Melitzanosalata-Roasted Eggplant Spread

Roasted eggplant in the oven, then peeled and smashed into a spread.
This is an excellent appetizer for dinner parties but it’s also great to have as a side salad during Lent. My mother used to put sliced tomatoes in this dish and we would have it as a salad. The roasted process can also be done in the bbq. Enjoy!

Ingredients (Makes 14 servings appr. 3 oz each or 2.5 tbsp.)
2 eggplants
2 tbsp. chopped shallots
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed garlic

Directions

Wash and pat dry the eggplants. Prick with the fork and place on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Roast in a 425° F oven for one hour till soft and looks shriveled up. Let them cool. Peel the eggplants and place in a dish. Smash them with a fork. Add the shallots, parsley, 1 ½ tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, salt and crushed garlic. Blend together. Drizzle with the remaining extra virgin olive oil. Serve with pita bread or crackers.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 2.917 oz (82.7g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 38
Calories from Fat 19
Total Fat 2.1g
Saturated Fat 0.3g
Cholesterol 0mg
Sodium 45mg
Potassium 187mg
Total Carbohydrates 4.9g
Dietary Fiber 2.8g

The eggplant out of the oven

The eggplant peeled.  Cut off the stem before smashing

The final product.  Enjoy!

Chocolate Orange Swirl Cake

This is an easy and tasty coffee cake that you can make in an afternoon. It's also a nice after school snack for kids coming home from school. My mother used to make this cake not only on special occasions but to have as an everyday snack, with an afternoon coffee or even later in the evening. What can go wrong with a bit of chocolate anyway. Enjoy!

Ingredients (Makes 30 servings appr. 1.5 oz each)
2 ¾ cups flour
3 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
2/3 cup canola oil
2 cups sugar
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. orange rind
3 eggs
1 cup skim milk
2 tbsp. cocoa powder

Directions
Sift together the flour the baking powder and the salt. Set aside.
In a bowl beat together the canola oil, sugar and vanilla till blended. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition.
Add the dry ingredients alternately with the skim milk. Mix well.
Preheat oven at 350° F.
Butter and flour a Bundt cake pan.
Separate 1 cup of the cake batter in another bowl. Add the cocoa powder and mix well together. That's for the swirl of the cake.
Pour half of the yellow batter in the greased and floured Bundt pan. Pour the chocolate batter over it. Don't swirl it just let it take its own shape. Pour the rest of the yellow batter over the chocolate batter. Bake at 350° F oven for one hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1.534 oz (43.5g)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 146
Calories from Fat 49
Total Fat 5.4g
Saturated Fat 0.6g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 16mg
Sodium 50mg
Potassium 99mg
Total Carbohydrates 23.1g
Dietary Fiber 0.5g
Sugars 13.8g
Protein 2.1g

Vegetarian Lasagna with white sauce or Bechamel sauce

This is a nice vegetarian dish that you can make even during Lent.  You can substitute the lasagna noodles with gluten free lasagna noodles.  You can also omit the mushrooms.  My daughter doesn't like mushrooms, so if I make this dish when she is coming over for dinner, I will omit the mushrooms altogether.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (Makes 12 servings appr. 8.5 oz each serving)

8 oz. lasagna noodles

3 tbs. olive oil

1 cup diced onions

1 tbs. chopped garlic

1 cup diced carrots

8 oz. mushrooms

12 oz. frozen spinach defrosted and drained of all the water

16 oz. cottage cheese

2 eggs

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

3 ¼ cup shredded mozzarella

White sauce or Bechamel sauce

3 tbs. butter

3 tbs. flour

3 cups skim milk

½ cup parmesan

¼ tsp. nutmeg

Directions

Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions.  When cooked drain the water and set aside to cool. 

In the meantime, peel and wash the onions and carrots.  Dice them and set them aside.  Peel and dice the garlic.  In a large sauce pan, add the olive oil and sauté the diced onions and garlic. Add the diced carrots, mushrooms and spinach. Season to taste.  Remove from heat, let it cool, then add the cottage cheese, eggs and 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Set aside.

Make the white sauce:

In a pan, melt the butter and add the flour, to make a roux.  While stirring with a whisk add the milk and nutmeg, and continue cooking till it thickens, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat and add the ½ cup Parmesan. Mix  well together and set it aside.

Assembly:

Layer the lasagna, by putting some of the white sauce on the bottom of a 13x9 oven proof pan, then the lasagna noodles, the spinach filling, some of the white sauce, and repeat. On top finish with noodles, white sauce and 2 and ¼ cups shredded mozzarella. Bake at 350° F for about an hour till the cheese is all melted and it’s heated through.  Remove from the oven and let it cool before serving. 

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 serving (235.8 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 321

Calories from Fat 151

Total Fat 16.8g

Saturated Fat 8.4g

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 73mg

Sodium 562mg

Total Carbohydrates 21.2g

Dietary Fiber 1.3g

Sugars 4.8g

Protein 21.7g

 The stuffing

The layers with the stuffing....

.....and the noodles....

....with the shredded mozzarella before it goes in the oven

The final product... ready to eat.  Enjoy!

Chicken with lima beans and artichoke hearts in Avgolemono (Egg and Lemon Sauce).

I make this dish quite often in the winter.  Originally, this dish is made with fava beans or broad beans.  I haven't been able to find either at the super market, but I also can not acquire a taste for fava beans.  From what I recall, when my mother used to make this dish, I just couldn't eat the beans.  I ate the artichokes but not the beans.  Probably because my mother didn't like them that much either. Therefore,  she wouldn't make this dish too often.

As I was experimenting one day to make something with chicken, I wanted to give the lima beans a try.  (Honestly, when I first tried this dish years ago, I thought that the fava beans were lima beans :) what can I say I was young and didn't know much about cooking).  So I came up with this recipe.  Lima beans with chicken and artichoke hearts in avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce).  I have been making this dish ever since, and when I'm short on time and forget to defrost the chicken breasts, I will also make it without the chicken.  It's a nice vegetarian version if you are not too strict of a vegetarian since there is egg in the sauce.  Both ways, with the chicken or without, the dish is delicious, and it's also gluten free.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (Makes 6 servings-appr. 12oz ea.)

1 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast cubed

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup chopped onion

1 tsp. chopped garlic

1 tsp. thyme

1 tsp. dill

¾ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

2 cups chicken stock

12 oz. frozen baby lima beans

12 oz. frozen artichoke hearts

Avgolemono - Egg and lemon sauce:

1 egg

½ cup lemon juice

Directions:

In a Dutch oven, pour the olive oil and sauté the chicken with the onions and garlic.  Add the dill and thyme.  Let the chicken sauté until there is no pink showing.  Add the lima beans and artichokes along with the chicken stock.  Add the salt and pepper.  Lower the heat and let it cook for about an hour, until the beans, artichokes and chicken pieces are tender.  Remove from heat and let it cool before making the avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce). 

Avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce)

1 egg

½ cup lemon juice

Separate the egg yolk from the egg white.  Place the egg white in a bowl.  Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon, about ½ cup.  Beat the egg white till frothy.  Add the egg yolk and continue beating.  Add the lemon juice while still beating and slowly pour the mixture over the lima beans and chicken.  Stir, so the egg and lemon sauce will distribute evenly.  Serve.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 serving (306.8 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 319

Calories from Fat 117

Total Fat 13.0g

Saturated Fat 1.8g

Trans Fat 0.0g

Cholesterol 92mg

Sodium 703mg

Potassium 783mg

Total Carbohydrates 19.3g

Dietary Fiber 6.2g

Sugars 2.3g

Protein 32.9g