Making Up for Lost Time

I don't remember if I mentioned it here on the ol' blog, but several months ago I was given additional responsibilities at work which meant that my already hectic work life got even more hectic. As a result, I've been working later and coming home more tired and that has (as you can probably tell) greatly impacted the time I spend in the kitchen during the week.

About a week ago I got some good news--a promotion for a job well done! The flip side of this is that my level of effort at work shows no signs of letting up. This week was particularly rough--I'm not sure whether it was because I felt like I was behind for most of it (trying to get caught up from being on travel for 4 days the previous week) or the two days I drove back and forth to Baltimore, but work really kicked my butt this week. Which meant I only ended up cooking dinner once. The other nights we ate out, ordered in or Jason made eggs for dinner (twice in fact).

 Check out this awesome bagel sandwich Jason made for dinner Friday night-- with bagels I brought home from work of course. Made me feel like a failure in the kitchen but it sure did taste good!

So I've been trying to make up for lost time this weekend by cooking up a storm. Last night I made an eggplant and polenta casserole which turned out really well (see below) as well as a batch of oatmeal and chocolate chip cookies (stay tuned for more on that) to take to a friend's to watch the Super Bowl this evening. And I as I write this, a pot of winter minestrone is simmering away for tomorrow's dinner.

I'm definitely still trying to find a better work/home balance (particularly when it comes to making yummy, nutritious dinners during the week) but am hoping that a little extra time in the kitchen on the weekends will help me get through the week with a little less stress.

I'm anxious to hear if anyone out there has suggestions for getting dinner on the table during the work week??

Layered Eggplant and Polenta Casserole
Adapted slightly from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:
2 TBL olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cans diced tomatoes (I used the garlic and onion variety for more flavor)
1 TBL balsamic vinegar
1 cup basil leaves, chopped
1 medium eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 (16 ounce) log precooked polenta, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella

1. Preheat oven to 400. Place rack on highest position. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place eggplant rounds in a single layer on baking sheet and roast in oven for about 10 minutes or until just starting to soften. Set aside.
2. In a medium sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until soft and slightly golden, about 5-8 minutes. Add tomatoes (with juices). Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the juices have evaporated and the sauce is thickened--about 30 minutes. Stir in vinegar and basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
3. Spoon about 1/4 cup of the sauce into the bottom of a 9-inch square baking dish. Arrange eggplant slices snugly in a single layer (overlapping so that they all fit). Spoon half of the remaining tomato sauce over the eggplant and arrange polenta rounds in slightly overlapping slices on top. Spoon remaining tomato sauce over the top and top with shredded mozzerella.
4. Cover with foil. Move oven rack down one position. Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking until cheese is browned, about 10 minutes more. Let cool slightly and serve.

When No News is Not Good News

Still no word on Jason's package. It's looking like he will be opening a picture of his gift (a Roku XDS player, since many of you have asked...don't worry I told him not too read the blog until this weekend!). I'm getting kind of frustrated about it since I realized (somewhat belatedly) that I did, in fact, give Roku the correct apartment number (I went back and looked at the confirmation email for shipping/billing address) so if the package arrived without an apartment number (per my apartment complex's assertions), it seems to have been their fault...not mine! At this point I have resigned myself to the fact that Jason will not be receiving the one present he requested (and researched and agonized over for at least a month) on Christmas Day but I want to know when we can expect it! Despite going through all the proper channels with Roku and USPS, all I am still being told (a week into it at this point) is that they're looking into it. :(

On another note-- people have started receiving mail they sent to us back with "return to sender" marked on it, so it looks like it's not lost somewhere in the depths of the post office. I'm actually starting to think this is a good thing...aside from the other lost Christmas gift which we may have to re-order.

The good news is that work has been a little less stressful this week (so far anyway) and I've actually been able to try out a new recipe for dinner. Tonight I made Smitten Kitchen's Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree. It had all the makings of a great weeknight meal-- easy, relatively quick, and makes leftovers. But like SK noted in her write up of the recipe, I felt like it was missing something. Jason, on the other hand, seemed to love it as he ate three helpings (either that or he was just really hungry). I'd definitely recommend giving it a try, though I might up the cheese and/or red pepper flake quotient to give it a little something extra next time.

