Meatless Monday is an international campaign that encourages people to not eat meat on Monday to improve their health. Sounds good, doesn’t it? So skip the meat and increase the veggies.
I have had this recipe for some time but it is not my own. I made it my own by tweaking a few things.
Ingredients:
1 lb. eggplant, cut into 1/2 to 1/4 inch slices, about eight slices
1 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbs. olive oil
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking pan with foil.
Cut the eggplant and brush the pieces front and back with olive oil. Salt and pepper on both sides. Bake about 13 to 15 minutes.
In the meantime combine the following ingredients:
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
Handful of fresh basil, sliced, plus extra for garnish
Zest from 1 lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbs shredded parmigiano cheese
1 1/4 cup marinara sauce
8 oz Mozzarella, shredded or thinly sliced
Spread 1/4 cup of marinara sauce on bottom of baking dish, 11” x 8” evenly.
Use spatula to pick up eggplant slices. Place an eggplant slice on a work surface. Scoop 1 Tbs of the filling and place on top of the wider slice and closest to you. Carefully roll eggplant lengthwise and place in prepared baking dish, seam side down. Continue with the rest.
Pour remaining marinara sauce and top with mozzarella. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until sauce is bubbling and cheese is golden. Remove and let it set for 5 minutes. Garnish with extra basil.
Add a green veggie like I did and enjoy.
Remember AboutMyBeaches is on Facebook and Instagram ?
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It may be the time of the day or the day of the week. Today, Monday, it is Meatless Monday. One day per week to get away from red meat and give our bodies a rest for healthier benefits.
The recipes may be Begged, Borrowed, or Stolen. You find recipes in books and you make them your own. I always add a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
This recipe caught my attention because I love scallops any which way. I thought the Tangerine Gastrique was interesting. A Gastrique is a reduction of sugar and vinegar infused with any flavor. In this case, tangerine juice.
The recipe was posted by Emeril Lagasse but to tell you the truth it needed more additions to a plain salad. Color like roasted peppers and roasted artichokes for once.
Ingredients
1 cup sugar (you certainly can reduce this amount)
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup fresh tangerine juice (could not find any so a orange/ mango juice was used)
A pound of scallops
1 tablespoon olive oil (a little more if needed)
salt and pepper
1 cup of arugula (I used a bit more)
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper
2 tangerines, peeled and separated
roasted pepper cut in strips
roasted artichokes or canned ones will do
2 or 3 ounces shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Let’s make the gastrique. In a medium sauce pan, combine, sugar, rice wine vinegar, and the juice. Bring up to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Reduce until the liquid gets syrup like, about 10 to 15 minutes.
For the scallops, please dry them on paper towels. You always should do that before cooking scallops.
In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. Season each scallop front and back with salt and pepper. When the pan is very hot, add the scallops. Sear them on one side until golden brown, a couple of minutes it is only what it will take.
Toss the arugula in a salad bowl with extra virgin olive oil, along with the roasted pepper strips and the artichokes.
You can put the salad mixture in a large platter, add the tangerines to make a pretty presentation. Add the cooked scallops and drip the Gastrique all over. Sprinkle the shaved cheese.
A little bit of sweetness combined with scallops turns out to be a very nice salad.
Enjoy!!
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In the winter there is nothing like a warming bowl of soup. It was cold on Sunday. But, today at the Delaware Beaches the temperatures will rise to the upper 40’s. I’ll take that.
Over the years I have bought tons of magazines. A lot of them have been food oriented. I go through them many times and then I start cutting recipes out and putting them in folders. With a morning coffee I go through them and if something catches my eye, I take it out.
I picked an Onion Soup Recipe that got my attention back in 2013 in a Food & Wine Magazine. It is a healthier version of the traditional French Onion Soup. Traditional soups are fantastic but making them healthier while conserving flavor it’s the trick. That hunk of bread and thick layer of melting cheese makes it high in calories and sodium. Sorry, but it is true.
For Meatless Monday and being that it is a cloudy day this onion soup might be just what you need. I made it yesterday and it is a keeper.
Meatless Monday is a worldwide organization trying to have folks like us eat meatless at least one day per week.
The Recipe
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 large onions, (sweet or regular) halved and thinly sliced
Kosher Salt
1/4 cup of dry white wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
6 cups of beef stock or low sodium broth
Baguettes (either cut your own or buy prepared ones) I used small ones for my large bowl.
Gruyere shredded cheese. I packed that cheese on the baguettes.
In a large pot heat oil until shimmering. Add the onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and just starting to brown. Maybe about 7 minutes or so. Taste the broth and add a bit of salt and continue to cook over moderate low heat, stirring occasionally until the onions are soft and golden. I would say 20 minutes?
