Low Fat Eggplant Parmigiana/Eggplant Pizzas

This is so yummy, and it stems off of my other recipe, Oven Fried Eggplant. With a little extra work, you can make an easy, low carb, low fat entree.


Low Fat Eggplant Parmigiana/Eggplant Pizzas

Ingredients

Eggplant, any amount desired
Italian bread crumbs (choose a larger can if you have a lot of eggplant)
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
Cooking spray
Pasta sauce of your choice
Cheese (I really like fresh mozzarella)
Basil, if desired


Preparation

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a large cooking sheet with cooking spray.
Wash and cut eggplant into 1/4 inch slices.
Mix eggs and milk together, adding salt.
Dip the slices of eggplant in the wash and then thoroughly coat them with the bread crumbs. Place on baking sheet. Do this until all of the eggplant slices are coated. Spray the tops of the eggplant with cooking spray. Place in oven for about 25 minutes, or until slightly browned and crispy looking.
Top cooked eggplant slices with tomato sauce, cheese, herbs, or other desired toppings. Return to 400F oven for about 5-8 minutes, until cheese is melted and bubbly.

*To make eggplant parmigiana, layer eggplant, then sauce, and then cheese in a casserole dish (this may take several layers of each, depending on how much eggplant you made). Continue to bake at 400F for about 15 minutes until the inside is very hot and the cheese on top is bubbly.

It's that simple!!

Oven Fried Eggplant

In a world where everything can be deep fried, from a stick up butter to a beer, it's hard to achieve that perfect texture and taste of fried eggplant without all of the grease and calories. This recipe does just that; it is crunchy on the outside and warm and moist on the inside!

Oven Fried Eggplant

Ingredients

Eggplant, any amount desired
Italian bread crumbs (choose a larger can if you have a lot of eggplant)
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
cooking spray


Preparation

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a large cooking sheet with cooking spray.
Wash and cut eggplant into 1/4 inch slices.
Mix eggs and milk together, adding salt.
Dip the slices of eggplant in the wash and then thoroughly coat them with the bread crumbs. Place on baking sheet. Do this until all of the eggplant slices are coated. Spray the tops of the eggplant with cooking spray. Place in oven for about 25 minutes, or until slightly browned and crispy looking.

It's practically gone!!

Throw it Together Cheesy Macaroni

What can I say about this? I had it for the first time at a family get-together and fell in love. It's easy to make, and there are no formal instructions on how to make it. Thanks to my cousin Sandra for the "recipe!"

Throw it Together Cheesy Macaroni

Take 1 box of elbow macaroni and boil and then drain. Toss with 2 tbsp. of butter. Spray a 9"x13" pan with cooking spray, dump 1/2 of the noodles in and then later with a nice layer of shredded cheddar cheese. Cut up blocks of Colby jack cheese and place evenly on the layer of cheddar. Season with salt and pepper. Pour in whole milk until you can see it around the sides. Layer the rest of the cheeses and then both cheeses again. Cover and cook at 350F for about 35-40 minutes. Cook until all milk has cooked down and cheese is bubbly. 

Crock Pot Lasagna

This may not be an entirely Southern dish, but throwing it in the crock pot around lunchtime and coming home to a house smells like food sure does remind me of the South!

Crock Pot Lasagna

Ingredients:

1 box regular lasagna pasta, uncooked

2 jars of your favorite pasta sauce

1 1/5 pounds ground meat (Italian sausage, hamburger meat, ground turkey all work great!)

1 medium onion

2 pounds ricotta cheese

4 cups mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 eggs, beaten

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 bag baby spinach

Preparation:

Fry and drain the hamburger meat and onions. Add sauce.

Mix ricotta, Parmesan, and 3 cups of mozzarella together. Add two eggs and Italian seasoning.

In a large Crock Pot, spray with cooking spray or line with a slow-cooker bag. Place 1/2 cup of meat sauce mixture in the bottom and spread evenly. Break noodles down to size to fit in the pot. Some pieces can be almost whole, some halves; the size does not matter. As long as you make a complete layer of noodles, it will turn out fine.

