Mandarin Chicken Breasts

Really yummy sweet and sour chicken!

6 (12 oz) chicken breasts, boned
Salt
1 1/2 cups hot cooked rice
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1/4 tsp leaf rosemary, crumbled
1/4 tsp leaf basil, crumbled
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp paprika
2 envelopes instant chicken broth or 2 tsp granulated chicken bouillon
1 3/4 cups water
1 tbsp instant minced onion
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp cornstarch
11 oz can mandarin orange segments, drained
1 cup seedless green grapes

Sprinkle insides of chicken breasts lightly with salt.  Combine rice, 1 tbsp butter, 1/4 tsp salt, parsley, rosemary and basil in a large bowl; toss lightly to mix.  Spoon into hollows in chicken breasts.  Fold edges over stuffing to cover completely; fasten with wooden picks.

Mix flour, paprika and1/2 tsp salt in a pie plate; dip chicken breasts into mixture to coat well.  Brown slowly in remaining 2 tbsp butter in a large frying pan.  Stir in chicken broth, water, onion, lemon juice and bay leaf; heat to boiling.  Cover.  Simmer 25 minutes or until chicken is tender; remove bay leaf.  Place chicken on a heated deep serving platter; keep warm.  Reheat liquid to boiling.

Smooth cornstarch with a little water to a paste in a cup; stir into liquid in frying pan.  Cook, stirring constantly,  until sauce thickens and boils 3 minutes.  Stir in mandarin orange segments and grapes; heat until bubbly.  Spoon over chicken.  Garnish with additional grapes and mandarin orange segments if you wish.  Makes 6 servings.

Toasted Spinach Ravioli

I absolutely loved this recipe.  Using pre made ravioli made it a lot simpler.  From Food and Drink Spring 2015.

2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano, or parmigiano cheese
24 fresh bite size spinach ravioli
1 to 2 cups vegetable oil

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until well combined.
2. In a second medium bowl, stir together bread crumbs, parsley and cheese.
3. Working in batches of 4, dip each ravioli into egg mixture, let excess drip off and place into bread crumbs.  Cover ravioli with bread crumbs and press gently for the crumbs to adhere.  Place breaded ravioli on a baking sheet and continue to bread the rest until all 24 are finished.
4. In a large pot or high sided skillet, heat 1 cup oil over medium heat.  When a bread crumb sizzles in the oil, it is ready.  Place 5 to 6 ravioli into oil.  Cook until lightly golden on each side, about 1 minute per side.  Place cooked ravioli on a paper towel lined plate and continue cooking the remaining ravioli, adding more oil if needed.
5. Serve ravioli warm with the Sun Dried Tomato and Green Olive Dip

SUN DRIED TOMATO AND GREEN OLIVE DIP

1 can (398 ml) diced tomatoes, not drained

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, dried or in oil

1/2 cup pitted green olives

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp sugar

1 whole garlic clove, peeled

1/2 cup water

• Place all ingredients in a small saucepan along with the water.  Cover and bring to boil, reduce heat and let simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
• Let cool slightly and puree in food processor or blender until smooth.  Serve at room temperature.

Classic French Omelette

This is made with a Goose Egg but you can substitute 4 large chicken eggs if Goose is not available.  From Food and Drink Spring 2015.

1 goose egg
1 tsp water
2 tsp each chopped parsley and chives, divided
1/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp herbed Boursin or soft chèvre, crumbled

• Beat egg with water until white and yolk are uniform.  Add 1 tsp each parsley and chives and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat a 10 inch nonstick pan on high heat.  Add butter and swirl pan to melt and coat.  Return pan to heat, and when butter is hot and sizzling, pour in egg mixture and let cook for 10 seconds or until egg has set on the bottom and air bubbles are forming between pan and egg.  Keeping it in direct contact with the burner, swirl pan in a circular motion to allow uncooked egg to move to edges of omelette, until almost all liquid egg is gone.  Sprinkle on half of crumbled cheese then begin jerking the pan towards you to roll omelette over on itself and enclose the cheese.  Immediately turn omelette out onto a serving plate so that the bottom is facing up.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and herbs and serve immediately.

