Eggplant and Goat Cheese Sandwiches

By Maureen Callahan, MS, RD

A leaf of lettuce and a thin slice or two of tomato is a start, but it’s barely half a serving of veggies. So load on more veggies like sliced cucumbers, sprouts, spinach, and roasted red peppers. Aim for at least 1/2 a cup of veggies or add a side salad. Or opt to make a meat-free sandwich like these Eggplant and Goat Cheese Sandwiches. We start with roasted eggplant, sweet red peppers, and peppery arugula as a hearty base. You could add any variety of veggies from here.

Transform sandwich night with this hearty veggie-laden stacker. You can peel the eggplant, but the sandwiches are prettier with the deep-purple skin intact.

Prep Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 2 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Ingredients

• 8  (1/2-inch-thick) eggplant slices
• 2  teaspoons  olive oil, divided
• 1  large red bell pepper
• 4  (1-ounce) slices ciabatta bread
• 2  tablespoons  refrigerated pesto
• 1  cup  baby arugula
• 1/8  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4  cup  (2 ounces) soft goat cheese

Preparation

1. Preheat broiler.
2. Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. Brush both sides of eggplant with 1 teaspoon oil. Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membrane. Arrange bell pepper halves, skin sides up, on baking sheet with eggplant; flatten with hand. Broil 4 minutes; turn eggplant over (do not turn bell pepper over). Broil an additional 4 minutes; remove eggplant from pan. Broil bell pepper an additional 7 minutes or until blackened. Place bell pepper in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand for 15 minutes; peel and discard skin.
3. Broil bread slices for 2 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once. Spread 1 tablespoon pesto on each of 2 bread slices. Layer each bread slice, pesto side up, with 2 eggplant slices, 1 bell pepper half, and 2 eggplant slices. Toss arugula with remaining 1 teaspoon oil and black pepper; divide arugula mixture evenly between sandwiches. Spread 2 tablespoons goat cheese over each of 2 remaining bread slices; place, cheese side down, on sandwiches.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

395

Fat:

20.4g (sat 6.4g,mono 11.6g,poly 1.4g)

Protein:

14g

Carbohydrate:

43.1g

Fiber:

6.7g

Cholesterol:

18mg

Iron:

3.5mg

Sodium:

635mg

Calcium:

108mg

Maureen Callahan, Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2009

 

WHERE ARE THE VEGETABLES?

Photo: Randy Mayor , Text: Maureen Callahan, MS, RD

Monkfish & prawn casserole

 

A fish casserole that is delicious served with rice.

373 kcals

8 g fat

per serving

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

convert to imperial

Metric Ingredients

• 25g butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 300ml white wine
• 450g tomatoes, quartered
• Basil leaves to garnish

• 6 sticks celery, chopped
• 450g button mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 675g monkfish, cut into 5cm cubes
• 350g peeled prawns, fresh or defrosted if frozen

Imperial Ingredients

• 0.8oz butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato puree
• 9.9fl.oz white wine
• 15.7oz tomatoes, quartered
• Basil leaves to garnish

• 6 sticks celery, chopped
• 15.7oz button mushrooms
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 23.6oz monkfish, cut into 1.9in cubes
• 12.2oz peeled prawns, fresh or defrosted if frozen

Try the conversion calculator

Cooking Instructions / Comments:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4. Melt the butter in a large pan or flameproof casserole, add the celery and onion and cook slowly until beginning to brown. Add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes.
2. Then add the tomato puree and flour, stir well and cook for another minute before adding the wine.
3. Boil for a further minute and add the monkfish. Transfer to a casserole, if necessary, bake for 10 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes with the prawns freshly ground black pepper to taste. Return the dish to the oven for a further 15 minutes.
5. Garnish with basil before serving

Tropical pork & pepper medley

 

A deliciously sweet way to enjoy pork.

