Move Over Potatoe Chips... Kale Chips Please!!

Okay... I'm not sure how it's happened, but now we're two for two for me finding new recipes for veggies I did not originally care for!  SUCH an awesome feeling!!  This time it hasn't been such a long hatred... but last week we got Kale in our weekly food box.  I've read SOO many  great things about Kale.  My naturopath and acupuncturist have both told me to eat as much of it as possible... it's loaded with folic acid, and is a great super food for women.  But last week Jon cooked the Kale the same way that we had eaten the swiss chard, and while I loved the chard... the Kale was just so leafy for me.  It felt really... bushy.  I don't know, I'm big on texture.  Anyways, we got it again in the box so I scoured the internet for recipes and found a DELICIOUS side dish or even afternoon snack.

Kale Chips!!  Here's the recipe and some pics.  :)  Enjoy!

Ingredients 
Kale - as much as you want
few drops of lemon juice 
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of sea salt  (Highly recommend the sea salt, don't sub table salt... the sea salt crusts in the most wonderful way and tastes like the ocean... Wow, I really am a maritimer... hehe)

Directions 
Break stems off of Kale - place in large bowl
Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. - Kale should still look dry. 
Toss a bit.
Rub each Kale leaf individually to spread oil and lemon juice and lay on a baking sheet.
Sprinkle with a few granules of sea salt on each leaf
Bake at 250 F, for 30 min.
Flip (Carefully, they'll be crispy and flaky) 
Bake for additional 10 minutes.  

I just had a full plate and my mouth is watering typing this out.  Perfect healthy option to a salty craving!!  YUM!

 Just before going into the oven. 

Dinner... and the reason my plate has so much less kale is that I already had 4 pieces while I was cooking the chicken.  Haha!  :)  Enjoy!

Finally Friends with Eggplant

It's been a long battle growing up...  My mom would often cook an Indian eggplant dish called "baingan ka bharta" which is essentially just a spiced mashed eggplant dish.  Everyone else in the family loves the dish, but I could never get myself to eat it.  I would always just pick around it, and end up getting away with eating leftovers or mom would make something else.  So, when I got an eggplant in my weekly food box from Home Grown Organics I was a little more than bummed.  Although it was a beautiful eggplant, I just did not want to eat it, and didn't know what I was going to do with it. 

Although, not willing to be a waster - and resolved that I could find at least ONE way to eat the veggie that I would enjoy, I scoured the internet for eggplant recipes and stumbled across Eggplant Parmasean!!!  Yummmo!!!

Now, Jon is used to a "meat and potatoes" diet... if it doesn't have meat, it's not dinner.  Hehe...  So, I did add shredded baked chicken to this recipe, but it was delicious!!  I almost always love italian but Jon doesn't normally.  This he LOVED though.  It's a great meal for kids too - cause it's a yummy way to sneak in loads of veggies!!  Enjoy!!  

Ingredients

* 1 large eggplant, thinly sliced
* Handful of mushrooms
* 1 zucchini
* 2 - 3 eggs, beaten
* 4 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
* 6 cups spaghetti sauce
* 2 - 3 Cloves of Garlic  (Okay - We're freaks about our garlic... so I actually used 6 cloves...)
* 1 package Kraft 4 Cheese Italiano (my choice)  - OR
                          * 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
                          * 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese divided
                          * 1/2 cup emental cheese, divided
* 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
* Optional - 2 Cooked Shredded Chicken Breasts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Warm spaghetti sauce in a sauce pan.  Mix in chopped mushrooms, zucchini and minced garlic cloves. (And any other veggies you want to sneak in...hehe) 
2. Dip eggplant slices in egg, then in bread crumbs.  (This was SO fun!!!)  Place in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes on each side.
3. In a 9x13 inch glass baking dish spread spaghetti sauce to cover the bottom. Place a layer of eggplant slices in the sauce. Sprinkle with chicken if using, and mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients, ending with the cheeses on top. Sprinkle basil on top.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Delish!  Enjoy!!!

Another Summer... Another Boat...

It's been a little while since my last post.  The main reason behind this is that the summer is finally upon us.  For normal people summer is a time of fun, beaches, bathing suits and sun.  Unfortunately, that's not the case when your husband is a fisheries observer.  He's back out on the boats, and with him being in school the past few years I am completely not used to him being out at sea, so it's been an adjustment period for sure.

The one good thing that I have to look forward to with Jon being on the boats is that when he is home on land, we do make an effort to get out and do things together instead of just being our normal "home body" selves...

OH well... here's hoping for a quick summer.  If the summer goes even half as fast as this year seems to be going that would be golden!