Pickled Eggplant

I didn't use to care for eggplant, but now I love it. This is one of my favorite ways to prepare it. I love these pickled slices in sandwiches, especially falafel ones, along with pickled red cabagge (same pickle recipe, just sub the eggplant with thinly sliced red cabagge).

1 medium eggplant, thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence

Divide the eggplant between two medium mason jars (I use the 1-pint size ones).

Place the rest of the ingredients in a large microwaveable dish. Microwave on high for 4 minutes, or until the mixture boils and the sugar dissolves. Pour over the eggplant until it completely submerges the eggplant slices. Put on the lids and park the jars in the fridge. The eggplant will be ready in 2 days. Keeps in the fridge for 2 months.

Easy Weeknight Pasta III: Pasta Primavera

I have been intrigued by this technique I heard about in a foodie podcast of cooking pasta like it was risotto. So I tried it, and ended up with what I think is the easiest weeknight pasta ever.

1 medium onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb small pasta shapes (I used campanelle)
1 cup dry white wine
4 cups vegetable stock, warm
1 cup artichoke heart chunks
1 cup asparagus chunks
1/4 cup fat-free milk
3 tablespoons pesto
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

1- In large pot, heat oil on medium-high heat. Add garlic and saute until slightly browned.

2- Add pasta and saute for a couple of minutes. Add wine and stir, until absorbed by the pasta.

3- Add stock and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring regularly. The pasta will absorb most of the liquid and release enough starch to make a creamy sauce.

4- Turn heat to low, add the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook on low for 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Chocolate Oreo Covered Strawberries

Yum. Please bear in mind that I kinda threw these together, so the amounts are approximate. I did not use the expensive long stemmed strawberries for this. I imagine they are pretty pricey, so I just used regular strawberries that had no stems, and used a fork for dipping. They looked and tasted fancy.

12-15 Oreos
12-15 strawberries (the larger the better)
12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

Crush the oreos with a big mallet or rolling pin and put on a plate. Set aside.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Set aside.

Wash the strawberries. For each strawberry, pat dry with a paper towel, insert fork on the stem end, dip to cover in the melted chocolate, roll on Oreo crumbs to cover, and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet. When all berries are covered, place pan in freezer for about 10 minutes or until chocolate is set.

I know for a fact that the covered berries will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 24 hours. We ate all of ours by then, but I can't imagine they would last fuzz-free much longer than that.