Salmon Fillets with Herb Vinaigrette

Sometimes simple is best and I believe that is the case for this Salmon recipe.  I started barbecuing salmon this year and I love it!  I am not a big fan of fish but have really enjoyed the flavour of fish over the bbq.  The herb vinaigrette enhances the salmon and I used leftover vinaigrette on my salad for work lunches.  Feel free to experiment with the herbs for the vinaigrette..substituting Basil or thyme or whatever you have on hand.  From Food and Drink Summer 2014

4 salmon fillets
2 tsp vegetable oil

VINAIGRETTE
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tbsp chopped chives
2 tbsp grainy mustard
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
2 tsp grated lemon zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
6 cups torn, mixed lettuce

1. If your salmon has skin, rub the skin side with vegetable, otherwise rub both sides with oil.
2. Combine oregano,parsley, chives, grainy mustard, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar.  Whisk in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Remove one quarter of mixture and brush over salmon fillets.  Reserve remainder.
3. Preheat grill to high.  Place fillets, skin side down, on grill, close lid and grill for 7 to 9 minutes or until still slightly pink in the centre.  Grill a few minutes longer to completely cook through if desired.
4. Toss lettuce with remaining vinaigrette, add 1 tbsp at a time until just coated.  With tongs place on 4 plates.
5. Remove fillets from grill.  Place on salad.

Fruit and Almond Couscous

I was a little doubtful of this recipe when I first tried it but I am so glad that I made it.  The dried apricots and almonds really add to the flavour of this dish.  I couldn't find whole wheat couscous so I just used regular couscous.  I don't know if there is much of a difference.  From Fresh Juice Magazine.

1 cup whole wheat couscous
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
Half red onion, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups salt reduced chicken broth
1/4 cup parsley
1/4 cup cilantro or mint
1/4 cup thinly sliced dried apricots
1/4 cup dried cranberries
2 green onions, chopped
Zest of half lemon
2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds

1. Place couscous in large bowl, set aside.
2. In medium saucepan over medium, heat 2 tsp of the oil; add onion.  Cover and cook, stirring until onion is softened, about 4 minutes.  Add broth, increase heat and bring to a boil.
3. Remove from heat and pour over couscous.  Cover and let stand for 5 minutes; fluff with fork.
4. Chop parsley and cilantro until finely chopped and add to couscous.  Stir in remaining oil, apricots, cranberries, green onion, lemon zest and juice and salt.  Sprinkle with almonds; toss until evenly mixed.

Green Beans Gremolata

This recipe also works well with new potatoes, carrots, baby zucchini and broccoli.

500 g Green beans, trimmed
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 tsp grated lemon rind
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

In saucepan of lightly salted boiling water, cook green beans for 5 minutes or until tender crisp; drain well.

Combine parsley, lemon rind and garlic; toss with beans along with oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Potato Salad with Shrimp

Yet another way to do a Potato Salad.  Leave the skins on the potatoes for this one.

500g Small red potatoes (about 6) washed and unpeeled
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped red onion
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 hard cooked egg
175 g cooked shrimp

Dressing:
1/4 cup Ricotta cheese
2 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup milk
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch pepper
1 clove garlic, minced

Dressing:  In blender, combine ricotta and Parmesan cheese, milk, oil, vinegar, Dijon, salt and pepper.  Blend until smooth.  Stir in garlic.

In pot, cover potatoes with cold salted water.  Bring to boil; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or just until tender.  Drain and cut into bite-size chunks.   In bowl, combine potatoes, celery, onion and parsley.  Toss with dressing.  Slice egg; arrange egg and shrimp over salad.

