Lightened Up Eggplant Parmesan… and a visit from Becky

Have you ever made a friend without meeting them in real life??  My fabulous blogging community has introduced me to so many people over the years, but a few of them are particularly special.  Such is the case with my friend, Becky, of Baking and Cooking, A Tale of Two Loves.

I have to admit, when I first starting reading her blog, I somehow got it in my head that the last word in the title was "loaves" not loves, but to this day when I think of her I think of sharing a loaf of bread with her, perhaps slathered with butter and sweet strawberry jam and alongside a cup of steaming coffee.  And someday, I'm really going to do that.

I've been reading Becky's blog almost since the day I entered the blog world, and I feel like I know her, her husband, her adorable little pup Bailey and even a few of her neighbors.  Becky has a heart of gold and a talent for food that has me visiting her kitchen often.  

While today my real life travels have taken me a different direction (I'll have more on that later), I'm ever so thankful to Becky to have taken care of dinner for my mom and the kids back at home.

Becky, one of these days we will share a meal in real life… I'm looking forward to it!

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Lightened Up Eggplant Parmesan… a Guest Post from Becky 

Hi! I’m Becky from Baking and Cooking a Tale of Two Loves, and I am honored to be blogging for Kim today.  She and her husband are on a well-deserved cruise (without kids) for their 20^th Wedding Anniversary. Congratulations!  Have a glass of wine for me.

Kim was one of the first bloggers that I met, and one of my best supporters, when I first started blogging over three years ago. Kim has a son and daughter, now a Freshman and Senior in High School, plus her husband, so she is a busy Mom. Kim is always making marvelous, healthy meals, desserts, and snacks, and I have made many of them. She is also an accomplished photographer. I’m sure that you have seen many of her photos on her blog, and Facebook. So, when I was asked to be a guest blogger, I wanted to make a healthy dish as well.

Lightened Up Eggplant Parmesan might sound like an oxymoron, but it isn’t. I substituted lower fat Mozzarella for full fat Mozzarella, and Part Skim Ricotta for full fat Ricotta. In addition, I used fresh grated Parmesan cheese, and the taste was incredible. This dish tastes like Lasagna without the noodles, and all of those carbs. Layers of melted cheese between roasted eggplant and ricotta filling. 

The eggplant was roasted, instead of breaded and fried, then layered with a homemade red sauce and the cheeses.  Kim’s family eats and drinks a lot of vegetables, so I didn’t think that eggplant would be a problem for them. Eggplant doesn’t really have a taste of its own, and takes on the flavor of the sauce in the dish, so it is a lot like zucchini, in that respect. I used our homemade Marinara Sauce with Fresh tomatoes, or you can use a basic ***Marinara recipe.  If you are really in a pinch, you could use a jar of Trader Joe’s Arrabiata Sauce, I won’t tell.

If you have never cooked with eggplant before, one thing that you have to do before you roast the eggplant is to lightly salt the eggplant, and let the excess moisture drain out of the eggplant, so your dish isn’t watery. Lay eggplant slices on layers of paper towels or place in your colander for about 1/2 hour. Then you can proceed with roasting the Eggplant.

Lightened Up Eggplant Parmesan 

Inspired by Gina’s Skinny Taste

• 1 large eggplant (2 lbs)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 12 oz fat free ricotta I used Part Skim
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp Pecorino Romano, I used freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 medium egg
• 2 cups reduced fat mozzarella
• 3 cups homemade tomato sauce**
• salt

Start by making the sauce if you don't have any already made. While the sauce simmers, slice the eggplant into 1/4 inch thick slices. Lightly salt the slices and put in a colander or lay on paper towels to release excess moisture for about 1/2 hour. Do not skip this step, or your dish might be watery.

Preheat oven to 450°. Brush eggplant lightly with olive oil on both sides and place on cookie sheets. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning half way through until eggplant is golden brown.

In a medium bowl combine ricotta, egg, parsley and 1/4 cup of grated cheese.