Add 1/3 of your cheese mixture in small dollops to cover the noodles. 

Add 1/2 bag of baby spinach.

Cover with another layer of sauce. Repeat the layers until you have run out of ingredients: sauce, noodles, cheese, spinach.

When you have finished, top with remaining 1 cup of mozzarella cheese.

Turn Crock Pot on low for 3-4 hours, until the lasagna is bubbly hot throughout. The noodles will cook themselves.

Swiss Chard

A lot of people aren't familiar with this green. It's got a funny taste; a lot of people say that it's somewhere between a spinach and a beet leaf taste. Either way, it makes a very pretty dish packed with nutrients and vitamins.

Swiss Chard

Ingredients
1-2 bunches of swiss chard
several cloves of garlic
3 tbsp. olive oil

Preparation:
Wash the greens. Cut the pink stems up the leaves into small pieces. Saute over medium-high heat in garlic and olive oil until tender. Reduce heat. Add Swiss chard leaves. Cover and steam until the leaves reach desired tenderness.

Goes well with a balsamic vinaigrette

Fried Corn

Really, there is not a simpler way to make corn more delicious. This recipe is so easy because it only calls for  2 ingredients and a large skillet.

Fried Corn
(makes a mess)

Ingredients:
1 dozen fresh, sweet corn, husked and cut off the cob
1 stick sweet cream butter


Preparation:
Melt butter in a large skillet on medium to medium-high heat. Put corn in with butter. Stir until corn is hot, tender, and has a few char marks on the kernels.

And that's it!

Caramelized Baby Roaster Potatoes

This recipe calls for 3 things: baby roasting potatoes, olive oil, and onion soup mix. It's so mind-blowingly delicious that you will wonder where this recipe has been all of your life. The onion soup mix caramelizes on the outside of the potatoes and provides immense flavor. Don't be surprised if your neighbors show up at your door for dinner because they can smell them cooking!

Caramelized Baby Roaster Potatoes

Ingredients:
1-2 quarts baby roaster potatoes (1 quart will feed a small family or a couple who REALLY likes to eat :) )
Olive oil
1-2 packages of onion soup mix (Lipton is a nice brand, but the store brand works just as well!)


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375F.
Clean potatoes with water, making sure that all dirt is removed. Leave the skins on the potatoes.
If the potatoes have a diameter larger than a quarter, halve them or quarter them.
Drizzle olive oil over the potatoes until they are slightly covered.
Pour the onion soup mix over the potatoes. They should be coated, but not completely covered with the soup mix. Since the mix is very salty, this will over-salt the potatoes. My general rule of thumb is about 1 package of soup mix per 1 1/2 quarts of potatoes.
Place on a foil-lined, cooking-sprayed baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes or until tender on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Creamy Alfredo

My goodness. How many recipes must we sift through to find the best Alfredo sauce recipe? A lot. I have tried and tried and tried again--until I came across the perfect recipe for the often sought-after sauce. Here is the recipe for the whole dish that includes fresh spinach and plump cherry tomatoes!

Fresco Chicken Alfredo

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, seasoned, cooked, and cut up

1 box pasta, cooked

1/2 pound baby spinach

1 pint ripe baby tomatoes, halved

Sauce:

8 ounces cream cheese (NOT reduced fat)

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste

Preparation for sauce:

Melt cream cheese in a large skillet. This will take several minutes. Be careful not to burn.

Gradually whisk in milk. Add Parmesan cheese and stir. Add spices and stir. Let sauce summer until it has thickened to desired texture. Add cooked pasta and coat evenly. Add spinach, tomatoes, and chicken. 

Goes great with garlic bread!!

The pasta can easily be converted to pasta primavera by adding al dente squash, carrots, and broccoli.

