Ratatouille

For those of you, not in the know, ratatouille is actually the name of a French Provencal stew.  It's what you do when the zucchini, tomato and eggplants in your garden have decided it's time for a coup.  A take over!    Several years ago I had a VERY prolific tomato plant about the size of one of those "smart cars" you see around.  It virtually attacked and claimed a corner of my yard and even though it was attacked by the dreaded spiny looking tomato worm, the plant still provided pound after pound of huge juicy tomatoes.

Enter the heirloom black zucchini plant!  In my neck of the woods, high desert and usually dry, we don't plant most veggies in the ground until late May or early June.  Even then, weather can be fickle with bouts of dry, alternating with snow and quick freezes.  My zucchini plant struggled at first and while I went on a short vacation my dad watered and watched over my garden.  Now, I don't know what he said to these plants, but upon my return,  Magic!   He's always had a green thumb.  I began to grow zucchini in a big way, picking consistently two or 3 a day.  I also planted one Japanese eggplant which was almost nibbled to the ground by a resident rabbit.  Thanks for the trim!  Now, it thrives, too.

This ratatouille recipe is great when your garden is going gangbusters!  While I had measurements, you don't have to be so exact.  You're not baking a cake, it's a stew!  Ratatouille is even better the next day as the flavors blend.

2 cups, chopped peppers (I used an assortment of colors)

1 cup chopped yellow onion

3-4 small Japanese eggplant.  (no need to peel, chop into 1/2 inch pieces)

2 cups zucchini, chopped into 1/2 inch or bite size pieces

1 1/2 -2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 c of diced canned organic tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 tsp herbs de Provence

1/2 tsp thyme

a handful of chopped parsley (optional)

salt and pepper to taste

Once everything is chopped up this dish is easy.  I started with 2 Tbsp of olive oil to get the veggies cooking.  Add the peppers, onions, eggplant and zucchini, stirring until the onions begin to soften.  Add the tomatoes, garlic, canned tomatoes, bay leaf, herbs and thyme.  Cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat. 

Cover and reduce the heat to low.  Let it simmer for another 30 minutes or longer, checking to see if the liquid has evaporated.  You can add a bit (1/4 cup) of water or broth to keep them moist.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Make sure you let a spoonful cool,; the veggies are very hot at this point!

You can serve after letting it cool a bit or refrigerate for the next day.  I like to put a dollop of goat cheese on top...delicious!

Turkey Sausage Stuffed Eggplant

Stuff It!   Stuff the eggplant, that is.  One of my favorite ways to serve and eat eggplant is fried and layered into a crusty piece of French bread.  But, when I choose to limit my intake of bread and fried foods, this preparation is a close second.

Eggplant is one of those vegetables which is overlooked or completely ignored.  It's usually "stuffed" into a dark corner in the grocery store.  In my store I have to stand on tip toes to reach up and grab one.    It's as if they are trying to hide the eggplant!  Maybe, it's because no one knows what to do with it!  And, if you don't, you can always use one as a Mediterranean decoration.  Pick a colorful bowl, fill with lemons, pomegranates and sprigs of rosemary.  Plop an aubergine colored eggplant in the center. (I just gave myself a great decorating tip!)  If you want to make a meal instead of decorate, stay tuned!

Turkey Sausage Stuffed Eggplant

2 smaller (6-7 ") eggplants, or you can use 1 large (8-9") size

2 tbsp olive oil

3-4 turkey sausages, removed from casings

1/4 of a yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

3 mushrooms, chopped

1/4 cup diced red pepper

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1 tsp fennel seeds

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the eggplants in half, lengthwise and scoop out the pulp.  Do this by using a paring knife to cut withing 1/2 inch of the outside.  Lift out as much pulp as you can, then carve the rest.   Don't completely remove all the pulp.  Reserve the scooped out pulp and  place the hollowed eggplants on a baking sheet, cut side up.  Drizzle with one of the tablespoons of oil.   Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes, remove and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown the turkey while chopping into bite size pieces using a wooden spoon, then add the onions, garlic, mushrooms, and red peppers.   Add one cup of diced (reserved) eggplant.  Cover and continue to cook on medium for about 7 minutes.   Add the fennel seeds, parsley and broth, stir, cover loosely and reduce heat to simmer.  Simmer for 15 minutes.

