Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Butternut Rosemary Hummus

By

CONGRATULATIONS to everyone yesterday who shared their accomplishments!  I am sooooo proud for you!  Don’t stop – keep sharing your victories with friends/family/bloggers unless you’s a public figure and it involves questionable pictures.

 

Let’s talk about Maturity.

We all grow up and are expected to achieve a certain level of maturity/self-monitoring.  I tried – really – to be the bigger person and only laugh at the “Weiner” scandal in the privacy of my own home.

I mean, how can you not chuckle at the newscasters trying their damnedest to read the “Weiner-gate” stories off the teleprompter with a straight face?!*

 

You’ll have to excuse me.  In honor of Gay Pride month and my love of irony – I couldn’t pass this up this one.

*Disclaimer: Weiner’s actions are NOT a joke.  He hurt is (pregnant!) wife and is an embarrassment to Congress.  He should be ashamed of himself.

 

Speaking of maturity… 2 days in a row I have gotten out of bed and doubled the mileage I promised myself I’d run!

Stats:

  • Distance – 4 miles
  • Time – 32:48
  • Pace – 8:12

 

I’m a morning runnin’ machine. 🙂

 

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It’s time for the reveal of the mystery glob!  A couple of you guessed the main ingredient – expert foodies!

***cheesy drumroll***

 

Butternut Rosemary Hummus

 

Is hummus without beans still a hummus?  It has tahini.  It has a hummus-like texture.  It involves lemon and a little olive oil.  No beans about it.

Would a hummus by any other name smell taste as sweet?

 

Who cares? This is good.  And it’s mine, so I’m deeming it worthy of the title of hummus.

 

Butternut hummus has a creamy hummus texture, but a lighter feel.  (Read: You could eat the entire container in one sitting.) The nutty tahini taste compliments the squash and rosemary well.  Red pepper flakes and lemon give it a satisfyingly spicy tang.

My recipe calls for roasted garlic.  You could use regular garlic (I’d reduce to 2-3 cloves if using fresh), but I loved the added depth the roasted garlic gave this dip.

Many people avoid roasting garlic due to the time it takes, but I’ve found a great way around that: roast several heads at a time and FREEZE them whole!  They retain all of their flavor and are a great, unexpected flavor-enahncer to have on hand!  (Great tutorial on roasting garlic can be found here.)

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Butternut Rosemary Hummus

  • 1/2 butternut squash, cubed (~2 C)
  • 1 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 5 cloves roasted garlic
  • juice from 1/2 large lemon
  • 2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1.5 T tahini
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • S+P, to taste

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Scrape out the seeds from squash and peel.  Cut the squash into 1 in cubes.  Put the cubes on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle red pepper flakes, and mix to coat evenly.

Roast the squash in the oven for ~40 minutes or until tender, tossing once half way through.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Once cooled, transfer squash to a food processor until beginning to smooth.  Add the roasted garlic, rosemary, cumin, lemon juice, and tahini.  Mix in processor until smooth.  Add salt, pepper, and more red pepper flakes to taste.

Makes 8 servings of 2 T each.

Approximate nutrition: 48 calories, 2.4g fat, 6.8g carbs, 1.1g sugar, 1g protein

***

I can’t believe it’s already Thursday!  A week flying by is such a special gift unlike a political sext.

Have you made a “hummus” out of something unexpected?  What was it?

 

WIAW Pride

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Happy WIAW! (What I Ate Wednesday)

There seem to be a lot of posts lately where people are talking about their accomplishments.  I think that’s awesome!

 

The part that makes me sad is that many of these posts are pre-faced with something along the lines of:

“I don’t want to sound like I’m bragging…”

Or:

“Not to sound full of myself…”

 

Why do we have such a hard time sharing our “wins?” Charlie Sheen certainly didn’t and he isn’t even a winner.


Maybe it’s a female thing.  Not to stereotype, but I have never heard a dude apologize or hesitate before talking about a success.