351 kcals

4.1 g fat

per serving

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

convert to imperial

Metric Ingredients

• 445g pork shoulder, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 x 432g tin pineapple cubes
• 250g easy cook rice

• 2 teaspoons chilli powder.
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 500g pack frozen mixed peppers
• 1/2 x 28g pack fresh coriander

Imperial Ingredients

• 15.5oz pork shoulder, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 x 15.1oz tin pineapple cubes
• 8.7oz easy cook rice

• 2 teaspoons chilli powder.
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 17.5oz pack frozen mixed peppers
• 1/2 x 0.9oz pack fresh coriander

Try the conversion calculator

Cooking Instructions / Comments:

1. Place diced pork shoulder in a bowl  and add 2 teaspoons chilli powder. Toss together to coat the pork.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.  Add 1 onion, peeled and finely sliced, and fry until soft. Add the pork and cook until it begins to brown. 
3. Drain pineapple cubes, reserving the pineapple juice. Pour the juice into the pan with the pork, stir, and simmer for around 10 minutes.
4. Add the frozen mixed peppers and the pineapple cubes and continue to cook for another 5–10 minutes until the pork is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly. 
5. Prepare the rice, following pack instructions. Garnish the pork with fresh coriander, finely chopped, and serve with  the rice on the side

Fideua

A classic Mediterranean dish which uses classic paella ingredients with pasta.

 

Serves 4

449 kcals

7.4 g fat

per serving

Ingredients:

Metric Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 x 284ml tubs of fresh fish stock
• 250g macaroni or any small pasta shapes

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, desseded and sliced
• 3 tomatoes, finely diced
• 5 or 6 strands of saffron, soaked in a little hot water
• 750g seafood cocktail

Imperial Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 x 9.3fl.oz tubs of fresh fish stock
• 8.7oz macaroni or any small pasta shapes

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, desseded and sliced
• 3 tomatoes, finely diced
• 5 or 6 strands of saffron, soaked in a little hot water
• 26.2oz seafood cocktail

Cooking Instructions / Comments:

1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy based frying pan or paella pan. Add the onions and peppers and stir fry for 8-10 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and tomatoes to the pan and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Pour in the fish stock and saffron and bring to the boil.
3. Spoon in the macaroni and seafood cocktail & stir gently. Simmer for 15 - 20 minutes allowing all the stock to be absorbed adding more water if necessary.
4. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before serving.
5. Garnish with lemon wedges and finely chopped fresh parsley or coriander

Ancient Grain Stuffed Red Bell Peppers

Serves 4

Impressive, yet simple with whole grains and arame, a mild sea vegetable. Feel free to add more herbs or top with toasted sesame seeds.

Ingredients

1/2 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1/4 cup uncooked amaranth (or more quinoa)
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
1 cup loosely packed (about 12 grams) dry arame seaweed, soaked in cold water for 15 minutes, drained well
6 green onions, thinly sliced
3 carrots, grated
1/3 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro, dill or parsley
2 tablespoons brown rice vinegar
4 red bell peppers, tops removed and reserved, then cored and seeded

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F. Put grains and 1 1/2 cups water into a medium pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low; cover and simmer until liquid is gone and grains are tender, about 15 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes; fluff with a fork and transfer to a large bowl. Toss in edamame, arame, onions, carrots, cilantro and vinegar. Stuff peppers with mixture and arrange in a baking dish; pour 1/4 cup water into dish. Place tops on peppers, cover with foil and bake 30 minutes. Uncover and bake until tender, 20 to 30 minutes more.

Nutrition

Per serving: 320 calories (60 from fat), 6g total fat, 1g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 110mg sodium, 48g total carbohydrate (14g dietary fiber, 11g sugar), 20g protein

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/2880

Tags: Budget, Gluten Free, Vegetarian, Dairy Free, Vegan, Wheat Free, High Fiber

Note: We've provided special diet and nutritional information for educational purposes. But remember — we're cooks, not doctors! You should follow the advice of your health-care provider. And since product formulations change, check product labels for the most recent ingredient information. See our Terms of Service.

How Do Toxins Make You Fat?

By: Sharyl Calhoun
An estimated 81% of Americans are overweight. Of that number, 31% are considered obese. We eat too much, we eat the wrong kinds of food, we don't exercise enough, and we get stressed out with daily life. You knew that.
But did you know this? Studies have found that toxins (a synonym for poisons) are making us fat...keeping us fat...and setting us up for life-threatening diseases?

