Wouldn’t life be wonderful?  It certainly would be easier than giving up guacamole just to be skinny!

Ingredients For The Diet Guacamole Recipe

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 avocado, peeled and chopped
• Grated rind and juice of 1 lime
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1 green chili, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon very finely chopped onion
• 1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
• Salt and ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• Paprika

How To Make The Diet Guacamole Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 425F
2. Prick the eggplant all over, then place on a cookie sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes, until the skin is wrinkled and blistered, and the flesh is tender
3. Turn once or twice during cooking
4. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to cool completely
5. Peel the eggplant, then chop into small pieces
6. Blend to a fairly smooth paste in a blender or food processor, then turn into a small bowl
7. Toss the avocado in the lime juice, then add to the eggplant with the remaining ingredients
8. Stir carefully until well combined
9. Season generously with salt and pepper, then drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with paprika
10. Serve in a small bowl with tortilla chips or warm toast

This diet guacamole recipe really does make a very tasty dip.  And the eggplant adds a great texture.

What good would a healthy cracked wheat salad recipe be if you didn’t have a full understanding of what cracked wheat was all about? 

Cracked wheat is made from whole raw wheat kernels which are crushed or cut into smaller pieces.  Cracked wheat is made from whole wheat berries, so you can be assured that it is very nutritious.

Ingredients For The Cracked Wheat Salad Recipe

• 1 cup cracked wheat
• 1 1/2 cups finely diced cucumber
• 2 large tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 eggplant, sliced, then slices halved
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

How To Make The Cracked Wheat Salad Recipe

1. Place the cracked wheat in a bowl and just cover with cold water
2. Leave to stand for 20-30 minutes, until the wheat has absorbed all the water
3. Turn into a fine nylon strainer, and press out any surplus water with the back of a large spoon
4. Place in a large bowl and add the cucumber and tomato
5. Heat the oil in a skillet and add the onion, eggplant and cinnamon
6. Cook until browned on all sides, then remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon
7. Season the cracked wheat well, then add the raisins
8. Add the vinegar to any oil remaining in the pan, season lightly then pour over the wheat
9. Add the chives and parsley and mix well
10. Arrange the onion and eggplant on top of the salad before serving

Some people might call this a “bulgur wheat salad recipe”.  Wondering what the difference is?

Bulgur wheat is made from wheat kernels that are steamed and toasted before cracking.  This gives the wheat a rich nutty flavor.

And you know us….We love nutty!

Let us know how much you loved this cracked wheat salad recipe.

While you might not immediately put salad and mint together maybe you should.  It tastes pretty darn good.

Ingredients For The Mint Salad Recipe with Yogurt

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 cup fruity olive oil
• 1 large eggplant, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
• 1 cup plain yogurt
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

How To Make The Mint Salad Recipe With Yogurt

1. Heat a large skillet over a moderate heat, then add the cumin seeds and dry-fry for 30 seconds or so, until fragrant and just starting to pop
2. Transfer to a saucer and set aside
3. Heat the oil in the skillet, then add the eggplant slices and fry on both sides until lightly browned and tender
4. Do not be tempted to add more oil as some will run from the eggplant as it cooks
5. Remove the slices from the skillet with a slotted spoon and allow to cool a little, then place them in a shallow dish, sprinkle with the cumin, garlic, and mint and leave until cold
6. Spoon on the yogurt and season well, then toss together gently
7. Serve lightly chilled

Instead of potato salad with mint you should try this eggplant mint salad.  The textures and tastes are unique and you will certainly surprise you dinner or lunch guests with a dish that they won’t get to eat everyday.

As usual we are very interested in what you thought of our mint salad recipe with yogurt.  If you can improve on our recipe let us know.

I was wrong.  This recipe for fennel salad was too much for Jordan to resist.  She actually went into the kitchen and made it.

Ingredients For The Eggplant Fennel Salad Recipe

• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced, feathery leaves reserved for garnish
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 3/4 cup walnut pieces
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1 tomato, skinned, seeded and chopped
• 1 tablespoon torn fresh basil leaves
• Basil sprigs, to garnish

How To Make the Eggplant Fennel Salad Recipe

1. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and add the fennel and onion
2. Cook until just soft but not browned, about 5-8 minutes
3. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a salad bowl
4. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet, then stir in the walnut pieces and fry them for about 2 minutes, until crisp and browned but not burnt
5. Remove the nuts from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels
6. Place the nuts in a bowl, sprinkle with salt, and toss until well coated and cool
7. Add 4 tablespoons of oil to the skillet, then add the eggplant and fry over a moderate heat until tender and browned on all sides
8. Remove from the pan and add to the fennel and onion
9. Add the remaining oil to the skillet with the red wine vinegar and a little salt and pepper
10. Heat, stirring, until the dressing is simmering, then pour over the vegetables in the bowl
11. Toss lightly, then leave to cool for 10-15 minutes
12. When salad is still just slightly warm, add the salted walnuts, chopped tomato, and basil
13. Leave until cold, then serve garnished with fennel leaves and sprigs

We watched the soap opera and really enjoyed this eggplant fennel salad recipe.  Just goes to show you can eat healthy and watch TV all at the same time.

