Hatching Eggplants and the Weekly Specials with Mary Anne

Yikes! It’s August already! Where has the summer gone?

It’s been a strange summer, hasn’t it? It started late and has been unseasonably cool. Not that I’m complaining, mind you! I don’t like heat and I especially don’t like heat and humidity. I can’t help but wonder, though, how the farmers like this weather. I am reassured, though, by the wonderful produce at the Farmers Market.

The grocery ads feature some great deals on produce, but not meat. Again. I keep hearing contradictory news – world food prices are coming down but our food prices are going up. The U.S. is supposed to have a bumper corn crop this year and eventually it’s supposed to be reflected in our meat prices. I sure hope so! It can’t happen too soon, as far as I’m concerned.

With no meat specials to talk about, I’m going to focus on eggplant this week. It’s plentiful at the Farmers Market, and Kayte expects the Hub to have lots of it soon, when the Hoosier Hills’ crop comes in. She says they planted lots of it this year. Don’t forget you can exchange up to $18 of food stamps for up to $36 of Market Bucks, so you basically get stuff half off at the Farmers Market. I’m going to assume you’re paying full price, though, when I cost out the meals.

Just a reminder, before I get on to the sales. The average food stamp benefit actually received per person is about $4.15 per day. I figure that that breaks down to about $1.50 for supper, $1.25 for lunch and $1.00 for breakfast, plus about $12.00 or so for things like buying more of something than you’re actually going to use this month. Like buying a big jar of mayo because it’s cheaper than buying a little jar, or taking advantage of a sale on something. My goal is to come up with at least three supper menus that come in at or under $1.50 per person for the whole meal. That means at least three main dishes plus sides. I also usually give at least one menu for either lunch or breakfast that costs less than average - $1.00 or less for lunch or 50 cents or less for breakfast. That’s to give you a little extra wiggle room for supper or stocking up on something or just because sometimes (usually?) you need a bit of help with the budget. Or at least I do.

But first, the sales.

Kroger has pork spare ribs for $1.77 per pound. It’s not a bad price per pound, but remember that there’s an awful lot of bone there. You’re paying a lot for the pleasure (and I do agree that it’s a pleasure!) of gnawing on the bones. Seedless red, white or black grapes are 99 cents a pound. Eggs are four dozen for $5.00, or $1.25 per dozen. Boneless (and presumably skinless) chicken breast is $1.99 per pound. It’s not a great price – you can find it somewhere at that price most weeks – but it’s lower than the regular price anywhere. Smoked sausage is two packages (13 -14 ounces each) for $5.00, or $2.50 each. That’s about $3.00 per pound, and, like the chicken breast, is a normal sales price. Ground chuck is $2.99 per pound in three-pound packages ($8.97 per three-pound package.) Cheese is $2.99 for twelve to sixteen ounce packages. Again, a normal sales price, and a good price for sixteen ounces but not for twelve. “Local” cabbage is 39 cents a pound, which is a great price. “Local” cucumbers are 50 cents each. Red and black plums are 99 cents per pound.

Marsh has Georgia peaches for 98 cents a pound. Perdue boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.99 per pound in the family pack. Family packs of ground chuck are $2.99 per pound.

Aldi has red and green grapes, peaches, plums and nectarines, all 99 cents a pound in two-pound packages, or $1.98 per package. Blueberries are 99 cents, too, but per pint instead of per pound. Boneless skinless chicken breasts are $1.99 in family packs. One pound rolls of pork sausage are $2.89. Heat-n-serve sausage links are $1.09 for 6.4 ounces, which may come out about the same, since some of the shrinkage should be gone from the pre-cooked links. Baby carrots are 69 cents per pound. Peanut butter prices have come down. It’s now $1.49 for eighteen ounces of regular peanut butter or sixteen ounces of “natural” peanut butter (just peanuts and salt), or $2.99 for forty ounces of regular peanut butter.

Some prices off the top of my head from the Farmers Market last week. Don’t forget that they vary by vendor and also by week, depending on how the crops is doing. Zucchini and summer squash were usually 75 cents each or three for $2.00. Eggplants were 75 cents or $1.00 each. Tomato prices varied from about $2.50 per pound to about $4.00 per pound. Heirloom tomatoes were more, standard tomatoes were less. Cucumbers were 50 to 75 cents each. Sweet “Candy” onions were about $1.00 each for big onions. Green beans were about $3.50 per box but the size of boxes varied. That’s about all I remember. Again, if you have food stamps, you can get stuff “half price” by exchanging your food stamps for Market Bucks.

And now on to the recipes and menus, featuring eggplants. I’m going to assume that you’re getting big eggplants for $1.00 each.

