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Eggplant Parmesan With Fresh Mozzarella And Marinara Sauce…..

Posted by on September 1, 2011

I’m crazy about eggplant.  This is my version of eggplant parmesan, only a little prettier.  I’ve coated white and purple eggplant with Italian bread crumbs and fresh grated parmesan, fried it in olive oil, and layered it with fresh mozzarella and topped it with fresh marinara sauce. 

Let’s begin…

I came across white eggplant and was very intrigued, I had to buy it!  I did not notice a difference in taste between the white and the purple.  When buying eggplant, you’ll want to pick out eggplant that is firm and is free of bruises. 

A must in the preparation of eggplant is to remove the bitterness and excess moisture by lightly salting it and allowing it to sit on paper towels for 20-30 minutes.  Blot off the liquid that accumulates with paper towel.  This will keep the eggplant from absorbing too much oil when cooking.

I LOVE parmigiano reggiano cheese.  It has a rich nutty flavor.  I buy it in a chunk and cut it into 1/2″ pieces, then into the blender for perfectly grated cheese.

Beat a couple of eggs in a bowl with a little water into one bowl, and Italian bread crumbs and parmigiano reggiano into the other.

 Add 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper and mix well.

Dip the eggplant into the egg first, then into the bread crumb mixture, coat well.

Heat skillet over medium heat until very hot and add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, swirel around the pan and add the eggplant, cook until nicely browned.

The eggplant is equally delicious plain!  Enjoy!

Eggplant Parmesan With Fresh Mozzarella and Marinara Sauce

2 medium size eggplant, sliced into 1/4″ rounds
salt
1 1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup parmesano reggiano
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 eggs, beaten well
2 tablespoons water
Olive oil
8 ounces fresh mozzarella
2 cups Marinara sauce or your favorite bottled sauce

1)  Slice the eggplant in 1/4″ slices, lightly coat both sides of the eggplant with table salt and place on a layer of paper towel.  Allow to stand for about 30 minutes.  Blot the eggplant with paper towel to remove excess moisture.
2)  Combine the bread crumbs, parmigiano cheese, and black pepper in another dipping bowl.
3)  Beat the eggs and water in a dipping bowl.
4)  Dip the eggplant into the egg, then into the bread crumb mixture, coat well. 
5)  Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat until very hot.  Add enough olive oil to coat the pan.  Fry each piece of eggplant in olive oil until nicely browned.  You will have to add more olive oil to the pan with each batch.
6)  Layer thin slices of mozzarella cheese between the cooked eggplant.  Top with warm marinara sauce.  Garnish with a fresh sprig of basil. (optional)  Serve immediately.  Makes 8 servings.

Enjoy!

Angie

Filed Under: How To, Side Dishes, Vegetarian | Tagged:

Marinara Sauce…..

Posted by on March 29, 2011

Everyone should have a “go to” marinara recipe.  Here you go.  Love this over pasta with fresh grated parmesan cheese.  Add a simple salad and you have dinner.   If you’d like to kick it up a notch, serve it with my homemade garlic bread.  (you’ll find the recipe in breads category)  Why not double the recipe and keep a stash in your freezer for later, always a great idea!  Also makes an excellent meatless lasagna…will share that with you soon.

Here we go….

We  begin with a large heavy pot over medium heat and some nice olive oil.

And lots of onions…two cups.  Cook for about 5 minutes.

We’ll add some seasonings now.  The olive oil will absorb the flavors.  We have crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Add the seasonings all at once….

And garlic, we need lots of garlic:-)  Cook for a couple of minutes.

Of course, we need tomatoes.  I like using crushed tomatoes for a little texture, tomato sauce, and tomato paste.  Sugar is added to reduce the acidity.

Add the tomato paste.  Cook this in the pan for a few minutes, the tomato paste will start to caramelize and all of the flavors will come together.

Add the crushed tomatoes, the tomato sauce, and a little water.

