Jennifer's Week Thirty-Six Recipe - Eggplant Parmesan

In my continuing quest to find vegetarian dishes for my guys, I made this dish for them this evening. Every once and a while I make a beef and eggplant pie that Chad just loves, so I decided to branch out using eggplant. I found the original recipe on allrecipes.com. I apologize for the editorial comments.

Eggplant Parmesan

3 eggplant, peeled and thinly sliced (I used 2 and that was plenty. More on that below.)

2 eggs, beaten (ok, this would have been no where near enough! I used 8 egg whites!)

4 cups Italian breadcrumbs (I used plain breadcrumbs since I had them on hand. I seasoned them with basil, rosemary, oregano, garlic, thyme and parsley. And I probably used more than 4 cups.)

6 cups of spaghetti sauce (I used a huge jar that was just over 7 cups.)

16oz shredded mozzarella cheese (Again, I used more since my guys love cheese)

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (No idea how much I actually used since I took my Parmesan wedge to my Microplane)

1/2 tsp dried basil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

(Based on the suggestions of several reviewers of the recipe, I sweat the eggplant slices in a colander for 15-20 minutes before using them. What is meant by that - for those who may not know - is I layered the eggplant slices in the colander, sprinkling a generous amount of salt over each layer. After the appropriate period of time has passed, I rinsed the slices well under cold water and then patted them dry with paper towel.)

Dip the eggplant slices in egg, then the bread crumbs. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet ("a baking sheet"?! It took 3!). Bake in the over for 5 minutes on each side. (I just waited until they started to brown on top without turning them. Trying to keep a six-year-old, a dog and kitten in line while cooking means that I skipped this not completely necessary step!)

In a 9x13 baking dish, spread a layer of the pasta sauce followed by a layer of eggplant, then the cheese. Repeat this until all the ingredients are used, ending with the cheeses. Sprinkle the basil on top. (This results in a dish that weighs about 20 pounds when you go to move it to the oven.)

Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

(I also served it with pasta.)

Would I make this again? Yes. And invite everyone I know over to eat it since it makes a TON of food. Stupid me did not notice the "Servings: 10" until after I started to make it. Also, getting the slices thin is important (and uniform would also be a good thing). This is the first dish where I seriously considered buying a mandolin. Chad and Erik both complained about chewing and yes, some of the pieces of eggplant were chewy - because they were too thick. (And if they ate instead of inhaled, this may not be such an issue) Overall, they liked it, but next time I will at least halve the recipe and try to cut the eggplant more uniformly.

Erik's Guest Recipe: Pasta Salad Noodles with Red Sauce and Meat

When we were at the grocery store, Erik asked if he could pick out stuff for dinner so I said sure. He also claimed to have a recipe. I told him that I would post it on the blog for him, too. So, here you go. Don't expect anything too complicated - he is only six after all. I have tried to keep the recipe as it was told to me unless I felt the need to alter it for clarification.


Pasta Salad Noodles with Red Sauce and Meat

One box of tri-color rigatoni noodles (The tri-color aspect is very important! Monochromatic noodles would not be pasta salad noodles!)

One jar traditional tomato pasta sauce (Think Ragu)

A container of meat (In this case, a pound of lean ground beef)

Some seasonings and spices (salt, pepper and Italian Seasoning)


* Put the meat and seasonings in a pan. When the meat turns brown, pour in the sauce and mix it up really good.

*Boil some water in a big pot. When it starts boiling like crazy, dump in the box of noodles. Not the whole box, just the noodle part. When the noodles are cooked, dump them out into the draining thing (colander).

*Put some noodles in a bowl, then some sauce and meat on top and then some Parmesan cheese. And then you eat it!


Well, kiddo did hit on the mark with this one. Simple dish for me to prepare under his guidance and he ate it!

Karin's Week Thirty Recipe: Liguine ai Gamberi (Liguine with Shrimp)

After looking at my posts, I am apparently off a week in our endeavor for new recipes, as I have another new recipe, apparently for Week Twenty-Nine. This one is from a brand-new cookbook I recently got, Cucina Rustica. It is recipes that are simple & Italian, which sounded right up my alley. I've also read about this cookbook previously, and it had gotten good reviews. Whilst reading through the pasta section, I came upon this recipe that allowed me to use the frozen shrimp I always have on hand.

Liguine ai Gamberi (Liguine with Shrimp)

1/4 EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil)
4 garlic cloves, peeled & minced
1/2 tsp red chile pepper flakes (or to taste)
3 lb red tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, approx. 4.5c*
1 c dry white wine
15 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 c chopped Italian parsley, leaves only
1lb medium shrimp, peeled & deveined
1 lb linguine (we did not have this, so I used spaghetti)

*Due to miscommunication, Nate only purchased 1.5lb of tomatoes at the store, but we did not peel & seed the tomatoes, so ended up with approximately the right amount.