EASIEST EGGPLANT AND SAUSAGE CASSEROLE is easiest because the original recipe was called Easy Eggplant and Sausage Casserole and I made it easier by peeling the eggplant and mixing up COLESLAW for another 80 cents and serve peaches and blueberries for dessert – a pound of peaches, sliced, and half a pint of blueberries. The whole meal comes to $6.15, but you can keep it down to $6.00 if your peaches are a bit small or by using not quite half a pint of blueberries. By the way, you can save the peach skins and pits and, when you get enough of them and other fruit scraps, make FRUIT SCRAP JUICE or FRUIT SCRAP VINEGAR. I’m giving links rather than recipes because that’s the way the online posts come and there’s a lot of explanation. They both look easy enough, just time consuming.

all the ingredients instead of cutting the eggplant out of the shell and then stuffing the shells with the eggplant and sausage mixture. I usually go for the easy way. A batch will cost about $3.85. Serve it with

Most eggplant recipes include tomatoes and peppers. Frequently zucchini, too, but almost always tomatoes and peppers. Like EGGPLANT CASSEROLE, for example. It makes a lot – a 9x13 panful, so figure on eight servings. You could bake it in two 8x8 baking dishes instead of a 9x13 pan. That way you know you’ll get eight servings. A recipe will cost about $7.10, but let’s call it $7.20 so it divides nicely by eight. That’s $3.60 for four servings, or 90 cents each. Serve it with a salad of half a head of lettuce, half a cucumber, and four ounces of baby carrots (sliced), plus some Italian dressing, for about $1.20. Add some fresh fruit for dessert.

Eggplant can be part of the main dish (or, for a vegetarian meal, can be the main dish itself) or it can be served as a vegetable side dish. EGGPLANT WITH YOGURT SAUCE can be served either way. I’m going to use it as a side dish, with ROASTED CHICKEN LEGS. The eggplant dish costs about $1.60, assuming you use HOMEMADE YOGURT. It will cost about 35 cents more if you buy commercial yogurt by the quart. (It’s usually cheapest at Aldi.) The chicken will cost about $2.40 for a leg quarter per person. That’s a drumstick and a thigh, and don’t forget to save the piece of back to make CHICKEN STOCK. How about splurging and having ice cream with sliced peaches over it? 

Last week I forgot to give a budget breakfast or lunch, so I’ll give two of them today. First, a simple lunch dish of SLICED FRITATTA WITH TOMATO SAUCE. It will cost about $2.35, which leaves room for a salad. There are lots of possibilities there – lettuce and a few other veggies, or cucumber and onion in sour cream or vinegar, or, better yet, a nice fruit salad. I know I’m using fresh fruit a lot these days, but it has such a short season that it’s a shame not to.

A Dutch Baby is a baked German pancake. At least, they say that’s where the name comes from. At its simplest, it’s nothing more than eggs, flour and milk baked in one piece in butter in a big skillet. From there, the sky’s the limit! They’re usually served with fruit, or at least lemon juice and powdered sugar, though I used to make them with hamburger and cheddar cheese. Here’s the basic recipe for GERMAN PANCAKES, that I got from my German uncle almost 50 years ago, and a more recent version with fresh peaches, BAKED PEACH PANCAKE. The basic German Pancakes should cost about 55 cents, plus whatever you add, and will serve four generously. A Pancake with powdered sugar and a pint of blueberries would be about $1.75. Serve either one for breakfast, for less than 50 cents per serving, or with a big salad for lunch for less than $1.00 per serving. It sounds sort of strange, now that I think about it, but I used to have coleslaw with it.

And don’t forget that with HOMEMADE YOGURT and the fresh fruit that’s on sale, you should be able to serve smoothies for about 50 cents, too.

Enjoy this delightful weather, and take advantage of the summer produce while we can!

---Mary Anne---

Ground Beef and Summer Veggies and the Weekly Special with Mary Anne

Kroger has regular ground beef (73% lean) for $1.99 a pound in five pound chubs. That’s $9.95 for the chub. Cherries are $1.88 a pound. A four-pound bag of sugar is 99 cents. Eckrich franks are 88 cents for 14 ounces, which I assume is eight franks. Buns are 88 cents for eight hamburger or hot dog buns. That’s 11 cents each for the franks and the buns. (It’s not particularly healthy what with the processed frank and the white flour bun, but that’s only 22 cents for a hot dog, or say 30 cents with ketchup and so on. Not bad for a summer supper – once in a while!)  Local muskmelons (which as far as I know is just another name for cantaloupe) are two for $3.00, or $1.50 each. (Kayte got one and said it was wonderful! That's what she used in her watermelon/cantaloupe/cucumber plate that she prepared on Friday.) Peaches, plums and nectarines are 99 cents a pound. You may have noticed that there aren’t many peaches at the Farmers Market this year. The long cold winter damaged the blossoms so there’s a very small crop of peaches locally. Sour cream is ten for $10.00 or $1.00 per pint (16 ounces). Yellow squash, zucchini, broccoli crowns, and green beans are all 99 cents a pound. Cherry tomatoes are two 10.5-ounce boxes for $3.00, or $1.50 per box. Cheese is two packages of 12 – 16 ounces each for $7.00, or $3.50 per package. That’s a good price if you get the 16 ounce packages. Indiana sweet corn on the cob is ten for $3.00, or 30 cents each. I didn’t see it in their ad, but when I was in the store on Thursday I saw “jumbo” seedless watermelons for $3.99 each. (I have no idea how the “seedless watermelons” for $2.49 at Aldi compare to the “jumbo seedless watermelons” for $3.99 at Kroger.) Prices are good through Wednesday, July 30.

