Coleslaw

I decided to go to The Pioneer Woman website to find a good coleslaw recipe because, stereotypically, I admit I figured folks from Oklahoma eat coleslaw far more than, say, Giada deLaurentis. I altered her recipe a bit, because I like a crispy slaw with a light dressing rather than a soupy slaw with too much milk. It was great!

 

 

You need: 

1 head green cabbage

3/4 c whole milk

1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 cups fresh cilantro leaves, barely chopped

Run the cabbage, in sections, through the thin, mandoline attachment on your food processor, or, if you don't have one, slice thinly. In a small bowl, mix the remaining ingredients EXCEPT for the cilantro. Add the dressing to the cabbage. Right before serving, add the cilantro. This can be made up to a day in advance.

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Icing

With summer on the decline, I had to take advantage of C's birthday party in order to try out a few "from scratch" recipes to keep my resolutions alive. He decided on a construction theme this year, so I planned out a chocolate sheet cake that I could decorate to the maximum with chocolate rocks and crushed chocolate cookies. I spent some time on the internet searching sheet cake recipes, and I was thrilled at how well my selection paid off. I'm including the link, rather than just the recipe, because I copied it exactly and I wish to give full credit to the original author! (Well, almost exactly. I omitted the pecans!)

Enjoy!

Recipe taken from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ggs-chocolate-sheet-cake/

Easy Fig "Pizza"

I was making fig jam the other day (thanks to some amazingly fresh figs available at our local Trader Joe's), and I decided to make an easy lunch with a few leftover odds and ends in the fridge. Tastes delicious, looks fancy, super easy. My kind of meal.

You need:
(serves 1)

1 slice pita bread
olive oil, to drizzle
2 fresh figs, quartered
a few chunks of goat cheese
one sprig of rosemary, leaves removed
salt and pepper, to taste

Top the pita bread with all of the ingredients. Warm in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Enjoy.

Curried Chicken Salad

I try to be as adventurous as I can with the kids lunches. Summertime is easy - we try all sorts of new things because I have the time to research them and try them out. However, it seems like  we fall into the same ruts throughout the school year, and lunch becomes something we have to do rather than look forward to.

Around this time each year, I start my annual "freezer fill" - new recipes that can be easily frozen and popped into the oven on busy school weeknights. As I sat pouring over recipe books and magazines, A had a great idea. What if we do the same for lunches? What if we spend the last two weeks of summer trying out new lunch ideas - great salads and sandwiches that are easy to shop for and prepare on the weekends.

I decided to give it a try. The first was a HIT. I wasn't sure how well it would go over, to be honest. Both of my kids love mild, coconut curry, but they've never had a stronger yellow curry. However, I think the grapes lured them in. And because I have both the Pampered Chef Rockcrok and Round Covered Baker, I can easily make cooked chicken in half the time in the microwave. (I know it sounds gross, but it totally works.) If you don't have one, you can just bake the chicken in the oven and let it cool before putting the salad together.

You need:

1 tbsp. mayonnaise
1/4 c. plain yogurt
2 tbsp. mango chutney
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
2 tsp. mild curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. chopped or shredded cooked chicken
1/2 c. diced celery
1/2 c. halved red grapes

In a medium bowl, stir together the first six ingredients. Mix well. Add the chicken, celery, and grapes. Stir to combine. Chill and serve on its own or in a sandwich!

Sunday Supper: Summer Eggplant Parmesan

I love eggplant Parmesan. It is my favorite meal. I had it the night my husband proposed. Maybe that had something to do with it. We just celebrated our 15th anniversary last week. :-)

If eggplant Parmesan is on the menu, I will order it every single time. However, it's not something I necessarily crave in mid-August.

Last week, we received the most beautiful eggplant in our weekly vegetable share, and my mind, as always, went to eggplant Parmesan. I needed to find a way to make this a summer friendly dish. I decided to use the ingredients in the traditional recipe in a way that was more appropriate for an 80-degree day. The result was perfect. I served easy peasy "impress you like a restaurant rolls" (see below) and fresh garden green beans on the side. Although the recipe isn't entirely complex, I'm placing it in the Sunday Supper category because it requires a lot of dishes and a few steps, and no one wants that piling up at 5:30 on a weekday.

Enjoy!

You need:
(serves 4-6)

For the eggplant
1 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/2 in. slices
salt
1 egg, plus one egg white
1/2 c. flour
1 c. panko bread crumbs
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
seasoning of choice (I like a natural lemon-pepper seasoning with this dish)

For the salad
1 pt. cherry tomatoes, halved
12 oz. fresh mozzarella balls (bocconcini)
1/2 c. fresh basil, sliced
1/4 c. olive oil
a few drizzles of balsamic vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

For the rolls
6 frozen "rise and bake" rolls
1 tbsp. butter
1/4 tsp. seasoning (I used the lemon-pepper here, as well)

FIVE HOURS before you are going to eat, place one roll in each well of a muffin tin (or every other, if you are using a 12-muffing tin) that has been lightly buttered. Let rise. FORTY-FIVE MINUTES before dinner, melt the butter. Add the seasoning and brush on the rolls. Bake according to package directions. Allow to cool.

ONE HOUR before you are going to eat, lay out the eggplant slices and sprinkle with a little salt. This will bring out the extra moisture.  Add all of the salad ingredients (except for the cheese) together in a bowl. Let sit at room temperature until serving time.

When you are ready to start cooking, set out three plates. On one, mix the panko with the Parmesan cheese and seasoning. In another, add the flour. In the third, lightly whisk the egg and egg white. Dip and coat each slice in the flour (shake off excess), then the egg, and then the bread crumb mixture. Lay on a lightly oiled sheet pan. Bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes.

Serve the eggplant slices with a side of the tomato salad, steamed green beans, and a roll.