Rigatoni with Eggplant Puree
Adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pint cherry tomatoes
3 cloves of garlic, whole
3 TBL olive oil
1 teaspoon (or more) dried red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
3/4 pound of rigatoni pasta
1/4 cup torn basil leaves
3 TBL olive oil
1/3 cup grated Parmesan (plus for garnish if desired)
1 TBL balsamic vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil.
2. In a large bowl, combine eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, 3 TBL olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Spread onto baking sheet and roast until tender and eggplant is golden, about 30-35 minutes.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of cooking liquid and drain. Place pasta in a large bowl.
4. Transfer roasted vegetables to a food processor. Add basil and remaining olive oil. Puree.
5. Add pureed vegetables to bowl with the pasta and add Parmesan. Stir to combine. Add some (or all) of the pasta liquid to loosen the sauce as desired. Top with balsamic vinegar and taste for seasonings. Serve with grated Parmesan on top (optional).

Sunday Dinner: Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup Edition

I have long been a fan of the blog Serious Eats (though sometimes I do have trouble keeping up with its 15 or so posts a day) but lately it has become an integral part of my weekly menu planning.  Nick Kindelsperger’s daily Dinner Tonight column in particular has been a great source of inspiration (see pasta with bacon and corn pesto and chicken and eggplant with black bean sauce as two fairly recent examples) which is good since I have been less than thrilled with the last few issues of Everyday Food, my usual go-to for weeknight meal ideas.

Speaking of Martha, her roasted tomato and eggplant soup was the subject of one of Nick’s Dinner Tonight columns that caught my eye just last week. With its end of summer vegetables, it seemed the perfect candidate for tonight’s Sunday Dinner especially given the cool and dreary weather we had for most of the day.  It was good. I loved the mix of smooth and chunky textures this dish offered. And the cilantro added the perfect amount of brightness to the smokiness of the eggplant and curry. Served with some “bread made by hippies” (as Jason referred to the rolls I bought at yesterday’s farmers’ market) and the first Dogfish Punkin Ale of the season, it was the perfect end to a fairly relaxing weekend.

Roasted Tomato and Eggplant Soup
Adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients:
3 pounds of Roma tomatoes, stems removed and sliced in half
½ pout of carrots, cut into ¾ inch pieces
7 cloves of garlic
1 large eggplant, diced
1 can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 TBL olive oil
Salt and Pepper
2 teaspoons curry powder
Chopped cilantro for serving

1.  Preheat the oven to 425. Line to baking sheets with aluminum foil.
2. On one baking sheet toss tomatoes, garlic, and carrots with 2 TBL olive oil, salt, and pepper. Make sure tomatoes are cut side down.
3. On the second baking sheet toss eggplant and chickpeas with remaining olive oil, curry powder, and salt and pepper.
4. Place both baking sheets into oven and roast for 45 minutes. Halfway through, stir vegetables and rotate baking sheets.
5. Remove both baking sheets from the oven. Remove skin from tomatoes. Transfer tomatoes, garlic, carrots (and all the juices from that pan) into blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a large pot.
6. Add eggplant and chickpea mixture to the pot. Add 2 cups of water (more or less depending on how thick you want it to be) and bring to a boil over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with cilantro and some yummy bread.

Back to Normal

Today marks week three of my new job (first week=orientation, second week= first week of actual work) as well as my first day back in the saddle dinner-wise. Yes, after two weeks of make-ahead and/or lack luster meals, I am back with a new recipe. I guess my adjustment period is officially over (at least until I start having to work more than my required 8.5 hours)!

For my first real night back in the kitchen I decided to try a stir-fry. Protein, veggies, and a tasty sauce—all seemed like a good (and healthy) way to get back into the swing of things. The Asian-inspired Chicken and Eggplant in Black Bean Sauce definitely lived up to expectations.  The one thing I would differently next time? Add a little more heat. Otherwise, it was a pretty close to perfect weeknight meal.

Chicken and Eggplant in Black Bean Sauce
Adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 ½ inch pieces (the recipe called for thighs but you could probably use chicken breasts if you’d prefer)
1 large Asian eggplant (I used a round variety), cut into 1 inch cubes
½ medium yellow onion, large diced
½ green bell pepper, large diced
2 TBL black bean sauce
2 TBL lime juice
2 TBL honey
2 TBL fresh grated ginger
¼ teaspoon garlic-chile paste (would use more next time if you like a little heat)
1 TBL chicken stock or water
4 TBL vegetable oil

1.Whisk black bean sauce, lime juice, honey, ginger, chile-garlic paste, and water or chicken stock.
2.Pour oil into a wok (or cast iron pan if you don’t have a wok) and heat over medium-high. When hot, add chicken. Stir often for 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is done. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken (leaving as much of the oil as you can) and set aside.
3.Add eggplant, bell pepper, and onion and cook for about 5 minutes until the eggplant is golden and tender.
4.Add chicken back to pan and pour black bean sauce over top. Stir and cook for one minute until everything is cooked through.
5.Serve with white rice.