Roasted Eggplant and Carmelized Onion Pasta

Extended Shelf Life for: Eggplant, Onions, Parsley and Basil

Living this semi-freegan/living-in-a-foreign-land-with-random-ingredient has taught me a few tricks, such as nearly anything can be made into a pasta dish ^^

When we ended up with a large supply of eggplants I worked some magic and made a variety of Eggplant dishes such as Eggplant M'saa'a, Chinese Style Eggplant and Potatoes, and a simple Eggplant Tomato Pasta dish. Being completely honest, out of the two pasta dishes (the one I'm about to share and that Eggplant Tomato dish you have a link to), the latter was my preference. Regardless, knowing how to make any random set of ingredients into dinner is a skill that cannot be replaced, so if you happen to have surplus onions and an eggplant lying around, this just might work for you!

Ingredients/Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Prick your eggplant with a fork (to prevent explosions) and place on the oven rack for about 30 minutes until it's tender. Scoop out eggplant pulp and mash with a work, season with olive oil, salt and pepper. While eggplant is roasting, slice one large onion and saute in 2-3 Tbsp. of melted butter. Stir frequently for 15-20 minutes until onions are golden and delicious. Meanwhile, bring water to boil for choice of pasta, I used penne pasta for my dish. Mix onions and eggplant together season with fresh parsley and basil, mix in pasta, serve as is or top with shredded Italian cheeses and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 until cheese is melty and browned.

Eggplant Tomato Pasta

Extended Shelf Life for: Eggplant, Basil, Onion and Tomatoes

I absolutely LOVE salvaging eggplants, they have quickly become one of my favorite vegetables to experiment with and discover, this dish came together quickly and easily and left both Mike and I feeling quite content and satisfied!

Ingredients/Directions:
 
In a large skillet, heat about 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil over medium-high heat, add 2 Eggplants worth of cubes, saute about 10 minutes until tender. If needed, add additional olive oil. Saute 1/2 of a chopped Onion with eggplant for about 5 minutes, add 2-4 cloves, minced garlic, saute another 2-3 minutes. Add 6 diced Roma Tomatoes to the skillet, reduce heat and cook until tomatoes are tender and break down slightly. Mix the eggplant sauce with the pasta seasoning with salt and pepper and additional olive oil if needed. Tear fresh Basil and sprinkle over pasta mix, top with your choice of Italian cheese, enjoy!

For more on Eggplants and other recipe inspiration check out my more detailed and interactive Squidoo Lens: The Art of Salvaging {Eggplant}

Almond and Garbanzo Bean Dip

I'd have called this a non-tahini Hummus, but it seems as though Hummus requires tahini, so I'm opting to call this a Garbanzo Bean Dip ^^

It's that season of life when I realize that my pantries are well stalked and while I don't mind giving away our food when we leave this season, I'd like to take advantage of as much of it as I can and that means soaking and slow-cooking a LOT of beans! Which would be awesome for soups and stews were it winter...

But it's not.

So, the beans keep finding themselves in my food processor and in a Ziploc Tupperware container with a bag of chips serving as a light, yet delicious and nutritious lunch. 

For this dip I threw some Garbanzo beans, Almonds, Olive oil and Basil with Olive Oil 'ice cubes' into the food processor - a touch of water (or was it wine...) to help achieve the correct consistency and wam, bam, thank you ma'm we have ourselves a bean dip!

Beer Cheese Macaroni

Inspired by non-other than Pinterest.

Ingredients/Directions:

Adapted from Homemade by Holman.

Prepare 12 oz. of Macaroni or other short noodle. In a sauce pan or deep skillet melt 2 Tbsp. Butter over medium heat. Add 2 Tbsp. flour and mix constantly for about 2 minutes until mixture is golden and bubbly (this should be a roux for those who are well versed in the kitchen). Next, add 1 cup of Milk and 1 cup of Flat Beer (flat's just preferable, and easier to manage), stir constantly. Cook for 5 minutes before reducing heat. Add a total of 12 oz. Shredded Cheese and 6 slices of American Cheese. Season with Paprika, Mustard, Salt, Pepper, Thyme and Fresh Basil.

Tomato and Basil Quinoa Salad

I had a bit of prepared quinoa left over after this recent casserole and spent some time considering what exciting things I could throw together. I had initially pictured a simple breakfast of a fried egg and fresh torn basil atop a pile of quinoa but soon had some tomatoes on hand.

