Eggplant Croquettes with Chickpea & Almond Couscous

My husband, Paul, and I have been very active recently, so I put this meal together to ensure we got some extra protein. It was also an excuse to combine eggplant with cheese, both of which are very popular in my home! It's worth using good quality bread for the crumbs, as it adds to the flavour of the croquettes. They would make an equally great appetizer, served with tomato sauce for dipping.

The eggplant croquettes are inspired by a recipe found in Yotam Ottolenghi's fabulous cookbook Plenty; the couscous is adapted from a dish by Katie Quinn Davies.

2 small eggplants
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 c. fresh breadcrumbs (approx. 2 slices)
1/2 c. ricotta cheese, crumbled
1 c. old cheddar, grated
2 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp. salt and pepper
1/4 tsp. crushed chili flakes
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 c. panko breadcrumbs for coating
1/2 c. canola oil, for frying

1 c. couscous
1 c. cooked chickpeas
1/4 - 1/2 c. flaked almonds
4 tbsp. parsley, roughly chopped
pinch salt & pepper
zest of 1 lemon

Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F. Slice the eggplant lengthwise and brush the 4 pieces with olive oil. Place the eggplant, cut side up on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake until tender, approximately 30 minutes, turning halfway.

Chop the bread in a blender until reduced to a course crumb. Place in a medium mixing bowl and add the ricotta and cheddar cheeses, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Set aside. Heat the canola oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.

Cook the couscous according to package directions. Remove from heat and add the chickpeas, 1/4 cup almond flakes, parsley, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Cover to keep warm.

Once the eggplant has cooled slightly, scoop out the flesh. Use a spoon to scrape as much of the flesh from the skin as possible. Dice the flesh before stirring into the cheese and breadcrumb mixture. Discard the skin. Add the egg and stir to combine all the ingredients; the mixture will be fairly wet. Shape into 4 cm/1 1/2 in. balls before flattening into small cakes. Place the panko breadcrumbs on a small plate and gently press both sides of the cakes into them. Cook each side for 2 minutes, until golden brown (turn down the heat if they cook too quickly). Place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Serve the croquettes over the couscous and garnish with some flaked almonds and parsley leaves.

 

Dark Chocolate Walnut Pie

If you like chocolate, this tart is irresistible! The filling is smooth and very chocolaty, but is made of a combination of vanilla custard and melted chocolate. This means it's slightly less bad for you than you think! You can also feel good about it's inclusion of walnuts, which are packed with nutrients.

As you can see, my crust shrunk a fair amount when baking. I feel that the imperfection acts as proof of its homemade-ness! Life's too short to worry about a shrunken crust...

Adapted from the March 2013 issue of delicious. magazine.

1 1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 c. butter, chopped
1 c. + 2 tbsp. milk (2% or whole)
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. walnuts
2 tablespoons honey
200 g. dark chocolate, broken up
1/4 c. butter

Prepare the crust by combining the flour and sugar. Add the pieces of butter and, using two knives, cut-up the butter until it becomes course crumbs. Add 1/3 cup of cold water and stir until the dough just comes together. Shape into a ball, flatten, and cover in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup milk and 2 tbsp. sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Combine the remaining 2 tbsp. milk and cornstarch, stirring well to eliminate lumps. Add the slurry to the saucepan, reduce heat to low and stir constantly until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, add the vanilla and set aside.

Place the chocolate and 1/4 c. of butter in a heat-proof bowl. Place the bowl over a small sauce pan of simmering water. Be careful not to let the bowl touch the water. Stir the chocolate and butter until melted. Remove from heat. Once cooled a bit, combine with the custard.

Roll out the dough then transfer to a pie dish or pan. Use parchment paper to line the dough and fill with half the walnuts. Bake for 10 minutes. Replace the toasted walnuts with remaining. Bake another 10 minutes. Remove the nuts and paper and bake the empty crust for a further 10 minutes.

Set aside 15-20 of the nicest walnuts to garnish. Roughly chop the rest, combine with the honey and place in the pie shell. Carefully pour in the chocolate custard. Arrange the remaining walnuts on top. Refrigerate for a couple hours before serving.

Serves 10 if you have better willpower than me! (Mine served 8...)

Lentil No-Meat Balls with Herbed Couscous & Lemon Pesto

This meal is fresh and delicious. The herbed couscous enhances and compliments the lentil balls well. It also loves pesto, so soaks up a fair bit, but the recipe makes lots! This version of a pesto dressing uses more water than oil to thin, so don't worry about adding extra. The fresh basil and lemon make it flavourful and tangy - you'll never notice the missing oil.

 

Adapted from The Sprouted Kitchen.

 

 

Pesto

bunch of basil (reserve a few leaves for the couscous)
1/4 c. pepitas (raw pumpkin seeds)
lemon, zested and juiced
garlic clove
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. old cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch pepper & chili flakes
2-5 tbsp. of water

Lentil No-Meatballs
1/2 c. fresh breadcrumbs
400g lentils
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 c. ricotta
1/4 c. old cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
3 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. salt, pepper
pinch chili flakes

Herbed Couscous
1 c. couscous
4 tbsp. parsley, chopped
2 tbsp. basil, chopped
pinch dried thyme, salt and pepper

In a food processor or blender, chop up a slice of stale bread to make 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs. Set aside in a bowl.



To make the pesto: combine all ingredients in the blender and combine until smooth. Add additional water if needed to thin consistency. Pour into a mug or bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 200 C/400 F. Pulverize the lentils in the blender until smooth and creamy (don't worry about washing the blender after making the pesto). In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, ricotta, cheese and seasonings. Stir in the lentils and breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for a few minutes to firm up.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Roll heaped tablespoons of the lentil mixture between your hands to form balls - you'll end up with about 24. (It doesn't really matter what size you make the meatballs, you may just need to cook them a few minutes less or longer as a result.) Arrange on a baking sheet so they aren't touching and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the over and bake a further 10 minutes.

