Goodness the humidity has been “killing” us over here! I woke up at 3am, soaking wet. We usually cool the room down for 2 hours before we go to bed using our window unit but that did not work last night! It was SO humid! We try to take breaks from our home by going to a coffee shop, which is what we did last night, but after going to 2 different places last night, we were disappointed neither had the free WIFI they advertised, due to issues. Back home we went. This is just ONE example of what we go through. Last summer we did not even have a A/C window unit, so I am SO thankful for ours this year. Thanks John and Kristi!
Onto yummy eats for this week. I accidently made couscous the other evening and have been stuck with it for 2 days. I mentioned I was going to eliminate my gluten eating habits but my ignorance got in the way. I made couscous and ate it for dinner one night and something said it was not gluten-free. I looked it up and kicked myself. I am printing a list of no-no’s for me! I have one more Field Roast sausage to consume and I will be free from my seitan ways. That sounds funny.
Here is the dish I made. A balsamic-glazed portabella mushroom with couscous mixed with Field Roast and black beans and a side of kale salad. So delicious. Now a distant memory.
A few days back I said I would share one of my NEW best buys from William’s Sonoma. My garlic peeler. My voice teacher’s partner had it in his kitchen and I had a chance to use it since I was making a garlic bread. It was FANTASTIC.
I used this this week in my own kitchen to peel garlic for gazpacho. I made the Spanish Gazpacho Soup that I featured a few months ago but eliminated the panko breadcrumbs and added a seeded serrano pepper from my garden. So good!
I accompanied this cold soup with a new dish I created which is SUPER quick and easy. Since I am eliminating pasta (because it is not gluten-free) I decided to make one out of layered grilled veggies. Instead of using tofu ricotta or cheese, I decided to make a thicker hummus to add to each layer. The results? SO good! I have had leftovers for the past 2 days and I have to say that the flavors have time to come together in the fridge. It can be eaten at room temperature or cold, like I ate it for lunch.
You can vary the vegetables and make your own version. Be creative with veggies you do not like and grill them. I decided not to go all raw with this dish, but I could thinly slice my veggies and still use the hummus. That will be for next time.
Grilled Vegetable Lasagna with Parsley Hummus
serves 4
Lasagna Layers
1 zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 eggplant, slice lengthwise
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced in strips
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 Tablespoon coarse sea salt
3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
I placed sliced the eggplant and tossed with sea salt. I let that sit for 30 minutes to reduce bitterness. After the 30 minutes I dabbed the excess water removed from the salt. Toss zucchini, eggplant and red bell pepper in a bowl and add olive oil and white pepper. Grill on stovetop grill pan until slightly softened.
Parlsey Hummus
1-12oz can chickpeas, drained (setting aside 1 TBSP of liquid)
1 Tablespoon raw tahini paste
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon cumin
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup parlsey, packed
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Herbamare (or organic seasoned salt)
Place all items in a food processor and blend well.
Assembly
Using an 8×8 or 9×9 glass pan, layer the bottom of pan with eggplant slices (around 4 slices). Cover with 4 Tablespoons of hummus. Layer with red bell pepper slices then with zucchini slices. Add 4 more Tablespoons of hummus. Repeat process once. Slice in 4 squares and serve. Refrigerates well and lasts 2-3 days.
