What About Me Wednesday: My Go-To Snacks

We're at the hump! I for one cannot wait for this weekend to hurry up and get here. I am super sleepy and sore from last night's zumba and pilates classes, but luckily, Shaun made a fantastic dinner of whole wheat pizza dough, tangy sauce and fresh mozzarella, which will also be my lunch today.

He's a keeper, that one.

So for today's What About Me Wednesday, I thought I'd address something very important that affects me everyday. My favorite snacks. It's the only way I get from meal to meal and so I'm always trying to change it up. But I must admit...a lot of times, I end up with the same go-to, old faithful eats. And of course, these outline the snacks I reach for when there are not full batches of cupcakes on my countertop. Just sayin'.

Chobani. This is a new one for me and I can't even say that I'm crazy about yogurt. But Chobani has great flavors and is just filling enough to get me over the bridge between lunch and dinner. My favorite flavor? Pineapple!

 

Babybel cheese. I usually enjoy this for a mid-morning snack, or when I first arrive at the office. Though not super filling, who can turn down a wedge of cheese? Not this girl.

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Fruit. I always have a full bowl of fruit at home. My go-tos are bananas, apples and pears, which are currently in season. I also love clementines, berries, cherries and grapes if you can get 'em on the cheap. Typically, I try to eat a minimum of 2 pieces of fruit each day. And when I don't, I feel it.

 

Peanut butter. On a spoon. Pretty self-explanatory and gets the job done, every time.

Sliced apple with peanut butter. It doesn't get better than a 3rd grade favorite. This is for when I really need something in my tum and a mere apple just isn't cutting it.

Granola bars. I like the homemade variety.

Nuts. I love a handful of nuts, be it almonds, pistachios, cashews, peanuts. The key for me is salt though, however unhealthy it may be. Give me plain almonds and I will NOT be a happy camper.

Laughing Cow on a Sandwich Thin. Toast up an Arnold's sandwich thin. Spread with Laughing Cow Blue Cheese. Drizzle with honey. Tell me you hate it.

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Crackers & hummus and/or cheese. I have severe problems with this because I could eat it all.the.time. No joke. Sometimes, if Shaun isn't home for dinner, I will simply have this as my dinner. My go-to crackers is Keebler Club Multi-Grain. These are the best crackers I've found to date and I've been known to go overboard on them.

I think that just about covers it all. While most of these snacks are pretty healthy, please don't judge me for my cracker obsession :) It's my little splurge! What are your go-to snacks? From the unhealthy to the healthy?

Roasted Eggplant Parmigiana

I did it again.

I planned out a quick, easy and delicious dinner.

And I was foiled.

You see, I had an eggplant in the refrigerator. And a delightful Rocco DiSpirito cookbook calling my name to make eggplant rollatini.

 

{He makes me happy, can you tell?} But you can't make eggplant rollatini without ricotta cheese. You just can't. It's against the law.

And I came home to Shaun slicing up the eggplant for me, only to realize that we were straight out of part-skim ricotta. Fail.

So I had no choice but to improvise. Or go out to the store. The latter of which seemed extremely unappealing. I'm so glad that we are collectively lazy. Because out of my lazy improvisation came a dish that I'm pretty excited about. I actually dreamed about it last night.

In fact, I hope I forget the ricotta again next time. Because this dish was so easy and a perfectly light weeknight dinner. No frying, no breading. All you need are some basic ingredients, a loaf pan (or a small baking dish), and if you're lucky, someone else to slice up the eggplant for you.

 

Roasted Eggplant Parmigiana
1 eggplant, ends removed, peeled, and sliced lengthwise (8-10 slices)
1 1/2 C marinara sauce (I made Rocco's How Low Can You Go sauce, any of your choice works!)
3/4 - 1 C mozzarella cheese
1/4 C parmesean cheese
Basil, dried or fresh
kosher salt + pepper
cooking spray

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, lay out the eggplant, spray lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 10-12 minutes (longer if your slices are thicker) until tender. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, spray a loaf pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with a bit of the sauce.

 

Layer half of the eggplant, followed by more sauce, basil (I used dried but fresh would be amazing too), half of the mozzarella and half of the parmesean cheese.

 

Repeat the last step with the remaining eggplant, sauce, basil, and cheeses. My layers were pretty thin, but if you want a thicker dish, add more layers of eggplant (perhaps slice up 1 1/2 to 2 eggplants).

 

Bake for 12-15 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and the edges are browned.

We had ours alongside some toasted rye bread. Mm-mmmm good.

So that's the story of my accidentally, fantastically easy dinner. No breading or frying. Roasting is the new frying, haven't you heard? :) Oh and this dish made about 3 servings - 1 for Shaun and me last night, and 1 lunch for Shaun today. For more, just slice up more eggplant in a bigger dish! Could it be simpler? So what do you think? When was the last time you were foiled in the kitchen? Did you prevail?

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