So, I threw together a quick tomato, basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar 'salad', let it set over night and threw it on top of this chilled quinoa grains - mixed it up and what do you know, threw an egg on top for a delicious, light and perfect dinner for a warm, Korean summer evening!

Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Hummus

I started with this recipe for a Warm Chickpea Salad  thinking it'd be great for a day trip Mike and I had in the works. But then, it seemed I'd rather eat more than this salad on the day trip which was turning into a festival outing which promised enticing food items, so... I put the salad on hold, letting the flavors soak in just a touch more.

By the time Monday evening rolled around, I sat staring at a jar of nicely seasoned chickpeas and sun-dried tomatoes and I thought to myself, I want that to be dip-able, I want to dip some chips in that - so into the food processor it went before entering our bellies on numerous corn tortilla chips.

I think it'd make a delicious salad, so you can go that route as well, the directions are for the salad - to get the 'hummus' simply throw into a food processor!

Ingredients/Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 3 Tbsp. EVOO, add 2 Tbsp. Cumin Seeds (or a shake of cumin if you don't have the luxury of easily attained spices) and 1/4 tsp. of Crushed Red Pepper and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly until toasted and aromatic. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add 4 minced Garlic Cloves, cook 3 minutes until golden. Next add 2 - 15oz- Cans of Drained Chickpeas and 1/2 cup chopped Sun-Dried Tomatoes. Turn heat up to medium-high and cook until chickpeas are warm and shiny with oil. Remove from heat and add a splash of Lemon Juice and fresh (or conveniently frozen) herbs of your choice (I threw in a couple of basil cubes). Salt and Pepper to taste, let set for at least one hour, serve at room temperature or throw into a food processor for a delicious and rich 'hummus'

Tomato Basil Crust-less Quiche

We eat a lot of eggs. My recent Spinach and Tomato Crustless Quiche was impressively easy so I decided with a recent gift of fresh basil from a friend whose basil is still in production, I'd be quite happy to make the same dish substituting basil for the spinach. Easy, delicious and easy to re-heat in the morning for a satisfying breakfast!

Ingredients/Direactions

In a large skillet, saute half an Onion and a couple cloves of minced Garlic, add a couple of handfuls or roughly 1 cup of fresh, chopped Basil. Once Spinach is wilted, throw into the bottom of a well greased round cake pan. Top with slices of tomato and a sprinkle on some mozzarella cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk together 6 eggs with 1/4 cup milk or yogurt, season with salt and pepper, pour over Spinach. Top with grated Parmesan and bake at 350F (177C) for 20-30 minutes or until egg mixture is set and top is beginning to brown.

Lentils and Yogurt Sauce

Unfortunately, I wasn't all to impressed with my lentils from this meal, so I'll just say, find yourself a decent lentil or dall recipe and then get to work on this Yogurt Sauce - serve them up together and enjoy! The yogurt sauce (Tzatziki/Tsatsiki) is quite divine!

Ingredients/Directions:

From Shepardic Israeli Cuisine: A Mediterranean Mosic by Shielah Kaufman

Peel, seed and chop one large cucumber (preferably English), sprinkle with salt and let drain in a large colander for about an hour. Using 1 1/4 cups of Greek or Strained yogurt add 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil, 1 Tbsp. fresh Lemon Juice, black pepper and 2-4 cloves of minced Garlic. Mix well, cover and refrigerate until serving. Before serving, squeeze remaining moisture from cucumbers, add to the yogurt along with freshly torn mint and parsley, mix well to combine. Enjoy on lentils, crackers, pitas, etc.

Creamy Dill Cucumber Dip

Derby Days. Cinco de Mayo. Children's Day.

May 5th.

A day for celebration and gathering together under the bridge alongside the river.

I took this dish...not to brag, but it was a favorite among the picnic-ers.

Ingredients/Directions:

Mix together one container softened cream cheese with 3/4 of the same container plain yogurt and 1/4 of the same container mayonaise (you can also do this as a cup, 3/4 cups and 1/4 cup - but I didn't want to creat extra dishes, therefore just used the cream cheese container to 'measure'). Add to this mixture two peeled, seeded and diced cucumbers, 2 Tbsp. chopped Fresh Dill and Salt and Pepper to taste. Enjoy with crackers, chips or vegetables and a good group of friends.

