Eggplant & Zucchini Pasta with Chickpeas and Feta

Because it's Friday, I'm sure you guys would rather hear me talk about something entertaining rather than making this entire post about pasta, right?  If you answered no, then skip down towards the end where I will tell you all about this lovely pasta dish, but if you answered yes, then you are about to hear about my first adventure in celebrity stalking!

Last Saturday, my sisters and I went to the vegetarian food festival in Toronto (which my sister Genevieve wrote all about on her blog Vanilla & Spice, if you're interested).  The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) also happened to be on, which is a pretty big deal and draws lots of celebrities.  Before we left for Toronto in the morning, I quickly researched if any big celebs would be there at the same time as us, and noted the time for a Johnny Depp red carpet!  We ended up heading over there half an hour early, thinking we would have a great spot if he did show up, but little did we know that people show up super early to these things, and it was already packed!  I knew I would never see anything down on the ground, so I found a lovely spot up a bit higher, in the middle of a bush.  Literally, I stood in the middle of a bush, in a pile of mud, with branches in my hair, and a guy blowing cigarette smoke directly in my face from beside me, for half an hour, waiting to catch a glimpse of Johnny Depp.  And guess what?  It paid off!  I got to see him (and Natalie Maines from the Dixie Chicks) from about 15-20 feet away and took lots of pics - it was so exciting being part of a big crazy screaming crowd and being so close to such a big celebrity!

I guess celebrity stalking is addicting, because my sister and I decided to head back to Toronto Monday evening after we heard that Ben Affleck was going to be at a red carpet premiere.  We arranged it so that we would take a Greyhound that would arrive in Toronto at 5:30, we'd walk a block to one premiere where we would arrive in plenty of time to see Bill Murray and Laura Linney before their movie premiering at 6:30, then walk another block to the 7:00 premiere featuring Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams, then head back home.  It involved a lot of bus riding, but we knew it would be worth it!

Unfortunately, this plan didn't work out so well.  The bus ended up being an hour late arriving in Toronto.  ONE WHOLE HOUR!!  I was fuming!  So when we finally pulled in at 6:30 (after leaving our home over 3 hours earlier), we sprinted past the first theatre, which already had no one left outside, and continued on to Ben's theatre, praying we didn't miss him.  There was still a humongous crowd, which was a good sign!  As I stood balanced against a filthy pole (which I didn't realize was staining my butt until later), we overheard others in the crowd talking about how they had already seen Bill, Laura, and Rachel, but that Ben still hadn't arrived, so we were counting on him to save our night and make this trip worth it.  We waited .. and waited ... and waited .. until we were pretty much the only ones left waiting and realized that Ben had decided not to show up after all. 

Our friend in Toronto ended up saving our night by taking us out for a delicious feast of all-you-can-eat sushi, but we were still pretty disappointed about Ben.  I'm veeeery tempted to go back tonight to see Matthew McConaughey, who is supposed to be making an appearance, but I'm too worried that things won't work out again (especially trying to get to Toronto with Friday rush hour traffic), so I think I'll play it safe and spend the weekend resting and recovering from this cold!

My story really didn't have a point except to distract you from your work for a while, and it has nothing to do with this pasta either, so I'm not even going to try to connect the two here!

If you just want to hear about this pasta, here's what you need to know: This is a fresh and healthy vegetarian dish that you may think is just an ordinary pasta, but a few unusual ingredients like chickpeas, olives, and feta, make this unique and flavourful.  It might look like a few more steps than a regular pasta, but it's worth it (especially for the amount of leftovers, if you're cooking for one like me!), and it's a great way to use up some of that end-of-summer zucchini and eggplant you might still have in your garden!

Has anyone else been celebrity stalking at TIFF (or elsewhere)?  I'd love to hear your stories!

Eggplant & Zucchini Pasta with Chickpeas, Olives, and Feta

Adapted from Clean Eating magazine, April/May 2012

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

2 medium zucchinis

1 small eggplant

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt & Pepper

1 pound tri-colour vegetable rotini pasta (or whole wheat rotini)

1 (398mL) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes

1 (340mL) jar roasted red peppers (or 2 roasted red peppers), drained and rinsed, chopped

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)

1 (540mL) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup sliced green olives

4-5 oz low-fat feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions:

Preheat oven to Broil.  Quarter zucchinis lengthwise, then cut into 1/4-inch thick slices.  Cut eggplant into ½-inch rounds, then slice into bite-sized pieces.  Toss chopped zucchini and eggplant with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.  Spread into one layer on a foil-lined baking sheet and broil in the top-third of the oven for 10-15 minutes, tossing halfway through, until golden brown and soft.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and rinse, reserving a bit of pasta water.