Many people are afraid to tackle a walnut raisin bread thinking it will be too difficult.  But I’m here to tell you this bread is easy and simple to pull together.  A good walnut raisin bread recipe does not have to be difficult and I assure you that this one is not.

Ingredients For Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread

• 1/2 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon dried fast acting yeast
• 1 1/2 cups tepid water
• 4 cups strong white bread flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons walnut oil
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts

Ingredients For Filling

1. 1 large eggplant, finely sliced
2. 1 onion, finely sliced
3. 3-4 Tablespoons walnut oil
4. 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5. 3 tablespoons seedless raisins
6. Salt and pepper

How To Make Cinnamon Raisin Walnut Bread Recipe

1. Crumble the fresh yeast into 1 1/2 cups warm water and leave for 3 to 4 minutes, then stir until dissolved.  If using dried yeast, mix with the flour.  Mix the flours and salt together in a large bowl, then add the yeast liquid, or water if using dried yeast, and mix to a dough.
2. Turn out onto a floured surface and punch down for 10 minutes, until the dough is elastic in texture.  Return the dough to the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.  Heat the walnut oil in a pan, add the eggplant and onion and cook with the cinnamon until browned on all sides.  Stir in the raisins, then season with salt and pepper and allow to cool completely.
4. Knock back the dough and reshape it, then return it to the  bowl and leave covered for a further 30 minutes in a warm place.
5. Lightly flour a cookie sheet.  Knock the dough back again, then knead in the chopped walnuts and divide the dough into 3 pieces.  Roll the dough into 3 circles about 8 inches in diameter.  Place one circle on the floured cookie sheet, top with half the filling then repeat the layers again, finishing with the last piece of dough.  Seal the edges of the dough together with a little water, then cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes to rise again. 
6. Preheat oven to 475F
7. Bake the bread on the cookie sheet in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until browned and well risen.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.  Serve with a tomato and feta cheese salad.

Cinnamon Bread

Cinnamon bread has that “at home” quality to it.  No matter where you are at or what you are doing the aroma of cinnamon sugar or one of the many of the cinnamon recipes that are around will have you thinking of home and good times.

This bread can also be eaten as part of a hearty breakfast.  We have used it several times to make French toast.  It is also not unheard of to heat the bread up and top it off with some fruit.  You should let bread baking be a lost art in other people’s kitchens, not in yours. 

Homemade Bread Recipe

I’m not sure who was the first person to put walnut and raisin bread together, but whoever came up with it is a culinary genius.  As an added bonus this homemade bread recipe also contains sliced eggplant.  While not necessary an eggplant recipe it a very healthy bread that contains whole wheat .  Nothing tastes as good or fills the kitchen with better smells than freshly baked bread.  And once you have cooked this cinnamon raisin walnut bread recipe I am confident it will become a tradition in your house.

It is no mistake that this savory roast cream has eggplant as one of its ingredients.  Eggplant is tasty and has a unique texture that is perfect for this cream.

Ingredients For The Orange Duck Cream

• 2 eggplants
• Grated rind and juice of 1 large orange
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup fragrant Spanish olive oil

How To Make Savory Roast Cream

1. Cook the eggplants over a BBQ, under broiler, or in a hot oven until the skin is wrinkled and blistered and the flesh is tender
2. Turn once or twice while cooking
3. Cover with a damp cloth and leave for about 10 minutes to cool
4. Peel the eggplants, then chop the flesh roughly
5. Place in a blender or liquidizer with all the remaining ingredients and blend to a thick paste, seasoning well with salt and pepper
6. Serve a dip, with vegetables or olive bread, or as a sauce with duckling, either hot or cold

We hope you enjoy this eggplant orange duck cream or savory roast cream.  Remember you can use this cream as a dip or with a duckling.

The ingredient list includes basil sprigs but this is not a low fat pesto cream sauce.  Low fat basil pesto does not having anything to do with cream sauce.