Women tend to be raised to support and nurture.  Society tells us we are “caretakers.”  This doesn’t have to mean we need to keep it to ourselves when we’ve accomplished something!  We are allowed to be proud of ourselves and receive support and kudos from others.  Personally, I love sharing in your successes and cheering you on!

 

Share a personal success one person today.  I dare you.

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Today I am proud of myself for 3 reasons:

  1. I got out of bed and ran twice as far as I promised myself I had to
  2. I remembered to take pics of everything I ate for WIAW!  (Yes, I take my pics on Tuesday… I’m told that’s ok. 🙂 )
  3. I made some serious deliciousness with the other half of my butternut squash

 

Here’s the story of my 3 prideful moments on what I’m now creatively dubbing Terrific Tuesday:


1. Run

Promising low mileage is one way I coax myself out of bed for morning runs.  I don’t really enjoy going right from the bed to the street (that’s what she said), but on work days I don’t have time to chill first.  So I make myself promises:

“If you get up, you only have to run a 5K. It will be easy.  Get up!”

 

I had some verrry filling Mexican last night, so I didn’t need a snack other than to take my B-12 (awesome AM energy booster) before taking off.  Apparently this was just what the Dr. ordered for me today.

 

Stats:

  • Distance – 6 miles
  • Time – 49:22
  • Pace – 8:20

 

I think that’s my fastest time yet at this distance!  Admittedly my leg was shaking on the brake pedal while driving to work, but in a good “I pushed myself” way.

 

2. WIAW

 

Typically I realize half way through my food-eating for the day that I’ve forgotten to take pics of everything I ate.  Not the case today!

 

Breakfast:

My name is Laura and I am chia pudding-obsessed.

Blackberry Almond Chia Pudding

A few days ago I made Peach Cobbler Chia Pudding.  I’ve also done Banana Cashew Chia Pudding.  Today was Blackberry Almond Chia Pudding.

My favorite so far is still the Peach, but this was not bad.  I added a bit of butter extract which make it more pie-like.  Not bad at all, my friends.

Because everything tastes better in a martini glass

 

Blackberry Almond Chia Pudding

  • 1/2 C blackberries, cut in half
  • 1/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 T almond butter
  • 1 T chia seeds
  • 1/4 tsp butter extract
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well, mushing blackberries slightly in the process.  Store in refrigerator overnight.  In the morning, stir and enjoy!

 

Lunch:

Eaten at my desk, but it was so good I didn’t care.

Roasted Butternut Red Pepper Lentils

Leftover Roasted Butternut Red Pepper Lentils… which may have been even better than they were on day one.  The flavors had a chance to meld, I topped it with the last bits of fresh mozzarella… and I was one happy camper luncher.

Snack #1:

Celery and a freebie PB packet

 

Snack #2:

Peanut Butter Creme-filled Chocolate Newman-O's

Yesterday I got these in the mail from Mary @ Bites and Bliss.  I won a recent giveaway she hosted… talk about bites OF bliss.  What could be better than FREE Chocolate + PB cookies!?

Dinner:

Easy salad with a couple more of my little kid hidden veggie Chicken Bites.

Simple Salad with Chicken Bites

Snack #3:

Chocolate-Banana Green Creatine Protein Shake w/ Fiber

AND…

3. Serious Deliciousness

Newman's Own Spelt Pretzels and...

 

What exactly is that yellow-orange glob of tasty with my spelt pretzels?  Check back tomorrow… *insert evil laugh here*

***

Happy WIAW/Hump Day!

Share your win with me!  What have you done lately to make yourself proud?


Roasted Butternut and Red Pepper Lentils

By

This work-week began on Sunday with a quick-trip to DC for a meeting.

 

Upside: I am already home!

Downside: this morning’s breakfast was luke-warm hotel oatmeal.

