I sent this very simple, and incredibly yummy, recipe to Stephanie at the Problem Solvin Mom as a guest post. Check out her blog for great tips on home, family life, kids and food.

This recipe is very similar to our grilled eggplant salad in yogurt.

Enjoy!

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Ever since we planted a small vegetable garden in our backyard in July, it has been a lot of fun watching the plants grow and actually bear some fruit. We planted 3 tomato plants, 3 Japanese eggplants and 3 sweet pepper plants. It wasn’t until yesterday that I noticed one red tomato on the vine. It was such a great sight after watering these plants for over 2 months. The single red tomato was in such a brilliant contrast with the green (and some brown) around it, I simply had to get the camera out and share a few pictures with you!

The brown leaves you see all over? I have not had much luck fighting against the bugs. Recently, I decided to try an “organic” pest control product. It was based on sesame oil and fish oil. I guess I may sprayed a little too much because it looks like my tomato plants are under a lot of stress. Any tips will be highly appreciated.

We have had much better luck with our pepper plants and eggplants. We harvested several green peppers for a fresh salad:

The good news is that the pepper plants are still active!

Last, but not the least, we have enjoyed the Japanese eggplants tremendously this season.  There have been quite a few for several rounds of our favorite grilled eggplant and yogurt salad.

Tell us what you have been growing this summer if you have a vegetable garden. Also share your protecting plants from pests in a natural, chemical-free way.

Enjoy!

Registered Dietitian Susan Dopart sent me this recipe from her recent book A Recipe for Life by the Doctor’s Dietitian. Very easy to increase protein in this recipe by adding turkey, but a great tasty vegetarian entree or side dish.  Good for families or to take to a friend’s home.

Servings – 6
Prep Time – 40 minutes
Cooking Time – 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet yellow onion, chopped
• 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 small to medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 medium to large eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup tomato puree
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 cup shredded Monterey jack or mozzarella cheese, divided
• ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large skillet over medium heat sauté onions and peppers in olive oil until tender.  Add garlic and zucchini and sauté for an additional 4 minutes.  Add eggplant, salt and pepper to taste and sauté another 10-15 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in tomato puree.  Stir in beaten eggs, Parmesan cheese and half of Monterey Jack or mozzarella cheese.  Pour in a 9 x 9 glass square baking dish, and top with remaining cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Variation: Add 1 pound of cooked ground turkey to increase protein.

Per serving nutrition information – Calories 207, Protein 11 g, Total Carbs 13 g, Total Fat 13 g, Fiber 5 g, Sodium 251 mg

If you have a favorite recipe you want to share on our blog, send me a note via our Contact Us form.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Ever since we planted a small vegetable garden in our backyard, it has been fun watching the plants grow each day. And now they are beginning to bear fruit as we were able to pick two fresh eggplants for a quick side dish. We made our favorite grilled eggplant and yogurt salad recipe which turned out to be extra delicious! Here is how it all came about:

Two eggplants that made it to our table today

It’s so much fun to pick ‘em up right from the vine!

Now, let us brush a little olive oil

Grill them nice….

Peel the skin off, crush, mix with yogurt and garlic, and garnish with chopped cilantro

It turned out to be great fun and we enjoyed the salad with our dinner!

Here are a few interesting facts about eggplants if you are up for a little food trivia:

1. Eggplant is actually a fruit, although it is cooked like a vegetable. It belongs to the nightshade family and closely related to potato and tomato.
2. Eggplant originated in India. China is the largest producer of eggplant in the world. 85% of the world production comes from only 5 countries.
3. Thomas Jefferson is credited with bringing eggplant to the US.
4. Although not rich in nutrients, eggplants do contain a fair amount of fiber, vitamin C, B vitamins including folic acid, potassium and magnesium.
5. The raw fruit has a bitter taste due to nicotine compounds. When cooked properly, this bitter taste can be very delicious!
6. Eggplant contains different types of antioxidants which remove free radicals and protect the body against cell damage. One such antioxidant found in eggplant is called chlorogenic acid which is considered to have anti-cancer and anti microbial properties. It also slows down the release of glucose in the blood after eating.
7. Another antioxidant found in the skin of the eggplant is called nasunin. It is supposed to be effective in lowering bad cholesterol, although it has not been proven in human trials.
8. Different names for eggplant – brinjal in India, aubergine in France, melanzana in Italy, meloongen in the Caribbean
9. Eggplant is high in histamines and is known to cause allergy in skin or mouth. Eggplant leaves are toxic and should not be eaten.
10. Through its long history, eggplant has sometimes been celebrated as an aphrodisiac and sometimes despised as a cause of insanity. Say what you like, today it is used in many different delicious recipes across the world!

Do you like eggplant? Share your favorite recipe in comments below.

Sources:

Wikipedia
WHFoods
National Garden Bureau

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

We are taking the idea of eat local to a whole new level…just kidding!

We now have a small vegetable garden in our backyard. I know it’s a little late because the summer in North Florida seems to be at its peak right now. But hey, better late than never, right?

Anyway, we have planted 3 Japanese eggplants, 3 sweet peppers, 3 tomatoes and a bunch of parsley and mint. I am using  a mix of simple top soil and cow manure in an attempt to stay away from heavy fertilizers. Not sure how it is going to turn out, but I want to give it a shot.

The main goal behind this garden is to get our twins interested in growing plants. I am hoping it would further increase their attachment to fruits and vegetables. They are beginning to show a little interest in getting water out of our rain barrels every evening to feed the plants and flowers. They also like to dig up the soil and make a mess everywhere! We are thinking of getting them a set of new colorful garden tools.

If you have a vegetable garden, I would love to hear your advice and suggestions about managing without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Please leave a comment below.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

This eggplant recipe is similar to babaganoush, but with a little twist! It is prepared in yogurt instead of tahini. Now that it’s summer time, we like to grill the eggplant instead of baking it in the oven. Serve it chilled as a side dish with grilled fish and rice – you will love it!

Ingredients

• 5-6 small Asian/Indian eggplants
• 1  cup plain yogurt
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
• salt, pepper to taste

Method

Cut small slits in the eggplants and lightly brush each with olive oil. Place eggplants in a stainless steel wire grilling pan and grill over medium high heat, turning gently once in a while until the skin is dark and partially charred.

Remove eggplants from the grill and let them cool for a few minutes. Peel off the skin and collect the flesh in a bowl. Cut in smaller pieces and then puree in a food processor. Remove in a bowl.

Mix with plain yogurt until smooth and homogeneous. Add garlic, salt and pepper.  Garnish with ch0pped cilantro. Chill in a refrigerator before serving.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com

Ingredients

• 1 eggplant cut lengthwise into thin, small slices
• 1/4 lb lean ground beef
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped finely or crushed in a food processor
• 3 medium tomato, finely chopped or crushed
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (or parsley)
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• pinch of salt, black pepper, oregano, dry mint, cumin

Method

Saute onions in about 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add beef and spices, mix well and saute until it turns light brown. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and mix well. Set aside.

Pan fry eggplant slices in olive oil until they turns soft. Spread the beef mixture on top of the eggplant slices in a thin layer. Cover and cook on low heat another 20-25 minutes or until fully cooked.  Garnish with chopped cilantro.

©2010 Littlestomaks.com