In a 9x12 baking dish, put a little sauce on the bottom of the dish and put a layer of eggplant to cover the bottom of the dish.Top with 1/3 of the ricotta cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese and sauce. Add another layer of eggplant and repeat the ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese and sauce until everything is used up. Top with sauce and the mozzarella cheese and the remaining grated cheese.

Cover with foil and bake until cheese is melted and everything is bubbling, about 30 minutes at 400°F. Remove foil and bake an additional 8-10 minutes. Take it out of the oven and let it sit about 10 minutes before cutting.  Enjoy!

***Marinara Sauce

2 /Tbsp olive oil
1 med chopped onion
1/2c finely chopped carrots
3 cloves garlic crushed

2- 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes

½ c red wine, optional

1 8 oz can tomato sauce, if needed

1 Tbsp. Italian Seasoning
Fresh basil

Sugar to taste

Directions:

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and garlic and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes.

Add  dry spices and all other ingredients into the pot and simmer for about 45 minutes, until thickened.  Add basil, and tomato sauce for a thicker sauce.

Jalapeño Manchego Corn Bread

Here we are half way through August, and already much of the food blog universe is be switching to fall and autumn-like recipes, but here at Liv Life it's still summer.  After living these chilly, gray months of July and early August, I'm relishing an afternoon with full sun.

San Diego's stats may show some 275+ "days of sun", but I'm here to profess that some of those days the sun doesn't reach the coast, and if it does it may only peek through the ever present marine layer for a mere minute before retreating back to the heavens.  I shouldn't really complain as the temps are in the lovely low 70's region, somewhere where you really don't notice the temp - its neither hot nor cold... it just is.

The gray though, is taking its toll and I find myself dreaming of fields of corn raising their stalks up to greet morning rays of light.  With the change of the calendar to August my heart sank as I read quite a number of food blog posts proclaim a season change to fall, to which I'm hereby proclaiming a fall boycott.  As such, with my local farmer's markets still providing tables filled with fresh ears of perfectly grown white and yellow corn, I'm still living summer.

Some 3 years ago (almost to the day) and one of our first posts after establishing Liv Life, this Jalapeño Cornbread laced with nutty Manchego cheese, has earned its top spot as a summer favorite.  Made with whole kernels of grilled corn in addition to the cornmeal, zesty pickled jalapeños (did you know you can make your own??) give the recipe a nice little kick without being too overpowering.  Slathered with sweet honey butter, this cornbread becomes somewhat irresistible.

So here's to summer!  Anyone joining me in the fall/autumn boycott??!!

Pasta with Prosciutto and Parmesan

Nothing says comfort like pasta, beautiful carb-loaded pasta.  As a teen, pasta was my ingredient of choice making its way into my meals nearly every day.  Drenched in tomatoes or a cheesy, creamy sauce, it didn't matter, just so long as the base was my beloved pasta.

As some of you may know though, entering your 40's causes the body to process ingredients, shall we say, differently.  Where I could eat pasta all day, every day (even tossing in a glorious side of butter drenched garlic bread) and not gain a pound in my 20's, that same load of carbs now tends to hang around my not so bikini ready middle.

As such, pasta and I have not remained as close as we once were.  Now an occasional treat in place of an everyday ingredient, I choose my pasta dishes with care.  But once in a while nothing will do other than a bowl full of fresh pasta simply adorned with cheese.  To make myself feel less guilty I add spinach, or sometimes mushrooms and sautéed onions to justify an extra scoop.

Whichever way you choose, sometimes beautiful Parmesan Pasta is just a necessary part of your day.

Egg Cheese Muffin - Breakfast Sandwich with Homemade English Muffins and Kraft Singles

Raise your hand if you've ever taken a bite out of the middle of a Kraft American Single slice of cheese and peeked through the hole.  (Insert picture of me raising my hand here).  Raise your hand if you've ever torn your single slice into strips and worn it as a beard.  (Insert that same picture of me here...).  Raise your hand if you remember opening the wrapper of the single cheese and thinking it was fun.  (Ok... am I the only one raising my had here?).

