sheet.
Bake eggplant until lightly browned, about 20 minutes.
Spread 1/4 cup of pasta sauce all over the bottom of a 9×12 glass baking dish (or smaller one if you’re using less eggplant) and layer single pieces of the baked eggplant until the bottom is covered.
Spread a thin coating of pasta sauce over the eggplant.
Sprinkle the layer with 1/2 cup of the mozzarella.
Continue to create layers until all of the eggplant has been used.
Sprinkle final layer with 1/2 cup of mozzarella.
Tent loosely and return to oven.
Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5-10 minutes until the shredded cheese on top is melted and slightly bubbly. Delicious!
