It turned out to be a very nice Sunday! I got lots of studying done, did laundry, and went for an hour walk with the husband while we planned the logistics of our upcoming crazy weekends.
I was pretty hungry when we got back around 5:30 so rather than making a snack and not being hungry an hour later for dinner, we just decided to have an earlier dinner (although we didn’t sit down until 6:30 because the homemade chicken stock on the stove top put a stall on things!)
Grilled Eggplant on Cracked Pepper Bread
with Cilantro Pesto + Goat Cheese
Scrumptious! I love how hearty eggplant is – it’s perfect on a sandwich. Nice and soft for easy biting but firm enough to feel like a thick sandwich. Of course the cilantro pesto and goat cheese (both of which are now gone 😥 ) made it even better. The bun is homemade cracked pepper made today by the husband. He says the recipe needs tweaking, but I thought it was great! It was a lot of bread though (almost 300 kcal) so I’ll probably have half sandwiches with this for my lunches.
We also had grilled asparagus –
And a few flax chips 🙂
I sipped on a mocktail while we prepped dinner –
This dinner was about 530 kcal, 15 grams of fiber and 23 grams of protein.
I’m off to study nerve and muscle fiber labs – night!
*********************************
Edited to Add:
Snack
I got hungry around 8:30 – I ate pretty light today so it didn’t surprise me when my stomach felt empty so soon after dinner.
I decided to try these flattened bananas I got at Trader Joe’s a few weeks ago.
With some PB:
But I actually thought it was kind of gross. Too much like a fruit roll up although it was just banana!? So after 2 bites I gave it to the husband (who LOVED it) and had some trail mix instead:
Night!
hk says
wow, matt, I’m so impressed by the “bun”, yum!! good luck studying 🙂
Kathryn says
A very creative way to use up party leftovers!
VeggieGirl says
Sounds like a fun, productive Sunday!!
Okay, between the Grilled Eggplant, Cracked Pepper Bread, Cilantro Pesto, AND Grilled Asparagus, I am DYING for your dinner selection, haha – looks absolutely phenomenal!!
Are those flax crackers similar to the One Lucky Duck Rosemary Quackers?? If so, then YUM!! :0)
Best of luck with the rest of your studies!
Ruby Red Vegan says
I totally agree with you about eggplant and sandwiches! Your grilled eggplant looks awesome on the husband’s bread – I wish I could have had some too! (Haha, I need to find a bread-baker husband.)
Your posts are always so fun to read! Thanks for sharing and keeping up with them at every meal. You rock. 🙂
Kelly L. says
Okay, dumb question here but what does eggplant taste like? I’ve never had it….
Jill says
Embarrassing – it took me so LONG to figure out where the “egg” was, I thought you meant chicken, ahaha.
Kelly L. – Go. Buy an eggplant. You will LOVE IT. But make sure to brine it first so it’s not sour.
Frannie says
I am curious if you could tell us where exactly the protein came from?
I see the cheese…and maybe those flax crackers have some? eggplant isn’t that proteinacious, is it?
Romina says
Roasted eggplant in a sandwich… I think you’ve won me over! Delicious! I love roasting eggplant, it just brings out all the flavor.
good luck on your labs!
Suzanne says
That cracked pepper bread looks SO GOOD. I LOVE bread – it is my downfall. You’re so lucky your hubby is such a good bread maker. I’d probably gain a million pounds though because I would eat it nonstop. 🙂
Do you have any advice on how to stop carb cravings? I crave bread, chips, cereal, cakes, cookies all the time. And I’m trying to lose 10 pounds – so I try not to keep these foods in the house. But, we usually have cereal and bread (for our breakfasts/lunches)…and I find myself snacking on it at night. 🙁 I know my willpower plays into it…but just wondering if there was anything else I can do to get rid of those cravings.
Thanks, Kath! Have a good rest of the night.
Nick says
I love those flax chips. Just the look of them is so appealing. I’m not a fan of those flattened bananas either. I’d rather just eat a regular banana, I get a lot more enjoyment outta that.
A fresh banana, a jar of flavored peanut butter and a knife. It’s just a simple spread, bite, repeat ordeal.
– The Peanut Butter Boy
Laura says
The Husband/Kath,
We made the grilled flatbread for dinner tonight and it was AWESOME! Thanks so much for the recipe! We used a blend of fresh herbs- basil, sage, rosemary, parsley and thyme. YUM! I have a question about storage. We only used half the dough…can I freeze the other half? MY husband will not fire up his beloved Big Green Egg during the week, so I was wondering if I could freeze until next weekend? Thanks!
Suzanne says
Regarding Nectar bars:
Sorry, I forgot to ask…I was looking through the Nectar bar flavors on drugstore.com and reading reviews, because I wanted to order some. But, I figured I’d ask you since you have eaten them.
I went to a few local stores but no one carries them.
I only found one flavor: Dark Chocolate Walnut at Trader Joe’s, and I liked it but wished it was a little sweeter.
I did a search through your old posts and noticed that you like the Dark Chocolate Mocha ones. And you also had the Lemon, Vanilla Cashew ones, but I didn’t see any comments from you whether you liked it or not. Did you?
Have you tried the Cinnamon Pecan yet? What do you think?
Has anyone else tried Nectar bars?