Meanwhile, add diced tomatoes, roasted red peppers, basil, and red pepper flakes to a medium saucepan, bring to a simmer, and cook over medium-low heat while the pasta is cooking, about 10 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Transfer to a blender, remove plastic stopper from lid, cover loosely with a kitchen towel, and puree briefly into a slightly chunky sauce.  Add a bit of the pasta water to thin out the sauce, if necessary.

Combine cooked pasta, roasted vegetables, tomato sauce, chickpeas, and olives in a large saucepan and cook over low heat 1-2 minutes to heat through.  Serve and top each portion with 1 oz crumbled feta and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley.  Season with additional pepper, if desired.

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Smoky Marinara Sauce

I know I haven't been posting as often lately, but I've developed a seemingly never-ending cold that has resulted in my attempting to eat garlic and ginger for every meal to try to get rid of it (so far, no luck). I haven't felt like cooking nice meals that I won't even be able to taste, or baking treats for others that will probably just spread my germs to them.

Fortunately I still have a few recipes that I haven't shared with you guys yet, and this delicious lasagna is one of them. I actually made it back when I was testing recipes for my Canadian Thanksgiving Week because I thought a lasagna would make a great vegetarian Thanksgiving main dish. While I absolutely loved this dish, I ended up posting a roasted vegetable galette instead because I thought it was just slightly more appropriate for a Thanksgiving dish.

I've been waiting for a chance to post the lasagna recipe though, and now with American Thanksgiving coming up this week, along with lots of other opportunities for family gatherings in the coming months, I think now's the time to share this dish that is very worthy of taking center stage at your next family feast.

I've actually tried three different versions of butternut squash or pumpkin lasagna before, usually with some sort of white sauce, cheese, and sage, but they always seem to disappoint me because they end up being very one-dimensional in flavour. I was intrigued when I saw this recipe for butternut squash lasagna from Cooking Light, because it looked completely different from the other recipes I'd tried by combining squash with a smoky marinara sauce instead the more common white sauces I'd seen.

I'm so glad I gave this version a try because I now finally have a squash lasagna recipe with FLAVOUR! The smoky marinara sauce (which you must be sure to buy the fire-roasted tomatoes for) has such an interesting flavour that made it the star of the dish, while still complementing the squash nicely. The provolone cheese added to the smokiness of the dish, and the addition of three other cheeses (ricotta, goat cheese, and parmesan) created a wonderful combination of flavours that was so much more interesting than the more traditional but bland combination of mozzarella and ricotta. I used fresh lasagna noodles so the end product had a wonderful texture, but dried noodles would work just fine as well.

The only downside to this recipe is that it's a fair amount of work and contains a lot of ingredients, but I just poured myself a glass of wine and put on some good music to listen to, and I thought the whole process was really enjoyable! Your guests (both vegetarians and meat eaters) will love this impressive and delicious dish, and since it makes a ton, you'll hopefully be able to enjoy the leftovers all week!

Butternut Squash Lasagna with Smoky Marinara Sauce

Adapted from Cooking Light

Serves 12

Ingredients:

For the smoky marinara:

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained

3 (14-ounce) cans diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained

For the lasagna:

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

10 cups fresh spinach

1 cup shredded sharp provolone cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs, whisked

1 and a half 15-oz cartons (22.5 oz total) reduced-fat ricotta cheese

1 (113g) log of goat cheese
1 large butternut squash

Smoky marinara sauce (from above)

6 eight-inch square sheets of fresh lasagna, or 12 oven-ready boxed lasagna noodles

1 cup (4 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Peel butternut squash, scoop out the seeds, and slice into thin pieces, about ¼ to ½-inch thick. Spread on a large baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Roast in the oven for 30-40 minutes, until soft, but not mushy. Remove from oven and set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the smoky marinara sauce. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, basil, parsley, and oregano, and sauté 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in vinegar, salt, pepper, and the cans of tomatoes. Reduce heat and simmer for 10-20 minutes. Remove from heat.

Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Spray a 9x13 glass baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté 5 minutes, or until soft. Add garlic, and sauté for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add the spinach and sauté for 1-2 minutes, or until spinach wilts. Transfer everything to a large bowl. Add the provolone, ricotta, goat cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, and eggs to the bowl and stir everything together until thoroughly combined.