Finally, the sugar.  Simmer the sauce for about 20 minutes.  Quick and easy!

Marinara Sauce
(no meat)

 2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
¼ cup fresh garlic, minced (about 5 large cloves)
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt or 1 teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 28 ounce can tomato sauce + ½ can water
1 ½ tablespoons sugar

 1)  Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat.  Add onions and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes, cook another couple of minutes.

2)  Add tomato paste and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring often.  Add crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, water, and sugar.  Simmer for about 20 minutes. 

*add additional water if you’d like a thinner sauce.

Filed Under: Homemade Sauces, Pasta, Quick Weeknight Dinners | Tagged: Tagged With: , ,

Appetizer Party!

Posted by on February 23, 2012

I made this Chicken Satay for our annual party a couple of years ago.

Hello Everyone!

I’m gearing up for one of my favorite parties..Cocktails and Appetizers!

Every February, I like to throw an appetizer party to celebrate the the birthdays of my beloved in-laws.  There are so many birthdays in the fourth quarter that I can’t keep up!  My sweet Mother-in-law hosts in her lovely condo.  Everyone will bring their favorite cocktail and I’ll bring the appetizers and desserts and we enjoy a nice adult evening together.  So fun!

The fun actually begins with me pouring over recipe after recipe.  I also have ideas in my head that sound good too.  Thought I might like to make mini goat cheese balls that I could fry and serve with a warm marinara sauce…  Joe gets tired of me asking what he thinks of different ideas because he knows I’ll most likely change my mind 100 times!

Here’s what I’m thinking so far….

1)  Bacon wrapped shrimp with chipotle BBQ sauce
2)  Roasted garlic hummus with warm whole wheat pita bread
3)  Zucchini keftedes with feta and dill
4)  Greek lamb meatballs with spicy yogurt sauce
5)  Red cabbage salad with simple olive oil and vinegar

Dessert

Chocolate fondue with Frangelico.  Dipping items include fresh strawberries and cubed angel food cake
Snickerdoodles  (my Mother-in-law’s fav) and possibly my famous chocolate chip cookies

I’m about 99% set on my menu.  I was all over the place!  I thought a lot about Thai Spareribs , pork and chive pot stickers with dipping sauce and a spring rolls but they didn’t flow well with my other choices.  I wanted some vegetable offerings as I didn’t want to serve all protein based fare.  My menu tends to be mostly Mediterranean inspired dishes, which are always so good.  I haven’t tried the Greek lamb meatballs but the recipe uses minced jalapeno peppers which will be great with the cool  yogurt.  Now I have to make a shopping list and get going!

I’ll let you know how it goes!

Have a good evening.

Angie

Filed Under: Appetizers | Tagged:

Veggie Lasagna Rolls…..

Posted by on January 7, 2012

I am delighted to share my latest healthy vegetarian recipe!  Why not make ahead for your next dinner party?  Simply pop them into the oven about an hour before you want to serve.  Serve with a nice salad my simple garlic bread.  So good.
The recipe is large, it makes 16 rolls.  One roll will only cost you 5 Weight Watcher’s points, so worth it!  Freeze leftovers for another time or enjoy for lunches during the week.  You will need a batch of marinara sauce or you can use your favorite bottled sauce.

Veggie Lasagna Rolls

1 package lasagna noodles (14-16 pieces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
1 medium zucchini, trimmed and grated
1 medium yellow squash, trimmed and grated
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
16 ounces part skim ricotta cheese
1 egg
3-4 cups marinara sauce or your favorite bottled sauce
4 ounces mozzarella cheese