Stuff the eggplants, firmly and sprinkle cheese on top.  At this point you can refrigerate and bake later.  Or, set the oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 10-15 minutes.

Serves 4.

Eggplant Un-Meat Balls

I continue with my love affair of vegetables.  I was a fortunate child who had a family full of gardeners, so for me it's easy to love veggies, even though corn was probably my favorite as a child.  Now, it seems corn doesn't have the flavor it used to, but that's a whole other story.

I keep staring out my window at my snow covered raised garden beds imagining what I'll fill them with this late Spring.   First to go in will be the spinach and lettuce, maybe even broccoli.  I can't wait!  Around these parts we have an old Indian saying about planting and it's usually incredibly accurate.  "Don't plant if there is still snow on top of Peavine mountain", which is a small mountain shadowing Reno's city limits.  The snow melts usually mid to late May on that mountain, and many a gardener is already chomping at the bit.  If you don't heed the Indian's wise words, you will probably be covering your plants with blankets, sheets or plastic (whatever works) when the snow flies.

I planted the small Asian eggplants last Summer, but they were over-watered, and didn't get enough sun.  I also planted them too close to the tomatoes, I guess.  I'll get this right one of these years!  

I used the larger eggplants for this recipe.  I sliced it in half, drizzled it with oil, placed in a baking pan, covered it and roasted on 400 degrees for around 35-40 minutes, to soften.  Then the recipe begins!

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, roasted and pulp scooped out.

1/4 cup panko crumbs and 1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley

1 Tbsp basil, fresh chopped

1 Tbsp egg white

Put these items in a food processor and blend.  Refrigerate the mixture for at least an hour.   Using a spoon and with wet hands, scoop the mixture and roll into a ball.  I make them and place them on a parchment paper covered surface.  Roll the balls in additional breadcrumb or panko crumbs.  In a large skillet with 2 Tbsp of oil begin to fry them turning so most sides are nicely browned.

If you like eggplant, you'll love these...just another way to cook eggplant without immersing them in so much oil!  Voila!

Roasted Eggplant and Whole Grain Rotini

How does a self professed lover of all things Italian reduce the pre Holiday girth and still enjoy life?  Well, after losing 5 lbs in the last month while eating a full Thanksgiving meal, sushi, Italian margherita pizza, wine, pasta, bread pudding, bagels with fruit spread and frozen yogurt, this girl has done it.   Actually, I've done it before with amazing results.  It's simple but not easy, but once you resign to the fact you won't be indulging for a short period of time on butter, cheese, meat, you'll do just fine.

I can live for long stretches of time without meat, however, being devoid of pasta is torture to me!  I'll find a way to sneak it back in, only this time preparing it a healthier way.  My creativity thrives in the kitchen on this "eating plan".  Whenever I want more substance (not meat) in a meal,  I gravitate to eggplant and hearty mushrooms, finding these a great substitute!

Roasted Eggplant & Whole Grain Pasta

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp oil

1/4 of a large yellow onion, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp red chili flakes

1 roasted eggplant, cubed

1 can (14.5 oz) whole peeled tomatoes, chopped

1/4 cup red wine

1/2 small can tomato paste

1/4 cup water

salt and pepper

1 cup or a bit more of rotini pasta (dry)

Start by roasting a whole eggplant.  In a 400 degree oven, place the eggplant on a cookie sheet and roast for about 35-40 minutes.  Cool and peel and cut into cubes.

In a large skillet, cook the onions in the oil until soft on medium/low heat.  Add the garlic and chili flakes while stirring.  Then add the eggplant,  and tomatoes (I pulsed my tomatoes in a blender first). Add the wine, tomato paste and water and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer.  Add salt and pepper, if needed, and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling water, and drain it reserving about 2 ladles of pasta water (just in case).  Depending on the thickness of the sauce you may want to add some pasta water to "loosen" it.  Add the pasta to the sauce and blend well.

The whole grain pasta added to the flavor giving it a nuttiness!  This is even better cold.  Serves about 4.

Standing in the Soup Line - Sicilian Soup

With much thought and while anguishing over whether to write about the latest election...I decided to go "forward"  Most likely my views will upset approximately 51% of American out there, but last time I checked I had the freedom to "stir it up"!  So, no matter who you voted for or against and for whatever un-Godly reason,  allow me to have my say.  I voted for CHARACTER!  Pure and simple and that lack of will be revealed within the next 4 years!

