Just look at that glorious bowl of pasta. Does it make you hungry? It sure makes me hungry that’s for sure. I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever met a bowl of pasta that doesn’t instantly make my stomach growl. It is truly one of my comfort foods, and loaded with fresh roasted veggies like this one makes it even better.

(more…)

The post Whole Wheat Spaghetti with Roasted Peppers and Eggplant appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

I’ve been in quite the funk lately. For no reason really, other than maybe I just haven’t been treating myself very well…i.e. over-indulging in food and drinks, not enough sleep or exercise, and just too much stinkin’ thinkin’…you know the drill. I am at the point in my life where I really know myself and I know when I get in these “not feeling well” funks the only way out of it is changing my way of thinking and discipline. The power of Positive Thinking is no joke…it can really make or break your day whether your mind is in a positive place or not. And as far as discipline goes…for me, just recognizing the things that I know make me feel better, writing them down and putting them somewhere where I can look at them throughout the day really helps change my frame of mind. Also surrounding myself with positive people and quality family time are super important. Sometimes you just gotta know when to feed the soul.

Here’s what’s on my “What Makes Me Feel Good List” right now (taped to my bedroom mirror):

Take vitamins every day

Swimming

Yoga

Pilates

Running

Lots of Water

Unplugging early in the evening

Getting to sleep before 11

Waking up early

Routine

These are things I know I can accomplish most days…actually, every day. Daily exercise is very important to my mental well-being so rotating my favorites helps to motivate me and keep things interesting. It all sounds very simple…but I think when we get into those “funks” we really have to focus on simple…and before you know it you are feeling like yourself again.

On my quest to “de-funk” my attitude…I’m really trying to eat clean. Lots of fruits, veggies and good protein make me feel good so I’m trying to stick with all things healthy at the moment. I’m starting my days off this week with a Super Juice that I make in my juicer (bunch of kale, 2 celery sticks, 2 apples, 1 cucumber and 1 beet) and sip on it while I get the kids ready for school (and before my coffee!).

Of course, just because I’m eating clean and healthy doesn’t mean I won’t be eating well. This Spinach and Eggplant salad is one of my absolute favorite salads to eat for dinner or lunch. I can’t take credit for this creation, I actually have been ordering it at our local pizza place for some time now and just started finally making it at home.

I start with a base of fresh spinach leaves and then pile on the red onions, tomatoes, parmesan or mozzarella cheese and of course strips of the Baked Breaded Eggplant that I love. I make a quick dressing out of red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper. If I have some kalamata olives around I add those too.

Delicious!!

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star No reviews

Spinach and Eggplant Salad

• Author: Aggie's Kitchen
• Category: Salad

Print

Pin

---

Ingredients

• 1–2 handfuls of fresh spinach leaves
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 red onion, sliced thin
• shredded mozzarella or parmesan cheese
• 2–3 slices Baked Breaded Eggplant, warmed in oven or toaster oven and cut in strips
• kalamata olives, optional
• Simple Red Wine Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Simple Red Wine Vinaigrette

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon dijon
• 1 small pinch dried oregano
• small pinch salt and fresh ground pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

---

Instructions

1. On large plate assemble salad starting with fresh spinach leaves. Top spinach with cherry tomatoes, sliced onion, shredded cheese, kalamata olives (optional) and eggplant. Dress lightly with Simple Red Wine Vinaigrette, to taste.

For the Vinaigrette

1. Combine all ingredients in a jar or air tight container. Shake until well blended.

Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Salads on Pinterest.