Squash Au Gratin

Using that plentiful harvest of summer squash, you can make a lower-carb, healthier version of potatoes au gratin. This dish is cheesy and oniony with a surprise tomato and squash taste. YUM!!


Squash Au Gratin

Ingredients:

1 yellow zucchini
1 green zucchini
1 bonita squash
2 ripe tomatoes
1 sweet onion
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cup cheese of your choice (swiss pairs nicely with the tomatoes and squash)


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Dice the onion and saute in 1 tbsp. of olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes until translucent.
Slice squash and tomatoes as thin as possible. Use a mandoline, if you have one.
Spray an 8" square casserole dish with cooking spray.
Holding the casserole dish on its side, as shown in the picture, stand up your squash in rows, alternating every third row with tomatoes (2 rows squash : 1 row tomatoes).
Set the casserole dish down when full. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Sprinkle with sauteed onions over the top. Drizzle with remaining olive oil.
Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes.
Remove foil, top with cheese, bake for 10-20 more minutes until the squash is as tender as you desire.

Baked Hash Brown Potatoes

This recipe comes from our family friend, Sue, who also works with us.

Who doesn't like potatoes??

Baked Hash Brown Potatoes

Ingredients:

1 package hashed brown potatoes, frozen (you could also use 1 lb. of shredded fresh potatoes, and then freeze them)

1 can Campbell's Potato Soup

1 package cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix all ingredients except Parmesan cheese. Place in a greased 9"x13" pan. Sprinkle Parmesan on top. Bake uncovered for 50-55 minutes.

Zucchini Casserole

Since there is SO much squash this season, I figured, why not try another squash or zucchini dish. (And, by the way, zucchini is a squash, but squash is not a zucchini). This is a recipe from a friend of mine. Please enjoy!

Zucchini Casserole

Ingredients:

3 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup pancake mix
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 tbsp. Italian seasonings
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Grease a 9"x13" pan. Mix all ingredients. Spread in pan. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

Pecan Pralines

Nothing says anything more "South" than pecan pralines, right? Right!

Pecan Pralines


Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. Karo (light)
1/2 stick butter
2 tsp.vanilla
2 cup. pecans, chopped


Preparation:

Cook sugars, milk, salt, and Karo syrup until mixture forms a soft ball in water. Add butter, vanilla, 2 cups of chopped pecans. Heat until glossy, drop quickly by spoonfulls on waxed paper while still glossy and hot. Cool before serving.

The South's Best Lemon Pound Cake

I simply cannot get enough of this cake. Even though it doesn't include any fresh fruits or vegetables, it is just too good not to share. The crust is perfectly crispy while the inside is soft and delicious.

Lemon Pound Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups sugar
5 eggs
2 sticks margarine
1/2 c. butter (solid)
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 cup milk
1 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon zest


Preparation:

Cream sugar, eggs, and margarine with the butter. Add flour and baking powder alternately with milk. Add lemon and vanilla. Pour into a greased and floured 9"x13" pan. Put in cold oven. Turn to 325F and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Do not open oven for at least 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check with a broom straw.

Fresh Blueberry Coffee Cake

Boy, do I love coffee cake. Even though I don't drink coffee, it always goes great with a tall glass of cold milk, especially when the cake is made with fresh fruit.

Fresh Blueberry Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup fresh blueberries
1 1/3 cup sugar, divided
2 cups plus 1 tbsp. flour, divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 8-oz. carton sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine blueberries, 1/3 cup sugar, and 1 tbsp. flour in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Set aside. Cream butter, gradually add 1 cup sugar, beating well at medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Combine remaining 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in vanilla. Spoon half of batter into a heavily greased 10 inch tube pan. Spoon half of blueberry mixture over batter. Repeat procedure with remaining batter and blueberry mixture. Swirl through batter with a knife. Sprinkle with pecans, if desired. Bake for 50 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.

