Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred Thirty-Six (Vegan Eggplant-Chick Pea Stew, Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice)

This is one of my favorite VEGAN recipes.  It is adapted from “A Taste of Lebanon” by Mary Salloum. 

While there is not an ounce of spelt in this recipe, the Middle Eastern treat of combining cinnamon and olive oil surfaces not only in this delicious recipe but also in our Cinnamon Raisin Royale Spelt Right Bagels.

Eggplant-Chick Pea Stew (Bitinjan mah Hommous)

Ingredients:

1 large onion (finely to coarsely chopped)

1/4-1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 16 ounce can of organic chic peas (garbanzo beans)(rinsed and drained)

3 1/2 cups of water

1 large eggplant

1 1/2 teaspoons of sea salt

1/4 teaspoon of pepper

1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/4  cup of tomato paste

Place onions and oil in saucepan.  Cook until onions are golden brown.  Add drained chick peas and water.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes.

Peel eggplant and cut into 1 inch cubes.  Add to chick pea mixture.  Add seasonings and tomato paste.  Cover and cook for 20-25 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally until eggplant is tender.  May be served hot or cold.  Serve with brown rice.

I make my brown rice, by sautéing 2-3 gloves of garlic (mashed with about 1/2 teaspoon of salt) in about 3 TBL of olive oil, added 1 cup of brown rice and continuing sautéing until rice is slightly crisp.  Then add 2 cups of hot to boiling water.  Bring rice to boil, then lower heat and let simmer until done (about 1/2 hour).  Watch carefully because it might need more water.

This was a perfect easy dish after a busy Sunday doing a demo of Spelt Right Pizza at the Whole Foods in Portland.

It is possible, yet sometimes challenging, to make great meals for your kids despite a busy schedule.  While this may not look like a meal enjoyed by kids, my 9 year old devoured it with the request for a second helping.

Hope you enjoy this as much as we do.  PS, the wine is for me, not the kid.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred and Twenty-Eight (Kick-Ass Pizza)

OK, this might not be the proper vernacular for a mommy-type blog, but I just have to say it.  Spelt Right makes a kick ass pizza dough - and Whole Foods Portland makes a super kick ass - pesto pizza with Spelt Right dough known as the Penobscot.

This is so good it should be illegal!  

Having just delivered a boat load of spelt pizza dough to Whole Foods, I was inspired to order a pizza on the way home after running errands.

The picture Tim took is a little bizarre.  It makes the pizza look like it is glowing.  Could this pizza  possibly have a divine purpose?  Is radioactive?  Or is it simply just kick-ass?  In my humble opinion ----- a little of each.

Divine Kick Ass Spelt Pizza from Whole Foods - Portland

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day One-Hundred-One (The Good Egg Rocks!)

 We have been so busy growing Spelt Right that we have little time to make creative foods with our own meals.  Thank goodness for class act restaurants like the Pepper Club/Good Egg...and good friends like Mary.  Each time I drop off bagels, Mary and I have a nice chat about the workings of business...the joys, the challenges...you know the scoop.   We also sometimes discuss JUST FOOD.  On one trip, Mary and I were discussing ways to serve our wonderful Spelt Right Rosemary Focaccia with a Good Egg Special Breakfast.  Mary came up with the perfect combination:

Pepperclub/Good Egg Cafe Special: Scrambled eggs with red onion and Romesco (roasted red pepper, garlic, almond and smoked paprika and olive oil) AND a split and toasted SPELT RIGHT Focaccia! 

More focaccia will be delivered on Wednesday.....Special to start again on Thursday.... 


Picture to follow......in the meantime, here is a link to the Pepper Club/Good Egg Cafe

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Fifty-Eight (Tuna Salad on Grilled Spelt Bread - Whole Foods Style)

Thank you Whole Foods, Portland (Maine, that is)!   I was on my way home but decided to take a quick detour to Whole Foods.  There was something wildly magnetic pulling me there.  Perhaps, my credit card?

I was getting some sliced turkey and the woman helping me asked me if I had a sister in Seattle.  "Nope, I said, but I betcha she is Lebanese."  There is a strong ethnic resemblance among many of us - relative or not.  Her co-worker then began assisting me and I said, "So, do I look like someone you know too?"  "Nope," he said, "but you do look familiar.  Do you work here?"  I explained that I am around a lot because I am "THE SPELT LADY".  "Ohhhh, the Spelt Lady?"  Well, he said, "I've got something to show you.  Check out these great sandwiches that we make with your Spelt Right pizza dough.  We take balls of the dough and grill them and make these great sandwiches."   The spelt sandwich of the day was tuna salad, baby spinach and tomato.  

Despite not needing dinner (Spencer was working on some tofu creation at home), I bought one for a photo op.  Glad I did.   One word?  Delicious!  One piece of advice?  Head out to Whole Foods - Portland, Maine and get yourself a sandwich made with grilled SPELT dough.  Second piece of advice?  Just buy a Spelt Right dough and try it at home - you might need a panini maker.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Fifty (Dinner Out at the Pepper Club!)

I had every intention of making some great meal today for my family with Spelt Right Pizza dough.   Only there were a few stumbling blocks - or perhaps, a few thousand stumbling blocks (or bagels that is) that needed to be made and packaged (thank you Kip and crew).  Also, it didn't help that I forgot to thaw out a pizza dough.

My bi-weekly delivery of Everything Emma bagels to the Pepper Club in Portland, Maine gave me a novel idea.  Eat at the Pepper Club and give yourself a break.  What a great place, incredible food, and a wonderful deal. $21 price fixed for appetizer, salad, entree and dessert.  Everything at the Pepper Club is made with the best ingredients and with such care under the supervision of the owners Mary and Eddie.

Appetizer: Carrot and almond (??) soup.  Can't remember the details, but it was DELICIOUS. 

Entree: Almond encrusted salmon, brown rice, mesclun greens, and house made dressing (EXCELLENT, and I was even kind enough to save some for the kids whom we left at home :)!)




Dessert: House Made Key Lime Pie (Need I say more??)  This fine dessert was devoured on site and none made it home to the kids.


My review?  Five Stars.

Tomorrow night back home to the dough.

Kids are responsible for the recipe though as Mom will be back to her stumbling blocks.

Lunch Box Chronicles: Day Forty-Three (Rosario's Pesto and Spelt Right Pizza Dough)

I was foraging in Whole Foods - Portland, MAINE trying to drum up some ideas for the Lunch Box Chronicles. Lucky for me, I ran into Rosario (I have no idea his last name) who who was sampling his wheat pizza dough and pesto sauce that he sells at Whole Foods and stores from Damariscotta, Maine to Portland, Maine. I asked Rosario if it was alright if I tested some of his pesto on Spelt Right dough and he was willing. I purchased some pesto along with some other ingredients to test on other recipes (Fig Paste (see Day Forty-Two Post) and Whole Foods In-House Made Mediterranean Salsa (will be posted tomorrow).

The result with Rosario's Pesto? Delicious! It made the crust crispy and flavorful.

Ingredients: One Spelt Right Pizza Dough (thawed and fully risen), Rosario's Pesto Sauce.

Preheat oven to 400-450. I used a pizza stone, but you can use a baking pan. Stretch or roll out pizza dough, spread Rosario's Pesto Sauce. Bake until done. Yum!! Two thumbs up!!

As a variation, I also added goat cheese, sliced grape tomatoes, and caramelized onions to one of the pies.