If you are less than 63 years old, then you have grown up with the Kraft American Singles existing in your world whether you indulged in them or not.  Growing up in the late 60's and early 70's, a real grilled cheese for me included a slice or two (or perhaps 3) of American Cheese which melted into the perfect cheesy consistency.

My son, following in my footsteps, grew up with these cheese slices being one of the few foods he would always eat.  Trying to teach him to eat a rainbow of food colors in his monotone world (bread, pasta, chicken, bananas, yogurt and pancakes), he considered Kraft American Cheese Singles his color.  Folded into a quesadilla, grilled into a grilled cheese sandwich or simply eaten out of the super fun to open plastic wrapper (I won't go into the time he opened all the wrappers in the cheese drawer just because it was so fun), I could always count on a slice of cheese to go down.

As such, when Foodbuzz's Tastemaker Program in combination with Kraft offered to sponsor me to write about our Kraft Singles memories, I jumped at the opportunity as this is an ingredient I can wholeheartedly support.  With a decent dose of calcium, 25% of the RDA, and 4 grams of protein, this cheese helped get nutrition into that picky boy.

Now 16 years old and lactose intolerant, my son has gone dairy free.  Well, mostly.  It is the occasional Egg Cheese Muffin Breakfast Sandwich that spurs him to re-enter the world of dairy.  Taking additional lactose pills, the smile on his face still shows sheer pleasure in every bite.

A simple recipe, he prefers his version unadorned and with only the three ingredients... the egg, the cheese and the muffin.  We've tried to add extras like bacon, avocado, and tomato, but all have been vetoed in favor of the original version he has enjoyed for some 15 years.

Stepping up my game a little, today's version included not only the original recipe, but homemade English Muffins which turned out to be fairly easy, though a bit lengthy, to make.  The bread machine makes easy work of processing the dough and a large drinking glass filled in for my missing muffin cutter.  Semolina flour dusted my board and within minutes of rolling out the dough I had muffins working on their second rise and nearly ready to be cooked on the stove top.

Placed on a griddle over medium heat, the muffins puffed as they cooked and were ready to be toasted and turned into Egg Cheese Muffins in a little more than 10 minutes.

Kids everywhere, and every age, still love Kraft Singles and I didn't have to ask twice to have my neighbor kids Maggie and Jack volunteer to be our photo shoot models.  My suggestion was, "Play with your cheese.", and I smiled to myself as Miss Maggie's first suggestion was to bite a hole in the middle of the cheese so she could look through it.  Some things never change.

Mushroom Poblano Quesadillas

Last night Ellie Krieger fell into my bathtub.  (Well, maybe not Ellie herself, exactly, but her book So Easy).  She came out dripping wet and I knew that her well worn pages would warp as they dried, but the page I had marked was no worse for the wear and as always, she provided me with a delightful foundation on which to build tonight's dinner.

My husband is a meat guy.  Except for rare occasions, dinner without meat is really not dinner in his eyes, and quesadillas are definitely not a meal.  Trying to pull off a meatless version of Ellie's Quesadilla for a quick dinner was going to be a tough one, but with most of the ingredients on hand I thought I'd give it a go.  And low and behold... it worked.

Whole wheat tortillas filled with hearty (meat-like) mushrooms served as the base for my quesadilla filling and seemed to beautifully absorb the southwestern spices sprinkled over them as they cooked.  Onions, cilantro and poblanos rounded out the filling portion of the recipe and combined perfectly with the melted cheeses wrapped in the tortilla.  Fresh pico-de-gallo spooned over a dollop of sour cream with a sprinkle of cilantro finished off the plate as I put the finishing touches on the meal.

Adding a wedge of avocado for garnish, I held my breath as I placed the quesadilla with a salad in front of my husband.  Sparking a little conversation about the day, he dug into his meal and after a few bites he put down his quesadilla, reaching for water.  Still holding my breath I finally exhaled as he commented, "This is really good."  And then moved on to the next topic of conversation.

He didn't say another word about the meal, and definitely never commented that the quesadilla didn't contain any meat.  Leaving the table he even picked up a small remaining slice from the cutting board - a sure sign of something that he likes.  Smiling he rolled up his sleeves and actually started on the dishes as we cleaned up for the night.

