Meatless Monday: Eggplant Pasta with Red Pepper & Tomato

A few months back, Rebecca's dad was on a flight, and was seated next to a food blogger he struck up a conversation with. She shared her favorite Milwaukee area restaurants and talked about the recipes on her blog. Rebecca's dad texted her right away; and told her she had to check out the blog. 

Done and done: Well Plated is a gorgeous blog: full of delicious recipes and beautiful photography. The Cool Dads Crew follows Well Plated on several social media platforms; and the Wisconsin Test Kitchen even tried a Well Plated recipe for Meatless Monday last week!

Update on No-Meat June: Rebecca breezed through the first 20 days of the month, but the past week has been a struggle. The worst was watching the family devour a delicious Thai Pork (will be posted Friday); while she had a veggie burger instead. The month will be ending with a celebratory burger from Cudahy Burger Joint. 

Eggplant Pasta with Red Pepper & Tomato

12 ounces pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 1 pound)
1 large red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 x 1-inch strips
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces prepared tomato pasta sauce
1/2 cup pitted green, black, or mixed olives, chopped (we used black olives)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley or basil
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving


Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, according to package directions. Drain, toss with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking, and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium. Add the chopped eggplant and bell pepper and cook until just softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add the garlic and sauté just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato sauce, olives, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until warmed through. Stir in the lemon juice and zest.

Stir the pasta into the eggplant tomato sauce, adding a little more of the prepared pasta sauce as needed to moisten the noodles. Served topped with chopped fresh herbs and Parmesan. Enjoy immediately.

This might be our favorite Meatless Monday recipe so far. We had given SB some plain noodles (she's not always a fan of tomato sauce); but after trying our dish- she wanted this pasta instead of her plain buttered noodles. I believe her exact words were, "Yum! I love eggplant!" Aww, that kid is a keeper.

Additionally, this pasta is also good cold the next day: it yielded enough for leftovers, and Rebecca had it for lunch almost all week. This is a perfect summer pasta dish that carnivores, vegetarians and vegans will all enjoy. 

Stay Cool,

The Cool Dads Crew

Meatless Monday: Ricotta Baked Pasta

The Wisconsin Test Kitchen has a go-to baked pasta recipe: penne, tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. It's pretty basic; I'm sure you have the same recipe in your arsenal of week day meal recipes. But we found a tasty, new take on baked pasta, thanks to one simple ingredient: ricotta cheese. 

Our one piece of advice: if you try this recipe, splurge on the good quality, fresh ricotta instead of the cheap stuff that's more like wet cement. A light, fluffy cheese will make all the difference in this tasty recipe. 

Bonus points for this being a one-dish meal, and it's on the table in 30 minutes. 

Ricotta Baked Pasta
Recipe courtesy of: Kitchen Nostalgia

8 oz ziti or penne
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves
3 cups crushed tomatoes with juice
½ tsp Italian seasoning (oregano, basil and thyme)
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbsp red wine (optional)
2 cups water
salt, black pepper
1 cup ricotta cheese
½ cup shredded mozzarella
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 small egg

Saute onion in olive oil and butter until soft. 

Add garlic, tomatoes, wine, sugar and seasonings and cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Add pasta and 2 cups water to tomato sauce in the pot. Bring to boil, cover and cook on low boil, stirring from time to time, until pasta is tender, about 10-15 minutes.

Combine ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese and egg. 

Season with salt. Stir half of the mixture into pasta and dollop remaining on top.

Place pasta under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is softened and warmed through.

This might be our new favorite Meatless Monday recipe; the ricotta cheese was a wonderful addition to one of our favorite tried and true recipes.  

What's your favorite Meatless Monday recipe? Leave your suggestions in the comments below!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Friday Fun: Dill Refrigerator Pickles

Now that the kids are all out of school for summer, it's time to find some fun recipes to try in the kitchen! A few weeks ago when the Wisconsin Test Kitchen went to the Dane County Farmer's Market; we picked up some smaller cucumbers to make pickles out of. Between the Bloody Mary's, sandwiches, and snacks consumed in our house- we go through a lot of pickles. And I mean A LOT of pickles. We thought refrigerator pickles might be a fun, and easy project.

If the idea of canning and preserving overwhelms you; refrigerator pickles are the way to go. You don't have to worry about canning, and all you need to do is add ingredients to your jars, and store them in your fridge for a week before eating. The only catch to refrigeration instead of preserving: whatever you refrigerate needs to be eaten in 4-6 weeks. Not a problem in our house! 

This is a great project for kids: older kids can slice the cucumbers, while smaller ones can count peppercorns, pick dill off the stalk and help measure sugar and salt. 

