CUISINE
Lighten Up, It’s Spring!
By Tina Miller Photography by Alison Shaw
As I lumber out of winter like a bear from a cave and head towards spring, I look forward to the brighter, longer days. My energy increases, and I become overly excited by a 50-degree day.
Spring is a shoulder season, a transition time here on the Vineyard. Like elves before the big day, Vineyarders gear up for the inevitable on-slought of summer. This is when 100,000 people get the taste the sweet life for a day, a weekend or a month on the Vineyard.
Before the big months, we plant our seeds, hire and train our help, order our merchandise and visualize the season ahead. Along with that vision, we see ourselves in shorts, bathing suits and flip-flops.
This is a good time to lighten our menu as well. Though I am not big believer in diets, we do eat seasonally and lighter in July than in February. In winter, our bodies tell us we need more fat to stay warm. With spring’s slow progress we can start to eat lighter without giving up our favorites.
Sometimes I feel like this country is conflicted about food. We eat too much, so we go extreme and drop food completely. We torture ourselves on all meat, high protein, no carb diet, or no fats, or the fabulous maple syrup and cayenne pepper fast.
All of this can play tricks on your metabolism, and when you deprive, you tend to indulge because you “deserve it.” Food is not the enemy; what we choose, and how we treat food, can be the problem. In a world of instant gratification, eating better and smarter does take more time, especially at the beginning when you are learning about what’s good and what is not. You actually have to spend time shopping and reading some labels and paying attention.
Once you are in the groove, it becomes common sense. Just be smart and eat whole foods, eat the right foods, and eat less of it. Look at food and ask, “what can you do for me?”
Eat lean meats, whole grains, plenty of fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts and yogurt. The kiss of death to me are so called diet foods that have you eating frozen dinners, and frozen desserts, and who only knows where and how that stuff is made.
It is important to know your food, better yet – where it came from. By shopping and cooking for yourself, you control all of this.
It is about lifestyle and changing the way you look at food and shop. Instead of cutting out your favorites and your comfort food, think about changing how you make them.
For spring I am going to get started with some classic favorites, done in a lighter, healthier style. So love yours too – just lighter versions. Believe it or not, summer is coming.
eggplant lasagna with chicken sausage and basil
Serves 6
With other pasta dishes I have been able to use whole-wheat pasta, which has more fiber, digests slower and tends to fill you up with less. I have not found anything to use for lasagna, and let’s face it, traditional lasagna is rich. And not that I am counting calories, but it’s full of fat. This version is really tasty and satisfying. It’s important to be sure when you broil
the eggplant it’s soft and cooked through.
Preheat broiler, then oven to 375
TOMATO SAUCE WITH CHICKEN SAUSAGE
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb Italian chicken sausage, raw, casing removed
1 med. Onion, dice, about 1 cup
3 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 - 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
salt & pepper
FOR LASAGNA
2 ½ lbs eggplant, 2 big long ones
¼ cup olive oil
salt & pepper
1 lb fat free ricotta
½ cup fresh basil cut in chiffonade
salt & Pepper
1 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella
½ cup grated really good imported Parmesan
The eggplant will be cut in pieces to replace sheets of pasta Remove top and bottom of eggplant. Slice outer skin on both sides so you are able to get even thickness in slices and skin is only on outside edges. Slice length-wise. Getting pieces about ½ inch thick. Brush with olive oil on both sides and lay on a sheet pan to broil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. You should have at least 2 sheet-trays of sliced eggplant. Broil on the second-from-the-top rack. Broil about five minutes; rotate as needed so they broil evenly. After five minutes turn eggplant over and broil about another five minutes. Be sure eggplant is cooked through, not firm. Remove from oven, let cool.
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add chicken sausage, removed from casing. Break up sausage with a wooden spoon so it is not too big. Sauté for about four minutes, stirring constantly. Add diced onion and minced garlic. Continue to stir allowing everything to cook evenly. Add Italian seasoning, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook on simmer for 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit at room temperature.
In a small bowl mix ricotta, basil chiffonade and salt & pepper.
To assemble the lasagna, lightly wipe oil on your lasagna pan or spray with vegetable spray. Add about ¼ cup of the sauce to the bottom, literally just to wet the bottom of the pan. Next add a layer of eggplant. Followed by ½ the ricotta mixture evenly spread on the eggplant. Cover with half the shredded mozzarella; follow with half the meat sauce. Add another layer of eggplant and repeat process, except for mozzarella, which you will use at the end.
Once the second layer is complete, cover with mozzarella then grated Parmesan.