1)  Boil the lasagna noodles according to the package directions, undercooking by 2 minutes.  Drain and rinse.  Carefully lay them out flat until it’s time to use them.  Refrigerate if you’re going to use them later.
2)  Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the chopped onion and red pepper.  Cook for 5-6 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook another minute.  Add the shredded zucchini and the yellow squash.  Cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring often.  Pour into a large bowl to cool.
3)  Once the veggie mixture is cool, add the ricotta cheese and the egg.  Mix well to combine.
4)  Preheat the oven to 350′.  Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray.  (You may need an additional dish)  Spread about 1 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the pan.
5)  At one end of the lasagna noodle, place about 1/3 cup of the veggie/cheese mixture and carefully roll the noodle completely around the filling.  Place in the baking dish seam side down.  Stuff the rest of the noodles.  Pour additional sauce over the rolled and stuffed noodles.  Top with mozzarella cheese.
6)  Bake for 40-45 minutes.  Makes 16 rolls.

*Extend the baking time by 10-15 minutes if you make them ahead and they’re cold.
**freezes beautifully.
***Use any vegetables you like.  If you use mushrooms, be sure to cook the moisture out of them.

 

Have a healthy day!

Angie

Filed Under: Homemade Sauces, Pasta, Vegetarian | Tagged: Tagged With: , , ,

TGIF!!

Posted by on January 6, 2012

Hello Everyone-

Well, winter break is coming to an end….THANK GOD!  Two teens and a six year old without a schedule for two weeks is just too much for me!

I am in need of a night out so I am going out to dinner with my friend Amy to my favorite Italian restaurant, Cucina Paradiso.    I’m going to have a glass or two of prosecco,  a lovely mixed green salad with toasted walnuts, bleu cheese, and strawberries, and maybe some spicy artichoke pasta.   Meatless and delicious!

One of my goals going forward in the new year is to use less meat/protein in my cooking and eating.  My Aunt Irene recently became  a vegetarian and totally inspired me!   I am not going to become a vegetarian, rather, I will consume many more vegetable/grain/vegetarian entrees while enjoying meats occasionally.  I would be considered a “flexitarian.” 

In the 50’s meat was considered a luxury.  It wasn’t used as frequently or in the portion sizes people are now consuming.   The appropriate serving size of meat for a woman is about 3 ounces.  Most steaks you order in restaurants start at 8 ounces and go on up to well over 16!  There many creative ways to incorporate flavor into your cooking without mass amounts of protein.

A couple of my favorite ways to incorporate big flavor without a lot of added fat/calories is to use crisp crumbled bacon or parmisano reggiano cheese.    A so called “big bang for your buck.”  The same goes for flavorful cuts of meat.  One can incorporate a 2-3 ounce portion of meat into a veggie loaded stir fry.  Try sauteing shredded veggies and adding to your next meatloaf.   The moisture from the veggies will make the meatloaf incredibly moist and delicious and you’ll have an added bonus serving of veggies.

This week I came up with Veggie Lasagna Rolls.  I used a blend of shredded zucchini and yellow squash, onions, garlic and sweet bell peppers.  I sauteed them in a little olive oil and then mixed in some ricotta cheese.  I cooked lasagna noodles and rolled them around a dollop of the veggie/cheese mixture.  Topped the dish with some homemade marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese.  Walla, an incredibly flavorful and satisfying vegetarian dinner.  Gotta share this one!

I seldom look forward to Mondays but happy to be back on a schedule next week!

Have a great weekend!

Angie

Filed Under: Cooking and Budgeting Tips | Tagged:

New Years Day…..

Posted by on January 2, 2012

Hi everyone!

What a great day!  Went to bed after midnight last night so it was nice to relax today.  Got up around 8:30 (that’s sleeping in for me!) and my kitchen was totally clean!  My honey got up before me and cleaned up, so nice!  I made delicious omelettes around 10:00.  I sauteed mushrooms, onions, and yellow peppers.  I stuffed my omelet with the veggies and sharp cheddar cheese, so good!  I had a little fresh fruit and a toasted cinnamon raisin english muffin.  It doesn’t get much better than that!