Buuuutttt… for the first time EVER room service brought me the PB I requested!!  Thank you, Marriott.  🙂

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When I head out of town, I take note of all of the items I don’t want to let go bad.  Then I try to use them all.  It’s my own Top Chef Challenge.  Bring it, Gail Simmons!

I needed to devour some rosemary, cilantro, red pepper, butternut squash, and bok choy.  A little random, but that’s never stopped me before!  Necessity is the mother of invention.

 

Enter: a rockstar lentil dish.


 

After the Arabian Nights-themed Underground Supper Club, I was feelin’ Eastern-inspired.  Spices commonly used in this region are a great compliment to roasted veggies, so I was eyeing that butternut squash.

I was going to saute the red pepper, but those are great roasted too… so in it went with the squash.  The bok choy almost got roasted too, but that seemed a bit risky.

 

I’m not going to lie – this turned out 100x better than I could have ever hoped.  I wasn’t even thinking about using it for the blog until I tasted it.  Then I was all:

“Crap.  Now I have to attempt to photograph brown food again.”

 

Often people are leery of adding mint.  I was too… but DO NOT skip it.  The little bit I used brought out the spices and mint goes really well with cilantro.

 

The toasted cashews were an afterthought, but if you have them on had I’d say don’t skip that either.  The nutty taste with the mint and cilantro… file under: things that make you go mmmm!

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Roasted Butternut Red Pepper Lentils

  • 3 C butternut squash, peeled and cubed
  • 1 C red pepper, chopped
  • 2 T fresh rosemary, chopped
  • 1 T olive oil
  • 1 T ground cumin
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp coriander
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt


  • 1 C black or green lentils
  • 2.5 C water


  • 1/2 C yellow onion, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 bunch bok choy, roughly chopped


  • 1/4 C cilantro, minced
  • 1 T mint, minced
  • 1 T red wine vinegar
  • S+P and EVOO, to taste
  • 1/4 C toasted cashews


For the Butternut-Red Pepper Roast:

Toss squash and red pepper cubes with rosemary, olive oil, cumin, coriander, turmeric, red pepper flakes, and salt. Spread the mixture across a foil-lined baking sheet and roast 15 mins.  Flip pieces and roast for an additional 10-15 mins, until tender.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly.


For the Lentils:

Meanwhile, soak lentils for 10 mins in a small bowl, then rinse and drain.  Cook lentils in boiling, well-salted water just until tender but firm, ~20 mins.  Optional: rinse with cold water, then drain and cool.  I prefer to leave mine a tad hard and transfer t a bowl without rinsing.


For the Onions and Bok Choy:

In a shallow pot, saute onions in a bit of olive oil over med-high until translucent (~4-5 mins).  Add garlic and bok choy and saute for an additional 4-5 mins, until bok choy begins to wilt.  Transfer to a plate and let cool.


For the Cashews:

As the butternut mix is cooling, place cashews in the over for 3-4 mins, toss and allow to toast another couple of mins until beginning to brown.  Watch them carefully!

 


Combine lentils, squash mix, bok choy mix, vinegar, and additional olive oil (if needed).  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Garnish with cilantro, mint, and cashews.

Divide among 2-4 plates (would make a filling meal for 2) and enjoy!

 

It looks like a lot of steps, but I promise it goes by quickly because you’re doing them all simultaneously.

***

Traveling early in the week makes me feel like it should be Thursday or Friday already.

Is anyone going to the Healthy Living Summit in August? I’m in the market for a roomie if you’re looking!

Does your spell check recognize “bok choy?” Mine doesn’t.

 

Can You Hear Me Now?

By

Have you guys been following the cell phone news?

 

They may cause brain cancer.

 

Lovely.  As someone who spent the better part of college with a phone glued to her ear, I’m not amused.

 

I turned to NPR (dork).  Apparently the culprit is the radio frequency electromagnetic fields cellphones give off.  They could be carcinogenic.  Could be.

Know what else could be carcinogenic?

