The Future of Sweet Rolls... and Eggplant Croquettes

Well, some of you may be wondering what is the future of Sweet Rolls that Rock - my other blog dedicated to making awesome sweet rolls?

And, to be honest, I'm kind of wondering about that as well. I think, perhaps we could get some guest contributors? Anyone interested?

I'm also thinking about tweaking some of my recipes to include more protein. For example, this morning I read that you can use protein powder in baked goods. You can replace up to half the flour content with a protein powder.

Here is something interesting I read in Little Sugar Addicts. Do not use soy-based powders or soymilk with children. Does that set off an alarm bell for anyone?

As a "mostly" vegetarian - we like to follow the Word of Wisdom in our house - we eat a lot of soy. But we do drink cow's milk.

Anyways, I ask why not use soy for children?

Then I read that the estrogenic properties of soy can have hormonal effects on growing bodies. Increased estrogen levels can cause early puberty in girls and boys to grow breasts! EEEK.

Ok, occasional use is fine, but not daily and not in large amounts.

Hello? Soy is in everything!

However, whey protein powder is a far better alternative for children. Whey protein is a product made from milk. The proteins are distilled by passing the milk through a series of filters and the end result is very pure and concentrated. Even many children who have a problem with dairy can tolerate whey protein powder because it is so distilled. Whey protein powder is also rich in something called alpha-lactalbumin, which increases the level of tryptophan in the brain. Increasing the level of serotonin as well - which mean less depression and more impulse control - which means happiness.

Mark - don't be alarmed. You are not gonna grow breasts. LOL. Soy is great for adults - just not so much for children.

So, anyway, this weekend I'm going to look for whey protein powder at the natural food store. And then, maybe next weekend when it's Thanksgiving and we have our Dessert Social at church - I will bring those yummy cinnamon rolls - tweaked a bit with protein powder :)

And now for a favorite recipe of mine - Eggplant Croquettes!

As a kid we never ate eggplant at my house. My Dad didn't like it I suppose. And the first time I tried eggplant - it was eggplant parmesan at an Italian restaurant and I didn't like it very much. But just plain fried eggplant is wonderful. I love that. I love to put it in wraps or with my cucumber-cashew panini - I love it also has a croquette.

I've made these a few times - and surprisingly Mark hasn't noticed the cheese content. He's probably not going to eat them anymore after seeing this post. Oh well, more for me ;) ...nah - 15 grams of cheese isn't much at all - you can always just leave it out or sub it with Parmesan - which isn't as "cheesy" - does that make sense?!

• 1 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 1 large eggplant, peeled and cubed
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cups bread crumbs
• 2 eggs
• 15 grams shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/2 cup flour
• vegetable oil for frying

Place eggplant and salt (sprinkled over eggplant) in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on medium-high 3 minutes. Stir eggplant around and microwave another 2 minutes. The eggplant should be tender, cook another 2 minutes if the eggplant is not tender. Drain any liquid from the eggplants and mash.

Combine onion, pepper, bread crumbs, eggs, cheese, paprika, and white pepper with the mashed eggplant. Mix well. Shape the eggplant mixture into patties, balls or croquette (log shape). Coat each croquette with flour.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Fry each side of the croquettes until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes on each side. Patties can be frozen before frying and cooked later.