Polenta Lasagna with Roasted Vegetables

A wonderful dish you won't even know is meatless.  Well maybe you will, but you won't care.  From Food and Drink 2011

Roasted Vegetables
1 small whole head garlic
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 each large red and orange sweet pepper seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 each medium yellow and green zucchini, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp each salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups pasta sauce (good quality)

Polenta
2 cups milk
2 cups water
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp salt
1 cup cornmeal
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley

1. For roasted vegetables, preheat oven to 425F.
2. Slice top off head of garlic to expose cloves.  In a large roasting pan, toss together head of garlic, eggplant, sweet peppers, zucchini, onion, olive oil, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered and stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender and just beginning to brown.  Remove roasting pan from oven and set aside.
3. Reduce oven temperature to 400F.
4. When garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze cloves from skins and stir into vegetables.  Discard bay leaves.
5. Spread half of vegetables in a 12 cup baking dish.  Spoon half of pasta sauce over vegetables.
6. For polenta, bring milk, water, lemon zest and slat to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat.  Very gradually add cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking constantly as you do so (don't add cornmeal too quickly or the mixture will be lumpy).  I find it helpful to use a small whisk for this.  
7. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring often and reducing heat further if mixture spatters, for about 8 minutes or until polenta has thickened and is smooth.  Remove from the heat.  Stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese and parsley.
8. Working quickly, spread half of polenta over vegetables.  Top with remaining vegetables and pasta sauce.  Spread remaining polenta evenly overtop.  Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.  Bake uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown.  Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. 

Mushroom Risotto

This is a wonderful dish on its own or with fish or chicken.  From Food and Drink 2003.

1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
8 oz mixed fresh wild mushrooms
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp chopped garlic
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley

RISOTTO
5 cups chicken stock, approx.
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups Carnaroli or arborio rice
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Pour boiling water over dried mushrooms in a bowl and let sit for 30 minutes.  Drain mushrooms and reserve liquid and mushrooms separately.
2. Remove stems from fresh mushrooms and slice.  Heat oil and butter in skillet over medium high heat.  Add garlic and sliced mushrooms.  Saute until mushrooms exude their liquid.  Season with salt, pepper and chopped parsley.  Leave in skillet for reheating.
3. To make risotto, bring stock to simmer on stove.  Heat oil and 1 tbsp butter in a heavy pot on medium heat.  Add onion and saute for 3 minutes or until softened.  Add rice and saute until rice is coated with oil.
4. Pour in wine and simmer steadily until wine is absorbed.  Pour in mushroom soaking liquid and dried mushrooms and cook, stirring until most of liquid is absorbed.  Add 1 cup of stock, stirring until most is absorbed.  Continue to add stock in 1 cup quantities, stirring most of the time until rice is creamy with a slight bite in the centre, about 18 to 20 minutes.  Reheat mushrooms and stir into rice.
5. Remove from heat, stir in remaining 1 tbsp butter and Parmesan cheese.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Red Rice Salad with Red Wine Vinegar

This is a favourite!  I had never tried red rice (Wehani) before and I really enjoyed it.  The rice is a little chewy, which makes it perfect for a salad.  Sprinkle some goat cheese on top for extra flavour.  From Food & Drink 2005.

3 cups water
2 cups red rice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper
1/22 cup pitted, slivered black olives
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup diced cucumber
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (I left this out - not a dill fan)
2 tbsp chopped parsley

1. Bring a pot of water to boil.  Sprinkle in rice and bring back to boil.  Cover rice, reduce heat to low and steam for 35 to 45 minutes or until rice is tender but slightly chewy and water has been absorbed.  Remove from heat and keep covered for 5 minutes.
2. Whisk together oil and red wine vinegar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Toss half of the dressing with rice and let cool
3. When rice has cooled, combine it with olives, green onions, cucumber, pine nuts, dill and parsley.  Toss with remaining dressing.

Creamy Grilled Potato and Mushroom Salad

A great accompaniment to any BBQ dinner!  I love baby spinach and it works wonderfully in this salad!