  • Coffee
  • Pickled Vegetables
  • Alcoholic Beverages
  • Ultraviolet Rays
  • Talcum Powder
  • Hormone Replacement Therapy

 

Basically, I’m a goner.

 

Honestly, I don’t like talking the phone anymore.  Can you grow out of that? I use mine primarily to text and email.  And tweet.

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In happier news, I’ve had a great time this week eating green foods!  Despite how it may look from the smorgasbord I posted yesterday…

 

1. Tami’s Green Gazpacho:

 

My modifications included the addition of 2 jalapenos, using a whole cup of  cilantro, and reducing the water by a cup.  I also bypassed the bread and topped it with Greek yogurt (which was amazing!).

Next time I’d reduce the salt a bit, but other than that it was a fantastic summer soup. The perfect cool lunch with insanely hot weather!

 

2. Salad… con mucho color.

 

I had some fresh mozzarella left over from my Peach Caprese Salad, so I used that to make this Spinach–Carrot–Tomato-Caprese-Salad.  With hummus.  And… an embarrassing item.

See the falafel-looking things?  Those are “Chicken Bites.”  They are made by a company called Happy Bites.  They make sneak veggies into their frozen kids snacks… yes, I’m almost 28 and I buy over-priced children’s foods. You can find them at Whole Paycheck Foods… the Veggie Tots are good too.

 

3. Averie’s Avocado Banana Ice Cream.

 

You guys know I love avocados in smoothies – it makes them deliciously creamy.  Why not in ice cream?  I trust Averie.

Did I mention it’s VEGAN ice cream?

I used So Delicious unsweetened vanilla coconut milk, omitted the sugar, added 1/2 a packet of Stevia, and used maybe 1/2 C of ice cubes.  My Magic Bullet blended it like a champ.  Then I threw it in my mini-ice cream maker.  And immediately devoured 1/2 of it.  Before dinner because I’m not a Happy Bite-eating kid.

***

I’m off for a morning run before A) it reaches 90 degrees and B) Souper Jenny’s Underground Supper Club tonight. It’s so underground that I don’t even know where it is or who the chef is yet!

Do you like to talk on the phone? Will you change your usage habits in light of the potential cancer-risk?


Peach Cobbler Chia Pudding

By

Thursday has arrived!  That means it’s almost FRIDAY!!!  The short weeks always seem to be the longest.  Long weekend withdrawal.

Yesterday was a particularly random/funny “Top Searches” day for Sprint 2 the Table; therefore, I’m calling today…

Top Search Thursday!

  • Mexican baby shower games (Mexican-themed food.  Universal games.)
  • Chocolate pudding with beans and avocado (Beans?!  Ok, ok… I’d probably try it.  These bean brownies are my fav.)
  • How to make me mmm mmm mmm (Uhhhh… should I be concerned?)
  • Why does my smoothy separate? (Smoothie.  Try adding a sprinkle of guar gum.)
  • Wines of Lebanon (Thank you, F+W Festival!)
  • Remove bitter taste from tempeh (Boil it!)
  • Apple pie oatmeal creation (That was pretty tasty.)
  • Chipotle state location georgia (That is more Stacy‘s area of expertise.)
  • Sweet on you dark chocolate sea salt cookies (If someone made me these cookies, I’d certainly be sweet on them!)
  • Good morning peaches (Good Morning! Thanks for the lead-in to today’s post!)

 

Funny searches, good lead-ins for a dessert-like breakfast… it’s a good day!

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A few months ago I made a Banana Cashew Chia Pudding (adapted from Leanne @ Healthful Pursuit) that was seriously reminiscent of actual banana pudding.

Since peaches are the theme lately, I decided to try out a Peach Chia Pudding.  I don’t even have the words to describe to you how delicious it was.  Tip: martini glasses amplify deliciousness.


First I tried it cold.  It was quite tasty.  Then I remembered Leanne’s suggestion to heat the banana version.  25 microwave seconds later I thought I was eating peach cobbler.

