Posts
I try to go meatless once a week, one, because it's cheaper and two, because I like to.
You'll need:
2 eggplants, washed and sliced into 1/4" planks
buttermilk
flour, egg and milk
salt and pepper
vegetable oil
6-8 oz. chevre (goat's cheese)
fresh basil or dried (fresh is best)
marinara sauce, about a quart
good parm cheese
In a large ziplock bag, marinate the eggplant for at least 30 minutes.
Set up a dredging station - flour seasoned liberally with salt and pepper (this is your only chance to season the eggplant) and 1:1 egg/milk wash. Heat vegetable oil in a large saute pan for a shallow fry. Piece by piece, drip the buttermilk off the eggplant, run it through the flour and then into the egg wash. From the egg wash, place it directly in the oil and fry both sides until golden brown. DRAIN WELL on a well lined sheet pan.
Heat your oven 375*. In a baking dish (9 x 13) place some of your favorite marinara in the bottom, about 1/4" deep.
One at a time, take an eggplant plank. Place a dollop of chevre (I like to preportion this for however many planks I got out of my eggplant) near the end closest to you. Top with a basil leaf. Carefully roll the plank up, and place it seam-down in the marinara sauce. Grate parm cheese over the dish and bake, uncovered, 20-30 minutes.
Top with more parm cheese before serving. I like to serve this with penne pasta and some good bread.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Garlic Chicken & Penne with Caprese Tartlettes
This composed meal is just delish and is easy to remember...I could eat the tartlettes all day. They would also make FANTASTIC party canapes.
3 chicken breasts, made into scallopini by cutting in half width-wise
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 - 1/3 cup veg oil
1/2 lb penne, cooked
1 head broccoli, florets only, very small
olive oil or EVOO
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
red wine vinegar
8 slices regular white bread
olive oil
1/3 block of cream cheese (low fat OK), softened
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp italian herbs
fresh mozzarella, sliced
fresh basil
2 roma tomatoes, sliced
balsamic vinegar
Parm cheese - the real stuff.
Place the 2 crushed garlic cloves in the veg oil and let sit for awhile. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper and let sit out til close to room temp.
Remove the crust from the bread and use a roller to flatten it. Use a basting brush to apply olive oil to both sides of the bread. Put one piece of bread in a muffin hole in your muffin pan. Mix the cream cheese, garlic powder and herbs. Divide this mixture evenly between the 8 muffin tins with bread in them. Bake this at 350ยบ for about 12 minutes or until well browned. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Take out the garlic from your resting veg oil (throw that away, it's done its job) and add the oil (or part of it) to your pan. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides in the garlic oil. Set cooked chicken aside.
In another pan, add a couple tbsps of olive oil and 2 crushed garlic cloves. Cook the garlic over med-low heat until lightly browned. Remove the garlic and throw away. Add broccoli to the pan and increase to medium heat. Salt the broccoli. Sautee until browned. Deglaze the pan with a few good shakes of red wine vinegar and cook down slightly. Add the hot mixture to your waiting cooked penne and toss to coat, seasoning as needed.
Serve the chicken over the pasta and garnish with grated parm cheese (and chopped basil if you like).
Put a little slice of mozz in each tart. Add a leaf of basil. Top with a slice of tomato and salt that mater! Drizzle each tart with balsamic just before serving.
3 chicken breasts, made into scallopini by cutting in half width-wise
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/4 - 1/3 cup veg oil
1/2 lb penne, cooked
1 head broccoli, florets only, very small
olive oil or EVOO
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
red wine vinegar
8 slices regular white bread
olive oil
1/3 block of cream cheese (low fat OK), softened
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp italian herbs
fresh mozzarella, sliced
fresh basil
2 roma tomatoes, sliced
balsamic vinegar
Parm cheese - the real stuff.
Place the 2 crushed garlic cloves in the veg oil and let sit for awhile. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper and let sit out til close to room temp.
Remove the crust from the bread and use a roller to flatten it. Use a basting brush to apply olive oil to both sides of the bread. Put one piece of bread in a muffin hole in your muffin pan. Mix the cream cheese, garlic powder and herbs. Divide this mixture evenly between the 8 muffin tins with bread in them. Bake this at 350ยบ for about 12 minutes or until well browned. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Take out the garlic from your resting veg oil (throw that away, it's done its job) and add the oil (or part of it) to your pan. Cook the chicken until browned on both sides in the garlic oil. Set cooked chicken aside.