Add the wine and soy sauce to the pot. Cook for a few more minutes.
Add the stock and bring to a boil. Then, simmer over low to moderate heat, again stirring occasionally until the onion broth is well flavored and slightly reduced. Taste again and if needed add more salt.
You can make the soup ahead of time until this point.
Then pre-heat the broiler and arrange the baguettes on a baking sheet and top with the Gruyere cheese. Broil until melted.
To serve this onion soup, ladle it into bowls and top with the cheese toasts. You may sprinkle a little bit of cheese all over the soup prior to placing the cheese toasts, as well.
Hope this will be a keeper for you too. Remember AboutMyBeaches has a FB page just in case you want to chime in.
This blog started in 2009 with the idea of offering the readers who want to be in the know about events, restaurants, reviews, where to shop and what to cook for dinner.
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I started putting recipes under the heading of Meatless Monday some time ago. No, I did not start this movement. But in 2003 Sid Lerner, the Founder of The Monday Campaigns, in association with the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future did.
It is a way to give us one day of healthy eating where you can leave all meats behind. It is for Monday since we all see it as the beginning of a new week. Basically, you can do it any time.
Sharing the Fresh Tomato Tart recipe because at this time of the year the tomatoes are amazing. Delaware is known for its tomatoes.
The recipe was given by the late Debbie Meinhardt from Ocean City, Maryland. At the time, I was the Chairperson for a cookbook from the Worcester Country School, now known as the Worcester Preparatory School, located in Berlin, Maryland.
The Title was A Collection of Recipes II. It was back in 1997. I use the book all the time. The recipes are good and best of all is that the contributors were all friends.
Fresh Tomato Tart
1 refrigerated pie crust (1/2 of a 15 ounce package)
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup of chopped fresh basil
3 medium sized ripe tomatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2″ slices
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Pie: Crust:
Fit pie crust into a 10 inch tart pan or pie pan according to package directions. Trim excess pastry along edges.
Generously prick bottom and sides of pastry with a fork.
Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Cool.
Filling:
Sprinkle cheese evenly into pastry shell and top with basil. Leave a few leaves for garnish.
Arrange tomato slices on top. I used 2 big tomatoes. Brush or sprinkle liberally with olive oil and also sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Place tart on a baking sheet. Place baking sheet on lower rack of oven.
Bake for about 40 minutes.
Remove from oven. Top with leftover basil as a garnish. Let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.
Just assembled and ready for the oven.
Out of the oven, ready to eat after garnishing it.
Enjoy!!
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My late mother in law, Louise, was a great cook. Many years ago she made a cookbook just for the girls and boys in the family. Every Christmas we would get an insert. She called this cookbook: Recipes, Begged, Borrowed, & Stolen. The Ratatouille is from her cookbook and it is prepared skillet style.
This is one of those dishes that you can prepare year round. But, in the summer vegetables are so beautiful and delicious that it is probably the best time of the year to make it. Those bright colors shine in this recipe.
Some people consider it a stew. Olive oil, garlic and herbs add so much flavor to the Ratatouille.
Following is the recipe. Hope you like it.
RATATOUILLE
1eggplant, peeled and cut into cubes. (I did not peel mine)
3 medium squash – zucchini, sliced
2 large onions – chopped
1 clove garlic – minced
1 large can tomatoes – or several fresh ones ( I used the fresh ones)
1 green pepper – chopped
1 small jar of pimiento, juice included
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. marjoram
1/2 tsp. dill seeds
In olive oil saute onions for a minute or so, and add rest of the vegetables and spices. Stir well and simmer vegetable mixture for as long as you wish, stirring occasionally.
It is good to cook it for a long time to get those veggies to soften, but do not let them stick.
You can eat the Ratatouille as a side dish, main dish, over pasta, over polenta like I did, as an appetizer with crackers. Add a dash of hot sauce for some kick. In other words, make this recipe your own.
You can double the recipe. Enjoy!!
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Meatless Monday is a trend. In reality you can do this any day of the week. One day or more than one. But it is catchy to say “Meatless Monday”. Leaving the meat behind and for one day enjoy the many dishes that usually revolve around meats.
I have roots in Baltimore. My husband was from Baltimore. My sister in law lives there. I worked in Baltimore for years before moving to the Delaware Beaches. Way before I started this blog too. Baltimore is a city of many firsts. Museums, churches, hospitals, neighborhoods. Many times it gets bad reviews but I really enjoyed my time there.
