Here Come the Americans - Roasted Eggplant and Red Pepper Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...A friend, who traveled with me through Spain and Morocco, sent me this photo over the weekend. I pride myself, often to a fault, with being an unobtrusive traveler. It appears I don't always practice what I preach. Given what I'm carrying and the paraphernalia I've draped over my body, the only possible tourist identifier I'm missing is a visible display of my passport in one of those horrid necklace thingies. I can just hear the locals whispering, "Here come the Americans". I really dropped the ball here, but the picture reminded me of a soup we shared the day it was taken. I enjoyed the soup enough to search out a recipe for it, and while it is a bit more involved to make than many of the soups I feature here, it truly is worth the effort. Those of you who enjoy new flavor pairings will really enjoy the eggplant and pepper combination. I have no real cautions to share with you regarding its preparation, save for the need to strain the soup before it is served. The texture of the pureed soup is decidedly grainy and may be off putting to some. Staining solves the problem. Do give this a try. This is the type of soup that is served as the last meal of the day in Spain and Morocco, so despite the spice mix it is easy to digest. Here is how it's made.

Waist Watcher's Special - Frittata with Ham and Roasted Peppers

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is one of those everyday recipes that's hard to categorize. Cost-wise it is a candidate for Frugal Friday. Then again, its scaled proportions make it a perfect feature for the Table for Two series. The ease with which it can be assembled begs for a Child's Play designation, but I've chosen, instead, to make it a Waist Watcher's Special, mainly because that category needs recipes to beef it up and put it on a par with the other collections on One Perfect Bite. There is not much to the base recipe, but a quick scan of it will invite creative substitutions more to your liking and the tastes of your family. My only suggestion is to stick to the proportions recommended in the base recipe. Pick your cheese, add herbs and spices to taste, but do not be adventurous with quantities. I used linguica and hot pepper flakes in the version I made for the Silver Fox. I also liberally seasoned the egg mixture with salt and pepper. Think it through, massage it to your taste and I guarantee you won't be disappointed with the results. It will never make your last meal wish list, but it will happily keep you from starving and you won't be embarrassed to serve it. This is a perfect dish for a brunch or light supper and it is as close to effortless as a dish can be. Do try it. Here is how it is made.