notes, quotes & anecdotes of a year fast passing

i was hesitant to put my secret ingredient in the title of this post because i bet you’d never be able to guess that butter, cream and flour were replaced with cauliflower in this healthified comfort food recipe! but the secret’s out, so try  it soon :)

one of my favorite recipes is my nona’s baked macaroni and cheese. although nothing can compare to this, a few replacements in my recipe make it a much, much healthier option and let’s face it - that’s the goal with my recipes! although hers is a great treat, i find this was a perfectly suitable alternative to have more frequently.

ingredients:

2 cups dry whole wheat pasta (i picked elbows!)

6 oz. plain, nonfat greek yogurt

1/4. c. skim milk

1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 c. + 1 T. grated parmesan cheese

1 c. cauliflower florets

1/2 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

3 T panko breadcrumbs

1 T dried parsley

salt & pepper to taste

now that you’re done with the collecting, it’s time for the doing!

first, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and break out two pots. one to boil your pasta (i salted the water lightly) - follow the directions on the box and lean toward the al dente side of things. since it’ll still cook a bit longer in the oven, you don’t want the pasta to be mushy and overdone. once the pasta is done, drain it and put the cooked pasta in a 9x9 baking dish.

in the other pot, boil your cauliflower until it’s tender. this is going to get blended up, so don’t stress if it gets a little overdone.

now here’s the fun part - where we substitute cream, butter and flour for cauliflower and skim milk! either back in the empty pot or on top of a double boiler, let the chopped onion and garlic sweat for about five minutes. add the skim milk and cauliflower and use an immersion blender to puree the mixture. (if you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer everything to a regular blender, puree and return to the stove)

once everything is smooth, return to the stove over a low heat.

stir in the cheese (save for 1 T of the parmesan, which you’ll need later) and greek yogurt and keep stirring until it’s all melty and smooth together. taste and sprinkle with salt and pepper to your preference. (side note: i tasted this and wanted a mug full! it tasted like baked potato soup!)

pour the cheese sauce over the pasta in the baking dish and toss it all together so the pasta is all evenly coated throughout.

now, in a dish, combine the panko, remaining 1 T parmesan and parsley. mix it together and sprinkle on the top of the baking dish.

now, pop it in the 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes. for the final 1-2 minutes, turn the broiler on high so the top gets golden brown.

take it out and let it cool/set for about 5 minutes before serving. scoop out and enjoy! i served ours with a spinach/romaine salad with walnuts, strawberries and chicken. even this dish is warm, it’s not super heavy, so i think it’d be great in the summer OR the winter. year-round deliciousness :)

yum yum - nothing wrong with putting a healthy spin on some comfort food, right? nothing will top nona’s version, but this one was not to shabby and made GREAT leftovers to bring to work.

click here for a printable version of the recipe!

i had such a great dinner at the elbow room tonight and am still thinking about how delicious it was! this means i obviously have to share it with you all :) if you live anywhere near west hartford, i highly recommend it. 

i had been once or twice years ago and wasn’t quite sure what to expect. i knew they were “famous” for their mac n cheese, but i wanted something a little healthier that would help me fill my veggie quota for the day. i nibbled on the house bread basket (featuring cheddar-infused biscuits) while i gave the menu a once-over.

since i can be totally indecisive, i narrowed my choices down to the panini section and then was sold right after i read the first option. i went with the grilled eggplant panini and it knocked my socks off! in addition to the grilled eggplant, there were cool cucumbers, roasted red peppers, a little bit of arugula, creamy goat cheese and a FANTASTIC roasted yellow pepper pesto. the balsamic dressing on the greens on the side made the little salad stand up just fine to the flavorful sandwich. i give it a solid A and don’t think it was lacking anything even though it was meat-free.

i took more time to look at the menu once my decision was finalized and there are so many other things on there that sound delicious, as well. i’ll definitely be going back there - even though i’m not sure i could pay the elbow room a visit and NOT get that sandwich again. did i mention it was only $8.95?!

the atmosphere is very cool (read: trendy, not pretentious), and aside from being soaking wet from the downpours outside, it was very comfortable, the staff was friendly and the food was amazing. i wish i had taken some pictures to share, but in the meantime, just visit their website and see for yourself.

don’t let the title scare you - i didn’t used to like eggplant, either. and truth be told, i’m still not sure if i’d like eggplant if it wasn’t covered in panko, marinara sauce and cheese. take that as a good sign, though! this means maybe you could like it, too! it doesn’t have the same texture as chicken parm and you could eat this whole dish without needing a knife, but it’s flavorful and delicious and a great option for a meat-free dinner.

since it’s breaded in panko instead of breadcrumbs (they’re japanese bread flakes and are much lighter and crispier than traditional breadcrumbs), it’s lower in sodium and fat than the normal breading option and it’s baked instead of fried so GREASE BE GONE! with the addition of the ricotta mixture, it’s sort of reminiscent of lasagna, too. it’s like all your favorite italian dishes rolled into one :) i adapted the recipe from one seen on the cooking light website and although i’m sure i’ll be sick of the leftovers by week’s end, this was a fun new dish to experiment with.

in other news, i am exhausted. i need to reel back my bedtime and stick to it! late nights of work, baking and socializing are giving me circles under my eyes and we just can’t have that, now can we? didn’t think so.

2 eggs

1/2 Tablespoon water

3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/3 cup parmesan cheese, divided

1 eggplant, peeled

1 Tablespoon dried basil

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 cup fat free ricotta cheese

one jar marinara sauce (14 oz.)

1/2 cup reduced fat, shredded mozzarella cheese

[this recipe yields 4-5 two-slice servings]

to start, preheat your oven to 375 degrees and spray both a large baking sheet AND a 13x9” baking dish with nonstick spray.

peel the pretty purple eggplant and cut it horizontally into eight-ish 1/2” discs. set them aside.

in a shallow dish, combine the panko breadcrumbs and 3 Tablespoons of parmesan cheese. mix together and set aside. in another shallow dish, whisk together the eggs and water.

set up an assembly line where you dredge the discs in egg wash, cover both sides in panko and place on the baking sheet. repeat until all your discs are covered and ready on the sheet.

pop them into the oven and bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees. flip them 15 minutes into the baking sesh so theybrown evenly on both sides.

side note: if you’re admiring my lovely nail polish color in these tiny pictures, i have two things to say. (1) you have good taste, congratulations. (2) it’s bachelorette bash by essie and i LOVE it. it’s very pink and bright and fun and i think it has snow melting power to get me out of the tail end of this winter.

they’ll be nice and golden brown once you take them out. while they’re cooking, though, get your ricotta mixture together.

in a medium bowl, mix together the ricotta, rest of the parmesan, salt, pepper, basil and garlic in a bowl. set that aside while you start to assemble.

take the baking dish and spray 1/3 cup of marinara across the bottom. place the eggplant on top and then spoon the ricotta onto each disc. divide the remainder of the sauce on top of that and cover in foil. bake for 25 minutes in the 375 degree oven.

after 25 minutes, take the dish out of the oven, sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top and bake for another 10 minutes, uncovered. if you’re smart (unlike me), you’ll turn the broiler on for the last minute or two so they get all browned and bubbly on top.

anywho, pull them out and let cool for about 10 minutes before you serve. dig in and enjoy (even if it’s not the most photogenic meal i’ve ever whipped up).

click here for a printable version of the recipe!