Chia seeds form a gel-like substance when soaked in liquid (hence the pudding), which is why this is such a great overnight breakfast.  In addition to making a fantastic pudding, they are a super food.

A few reasons Chi-chi-chi–chias rock:

  • Highest natural source Omega-3 available
  • Tons of fiber (7g per 2T)
  • Loaded with antooxidents, vitamins, and minerals
  • Provide lasting fullness/energy thanks to being slow-digesting
  • Hydrating – they can absorb 12x their weight in water!
  • May aid in muscle/tissue recovery

This pudding held me over until lunch (not an easy feat). I may eat this every day during peach season.

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Peach Cobbler Chia Pudding

  • 1 medium peach, sliced
  • 1 T chia seeds
  • 1 T cashew butter
  • 1/4 C unsweetened vanilla coconut milk (I used So Delicious)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon

In a small bowl, mash up peach slices until they are a chunky puree.  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate over night (or at least 2-3 hours).

In the morning, uncover and stir.  Optional: microwave ~25 secs (I strongly recommend trying it hot!).

Note: If you aren’t using a vanilla-flavored milk, you may want to add vanilla extract.

***

I wonder if people think search terms I use are funny?

What are some of the funniest terms you’ve used/seen?

Do you like chia seeds?  How do you eat yours?

 

Jackfruit BBQ Taco

By

Have you ever seen a jackfruit?

jackfruit

Looks aren’t everything…

I had passed by them in the farmer’s market, not knowing what that prickly thing was.  Never thought twice about it.  Until I saw this recipe by Jessica @ Clean Green Simple: Carolina Pulled “Pork” BBQ Sandwich.

BBQ?  Jackfruit?  Curiosity killed the blogger.

Exhibit A: the funny-looking fruit in the back left corner of the $35 farmer’s market pic I posted Monday:

Jackfruit.  Not just any jackfruit – that is just 1/4 of a jackfruit (they pre-slice them).  They can grow to be 8o lbs and 3 ft long!  My quartered piece was just 99 cents.  So cheap – I would have been losing money if I didn’t buy it!

The Low-Down

It was delicious raw – a little chewy, tropically-sweet, reminiscent of a mango in flavor.  It’s also in season right now!

Jackfruit is also super-nutritious:

  • Energy replenish-er and revitalizes the body instantly (I can vouch for this – I perked up and went to the gym after dinner!)
  • Good source of Vitamin-A, B, C cancer-preventing antioxidant flavonoids (like β-carotene and lutein)
  • Mineral-rich (potassium, magnesium, manganese and iron)
  • Full of fiber
  • Improves iron absorption
  • Normalizes blood sugar levels and supports healthy thyroid gland

I took about 1.5 C of fresh jackfruit (you can also find it canned), and tossed it in a quick dry rub. I used Jessica’s dry rub recipe for guidance, but simplified it a bit for a change.

Tossed in the dry rub

After that, I added ad-libbed a wet sauce.

The best thing about BBQ is that you can really make it up as you go!

Coated in wet sauce and ready to bake

So.  Good.

It took a long time to make since I had to peel/seed the jackfruit and I got the spice rub in my eye, but it was TOTALLY worth it.

Doesn’t it look like the taco is levitating?!

I had just seen Evan @ The Wannabe Chef post a socca taco shell, so I decided to turn Jessica’s sandwich into a taco!

These were super easy to make and I liked them much better than “regular” hard taco shells.

Coolest thing I’ve ever made

Served with a salad of roasted tomatillo, cilantro, watercress, and lime juice.

Oh, and did I mention you can eat jackfruit seeds?  Yup.  I can’t find the stats, but they are rumored to be a good source of protein.  I toasted those up in a skillet and tossed them on my salad too!

My BBQ-Taco ended up being vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free, dairy-free, and soy-free. Combine that with a 99 cent jackfruit, it felt $$$ free.