MEET YOUR ENEMY: TOXINS IN YOUR LIFE

I enjoy cheeseburgers on the grill, milkshakes, queso and chips, brats smothered in sauerkraut--I really hadn't given any thought to the fact that whatever the farmers feed their livestock must come directly into my digestive system. So when the farmers fatten the cows and pigs with hormones to get them to market quicker, they are passing along the same fat hormones to me. When the livestock are given huge amounts of steroids and antibiotics to keep them "healthy", I am ingesting those steroids and antibiotics. What does that do to my body?

I could simply become a vegetarian. We are told to eat more fruits and vegetables because they have so many vitamins, nutrients, and fiber which our bodies need. Toxins, in the form of 70+ pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides, are used to grow these beautiful, flawless fruits and vegetables. They appear healthful and inviting in the grocery aisle. You wash that apple, of course, before taking a bite. But research shows that toxins have usually penetrated right through to the very heart of the fruit. Your safest bet is to eat organic foods. They are more expensive and harder to find.

We are told to drink bottled water--reversed osmosis, filtered, but definitely not water straight from the tap. Tap water is full of harmful chemicals and heavy metals, parasites and bacteria. But now we are being informed that even bathing and swimming invites those same toxins into our bodies---right through our skin. I read one book that named chlorine as a toxin, then turned around and suggested we add chlorine to our bath water to cleanse the toxins from our skin. There's a better way. Just keep reading.

There are toxins in the air we breathe...from cigarette smoke, BBQ grills, automobile exhaust, fireplaces. One in eight women will develop breast cancer--these poisons are likely the culprit, as they have been linked to the breakdown of a gene that protects women against breast cancer.

In my clean little rural town, I go for a walk and breathe fresh air--so I think. But there's often a whiff of ammonia as farmers treat their fields, and I realize that the same breeze will be blowing samples of their pesticides, herbicides, insecticides my way. I also smell hot plastic in the air from a small factory across town. Sometimes the "clean, country air" is so full of the toxins that I get a major headache and my allergies act up. Yet, our air somehow passes emissions tests. So do we stay inside our tightly closed, air conditioned homes and never breathe the air beyond? That's no answer! I have grandkids to visit...a job...church...life beyond the walls of my home.

Cosmetics, deodorant, and everyday household cleaning supplies contain toxins in the form of chemicals and harmful metals. Wearing certain earrings, bracelets, and necklaces can add to your body's toxicity. Those are probably easier problems to contend with.

Have I mentioned drinking alcohol, smoking, and prescription medicines? The list of toxins goes on and on.

SO...HOW DO TOXINS MAKE US FAT?

Chemicals and toxins are making us fat. Toxins are keeping us from losing weight. How is that possible? Our liver's job is to break down toxins and get rid of them before they can cause problems. But in this day and age, that amazing organ cannot keep up with the excess of toxins entering our body.

Doctors are now telling us that our body's natural response is to create more fat cells to wrap around each toxin molecule, effectively hiding it. So within each "love handle" of fat, my body is harboring numerous enemies. As long as I choose not to recognize their presence, these toxic enemies will continue to build up an army, settle in for the long haul, and I will pay a high price in the form of diabetes, heart disease, cancer, or any number of other degenerative diseases.

BATTLING TOXINS: GIVE YOUR BODY A FIGHTING CHANCE

Weight loss will help the majority of Americans to become healthier. With more nutritional eating habits and adequate exercise, your body has a chance to win the battle against toxins. By cleansing your internal body, you can help to unclog your organs, eliminate the toxins, and give your system a chance to function better than it has for years.

Cleansing can be accomplished many ways. Personally, I can't stand the thought of drinking beet juice or vinegar all day, like some people suggest. Isagenix Cleanse for Life puts all the good nutrients and cleansing enzymes into a supplement drink that simply tastes like juice--the Tropical Paradise cleanse combines the natural flavors of orange, mango and passion fruit. Or you can choose Natural Berry flavor.

You can do an amazingly fast 9-Day Cleanse Program or a slower 30-Day Cleanse Program, if you are wanting to lose weight. Otherwise, check out the Maintenance Health & Wellness Program and consider cleansing your body of harmful toxins at least four times per year.

Take care of your internal body--your quality of life depends on it!

Source: Ezinearticles.com

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