Eggplant is almost the equivalent of a four-letter word in our home right now. It started last summer when I wanted to make eggplant and one of the first recipes I used called for steamed eggplant. Now, either steamed eggplant has the texture and taste of a semi-dry sponge or I don’t know how to steam eggplant. Irregardless, the results were not tasty. I later transformed the pieces of steamed eggplant into the delicious Spicy Sesame Eggplant & Snap Peas with Quiona.

Never mind that I also scored big successes with Stuffed Eggplant Parmesan and Moroccan Eggplant with Couscous that summer. Anytime I mentioned eggplant,  James’ reaction is one of horror and mocking. In an attempt to finally win him over, I recently made  Pasta w/ Sausage, Eggplant & Feta. Again, the dish received rave reviews but the eggplant continues to get no respect. Out of frustration, I even threatened to change the name of the website to “The Misunderstood Eggplant” as a sign of protest.

In an article from the New York Times, author Russ Parsons is quoted from his book How to Pick A Peach:

“Let’s get one thing straight: most eggplants are not bitter (even though they have every right to be after everything that has been said about them).”

The article continues to state that most people have strong opinions about eggplant, one way or the other, so it might be hard for me to convince James that eggplant is not all bad. But that doesn’t mean I won’t try, because eggplants are fabulous. While eggplant isn’t exactly Sweet, it certainly isn’t Bitter. Just give eggplant a chance!

Pasta night is a regular in my kitchen, usually with a box of pasta and a jar of pre-made sauce. It’s a pretty frugal meal, especially when I can catch a sale. This dish takes that concept and gives it a little pizazz and more balance, albeit for a slightly higher cost. What I liked most about this dish is that it is hearty and satisfying, and makes enough servings for leftovers.

The original recipe called for ziti pasta, but any small, shaped pasta will do. Elbow macaroni, rotini, small shells, or gemelli (my favorite) are all good choices. I think rice would be great in this dish as well. Use what is already in the pantry.

• Gemelli pasta is not a well known shape, though I have no idea why!

Baked Pasta w/ Sausage, Tomatoes, & Cabbage
adapted from Cooking Light

1 box (1 lb) uncooked small, shaped pasta
3/4 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage 
1  onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cabbage, sliced thinly (about 1/4 head)
1  tbsp tomato paste
1/4  tsp salt
1/4  tsp cayenne pepper
2 cans (14.5-ounce) petite-diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded 

Preheat oven to 350F and coat a 13×11 baking dish with cooking spray.

Bring a large pot of salted water (use about a tbsp) to a boil and cook pasta 8-10 minutes until al dente. Drain and keep warm, tossing with olive oil to prevent sticking.

Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic until softened, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and break apart with a wooden spoon. Saute until browned and add cabbage, cook until slightly wilted. Stir in tomato paste, salt, cayenne pepper, and tomatoes with liquid to the pan and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Combine sausage mixture, pasta, and basil. Pour into prepared baking dish, using wooden spoon to smooth the top. Bake for 10 minutes. Whisk together bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle on top of pasta and bake an additional 10 minutes or until bubbly and topping is golden brown.

•   The breadcrumb topping creates a tasty crust.

Frugal Breakdown:
1 box pasta: $0.50
3/4 lb Italian sausage: $2.21 
1  onion: $0.50
2 garlic cloves: negligible
2 cups sliced cabbage (about 1/4 head): $0.40
1  tbsp tomato paste: $0.30
1/4  tsp salt: negligible
1/4  tsp cayenne pepper: negligible
2 cans diced tomatoes: $2.10
1/4 cup fresh basil: $0.75
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs: $0.33
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese: $1.54
TOTAL: $8.63

Verdict: Success, and a tasty one at that. There are easily 8-10 servings with this recipe, making each serving about $1.

The original recipe called for 2 cups of cheese, which aside for being expensive is not something I had on hand. I added some cabbage to the dish, not because I think cabbage is a substitution for cheese, but to add some more vegetables and to use it up before it went bad. Because I added the cabbage, I was able to reduce the sausage from 1 pound to 3/4 pound., which left some sausage to jazz up leftovers from a different recipe.

When we moved, pasta was on sale 2/$1 and we bought about a dozen boxes. I still have a couple left, but I am always on the look-out for another good sale. Even without a sale, a box of pasta is usually under $1.

Lentils have not previously made their way into my kitchen before, but many articles about frugal cooking mention lentils so I thought it was high time I gave them a try. There are two basic types of lentils: red lentils and green or brown lentils. Green and brown lentils are more or less interchangeable, while red lentils are not interchangeable with green or brown.

Lentils are a basic in Middle Eastern cuisine and have made their way into French, Mexican, Indian, and North American cuisine as well. These little round legumes are packed full of fiber, protein, and iron, making them a nutritional powerhouse for a very low price. A substitute for meat, lentils are a vegan/vegetarian staple that is also good for the environment.