 

Favorite dish so far this year

Jackfruit BBQ Taco

  • 1.5 C jackfruit (~1/2 of a jackfruit)
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • Socca, bread, or taco shell… whatever you want to put it in

For the dry rub:

  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp ground mustard
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • pinch garlic powder

For the wet sauce:

  • 4 T fire-roasted tomato chunks
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp canola oil
  • 1 tsp blackstrap molasses
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 C water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Sauté shallot with a splash of oil over medium heat until translucent.  Add garlic and sauté ~1-2 mins longer, until fragrant.  

Mix together dry rub spices and toss with jackfruit pieces until coated.  Add to a medium-sized pan and cook over medium-high heat for ~5 mins to toast spices.  

Stir together wet sauce ingredients and add to pan, along with shallot and garlic.  Simmer jackfruit in sauce for 20-30 mins until softened.

Using a fork, shred the jackfruit pieces into small stringy bits.  Spread mixture evenly on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake for 15 mins until slightly dried out and toughened.

Scoop in to taco shells (or bread) and garnish with lime and cilantro.  Enjoy!

Serves 2-4.

***

Happy WIAW!!!

It’s certainly not everything I ate, but everything else paled in comparison.

Have you ever had jackfruit?  

What is the coolest thing you’ve ever made?

Never Enough Weekend

By

Boat days are good days.

However, After a drink sun-filled day at the lake, I needed a good trail run.

I decided to head to Stone Mountain Park for the morning.  Stone Mountain is a gigantic granite dome in Georgia.  The granite extends underground 9 miles.  Its “claim to fame” isn’t the amount of rock.  It has the largest bas-relief in the world. The carving depicts three famed Confederates: Stonewall Jackson, Robert E. Lee, and Jefferson Davis.  If you hear banjos, run.

Anyhow… it is also very steep.

With grave markers carved into it.

And lots of sweaty people.

There’s a skyride if you’re a wuss hiking isn’t your thing.

Granite kind of looks like moon rock.

Going down is easier than coming up.

 Admittedly, the second time up the mountain, I wasn’t so much running anymore.  5.5 miles in an hour and 10 mins.  I’ll take it!

Thank you, QT for the recovery drink.

 Followed by an exhausted thumbs up for myself.

 Both served to tide me over until lunch while I made my Dekalb Farmer’s Market treat trip.  This place is really an amusement park for foodies.

I got all of this loot for $35!!!

Lots of good eats to come this week!

The day was rounded out with a delicious dinner and a #winning night of darts.

Sorry, Casey

We won’t talk about the pool games I lost.

 The next day I needed an apple (apples help with beer billiards night recovery).  1/2 for breakfast with a muffin.  What about the other half, you ask..?

Today was a back/bicep day.  Post-workout I needed my 20g of protein, so I made something that looks questionable, but actually tasted like chocolate-y pudding.  The protein powder made it more thick (i.e. pudding-like) than applesauce-like. It’s not much of a recipe, but I’m writing it out here (mostly so I don’t forget… does anyone else do this?!). 🙂

Chocolate Apple Pudding

  • 1/2 apple
  • 1 scoop chocolate protein powder
  • 1/8 C vanilla unsweetened coconut milk (a la So Delicious)

Put it in a blender, give it a whir, and enjoy!

***

Now I am suffering from the long weekend blues.  Not to mention I am SORE. 🙂  Did it have to end!?

What was your favorite part of the long weekend?  

Do you get a little sad going back to reality after a long weekend?

Unwinding with Gratin

By

You know those days when you walk in to work thinking everything is going smoothly?  Your projects are expanding, there’s a long weekend ahead of you… life is good.  And then everything turns upside down.

Yeah… welcome to my Wednesday.

 

It started out well.  I ate a prune (instant stick-to-your-ribs energy!) and hit the streets for an run before the heat was too overwhelming.

