I have actually gotten around to trying some of those new recipes, and here’s the reaction:
Butternut Squash and Onion Pizza: Sydney really liked the pizza, though both he and I thought the squash needed to cook a bit longer. I thought it was an interesting idea, but am not sure that I like the starch-on-starch effect. I think I’m going to fix the other half of the squash just as the recipe says (onion slices, thyme, squash, baked in the oven) for a side dish tomorrow and forget about the whole pizza crust element.
Falafel Pita: I’ve never tried falafel before because I’m not a big fan of deep-fat frying. Period. The only things fried in our house are eggs, and even that’s pretty rare. But frying falafel patties on a skillet (or, better yet, broiling them in the oven), sticking them in whole-wheat pitas with cucumber, tomato, and onion slices with a bit of lettuce and a spicy yogurt dressing actually turned out to be a really good idea.
Eggplant Tagine: Basically, it’s chunks of baked eggplant in a tomato sauce with chickpeas, poured over basmati rice. I liked everything about it except the eggplant. Oops. Both eggplant and tofu have a consistency I’m not quite up for. But if I replace the eggplant with more chickpeas and perhaps some cauliflower, it’s definitely worth doing again. Easy, filling, and good!
Alan Schmierer