To layer the lasagna:

1. Coat the bottom of the dish with 1/4 of the marinara sauce
2. Layer lasagna noodles on top of the sauce (2 of the fresh sheets, or 4 dry sheets)
3. Spread half of the cheese mixture on top of the noodles
4. Layer half of the roasted squash pieces over the cheese
5. Spread 1/4 of the marinara sauce over the squash
6. Layer more lasagna noodles over the marinara
7. Spread the other half of the cheese mixture over the noodles
8. Layer the other half of the squash over the cheese
9. Spread 1/4 of the marinara sauce over the squash
10. Layer the last of the noodles over the marinara
11. Spread the rest of the marinara sauce over the noodles
12. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.

Cover with foil and bake at 375°F for one hour.

*Note: The original recipe called for the lasagna to be divided among two 8x8 pans. I decided to put it all together in one 9x13 pan instead, which is slightly less total volume than the two pans. This made for a very full lasagna pan, which is why I kept it covered in foil for the full baking time, so that the sauce wouldn’t spill over in the oven (although a tiny bit still did). If you’d rather split the lasagna into two pans, remove the foil halfway through cooking.

Pumpkin Chili in Pumpkin Bread Bowls

While everyone else started posting pumpkin recipes as soon as September rolled around, I waited until October because I was trying to stretch out the summer recipes as long as I could. Now I can't believe that a new season is already beginning, as stores have put up their Christmas displays, holiday ads are playing on tv, and recipes with candy cane and gingerbread are starting to pop up all over the blogosphere. And yet here I am, still posting pumpkin recipes! I do want to switch over to holiday recipes soon, but not before I share a few more delicious pumpkin recipes with you guys!

Fortunately, this recipe is something that can be enjoyed all winter long. Chili is one of my favourite things to make in the winter because it's easy, it's healthy and filling, it makes a ton, and it packs well for lunches. Ever since I saw a recipe for a pumpkin bread bowl on Breadworld I'd been dreaming about how good a pumpkin chili would taste inside a pumpkin bread bowl. The answer? Amazing!

The bread bowl has a subtle pumpkin flavour and is soft but sturdy enough to hold up to the chili. The dough was easy to make and form into buns, which you then tear out the center of to fill with the chili. You could probably save the inside of the buns for breadcrumbs or another purpose, but I couldn't stop myself from eating all the dough as I tore it out because I have no self control when it comes to fresh bread. I think if you have kids they would have a lot of fun preparing their chili bowls themselves, and getting to eat them after they finish their chili. Of course, there's nothing wrong with adults enjoying this just as much!

The chili I made had a very subtle pumpkin flavour, and not a lot of add-ins because I went grocery shopping for it very early in the morning when my brain wasn't fully turned on yet, so all I could think to buy was kidney beans. But feel free to add in whatever you like (as I've suggested in the recipe below), the recipe is really a base that you can customize to your own liking.

While the meal is a bit time consuming to make overall, there isn't a lot of hands on cooking time involved. Make it on a Sunday and have the leftovers for lunch the rest of the week - a bowl of this chili fills me up for the rest of the afternoon.

What about you guys, are you ready for the holiday recipes already or still hanging on to Fall a little while longer?

Pumpkin Bread Bowls

Adapted from Breadworld

Makes 6 bread bowls

Ingredients:

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup water

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 envelope active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°F)

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

2-1/2 cups bread flour

2 to 2-1/2 cups whole wheat flour

Directions:

Heat milk, 1/2 cup water, butter, sugar and salt in a small saucepan just until butter is melted. Cool to between 100° to 110°F.

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water in a large mixing bowl or bowl of an electric mixer. Stir in the milk mixture, pumpkin and 1 cup of each flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in remaining bread flour and enough whole wheat flour to make a soft dough.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 to 8 minutes. If using an electric mixer, just leave the dough in the bowl and use the dough hook to knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl. Cover with heavy tea towels and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1-1/2 hours.

Punch down dough. Divide into six portions and form each into a flattened ball. Place on a greased baking sheet, cover and let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Bake at 400°F for 15 minutes.

To serve: Cut off the top of each bowl and hollow out the center. Fill with your favourite soup or chili recipe, such as the pumpkin chili recipe below.

Pumpkin Chili

Serves 6 with bread bowls

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 green pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 (14-oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 (14-oz) can fire roasted diced tomatoes

1 (24-oz) can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

2 cups canned pure pumpkin puree

1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

3 tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Optional: add in black beans, extra kidney beans, or ground turkey/beef for more protein; corn or red peppers for extra vegetables; chicken, veggie, or beef broth for more liquid; or any other desired add-ins.

Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, green pepper, and garlic and sauté until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, and pumpkin puree and stir. Add all spices and stir to mix. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer about 1 hour. Serve warm, spooned into pumpkin bread bowls. Top with shredded cheese if desired.