As I am typing, the smell of BBQ beefis wafting through the air.  I slapped that in the  oven about 2:00 today.  Should be fall apart tender in an hour or so.  I’ll be serving it with whole wheat buns, garlic oven roasted potato wedges and a simple cabbage salad.    Forgot to mention that I’m enjoying a little leftover Moscato…nothing like a little bubbly while on the computer:-)

So, let me tell you about last night.  We had a fire going in the livingroom and a our Christmas tree lit.  The smells in my house were as warm and cozy as the fire.  The appetizers and desserts I served were a hit!  Appetizer parties are my absolute favorite!  I made most everything ahead of time.  I just had to pop them in the oven and serve.  Easy peasy.  I always label my serving platters ahead of time so I don’t have to think about it when I have guests.  I also make  a “cheat sheet” that I tape to my kitchen cabinet.  I’ve forgotten to serve things in the past, huge bummer. 

The crab cakes were dynamite!  I made a lovely roasted red pepper aioli.  I did end up making fried calamari with a quick marinara sauce.  This was incredibly simple.  I dusted the calamari with a blend of flour, dried parsley flakes, salt, and pepper.  Right into the hot oil for one minute.  The parmesan stuffed mushrooms went like wildfire.  I baked them for 20 minutes in a small amount of beef broth in the bottom of the pan.  I also served ham and gruyere swiss cheese in puff pastry with whole grain mustard, savory and delicious.

The grand finale was fabulous.  I served the chilled cinnamon cheesecake squares, fresh berries with mascarpone, and chocolate chip cookies.  It was perfect.  Fresh berries, creamy cheesecake, and a little chocolate.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday!  I’m looking forward to a schedule in my house!

Have a great evening!

Angie

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New Year’s Soiree….

Posted by on December 29, 2011

Looking forward to a simple cocktail/appetizer party on Saturday.  As always, I obsess over what I’ll be serving.  (in a good way!)  In my experience I’ve found that most people really go for hot appetizers.  I think it’s nice to offer a couple of cold items  so that there’s something available between hot apps.  Olives are nice.  I like to offer some vegetables as well so that my guests have a healthy option.  I love the look of blanched broccoli on a vegetable tray.  *Blanching will make the broccoli very bright green and will make it less bitter.  Serve fresh cut veggies with my Light Bleu Cheese Dip.  No one will know it’s light, so good!

Another thing to consider is whether your guests will mostly be standing and mingling.  Always a good idea to serve items that are bite size and easy to eat.  Be sure to have plenty of cocktail napkins on hand as well.  If guests are a little shy about going up to an appetizer table, circulate them yourself or enlist another guest to do so.  This will put everyone at ease.

Here’s what I’m thinking…

Appetizers:

1)  Fried Calamari with Fresh Marinara Sauce (the sauce can be made ahead)  Not sure about this one….like to have most everything done ahead of time! 
2)  Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Aioli (make ahead, just warm in oven)
3)  Black Forest Ham and Gruyere Puff Pastry Squares (Ina Garten) great at room temperature (make ahead, serve at room temperature or warm in oven for a few minutes)
4)  Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms (make ahead, warm in oven)
5)  Proscuitto Wrapped Breadsticks with Boursin and Arugula (cold) (make ahead)

Desserts:

Mini Cheesecake Bites with Fresh Raspberry Sauce (make ahead)
Something Chocolate…not sure what….
Fresh Berries with Mascarpone Cream-beautiful, simple, and festive.  (make ahead)

I have time before my gig, so I’ll be changing things around a bit.  Will let you know my final menu.

Have a nice evening-

Angie

*to blanch broccoli, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Add the cut broccoli to the water and set the timer for 1 minute.  Drain and immediately plunge the  hot broccoli into a bowl of ice water.   Once the broccoli is cool, drain well.  Enjoy!

Filed Under: Appetizers, Holiday Cooking | Tagged: Tagged With: ,

Chicken Parmesan…..