Heat EVOO in a 10-12 inch skillet over low heat. Add the garlic & red chili pepper flakes to the oil and stir. Lightly saute the garlic until it smells rather garlicky, approx 1 min. Add the tomatoes and white wine to the skillet. Cover and cook the tomatoes over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until they begin to break down and release their juice. Add the basil and parsley. Stir frequently and continue cooking over moderate heat, cover removed, until the tomatoes and wine form a sauce (this is still very runny consistency for a sauce), approx 10-15 min.

Add the shrimp to the sauce and cook over high heat just until the shrimp are tender, or just until pink. Meanwhile, cook the pasta until it is al dente. Drain the pasta, and add it into the pan with the sauce. Toss the pasta with the sauce over high heat so that the pasta starts to absorb the sauce. Serve immediately.

Note: We used a normal frying pan approx 10 in in diameter. This is not the right size pan! We ended up adding the sauce to the pasta, instead of the other way around. Use a large DEEP pan if you are going to follow the directions.

This recipe, contrary to my last one, turned out delicious! It was very flavorful, and had just a hint of spice. The shrimp absorbed the flavors really well. We also had it as cold leftovers, and it still tasted great. Nate's response was that I can definitely make this one again. It was super easy and smelled great while cooking. I'm now wondering how it would taste using chicken. This one will get marked in the book for future use.

Jennifer's Week Twenty-Nine Recipe: Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina

Chad and I were left to our own devices for dinner one night and, in an effort to eat out less, I wanted to make a relatively easy dinner for us to share and this was what I discovered thanks to the wonder of the internet.



Italian Baked Chicken and Pastina


1 cup pastina pasta (or any small pasta) Made a bit more than this and increased the other ingredients that I felt were necessary to increase.
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup cubed chicken breast (1-inch cubes) - I added more chicken. 1/2 cup just isn't very much!
1/2 cup diced onion (about 1/2 a small onion)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, plus more for buttering the baking dish


Directions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta into a large mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, put the olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, stirring to combine, and cook until the onions are soft and the chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Put the chicken mixture into the bowl with the cooked pasta. Add the canned tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Place the mixture in a buttered 8 by 8 by 2-inch baking dish. In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 30 minutes.


Over all, it was quite yummy. Next time I may be more generous with the mozzerella, per Chad's request.

Jennifer's Week Twenty-Eight Recipe: Pasta Shells with Spicy Tomato Sauce

A recipe for my continuing quest to introduce more vegetarian meals to my carnivores. This comes from The Occasional Vegetarian.


Pasta Shells with Spicy Tomato Sauce

4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped fine
8 plum tomatoes, each cut into sixths
3 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 pound shells or other short pasta
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander (cilantro)

In a medium skillet, saute garlic over low heat in the olive oil until it begins to turn golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the jalapeno pepper and saute for 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper and cook, partially covered, until the tomatoes soften and begin to fall apart, 10 to 12 minutes. Stir every few minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of salt and the pasta. Cover until the water returns to a boil. Cook until the pasta is tender but firm, 7 to 9 minutes.

Drain the pasta and add it to the simmering sauce. Toss to combine. Add the coriander and toss lightly again. Serve hot.


Will I make it again? Signs point to no. Chad and Erik did not like it and I was indifferent. The "spicy" sauce was not spicy and Chad did not like the chunks of tomato in the sauce. I'll have to try again!

Jennifer's Week Twenty-Five Recipe: Pasta with Tomato and Peas

Yes, I am a week behind currently. Such things happen.

One thing I have been trying to do thanks to this blog is make dinner when I get home from work. Too often we take the easy route of just picking something up for dinner. If I can find quick recipes, why not make them? Would an extra 20-30 minutes on my feet really kill me? No. This recipe comes from foodnetwork.com and Giada de Laurentiis.


Pasta with Tomato and Peas

• 1 pound linguine
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 shallots, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, thawed
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/4 cup grated Romano

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 2 cups of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots, garlic, carrots, salt, and pepper. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and 1/2 cup of the hot pasta water. Stir to melt the tomato paste and create a sauce, adding more pasta water if necessary. Stir in the oregano, thyme, and parsley. Gently fold in the cooked pasta, peas, and the cheeses, adding more reserved pasta water if necessary. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.

Would I make this again? Yep. The carnivores ate it! And liked it! Erik made a sandwich out of it. Whatever gets him to eat it. Chad did gripe a little about the peas, but he doesn't like them. I just told him to deal with them. He liked the sauce, but I think next time I will be a little more generous with the tomato paste. Overall a success!

Karin's Week Twenty-Four Recipe: Creamy Pasta with Chard and Tomatoes

This past Saturday, we once again ventured out to our local Farmer's Market. One of my goals this summer is to eat more veggies of types that I am not used to. This week the Swiss Chard looked very tasty and colorful, along with some of the early-ripening tomatoes - chard is not on my usual veggies list, tomatoes are.  Once we got home, I needed to find something to do with the Swiss Chard. Lucky for me, this recipe used ingredients that were on hand, and fresh. Once again, Joy of Cooking comes up with a recipe for a random ingredient.

