Cheesy Acorn Squash INGREDIENTS 1 acorn squash, halved and seeded 3 tablespoons butter 1 cup diced celery 1 cup finely chopped onion 1 cup fresh mushrooms, sliced 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 pinch ground black pepper 1 teaspoon chopped parsley 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese DIRECTIONS        • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). • Place squash cut side down in a glass dish. Cook in microwave for 20 minutes on HIGH, until almost tender. • In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and add celery and onion; saute until transparent. Stir in mushrooms; cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and parsley. Divide mixture in half, spoon into the squash and cover. • Cook 15 minutes in the preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven. Uncover, sprinkle with cheese and put back in the oven until the cheese bubbles. Serves 2 Louisiana Gumbo INGREDIENTS 3/4 cup flour 3/4 cup oil 4 cups sliced okra 1 cup onion 3/4 cup bell pepper 1/4 cup celery 2 large chicken breasts, ribs attached 4 quarts water 2 lbs. shrimp 1 lb. smoked sausage 1/2 cup green onion Salt and pepper DIRECTIONS  • Boil chicken breasts in water 30 minutes to make light broth. Remove, debone and dice chicken breasts. • In a large pot with heavy bottom, make a roux by browning the flour and oil, stirring constantly until the mixture turns deep brown. • Add okra, onion, bell pepper, and celery and sauté until they wilt. • Add chicken stock and season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. Add diced chicken, shrimp, sausage and green onion tops. Cook for 30 more minutes at medium boil. Serve over rice. Stewed Tomatoes and Okra INGREDIENTS 1 pound fresh okra, washed, trimmed, sliced 2 cups of fresh diced tomatoes 1 green bell pepper, chopped 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion Salt, to taste DIRECTIONS  • Place sliced okra in pan; cover with water. Bring to a boil and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Drain water; add remaining ingredients. Simmer mixture for 15 to 20 minutes longer, until okra is tender. Add salt, if desired, to taste. • Serves 4. Baked Eggplant with Cashews INGREDIENTS 2 Large Eggplants, sliced Salt, to taste 1 cup Dry Whole-Wheat Bread Crumbs 1/2 teaspoon Brown Sugar 1 Onion, finely chopped 1 Roma (Plum) Tomato, seeded and chopped 1 Celery stalk, diced 1/2 cup Red Bell Pepper, finely chopped 5 Pimento-Stuffed Green Olives, sliced 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1/2 teaspoon Dried Oregano 1/2 teaspoon Powdered Saffron 1/2 cup Soy Milk 1/2 cup Heavy Cream 1/2 cup Cashews DIRECTIONS  • Preheat oven to 375 F. • Grease a medium size casserole dish. • Arrange ½ the slices of eggplant on the bottom of the casserole dish. • Season eggplant with salt. • Add breadcrumbs and brown sugar to medium mixing bowl. Stir to combine. • Sprinkle ¼ of brown sugar over layer of eggplant slices. • In large bowl, combine ½ cup breadcrumb mixture, onion, tomato, celery, red bell pepper, olives, and olive oil. • Season mixture with dried oregano and saffron. • Spoon mixture over layer of eggplant. • Top with remaining eggplant slices. • Top with remaining breadcrumb mixture. • Add soy milk, heavy cream and cashews to blender. Blend until smooth. • Pour milk mixture over eggplant. • Bake 30 minutes until crisp and golden brown. (eggplantrecipes.com) Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches INGREDIENTS Eggplant: 4 teaspoons Olive Oil 1 clove Garlic, finely chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped, Fresh Basil Salt, to taste Fresh Ground Black Pepper 2 small Eggplants Sandwiches: 1/2 cup Cream Cheese, Low-Fat Whipped, or Goat Cheese 4 pieces Focaccia or other good quality bread, sliced in half, lengthwise 2/3 cup Spinach, washed and dried 4 slices Tomato DIRECTIONS  Eggplant: • Preheat grill to medium heat. • Add olive oil, garlic, salt, and fresh ground pepper and ½ teaspoon fresh chopped basil to small bowl. Stir to combine. • Brush both sides of eggplant slices with olive oil mixture. • Grill eggplant over direct heat, 3 minutes per side. Sandwiches: • Mix cream cheese, 1-tablespoon fresh chopped basil, salt, and fresh ground pepper in small bowl. • Spread 4 halves of focaccia bread with cheese mixture. • Top with spinach, slice of tomato and focaccia bread slice. (Eggplant recipes.com)