The post Spinach and Eggplant Salad and Getting out of a Funk appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

Oh the summer 6….my nemesis. What’s the summer 6 you ask? Well it’s the darn 6 pounds (or depending on the day 7 or 8 ) that I seem to gain every. single. summer. Don’t get me wrong, it’s 6 pounds of good stuff…barbecues, cocktails by the pool, ice cream, snacks…so I can’t really complain. But come August it usually hits me when I realize my clothes are a little bit too tight. Ugh. I hate the summer 6. (But it all tasted so good…)

So what am I going to do? Well since the kids are back in school I’m definitely getting back on a schedule. That is huge for me. I’m also going to focus on making some kick-ass salads and soups over the next couple of weeks. And I’m going to start running again. Yep…for those of you who have started, stopped and started running again you know how that first week or two of running can be…pretty brutal. Those of you who just want to start running in the first place know the feeling too…I know because I have always been that person. I’ve never been a lover of running…I would do it, every now and then, but it was not something I could say I enjoyed. I thought the people who “enjoyed running” were nuts to be honest. But last fall, something came over me and I started running outside…I broke past the 3 mile mark and I actually started to enjoy it. I finally felt the “runner’s high” that everyone talks about and I got hooked. So I ran…and I ended up running a half marathon in December and then a 8 miler race in March. It felt awesome…and I pretty much haven’t run much since. (hint why: it got really really warm outside).

So here I am at the beginning again. And on my run (if that’s what you want to call it…I call it bouncing) this morning I thought of all the little things that got me motivated last year to really start running. I figured I’d share them here in case anyone else is in the same boat as me…maybe we can do this together.

First things first:

1. Music – I need good music. I use my iPod and I make myself a playlist with at least an hour’s worth of music, and when I run, I use the shuffle mode…so it’s always a “surprise”.

2. New Sneakers – After I’m done writing this post I’m on my way to go buy myself some new running sneaks. Mine are feeling a little flat. If you are serious about getting into running my advice is to get yourself into a store that specializes in running, they will talk with you and actually fit you for shoes that will work well with your feet. Once I find a shoe I like I usually stick with it for a while…right now I’m happy with my Asics Duomax GT-2150. Hoping I can find a pair on sale.

3. Gear – I can not run without my Spibelt and a visor. Holding my iPod used to annoy me when I ran. So did sun in my eyes and wearing sunglasses just didn’t work (sweaty face and sunglasses = no). I found an awesome little accessory called a Spibelt and it has made running so much more enjoyable. My iPhone and key fit in perfectly and it’s not bulky at all, it actually stays very close to my body and does not bounce when you run. And the visor is now a must…even on a cloudy day.

4. Foam Roller – A big reason why running and I used to not get along is the the aches and pains that came along with it. My hips and back used to KILL me after I ran. I found out after a trip to a massage therapist (who is also a runner) that my pain all stemmed from my quads. My quads were so tight and full of knots that it would pull on the muscles that connected my hips and lower back. What an eye opener. I was introduced to a foam roller at my gym and I’m not kidding, it changed my life. I use it ALL the time. It’s like a deep tissue massage and I’m not going to lie, it hurts. But it is so necessary to get all those knots out of those leg muscles if you want to avoid back pain and knee injuries. I’ve found some videos on how to use the foam roller…highly recommend it!

Okay…so that’s my two cents on getting back into running for right now. I am starting slow (have never been all that fast really) and I am running and walking when I need to. I know eventually I won’t need to do that every time…and if I do it’s okay. Getting your body moving is all that matters in my opinion.

**************************************************************************************************

So let’s talk food now. I have been wanting to share this eggplant recipe FOREVER. But for some reason I haven’t. It seemed too simple, my pictures were never right but for some reason, this is one of those recipes someone is always asking me how to make. I’ll be so happy when I can just share this link instead of writing it all out each time.

I love eggplant. What I usually do with eggplant is bread it, bake it and freeze it. I like to make a big batch at once (because breading stuff is not my favorite thing to do) and having it in the freezer ready to be warmed up comes in so handy. I heat it up in my toaster oven (or regular oven) and add it to pasta dishes, sandwiches, salads and of course use it to make Eggplant Parmesan. This is a rough recipe, meaning it really depends on how much you are making. If you run out of eggs in the breading process, whisk some more…same goes for breadcrumbs. What’s important is the method.