Lentil Minestrone
adapted from New York Times

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
sea salt
1 can (14-15 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 lb brown or green lentils, rinsed and sorted
2 1/2 quarts water
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
6 cups baby spinach

Heat  oil in a large, heavy stockpot over medium heat. Add onion and carrot, cook, stirring, until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute just until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute, and add the tomatoes. Turn up the heat slightly and cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes have cooked down and smell fragrant, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the lentils, water, thyme sprigs and bay leaf, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer 30 minutes. Add salt to taste and spinach. Continue to simmer, covered, for another 15 minutes. Add freshly ground pepper, taste and adjust seasoning. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf before serving.

Frugal Breakdown:
olive oil: negligible
onion: $0.50
2 carrots: $0.39
4 cloves garlic: negligible
sea salt and pepper: negligible
1 can (14-15 oz) diced tomatoes: $1.05
1 lb brown or green lentils: $1.33
2 1/2 quarts water: negligible
2 sprigs fresh thyme: $0.56
1 bay leaf: negligible
6 cups baby spinach: $1.49
TOTAL: $5.32

Verdict: A rousing success. What’s more, at 6 to 8 servings per batch of soup, that’s less than $1 per serving.

Lentils were on sale 3 (1 lb bags) for $4.00, so I have plenty left to try in other dishes. Pantry staples like canned tomatoes and garlic lend flavor to the dish, while fresh vegetables like carrots and spinach are not too expensive. Broth or stock would make this more flavorful, but water and fresh herbs worked just fine.

If 6 to 8 servings of the same soup sounds a little too much, here is a way to enhance those leftovers. It is not uncommon in North American and European cuisines to add bacon, sausage, or salted pork to lentil dishes for flavor. Since minestrone is an Italian soup, I added a 1/2 pound of Italian sausage, which adds $1.48 to the dish, making the total $6.80 (you can add more or less depending on how much soup you have left). Here are the basic directions:

Brown sausage in a skillet, crumbling into small pieces with a wooden spoon. Meanwhile, heat leftover soup in a stockpot until boiling. Add a few ladles of the soup broth into the skillet with the sausage, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen the browned bits. Add sausage and liquid to the stockpot. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, then serve.

SweetHearts Week has already covered the obvious topics of red wine and dark chocolate, so let’s move on to exploring the matters of the heart.

When talking about the heart, we are mainly referring to the physical aspects of the health. It is also important to address other kinds of heart “health” such as emotional and social well-being.

WebMD’s article 10 Surprising Health Benefits of Love outlines several benefits of love and romance, including better stress management, reduced risk of substance abuse, faster healing, lower blood pressure, longer life, and more.

Want the benefits of love but still looking for Mr./Mrs. Right? Check out Finding Love and Well-Being in a Wired World.

February is a banner month to discuss not only heart health but also mental health. Seasonal Affective Disorder and bouts of depression are more common during the winter months and those at risk may be more susceptible, particularly around Valentine’s Day. Some college campuses refer to this as the “Valentine’s Day Curse,” as there is an increase in student suicide rates around this time of year.

For more information, here are some articles on Winter Depression:

Fending Off Depression Symptoms in Winter

Treating Winter Depression

Seasonal Mood and Hormonal Changes

New Year’s Blues (in case those resolutions didn’t work out)

More information is also available at WebMD’s Depression Center. While taking care of the physical aspects of our hearts, we need to remember to tend to the psychological and social aspects as well. Many studies have documented the connections between physical, mental, and emotion health, leading to a more comprehensive look at how depression is treated and diagnosed.

**JENN’s DISCLAIMER**
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Please note that I am not a physician. I cannot diagnose depression nor can I prescribe treatment for it. The preceding is simply the result of my own online research and personal experiences, meant to inform and entertain. If you think you may have depression, please consult your doctor or a mental health professional immediately.

Statistically, this is not a hard one to comprehend: the less you drive, the less likely you are to be involved in a life-threatening automobile accident. Now take that concept and multiple it by a nation full of people facing sky-high gas prices during the peak of summer travel. The result is a significant drop in traffic-related deaths in 2008.

USA Today reported 40 states and DC saw a reduction in traffic deaths during 2008, mostly as a result of the rising gas prices and economic turmoil. It has been reported that many Americans changed their driving habits to decrease their gasoline consumption, and even though gas prices have since dropped and appear to be stable (for the time being), most people are sticking to their new style of driving.

Economic driving consists of habits such as gradual exceration, reducing speed, and regular car maintenance to improve milage. All of those things also increase safety and attentiveness, leading to fewer accidents. Also factor in that people are driving less often and for shorter distances, thus causing a decline in motor vehicle accidents and accident-related deaths.

High gas prices also lead more people to purchase and drive motorcycles last year, so one question yet to be answered is if there was a corresponding increase in motorcycle-related accidents and deaths. The articles I have reviewed did not address this issue.