Sunday, April 15, 2012

Spicy Indian Eggplant



Oh the glorious crap!

I called the local dairy farm to see if they have cow manure for sale for our garden. They do. 5 bucks for 3/4 yard bucket. That is a whole lot of crap. About three large wheelbarrows full.

My husband Jared and my dad when to pick up the load. Despite it being fermented manure, our yard exudes farm smell. I don't mind it much. Jared feels nostalgic of his grandfather's farm. I think my neighbors have been giving us dirty looks.

Yoshi thought all this playing outside was great.

Yoshi thanking my dad for helping with the garden.
Nonetheless, I am excited to get my garden going. I have my seedlings started and most are looking good. I even planted butternut squash seeds I saved from winter cooking that have sprouted and are looking healthy.  I also have zucchini, sweet basil, dark basil, lots of cherry tomatoes, carrots, green beans, green peppers, jalapeno peppers and of course, my favorite, eggplant.

We love eggplant. It is so versatile and can be incorporated into many dishes. This meal is so easy and requires no salting or roasting to remove bitter juices. Enjoy!

Spicy Indian Eggplant
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil
one eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes
one medium onion, diced
three garlic cloves, minced
one tsp minced ginger
one 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
one heaping tbsp of tikka paste
plain yogurt (optional, but not in my house)
cilantro leaves (optional)

Directions:
Heat oil. Saute eggplant, onions, garlic and ginger, stirring frequently until softened. Add can of tomatoes and tikka paste and stir. Bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Serve over rice or couscous. Add a dollop of plain yogurt and some cilantro leaves.

Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal


I am notorious for not eating a healthy breakfast.

I usually drink coffee and eat a sweet treat. Like a girl scout cookie. Or the leftover hard ends of brownies I baked the night before. There may have been a morning I ate a snack-sized candybar for breakfast (don't tell my mother).

My husband on the other hand eats a bowl of organic oatmeal with flax with a banana as well as some yogurt with fruit. Every morning, I get the lecture that cookies or cake isn't for breakfast. I sigh and continue chewing on my cookie as crumbs cling to my monkey pajamas.

So I was on a mission to find a recipe that was fairly healthy, filling, and yummy (i.e. included chocolate). That is, when Roni at GreenLiteBites posted this recipe for The Most Amazing Bowl of Oatmeal EVER!, I was skeptical but I had all the ingredients at home and decided to try it.

Guess what?
She was right.

This is super delicious! The small amount of chocolate chips is all that is needed to make this a decadent and yummy dessert...ummm...breakfast. It might not seem like a lot of chocolate but a little goes a long way as it melts into the oatmeal. Pure awesome. And it only takes about 5 minutes to make!

Banana Chocolate Peanut Butter Oatmeal
from GreenLiteBites
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of Old Fashioned Oats
3/4 cup water
pinch of salt
1 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 ripe banana, mashed
1/2 tbsp chocolate chips
Directions:
Place oats, water, salt and peanut butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat until water is absorbed and oatmeal is gooey, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add mashed bananas and mix well. Add chocolate chips and stir. Enjoy!