With that said, Let's get busy and make some soup.  That way you'll know how to make it yourself without having to stand in those long soup lines.  (humor me)  49% of us need a good belly laugh.

Ingredients:

3 Italian chicken sausages, removed from casings, crumbled

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup yellow onion, chopped

1-2 bella type mushrooms, sliced

2 cups, eggplant, peeled and cubed

2 cups spinach/arugula mix

1 can (15.5 oz) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

2 tomatoes, peeled and cut (you can use canned)

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

1 cup chicken broth

2 cups water

1/2 cup white wine

salt and pepper to taste

First brown the sausage in a large soup pot.  Add the oil and saute the onions, mushrooms and eggplant for a few minutes.  Add all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.   Reduce the heat to simmer, cover loosely and simmer for about 40 minutes.  Now serve and enjoy!

Italian Fried Zucchini

Although not a bumper crop, my zucchini is finally gaining momentum!  Apparently, the "farmer" who grew the zucchini for this recipe did have a bumper crop of gigantic foot long squash.   I like to  use those big ones for shredding to put into a zucchini bread recipe.  1/2 of one went to the previous chocolate zucchini cake while a whole zucchini, along with an eggplant, was fried up with an Italian twist.

I know there's a healthier way to prepare this, but why ruin a good thing.  Just don't eat it as often.  It is time consuming, so not for beginners unless you like a good challenge.  The key is to set up a "work station" so it flows better.  From right to left, picture this.  (I guess a picture would have been nice, huh?)  Next time I make this, I'll take a picture of the "work station".

In a column I have the sliced zucchini or eggplant in a bowl or plate waiting to be cooked.  Below that, a pie plate size dish containing the beaten egg.  Lastly, below the egg is a pie plate of flour.  On the stove top is a 12 inch frying pan you'll cook the zucchini in.  To the left of that will be a saucepan with your favorite marinara sauce.  To the left of the sauce will be a casserole dish waiting for the finished product.  Below that will be a plate covered with paper towels.  After you fry the zucchini, place on the paper towels to absorb some of the oil.  The last container on the left will be some grated Parmesan or Romano cheese for garnish. 

Now you've got the idea!  Take zucchini and dredge in egg, then flour and place in the heated pan with the oil in it.  When done on both sides, remove the zucchini to the paper towels, blotting (gently pressing down).  Leave there to start the process over with more zucchini.  When that batch goes into the pan, remove the absorbing ones to the casserole dish placing a layer at a time, salt and pepper, smear a dollop of marinara on top and a sprinkle of cheese.  Whew!  I never said this would be easy, but tastes so good.

NOTE: About half way through the frying process the oil turns a yucky brown.  This is when I remove from the heat, cool the pan down and pour the drippings into a "safe place" (old coffee can) and wipe the pan to remove the rest of the yucky.  Pour more oil into the pan, heat up and your ready for the second half.

So, have I lost you yet?  If not, here are the ingredients:

1 large zucchini or eggplant, sliced into 1/4 inch thickness rounds.  I don't peel the zucchini, but I do peel the eggplant.  

2-3 eggs, beaten  Sometimes when I cook the eggplant only,  I can get away with 2 eggs.

About 1-2 cups flour  Again, you may start out with 1 cup and need to add more flour.

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil   I start with covering the bottom of the pan - about 1/8 inch and may need to add more between batches.  Eggplant absorbs the oil like a sponge, it seems.

1 - 1 1/2 cups marinara

1/2 cup or more of grated cheese - Parmesan or Romano

Okay, so this sounds a bit like rocket science but I can do this process in my sleep by now.  Hey, I'm married to a wonderful Italian man.  He likes his zucchini and eggplant Parmesan.  His mother would make it for the family and he'd bring his eggplant sandwiches for school lunch only to get them stolen.  It's that good and ALWAYS better the next day.  Enjoy.

Pork /Eggplant Lettuce Wraps

It's pretty rare when I cook with pork.  I can't pinpoint why I have a stigma about it.  But, you soon get over it after you've had a good bolognese sauce or tagliatelle with wild boar.  That's in the "pig family", right?  Occasionally I may fix a stuffed pork loin roast, but I'm not into the "baconator craze".  As a matter of fact, I don't think I've had bacon in years!  How un-American!   When a recipe calls for bacon, I usually substitute pancetta.  Oh wait, that's just Italian bacon!