2 lb (1kg) baby potatoes, halved
500g button mushrooms, trimmed
1/2 cup Diana Sauce, Original Flavour (or your favourite BBQ sauce)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander or parsley
1 red pepper, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
3 cups baby spinach leaves

1. Cook the potatoes in a large pot of boiling salted water for 10 minutes or just until fork tender.  Drain and rinse under cold, running water.  Transfer to a large bowl.  Add the mushrooms.
2. Preheat the grill to medium high.  Stir 2 tbsp of the sauce with the vegetable oil.  Gently toss the potatoes and mushrooms with the oil mixture, salt and pepper.  Transfer to a grilling basket or line the grate with perforated grilling foil.  Grill for 20 minutes, turning often until well marked.  Cool to room temperature.
3. Stir the remaining sauce with the mayonnaise and coriander.  Toss the potatoes, mushrooms, red pepper, onions and spinach with the mayonnaise mixture.  Serve at room temperature or cool.   Makes 10 to 12 servings.  

Twist-O-Caraway Sticks

Fun an easy appetizer

1 beaten egg
1 tbsp water
1 tsp country style Dijon mustard
3/4 cup shredded swiss cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 tsp snipped parsley
1 1/2 tsp caraway seed
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/2 of a 17 1/4 oz frozen puff pastry (1 sheet) thawed

In a small bowl combine egg, water and mustard; set aside.  In a medium bowl stir together cheese, onion, parsley, caraway seed and garlic salt.  Unfold pastry sheet.  Brush generously with the egg mixture.  Sprinkle cheese mixture lengthwise over half of the rectangle.  Fold plain half over cheese, lining up edges and pressing to seal.  Brush top of pastry with egg mixture.  With a sharp knife, cut pastry crosswise into 1/2 inch wide strips.  Twist each strip several times and place 1 inch apart on a greased baking sheet, pressing ends down.  Bake in a 350 oven for 18 to 20 minutes or till light brown.  Serve warm.

Italian Sausage Lasagna

A lot of flavour here!

Preparation time:  45 minutes
Cooking time:  50 minutes
Baking time: 40 minutes
Makes:  8 servings

12 lasagna noodles (not oven ready noodles)
3 onions
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
4 crushed garlic cloves
5 1/2 oz can tomato paste
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 tsp dried leaf basil or 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 cup red wine
2 (28oz) cans whole tomatoes, including juice
2 lbs (1kg) Italian sausage
2 sweet peppers
2 zucchini
1 cup grated Asiago cheese about 125 g
1 cup grated mozzarella cheese, about 125 g

1. Cook lasagna noodles in a large pot of salted boiling water, according to package directions, until al dente, about 12 to 14 minutes.  Drain noodles and rinse under cold water.  Lay wet pasta in a single layer on waxed paper.  Cover with another piece of waxed paper.
2. Meanwhile, finely chop onions.  Heat oil in a large saucepan set over medium-low heat.  Add onions, parsley and garlic.  Cook, stirring occasionally , until onions are soft, about 10 minutes.  Do not let onions brown.
3. Stir in tomato paste and seasonings.   Continue stirring mixture for 2 more minutes.  Stir in red wine.  Add tomatoes and juice, breaking up tomatoes into bite-size pieces.
4. Cover and bring to a boil over medium and simmer, uncovered, stirring often, for about 30 minutes.  This sauce can be made up to 2 days before preparing and baking lasagna.
5. Meanwhile, pierce sausage casings several times.  Place whole sausages in a large frying pan set over medium heat.  Cook, turning often until well browned, about 15 minutes.  Cut sweet peppers into 1 inch pieces and slice zucchini into 1/4 inch rounds.
6. Cut cooked Italian sausages into large bite size pieces.  Stir sausage pieces, sweet peppers and zucchini into simmering sauce.
7. Preheat oven to 350F.  Lightly coat bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking pan with about 1 cup sauce.  Arrange a single layer of noodles over sauce.  Spoon one third of sauce over noodles.  Sprinkle with one third of asiago cheese.  Repeat layers twice.  Top lasagna with mozzarella cheese.
8. Bake immediately or cover and refrigerate.  Lasagna can be refrigerated for up to 1 day.  Bring to room temperature before baking.  Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven until golden, about 40 to 45 minutes.  Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Quick Chili

