Spicy Eggplant Rolls

So I've been wanting to try out this recipe for about a week now, but with all the holiday goings on, I just haven't really had time. Well, with a bit of the chaos out of the way, I was finally able to give this a go. (The fact that I was dragging my feet on taking down the tree and clearing the present-opening mess out of the living room might have had a bit to do with it too.)

I'm still calling these "eggplant rolls" even though, as you'll see in a minute, the damned things didn't really "roll" as I had envisioned. So I lose a few points on artfulness.

Anyway, here we go...


Spicy Eggplant Rolls

1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1/3" strips and salted on both sides, like so:


3/4 cup Veggie Shreds mozzarella cheese
1/2 medium onion, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 red bell pepper, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips
1/2 cup fresh spinach leaves, stems trimmed
4 tbsp olive oil (not pictured... solely the fault of the Veggie Guy)
Cayenne pepper (also not pictured... not sure who to blame this one on)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Using a kitchen towel, press moisture out of salted eggplant slices. (This removes the bitterness that can ruin the whole shebang).

Fry eggplant slices in olive oil, sprinkling each side with cayenne pepper. 1 - 2 minutes per side is sufficient. You want them soft, not charred.

Place eggplant slices in a large baking dish. Fill half of eggplant slices with spinach leaves, red pepper slices, onion slices, and mozzarella "cheese". Fold in half, and cover with a bit more "cheese".

(Note: I use Veggie Shreds because it more or less melts like real cheese, especially in covered dishes.)

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.

The finished eggplant rolls pictured above are served with blackened garlic asparagus, which I'll cover in a later post.

The verdict? My wife thought they were quite tasty, and even commented that I should have done a video demonstration instead of just posting pictures. Yeah, that was my original plan, but sometimes these things just don't work out.

I thought they were very good too, although I have to admit I'm miffed about the whole "roll" concept not panning out. I was envisioning something that looked like a sushi roll, only with eggplant.

Softening the eggplant slices requires a bit more oil than I'm used to, but it's still far healthier than, say, eggplant parmesan (or most anything that omnis eat, for that matter).

And, I'm proud to say that this meets the coveted "30 minutes or less" criterion, so you can get this on the table without screwing around in the kitchen all night.

Well, that's about it for the moment... I'm told it's time to but together the 3-story Barbie Dream House I've been putting off. Better go dust off the Dictionary of Colorful Expletives...

Spinach Pomegranate Salad

One of the things I like best about this time of year is the availablity of pomegranates. The seeds from these fruits are packed with vitamin C and antioxidants, as well as betacarotene, making them a great nutritional source. Plus, they're downright tasty!


So I decided to whip up a salad using pomegranate seeds. Trouble is, it turned out so wonderfully that I forgot to take a pic before we devoured it. (The fact that my daughter was using the digital camera to chronicle the adventures of her Barbie dolls didn't help the matter either.



But anyway, here you go.





Spinach Pomegranate Salad





1 lb baby spinach leaves, torn into pieces
1/2 lb watercress sprigs, chopped
Seeds from 1 large pomegranate (remove bitter white membranes)
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp agave nectar
2 tbsp lime juice
1/4 tbsp black pepper



Mix spinach, watercress, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts in a large salad bowl.



Mix olive oil, rice vinegar, agave nectar, and lime juice. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to allow flavors to combine.



Sprinkle black pepper on salad mix, and pour in dressing. Mix well and serve.


I don't usually post salad recipes in the winter, but this salad is a great choice with a hot bowl of soup.





Visit this post to find out how you can help the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Alagille's Syndrome Alliance without spending a penny. I'd be eternally grateful!

Spinach wraps

Now, if you've read the previous post, you might have surmised that I had a batch of baby spinach to use up. You'd be right. Hey, we (I) here at The Veggie Guy don't believe in waste, or in having stuff turn into bags of runny brown goo at the back of the fridge.

So... I made spinach wraps tonight. Pretty easy stuff, and you can substitute pretty much whatever you don't like.

So here goes:

2 large whole wheat or sprouted grain tortillas
1 handful fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 cup roma tomatos, diced
1 avocado, mashed
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp chopped fresh basil or 1/4 tsp dried basil
4 oz white button mushrooms
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 clove garlic, finely diced
2 oz canned artichoke hearts (packed in water, not oil)

Heat oil in a medium pan. Add garlic, cook for 1 minute on medium heat. Add mushrooms and balsamic vinegar, cook for 3 minutes while stirring. Remove from heat.

Mix cayenne pepper and basil into mashed avocado.

Spread 1/2 avocado mixture on each tortilla. Add spinach, onion, tomatos, and artichoke hearts in layers on each tortilla. Place 1/2 mushroom/galrlic mixture on top. Roll tortillas into wraps.

Serve with fresh veggies or pita chips and hummus.