Stats:

  • Distance: 5 miles
  • Time: 41:38
  • Pace: 8.28

 

When I walked in from my run, the concierge told me I had a package.  Packages aren’t bills!  Oh happy day! 🙂

I won a copy of Heidi Swanson’s new cookbook, Super Natural Every Day, from Lisa @ Snack Girl!  I never win anything – and THIS is a rockstar item to win.

If you don’t already know her, Heidi is one amazing cook.  I’ve never made anything from her blog that I didn’t love.  Check her out @ 101 Cookbooks.

 

Smiling in my cookbook-winning afterglow, I enjoyed a repeat breakfast: Protein Banana Pudding. This time I spread it on an Udi’s Gluten-Free bagel.  It was pretty good!  The texture still felt “normal” – something a lot of gluten-free breads lack (IMHO).

Full-disclosure: I never eat breakfast at the table.  It gets scarfed down in the bathroom in my mad-morning rush whilst chastising myself for not getting out of bed earlier.

I bought myself flowers


Then I got to work and the proverbial shit hit the fan.

The highlight of my day was using the restroom on another floor.  Why?  Because they had a sign on the door explaining why there are black mats on the floor between the stall dividers.

Apparently there was “concern voiced over the shiny finish to the restroom floor and the lack of privacy.  The solution was to add a couple of mats strategically placed mats between stalls to obscure the view of the person beside you.”

Who does that?! It did make me laugh, which was exactly what I needed. 🙂

Back in the safety of my own bathroom home, I took a moment to exhale before beginning dinner.  Gena @ Choosing Raw posted a recipe for Vegan Summer Vegetable Gratin.  I’ve been waiting forever weeks days to try it.

Step 1: Make it non-vegan… I was out of milk!

This Gratin is time consuming to make, but I promise it’s worth it.  The panko gave the eggplant an awesome crunch.  All that basil will look excessive when you’re layering, but it adds an amazing flavor.  Next time, I’ll may adding more tomatoes (they were fantastic roasted!).

This was incredibly good as-is.  I had 2 servings.

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Seconds. That’s a cookie on the plate behind the gratin. + a glass of Syrah.

Summer Vegetable Gratin

  • 1 1/2 medium zucchinis, sliced into 1/4 in rounds
  • 2 medium tomatoes
  • 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/2 in rounds
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3/4 C whole wheat panko
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 C Daiya pepperjack cheese
  • 1 C fresh basil, cut into ribbons
  • S+P, taste

 

Sprinkle the eggplant and the tomatoes with a generous dose of salt and let them sit for ~30 mins.  This draws out moisture and takes the biterness out of the eggplant.

Meanwhile, set oven to broil, and sprinkle the zucchini slices with salt and pepper.  Place them on a piece of foil in the oven until nearly crispy (but still moist).  Remove and set aside.  Reduce oven heat to 400 degrees.

Firmly pat eggplant and tomatoes dry.  On a plate, mix the oregano and red pepper flakes into the panko.  Dip eggplant slices in the egg, then dredge them in the panko and transfer to a foil-lined baking sheet with the tomato slices.

Place them in the oven for 15 mins.  Flip the eggplant slices over and remove tomatoes (the should be soft and browning).  After 25-30 mins (or when the eggplant is browned and crispy), remove the egplant.

Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. Layer 4-6 slices of the eggplant in a small casserole dish.  Top with 1/3 of the Daiya and 1/3 of the basil.  Next, layer the zucchini and tomato slices.  Add another layer of 1/3 of the Daiya and 1/3 of the basil, followed by the remaining slices of eggplant.  Top with the remaining third of Daiya and basil.

Bake for 10-15 mins, or until the Daiya is melted.  The vegetables will be slightly crispy from the baking.

Make 6 servings.

***

Cooking relaxes me after an especially hard day.  Weird, huh?

What do you do to unwind?

Does your office have those mats between the stalls?! Creepy.


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