In another pan, add a couple tbsps of olive oil and 2 crushed garlic cloves. Cook the garlic over med-low heat until lightly browned. Remove the garlic and throw away. Add broccoli to the pan and increase to medium heat. Salt the broccoli. Sautee until browned. Deglaze the pan with a few good shakes of red wine vinegar and cook down slightly. Add the hot mixture to your waiting cooked penne and toss to coat, seasoning as needed.
Serve the chicken over the pasta and garnish with grated parm cheese (and chopped basil if you like).
Put a little slice of mozz in each tart. Add a leaf of basil. Top with a slice of tomato and salt that mater! Drizzle each tart with balsamic just before serving.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Braised Oxtail "Swingin' Steak"
I know - the idea is off-putting - but beef tail is like the duck of the cow...fatty, full of flavor and tender as all get out.
2 oxtails, scored deeply to separate bones
2 yellow onions sliced
salt, pepper and garlic powder
red wine
soy sauce
4 bay leaves
Season the tails well with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place in 9x13 baking pan. Cover with onions. Salt the onions. Add half a cup of red wine 1/8 cup soy sauce to the pan. Use water to fill pan til about half way up the meat.
Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350* for about 4 hours. Uncover, baste the meat and allow to brown.
Cool and pull off bones. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and a vegetable.
You could also add BBQ seasoning or sauce and serve on rolls.
2 oxtails, scored deeply to separate bones
2 yellow onions sliced
salt, pepper and garlic powder
red wine
soy sauce
4 bay leaves
Season the tails well with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Place in 9x13 baking pan. Cover with onions. Salt the onions. Add half a cup of red wine 1/8 cup soy sauce to the pan. Use water to fill pan til about half way up the meat.
Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350* for about 4 hours. Uncover, baste the meat and allow to brown.
Cool and pull off bones. Serve with rice or mashed potatoes and a vegetable.
You could also add BBQ seasoning or sauce and serve on rolls.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Bacon Potato Torte
This delish "potato pie" will please the whole family. Hearty and filling - easy gourmet! I serve this with a spring mix salad and vinaigrette.
4 slices of bacon, diced into lardons
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2/3 cup cream (heavy)
3 Idaho potatoes, peeled, quartered and sliced thinly
1/4 to 1/2 cup gruyere cheese
1 egg yolk with a little water (egg wash)
pie crusts
Preheat oven to 375*.
Cook the bacon in a small skillet until crispy. Drain and set aside.
Heat the cream in a small sauce pan with the thyme sprigs. Bring it to a simmer and remove from heat. Set aside.
Put pie crust in pie pan (deep dish). Prick the crust to avoid bubbling. Arrange half the potatoes, half the bacon in one layer. Repeat. Remove the thyme sprigs from the cream and pour the cream over the potatoes. You may need to add some cream to nearly cover the potatoes. Top with the cheese. Place the second crust on top of the pie, crimping the edges and slitting the center for steam to escape. Brush egg wash over the crust.
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. You will want a catch pan - tends to boil over. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
4 slices of bacon, diced into lardons
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2/3 cup cream (heavy)
3 Idaho potatoes, peeled, quartered and sliced thinly
1/4 to 1/2 cup gruyere cheese
1 egg yolk with a little water (egg wash)
pie crusts
Preheat oven to 375*.
Cook the bacon in a small skillet until crispy. Drain and set aside.
Heat the cream in a small sauce pan with the thyme sprigs. Bring it to a simmer and remove from heat. Set aside.
Put pie crust in pie pan (deep dish). Prick the crust to avoid bubbling. Arrange half the potatoes, half the bacon in one layer. Repeat. Remove the thyme sprigs from the cream and pour the cream over the potatoes. You may need to add some cream to nearly cover the potatoes. Top with the cheese. Place the second crust on top of the pie, crimping the edges and slitting the center for steam to escape. Brush egg wash over the crust.
Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour. You will want a catch pan - tends to boil over. Let rest 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
