Crispy zucchini with honey mustard aioli is a perfect use for all that zucchini you have laying around!
Zucchini is NOT hard to come by during the summer months. If you don’t watch where you are going, you’re likely to trip over some, it’s that abundant. And I’m so tired of seeing zoodle after zoodle after zoodle. We need to liven things up a little. Zucchini is so healthy anyway, no one says you can fry it a little and make it a fun, crispy snack that still has less calories than a giant honking bag of potato chips, right?
Of course, if you’re going to enjoy crispy zucchini coins like they are crispy potato chips, you’ll need the right dipping sauce. Dipping sauce is crucial when it comes to any recipe that is meant for dipping. If it wasn’t already apparent, I’ve been living off this honey mustard aioli for the better part of a year. It’s zesty with a nice zing from the mustard, but has just a touch of sweetness from the honey. Creamy, smooth and perfect with my crispy zucchini coins. Folks, there isn’t much better when it comes to enjoying summer produce.
While the oil heats, prepare the zucchini. Dip the slices into the egg, then the panko to coat. Set aside until the oil is hot.
Once hot, place the zucchini coins into the oil, ensuring not to crowd the pan. Cook until golden brown, then flip and cook until golden on the other side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining zucchini.
To prepare the aioli, simply combine all ingredients until well mixed.
These eggplant meatballs have quickly become a family favorite, with lots of hearty and filling eggplant and a great breadcrumb crunch.
It’s safe to say I am a meat and potatoes kind of gal. It’s not because I’m against vegetables or meals that don’t revolve around a protein and two sides. I believe it’s what I’ve been trained into thinking dinner should be for so many years, now I can’t break the cycle. And frankly, I don’t really want to either. I love having a composed dinner, even if it is quite predictable most nights. And on the nights when I want to shake things up a bit, I always feel a little lost. There are these weird gaps that I don’t know how to fill because I’ve spent so many years going through the motions of preparing dinners in the way I am accustomed.
Luckily, these eggplant meatballs don’t leave any gap. I really felt weird about making them at first. Who are we kidding, thinking that a meatless-ball will taste any good, or anything like its original? But the crispiness of the ball intrigued me. I’m always a fan of crisp. So I made them. And was forever a changed person. They are so hearty and filling, you don’t realize there isn’t any meat. And when properly seasoned, they taste even better than regular meatballs (dare I say it?! I said it). I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with them as hard as I did, but hey, love isn’t always convenient. And I love these meatballs.
Chop the eggplant into 1" cubes. Place it in a pot of water and bring to a boil. Allow it to cook for ten minutes, then drain.
Use a fork and mash the eggplant. Add in 1 cup of breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese and garlic and mix well.
Add in the egg and mix until combined.
Place the remaining breadcrumbs on a plate. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out the eggplant mixture into balls. Roll the balls in the breadcrumbs to coat.
Add oil to the pan to coat and heat over medium high. Add the eggplant meatballs in one layer. Cook until golden, then turn and repeat until all sides have browned. Remove to a plate and repeat until all meatballs have been cooked.
BE sure to check out the other Weekday Supper posts here!
Monday – Farm Fresh Pasta Primavera by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
Tuesday – Summer Veggie Pasta by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Wednesday – Summer Minestrone with Lemon-Parsley Pesto by Planet On A Plate
Thursday – Eggplant Meatballs by Feed Me, Seymour
Friday – BBQ Jerk Chicken by The Petit Gourmet
Eggplant parmesan bites are an excellent, bite-sized appetizer fit for any time of day or night.
Eggplant is one of those really polarizing vegetables. A person either loves it or hates it, for the most part. And for many, many years, I fell into the camp of people who hated it. It just tasted bland, flavorless and boring. I’d always give it a second chance, grabbing one or two at the farmer’s market to test. And every year, the same results stuck. I couldn’t make myself like eggplant.
Then a few months ago, I decided it was time to try it once more. Joanne posted this Italian wedding soup that included some plump, crispy looking eggplant meatballs. I didn’t make the soup but pulled together a batch of the meatballs for our dinner in the evening. Let me tell you, these meatballs did NOT disappoint. All those other eggplant dishes I’d tried previously were forgotten. I now loved eggplant.
I think I’d probably never prepared eggplant properly before, hence the hatred. It needs a loving hand, a generous seasoning, a little breading. After the meatballs, I started buying eggplant regularly. This iteration – these eggplant parmesan bites – may be my favorite version of the nightshade. Crispy, perfectly seasoned, bite-sized and served up alongside a generous heaping of marinara, they make an excellent appetizer for any party. And here is the best part: eggplant is so hearty, you don’t realize the meat is missing. I know, it sounds silly. But I’ve tricked quite a few people with those meatballs and these bites are welcome at our dinner table most nights. Win for me!