1 1/2 lbs (750 g) round or sirloin steak
1 to 2 tbsp butter or olive oil
4 onions, chopped
6 large crushed garlic cloves
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp each of cinnamon and dried leaf oregano
1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper
1/4 tsp cloves or allspice
28 oz can diced tomatoes
7 oz can tomato sauce
10 oz can beef broth, plus 1/2 cup water
6 sweet bell peppers, preferably red, green and yellow
1 bunch fresh coriander or parsley
2 (19oz) cans red kidney beans, drained

• Cut steak into 1/2 in cubes.  Melt butter in a large wide saucepan set over medium high heat.  Add meat and stir often until browned.  Add onions, garlic and seasonings.  Stir frequently until onions have softened, about 5 min.  Stir in tomatoes, sauce, broth and water.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until beef is tender, about 20 to 30 min.  Stir often.  Meanwhile, coarsely chop peppers and coriander.  When beef is tender, stir into chili along with beans.  Taste and add salt if you wish.   Continue cooking, uncovered, until peppers are cooked as you like, about 10 to 15 min.  Chili can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen.

Pork and Sweet Peppers on Noodles

1 lb (500g) boneless pork loin

2 tbsp sweet paprika, divided

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp butter, divided

2 sweet peppers (red, yelllow, green or orange) cut into thin strips

1 onion, halved and thinly sliced

1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth or stock, divided

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cups milk

8 oz extra broad egg noodles

1/2 cup plain yogurt not fat free

Chopped fresh parsley

1. Trim off fat from pork and cut across the grain into 1/4 inch thick strips.  In a bowl, sprinkle pork with half of the paprika and 1/4 tsp each, salt and pepper.  In a large skillet, melt half of the butter over medium high heat.  Brown pork strips in three batches, adding more of the butter as necessary; transfer to a clean bowl.
2. Reduce heat to medium.  Melt remaining butter in skillet; add sweetpeppers, onion, remaining paprika and 1/4 cup of the broth to a skillet and saute for about 3 min or until onion is softened.  Stir in remaining broth.  Whisk flour into milk and stir into skillet, increase heat to medium high; bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping up any brown bits stuck to pan.  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, for about 5 min or until sauce is thickened.
3. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook noodles for about 6 min or until tender but firm.  Drain well.  Return pork and accumulated juices to sauce.  Simmer, stirring often for 2 min or until just of pink remains in pork.  Remove from heat, stir yogurt, then stir into sauce.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Divide noodles among serving bowls; spoon sauce on top and sprinkle with parsley.

Grilled Sausage and Wheat Berry Salad

This is the first time I have tried Wheat Berries and I have to say they are wonderful!  A little chewy but I really like them.  They are wheat kernels with the outer hull removed.  An excellent source of dietary fibre and are available at the bulk food store.

4 bratwurst sausages - or turkey sausage
1 cup wheat berries
1 cup diced red peppers
1 cup diced, peeled carrots
1 cup diced cucumber
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

On greased grill preheated to medium high, grill sausages, turning often, until cooked through - about 15 minutes.  Let cool slightly; slice and set aside.

While the sausages are grilling, cook wheat berries in a large pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, until softened - about 40 minutes.  Drain.  Combine in a large bowl with red peppers, carrots, cucumber, green onion, salt, pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  Toss gently to combine.  Add sausage and parsley, and toss again.

Parsley Pesto

Pesto is a sure way to add flavour to a meal with a minimum of salt.