Aldi has sweet onions, two pounds for 69 cents, or 35 cents a pound. I usually stock up on yellow onions when they’re three pounds for 99 cents, or 33 cents a pound. Same price. Corn on the cob is four ears for 99 cents, or 25 cents each. Seedless watermelon are $2.49 each. (I have no idea how the “seedless watermelons” for $2.49 at Aldi compare to the “jumbo seedless watermelons” for $3.99 at Kroger.) Mushrooms are 99 cents for 8 ounces. Zucchini (the smallish regular size ones, not the big ones like you can get at the Farmers Market) are three for $1.49, or 50 cents each. Green peppers are also $1.49 for a three pack. Organic baby carrots are 99 cents a pound, which isn’t a bad price even for conventional baby carrots. Ground turkey is $5.99 for a three pound chub, or $2.00 a pound. Plain non-fat yogurt is $1.69 a quart (32 ounces). Prices are good through Tuesday, July 29. They weren’t advertised, but the last few times I’ve been to Aldi milk was $1.69 a gallon and eggs were $1.19 a dozen.

I’ll go with the ground beef this week. Fortunately vegetables are cheap and can be used to stretch the meat. Hurray for the Farmers Market! (And don’t forget to double your food stamps with Market Bucks!) And while we’re talking about the Farmers Market and doubling food stamps and ground beef, the Market Bucks you get in exchange for your food stamps can be used to buy meat, too, which makes ground beef there about the same price as at Kroger. The one place I remember looking had ground beef for $5.50 a pound, or $2.25 with the 2-for1 Market Bucks. And you can probably find it cheaper than that at other stalls.

Zucchini (Or is it zucchinis? It sure sounds wrong with the s on the end, but that’s what the dictionary I looked at said was correct. I’ll go with what sounds right.) abound these days. They’re one of those bland foods that you can add quite a bit of because it doesn’t have much flavor of its own, as long as it’s fixed with other foods that do have a lot of flavor. That works best with grated zucchini, which sort of disappears. Do you remember the BZM (BASIC ZUCCHINI MIXTURE) I talked about last week? Recipes are available at the Hub near the zucchini, in case you didn’t get it last week. You can use the big zucchini that are so cheap this time of year, make up a batch or two of BZM and freeze it in two or three cup portions and use them all year long. Like in BZM-MHC ZUCCHINI MEATLOAF. It’s just a basic meatloaf except you add some BZM to it. You don’t even notice the zucchini. A big loaf of it costs about $5.10 and makes six good servings at 85 cents each, or $3.40 for four servings. Add CARROT SALAD or COLESLAW for about $1.00 each for four servings and an ear of corn apiece for another $1.00 and you’ve got a big meal for only about $5.40 per person. Depending on the size of the watermelons, you might be able to squeeze out watermelon for everyone. If not, make ORANGE MILK SHAKES (about 50 cents if you make a double batch and give everyone about a cup and half each, or you can give them more if you add some ice and make it into a smoothie) or ORANGE ICE POPS (25 cents for a whole batch of them. How many it makes depends on how big you make them. If you don’t have popsicle molds, just use small paper cups and popsicle sticks.)

The zucchini in ZUCCHINI AND GROUND BEEFCASSEROLE is cut into ¼” dice, so it doesn’t disappear like the grated zucchini, but the pieces are small enough to soak up all the flavor. Assuming that you use one large zucchini (they seem to be pretty much 75 cents each regardless of size at the Farmers Market), it should cost about $3.45. Serve it over half a head of lettuce with a cup each of shredded cheddar and sour cream (1/4 cup each per serving) for a total cost of $5.40. Half a cantaloupe at 75 cents would bring the meal to $6.15, or just over my goal of $1.50 per person. Or serve WATERMELON ICE POPS or homemade vanilla yogurt to keep it under $1.50. (Just add a bit of sweetener and about a teaspoon of vanilla extract to a quart of HOMEMADE YOGURT.) Not that you really need a dessert, of course. You could save that extra 60 cents and use it another day, instead. I’m just trying to show you how much food you can get for $1.50 per person.

When I was at the Hub on Tuesday (Did you go to the Hub Family Lunch? What a delicious bunch of food! And a lot of it came from things they had grown in the various gardens.), they had beautiful carrots with fresh feathery tops. When I saw the recipe for CARROT AND GROUND BEEF SKILLET, and especially the description of the little truly-baby carrots the author gets from her local farmer (about the size of her finger), it reminded me of those carrots. Not in size, of course, but in the fresh crisp sweetness of them. Actually, it seems a shame to use those Hub carrots in cooking; they should be savored raw and plain and fresh. Just buy some at the store. It won’t be as good as using the super-fresh carrots, but a lot more practical. A batch of this should cost about $4.75, assuming that you have to buy the green onions. If you happen to have some in your garden that need to be thinned anyway, you’ll save $1.00, and it will only cost about $3.75. But I’ll assume that you’re going to be buying them. You shouldn’t need much to go with it. How about a seedless cucumber (50 cents at the Market last Saturday) in either sour cream or vinegar and oil? Or some fresh fruit – maybe a couple of peaches diced and added to HOMEMADE YOGURT? Two peaches and a quart (4 cups) of yogurt and you’re still under $6.00. Or the cucumbers for a total of about $5.50. You can’t have both, unfortunately. But you could have the cucumbers and either ORANGE ICE POPS or WATERMELON ICE POPS and stay under $6.00.