Dill Refrigerator Pickles
Recipe courtesy of: Self Proclaimed Foodie

10-12 pickling cucumbers
4 cups water
2 cups white vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon sugar
big bunch of dill
1 head of garlic, skins removed, cloves smashed (less if its a strong garlic)
10 peppercorn kernels

Slice cucumbers into 1/4 inch slices or spears. Set aside

To make brine, combine water, vinegar, salt, and sugar in medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil and swirl to make sugar and salt dissolve. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Add cucumbers to jars. Do not pack them super tight as you you'll want room for the brine. Add the fresh dill, smashed garlic, and peppercorns to the jars. Finish by adding enough brine to cover the cucumbers. Seal with an airtight lid and store in the refrigerator for at least one week. Pickles should be good for at least 4-6 weeks after that.

This recipe made enough to fill two quart jars. 

Since strawberry season is upon us, stay tuned: one of the items on the Wisconsin Test Kitchen Summer Bucket list is to go strawberry picking. We've got an easy jam recipe you'll love making with your kids. 

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Meatless Monday: Spring Vegetable Minestrone Soup

Every June, Rebecca in the Wisconsin Test Kitchen goes vegetarian to honor the loss of one of her good friends. Erin was a remarkably kind person who spent time volunteering at local animal shelters; advocating for the adoption of pets, and educating herself (and others) on animal rights. 

Erin encouraged SB's love of animals; and loved that she donated her own money to help buy food and supplies, when 300 chinchillas were rescued from a hoarding situation in Waukesha. Additionally, SB has asked to donate her monthly allowance to the Door County Sled Dogs; a wonderful organization always in need of food, medicine, gift cards and supplies for quite a few rescued sled dogs. If you get a chance to attend one of their events- please take advantage of it! We spent a frosty February morning petting sled dogs and even going on a short sled dog ride around the park. Check out their website for upcoming events and opportunities to donate to the pups!

Not a day goes by that Erin's memory isn't honored in some way. Going meat free for a month is a mindful way to remember a kind soul, and the lives she touched. 

Our first vegetarian recipe for the month was a spring vegetable minestrone soup. This was pretty fortuitous; since we had a fridge full of vegetables we needed to use up quickly! This was an easy soup to throw together on a week night- and provided more than enough for leftovers all week. Most of the veggies in this soup are in season- so stop by your local farmers market, and whip up a batch this week! 

Spring Vegetable Minestrone Soup
Recipe courtesy of: Whole and Heavenly Oven


1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 large onion, diced
2 cups zucchini, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (15 oz) kidney beans, drained
6 cups vegetable broth (OR chicken broth for a non-vegetarian option)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 cups uncooked penne pasta
2 cups baby spinach, coarsely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
In a large pot over medium-high heat, saute carrots, celery, onion, zucchini, and garlic in olive oil until just barely tender. 

Reduce heat to medium and stir in tomato paste, tomatoes, and beans.

Gradually add vegetable broth and Italian seasoning. Bring to a low simmer, stirring occasionally. Stir in penne pasta and spinach, then let soup simmer until pasta is cooked and veggies are tender, about 7 minutes. Season minestrone with salt and pepper and serve warm.

Stay tuned for more tasty vegetarian and vegan recipes coming this month!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Friday Fun: Slow Cooker Jambalaya

There's just something about the word 'jambalaya' that sounds like an instant party. Seriously! Spicy, delicious jambalaya, cold beer and some jazz music. Sounds like a great night to us! The only problem is by the time you're done making the jambalaya, you're ready for a nap. It's a labor intensive dish with a ton of ingredients. But no worries; the Wisconsin Test Kitchen found a pared-down version of the same delicious dish, and has the slow cooker doing all the work for you.

We made our jambalaya with chicken thighs, venison sausage and shrimp. You can customize the dish slightly based on your taste profile; and make sure to serve over hot rice. 

Jambalaya

2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 small can of tomato paste
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut up
1 large sausage link
1 (14.5 ounce) can reduced- sodium chicken broth
1 green pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 basil leaves
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 frozen medium shrimp (thawed), peeled and deveined
4 cups hot cooked white or brown rice



Add tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken (cooked or raw), sausage, broth, green pepper, onion, celery, Cajun seasoning, garlic, black pepper, and cayenne pepper to slow cooker. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients.

Cook this portion on low for about 2 hours if your chicken is already cooked or 5 to 6 hours if you adding raw chicken.

Add shrimp and cook about another 10 minutes until the shrimp is warm.
You can serve this over cooked white rice or combine the rice in the slow cooker just before serving.

Funny story about this jambalaya recipe... SB saw it and immediately refused to try it. We coaxed her into trying a bite of the venison sausage, since it's her favorite. Two bowls of jambalaya later- she asked when we could have it for dinner again. This one is both kid-tested and approved! 