Tomato Basil Noodle Bowl

We've had the great pleasure of being invited to various meals at the homes of our Korean friends lately and I'm continually finding myself being inspired to try out ingredients that are common in Korea and food preperation methods that also seem relatively specific to Korea.

The other night, my friend served us a bowl of cold noodle soup with water kimchi. She explained it's kind of a common and quick dish in many Korean homes - simply boil noodles (I'm not sure about this specific kind of noodle...it's a common noodle in Korea, a little like spaghetti meets ramen). Anyway, once the noodles are drained, you place them in a bowl and then spoon over the top some broth or in the case of water kimchi, you spoon in some kimchi and the liquid portion of the kimchi.

I like noodle bowls. Spooning a broth of already prepared noodles, it's just nice.

Ingredients/Directions:

Prepare adequate amount of Korean noodles or ramen per individual being served. In seperate sauce pan, heat up chicken broth with any desired spices (salt, pepper, garlic, onion, etc.) Drain noodles and divide amongst the bowls. Tear a few fresh leaves of basil into each bowl, slice of chop tomatos and add to bowls, spoon broth into bowl, top with fried egg and grated parmesan if desired.

Chickpea Spinach Pasta

Over a month ago...many months ago in fact, I did a bit of 'once-a-month-cooking', knowing full well I wouldn't use it all up in a month because my life is busy, but not that busy and I just have too many ideas flooding my foodie brain to do all my cooking in one day. Regardless, having things like home-made tomato sauce just waiting for me in the freezer is quite awesome and I'm quite happy on the nights I don't feel like cooking nor walking to any food establishment, that there's something waiting to be prepared quickly and easily.

So, with a CouchSurfing Guest at home and a desire to feed him well while taking time to chat and enjoy his company I figured a quick boil of some pasta along with the defrost of some frozen chickpeas (since we can't get canned one here and it's easier to prepare many at once rather than a few at a time) and my home-made tomato sauce we'd soon have ourselves and enjoyable and hearty meal.

In a large skillet, saute an onion and garlic, add chickpeas, heat through. Next, add a few handfuls of washed and chopped spinach until wilted, dump in two cups of tomato sauce, heat through and mix in pasta , fresh basil and mozzerella cheese, enjoy!

Tuna and Dill Kimbap

Sometimes, nothing comes together more quickly and easily in my Korean kitchen than a few rolls of Kimbap. This new Kimbap in a Pinch variation is one of my new favorites.

Ingredients/Directions:

Into about a cup of cooked rice mix a large handful of chopped dill, a tablespoon or two of Mustard, 1/4-1/3 cup Plain Yogurt, a couple squirts of Mayonnaise and a tin of Tuna. Split this mixture evenly on 2-4 sheets of seaweed, roll, slice, enjoy!

(All measurements are approximations as I generally just eyeball this type of recipe, if you decide to measure it out exactly, please leave a comment with either your post of the recipe or your measurements!)

Egg Topped Purple Pesto Pasta

Looking for something quick and easy? Why not boil up some pasta (don't forget this trick to prevent spillage), toss in some home-made pesto, sprinkle with cheese and top with one or two fried eggs? Quick, easy, light and delicious.

Herb Cubes

Saw this on Pinterest.

Chopping fresh herbs.

Throwing them into ice cube trays.

Adding water, oil or butter.

I've done similar with pestos and food-processed roasted green chilis.

I love the freezer. And Pinterest. And fresh herbs.

Refrigerator Dill Pickles

Being the 'grandma' that I am, my heart is rejoicing in having recently 'canned' some vegetables in my own home. Although I haven't invested in the full extend of canning materials while living in South Korea, I am well versed in the art of preserving and wanted to try my hand at refrigerator pickles in an attempt to use up some fresh dill, as well as to simply enjoy a crisp, tangy, non-sickly-sweet pickle.

The process was quite easy and my results have been delicious. However, the original recipe called for heads of dill that had recently flowered, but not gone to seed...I did not have these nor want to wait. I should have added additional dill to compensate for flavor and done a bit more chopping of the herbs as my pickles are strong on vinegar, light on dill. Regardless, in a land of sweet pickles as a side-dish to pizza, having some cucumbers that are powerful and tangy is all right by me!

Ingredients/Directions:

The original recipe is for a more major canning operation than I intended to conduct, therefore, I will give measurements as the pertain to a single quart (or two pints) of refrigerator pickles, I obviously did a bit more and ended up with about 4 pint-ish jars. As I don't have canning supplies here, the majority of my jars are simply cleaned and re-used jam jars, pasta sauce jars, etc.

