Garden Salad and House Thousand Island Dressing

After a successful nutrition software conference in Indiana this week, I planned to stop by my grandfather’s house to visit him and his beautiful garden. A long conference with business-style boxed lunches can be great, but veggie-less. What a beautiful surprise my grandpa had waiting for me at his table: fresh garden salad and family conversation. One thing that I have learned from my family is that fresh is best. Our Midwestern gardens may be coming to a seasonal end, but out time together around the table must go on. Whether your vegetables are from your backyard, farmer’s market, or grocer, eat them in plenty with the people that you love. This recipe is dedicated to my grandfather.

Garden Salad

• Fresh spinach greens
• Tomato, sliced
• Onion, sliced
• Cucumber, peeled and sliced
• Zucchini, peeled and sliced

Directions: Toss your garden vegetables together. You can use any vegetables in your garden or those that appeal to you at your local farmer’s market or grocer.

Thousand Island Dressing

Ingredients: 

• 3 eggs, hard boiled
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp white sugar
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 2 cups non-fat Greek yogurt
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¾ cup sweet pickle relish
• ½ cup chopped black olives
• ½ cup diced red bell pepper

Directions:

1. Peel and chop eggs. Set aside. 
2. In a medium bowl, mix chopped eggs, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, vinegar, cloves, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, relish, olives, and red pepper. Place ingredients in a food processor and blenderize until fully mixed.  
3. Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve on any garden salad. Or, use as a veggie dip!

Fennel Chicken Stew

i love preparing fall-themed dishes. in the past, I never enjoyed fennel and often substituted onion for this root vegetable. while onion may be a possible substitute, cooked fennel provides a much more aromatic flavor than that of its robust raw version. not a fan of licorice or anise flavors? do not let the raw version deter you. roasted or stewed, this vegetable will surely have you vying for more. this recipe is adapted from real simple magazine, an excellent use of fennel. and, what not a better way to ward of the chills with a dose of nutrients – fennel is an excellent source of vitamin c!

fennel chicken stew (serves 6)

ingredients:

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 2 fennel bulbs, cut into wedges, plus 2 tbsp fennel fronds
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup wild rice mix
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp paprika
• salt and pepper, to taste

directions:

1. combine chicken, fennel bulbs, broth, rice mixture, onion, and paprika into a slow cooker. 
2. cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until chicken and fennel are tender. 
3. sprinkle with fennel fronds and salt and pepper to taste.

baked eggplant

i recently acquired some beautiful eggplants from a friend’s local csa (community supported agriculture). there are many different varieties of egg plants, but any type can be used to create this dish. although the weather is still stifling, fall is approaching, and the thought of a comfort food like eggplant parmesan was too enticing. of course, i make mine the healthy way, but i would recommend this to anyone!

baked eggplant (4 servings) ingredients:

• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• ½ cup dry bread crumbs
• 2 tbsp italian seasoning
• 6 oz nonfat greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp nonfat milk
• 2 small eggplants, sliced ¼ inch thick
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 (14 oz) jar marinara sauce
• 4 oz parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 (8 oz) package spaghetti pasta, prepared
• salt and pepper, to taste

directions:

1. preheat oven to 375°F. spray 2, 9x13 inch pans with nonstick spray.
2. in a small bowl, combine flour, bread crumbs, and Italian seasoning.
3. in another small bowl, mix Greek yogurt and milk.
4. dip eggplant slices into Greek yogurt mixture. Then, dip into breadcrumb mixture.
5. place dipped eggplant slices into prepared pans.
6. bake for 10-12 minutes or until tops are golden brown. flip eggplant slices. bake an additional 10-12 minutes or until slices are browned on both sides.
7. place baked eggplant on top of prepared pasta and marinara. sprinkle each serving with 1 oz of freshly grated parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.