Eggplant Parmesan

I love eggplant. It's sometimes bitter, but it is completely versatile. Deep fried, oven-baked, or grilled, it's the perfect summertime side dish. But, as a main dish, it's even better!

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:

3 medium eggplant, white if available

2 tsp. olive oil

1 large jar of spaghetti sauce

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 pound crumbled and fried breakfast sausage (or hamburger) (try sage sausage!!)

2 cups mozzarella cheese, reserve 1/3 cup

Garlic powder

Salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F. 

Slice eggplant (do not peel), then drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. Broil or grill until warm, turn over and broil or grill for 3-4 more minutes. 

In a large cake pan (9"x13"), spoon 1/2 cup of sauce. Layerceggplant, mozzarella, ricotta, sauce, eggplant, and meat. Top with Parmesan and remaining 1/3 cup mozzarella. Bake one hour until hot and bubbly hot. 

Sausage Cheese Balls

Oh my lord, are these things delicious. They're so simple and everyone likes them. They're perfect for breakfast, appetizers, a side dish, or heating up on-the-go.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 pound C & T Produce bulk sage sausage
2 cups Bisquick (I like the heart smart kind)
2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 to 1/2 cup milk

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray the bottom of a foil-lined roasting pan or baking sheet.
Mix all ingredients. form into 1.5" balls. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

This is a very surprising and very savory dish. It combines the healthiness of the vegetable, but also gives it a crunchy (and unexpected) kick.

Oven Roasted Broccoli

Ingredients:
Fresh broccoli, cut into florets
Basting oil

If you don't have basting oil, you can definitely substitute it with olive oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I actually prefer using your own spices and herbs compared to the basting oil on this dish.


Preparation.

Preheat oven to 450°F. If you have a convection oven, this would be the best time to use it!
After washing and drying your broccoli florets, place them into a large bowl. Generously coat them with basting oil (or the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper). Toss to coat. Place on a foil-lined roasting pan. Cook for about 25 minutes, stirring every 7 or 8 minutes. The broccoli should be slightly crisp (but not burnt) on the outside. The stalks of the florets should be tender.

Hasselback Potatoes

These are the best dish to prepare if you are trying to impress somebody. Seriously. They take time and effort, but in the end, they turn out delicious. The work that you may have to put into these is definitely worth it when you sit down to dinner to eat them.

Hasselback Potatoes


Ingredients:
Small to medium potatoes, any number of your choice
Basting oil (oil with dried herbs and garlic infused in it)
Cooking spray
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder


If you don't have basting oil, you can use use olive oil, any herbs that you may like, salt, garlic, and pepper.


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425°F.
Begin by washing the potatoes until all of the dirt is removed from them. Do not peel them. The skin is very important to the next step.
Carefully slice the potatoes so they look like this. This is where a lot of the effort comes into this dish. It is important to THINLY slice the potatoes, but do not slice them all the way through. To make the potatoes stay together, they need a base to hold on to.

 

Spray the bottom of a foil-lined baking sheet with the cooking spray

Next, take your basting oil (or just your olive oil), and generously coat the insides and outsides of the potatoes. Season them with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the herbs in this step, if desired.

 

Making sure that all potatoes are thoroughly covered with oil and seasonings, bake them in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes. You want the insides of the potatoes to be tender, but the outsides should be pretty crisp. If your potatoes are getting tender without the crispiness, increase the oven temperature and bake until you notice the slices become golden.

 

 

 

The South's Best Zucchini Bread

Okay, so who doesn't remember having deliciously moist zucchini bread in the heart of the summer growing up? It's sweet, goes with anything, and can be eaten as a breakfast or a dessert. Here is a classic recipe that has been passed down for a couple of generations. Enjoy!

Zucchini Bread


Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil (or 1 cup butter)
2 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
2 cups freshly grated zucchini
1 20 oz. can of crushed pineapple (drained, reserve juice)
1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/5 cups chopped walnuts


Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat sugar, oil, pineapple juice, vanilla, and eggs together. Stir in zucchini and pineapple.
Sift dry ingrdients and stir into zucchini mixture until blended. Stir in nuts.
Bake in greased and floured loaf pans for 1 hour.
Cool 10 minutes in pan, and then turn out on rack to finish cooling. Makes 2 large loaves.

