Eggplant Parmesan - Lite

Don’t let the word ‘eggplant’ turn you off- after all, it’s just a vegetable.  Don’t let the word ‘lite’ turn you off – there is no frying involved here, and taste is not compromised at all.

Straight from my favorite cookbook, Moosewood Cookbook, New Revised Edition, I present a classic. Only better. 

Follow the directions exactly and you will have the most impressive (and easy) and I predict your

 'new favorite way' to serve eggplant - ever. 

(I think my star, check mark, smiley face, and gross smudge speak volumes.... don't you?)

Gather all the goodies. 

Be sure your bread crumbs are highly seasoned. Bake the eggplant till it's nice and soft and toasty on both sides. Sometimes, I flip it over to brown it. You could always give it the broiler treatment. 

Also make sure your tomato sauce is highly seasoned. I sauteed garlic in olive oil, added a large can of tomato puree, seasoned with basil, oregano, thyme and red pepper flakes. 

Sauce. Eggplant. Cheese. Repeat. 

"Heaven!" she sang. 

One Year Ago:  Pimento Cheese - a classic and always a hit
                          Sunshine Chicken - great for a quick and low cal/ low fat dinner idea. Great leftovers for lunch also. Tangy. Sweet. Sticky. 

zucchini-crust pizza

Zucchini Crust Pizza
From the Moosewood Cookbook, 1992 edition, this is a most delicious and gourmet meal. I think even zucchini haters will love this one..... It is a little fussy to make and it takes some 'babysitting' while baking, but the end result is worth it. I've been making this for years and each time I do, it is more and more beautiful - practice makes perfect!

Here's what you need:
olive oil
2 C packed, grated zucchini
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 C flour
1/2 C grated mozzarella
1/2 grated Parmesan
1/2 t basil

extra cheese for topping the pizza crust and any other toppings you like - today we used just a bit more Parmesan, some crumbled Feta and fresh tomatoes.

Here's what you do:
Preheat oven 400 degrees
generously oil a baking sheet
Mix the crust ingredients well and with your fingers, shape the mixture into a 10 inch circle. It will seem very wet...
Bake for about 20 minutes.
Remove from oven and brush with a bit of olive oil - this will help brown the top. At this point, it's a good idea to use a metal spatula and loosen it a bit from the bottom.

Bake for about 20 more minutes - this is the 'babysitting' part. You want it nice and brown, but not burned - remember, you will bake it again with the toppings.

Keep using the metal spatula to keep it from sticking. 

When the crust is done, top is with a few simple toppings. It really doesn't need much because the crust is very flavorful. 

I usually make lots of these at one time and gently freeze them on wax paper lined baking sheets for a few hours. They then can be gently layered between wax paper and wrapped in plastic to go back to the freezer. 

pizza burger

Pizza Burger

The actual name of this burger is the 'Barack Obama Pizza Burger.' It was published in a Food Network magazine right next to the 'John McCain Chicken Queso Burger.' I posted the chicken queso burger yesterday, in case you missed it - have to give equal time to 'both sides of the aisle' as they say! Whatever your politics - try both recipes because they are equally good! We have been making both burgers in our house for about a year - depends on our mood - beef or chicken.... There is a bit of prep work to these burgers, so be sure to plan for that.

Here's what you need for these burgers:

great buns

1 stick butter

1 head garlic

fresh parsley

champagne vinegar

ground beef (enough for nice large patties. I like to use ground round, but of course ground chuck would be excellent too)

marinara sauce (jarred is fine)

lots of fresh mozzarella cheese (in the picture above we used regular mozzarella, but fresh is much better)

fresh basil leaves - a definitive taste to these burgers and one which must not be overlooked.

Here's what to do for the buns (the secret ingredient in this burger):

Roast a head of garlic by removing the outer paper, slicing off the top just a bit to expose the cloves, drizzling with a tiny bit of olive oil, placing the entire thing in foil and baking for 45 minutes at 350.

When it's done, you should be able to squeeze the garlic out into a bowl. Mix it with about 1 stick of butter, 2 T chopped parsley, 1 t champagne vinegar and salt.

Smear this garlic butter on both halves of the buns - these you will grill and toast to perfection.

Grill the meat to medium rare. After you have flipped them, add about 2 T marinara sauce on top of the burger and then place on slices of mozzarella.

Cover the grill, watch the buns, melt the cheese....

Serve with more marinara sauce and fresh basil.

These really taste like pizza! There's no need for mustard, ketchup, pickles or the other standard burger condiments. These stand on their own just as is.

I wonder which you will make first? The John McCain Chicken Queso Burger or the Barack Obama Pizza burger?

I also wonder which other politician will get a burger named for him or her?

spinach lasagna

Spinach Lasagna - I am sharing this over at "This and That." Take a peek at the great link-up here.

I have been making this for years. It is really, really good and very simple to assemble. I got the recipe at a 'recipe shower' before I was married - 25 years ago!

Here's what you need:

9 lasagna noodles- follow the directions on the box to cook them. I don't think the 'ready-to-use' type of noodle would work here because there is not a lot of sauce in the layers of this lasagna.

10 oz fresh spinach- basically, 2 bags of the baby salad spinach leaves

about 1 lbs mozzarella, grated

about 30 oz ricotta cheese

1 1/2 jars marinara sauce

some good Parmesan to sprinkle on the top

There are no spices needed for this lasagna!

It has an excellent fresh taste when done.

Here's what to do:

put 1 C sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan ( I sprayed mine, just in case...)

layer 3 noodles

some ricotta- use the back of a spoon to spread it around

some spinach

some mozzarella

keep layering, ending with noodles

Feel free to press it all down with your hands as you go. The spinach has a tendency to want to keep springing up!

THEN pour the rest of the sauce over it all using a knife to help the sauce dribble down the sides of the dish. Don't worry about getting the sauce into the middle of the lasagna...... it won't matter.

I dusted mine with some freshly grated Parmesan for a nice chewy top.
Bake for about 30-40 minutes, add more fresh Parm if desired and enjoy! I waited about 30 minutes before cutting the first piece so it would come out of the pan nicely. I think waiting for a lasagna to rest is the secret to it looking picture perfect on the plate.

This one is definitely nice enough for company.