Ingredients For The Low Fat Pesto Recipe

• 1 large eggplant
• 1 large handful of fresh basil leaves
• 2-3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Freshly cooked pasta, to serve
• Parmesan shavings and basil sprigs, to garnish

How To Make The Low Fat Pesto Recipe

1. Cook the eggplant over a BBQ, under a broiler, or in a hot oven until the skin is wrinkled and blistered and the flesh is tender
2. Turn once or twice during cooking
3. Cover with a damp cloth and leave to cool for about 10 minutes, then peel off skin
4. Blend all the remaining ingredients together in a blender or food processor, then add the eggplant and blend again
5. Season to taste
6. Serve tossed with freshly cooked pasta

Cooking eggplant on the BBQ is one of the best kept secrets in the culinary world.  Whatever you cook on the BBQ comes out tasting so good that it is hard to resist seconds.

Enjoy this low fat pesto recipe with pasta and you might never go back to eating the same bland food again!

Today we have for you an easy oven baked pork chop recipe that has been time tested and hunger approved!  Pork chops is a mainstay for most people in the USA and this recipe in particular will satisfy.

Ingredients To Cook A Pork Chop In The Oven

• 6 pork chops, about 3/4 inch thick
• 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon snipped parsley
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• Dash pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 6 small carrots, pared and halved lengthwise
• 6 small potatoes, pared and halved
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

Directions For The Easy Oven Baked Pork Chop Recipe

1. Trim fat from chops
2. Heat fat in skillet
3. When above 2 tablespoons melted fat accumulates, remove trimmings
4. Combine flour, salt, dash pepper, and garlic salt
5. Dip chops in mixture
6. Brown chops well, about 15 minutes per side
7. In 3 quart casserole, combine water and next 5 ingredients
8. Sprinkle carrots and potatoes generously with salt; place in the liquid
9. Arrange chops atop; add onion slices.
10. Cover
11. Bake at 350F for 1 1/4 hours or till vegetables and meat are tender.
12. Baste once or twice
13. Skim off excess fat; remove bay leaf
14. Trim with parsley
15. Serves 6

This easy oven baked pork chop recipe is not just for Sunday dinner.  It can be enjoyed any day of the week by the whole family.  And if you don’t think the 1/4 cup of dry sherry makes a big difference in the taste of this dish wait till you try it.

With this homemade salsa you don’t get all of the high calories that come with most types of salsa.  When put together, our recipe for homemade salsa had 2 strict guidelines we stuck with.  One was to make the salsa healthy.  Luckily for us eggplant is one of the more healthy foods you can eat, and two we wanted the salsa to taste really good.  Try it out for yourself and you’ll agree with us that number two can be declared mission accomplished.

Ingredients For Eggplant Salsa with Roasted Mustard Seed

• 1 tablespoon white mustard seeds
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 1 large orange
• 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 4 scallions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cucumber, cut into 1/4 inch dice
• 2 rings of pineapple, cut into chunks
• Slat and pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

How To Make Eggplant Salsa with Roasted Mustard Seed

1. Heat a large skillet over a medium heat, then add the mustard seeds and dry fry for about 30 seconds, until they are just fragrant.  Turn into a salad bowl.
2. Heat the oil in the skillet, add the eggplant and cook until lightly browned and tender.  Transfer the eggplant to the salad bowl with a slotted spoon and leave until cold.
3. Pare the rind from the orange and add it to the bowl, then peel and chop the fruit.  Add the orange to the eggplant with the remaining ingredients and season.  Add the parsley to the bowl, then allow to stand for 30 minutes before serving.

The roasted mustard seed in the eggplant salsa not only adds flavor to the finished dish but also gives it a special texture.

The kid that can be found in all of us starts to salivate when fruit is stuffed into any food.  But when baked stuffed pork chops has fruit inside of them then all heck is going to break loose on the culinary front.

Ingredients For Fruit Stuffed Pork Chops

• 8 double rib pork chops-with pockets cut in them
• 2 cups small dry bread cubes
• 1 cup finely chopped unpared apple
• 1 cup shredded sharp American cheese
• 1/4 cup light raisins
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine-melted
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

How To Cook Fruit Stuffed Pork Chops

1. Sprinkle salt & pepper over the 8 double rib pork chops
2. Combine the bread cubes, apple, cheese, light raisins, butter, orange juices, salt, and cinnamon.
3. Stuff the combination into the pockets of the chops
4. Press edges of pockets together to seal
5. Bake at 350F for 1 1/2 hours or until the chops are tender
6. Serves up to 8

Let us know how you enjoyed this fruit stuffed pork chops recipe and if you made any changes to it.