the eggplant

I want to thank each of you who submitted a recipe or idea for my eggplant conundrum.  This past Tuesday night, when Mom was in town, I decided to put my mad cooking skills where my mouth is and actually cook the eggplant.  I decided to use Julie’s recipe for Eggplant Parmesan.  I think it turned out well!  Mom loved it, I liked it pretty well and Mike tried it! (I’m seriously proud of him!)

the cooking of the eggplant VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

There are a few tweaks I will make if I make it again, but overall it was great to try a fruit we had never tried before in a new way and have it turn out rather successfully.  Here are a few of the recipes I received. 

Julie (the one I used): Eggplant Parmesan

Ben (Food Network): Neapolitan Eggplant Parmesan

King Family: Eggplant Parmesan (with Chicken)

1 eggplant, cut thin
1 whole chicken de-boned (I get it from Wal-Mart)
2 eggs
Hunt's Garlic and Herb Spaghetti Sauce
Flour, Salt, Pepper
Mozzarella Cheese
         Dip the sliced eggplant into two mixed eggs, then coat in the flour/salt/pepper mix and fry in Olive Oil till browned on both sides. Put sauce first, then chicken, eggplant, Mozzarella cheese. Repeat until all eggplant is used. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Be brave in your kitchen this week and try something new! (especially if its on sale!)

welcome home

Last year in March, I posted that my brother-in-law, Aaron, was deploying to Afghanistan.  Thank you for all of you who prayed for his safety.  Today he arrives home from his year long tour!  The Lord has been gracious in seeing to his safety and growth during this long year apart (although apart from family and friends, he has never spent a moment alone). 

WELCOME HOME SOLDIER. WELCOME HOME.

Ignite

It was truly a pleasure to hang out with some of the most awesome girls in Knoxville this weekend.  Our youth group does an “in-town” retreat each year called Ignite. The students have speakers, music and activities around town and then at night stay in area homes.  It’s a great opportunity for all students to be able to go on a fairly inexpensive retreat and the students have a blast doing it!

Here is a picture of the lovely ladies that stayed at our house.  The rest of the pictures from the weekend are on facebook here.  It is a pleasure working and learning with them.  Love you girls!

calling all blog readers

I purchased an EGGPLANT this week at the grocery store and I’m in need of some recipes.  This will only be my second time eating eggplant… the first was a smashed eggplant bread “dip” kind of thing and was really good. 

So, if you are an eggplant connoisseur, eggplant adventurer or just an eggplant purchaser (when they are on sale of course)… please feel free to share with me some of your favorite eggplant recipes!!

I will be posting a follow up blog to this one, so if you’re just as curious about what to do with this odd shaped fruit (I know … its not a veggie) then stay tuned.

 

Interesting Eggplant Facts:

1. The fruit is botanically classified as a berry, and contains numerous small, soft seeds, which are edible, but are bitter because they contain nicotinoid alkaloids, unsurprising as it is a close relative of tobacco.
2. The plant is native to India.
3. Some varieties grow up to 2 lbs. while other varieties are the size of radishes.
4. Traditionally, recipes would advise the salting, rinsing and draining of the sliced fruit (known as "degorging") to soften it and to reduce the amount of fat absorbed during cooking but mainly to remove the bitterness of the earlier cultivars. Some modern varieties - including those large,purple varieties commonly imported into western Europe - do not need this treatment. The fruit is capable of absorbing large amounts of cooking fats and sauces, allowing for very rich dishes, but the salting process will reduce the amount of oil absorbed.
5. The thin skin is also edible, so peeling is not required.
6. China is the worlds top producer of eggplant (56%) with India coming in second at 26% and Egypt, Turkey and Indonesia not far behind.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day

smile because it’s monday

and God has given you breath to live yet another day.

This weekend Avi helped Mike chop a heaping truckload of wood.  Here are a few pictures that he took of her “helping.”

 

 

 

 

 

She was caked with mud when she got home, but sleepy for the next 24 hours =)  Totally worth the mud.

finally it’s friday

just to give you a little laugh for the day…

The other morning I was having trouble with my contacts.  I’ve only been doing this for the past 12+ years or so… you would think I would have it down.  After putting them in, both my eyes were really really blurry.  (usually I just try to let them be for a minute to see if they’ll correct themselves.) This morning was no different.  After a few minutes of my self-correction method, I realized my sight wasn’t getting any better, so I took the left one out to clean. 

Upon removal… I realize I had put both contacts in the same eye =) haha that will for sure make everything really blurry. Imagine my surprise when I could actually see again.

Hope yall have a fantastic weekend.

fireplace complete

Well, I wanted to update yall on the status of our “fireplace upgrade.”  We have now completed the heavy lifting portions of the fireplace renovation with the installation of our mantel. Eventually there will be one more major decoration (like a clock or a picture), but I didn’t want to have you hang in limbo for any longer.

 

a standing ovation

 

I tried my hand at making this lovely recipe last night.  It turned out wonderful and even my “less food adventurous” husband said it was good. 

Crunchy Shrimp with Toasted Couscous and Ginger-Orange Sauce

Do not be overwhelmed by the recipe list.  It appears more complicated than it turned out to be.  Feel free to pick and choose what pieces and parts to serve.  I have tried to put in some helpful hints.  While reducing the sauce, you can be peeling the shrimp. To round this meal out, I served it with steamed broccoli.

 

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 1  cup  orange juice
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fresh cilantro
• 2  tablespoons  reduced-fat mayonnaise (use less)
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1  teaspoon  grated peeled fresh ginger (or dash of ground)
• 1  teaspoon  fresh lime juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground red pepper

Couscous: (I did something similar with orzo instead because that’s what I had on hand) 

• 1  cup  uncooked couscous
• 1 1/2  cups  fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2  cup  orange juice
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/3  cup  chopped green onions (didn’t have any)
• 2  tablespoons  sliced almonds, toasted
• 1  tablespoon  unsalted butter

Shrimp:

• 20  jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 3/4 pound)
• 1  large egg white, lightly beaten
• 1/2  cup  panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1  teaspoon  chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2  teaspoon  grated peeled fresh ginger
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1  tablespoon  canola oil (may need a little more depending on # of batches of shrimp)
• 2  cups  trimmed watercress (who honestly keeps these on hand?)

Preparation

To prepare sauce, bring 1 cup orange juice to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat; cool completely. Stir in 1 tablespoon cilantro and next 7 ingredients (through red pepper); set aside.

To prepare couscous, place couscous in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; cook 3 minutes or until toasted, stirring constantly. Add 1 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup orange juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork; add onions, almonds, and butter, stirring until butter melts. Keep warm.

To prepare shrimp, combine shrimp and egg white in a large bowl, tossing to coat. Combine the panko, 1 teaspoon cilantro, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and black pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Add shrimp to the bag, and seal and shake to coat.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat; arrange shrimp in a single layer in pan. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until done.

Place 3/4 cup couscous on each of 4 plates; top each with 1/2 cup watercress and 5 shrimp. Drizzle each with 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce.

 

Nutritional Information

Calories: 376 (25% from fat)

Fat: 10.6g (sat 2.7g,mono 4.1g,poly 2g)

Protein: 17.6g

Carbohydrate: 51.9g

Fiber: 3.9g

Cholesterol:  61mg

Iron: 2.1mg

Sodium: 763mg

Calcium: 84mg