Eggplant (another of those words that I don’t know whether to add an “s” to) is not nearly as prolific as zucchini, but it’s widely available at the Farmers Market now. (Kayte said they should be getting lots of it from the Hoosier Hills gardens later this summer.) They were running 75 cents to a dollar each on Saturday. It seemed to depend in part on the size but also on the vendor. If you have time, check around for the best deal. The original recipe for EGGPLANT AND GROUND BEEF CASSEROLE called for slicing four medium eggplants, sautéing them in butter, and then layering them with the meat sauce. Using one big eggplant, dicing it and combining it with the sauce makes the casserole a lot quicker and easier to make. It’s not as pretty, but lots, lots easier. The cost of $4.60 leaves room in the budget for a pound and a half of green beans or broocoli.

The final recipe, TURKEY LOAF, is meatloaf with ground turkey instead of ground beef. Since it’s on sale for the same price, I thought I’d include it. The problem is that with all the veggies in it, it costs $5.15 for a loaf. You can either go with four big slices and just have a simple salad or a pile of buttered zucchini to go with it, or you can get six smaller slices out of it. With six slices, four servings are just $3.90 and you can have a salad and/or ZUCCHINI AND CARROTS and/or some fruit for dessert. Any two out of three should keep it under $6.00.

Summer Veggie Retrospective and Weekly Specials with Mary Anne

Don't have time to do a full regular post with new recipes and menus and costs and all, so instead I'm going to do a retrospective of summer veggie recipes that have been published on the new blog.

Have you been to the Farmers Market recently? It's in full swing with heaps and piles and boxes and truckloads of bright, vibrant, fresh veggies. Zucchini. Summer squash. Tomatoes. Cucumbers. Peppers. Eggplant. Green beans. Lettuce. Greens. And lots more. Plus the usual eggs and meat and honey and flowers and bedding plants and prepared food. And all the people and the buskers and the whole ambiance. It's wonderful. It's Bloomington.

And don't forget that you can exchange up to $18 of food stamps for twice as many Market Bucks! That means you can get the wonderful fresh veggies, meats and dairy for half price. What a deal!

But back to the specials at the grocery stores.

Marsh has family packs of ground beef for $1.99 per pound and family packs of boneless skinless chicken breasts also for $1.99 per pound. Seedless grapes are $1.99 per pound. “Colossal” Vidalia onions are 89 cents a pound. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries and raspberries are “buy one get one free” but they don’t say how much that first one costs. Prices are good through Wednesday, July 2.

Aldi has blueberries for 99 cents a pint and strawberries for $1.49 a pound. Seedless watermelons are $2.99 each. Avocados are 69 cents each. Peaches, nectarines and plums are all $1.98 for a two pound package, or 99 cents a pound. Prices are good through Tuesday, July 1.

Kroger has peaches for 88 cents a pound. Tomatoes on the vine, green beans, and red, orange and yellow peppers are all 99 cents a pound. Half gallons of milk are four for $5.00, or $1.25 each, or $2.50 per gallon, with a limit of four half gallons. Barbecue sauces are ten for $10.00, or $1.00 each. Cheeses are $2.99 for 12-16 ounce packages. Cottage cheese is two 24-ounce cartons for $4.00, or $2.00 each. Chicken drumsticks or thighs are 99 cents a pound. Prices are good through Wednesday, July 2.

IGA has chicken drumsticks and thighs for 99 cents a pound. Vidalia onions are 89 cents a pound. Zucchini and yellow squash are $1.49 per pound. Corn on the cob is six ears for $2.00, or 33 cents an ear. Prices are good through Sunday, June 29.

When the first of the summer veggies come out, I usually want to just savor each one individually for its uniqueness. But pretty soon I'm looking for more ways to incorporate them into my menus. That's what these recipes are for, after you've had the first green beans just plain or with butter, or the first tomatoes with just a dash of balsamic vinegar, or the first zucchini lightly sauteed with a touch of dill. I hope some of these will make it onto your roster of go-to summer recipes.

By the way, did you know that there's an index of sorts to the recipes on the blog? I say "of sorts" because the blog is still a work in process as we move posts from the old site to the blog and try to get everything linked everywhere it should be. Bear with us! But anyway, to get to the index, start by clicking on the COOK icon right under the picture of the carrots and all, which will take you to a list of broad categories - FOOD PRESERVATION, PASTA, VEGGIES & SALADS, etc. And a link to get you to all of my columns, too! Click on the VEGGIES AND SALADS link and it will take you to a list of - you guessed it - recipes for veggies and salads. All of these recipes are on that list along with lots more, and more will be added almost every week as we find more recipes to post and as we finish migrating recipes from the old site. Or you can enter the ingredient you want in the search box and find your recipes that way.