Tortellini and Zucchini Soup

Hi, everyone!

This is a delicious and (relatively) healthy meal option for the summertime when there is an abundance of squash. It uses many fresh veggies, and is pretty easy to make. It's also a crowd pleaser!

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
2/3 cup carrot diced
1 cup onion diced
28 ounces chicken broth
4 zucchini/squash cubed
2 cups frozen tortellini
Pinch thyme and rosemary
1 can diced tomatoes (use your favorite brand/flavor)

I double the recipe and use 1 can with garlic and 1 with celery, green pepper, and onions)

Preparation:

-Heat oil over medium/high heat in large pot. Add onion and carrot. Cook for 6-8 minutes. Add zucchini.
-Cook for a few more minutes. Add broth, herbs, and canned tomatoes.  Bring to a boil. Add tortellini and turn heat to medium. Cook until tortellini plumps up.


Goes great with cornbread, crescent rolls, and grilled meat. Pretty much, it is a great vegetable size dish!

Stuffed Zucchini: A Summertime Favorite

When I work markets, my favorite thing to tell people about is stuffed "8-ball" squash. These are cute little round squash that are totally scoopable and stuffable.

The combination of ingredients to use for stuffing is endless--all different kinds of meat, veggies, rice, and toppings make this an entire meal in one.

Try it out, and change it up next time you make it, because, I'm sure, you'll want to have it again soon!

Stuffed "8-ball" Squash

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 "8 ball" squash, a bit larger than a softball in size
1.5 pounds ground hamburger meat
2-4 spring onions
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup raw rice, or 1 cup cooked rice (white or brown, can also substitute quinoa)
1 regular can stewed tomatoes
peppers, if desired
Cheese

Preparation:

Cut the squash in half, so they form small bowls. Scoop out the inside flesh of the squash, leaving a relatively thin wall on the squash. Do not discard squash.

Put the squash, open side up in a casserole dish. Cover and microwave for 4 or 5 minutes, until slightly tender.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cook hamburger meat with onions and garlic until done. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder while cooking. Then, add the discarded squash, stewed tomatoes, precooked rice, peppers, or any other vegetables that you wish to add. Stir until combined.

Scoop the stuffing mix into the squash. Top with cheese, if desired (I prefer mozzarella or Colby Jack), and then bake at 350°F for 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and squash looks cooked.

Photo Credit: Steffanie Garringer

The Best Carrot Cake in the South

Hi, everyone!

Lately, I have been making this DELICIOUS carrot cake for my friends and family--and they all absolutely love it! It is extremely moist, has a delicious cream cheese glaze, and embodies every aspect of Southern baking.

So, please enjoy!

(Thanks to Kathy M. for lending me this recipe!)

Carrot Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon (I usually like to add a little bit more for a richer cinnamon taste)
3 cups freshly grated raw carrots (check your local farmers' market for fresh, sweet carrots!)
1 cup chopped pecans

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Combine the oil and sugar. Mix or blend well. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well.
Sift all dry ingredients. Add half of it to the egg mixture and blend.
Add remaining half of dry ingredients.
Add carrots and pecans. Pour into a well-sprayed Bundt pan.
Bake for 1 hour + 10 minutes.

While the carrot cake is baking, you can prepare the glaze:

Ingredients:
3 tbsp.
dash of salt
6 oz. cream cheese
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla (make sure you don't put too much vanilla in the icing; it will overpower the cream cheese)

Preparation:
Blend butter, salt, and cream cheese in a standing mixer with a paddle attachment. Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Add vanilla and blend well until the lumps from the powdered sugar are gone and the glaze has a smooth consistency. Spread on cake while it it still slightly warm (but not hot).