Crock Pot Sausage, Eggplant and Tomato Casserole INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon Olive Oil 8 Lean Beef Sausages 1 Large White Onion, chopped 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed 2 Eggplant, peeled and chopped 3/4 teaspoon Chili Flakes 2 cups of fresh, diced tomatoes 1 cup Chicken Stock 1/4 cup Flat-Leaf Parsley Leaves, chopped DIRECTIONS  • Heat olive oil in large non-stick skillet over medium heat. • Add beef sausages and sauté 2 to 3 minutes, turning occasionally. Sausage should be evenly browned. • Remove to a plate lined with paper towels. • Add chopped onion, crushed garlic, and eggplant to pan. Cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. • Stir in chili flakes and diced tomatoes. Cook 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. • Add chicken stock and bring to boil. • Spoon eggplant mixture into crock pot. Add sausages. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 hours. • Stir in parsley. Season with pepper. Serve with steamed vegetables. Eggplant, Zucchini, and Tomato Casserole INGREDIENTS 1/2 of one medium sized eggplant, thinly sliced 1 med to large zucchini, thinly sliced 1 large, ripe tomato, thinly sliced 1 medium to large red onion, thinly sliced 16 oz of whole milk ricotta chees 2 eggs Several cloves of garlic, finely minced Fresh rosemary, basil, and oregano or the herbs of your choice Parmesan Cheese, sliced, shredded or grated 1/4 cup red wine  2 tbsp olive oil Whole wheat panko bread crumbs DIRECTIONS  • Preheat Oven to 400 degrees. • Before preparing any of the other vegetables or ingredients, slice and place the eggplant in a bowl of salt water to soak. (approx. 1 tbsp of salt to a quart or so of water) • Next, saute' the red onion in the olive oil, over medium-high heat until onions have carmelized. Deglaze the pan with the red wine. Set onions aside to cool. • Mix ricotta cheese, eggs, garlic, herbs and parmesan cheese together. • Next slice up the zucchini and tomato. • By now your onions should be cool enough to fold into the ricotta mixture. • Drain the salt water off of the eggplant, removing as much of the moisture as possible. • In a large to medium sized, greased casserole dish, add a single layer of eggplant, then tomato and then zucchini. Now, using a spatula, spread a layer of the ricotta mixture - about 1/2 inch or so thick. (this should be about 1/2 of the ricotta mixture) Repeat with another layering of all the vegetables and top with the remaining ricotta. You should have just enough vegetable sllces left to do one combined thin layer. Put them in place and then top the whole thing off with a dusting of Panko bread crumbs. It should be just thick enough to completely cover the layer vegetables). • Bake for aprroximately 45-50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for 15 minutes before serving. • Submitted by Star Bustamonte Red Cabbage INGREDIENTS 1 small red cabbage 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 medium apple, chopped 3 tablespoons of red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon of sugar 1 bay leaf 1 tsp of salt 1/4 tsp pepper DIRECTIONS  • Add cabbage to a large pot of boiling salted water. Boil 1 minute, remove and drain. Pour out water and return cabbage to pot. Add remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. Zucchini Nut Bread INGREDIENTS 3 eggs 1 cup vegetable oil 2 cups of sugar 3 tsp. of vanills 3 cups of all purpose flour 1 tsp. of baking soda 3 tsp. of cinnamon 1 tsp of salt 1/2 tsp of baking powder 1/2 cup of chopped pecans 1/2 cup of coconut flakes 3/4 cup of seedless raisins 2 cups of finally grated organic zucchini DIRECTIONS  • Mix Together the eggs, vegetable oil, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. • Sift Together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and baking powder; then add to the mixture above. Add the nuts, coconut flakes, raisins, and zucchini. Grease and flour two 5x8" loaf pans. • Pour mixture into pans and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove immediately from pans. Fried Green Tomatoes INGREDIENTS 2 eggs 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk 1 tbsp plus 11/2 cups of self rising flour 1/2 plus 1/2 tsp of salt 1/2 plus 1/2 tsp of black pepper two large green tomatoes cut into 1/4" slices vegetable oil for frying DIRECTIONS  • In a bowl, mix together the eggs and buttermilk. Whisk in 1 tbsp of flour, 1/2 tsp of salt, and 1/2 tsp of pepper. Soak the tomato slices in this liquid. Whisk together the remaining flour, salt and pepper. Heat about 1" of vegetable oil to 350 F in a heavy skillet. Dredge the tomato slices, one at a time, in the seasoned flour and shake off any excess. Fry the slices in hot oil....do not crowd. • (Slices should not overlap as they cook) Fry each side until it begins to turn brown - turn in the oil and fry until golden brown and crisp. Drain on a paper towel and salt to taste. • Serves 8-10. Blue Willow Inn recipe More Recipes