Happy Cooking and Eating!

Mary Anne

PS - Turns out that trying to pick my favorite old summer veggie recipes is a lot like picking my favorite child! (Well, not that I have any kids to pick my favorite from, but you get the picture.) So I've just listed all of the recipes for cucumbers, eggplant, green beans, peppers, tomatoes and zucchini and summer squash. Some are mine, some Kayte and others posted. Enjoy!

CUCUMBERS
Creamy Gazpacho
Cucumber Salads
Easy Greek Yogurt Cucumber Sauce
Panzanella Bread Salad
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Tomato, Cucumber and Pepper Salad

EGGPLANT
Easiest Eggplant and Sausage Casserole
Eggplant Casserole
Eggplant Chili
Eggplant Tempura
Moussaka
Sichuan-Style Eggplant
Simplified Moussaka

GREEN BEANS
Cheesy Beef and Green Beans
Green Beans Almondine
Savory Bread Pudding with Vegetables and Cheese

PEPPERS
Crock Pot Ratatouille
Fajita Salad
Italian Sausage and Peppers
Panzanella Bread Salad
Roasted Red Pepper Soup
Smoked Sausage and Peppers
Stir-Fried Italian Sausage and Peppers
Tomato, Cucumber and Pepper Salad
Unstuffed Peppers

TOMATOES
Crock Pot Ratatouille
Eggplant Casserole
Panzanella Bread Salad
Provencal Tart with Gruyere and Herbs
Tomato and Cucumber Salad
Tomato Bread
Tomato, Cucumber and Pepper Salad
Tomato Salads
Tomato Soup Three Ways

ZUCCHINI AND SUMMER SQUASH
Chicken and Vegetables
Crock Pot Ratatouille
Italian Sausage and Zucchini
Microwaved Summer Squash with Garlic and Dill
Sausage Squash Casserole
Savory Bread Pudding with Vegetables and Cheese
Taco Summer Squash Casserole
Veggie Manicotte with Tofu Ricotta
Zucchini and Carrots
Zucchini Spice Bread

Still Going Strong at the Farmers Market, and Weekly Specials with Mary Anne

Happy October! Are you ready for Halloween yet? I hope not – it’s much too early, though it seems like the stores have been selling Halloween stuff for ages.

The best deal this week seems to be milk. Aldi has it for $1.69 a gallon, Kroger for 88 cents for a half gallon, which comes out to $1.76 per gallon, but is a better deal if you wouldn’t use a whole gallon before it goes bad. Marsh has Egg-Land’s Best Eggs two dozen for $4.00, which is a good price on that brand. When I was at Aldi on Wednesday, they had regular eggs for $1.29 a dozen. Kroger’s ad says that they have 5.3 ounce Greek yogurt for 29 cents each, if you buy four of them. Butter at Kroger is $1.88 a pound, cottage cheese and sour cream are $1.00 a pound (or pint or 16 ounce), and various kinds of cheese are $1.88 for 6 – 8 ounces. It’s a good price for 8 ounces, not so good for 6 ounces. Kroger also has fresh green beans for 99 cents a pound.

Pumpkins are on sale, too, and they’ll keep until Halloween. Until Thanksgiving and probably until Christmas if you don’t carve them. Marsh has pie pumpkins for $1.99. Aldi has regular pumpkins for $1.99 (I have no idea how big they are). And the Kroger store at the corner of Second and College has pumpkins for 99 cents each through Saturday. It’s part of their Grand Re-Opening sale, and it seems to be only at that store.

Not much on sale in the way of meat. Kroger has 73% lean ground beef for $1.97 a pound in three pound chubs, which cost $5.91 each, and pork chops and spareribs for $1.97 in the large value packs. Marsh has boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.97 a pound in the family size packs.

I’m going to give some more recipes for summer veggies this week. (And by the way, I’ll be serving samples of Moussaka, a Greek dish eggplant casserole) on Friday at the Hub, starting about 4:00 or so. I hope you’ll stop by my tasting table!) Summer veggies won’t last much longer at the Farmers Market. Eggplant was running $1.00 each last Saturday, or sometimes 75 cents each for small ones. I usually get the big ones. The seeds don’t bother me in casseroles. I’m told that the big ones don’t work as well, though, if you’re going to slice the eggplant, like you would for Eggplant Parmesan. Really big zucchini were also $1.00 each, and I could still get the big red bell pepper seconds for 50 cents each. Canning tomatoes were a bit more than they were last week, but still a good price. Check last week’s for more recipes using eggplant and zucchini.