Place the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let it sit and release some moisture for 15 minutes. Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese.
Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. There should be at least an inch of oil in the pot.
While it heats, take the eggplant and toss it in the flour. Run the eggplant through the eggs to coat, then toss them in the breadcrumb mixture to coat.
Place some of the eggplant in the oil. Be sure not to overcrowd the pot. Once golden, remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat with more eggplant until all has been fried.
When comfort food calls, there is nothing better than this creamy kale-fredo. Smooth, saucy with just the right amount of veggies to ease your guilty conscience.
A few weeks ago, I waffled back and forth on what to make for dinner so hard, I think I strained my brain. Both dishes were new but clearly had potential to be incredible. And it really just came down to whatever craving struck me more. This creamy kale-fredo won out. And I, for the life of me, could not remember the other dish once I opted for the kale-fredo.
It wasn’t that the other dish wasn’t a stand-out choice. This pasta was just better. The first horse in a serious comfort food race, it fulfilled every need I had at the time. Cheesy, creamy, filled with kale so I didn’t feel so guilty about all the aforementioned cream. Loaded with carbs and just salty enough to quell my near-constant need for salt (am I dehydrated or something?). Sometimes, it is just how the world works. You have a need for comfort food, someone is there to fill in the gap.
I have to admit that I was pretty heavily inspired by this creamed kale from Nutmeg Nanny. She posted it back in the winter, when I had an even larger, harder to fill gap for warm and hearty foods. It seems like ages ago now, digging out mountains of snow and kicking myself for getting fake grass in the fireplace during the Christmas village extravaganza of 2014. But I bookmarked her recipe and promised myself it would appear on my table sometime in the near future.
I didn’t. At least not yet. But I took it, ran with it and made something different yet equally as satisfying, especially if you are a pasta person. Hopefully, you are! And hey, there’s kale in here so really, it’s healthy. Enjoy!
Begin by cooking your linguini according to package instructions. While it cooks, prepare the sauce.
Heat the butter over medium heat. Once melted, add in garlic and shallots. Cook until softened and fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add in flour and whisk for 1 minute. Slowly stir in the half and half, 1/2 cup at a time, whisk vigorously to avoid lumps. Once the half and half has been added, stir in the cream cheese until fully melted.
Add the parmesan cheese and stir until combined. Add in kale and drained pasta. Toss to completely coat and integrate the kale.
Pot pie is basically my love language. I love trying new twists and variations on it. These veggie pot pie hand pies are perfect for your Meatless Monday meals or for any time of the week when comfort food is needed.
I have yet to meet a pot pie that I didn’t immediately love and want to marry. Pot pie is my thing, be it in actual pie form or with biscuit toppings. I could eat it any time of year, any time of day. But my one beef with pot pie has always been the heaviness of it. I ate pot pie once for lunch and then promptly went into a food coma at the office. This pot pie was heavenly, let me tell you. It had mashed potatoes lining the bottom, topped with the traditional chicken veggie filling. And on top, the flakiest of flaky pie crusts. I gorged myself, died and basically sat useless for two hours while I recovered.
For Weekday Supper this month, I knew it had to be pot pie. It’s my change to show my favorite dish in a new rendition. And since it is Monday and some people subscribe the notion of Meatless Mondays (or maybe you prefer More Veggies Monday), I thought it’d be fun to try my hand at a meatless pot pie. To put the new spin on it, I skipped out on the idea of a bowl of filling topped with a pie crust. Instead, think of this as sort of a large savory poptart. Who doesn’t love poptarts, right?
I’m really excited about sharing this one with the Weekday Supper family. Weekday Supper, as I’ve mentioned before, is all about encouraging family time and sit-down meals despite the hectic work week. I can honestly say, with pride, that this is one dish my entire family ate without complaint. We are big pot pie people around here.
*Note, if you want you could add a handful of frozen peas while cooking the filling. If I added peas to this, I’d be met with scowls and face a most certain death of peace and quiet. I opted to skip the peas.
Cook the potato in a small pot of water until tender, 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium high and add onions, cooking 2 minutes until translucent. Add in carrots and celery and cook until softened.
Sprinkle in the flour and stir well to coat the veggies. Add in vegetable stock slowly, whisking to avoid lumps.
Add in thyme and then stir in the potatoes and cook for two minutes more. Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Allow the mixture to cool before assembling your pies.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pie crust into a rectangle. Use a knife and cut each piece of dough into 8 rectangles.
Place a bit of filling on half the squares, then place the other halves on top. Use a fork and crimp the edges together. Prick the tops with the fork for a steam escape.
Repeat with the remaining filling. Brush each with the egg wash and bake until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes.
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Be sure to check out some of these other Weekday Supper dishes!
