Eggplant Parm in Puff Pastry Pockets

Yes to breaded eggplant. Yes to Parmesan. Yes to puff pastry. I love all these things so I was secretly psyched for a cooler drizzly day to whip up this dinner. Ohh so good. I liked how quick these were and all the flavors I wanted while still feeling different. Puff pastry is so foolproof. Fill it with anything and you’ll have a happy dinner.
The Three Bite Rule - Eggplant Parmesan in Puff Pastry
Also, let’s discuss my sous chefs: note how they flank where I stand at that neon-green cutting board. It is so nice they want to be a part of everything, but sometimes I just need some room. I fear the babe will think their names are Bailee Move and Windsor Move. They are cute though, aren’t they?
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Ingredients:
(for 1 sheet of puff pastry making 4 pockets)
~12 slices of breaded eggplant (3 slices per pocket)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 cup ricotta
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/2 grated Parmesan

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the eggplant until crisped, flipping once. (I cooked mine the night before to speed it up).
Roll out the puff pastry until it is about 1/8 of an inch thick. Cut into 4.
Top with a slice of eggplant, a few small dollops of ricotta, some shredded mozzarella, and a slight drizzle of tomato sauce (not too much! it’ll get soggy!) Add another eggplant slice and keep the layers going…3 slices per pocket. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
The Three Bite Rule - Eggplant Parmesan in Puff Pastry

Pinch together opposite corners and keep tucking the puff pastry underneath. Cut a few slits into the sides to vent.
The Three Bite Rule - Eggplant Parmesan in Puff Pastry
Bake 25-35 minutes. Check at 25 minutes – mine needed a few more minutes to get golden brown.
The Three Bite Rule - Eggplant Parmesan in Puff Pastry
Enjoy! Serve with some tomato sauce for dipping if desired.
The Three Bite Rule - Eggplant Parmesan in Puff Pastry
I really loved this. The crispy, buttery, flakey outside with the eggplant and all the cheese inside – ohh so great. The little one likes the breaded eggplant and gobbled it up a dinner and lunch in a row. Yes! Winning all around!

Have a happy Memorial Day weekend!

Caesar Asparagus

I know. I can admit. I’m caesar dressing obsessed and after making Caesar Brussels Sprouts, I thought it would be really good for roasted asparagus. It was! I jazzed up some creamy caesar dressing and added some hard boiled egg, but you could totally make your own caesar dressing. I loved it and could have had just that for dinner!
The Three Bite Rule - Caesar Asparagus

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus
1 egg, hard boiled
1/4 cup creamy caesar
2 tbs grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp anchovy paste
1/2 tsp minced garlic
cracked fresh pepper

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400-degrees.
Trim the asparagus then drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet.
Roast for 15 minutes.
The Three Bite Rule - Caesar Asparagus
In a jar, add caesar dressing, 1 tbs of parmesan, anchovy paste, garlic, and pepper. Shake well.
The Three Bite Rule - Caesar Asparagus

Lay the asparagus on a serving plate. Drizzle the dressing over the top, and the remaining Parmesan.
The Three Bite Rule - Caesar Asparagus
Chop the hard boiled egg and sprinkle over the top.
Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Caesar Asparagus
I loved this. The tiniest bit of anchovy paste makes this dressing so. much. better. Trust me, nobody will know what it is, but that tiny touch is necessary. Plus, it lasts forever in a tiny tube in your fridge. I love the salty, peppery dressing with the just-roasted asparagus and egg. It was such a great side dish and a sign that spring is on the way!

Spinach Squares

I mixed up these spinach squares last weekend thinking they’d be a good thing to pack for the little one’s lunch. Thennn I also munched it for my quest for savory breakfasts. I also was reminded that my mom makes this as an appetizer…such a multi-functional food! There are so few ingredients and I liked that they weren’t so eggy that it seems like square quiche. The trick making them so good is quality cheese and is that they get baked in a butter bath.

The Three Bite Rule - Spinach Squares
The little one liked it a few times, but seemed to tire of them. That’s a trend for him: a few meals something is good, then he kind of passes on it. If we give it a break, it is all good awhile later. I’ll probably pop some into the freezer.