I have tried eggplant over the years, and could never find a recipe that I liked. I kept trying, though, because so many people said it was good. Finally, when I was testing recipes for a cookbook by Judy Barnes Baker, I found a really good recipe. And since then, I’ve found more recipes that I like. Here’s that first “good” recipe, for MOUSSAKA. Moussaka is a traditional Greek casserole made with layers of eggplant and sauce, with a custard over the top. Kind of like lasagna, except it’s Greek instead of Italian, has slices of eggplant instead of noodles, has lots less cheese, and is topped with custard. It's more work than I really want to do most days, what with the slicing and salting and draining and frying of the eggplant and then making multiple alternating layers of the eggplant and the meat sauce. I came up with a SIMPLIFIED MOUSSAKA that has the same great taste but is lots easier and takes lots less time in the kitchen.

A batch of either version of Moussaka should cost about $6.00, and will make six generous servings, at about $1.00 each. Serve it with a salad and or some fresh veggies from the Farmers Market, and you’ve got a complete meal for less than $1.50 per serving.

I think that SAUSAGE SQUASH CASSEROLE is my favorite zucchini recipe. It’s not for calorie counters, but it’s good and it’s inexpensive. And it freezes well, which is important since I like to make lots of squash and eggplant casseroles in the summer and then freeze them. Assuming the sausage is $3.00 and the zucchini is $1.00, this recipe costs about $6.05 and makes six servings at just over $1.00 each. (Aldi’s regular price on mayo is $1.99 for 30 ounces, and their regular price on Cheddar is $1.79 for 8 ounces if you shred your own.) There’s not much texture to it, so you’ll want to add either a salad or some tender-crisp vegetables to it. Another complete meal for under $1.50 per serving.

Do you like Sausage and Peppers? I usually don’t, because the peppers are always way overcooked, at least for my taste. I prefer them tender-crisp, like in a stir-fry. So here are two recipes - ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS for the traditionalists among you who like your peppers really soft, and STIR-FRIED ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PEPPERS for those like me who like their veggies to still have a bit of bite to them.Take your pick. A lot of people must like the overcooked peppers, because that’s the way most recipes say to cook them! A recipe of either one would cost about $4.50, assuming $3.00 for the Italian sausage. It makes 4 servings, so each serving would be about $1.15. A good sized spaghetti squash is $2.00 at the Farmers Market now and would serve four generously, at 50 cents per serving. The Italian Sausage and Peppers over spaghetti squash would be about $1.65 per serving.

A similar dish from a different part of the world is Fajitas. Since I don’t eat grains, I serve the fajita meat and veggies on a bed of lettuce for FAJITA SALADS, instead of serving it in tortillas. You can add whatever toppings you want. I’ve included the cost for sour cream, shredded cheddar and salsa, but you could also add jalapenos, olives, guacamole, etc. If you’re not going to eat all six servings immediately, put aside the extra meat and veggie mixture before you put it on the lettuce or add the toppings. Then, when you’re ready to eat it, just heat up the meat and veggies, and continue with making the salads. Without the sour cream, etc., this costs about $8.00 for six servings, assuming boneless skinless chicken breasts are $2.00 a pound and allowing $1.00 for all of the seasonings, which is likely quite a bit more than it really is. You could use fajita seasoning instead of all of the individual seasonings, or use taco seasoning instead. Let’s say $1.35 per serving. Two tablespoons each of shredded Cheddar and sour cream would be another 15 cents. Aldi has jars of salsa for (I think – I haven’t checked recently) about $1.20 each, so say another 15 cents for salsa. That would bring the total up to about $1.65 per serving. And these would be BIG servings! 

Baba Ganoush with Slow Cooked (or Baked) Eggplant

1 whole eggplant

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup sesame tahini

2 tbsp olive oil

Juice of 1 whole lemon (about 2 tbsp)

Salt and pepper to taste

Paprika, parsley, and Greek olives to garnish (optional)

Slice eggplant in half lengthwise, prick skin with a fork, and place in crock of your slow cooker, skin-side down. Replace lid and cook on high for 2 hours. Let cool. When eggplant is cooled, remove pulp and place into a bowl. Set aside. Place remaining ingredients in a food processor and blend well (you can also mix it thoroughly by hand, but mince the garlic first). Stir the mixture into the eggplant until well combined. Garnish and chill until serving.

If you don’t want to use a crockpot, you can just bake the eggplant. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Prick the eggplant with a fork, place it (whole and unpeeled) on a baking sheet, and bake for 45 minutes, or until it collapses when lightly pressed with the back of a spoon. Cool, then scoop the insides out of the skin and proceed with the recipe.

A lot of recipes call for the eggplant to be food processed as well. Resist the temptation. Stirring it by hand ensures a thick, well-textured dip that the pureed version doesn’t hold a candle to.

Don’t have a slow cooker or a food processor? No problem. Borrow them from the Hub Tool Share Program. Ask any MHC staff for details.

Eggplant with Yogurt Sauce

(Betty Crocker’s International Cookbook, 1980)

1 medium onion, sliced

1/4 c olive oil

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2” slices (about 1-1/2 lb)

1 c plain yogurt

3 T snipped fresh mint or 1-1/2 t crushed dried mint

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 t salt

Dash of pepper

Paprika

Saute onion in oil in a large skillet until tender. Remove onion and set aside. Cook the eggplant in a single layer in the same oil over medium-high heat until golden brown. Turn and cook the other side until it is golden brown and the eggplant is tender, about 10 minutes total. You’ll have to do this in batches, depending on how big your skillet is. Add more oil if needed. Arrange the onion and eggplant slices in an ungreased baking dish about 11x7. The eggplant should fit in two rows of overlapping slices. Mix the yogurt, mint, garlic, salt and pepper and pour over the eggplant. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 350 for 10 to 15 minutes, or until hot and bubbly.