Sterilize as many jars as you plan to use. For a single quart you will need 1 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar, 1 cup of Water, 1 1/4 tsp. Pickling Salt (I used the best 'solar' something or other sea salt I could find in a Korean super market), 2-3 cloves of Garlic, 2 heads (or 2-3 Tbsp. freshly chopped) dill, and 1 tsp. black peppercorns. Place these spices into the quart jar (or split between two pint jars). Stuff the jars with cucumbers either sliced or speared according to your personal preference. In a small pot, simmer together the vinegar, water and salt until salt dissolves. Add brine liquid to quart jar leaving 1/2 inch of head space before putting a lid on them and letting them cool at room temperature. Enjoy the next day as an afternoon snack!

Savory Pesto Rice Bowls

Earlier this month, I made a sweet little Breakfast Rice Bowl that was a perfect start to the morning.

Then I saw this post on Pinterest. Savory Oats. Hmmm.

Then, I had a batch of Walnut Basil Pesto in the fridge.

That's all it took.

At night, I'd wash my rice. In the morning, I threw it into the rice cooker with water, started it to go, took a shower. Stretched and did my hair.

Then fried an egg. Threw some rice in a bowl, topped it with Pesto, Mozzarella Cheese, a few Cherry Tomatoes and my fried egg - hearty, delicious and savory breakfast - no complaints!

Walnut Basil Pesto

Fresh Pesto...is too easy.

But delicious.

Traditionally, Pesto is made with pine nuts. They are available in South Korea. But not at my local little market at the bottom of the hill. So, I opted for Walnuts because the author of Green Kitchen Stories had done it and so would I.

I cannot recall the exact measurements, but I believe it was roughly equal parts walnuts, basil and Parmesan, enough olive oil to create a thick sauce and salt and pepper to taste.

I've been enjoying this as part of a breakfast dish I'm excited to tell you about, but for now, this is all you get!

Tomato, Basil and Pork Pasta

Ingredients/Directions:

Bring some water to boil and prepare some pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, brown up some ground or finely diced pork, add a touch of oil and saute an onion and a few cloves of minced garlic before throwing in 2 cups of Tomato Sauce and heating thoroughly. Mix in pasta and one or two handfuls of fresh basil. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, enjoy!

Basil and Parmesan Cream Scones

Have you heard? I have fresh herbs, growing in my kitchen...yeah, I thought so. Did you know? They are a constant source of inspiration? Yeah, I suppose that was a given as well. AND, I'm trying to be more deligent about eating breakfast...

Not surprised.

Well, did you know I have downloaded an unholy amount of free cookbooks on my Kindle? I have. And I'm trying to up the anty of using those cookbooks to inspire my cooking. I was particularly excited about  recent download of Super Scone Recipes - How to Bake Scones Like A Pro! Having a special love for scones made with heavy cream and a container of heavy cream anxiously awaiting use in the fridge, I quickly found a suitable recipe, threw in my own twists and came out with these delicious and savory Basil and Parmesan Cream Scones (I would have loved to add chopped walnuts, but didn't have any on hand at the time.)

Ingredients/Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together 3 cups Flour, 2 Tbsp. Baking Powder, 1Tbsp. White Sugar, and 1/4 tsp. Salt. Make a well in the mixture and add  1/3 cup melted Butter, 3/4 cups Heavy Whipping Cream, and 1/4 cups Milk.  Stir slightly before adding one Handful chopped Fresh Basil and about 1/4 cup of Grated Parmesan. Incorporate all ingredients until you have a soft dough. Place dough on a floured surface and flatten to a 1/2 inch circle, cut into even triangle sections and place on a prepared baking sheet. Bake 10-13 minutes at 425*F (220*C). Enjoy with an evening meal or with a runny egg for breakfast.

Mustard and Fresh Dill Dip

I love, LOVE having fresh herbs. I think my life will never be the same. They are a) delicious and b) inspiring. As in, to make the most of them I need to constantly be thinking or searching for something new and delicious to make.

Working from this post by My Man's Belly I quickly had a delightful afternoon snack.

Ingredients/Directions:

Mix 1 cup yogurt with 1-2 Tbsp. whole grain (or high quality) mustard and 2 Tbsp. fresh chopped dill, season with salt and pepper. Enjoy with chips, carrots, cucumbers or other veggies of your choice.