While practicing to make a perfect bolognese sauce (the best I've eaten was in Costa Rica, go figure!) I had ground pork that's been in the freezer.   I also had some Japanese eggplant from the farmer's market.  Lettuce wraps it would be!  This was not a planned meal where you go to the store to buy certain ingredients.  I do things backwards.  I create meals from what I have most of the time.  It's more fun that way.  My hubby doesn't seem to mind me experimenting on him!

Pork/Eggplant Lettuce Wraps

3/4 - 1 lb. of ground pork

about 3 small - medium size Japanese eggplants, cubed

3 green onions, chopped

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup broth (I used chicken)

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp Chinese stir fry sauce (I would have used Hoisin, but alas, I had none)

1 Tbsp honey

1 tsp sriracha hot chili  sauce

6-8 dried prunes, chopped (optional, but adds a sweetness)

1 tsp dried cilantro

In a large skillet, brown the pork.  Then add the eggplant, onions and water.  Cook on medium heat until eggplant starts to soften, stirring often.  Then add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cover (not tightly).  Stir every 5 minutes, watching the liquid.  You may need to add more water or broth to keep from sticking.   Cook for about 30 minutes.  Eggplant should be a bit mushy, but the flavors are more saturated.

Have some romaine or butter lettuce leaves ready.   This recipe makes about 5-6 wraps with 2 Tbsp of filling per wrap. Garnish with sesame seeds if you wish.  I would have added chopped peanuts for a garnish but I didn't have any.

NOTE:  You could also try with ground chicken or turkey.  Might not be too bad!

Eggplant Parmesan on the Grill!

What's on the grill, now?  I  think most people are intimidated by eggplant or they don't know what to do with it, but it's one of my favorite vegetables.  Growing up, my family never prepared it...not sure why.  Maybe, because at family gatherings one of the Italian inlaws would bring over the best eggplant parmesan casserole which was pretty hard to compete with.  Years would go by without another eggplant "exposure".

Then, I married an Italian and eggplant seemed to be part of the package.  Lucky me!  I learned several different ways to prepare the purple football shaped veggie.  And, a few I made up myself along the way.  Just recently, though, a lot of grilling has been going on over here.  Why not grill an eggplant?  And make it appear like a casserole?  We did, and it turned out wonderful.

1 eggplant, cut into 1/4 inch slices

2 pieces of heavy duty aluminum foil measuring aprrox 18 " in length

sprinkle of salt and pepper

1 cup diced Muir Glen organic tomatoes with basil & garlic (my choice)

drizzle of olive oil

about 4 oz. sliced mozzarella

First, spray the bottom of one piece of foil with pan spray.  Begin to layer the eggplant, making about 4 rows or so.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, add the tomatoes (scatter) and drizzle olive oil on top.  Seal all the ends by rolling and crimping.  Place on the grill for about 30 minutes.  Carefully open the edges and layer the cheese on top of the eggplant.  Loosely close (no need to crimp edges).  The heat and steam will melt the cheese.  Remove and serve immediately.   This was a meal in itself....very good!

 

A Surprise Sidedish - Asian Eggplant

This spicy side dish was a complete surprise to me.  Pleasant surprises usually happen around here when I start throwing ingredients into the pan.  My inspiration comes  from an entree that PF Chang's has on their menu, minus most of the sodium.    My version evolved without the Thai chilies and ground chicken/pork, although next time I'll add those along with some brown rice for a complete meal.

Ingredients:

1 Japanese eggplant (those long skinny ones)  Cut into 1/2-1 inch pieces, then quarter each piece.

1/2 cup onion, large chop

1/3 cup oil

1 cup chicken or vegetable broth

1/4 tsp Chinese five spice

dash of red chili flakes

1 Tbsp plum sauce (Dynasty brand)

1 Tbsp black bean garlic sauce (Dynasty brand)

garnish of green onions and sesame seeds

In a skillet place oil and eggplant and start to brown.  Eggplant soaks up ALL liquid so you can begin to add 1/2 of the chicken broth.  As the eggplant starts to soften, add the onion, five spice and chili flakes.  Continue to stir on medium heat.  Add the plum and black bean sauce, while stirring quickly to coat the pieces.  Reduce the heat to simmer as you add the remaining chicken broth.  The liquids will start to nicely thicken.  It should be done by now.  Garnish with chopped green onions and sesame seeds. 

