Rosti Casserole with Baked Eggs

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

1/2 + 1/8 cup fat free Greek syle yogurt
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 cup grated zucchini
3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1/2 cup melted butter
1/8 cup chopped fresh chives
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly grated black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 (20 oz pkg) frozen shredded hash browns (thawed)
cooking spray
4 large eggs
chopped fresh chives, black pepper (garnish)

Preheat oven to 400. Combine yogurt and flour in a large bowl, stirring well. Add zucchini, Gruyere cheese, butter, chives, salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and potatoes to yogurt mixture. Spread mixture in a 9x9 in pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Your kitchen smells goooood right now.
Remove from oven. With the back of a spoon, make 4 indentations in top of potato mixture. Crack 1 egg into each of the 4 indentations. Return to oven. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes more or until egg whites are firm and yolks barely move when pan is touched. Cut into 4 pieces, garnish with additional chives and black pepper, if desired. Dig in.

This is only 1/2 the original recipe which was for 8. They used turnip instead of zucchini.

Eggplant & Tomato gratin

It's getting to be end of the semester time, which means 2 projects due, last tests in 3 classes followed by 3 finals, and GRE! Last time I took it I couldn't sleep for a week I was so nervous. My score wasn't where it needed to be, so I'm retaking it - only this time for some reason I can't stop sleeping! I have been taking naps every day I'm home, missing valuable study time. Maybe it's the getting up at 5am. Perhaps I should rethink that? Although I will say, it has been much easier to get up at that time! No weight loss to report yet. Unfortunately and discouragingly.

Here was my dinner tonight, ringing in at a nicely low 300 calories, whoop whoop whoop! I found it in the most unlikely place too - Family Circle magazine! From June 2007 -- I've made it several times and love it every time. I'm the only one in the house who likes eggplant though so I don't make it as often as I'd like.

Eggplant and Tomato gratin

2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggplants, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1/4 cup dry bread crumbs

3/4 tsp oregano

3/4 tsp basil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup fat free half and half

1.5 cups shredded reduced fat mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1. Place tomato slices on paper towels; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Place more paper towels on top. Let stand 30 minutes. Pat top of tomatoes to remove as much liquid as possible.

2. Coat both sides of eggplant with nonstick cooking spray. Heat broiler.

3. Broil eggplant slices on baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray for 5 minutes on each side or until tender.

4. Reduce oven to 350. Coat a 2.5 quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the bottom. Arrange eggplant and tomato slices, alternating, around baking dish and down center in a single layer if possible. (This wasn't possible for me - no big deal!)

5. Sprinkle casserole with oregano, basil, garlic and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Drizzle with half-and-half. Top with both cheeses. Cover with foil.

6. Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Remove foil; bake 10 minutes or until cheese is golden.