Steph says
I second Suzanne’s question! I’ve got 20 lbs to lose, but I lose all willpower when it comes to eating carbs after dinner. I can be completely satisfied with my meals, but I always want to eat in the evening…like a bowl of cereal or cookies. Even though I’m not physically hungry, I want to eat!
sara says
Kath I’m curious what your thoughts are on the studies that are finding protein ages the body. Tehse studies found that protein restriction in mice doubled the body’s dna cells. If you haven’t heard of it, just google it.there was an article on digg.com this week too.
Ally says
‘Eggwich’ looks great!
I’m surprised the flattened banana wasn’t good, I got excited when I first saw the picture! Guess I won’t be picking it up afterall!
Em says
wow! im so intimidated by eggplant that I still have never made it myself….
delicious looking dinner as always Kath!
sarah says
i thought of you multiple times today!
first because i spent most of the day creating a presentation on pediatric vitamin deficiencies. it reminded me of some of the work you go through for RD school.
and then again after dinner b/c i made a recreation of your improvised berry crisps. i used a crushed up graham cracker, some brown sugar, a bit of butter, oats, and a dash salt on top of blueberries and baked — and YUM! i will definitely be doing that again.
hope you had a great weekend (it looks like it!). your dark weather has made its way to chapel hill . . . hope it goes away soon!
Sidi says
Eggplant. You just reminded me that I have 2 left from last week. I`ll make it tomorrow…
Your dinner looks and must have been super-delicious.
Karen says
Dinner looks great! The eggplant with the pesto, yum! Funny comment about the flattened banana, now I know!
Betsy says
i have to say, that banana does look pretty nasty. When I saw it thought it was going to be like a big banana chip, but when you described it as more of a fruit roll up, it lost all appetizing appeal.
you sandwich looks soo good, especially on cracked pepper bread! I LOVE peppery breads and crackers.
Do you salt your eggplant before you cook it? It’s supposed to help take away bitterness, but I can’t really tell. Thoughts??
magpie says
I just found your blog and I love it. This meal looks great – asparagus and eggplant are two of my favorite veggies… Well, I shouldn’t say that. I have too many favorite veggies. But anyway, great post, looking forward to the next one 🙂
ChocolateCoveredVegan says
hehe that gecko must really get around!
grilled eggplant = super-yummy
Kayla Snyderman says
Where did all the protein come from in this meal? It looks like all veggies- no beans or meat, no?
Cara says
Wow the dinner looks pretty amazing! I wish my boy made me home made bread!
Good to know about the banana thing, I saw it at TJs this week as well and considered it!
Cassie says
What brand of Flax chips do you by? Thanks!
Cassie says
Forgot to add….
Suzanne – regarding clif nector bars
I love the cranberry apricot almond flavor – a little tart but sweet at the same time! The dark chocolate walnut is good too when you have a chocolate craving
Kath says
VeggieGirl ,
No, the flax chips couldn’t even hold a small candle to the quakers. I need to order more of those!
Suzanne ,
I’m a carb-craver myself and the only thing I can tell you is to plan your carbs and make good choices. Choose whole grains and have some at every meal. It’ll help cravings for refined crackers and cereals. I always crave carbs in the mornings and afternoons for snack, but not so much at dinner so I usually have them when I want them. If you have uncontrollable carb eating, all the same tips apply as any kind of snacking: chew gum, make yourself busy, brush your teeth, “close the kitchen,” go up to bed, keep a food journal, etc.
Re. Nectar Bars, I have only had the Dark Chocolate (not my very favorite), the Mocha (LOVE it) and the Vanilla Cashew (liked it a lot). As much as I love cinnamon, I don’t think the Cinnamon Pecan would be a favorite. But I should try them all someday!
Laura ,
Glad the flatbread turned out well!! We have never froze it, but I’m sure you could since most doughs freeze well.
sara ,
I haven’t seen those studies but I have read some research on too many calories in general aging the body. Your choices are to 1) Eat less 2) Eat lots of fresh produces to counter the damage with antioxidants. I have learned that Americans consume way more protein than we need, so it wouldn’t surprise me about the protein, but I’m not far along enough in my nutrition courses to really form my own opinion.
Ally ,
You might like the banana – I might just not have been in the mood! I wanted it to be crunchy, not leathery though.
sarah ,
Thanks for thinking of me! The crisp sounds great – I need to make another soon for a snack or dessert too!
Betsy ,
Yes, we salt the eggplant, but I don’t know if it really does much. I’ve seen Rachel Ray just put it right in a recipe and I’m sure her’s tasted great!
magpie ,
Welcome to KERF 🙂
Kayla Snyderman,
Protein is hidden in lots of things you wouldn’t think are protein-y foods. Here’s where it came from: Bread (10), Eggplant (1), Pesto (2 – from walnuts and parmesan in it), Asparagus (4), Goat Cheese (3), Flax chips (4) = 23 grams.
Cassie ,
These were Trader Joe’s brand, but I’ve bought the kind in the purple bag too that are more widespread. Not sure of the brand though.
Kath
Katie says
I was just thinking of making cilantro pesto last night b/c we have so much left. Now that I see how good it is (and with goat cheese…which I have extra of) I’m going to have to try this. Thanks!
Erin says
This is like my perfect meal…yum.
Ally says
Kath, I’m confused. What did you have to use the chicken stock for?
CourtneyS says
Ally, I think Kath was just making chicken stock to have around. It needs to bubble on the stove top for a couple of hours, so it’s nice to make it on the weekend and then freeze it for future use.
CourtneyS says
Speaking of which, I roasted a chicken last night and I should have saved it to make stock. Oops! Homemade chicken stock is SO nice.
Kath says
Ally,
Courtney is right – we were making stock to freeze for later use.
Kath