This lasagna is a great way to use some of those beautiful eggplants that you’ve been buying at the farmer’s market.  Even kids will like this veggie lasagna because it’s loaded with cheese!

6 lasagna noodles
canola Oil
3 cup eggplant, peeled and chopped
1 bell pepper, diced
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon basil
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 1/2 cups cottage cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease large baking dish.

Cook noodles according to package direction.

Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat.  Cook eggplant, pepper, onion, basil and garlic for 10 minutes or until eggplant is tender, stirring occasionally.  Add tomato sauce and bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 10 minutes.  Sauce should thicken and peppers should be fork tender.  Remove from heat.

Lay 2 cooked lasagna noodles lengthwise in the bottom of prepared baking dish.  Place eggplant mixture in baking dish just to cover noodles.  Layer 1/2 cup of cottage cheese then 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese.  Repeat layers being sure to end with the mozzarella cheese.  Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and allow to stand for 8 to 10 minutes before serving.

I don’t often see curry powder used in a dessert bread, so this is certainly one surprising treat.  Besides the curry powder, add in the ginger, cinnamon, and orange juice and you’ve got a very interesting and delicious chocolaty bread.

1 3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
2/3 cup honey
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons orange juice
2 eggs lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease loaf pan.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and curry powder together in a large mixing bowl.
Over low heat mix together honey, cocoa and orange juice in a medium saucepan.  Cook until all ingredients are heated through about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.  Once cool add eggs being sure to mix well.
Gradually add dry ingredients into wet mixture constantly stirring mixture to moisten dry ingredients. Pour into loaf pan.
Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

This is such a simple meal, but the flavors make it taste like you put a lot of effort into making it.  I like to use new red potatoes and just scrub them and cut them in half.  They hold up very well and the color is beautiful.  Increase the amount of ham if you want to make this meal a little more appealing to the real meat-lovers in the family.

1 pound small potatoes, scrubbed and cut into wedges
1/2 pound fresh green beans, cleaned and snapped in half
1 cup water
1 (8 ounce) container plain yogurt
2 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1 1/2 to 2 cups fully cooked or  smoked ham, cubed

Place potatoes and green beans in a Dutch oven.  Cover with water.  Bring water to a rapid boil, reduce heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes or until tender.  Drain any water that hasn’t been absorbed.

In a saucepan, stir yogurt, flour, Dijon mustard, dill weed and black pepper together.  Cook over low heat until thick and bubbly.

Pour yogurt sauce over potatoes and beans in Dutch oven, and add ham, stirring just to combine.  Continue to cook until ham is heated through about 10 minutes.

Between the warm flavors of the cinnamon, the hot spicy flavor of the red pepper flakes, and the combination of sweet apricot and tangy ginger, there’s no way to describe this dish but Super Spicy.  It’s not because of the heat of the spices, as much as the assortment of spices.  I add a bit more ginger than called for, and I always use the fresh ginger root.

1 pound chicken thighs
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Pinch of ground allspice
1 teaspoon canola oil
2 tablespoons chicken broth
1/3 cup apricot all-fruit spread
3 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (or 1/4 Tblsp. fresh ginger root, grated)

Sprinkle chicken thighs with cinnamon and red pepper flakes.  Heat canola oil in a large skillet until hot.  Cook chicken about 3 to 4 minutes or until browned.  Turn chicken and cook another 3 to 4 minutes.  Remove chicken from skillet.

Pour broth into hot skillet.  Add fruit spread, lime juice, allspice and ginger.  Replace chicken in skillet.  Cover and cook on medium for approximately 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Serve over a combination of brown and wild rice for a real treat.

Not exactly a pancake and not exactly a pattie, this is a cross between the two.  This veggie cake is hearty enough for a light meal alongside a little cup of tomato soup.

1 pound frozen broccoli florets, thawed and chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup finely shredded carrots
2 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dry dill weed, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup flour
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Place baking sheet in the oven to keep cakes warm as you fry them.

In a large mixing bowl place broccoli, onion, carrots, cilantro, dill, basil and black pepper.  In a small bowl whisk together milk, flour and egg until smooth.  Pour mixture over vegetables and combine.

Place a skillet over medium heat.  Using 1/4 cup measuring cup, ladle broccoli batter into skillet.  Cook about 10 minutes per side.  When brown flip and brown other side.  Transfer cooked cakes to baking sheet in oven to keep warm.  Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Our grocery store is piled high with beautiful bunches of carrots freshly harvested from our local farms.  This is a wonderfully simple recipe that highlights the carrot’s sweetness by contrasting with a tangy flavor.