Creamy Pasta with Chard and Tomatoes

1 T olive oil (a bit more if your pan is nonstick)
1/4 c chopped onion (I used shallots, about 1/2 c, as they needed to be used up)
2 cloves garlic, minced (we ended up using twice this, as we like garlic)
1/4 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, or 1 cup chopped drained canned tomatoes
1 lb chard, trimmed and cut crosswise into 1/2 inch strips (including green leaves)
3/ 4 c heavy cream
Black pepper to taste

Cooked fettuccine or egg noodles in amount you need to feed a family.

Heat olive oil in large saucepan over med-high heat. Add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes, stirring occasionally until soft & golden, about 2-3 minutes. Add tomatoes (which I did not peel only chopped, as who has time to peel tomatoes?) and cook stirring occasionally until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 5 min. Add the chard and cook while stirring until chard has wilted, about 2 min. Add the cream and black pepper, then cook for 2 min or until bubbly. Remove from heat and serve over pasta.

This took less time to make than I thought it would. Once everything was chopped, it went together in the time it took to boil the water for the pasta. I was worried that this would have the texture of cooked spinach, which I abhor, but the chard ribs stayed crunchy in the sauce. Flavor-wise, the sauce was nice and light, but both Nate and I agreed we would add more red pepper next time, as you really couldn't taste it. This was a tasty recipe that got a thumbs-up and I will probably make it again if I need a quick pasta dish.

Karin's Week Twenty Recipe: Shrimp & Peppers Pasta

I have been greatly remiss in posting my last few weeks of recipes, so you're getting them all in a bunch. I'm going to try and be better in the coming weeks.

This recipe is one I pretty much made up for a light quick lunch on a workday. The ingredients are simple, and to make it only takes the time needed for pasta to cook al dente. I have since made a slightly different version again, with great success.

Shrimp & Peppers Pasta

1/2 box rotini pasta
1 lb raw frozen shrimp, thawed and peeled
2 bell peppers, not green (I used 1 orange and 1 red)
1 medium size sweet onion
2-3 T olive oil
1 T chopped garlic
Shredded Asagio cheese, for sprinkling
Black pepper to taste

Place water for pasta on to boil. Meanwhile, peel shrimp and chop peppers & onion into bite-size chunks. Heat 1 T of olive oil in non-stick pan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for about 2 min. Add onion and peppers and saute for a few more minutes. At this point, you may need to add a bit more olive oil to the pan to keep things from sticking. Place pasta into boiling water, and place shrimp into pepper/onion mixture. Cook until shrimp are pink. Drain pasta and return to shrimp/pepper mixture. Toss to combine. Serve with shredded cheese and black pepper sprinkled on top.

Would I make this again? Yep, already have. It is nice and light, yet filling enough for my carnivore. It also tastes great cold, or reheated. It helps greatly if the peppers are nice and ripe and sweet. I didn't cook things until they were mush, rather let them sweat a bit to give up some juices and keep their crunch.

Jennifer's Week Seventeen Recipe: Quick and Easy Chicken Spaghetti

Found on allrecipes.com. Again.

Ingredients

• 1 (12 ounce) package angel hair pasta (I used an entire 16 ounce package)
  
• 1 (10 ounce) can diced tomatoes with green chile peppers
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 3/4 (8 ounce) package processed cheese, cubed (i.e. Velveeta)
  
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (I used 3 breasts)
  
• 1/2 (4 ounce) jar sliced mushrooms, drained (I doubled this)
  
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain and return to pot.
2. To the pasta add the diced tomatoes with green chile peppers, cream of chicken soup, processed cheese, chopped chicken, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted and mixture is heated through.

Would I make this again? Sure. It was much heavier than I thought it would be and Chad remarked that it was probably the heaviest dish I made in a very long time. Erik liked the "cheesy chicken".

Jennifer's Week Fourteen Recipe: Chicken Riggie

Ok, so I'm a little late with posting this, I know! I don't even have an excuse other than laziness. So, without any further ado, here you go! (from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 (8 ounce) package uncooked rigatoni pasta
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cubed
• 2 cups red spaghetti sauce
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 (15 ounce) can sliced black olives, drained
• 1 (8 ounce) jar hot cherry peppers, drained (I skipped this for Erik's sake)
  
• 2 cups Alfredo sauce

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, saute chicken for 5 to 7 minutes, until well browned. Add spaghetti sauce, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
3. Add green bell pepper, red bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, olives, and hot peppers. Stir all together and simmer for 40 minutes.
4. Add Alfredo sauce, stir until blended, and simmer for another 10 minutes. Spoon over hot, cooked pasta and serve.

Would I make this again? Yep! It was very yummy and was good as leftovers, too! Leftovers were served with fettuccine, but I'm sure any pasta with this dish is just fine. Just adjust the name accordingly.