Thanks Ellie.  You've done it again.

Goat Cheese Cranberry Kisses

Ahhh... Thanksgiving!  A day to give thanks for the bounty we have received and a day of abundance.  Occasionally, and hopefully said abundance will lead to a day of leftovers, which in my opinion is actually one of the best part of the Thanksgiving meal.  Who doesn't love rummaging through the fridge finding turkey, cranberries, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes and slices of assorted pies all at your fingertips?

Occasionally, however, the plethora of leftovers might become a bit daunting and we're here to recommend a wonderful use for some of that extra Cranberry Sauce (we highly recommend our Grand Marnier Cranberry Sauce if you are looking for a recipe).  If you don't need all of your sauce to slather onto that Day After Thanksgiving Turkey Sandwich, you can look like a gourmet chef with these cute little Cranberry Kisses.

Three ingredients and about 25 minutes once your puff pastry is thawed is all you need .  (Note to self... take frozen puff pastry from the freezer and place it in the fridge as soon as the Thanksgiving dishes are done so it will good to go by the next afternoon).  Puff pastry is rolled and then cut into squares and fitted into the cups of mini muffin tins.  Filled with cheese and a dollop of cranberry sauce the treats head to the oven.  About 18 minutes later cheesy cranberry puffs are ready for your house guests and you're looking better than Martha Stewart.

Our favorite version uses goat cheese, or chévre, but a luscious brie is a fine substitute.  Served warm, these little kisses are just one more thing to be thankful for.

Heirloom Tomato Napoleons (Stack) with Parmesan Crisps

Lucky as I am to live in San Diego with my markets brimming with fresh, local veggies and fruits nearly year round, it is the summer months that bring me into produce heaven.  Corn, still warm from the fields, aromatic peaches soft to the touch and a new one for me - heirloom tomatoes lining the tables in an amazing array of colors.

It wasn't until just a few years ago that I had my first taste of heirloom tomato at my local Carlsbad Farmer's Market, but for 40 years prior I had avoided what I thought was the mushy, mealy, tin-like taste of fresh tomatoes.  Since my first taste, I now know what I was missing.

Years ago, while purchasing corn from my favorite local vendor he thrust a plate of juicy green and red tomato slices my direction to try.  Having no way to politely decline without offending him, I searched out the tiniest piece on the plate and prepared myself to smile as I just got it down.  What a surprise I was in for!  The sweet, not mealy or mushy at all, piece of tomato had my eyes shining brightly and my hand reaching for a second, and even larger slice!

Since that first taste I have embraced Heirloom Tomatoes, and even some of the plain old fashioned red, perfectly round kind as well.  I'll admit to still being picky and avoiding what appear to be "winter", or out of season tomatoes, but in summer, I'm getting my fill.

With a basket full of my favorite greenish/reddish variety which is flooding the market these days,  my daily email from Fine Cooking featured these Heirloom Tomato Napoleons (basically a stack) with Parmesan Crisps.  Making the crisps was a piece of cake by simply spreading Parmesan Cheese onto a silicone liner and baking.  13 minutes later the house was smelling divine and I had a beautiful sheet of golden cheese that crisped as it cooled.

Slicing into my gorgeous heirloom globes I nestled them atop a crisp red leaf lettuce which I had also picked up at my last market visit and began layering the slices with broken pieces of the crisped Parmesan.  Topping the plate with a quickly whisked together balsamic vinaigrette and torn basil from the garden I had a treat fit for summer.

Skewered Tomato, Cucumber & Feta Appetizer

As the holiday season is coming to a close I'm finding myself craving vegies and healthier snacks.  Well...that's not wholly true... that Mac Nut Brittle is still sitting on it's pretty little plate just begging me to take a little nibble (or two!) and Mom's marshmallow filled Rocky Road gives me the eye every time I walk by.  Not wanting the Rocky Road to feel left out I always make sure to take a little piece of it when I sample the brittle and everyone is happy!