Posted by on March 30, 2011

This is a scrumptious dinner.    Make the marinara sauce ahead(recipe below).  If you’re having company, bread the chicken breasts and layer with wax paper between pieces, refrigerate.  Simply put into the oven about 40 minutes before you want to serve and follow the rest of the cooking directions.  While the chicken is baking, cook the pasta.  I think the the best way to get the most flavor into the pasta is to under cook it by a couple of minutes.  Drain the pasta and put back into the pan.  Add a couple of ladels of sauce to the hot undercooked noodles over medium heat.  Allow to cook for a couple of minutes.  The pasta will cook the rest of the way absorbing the flavors from the sauce.

Here we go….

Non stick foil line a cookie sheet with sides.  Add some olive oil…

Spread the oil evenly over the foil, set aside.  Preheat oven to 40o’.

Start with a whole, raw chicken breasts.  Trim any excess fat.  Most chicken breasts are quite large so I suggest giving it a horizontal slice.  This will make for more even cooking.

Place your hand on the top of the chicken breast and with a very sharp knife slice through the center of the breast.  (hard to demonstrate here with the camera in my right hand!)

Here you see the chicken breast halved.  Season both sides with a little kosher salt.

You will need three large bowls to coat the chicken.  One for flour, one for beaten egg and water, and one for the bread crumb/parmesan cheese mixture.  Dip into flour to coat, shake off excess….

Then into the egg mixure, allow the excess liquid to run off….

Finally, dip into the bread crumb/parmesan cheese mixture to thoroughly coat.

Place on the prepared cookie sheet and give a light drizzle of olive oil.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove from oven and top with cheese.  Back into the oven for 10 minutes.  Serve with marinara sauce and pasta.

Chicken Parmesan

4 chicken breasts, halved into cutlets
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup flour
2 eggs beaten with 2 tablespoons of water
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
½ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
Olive oil
8 slices mozzarella or provolone cheese

1)  Preheat oven to 400’.  Trim the fat off of the chicken breasts.   Lay the chicken breast on the cutting board.  Hold the top of the breast with one hand and with a very sharp knife, run it horizontally through the chicken breast.  Season each breast half with a couple of pinches of salt.

2)  You will need three containers.  To the first add the flour, the second the eggs and water (beaten), and to the third, add the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, mix to blend.

3)  Dip each breast half first into the flour, shake off excess flour.  Dip into the egg to coat.  Finally, into the bread crumb mixture to coat and right onto the cookie sheet.  Once all are on the sheet, drizzle each piece with a small amount of olive oil.  Bake for 30 minutes.  Remove the pan from the oven and top each breast with one slice of cheese.  Bake an additional 10 minutes to melt the cheese.  Serve with spaghetti and marinara sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!

Angie

Filed Under: Pasta, Poultry | Tagged:

Buying Organic Meats, budgeting ideas…..

Posted by on May 10, 2010

I watched Food, Inc. recently, click here to see the trailer.  What an eye opener! 

I put off watching it.  It is so important to be informed about what is going on in the world of  “corporate” food production.  It’s not farming, so ridiculous!  Lately I’ve wondered how local grocery stores could sell Perdue boneless chicken breasts from $ .99 to $1.98/lb.  Watch the documentary, you will understand how.  It is more important than ever to buy our foods from actual FARMERS.  People who take pride in their animals and treat them humanely.  If an animal is standing in waste, fed unhealthy foods that they aren’t meant to eat, and given crazy growth hormones to fatten them up unbelievably fast, the end product simply cannot be good for the human body.   Watch the documentary, you will understand what I’m talking about.

Think about this.  Try cutting meat out two to three times a week by making good, vegetarian type meals and you will have more in your budget for the better meats/poultry.  In fact, you will most likely SAVE money!Most of us eat entirely too much meat on a daily basis.  The recommended daily allowance varies depending on your age and size and is given in grams per serving.  Find out what your RDA is on this grams to ounces conversion calculator.