Bake for 25 minutes with foil tent. Remove foil and bake another 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes and carefully cut with a serrated knife.
Spring is a shoulder season, a transition time here on the Vineyard. Like elves before the big day, Vineyarders gear up for the inevitable on-slought of summer. This is when 100,000 people get the taste the sweet life for a day, a weekend or a month on the Vineyard.
Before the big months, we plant our seeds, hire and train our help, order our merchandise and visualize the season ahead. Along with that vision, we see ourselves in shorts, bathing suits and flip-flops.
This is a good time to lighten our menu as well. Though I am not big believer in diets, we do eat seasonally and lighter in July than in February. In winter, our bodies tell us we need more fat to stay warm. With spring’s slow progress we can start to eat lighter without giving up our favorites.
Sometimes I feel like this country is conflicted about food. We eat too much, so we go extreme and drop food completely. We torture ourselves on all meat, high protein, no carb diet, or no fats, or the fabulous maple syrup and cayenne pepper fast.
All of this can play tricks on your metabolism, and when you deprive, you tend to indulge because you “deserve it.” Food is not the enemy; what we choose, and how we treat food, can be the problem. In a world of instant gratification, eating better and smarter does take more time, especially at the beginning when you are learning about what’s good and what is not. You actually have to spend time shopping and reading some labels and paying attention.
Once you are in the groove, it becomes common sense. Just be smart and eat whole foods, eat the right foods, and eat less of it. Look at food and ask, “what can you do for me?”
Eat lean meats, whole grains, plenty of fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts and yogurt. The kiss of death to me are so called diet foods that have you eating frozen dinners, and frozen desserts, and who only knows where and how that stuff is made.
It is important to know your food, better yet – where it came from. By shopping and cooking for yourself, you control all of this.
It is about lifestyle and changing the way you look at food and shop. Instead of cutting out your favorites and your comfort food, think about changing how you make them.
For spring I am going to get started with some classic favorites, done in a lighter, healthier style. So love yours too – just lighter versions. Believe it or not, summer is coming.
eggplant lasagna with chicken sausage and basil
Serves 6
With other pasta dishes I have been able to use whole-wheat pasta, which has more fiber, digests slower and tends to fill you up with less. I have not found anything to use for lasagna, and let’s face it, traditional lasagna is rich. And not that I am counting calories, but it’s full of fat. This version is really tasty and satisfying. It’s important to be sure when you broil
the eggplant it’s soft and cooked through.
Preheat broiler, then oven to 375
TOMATO SAUCE WITH CHICKEN SAUSAGE
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lb Italian chicken sausage, raw, casing removed
1 med. Onion, dice, about 1 cup
3 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 - 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
salt & pepper
FOR LASAGNA
2 ½ lbs eggplant, 2 big long ones
¼ cup olive oil
salt & pepper
1 lb fat free ricotta
½ cup fresh basil cut in chiffonade
salt & Pepper
1 cup low-fat shredded mozzarella
½ cup grated really good imported Parmesan
The eggplant will be cut in pieces to replace sheets of pasta Remove top and bottom of eggplant. Slice outer skin on both sides so you are able to get even thickness in slices and skin is only on outside edges. Slice length-wise. Getting pieces about ½ inch thick. Brush with olive oil on both sides and lay on a sheet pan to broil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. You should have at least 2 sheet-trays of sliced eggplant. Broil on the second-from-the-top rack. Broil about five minutes; rotate as needed so they broil evenly. After five minutes turn eggplant over and broil about another five minutes. Be sure eggplant is cooked through, not firm. Remove from oven, let cool.
Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium heat. Add chicken sausage, removed from casing. Break up sausage with a wooden spoon so it is not too big. Sauté for about four minutes, stirring constantly. Add diced onion and minced garlic. Continue to stir allowing everything to cook evenly. Add Italian seasoning, tomatoes, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook on simmer for 20-30 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit at room temperature.
In a small bowl mix ricotta, basil chiffonade and salt & pepper.
To assemble the lasagna, lightly wipe oil on your lasagna pan or spray with vegetable spray. Add about ¼ cup of the sauce to the bottom, literally just to wet the bottom of the pan. Next add a layer of eggplant. Followed by ½ the ricotta mixture evenly spread on the eggplant. Cover with half the shredded mozzarella; follow with half the meat sauce. Add another layer of eggplant and repeat process, except for mozzarella, which you will use at the end.
Once the second layer is complete, cover with mozzarella then grated Parmesan.
Bake for 25 minutes with foil tent. Remove foil and bake another 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 10 minutes and carefully cut with a serrated knife.