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley

2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup skin on almonds, preferably toasted

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup freshly grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

1. Place parsley, garlic, almonds, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until coarsely pureed.  With machine running, slowly pour oil through the feed tube until mixture is pureed.  Whirl in cheese until mixed.  Taste and add additional salt if needed.

No Fuss Mexican Layered Dip

Perfect for watching Football!

1 pkg light cream cheese

1 tbsp taco seasoning mix

1 cup salsa

1 cup drained canned black beans, rinsed

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1 cup cheddar shredded

1 cup shredded lettuce

2 tbsp sliced ripe olives

1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro or parsley

baked tortilla chips

Beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy.  Add seasoning mix; beat until well blended.  Spread on a shallow 9 inch dish.  Layer remaining ingredients over cream cheese mixture; cover

Refrigerate at least 1 hour.  For easier dipping, remove from fridge 20 min before serving.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Eggplant with Goat Cheese and Fire-Roasted Tomato

A delicious starter.  I have never been a great fan of eggplant, but this changed my mind!

*Preheat oven to 350F

Salt
1 large eggplant, sliced into 8 rounds, about 1/2 inch thick
All purpose flour
1 cup olive oil
4 oz (125 g) goat cheese
2 tbsp finely diced roasted yellow bell pepper
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 jar Fire Roasted Tomato and garlic pasta sauce
Additional chopped fresh parsley, optional

• Lightly salt eggplant rounds and let stand for 30 minutes.  Pat dry and then lightly toss in flour.  Remove and set aside.
• In a saucepan, heat 6 tbsp oil over medium high heat and fry 3 to 4 eggplant rounds at a time, cooking until both sides are golden, adding more oil when required.  Place cooked eggplant on paper towel-lined trays to absorb excess oil.
• In a small bowl, combine goat cheese, roasted pepper and parsley.
• Spread pasta sauce on baking dish.  Place 4 eggplant slices on sauce and evenly cover each with the goat cheese mixture.  Top with remaining eggplant slices.
• Bake uncovered in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.  Serve eggplant rounds with sauce and top with a sprinkle of chopped parsley if desired.

**Eggplant can also be grilled

Pumpkin "Ravioli" tossed with Bacon and Parsley

This is a bit fussy and I was nervous about using the pumpkin, but wow I loved it!  Admittedly I do love squash and the pumpkin had a great fall flavour.  Making the ravioli's takes a bit of time.  Got this out of Food and Drink Autumn 2011.

"Ravioli"
1 tbsp butter
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1 cup canned unsweetened pur pumpkin
1/2 tsp dried sage leaves, crumbled
1/4 tsp salt
pinches each nutmeg and pepper
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup extra smooth ricotta cheese
2 eggs
about 2/3 of a 400 g pkg wonton wrappers

Sauce
4 strips bacon, thinly sliced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chopped parsley
pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan for serving

1. Melt butter in  large frying pan over medium heat.  Add onion and stir just until tender, about 3 minutes.  Add pumpkin and seasonings.  Cook, stirring frequently, until pumpkin loses some of its moisture and flavours develop, about 5 minutes.  Remove from heat, turn into a bowl and cool completely.  Stir in cheeses then 1 egg until well blended.
2. Whisk remaining egg with 1 tbsp water.  It's easiest to work with about 10 wonton wrappers at a time.  Spoon 1 heaping tsp filling in centre of each wrapper.  Brush edges with egg mixture.  Pick up wrapper and fold together, pressing out excess air to form a triangle and enclose filling.  Squeeze edges tightly to seal.  Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers and filling (freeze any leftover wrappers).
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil to cook ravioli.  Meanwhile in a large wide pan or frying pan, cook bacon until fairly crispy.  Keep warm.  Add ravioli to boiling water.  Cook until tender, 4 to 5 minutes.  Drain very well.  Add butter to bacon in pan, stirring until melted.  Then add ravioli, parsley and pepper.  Stir very gently to coat, serve with additional Parmesan.

Serves 4