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Monday Meals: Indian Butter Chicken

One of the best things about having a food blog is talking to other people that love food; and have them suggest recipes for us to try. Recently one of our readers in Brookfield tried Indian Butter Chicken in the slow cooker, and couldn't stop raving about it. She swore the recipe was as good as take out, and easy to prepare. She convinced the Wisconsin Test Kitchen to give it a try. She was so into Butter Chicken- she even provided us with the spices and coconut milk. We have the best readers ever. Seriously.

The end result was as amazing as she promised: the chicken stayed moist and tender in the slow cooker, and the sauce was creamy and slightly spicy. It was a quick, easy dinner served with rice and a side of vegetables. It was too spicy for the smallest member of our test kitchen, but the adults really enjoyed it. 

Indian Butter Chicken

4 large skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 tablespoons curry paste
2 teaspoons tandoori masala
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
15 green cardamom pods
1 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk
salt to taste


Place onion and garlic in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place chicken on top. Combine the curry powder, curry paste, tandoori masala, garam masala, and tomato paste until no lumps of tomato paste remain. Pour into a slow cooker, and stir in the cardamom, coconut milk, and yogurt. Season to taste with salt.

Cook on High 4 to 6 hours, or on Low 6 to 8 hours until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced to your desired consistency. 

Have you tried anything interesting with your slow cookers lately? Leave us a note in the comments below, we'd love to feature one of your recipes!

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew

Friday Fun: Springtime in Wisconsin

This past weekend, Rebecca in the Wisconsin Test Kitchen celebrated her 36th birthday! Anyone who knows Rebecca knows it's kind of a big deal she's copping to her actual age...

Since it's been unseasonably warm, The Wisconsin Test Kitchen decided to celebrate in style, and hit the open road with a full tank of gas, 2 Venti Starbucks drinks, and no real destination  in mind. 

We started at the Dane County Farmers Market; where we picked up some early season produce: cucumbers for pickling, asparagus and sunchokes. We have no idea what to do with sunchokes, but our friend Booke promised to prepare us a few sunchoke dishes and even guest blog soon!

Additionally, the sweet, cheesy smell of Stella's was calling our name... we had to stop for a loaf of Hot & Spicy Cheese Bread. If you've never tried it; you need to! It's a large, generous loaf served warm with a slight sprinkling of crushed red pepper. It's warm, and cheesy and a tiny bit spicy. It's not uncommon to see families sitting around square, sharing a loaf. It's designed for sharing unless you're me... and then you devour the entire loaf yourself over the course of a weekend. Don't judge. Stella's sells an average of 2,000 loaves of bread at the market every week. 2,000 people can't be wrong: you've got to give it a try! 

In case we didn't get enough cheese, we had to stop by The Curd Girl: the home of our absolute, most favorite fried cheese curds. My biggest pet peeve is when restaurants/food trucks/you name it, batter and deep fry a piece of cheese and brand it "fried cheese curds". NO! That's fried cheese. A fried cheese curd is a CURD battered and deep fried. Damn... is my Wisconsin showing? Anyway, The Curd Girls hand cut and fry their curds and they are OHMYGODAMAZING!!! We tried them for the first time last year at The Crazy Legs run in Madison and haven't stopped thinking about them. Yeah... they're that good. 

After getting our fill of cheese in a variety of different forms, we took a walk down State Street for some shopping. We wandered into The Red Elephant for a palate cleansing chocolate. Their hand-painted chocolates are almost too beautiful to eat. Notice I said "almost". We tried a Birthday Cake Truffle (fitting!), as well as a Red Wine Truffle, a Mint Meltaway and a Salted Caramel. Each piece was unique and delicious. The interior of the store is beautiful, and in addition to chocolates they also sell pastries, ice cream, and beverages. They had special wine and chocolate pairings, in addition to chocolate classes. 

Once we had our fill of Madison, it was time to head a little further north to J Henry & Sons for a bourbon tasting. We're both big bourbon drinkers, and since we can't afford a trip to Kentucky right now, this was the next best thing. Joe and his wife Liz were fantastically nice, their farm is beautiful and did we mention the bourbon? Oh my lord, the bourbon. There's a reason they're receiving national attention and winning awards. We enjoyed a walk around the farm, a tour of the rickhouse and a bourbon cocktail and tasting after the tour. 

J Henry & Sons is dedicated to all things Wisconsin: their bourbon is made with a special red corn formulated by students at UW Madison; and even the barrels are made from Wisconsin white oak. They currently have 2 different products: the 5 year aged bourbon, and the cask strength bourbon. Both were great: full of caramel and toffee notes, but the cask strength was our favorite. We even left with a personalized bottle! And a birthday cupcake!

The tour was reasonably priced, and the Henry family was wonderful to meet. We can't recommend this tour (or product!) enough. Right now their products are available in Wisconsin and Illinois; and available for sale online. 

It was a fantastic, spontaneous day and we really had fun enjoying local food, beverages and treats. It's great to see fellow Sconnies out of hibernation and enjoying the best our state has to offer. 

Stay Cool,
The Cool Dads Crew