Baked Eggplant and Goat Cheese

My friend Alison is a foodie just like me. We exchange recipes back and forth, so when she started a food blog with her friend Janine called The Food that Sings, I knew I would find some amazing recipes. The very first recipe Alison posted was one I knew I would make soon. It was Eggplant Rollatini with Basil and Goat Cheese, and while I originally thought I would follow the recipe to the letter I ended up doing a cheater weeknight Lani version with...GASP!...jarred sauce! I usually make my own sauce, and will one day try the version Alison posted but for sake of time and what was in my pantry, jarred sauce it was.

I love eggplant parmesan and this was like the old favorite but kicked up a notch with goat cheese. I think goat cheese makes everything better!

Check out Alison's blog for the original (and way more gourmet!) recipe, and use the link to the left to go back often to see what the two of them have cooked up!

Baked Eggplant and Goat Cheese
Adapted from The Food that Sings



2 medium eggplants
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz. goat cheese (herbed or you can do like I did and just add some Italian seasoning)
A jar of your favorite pasta sauce (my choice...Classico Sweet Tomato Basil)

With a sharp knife cut the eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices, discarding the outside ends (I ended up with 12 slices). Pat the slices dry and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.

In a bowl stir together 1 cup of the mozzarella and the goat cheese (plus seasoning if you have plain goat cheese).

Arrange one layer of eggplant on the oiled rack of a broiler pan, and brush it with olive oil. Broil the eggplant under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it is golden. Turn the eggplant, brush it with some of the remaining oil, and broil it for 3 to 4 minutes more, or until it is golden. Transfer the eggplant to a large platter to cool and broil the remaining eggplant, brushing it with the remaining oil, in the same manner.

Cover the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish with tomato sauce, and arrange a single layer of eggplant slices. Spread the cheese mixture over the eggplant, and cover with another single layer of eggplant slices. Cover with sauce and top with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese. Bake for 20 minutes of until cheese is bubbly and browned.

Banana-Pineapple Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

I have become the birthday cake maker at work. It's a little bit nerve-wracking because every time I bring a cake in I feel like people are expecting really great things from me! This cake made me especially nervous because I kind of made it up and had no idea how it would taste. Thankfully, it was delicious! There is a bakery in Tampa that makes a Hummingbird Cake, and that was my inspiration for this (Hummingbird is the birthday girl's favorite!). What I really loved about this cake was that it was very light tasting and also light in calories!

Shout out to Kelly from My Sweet Life for the frosting recipe =)

Banana-Pineapple Cake with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting



Cake

1 box butter yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tbsp butter, melted
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray. Add cake mix, eggs, applesauce and butter to a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium speed for two minutes. Mix in bananas and pineapple. Pour in baking dish. Bake for 33-35 minutes or until knife inserted in cake comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

Frosting

1 box of 1/3 less fat cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 tsp vanilla
12 oz. fat-free cool whip

Beat cream cheese. Add vanilla and sugar, and beat until combined. Fold in whipped cream until combined. Frost cake and keep refrigerated.

Fettuccini Alfredo with Bacon

Fettuccine Alfredo was my first favorite pasta dish. Growing up, we would go to Olive Garden and I would enjoy a big bowl of the pasta with an extra side of alfredo sauce to dip my breadsticks in. Then I got older and read something about this dish being a "heart attack on a plate". Hmmmm, that doesn't sound too healthy! So I have curbed my passion for my favorite pasta and very rarely eat it. So when I got an issue of Cooking Light in the mail and it had a recipe for Fettuccine Alfredo with Bacon I immediately tore it out and put in my recipe file. I pulled it out tonight and it was definitely a great, light version of my classic favorite.

Fettuccine Alfredo with Bacon
From Cooking Light



1 (9-ounce) package refrigerated fresh fettuccine (REALLY important to use fresh!)
2 slices applewood-smoked bacon, chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup 1% low-fat milk
2/3 cup (about 2 1/2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (I left this out)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. While pasta cooks, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 4 minutes or until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings. Add garlic to drippings in pan; sauté 1 minute, stirring constantly. Sprinkle flour over garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly; cook 2 minutes or until bubbly and slightly thick, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Gradually add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in salt and reserved 1/4 cup cooking liquid. Add hot pasta to pan; toss well to combine. Sprinkle with bacon, parsley, and pepper.