  

Italian Stuffed Shells - Pasta of the Month

It's that time again, pasta of the month - October.  I couldn't let the day pass without honoring my hubby with this great meal.  Happy Birthday, my man, and many more.

Creme brulee in Italy 5 years ago!

 
Truth be told this is not his birthday dinner.  It came from the archives of "not posted yet".   This amazing stuffed shells recipe is a special dish you can serve to your guests! 

  When I was a working girl, I confess, I actually had these delivered to my door from a frozen food supplier.  They were good, but not exceptionally good like homemade.  I thought these would be time consuming, but if you use prepared sauce they are relatively easy and quick.

Let's pretend I used ready made sauce from a jar.  (I didn't, but it's not a bad idea to streamline the recipe..)  Therefore, I won't give you the sauce recipe, this time...still working on the perfect marinara/bolognese sauce!  I promise, you will impress your guests as this dish comes out of the oven all cheesy and bubbly!

Ingredients:

about 3 cups of sauce (your choice) HINT: I used to saute Italian sausage and garlic to add to the store bought sauce

about 16 large pasta shells

For the filling:

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 handful chopped Italian parsley

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 cup cubed eggplant

2-3 basil leaves chopped

ricotta cheese (15 oz container)

1 egg

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

For the topping:

1 handful chopped parsley

1 cup grated mozzarella

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Boil water for the pasta shells, salting it as it starts to boil.  Cook them according to directions, al dente.

In a skillet, heat the oil, add onion,  mushrooms and eggplant and cook until soft.  In a bowl put the ricotta, basil,  parsley and eggplant mixture.  Add the egg and Parmesan and mix well.

Stuffed and ready to bake

Drain and cool the shells and stuff with the mixture.  In a 9x11 baking dish spread about 1/2 cup of sauce on the bottom.   Place the shells in a baking dish and  pour the remaining  sauce over the top, then add the mozzarella cheese and additional parsley.  Bake for about 25 minutes, allow to cool slightly and serve.    This dish will freeze well before the cooking process so you can make days ahead and enjoy your guests!

Cheesy and Bubbly!!  Yum!

Easy Grilled Eggplant

I think eggplant has been given a bad rap for being the most underused vegetable.  Maybe it's because most people don't know what to do with the bulbous purple veggie.  But, surprisingly enough, it's one of my favorites.  It's best known for its use in French ratatouille and Italian eggplant parmigiana.  I had my first encounter at my Aunt's home.  She married into an Italian family and one of the relatives had brought over a huge casserole of eggplant parmigiana.  I was probably around 7 or 8, but, I swear, I could have devoured the whole thing!

I continued my love affair with eggplant and married into my own large Italian family.  My mother-in-law would fry slices in egg and flour, dip in sauce, and attempt to save it for dinner.  Alot would get eaten before anyone sat down for the meal.  If there was ever any leftover, you'd find it between bread, eaten as a sandwich.  Yum!

After years of cooking it that way, I've also experimented by roasting, cubing for pasta and soups, baking, frying and now grilling.  To salt or not to salt.  To soak or not to soak, first.  Eggplants can be slightly bitter, so I salted the slices first, let them sit for an hour, rinsed well and marinated before grilling.  So good!  This process not only helps with bitterness, but it will absorb less oil, which is a more healthful thing!

Marinade in a large container.  Lay the slices out (used one large eggplant) and in a 2 cup measuring cup add about 1 cup of olive oil, a handful of chopped basil, 1 Tbsp of minced garlic, a squeeze of fresh lemon or a Tbsp of vinegar, and a dash of red pepper flakes.  Pour over the eggplant and let sit in refrigerator for at least an hour or two.  During that time arrange the slices (move around so that marinade is distributed evenly).  I drained the liquid out and re -poured it a few times, too.

On a medium heat grill, lay out the eggplant turning once after a few minutes.  I then placed a large piece of foil down onto the grill, arranged the eggplant on top, folded up the edges and used the rest of the marinade on top.  Close the grill and continue to cook until done.  I added fresh buffalo mozzarella at the last minute, but this is optional.  Great as a meal or with a meal and excellent as a sandwich!