1 lb carrots, peeled and coarse cut
1 Tblsp honey
1/2 Tblsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp. butter
1/2 tsp. dried dill

Put carrots into a large saucepan with small amount of water and set over medium high heat.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and cover the saucepan.  Cook on low 10 minutes or until the carrots are tender.  Drain very well.  Then stir in the honey, mustard, and butter being sure to coat the carrots well. Sprinkle with dill.

We like this particular beef vegetable soup because it boasts a nice bunch of cabbage which adds a lot of flavor to your traditional carrots-and-potato soup.  Very warm and satisfying on a cold Autumn evening.

1/4 cup butter
4 pounds beef top sirloin, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
4 cups onion, chopped
4 quarts hot water
4 cups carrots, chunked
4 cups potatoes, chunked
4 cups cabbage, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
8 tsp. beef bouillon
1 tsp. black pepper
4 bay leaves
6 cups tomato juice

Place the butter in a large soup kettle over medium heat. Allow the butter to completely melt.  Add the beef cubes and onion to the melted butter and cook 6 minutes or until the beef is browned on all sides and the onion is beginning to tender.  Drain the beef and onions well.  Pour the water into the soup kettle. Return the beef and onions to the kettle.  Add the carrots, potatoes, cabbage and green pepper.  Stir in the bouillon and black pepper.  Place the bay leaves into the kettle.

Bring the mixture to a rapid boil.  Reduce the heat to low, cover the kettle and simmer the soup for 30 minutes.  Pour the tomato juice into the kettle.  Re-cover and continue to simmer another 30 minutes or until the beef and vegetables are as tender as you like.  Discard the bay leaves before serving.

Serve these turkey patties alongside eggs and toast for breakfast, in a bun with a slice of onion, lettuce, and mustard for lunch, or alongside a pile of oven roasted potatoes and a salad for dinner.  If you’ve ever thought turkey patties were dry and bland, this is the recipe that will change your mind.

2 pounds ground turkey
1 tsp dried sage
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. grated fresh sweet onion

Place the turkey into a large mixing bowl.  Add the sage, pepper, ginger and cayenne pepper, and onion.  Mix with your hands.  Make the mixture into patties about 2 1/2 inch thick.

Place a scant amount of canola oil into a large skillet and place over medium heat.  When the oil is hot but not smoking brown the patties for 6 minutes.  Flip the patties and continue cooking 4 minutes longer or until the meat is no longer pink.

There are a lot of different spices, textures, and a whole variety of flavors mixed into this pot of vegetables.  You could proudly serve this for a Holiday meal or anytime!  Make it as a main course for a vegetarian friend and serve with crusty bread, or serve alongside grilled chicken or fish for a colorful side dish.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large sweet onion, halved and cut in strips
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 slices lemon
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups water
1 medium cauliflower, cored, cut into 2-inch-long florets
6 carrots, peeled, cut into 2-inch-lengths
2 can (14 1/2-ounce) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, do not drain
1 can (15-ounce) chickpeas, drained
1/2 cup raisins
1 stick cinnamon
2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/4 cup cilantro leaves

Place oil in Dutch oven over medium heat approximately 2 minutes.  Add onion and cook until onion is translucent. Add garlic, cumin, ginger, lemon, bay leaves and pepper.  Stirring frequently cook about 3 minutes or just until you smell the fragrance.

Add the water.  Place cauliflower, carrots, tomatoes with juice, chickpeas, raisins and the cinnamon stick.  Bring to a rapid boil.  Cover pan and reduce heat to low.  Cook about 20 minutes stirring often – be careful not to break up cauliflower.

Add zucchini, re-cover the pot and continue cooking until zucchini is just tender.  Sprinkle with almonds and cilantro when ready to serve.

I’m always looking for ways to use squash when it comes into season.  Butternut squash in particular is so pretty and delicious.  This is a great recipe that satisfies  a big appetite and stretches just one butternut squash into a whole meal.  Serve with some nice crusty bread.

1 butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 large zucchini cut in 1-inch chunks
1 large yellow summer squash cut in 1-inch chunks
1 large onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
4 ounces thin green beans, trimmed and cut in 2-inch lengths
1 can (28-ounce) crushed tomatoes
1 can (14 1/2 ounce) vegetable stock
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 package (9-ounce) fresh cheese tortellini
1 package (5-ounce) baby spinach
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

In your crock pot combine squash, zucchini, onion, pepper, green beans, tomatoes, vegetable stock, oregano and garlic.  Cover and cook on low temperature setting for 4 hours.  Turn crock pot temperature to high and add tortellini.  Cover and cook an additional 20 minutes or until pasta is starting to become tender.  Fold in spinach and cheese.  Re-cover and cook until spinach has wilted, only about 5 to 8 minutes.