Prepare 1 cup of couscous according to package directions. Once cooked, fold in the herbs, salt and pepper.

Serve drizzled with pesto and sprinkled with freshly grated cheese.

Roasted Pumpkin & Arugula Gnocchi with Pine Nuts

Pumpkin and spinach salad appears to be the new "it" salad, because I've see it offered at lots of cafes and restaurants recently. This is my interpretation of it. I used arugula instead of spinach to ramp up the flavour. It's pepperiness contrasts beautifully with the sweetness of the pumpkin. I don't often use pine nuts because of their expense, but they are absolutely worthy of the occasional indulgence. Rest assured, they don't disappoint here!
In addition to being delicious, this recipe only takes about 30 minutes to prepare and has a short ingredient list. What's not to love?!

1 1/2 kg. pumpkin (half a medium) peeled and diced in 2 cm/1 in pieces
100 g. baby arugula
500 g. gnocchi
4 tbsp. pine nuts
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 c. old cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 200 C/400 F. Place the diced pumpkin on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, turning midway.

While the pumpkin is cooking, grate the cheese and toast the pine nuts in a large frying pan for a few minutes, over medium heat. Be sure to keep an eye on them because they will brown quickly. Once golden, transfer to a plate or bowl to cool.

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Season with a hefty pinch of salt. Add the gnocchi and cook until they float (or according to package directions). Drain once cooked.

Sauté the arugula in the large frying pan, using 1 tbsp. of olive oil, for 1 minute. Add the cooked gnocchi and roasted pumpkin. Cook for a couple minutes, stirring once or twice, to wilt the arugula. Remove from heat. Sprinkle in half the pine nuts and combine.

Once plated, drizzle each serving with olive oil, sprinkle with cheese and remaining pine nuts to garnish.

Eggplant Lasagna with Lemongrass Tomato Sauce

This dish was inspired by a spectacular meal at Yullis vegetarian restaurant in Sydney, Australia. The lemongrass is completely unexpected, but delightful. It has a bite to it, but without the lingering tongue numbness of hot peppers or tabasco. The meal I had at Yullis consisted of thinly sliced eggplant rolled around spinach and mozzarella and was topped with sauce. Although lovely, I adapted the recipe to be less labour intensive - half the total preparation time is now unattended cooking.

2 medium eggplants
1 tbsp. olive oil
bag of baby spinach
box of instant lasagna sheets
500g 2% cottage cheese
1/2 c. cheese (I used cheddar, but any melting variety will work)

Tomato Sauce
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, finely diced
2 lemongrass stocks, smashed then finely chopped
400 g. tin of diced tomatoes
400 g. tin of crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt, pepper

Preheat the oven to 180 C/350 F. Cut the eggplant into 1 cm slices. Set in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Quickly and lightly brush the slices with 1 tbsp. of olive oil, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Place in the oven until almost tender (10-15 minutes).

In a large sauce pan, cook the onion in 1 tbsp. of olive oil over medium heat, stirring frequently. After 5 minutes, once mostly cooked, add the diced garlic and lemongrass. Sauté for another minute, then add the balsamic vinegar and cook a few more minutes to reduce. Add both tins of tomatoes, the sugar, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer until ready to use.

Lightly oil a large rectangle baking dish. Place a couple tablespoons of each sauce and water in the bottom of the dish. Place a single layer of lasagna sheets on top, careful not to overlap them. Add a single layer of eggplant, half the spinach and half the cottage cheese. Follow with another layer of pasta, one third of the sauce, a single layer of eggplant, the rest of the spinach and cottage cheese. Add another layer of pasta, sauce, and the remaining eggplant. Top with the remaining sauce and the grated cheese. Bake, covered with foil, for 35 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 10 minutes to brown the top.

Serves 6.

 

Stuffed Zucchini with Tomato Sauce

This traditional Italian recipe has been adapted to be vegetarian. It's surprising hearty and easy to prepare. The sauce is delicious and can be made right in the baking dish; it reduces perfectly in the oven. The bread crumb filling has a lovely texture - crisp on the top and chewy inside. Serves 4 as a main.

Adapted from Gennaro Contaldo.

6 large zucchinis
3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, pressed
3 slices of stale bread, ideally whole wheat or grain
1 tsp. dried herbs (I used a mix of thyme, oregano and rosemary)
pinch salt, pepper & crushed chili flakes (more if you like it hot!)
1 cup old cheddar cheese, grated

Tomato Sauce
400g tin diced tomatoes, preferably organic*
1 tbsp. EVO
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 tsp. sugar
generous pinch salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).
In a 9 x 13 rectangle baking dish, mix the tomato sauce ingredients.
Cut the zucchinis in half lengthwise. Scoop out the pulp, leaving half to 1 cm in the shell. Arrange the shells in the dish on the tomato sauce. Add 1 tbsp. EVO to a small fry pan. Over medium heat, fry the zucchini pulp and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden brown (about 5 minutes).
In a food processor or blender, chop the bread until it's in large crumbs. Add 2 tbsp. of EVO, the herbs, salt, pepper and chili flakes. Pulse a few times to combine.
Add the bread mixture to the cooked zucchini and garlic. Stir to combine, then divide evenly among the zucchini shells. Sprinkle with the cheddar cheese.
Cover the dish with tinfoil and bake for 30-40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 minutes. Zucchinis should be tender but hold their shape.

* In my opinion, canned organic tomatoes are much more flavourful than their non-organic counterparts.

Approximate nutritional value per serving:
Calories: 425  Fat: 26g  Protein: 15g