With New Years Eve just around the corner I'm working on appetizers to bring to our annual celebration, and after my holiday sweet overload these healthy Greek Skewers fit the bill.  Fresh tomatoes and cucumber combine beautifully with cubed, salty feta.  Drizzled with a touch of our favorite garlic dipping olive oil and a splash of balsamic, the trio come alive and simply burst with flavor.

Easy assembly of these fresh and heart healthy ingredients is an added bonus making them the perfect "getting back on track" snack!

Skewered Tomato, Cucumber & Feta Appetizers
adapted from Fine Cooking 

cherry tomatoes, halved
Persian cucumbers, halved, then sliced
cubed feta
olive oil (I use a garlic flavored oil)
balsamic vinegar
toothpicks


Skewer a piece of tomato, the a piece of cucumber, and then a piece of cubed feta - sticking the tooth pick into but not all the way through the feta.  Stand skewers on a serving plate and drizzle with the oil and balsamic.  Serve!

Grilled Quesadillas

I adore my grill!!  When we did our backyard, my husband put in a large, high power, gas grill, complete with a large tiled prep area.  He pictured himself as King of the Grill, spending his evenings out there sipping a beer, grilling up all sorts of meals.  That scenario occurred a few times and he was happy.  However... he soon went away on a trip (being an airline pilot he does that with frequency!) and I needed some chicken grilled.   There was no doubt about it... I had to step in for the King.  

It was intimidating.  The flame kicked to life with a noisy "pooof", the chicken sizzled as I later placed it on the hot grates and the heat visibly radiated off of the gleaming cover.  Was it too hot?  Would the chicken be overdone?  Did I do it right??  Not only was the chicken not overdone, it was perfect!!  Amazing if I might say so, and I had grilled it myself.  

Grilled Quesadilla ingredients on bar prep area

This was the beginning of a long standing love story between me and my grill.   My husband has been dethroned, and the grill is mine.  He now looks at it with a touch of intimidation as I approach to grill my pizza, or chicken, or quesadillas.  He tentatively asks, "Are you really going to put pizza dough directly on the grill?  Is that really a good idea?"  Yes!  It's a perfect idea!   I've cooked most every meal possible on my grill, even baking a small loaf of bread (not our best result... that one will definitely take more patience and practice). 

Today had the kitchen area busy with boys and their geometry books, so I headed to my friend, the grill, for our quesadillas.  The prep area being larger than I have inside is a pleasure, and made an easy job of cutting up the vegetables for our meal.  Corn, poblanos, onions, and zucchini were today's choice, along with a tender organic breast of chicken for my meat loving husband.  

My favorite quesadilla cheeses!

With the vegies and chicken nicely cooked, I turned to grating some of our favorite cheeses, jalapeño jack for a bit of spice and tangy yet creamy, perfectly melting Manchego.  Layered on a tortilla, the ingredients easily transferred to the glorious grill for a quick meeting with the high temps.  Just long enough to crisp the tortilla and thoroughly melt the cheeses to hold everything together.  Topped with my favorite diced heirloom tomatoes and sliced avocado we had a meal fit for a King!  Well... a dethroned King and the Grill General.

Grilled Vegie or Chicken Quesadillas

Tortillas
Grilled vegies of your choice - corn, peppers, onions, zucchini, mushrooms, etc.
Chicken, if desired
Cheese - may use store purchased shredded cheeses or you may shred your favorites, cheddar, jalapeño jack, manchego, etc.
Toppings of your choice, sour cream, salsa, diced tomatoes, avocado, guacamole, etc.  

Grill vegetables.

Grill chicken (if using).

Shred cheeses.

Place a layer of cheese on one tortilla, or alternatively on 1/2 of a tortilla.  On top of the cheese, place a layer of vegies, cilantro and chicken.  Top with another layer of cheese.  Carefully, transfer filled quesadilla to grill over the lowest heat setting.  Cover.  Watch carefully and flip when cheeses are "melty".  Cover for another minute or so and remove to a cutting board.  Cut into triangles and serve with your favorite toppings!   

Note:  Sometimes I add a touch of hot sauce or grilled jalapeños for a bit of heat.  My husband loves to add some Pulled Pork if we have it on hand!