Steak Tips with Peppered Mushroom Gravy

I'm sure it's obvious that I love Cooking Light. This was in a recent issue, in the Superfast column. It was quick, easy and tasty...perfect for a weeknight meal.

Steak Tips with Peppered Mushroom Gravy
From Cooking Light



2 cups uncooked egg noodles (I used wheat)
Cooking spray
1 pound top sirloin steak, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
1 (8-ounce) package presliced baby bella mushrooms
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Cook noodles according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain. While noodles cook, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add steak; sauté 5 minutes, browning on all sides. Remove from pan; cover. Melt butter in pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 30 seconds. Stir in soy sauce. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Add pepper, salt, and thyme. Bring to a boil; cook 2 minutes or until thickened. Return beef to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Discard thyme sprigs.

Herb Mustard Grilled Turkey Tenderloin

I've had turkey tenderloin in the freezer for a few weeks, planning to make a Cooking Light recipe that involved stuffing and cranberry sauce. One night I needed a quick dinner though, so out came the turkey (the original recipe will still be made one day...it sounds delicious!) and I searched online for a marinade. This one was listed as a marinade for beef but it was amazing on the turkey, and healthy!

Herb Mustard Grilled Turkey Tenderloin
Adapted from Taste of Home



1/2 cup Olive Oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
3 tablespoons stone ground Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice (omitted because I didn't have any)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon each dried oregano, rosemary, tarragon and thyme
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Turkey tenderloin

In a small bowl, combine the oil, broth, mustard, vinegar, sugar and seasonings. Pour into a large resealable plastic bag; add the turkey. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate overnight (I only had mine in the fridge for about 3 hours), turning bag once or twice.

Drain and discard marinade. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until meat reaches desired doneness. Let tenderloin stand for 10 minutes before slicing.

Chicken Stuffed with Leeks and Goat Cheese

I'm always looking for a way to improve basic chicken breasts, and I noticed this one in an issue of Cooking Light recently. The recipe called for spring onions, but mentioned you could substitute leeks. I love leeks and don't cook with them nearly often enough, so I used this recipe as my chance. As with anything with goat cheese, this was yummy!

Chicken Stuffed with Leeks and Goat Cheese
From Cooking Light



1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
1 1/3 cups thinly sliced leeks (I used two)
3/4 tsp. salt, divided
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled goat cheese
1 tbsp. fat-free milk
1 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme (I used 1/2 tsp. dried)
6 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to pan; cook 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook 5 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Cool slightly. Combine onion mixture, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cheese, milk, and thyme in a small bowl, stirring with a fork.

Cut a horizontal slit through thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket; stuff 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese mixture into each pocket. Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Return pan to medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken to pan; sauté 5 minutes; turn chicken over. Cover, reduce heat, and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is done.

Remove chicken from pan; let stand 10 minutes. Add wine to pan; bring to a boil, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Cook until reduced by half (about 2 minutes). Add broth, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 9 minutes). Serve with chicken.

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup

I have been in a soup mood lately, and love how quick and easy soup is to make and how delicious. After making this pasta soup a few weeks ago, I was thinking that I would really like a soup with tortellini. I did some internet searching and found a recipe on Epicurious that sounded like a winner. It was! Chad and I both loved this, and enjoyed the leftovers over the next few days for lunch as well. I made a few changes for convenience (canned tomatoes instead fresh) and for our taste preference (left out green peppers).

Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup
From Epicurious.com



1 pound sweet Italian sausage or chorizo sausage, casings removed
1 cup chopped onion
2 large garlic cloves, diced
6 cups beef stock or canned broth
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 large zucchini, sliced
1 large carrot, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tbsp. dried basil
1 tbsp. dried oregano
16 ounces purchased fresh cheese tortellini
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Sauté Italian sausage in heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat until cooked through, crumbling with back of spoon, about 10 minutes. using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to large bowl. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon drippings from Dutch oven. Add onion, zucchini and carrot to Dutch oven and sauté five minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute. Stir in tomato paste and cook for one minute. Return sausage to Dutch oven. Add stock, tomatoes, wine, basil and oregano. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.)

Add tortellini to soup and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.

Pasta, Beans and Greens Soup

My aunt made this soup for us at a family gathering last year and Chad and I both thought it was delicious. When we had a cold snap a couple of weeks ago, I kept craving soup so I pulled out this recipe to make myself for the the first time. This is a really good soup, and if you wanted to make it even more filling, you could add some chicken. Perfect for a cold, wintery day!

I didn't realize this was a Cooking Light recipe when I made it, but I just looked at the original from my aunt and realized that is where she got it from. In the picture on their website, the soup looks really thick. As I was cooking it, I thought it was too thick and kept adding broth to thin it out. Make it to your liking!

Pasta, Beans and Greens Soup
From Cooking Light



2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 (15.75-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5-ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 cup uncooked penne (tube-shaped pasta)
1 (16-ounce can cannellini beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 (10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrot, onion, and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add the oregano, salt, pepper, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Increase heat to medium-high; add pasta, beans, and spinach; cook 14 minutes or until pasta is done, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle each serving with cheese.

New Year's Eve party!

We had a great party at my friend Karen's house for NYE. I am our resident menu planner, and decided on an upscale finger food menu for our bash.

Are you ready to drool? We had....

Assorted cheeses, ham and scallion cheese ball and crackers
Hummus and Black Bean dip with pita
Blue Cheese Shallot dip with pita and carrots
Shrimp Cocktail
Chicken Feta Phyllo Cups
Beef Bruschetta with Carmelized Onions and Horseradish Cream
Red Velvet Cake Truffles
Cookie Dough Truffles

Sounds amazing, right?! Here are some of our favorites!

Beef Bruschetta with Carmelized Onion and Horseradish Cream

For my friend Karen's baby shower I made a beef tenderloin sandwich with horseradish cream from Barefoot Contessa that was pretty amazing. When I started thinking about New Year's, I decided I wanted to adapt that recipe to an appetizer and here is what I came up with. These were awesome, and every single one was gone before midnight!

There are a lot of parts to this dish, but I prepared everything earlier in the day and assembled right before the party.

Beef Bruschetta with Carmelized Onion and Horseradish Cream
Adapted from Food Network



2 skinny French baguettes
olive oil
garlic powder

1 1/2 pounds beef tenderloin
1 tbsp butter, room temperature
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

3 sweet onions, sliced thin
olive oil

1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
olive oil
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

3/4 cup good mayonnaise
1 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
1/2 tbsp prepared horseradish
2 tbsp sour cream
Kosher salt

To prepare horseradish cream, whisk together the mayonnaise, mustards, horseradish, sour cream, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Keep in fridge until ready to assemble.

Preheat oven to 400.

Slice baguettes into 1/4 inch thick rounds (approx 40 pieces per baguette). Arrange on a baking sheet, brush with oil and sprinkle with garlic powder. Bake 8-10 mintues until golden and crunchy. Set aside.

Put oven temp to 475. Mix butter and Dijon mustard. Spread over beef. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 14-16 minutes. Cover with foil and let rest for at least 20 minutes.

Heat olive oil in pan, and add onions. Cook until carmelized, about 15-20 minutes on medium low. Wrap onions in foil until ready to assemble.

Arrange tomatoes on a baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. When meat is finished, roast 15-20 minutes until soft.

Cut meat into small bite size pieces that will fit on toasts. You will need 80 pieces.

To assemble, arrange toasts on baking sheet. Heat oven to 400. Spread horseradish cream on toasts. Top with carmelized onions and a piece of beef tenderloin. Finish with a half of a roasted tomato. Bake for 5-8 minutes.