Ingredients:

3 tbs butter
3 eggs
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 package frozen chopped spinach, drained and squeezed well
1 cup milk
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
optional: 1 small onion & 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
In a 13×9 baking pan, melt the butter by putting both into the preheating oven.
In a mixing bowl (I used my stand mixer), add in the eggs, cheese, spinach, milk, flour, baking powder, and salt.
The Three Bite Rule - Spinach Squares

Stir well to combine.
Pour into the buttery baking pan.
The Three Bite Rule - Spinach Squares
Bake 30 minutes.
Let cool, slice and enjoy at room temperature or warm!

The Three Bite Rule - Spinach Squares

I used more butter but thought maybe there was a bit too much (gasp!) it pooled a bit one mine so next time I’d use 3 tbs (as suggested above). I love these! My mom’s are a bit thicker and more fluffy…mine seemed a touch dense but I still liked them! Use the good cheese…these have so few ingredients they’re worth it!

Southwestern Sweet Potato & Black Bean Patties

These sweet potato patties were served at work for lunch and I knew I had to recreate at home. They can easily be a veggies burger, or bake them up as little patties or balls and nobody will even cringe thinking they’re eating a veggie burger! haha just kidding. Well, maybe kidding. If you’re comparing these buggers to a burger, they will definitely not seem the same. If you’re into sweet/smokey flavors then these will be a hit. The chef at work used this recipe from Minimalist Baker. I tweaked mine slightly for a bit more of a southwestern twist.

The Three Bite Rule - Sweet Potato & Black Bean Patties
I mixed up a big batch and Mr. J and I ate them in ball form over salad, the little one munched his in pieces. I formed a few into patties and froze them for another time. I baked them all and just turned a few times for a crisp exterior. Yum.

based on Minimalist Baker’s recipe
Ingredients:
2 sweet potatoes
1-1 1/2 cups brown rice
1 can black beans
3/4 cup corn
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
drizzle with sour cream/salsa/liquid smoke as dressing

Directions:
Boil/bake/microwave sweet potatoes until fully cooked.
Cook the rice.
Rinse the beans. Add half into a bowl and mash with the back of the spoon. Then add in the other half of the beans and the rice goes in.

The Three Bite Rule - Sweet Potato & Black Bean Patties
Preheat the oven to 375-degrees.
Add the cooked sweet potatoes and corn, then cilantro, paprika, cumin, finally chili powder. Mix well (I used my stand mixer but a spoon would be fine too). Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and a splash of liquid smoke and mix again.
The Three Bite Rule - Sweet Potato & Black Bean Patties
Form into patties, burgers, or balls. Then bake on a sprayed baking sheet for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through.
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Enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Sweet Potato & Black Bean Patties

I love the smokey flavors from the paprika, cumin, and liquid smoke. The corn and cilantro seem quite fitting here without quite being a taco salad. I kept the same flavors going with a little smokey dressing of sour cream, salsa, and liquid smoke. and tossed together some greens, tomato, and avocado.
The Three Bite Rule - Sweet Potato & Black Bean Patties
These are good on their own or on salad, or I’d totally warm in the toaster oven and then pop a patty into a pita pocket. I’m glad to have a few more stashed in the freezer. Coming up with lunches for the babe that can be eaten cold and to keep some variety takes some thought. The babe liked them and had his just alongside some chopped tomatoes & avocado. I appreciated how filling they were and I threw a bag of instant brown rice in the boiling water with the sweet potatoes. Boom. 2 foods, one pot.

Caesar Brussels Sprouts

My side dishes tend to be really supporting characters rather than the blog-worthy item. Until now! I saw a recipe for caesar green beans and thought it would be even better for brussels spouts since the leaves would hold the sauce so well.
The Three Bite Rule - Caesar Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients:

2 cups brussels sprouts, shredded
1 tbs butter
1/4 cup creamy Caesar dressing
1 tsp grated Parmesan

Directions:

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter while chopping the brussels sprouts.
Sear the brussels spouts to gently brown, stirring well. Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium.
Add in the caesar dressing reducing the heat to low.
The Three Bite Rule - Caesar Brussels Sprouts
Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
The Three Bite Rule - Caesar Brussels Sprouts
Sprinkle with Parmesan then serve & enjoy!
The Three Bite Rule - Caesar Brussels Sprouts
These were really addictive. We served them with some marinated grilled chicken.