Baked Breaded Eggplant

Ingredients:

• 2-3 large Italian eggplant (peeled or unpeeled, up to you)
• 3 eggs, whisked in a large shallow bowl or dish
• 2-3 cups plain breadcrumbs or panko (sometimes I use a little of both)
• a couple of pinches of dried Italian seasoning
• 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• salt and fresh ground pepper
• olive oil spray

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. On your cutting board, cut off both ends of your eggplant. Using a sharp knife carefully slice your eggplant lengthways into 1/2" slices. (Here' a great post for a visual how-to cut an eggplant into slices)
   Once my eggplant is sliced up I lay the slices out onto baking racks or pans and sprinkle the slices with kosher or coarse salt. This will pull out the moisture and any bitterness from the eggplant. I let it sit in the salt for about 15-30 minutes.
3. While your eggplant is sitting, season your breadcrumbs with salt, pepper, parmesan and Italian seasoning (you can always use store bought Italian seasoned breadcrumbs if you like). Set up an assembly line: sliced eggplant, whisked eggs, shallow dish of seasoned breadcrumbs and lightly greased baking sheets (I spray mine with cooking spray).
4. Rinse salt off eggplant and pat dry well with dish towels or paper towels. I like to press down as I'm drying to really pull out all the water. Once eggplant is pressed dry, you are ready to bread.
5. Dip your eggplant slice into the egg, removing any excess egg before dipping into breadcrumbs. Press eggplant slice into breadcrumbs on both sides until coated well. Place into baking sheet. Repeat until all slices are breaded.
6. At this time, spray each breaded eggplant slice with olive oil spray (or cooking spray).
7. Bake in oven heated at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes. Flip each slice over and bake for another 15 minutes until eggplant slices are golden brown. Keep an eye on your eggplant, if some slices are thinner than others they may brown up quicker.
8. To store in freezer: Lay a freezer bag flat on counter and layer cooled baked eggplant slices alongside each other (slightly overlapping) in the bag. I try to find a flat surface in the freezer to store them until they are frozen. Once they are frozen flat they are easier to store.
9. To serve from freezer: You can defrost ahead of time if you like, or take straight from freezer and warm up in 350 degree oven or toaster oven.

Have a great weekend!

The post Baked Breaded Eggplant and the “Summer 6” appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.

I had to make this salad. I’ve been thinking about it all week (there I go again, being obsessive about food…)…but you know what I mean right? I know a lot of you are not in grilling weather right now, and to be honest with you it is cold, dreary and rainy here in FL right now. But that wasn’t going to stop me, I grilled these babies indoors… if you don’t have a grill pan, it is so worth the investment, I use mine all the time.

(Zebra Eggplant from the Lake Mary Farmer’s Market…aren’t they pretty?…)

I have been craving really fresh and healthy food lately…I think having hamburgers and pulled pork in the same week does that to you…I’ll have to plan better next time. This salad definitely hit the spot. The flavor combination could not get any better…grilled eggplant, goat cheese, toasted pine nuts and basil…simply dressed in a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. So good.

Thank you Giada.

Giada's Grilled Eggplant and Goat Cheese Salad

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 7 Japanese eggplant, ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch wide slices
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/3 cup basil, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint (I left this out)
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Drizzle the olive oil over the slices of eggplant and toss to coat. Grill the eggplants until tender and grill marks appear, about 3 to 4 minutes per side.
2. Place the eggplants side-by-side on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the pine nuts, goat cheese, basil, and mint. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.
3. Cook's note: Plating the eggplant salad this way allowed the cheese to stay bright white. The salt and pepper showed up on it. The herbs remained green and fluffy. The grill marks on the eggplant were distinct.

Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis, Everyday Italian

Follow AggiesKitchen on Instagram and show us what recipes you are making from the blog! Use the hashtag #aggieskitchen - I'd love to see what you are cooking up!

Thank you so much to all of you who shared your favorite Asian recipes with me on my last post. Wow!! I have printed most of them and they are on standby…as a matter of fact I’m trying one of the stir frys tonight! Everything sounds delicious!

If are looking for new Asian recipes to try, go check out the comments in the Mongolian Beef post…you will find several to choose from.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Follow Aggie’s Kitchen’s board Salads on Pinterest.

The post Giada’s Grilled Eggplant and Goat Cheese Salad appeared first on Aggie's Kitchen.