Eggplant Casserole

(allrecipes.com)

4 cups water

1 medium eggplant, peeled and cubed

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

In a saucepan, bring the water to a boil; add eggplant. Boil for 5-8 minutes or until tender; drain and set aside. In a skillet, cook beef, onion and green pepper over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until tomato is tender. Remove from the heat. Stir in milk, egg and eggplant; mix well. Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. Toss bread crumbs and butter; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until heated through. It would be good with grated Parmesan instead of or in addition to the buttered bread crumbs, but it would cost a bit more, too.

Eggplant Soup

(based on a recipe in Healthy and Hearty Soups: Vegetable, Chowder, Creamy, Chilled, All-in-One, edited by Cynthia Krejcsi)

2 T butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 14-oz can tomatoes, undrained

1 large eggplant, chopped (1 lb)

1/2 t salt

1/2 t pepper

6 c water

1 lb beef, fish or chicken, cut into small pieces

In a large saucepan, melt the butter; saute the onion, tomatoes and eggplant until tender. Add salt and pepper. Puree vegetables in a blender or food processor. Return to pan and add water and meat. Heat not quite to boiling; reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until meat is tender. Adjust seasonings to taste.

Eggplant and Ground Beef Casserole

(based on a recipe at cooks.com)

1 big eggplant, diced
1 lg. onion, coarsely chopped
butter
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
2/3 c. tomato paste
2 c. water
1 tsp. salt
Black pepper to taste

Saute chopped onion in butter until golden. Add ground beef and cook, stirring constantly, until it is crumbled and browned. Combine tomato paste with water, add salt and pepper and pour mixture over meat. Add diced eggplant, bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Put the beef and eggplant mixture in a baking dish and bake, uncovered in a 350 degree oven until eggplant is tender, about 20 minutes.

Eggplant Chili

This chili is the bomb. It is sooooo simple, yet LOVED by my family.  I just toss the ingredients into my slow cooker, and come home to dinner.  I’m not sure if I should admit this, but I often cook this chili on low for more than 24 hours, and it turns out fantastic.  The longer you cook it, the less recognizable the eggplant is; so if you have picky eaters, cook it until the eggplant breaks down.  For that matter, if you have picky eaters, you may want to hide this recipe and just call it “Chili." 
Wish we knew who to credit the above quote to, not to mention the recipe! If you know, let us know!

1  large onion, chopped
1  large bell pepper, chopped
1  large eggplant, peeled and chopped
1 – 2 cloves crushed garlic
2 cups cooked or canned beans, any variety or mixture
1 28-oz  canned tomatoes, diced with juice
3 – 4 Tablespoons cumin powder
Chili powder, red pepper or chipotle powder to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large slow-cooker, layer onions, peppers, eggplant, garlic, beans and tomatoes.  Cook on low all day (or longer if you wish).  Before serving, stir in cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper.
Serve with the following optional, but highly-recommended toppings:  cilantro pesto, chopped avocado, diced onions, plain Greek yogurt, hot sauce, and shredded cheddar cheese.

Smokey, Roasted Eggplant

       Adapted from Elsie Marley

ingredients

2 large eggplants (4 or 5 of the small, thin type)

1 tablespoon salt

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons cider vinegar (or whatever vinegar you have)

2 teaspoon smoked paprika (don’t substitute regular paprika, go get the smoked stuff)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 tablespoon maple syrup (optional, but good)

2 large garlic cloves

1 cup parsley leaves, chopped

Juice of 1 lemon

directions

Heat the oven to 375 degrees F

Cut the eggplant into cubes (1 inch or so) and sprinkle with the salt

Whisk the oil, vinegar, paprika, cumin, and maple syrup together

Add the garlic and the eggplant.

Mix everything up and spread it out on one sheet pant (it looks like a lot for one sheet pan, but the eggplant shrinks considerably)

Put it in the oven for 1 hour–stirring now and then. Really it can stay in for even longer, it just gets better.

When the eggplant is done, take it out and squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the top.

Stir in the parsley and eat!

Moussaka

Moussaka is sort of a Greek lasagna that uses eggplant instead of noodles. Sort of. If this looks like too much work, try SIMPLIFIED MOUSSAKA instead. You cook the meat and vegetables together and make a single layer of that, then pour the custard over the top. It's not quite as fancy, but just as good!

