Vegetable Casserole

Eating takes on a whole new meaning when pregnant. I am constantly trying to come up with meals that don't make me want to gag, provide good nutrients for the baby and do not show up on the dreaded "do not eat" list. I've read in several books that by this point in my pregnancy, the baby has already developed his or her taste buds. Meaning the foods I eat from here on out will not only play a huge role in the health and development of my baby, but can also help determine what types of foods the baby will be inclined to eat once he or she is born. Upon learning this my first thought was of vegetables and how I could incorporate as many possible varieties into all of my meals (Adam's first thought was, "Eat as much meatloaf as possible!"). So, in an attempt to get this kid on a healthy eating track I decided to try out a new vegetable casserole with a little help and inspiration from my good friends at Food and Wine.


Pregnancy friendly dish #1: Vegetable Casserole


Ingredients:
Olive Oil
1.5 lbs of zucchini
1.5 lbs of eggplant
1/2 of an onion
1 lb of tomatoes
Blend of Italian Cheeses such as Parmesan and other pasteurized hard cheeses (the original recipe called for feta, but soft cheeses such as feta are on the "do not eat" list for pregnancy - a blend of hard Italian cheeses are a great substitution)
Fresh basil
1/3 cup of panko crumbs
Salt and pepper to taste


First preheat the oven to 425 degrees and prepare the ingredients by slicing both the eggplant and zucchini lengthwise. Make sure to slice them approximately 1/3 of an inch thick. If you slice them too thin (as I did with a few of mine) they will brown too quickly in the oven and will not hold up as well in the casserole. Once the eggplant and zucchini have all been sliced, lay them on an oiled baking sheet and season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake until soft or about 10-15 minutes.

Next, chop up all of the tomatoes and dice up 1/2 of the onion. Heat a bit of oil in a large pan. Add the onion and allow to soften for a few minutes. Next add in all of the tomatoes and allow to cook until the tomatoes soften and the sauce begins to thicken. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the eggplant and zucchini have been removed from the oven, it is time to begin layering the casserole. Start by using half of the eggplant in the bottom of the pan. Next spread part of the tomato sauce on top until there is a nice coating over the eggplant. Sprinkle with chopped basil and the Italian cheeses. Next add a layer of the zucchini and then another layer of tomato sauce and basil. Add the rest of the eggplant and zucchini and top it off with the last bits of tomato and cheese. Finally, in a separate bowl, mix the panko crumbs with a tablespoon or so of olive oil and sprinkle over the entire casserole.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes or until bubbling. 

Serve with a lean protein like chicken for the perfect pregnancy friendly meal. I went with an easy roasted chicken that I seasoned with oregano, basil, onion powder and a little garlic salt and cooked until crisp and juicy.

This casserole can also be a great lunch or snack and heats up wonderfully the next day. It is one that mom and baby (and its meatloaf-loving dad) can enjoy.

Here are a few benefits for both mom and baby founds in theses ingredients:


Eggplant - a good source of fiber, Thiamin and Vitamin K. Also very low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
Zucchini - provides folate, potassium, and vitamin A as well as an extensive list of minerals. 
Tomato - a great source of Vitamin C which aids in tissue repair and fiber which aids in digestion. All vital to overall pregnancy health. 
Cheese - 1 oz provides about 300 mg of calcium which is crucial for the development of strong bones as well as muscle, heart and nerve development. Also a good source of vitamin A and D.
Olive Oil - a good source of monounsaturated fat (the good fat!). Heart healthy for both mom and baby.
Chicken - 4 oz gives about 25 grams of protein which plays a huge role in the growth of the baby. Also a good source of vitamin B and iron. 


To find further nutritional information visit the United States Department of Agricultural website.

Fall Cooking: Roasted Chicken

Now that summer is officially over, we have many new things to look forward to: cooler weather, the changing of leaves, football (lots, and lots, of football), a whole new line of clothes,  campfires on crisp evenings, and so much more. Even the air smells different. Everything around us is changing - including our cooking. Fall demands both rich and spicy flavors, food that warms you from the inside out and brings back childhood memories. As the air turns colder, we have a whole new selection of  food to pick from: squash, apples, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, and pears are all in season. Even our techniques change, as we move away from outdoor grilling and lighter dishes, and back inside with crock pots and slow roasting. Rather than salads and barbecue we can look forward to homemade soups and stews. Fall is, quite simply, a great time to get your cook on in the kitchen.

One of the first dishes I wanted to make to celebrate this change of season was a whole roasted chicken. Its easy, affordable and one bite takes me back to days long ago. Back to when the start of a new school year and "Five Star" notebooks sent me into a tizzy of excitement, to a time when raking leaves was an adventure and not a chore, when having cold hands was a result of hard play and therefore hardly noticed, to a time when I lived in my light blue soccer uniform and Umbros were definitely the "in" thing, and when bed time was determined by the setting of the sun. Back then, my siblings and I would pour into the kitchen tired, dirty and all talking at once, and be met by the aroma of a beautiful roast chicken. Those were goods days, some of the best. This recipe helps take me back there.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken

1 lemon

1 large onion

3-4 chopped carrots

2-3 stalks of celery

Chicken Broth

Paprika

Rosemary Leaves

Fennel Seeds

Cayenne Pepper

Sea Salt

Freshly cracked ground Pepper

Butter

Your first step is to prepare and clean the chicken. This can be an intimidating task for any first timer, but it is not as difficult as it may seems. If you have a frozen chicken you will want to completely thaw it before beginning. Start by removing the neck, giblets and kidneys from the cavity of the chicken. Next, rinse the chicken under cold tap water. Be sure to rinse inside the cavity as well. Once clean, pat down with paper towels until dry. 