Private Collections: A Culinary Treasure is a cookbook that contains timeless recipes put out by the Women’s Committee of the Walters Art Gallery, a one of a kind museum located in Baltimore. Beautiful art treasures are displayed in its pages, along with amazing recipes from soups to nuts.
I have posted this recipe before, but just in case you missed it, here it is again. It is a different type of onion soup but the combination of ingredients makes it a winner.
ONION SOUP CHABLIS
1 lb. white onions, sliced very thin
1/4 lb. butter
2 cups chicken broth (your choice of unsalted or salted, or even a mixture of both)
1 cup Chablis
1 tsp. salt
pepper
2 cups medium cream (half and half will do too)
Swiss cheese, freshly grated
In a large soup pot saute the onions in butter until soft and transparent but not brown. Add chicken broth and simmer until the mixture is reduced somewhat. To tell you the truth, I skipped that step.
Add the Chablis, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for about 2 minutes.
Stir in cream, heat, not boil, and serve.
Garnish with plenty of cheese. The marriage of flavors is awesome!! You’ll see. Enjoy!
Serves 6.
Remember that with any recipe you can always make it your own.
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I got into not eating meat on Monday. Following the Meatless Monday campaign if you want to know. This is an international campaign nonetheless. It is just a way of not eating meat one day of the week to improve your health. This organization was founded in 2003. There is also a Facebook Page called Meatless Monday. To know more about it, please visit http://www.meatlessmonday.com.
A few years ago I was visiting my cousins on the island of Culebra. Gorgeous beaches, beautiful scenery. On the photo a look at Luis Pena from their balconies. One of the recipes they prepared was a Spinach Pie. Not only was it good, but it was so easy with 5 ingredients. The chopped frozen spinach I was buying for this recipe had a lot of water but I found a few months ago a spinach that is steamable and to tell you the truth it is so much better. You can get it in all supermarkets.
I have shared this recipe on my website before so I decided to do it again as I remembered that this summer, here in Rehoboth Beach, Sharon, Amantha, Debbie and I would have impromptu dinners on the beach. This is one of the recipes I took. You can eat it hot, warm, room temperature or even cold.
Recipe – Spinach Pie
1 package or bag of spinach – 10 ounces
1 block cream cheese. You can use the less fat one or regular one.
1 onion (Cut in chunks.)
4 eggs
1 cup Parmesan cheese
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease lightly a pie dish. I use a glass one. Let spinach defrost and squeeze it to get all the water out. Take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator and let it soften a bit.
In a blender put eggs, spinach, onion, and cream cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. I usually add just pepper since the cheese has plenty of salt. Blend. Pour into a pie dish.
Place in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top to cover. The cheese will make a crust and will add taste to the pie. Don’t be shy and sprinkle on.
It will take another half hour or so to be ready. Test it with a knife and if comes out clean then it is ready. It should have a nice rich crust.
You can really use this spinach pie for breakfast, lunch or dinner. And even for an appetizer. I would cut in squares instead of wedges if that is the case.
When I joined my friends this summer for our Rehoboth Beach dinners, I think they loved it. Don’t you think? They are smiling!
Remember that these recipes are begged, borrowed, and stolen…..please make them your own.
Until next time!
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Starting a diet on Monday…resolutions usually start on Monday, not in the middle of the week, right? Monday is a fresh start for most of us. Not eating meat on Monday, apparently, is not a new concept. There is also Wheatless Wednesday.
The awareness of Meatless Monday was reintroduced as a public health awareness campaign. It has taken off more so since 2003, with many restaurants offering Meatless Monday dishes. In our homes this is a concept easily adopted as 1, 2 3.
We need it today because after all the eating on Thanksgiving….some of us started before that, LOL. This recipe for Spinach Pie was given to me by my cousins in Puerto Rico. It is one of those recipes that is good, only 5 ingredients, and you can serve it for breakfast, lunch or dinner….adding or topping it with whatever comes to mind to make it your own. I hope you like it.
SPINACH PIE
1 package spinach – 10 ounces
1 block cream cheese (I use the less fat one)
1 onion
4 eggs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease lightly a pie dish. Let spinach defrost and squeeze it to get all the water out. While the spinach is defrosting take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator. You want it a bit soft.
In a blender put eggs, spinach and cream cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste. I usually just add the pepper. Blend.
Pour into the pie dish.
Place in the oven for 10 minutes, then sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top to cover. The cheese will make a crust and will add taste to the pie.
It will take probably another 20 minutes to be ready. Test it. It should have a nice rich, and brown crust.
Take it out of the oven, slice, and enjoy!!
Have a great day!!
Note: If you want it to be gluten free, please grate the Parmesan cheese yourself.
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