(from a recipe in Carb Wars, by Judy Barnes Baker, 2007)

2 globe or 6 Asian eggplants (about 2 lbs)

5 T olive oil

For the tomato sauce:

1 small onion, peeled and chopped (about ½ cup)

1 lb ground beef or lamb

1 T tomato paste

1/4 t ground cinnamon

1 fresh tomato, peeled and chopped, or 1 c diced canned tomatoes

2 T fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 c beef broth or water (you might not need this if you start with a fresh tomato)

Salt and pepper to taste

For the custard:

2 T butter

1 c heavy cream

Generous pinch of ground nutmeg

2 eggs beaten with a fork

Salt and pepper to taste

6 T grated Parmesan

Peel the eggplant and cut into 3/8” slices.  Salt both sides of the slices and place in a colander set over a bowl.  Put a heavy dish on top to press out the liquid.  Let stand for 30 minutes.  Rinse to remove the salt and blot the slices with paper towels until dry.  Heat oil for frying in a large skillet and sauté the eggplant on both sides until golden brown.  Remove the eggplant and set aside.  (Or brush the eggplant with olive oil and put them under the broiler for about 5 minutes per side instead.  It will be quicker.  Don’t let the thinner slices burn.)

To make the tomato sauce:  Add the onion to the pan in which the eggplant was cooked and sauté until soft.  Add the meat and continue to cook, stirring, until brown.  Add the rest of the sauce ingredients and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes.

To make the custard: Heat the butter and cream on low in a small saucepan, while stirring, until smooth.  Add the nutmeg.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Dip out a little of the hot cream mixture and mix it with the beaten eggs to temper. Stir the egg mixture back into the pan and blend until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble the moussaka:  Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease a 9”x13” baking dish.  Put one third of the eggplant slices in the bottom of the greased baking dish, cover with half the meat sauce, and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of cheese.  Repeat.  Use the last one third of the eggplant slices to make the top layer and sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.  Pour the custard evenly over the dish and bake at 350 for about 50 minutes or until brown.  Let sit for 5 minutes before cutting. 

Easiest Eggplant and Sausage Casserole

(based on a recipe I got from somewhere, but I don’t know where)

1 eggplant, peeled and diced

1 lb bulk sausage

1 small onion, chopped

1 egg, well beaten

Peel and dice eggplant. Cook eggplant, sausage and onion in large skillet until vegetables are done and meat is brown. Remove from heat and stir in egg. Bake in a greased 1 quart casserole at 350 for about 25 minutes, or until bubbly.

Eggplant Casserole

(loosely based on a recipe from allrecipes.com)

1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed (at least a pound)

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

1 14-oz can diced tomatoes, (or 3 medium tomatoes, chopped)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup cream (or half and half or milk)

2 eggs, beaten

In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook beef, onion, eggplant and green pepper over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 10 minutes or until the eggplant is done. Remove from the heat.

In a small bowl, mix the milk and eggs, then add to the meat and veggies and mix well. Transfer to a greased 9” square baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes or until heated through and bubbling.

The original recipe called for sprinkling some buttered breadcrumbs on top before baking, but I don’t bother with that. Some grated Parmesan would be good instead.

Sichuan-Style Eggplant

Adapted from Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian






1 ½  -2 lb eggplant (ideally the small, thin Japanese style)
2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
2 scallions, cut crosswise into fine rings (both the white and the green sections)
3 thin slices of peeled ginger, cut finely
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
4 teaspoons soy sauce
2-3 teaspoons chili paste (or finely chopped fresh chilis) adjust to your taste
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar (or whatever vinegar you have)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro  or fresh scallions(optional, for garnish)

Slice eggplants into half inch rounds, then quarter the rounds (or cut into 3 inch by half inch strips) Steam eggplant pieces for 15-17 minutes, or until tender.
Put the oil in a large, nonstick wok or frying pan and set over high heat. When hot, put in scallions, ginger, and garlic. Stir for a minute. Put in the eggplants. Stir for a minute. Now put in the soy sauce, chili paste with soybean, sugar, and vinegar. Stir and cook for 3 minutes. Taste and add a little salt, if needed. Add the sesame oil and stir once. Turn off the heat. Sprinkle cilantro or scallions over the top before serving.

Eggplant Tempura

Enjoy with a coconut curry sauce and rice, or with your favorite Italian tomato sauce and pasta.



1 ½ lbs of eggplant (the small, thin varieties work especially nice here)
peanut or canola oil (enough to fill a heavy bottomed pan 3 inches deep, or a deep fryer, if you have one)
1 cup all purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
a pinch of black pepper
1 egg, beaten
cold water, as needed

Wash the eggplant and slice into ¼ inch thick rounds. Pat them dry with a paper towel.
Mix the flour with the salt and pepper. Add the beaten egg, and stir. Add cold water until  a thin batter is formed.
Heat the oil. Try to keep the oil between 365 and 375F. Use a thermometer if you have one, otherwise just keep an eye on your heat, turn it down a bit once it is fully heated.
Once the oil is hot, begin dipping the eggplant rounds into the batter, (shake off the excess) and drop carefully into the oil. Work quickly to get them in the oil close to the same time. If you are not using a deep fryer, you will probably need to flip the eggplant to get both sides brown. Remove from oil when golden brown (2-4 minutes) and place on paper towels. Cook in batches to avoid over-crowding in the pan or deep fryer.