Slice the onion into rings and place at the bottom of your roasting pan. On top, add the chopped carrots and celery. These vegetables will be the surface on which the chicken will sit. 

After the chicken is cleaned, rub a little bit of butter of the skin. Next, prepare the rub. To do so add the juice of 1/2 a lemon, paprika, rosemary leaves, fennel seeds, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to taste. If you prefer a spicier flavor add more paprika or cayenne. Once complete, rub the mixture all of the chicken and inside the cavity. 

Once the chicken is smothered in the rub, place the other 1/2 of the lemon in the cavity. This will help add an extra boost of flavor.

Finally, place the prepared chicken on top of the chopped vegetables in the roasting pan. Pour about a cup of chicken broth into the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle a little bit of salt and pepper over the entire pan. 

Cook at 425 degree for an hour to an hour and fifteen minutes or until the meat thermometer registers at 170 degrees. While the chicken is cooking, baste it a few times with the broth from the bottom of the pan to add both a bit more flavor and moisture.

Once the chicken is done, remove from oven and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Serve with sweet potatoes, spinach and the vegetables from the pan. 

Enjoy this fall dish and after the feast if there are leftovers (we had tons!), use the bounty to make another fall supper such as chicken soup or Chicken Tetrazzini. What are your favorite dishes to make from leftover chicken? Feel free to share in the comments! 

Cucina Italiana

My husband, Adam, and I have been talking about planning a trip to Europe for quite some time now. Yesterday, we finalized our plans and in honor of this trip which will end in Italy, I wanted to make a special Italian dish to celebrate. One of my favorite Italian chefs is Lidia Matticchio Bastianich who owns many wonderful restaurants including Lidia’s in Kansas City. I decided her recipe of fish with pepper sauce would be the perfect way to celebrate our upcoming adventure and learn a little bit more about Italian cooking and culture.

This recipe originates in the Le Marche region of central Italy. It includes red and yellow bell peppers, olive oil, salt, onion, celery, peperoncino flakes, marjoram, sage, orange zest, canned Italian tomatoes, and fresh white fish. First you prepare the sauce, then lightly brown the fish before letting it complete the cooking process in the simmering sauce. 

Lidia’s recipe calls for any white fish and she recommends using an oily fish such as bluefish or mackerel. I chose to go with Alaskan Cod fillet and this worked perfectly with the rich pepper sauce. The first step of the cooking process is to roast the peppers for about 1/2 an hour until the skins are loose enough to be easily removed. Discard the seeds and chop the peppers to be used later.

While the peppers are roasting, be sure to chop the necessary ingredients so that everything is ready to go when you need it. Dice up one onion and two sticks of celery. Next heat the olive oil in a large skillet or cast iron pan before adding the onion and celery and a dash of salt and peperoncino flakes. Allow to cook for a few minutes before adding in fresh springs of marjoram and sage, the zest of one whole orange and the Italian tomatoes plus a cup of water. From here the ingredients need time to soften and meld together, so bring the pot to a simmer and allow to cook for about 20 minutes or so. 

After this is complete and you have added in the roasted peppers, Lidia’s recipe suggest pouring the food into a mill to stain the sauce. I chose to actually go a different route and blend the sauce with an immersion blender. This allowed me to create a thicker sauce which I thought paired wonderfully with the fish. Either way would work, it just depends on what you are looking for. 

After completing this step, it is time to begin cooking the fish. Lidia seasons and flours her fish before frying it in oil. I chose to only season the fish with salt and freshly cracked black pepper and skipped the flour. I then lightly browned the fish on both sides. For me this is a very important step that can make or break the rest of the dish. You want to heat about a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Once the oil is heated completed, lay the fillets flesh side down in the pan and do not touch it for several minutes. If you continue to check the fish to see how the cooking is progressing, chances are it will not create the crust that you are looking for and the fish will end up ripping into multiple pieces. As much as you want to, you have to resist the urge to look at the fish. After about 3 minutes or so, carefully flip the fish one time and brown the other side for a few minutes.

Finally, once the fish is close to being cooked all the way through, add your pepper sauce to the pan and bring it to a simmer. Let the fish finish cooking for a few more minutes in the sauce before serving. This process allows the sauce to infuse into the fish creating a much more flavorful dish. 

Lidia suggests sprinkling parsley on top of the fish when serving, instead, I picked some fresh basil from our garden and used that as our final flavor. The basil definitely added additional elements of freshness and boldness to the dish. Lastly, along with the fish and pepper sauce, I served sautéed spinach and fresh french bread. The spinach can easily be sautéed at the same time that the fish is cooking. 

This was the perfect meal to celebrate our upcoming trip. I cannot wait to bring back and share with you all the many wonderful recipes of Le Marche and several other regions of Italy. Until then, we will continue to look forward to our trip with the help of Lidia. Buon divertimento!