There are so many delicious things you can make that kids, yes, I said kids, will love.  Macaroni and cheese, whole wheat spaghetti with marinara sauce topped with a healthy shaving of parmigiano reggiano, meatless tamale pie , etc.  Also, make dishes where you are using only 3-4 oz. of meat/ serving.  For example, vegetable stir fry using meat as a condiment, pasta sauces with small amounts of chicken or ground meats.   Our bodies are not equipped to digest 8-16 oz portions!  I’m working on brown rice and cheese stuffed poblano peppers (chile rellenos.)..now what’s not to love about that?

Let us all say “NO” to this out of hand corporate way in which we feed our people.  Less dollars in their pockets send a very telling message.  Let’s use this information to make better choices for the environment and the health of our families.

We can do it!  I am going to do my best to share recipes that use smaller amounts of meat and poultry.  We’re going to get healthier together!

I am so up for the challenge!

Have a great week!
Angie

Filed Under: Cooking and Budgeting Tips | Tagged: Tagged With: ,

Polenta Squares With Fontina Cheese…..

Posted by on February 4, 2012

Polenta is an amazing neutral grain that you can easily tailor to your own taste.  I love it because it’s naturally creamy and sets up perfectly when refrigerated.  It can be cut into squares, triangles, or circles.  It can be pan fried, deep fried, grilled or baked.  (I feel like Bubba in the movie Forest Gump talking about all the things you can do with shrimp!)  I added fontina cheese to the hot polenta and topped it with additional cheese.  For a little color, I did a light sprinkling of sweet paprika and dried parsley.  You could add any cheese you like.  I think it would be amazing with a sharp bleu cheese and of course, reggiano parmigiano.

It can be served a couple of different ways.  You can serve it in its creamy state, right out of the pot.  You could put a spoonful right onto your plate or into a large soup bowl and top it with a thick marinara or meat tomato sauce.  Top with additional cheese and you have dinner.  I prefer it chilled in a 9×13″ pan, then baked and cut into squares.  This method is great for entertaining because all you have to do is pop it in the oven for 35 minutes or so and serve.

Enjoy as a vegetarian main dish with an arugula salad with a tangy vinaigrette.  Serve with most any rich, braised meat, grilled chicken or fish.    I served it with braciole.  The rich tomato and garlic sauce paired beautifully with the creamy polenta.

Polenta Squares

8 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cornmeal
1/4 cup half and half
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cup cheese
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 tablespoon dried parsley

1)  Butter or coat a 9 x 13″ baking dish with cooking spray.
2)  In a large pot bring the water and salt to a boil.  Lower the heat so that it’s just simmering.
3)  With a whisk, slowly add the cornmeal to the pot, whisking quickly (and carefully)  to avoid lumps.  Once you get all of the cornmeal into the pot, you will notice it’s extremely thick.  Remove it from the heat immediately as the bubbling liquid can bubble right out of the pot and burn you!
4)  Immediately add the half and half and butter.  Whisk to combine.
5)  Add 1 cup of the cheese, stir gently to blend.  Pour into prepared pan.  Top with the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.
Refrigerate until firm.
6)  Preheat the oven to 350′.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until completely heated through.  Sprinkle with the paprika and dried parsley.  Cut into squares.  Makes 12 3″ squares.  Serve 2 per person.  Serves 6 total.

Enjoy!

Angie

*For grilling or pan frying,  skip topping the cooked polenta with the extra 1/2 cup of cheese until after grilling.   Cut it into squares while it’s chilled and grill or pan fry.  Grilling can be tricky because it softens up again after heating.  The grill needs to be extremely hot and you’d want to coat it lightly with vegetable oil.  For pan frying, be sure the pan and oil are extremely hot so that it browns the polenta.  Flip very carefully.

Filed Under: Side Dishes, Vegetarian | Tagged:
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