White Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna

How's January been treating you?  We've been having a pretty mild month here in NJ.  Temps today are supposed to reach 56 degrees!  I'll take it...

Even when it's not freezing, comfort food hits the spot.  I don't remember my mom ever making white lasagna - we were always straight up traditional style.  And of course my Nana's lasagna is always a huge hit.  But sometimes, you need to change it up a bit.

Yeah...change is good.


White Spinach & Artichoke Lasagna
very heavily adapted from Epicurious

1 box lasagna noodles
1 (15 ounce) container ricotta cheese
1 egg
3/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese
1 1/2 cups cubed fresh mozzarella cheese
1 large bag fresh spinach
1 onion, choppped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bag frozen artichokes, thawed
for the bechamel sauce:
1/2 stick butter
1/4 cup AP flour
4 cups whole milk
nutmeg
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Boil noodles according to package instructions.  Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine ricotta, egg and grated cheese.  Add a pinch of salt and pepper.

In a pan, heat a little extra virgin olive oil and saute onion, spinach, garlic and artichokes.  Season with salt and pepper while cooking.  Cook until soft.

to make the bechamel:
In a saucepan, melt butter, then add flour and stir until lumps are gone.  Add milk, followed by nutmeg and a little salt and pepper.  Whisk constantly until thick.

Spread a little bechamel on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Cover with a layer of noodles, then add half of the veggie mixture.  Follow with a layer of noodles, and top with the ricotta mixture.

Add more noodles, then the rest of the veggies.  Top with noodles, followed by mozzarella, then pour bechamel all over the top and sides.

Bake for around 35 minutes, or until top is bubbly and lasagna is cooked through the middle and center of pan.

Eggplant, Prosciutto & Cheese "Sandwiches"

Not long ago, I told you about my sister's mother-in-law and her delicious pitacella.  Nina's food was always truly amazing.  Every Christmas, she'd surprise her large crowd of guests with a different main course...goat, rabbit, quail...no matter what, you knew it was going to be special.  And don't even get me started with her lasagna.

There were many dishes of hers, however, that I wasn't fortunate enough to try while she was still with us.  I noticed a picture of one after my sister's recent trip to Italy.  She was on her biennial trip with her husband, daughters, father-in-law, and brother-in-law Tony, visiting Nina's family.  Whenever they go, they're brought back to Nina's home cooking, courtesy of her sisters and cousins.

The picture that Tony posted immediately made my mouth water.  I asked him to describe what it was, and knew right away that I needed to make it ASAP.  His cousin made it while he was in Italy, but it was a dish that he said Nina made often.  He had an idea of how she prepared it but wasn't exactly sure, so I did my best to replicate it.

Well, as expected, it was delicious!  After all, what could be bad about mozzarella and prosciutto sandwiched between juicy fried eggplant?  Especially when the king of all cheeses is involved - Parmigiano Reggiano.

I can only hope that Nina would be proud of my interpretation :)


Eggplant, Prosciutto & Cheese "Sandwiches"
1 eggplant, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
3 eggs
2 cups Italian bread crumbs
salt and pepper
3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated, divided
12 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced
1 log mozzarella cheese, sliced
extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Crack eggs into a bowl and beat with a bit of water.  Place bread crumbs on a flat plate, add a bit of Parmigiano Reggiano, and mix.  Dip eggplant slices in egg, one at a time, letting excess egg drip off before coating both sides with bread crumbs.

Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.  Add eggplant and brown on both sides, sprinkling with a bit of salt and pepper.  Remove and place on paper towel lined plate.  Repeat process until all eggplant is cooked.

Lightly oil a baking pan.  Place eggplant on bottom.  Top each slice with a few slices of prosciutto, then mozzarella.  Top with eggplant and sprinkle Parmigiano Reggiano on top.

Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until cheese is melted.  Top with more Parmigiano Reggiano, if desired.  Serve.

Makes around a dozen "sandwiches".

Caprese Sliders with Pesto Mayonnaise

This time around, our recipe swap theme was very fitting, considering last month was the hottest July on record - "Too Hot to Cook".  And yeah, that about sums it up lately.  It's been a scorcher, for sure!

I was happy to see the recipe I received, which was from Jenna from Jenna's Cooking Journey.  While we were at our shore house, I made these for lunch, with a few adaptations.  I changed them to sliders, since we had mini rolls, and left the meat in its natural state.  The pesto mayo was a great condiment, but I neglected to snap a photo of it...whoops!  And, it's an iPhone picture, so it's not that great.

Yeah, not very well prepared.  But what's most important is...the burgers were delicious!!  Perfect for a hot summer day.

Caprese Sliders with Pesto Mayonnaise
adapted from Jenna's Cooking Journey

1 pound ground beef
salt and pepper
fresh mozzarella, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
fresh basil leaves
mini burger buns

for the pesto mayonnaise:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 pesto (homemade or store bought)

Mix salt and pepper into beef.  Form into 6-7 patties.  Place on hot grill and cook on one side for a few minutes.  Flip over and add cheese.  Cover grill and cook another few minutes, until cheese is melted (cook burgers to your liking).

Place burgers on buns.  Top with tomato and basil.  Spread pesto mayonnaise on bun.  Serve.

Grilled Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato & Pesto Sandwich

I feel like the majority of my posts lately have consisted of the same ingredients.  Anyone else notice that?  Blueberries, tomatoes, herbs...all those delicious things that are in season.

Today is no exception.  How can you resist this sandwich?  It's quick, easy and so delicious.  Comforting is an understatement.  


It's a super simple "adult" grilled cheese :)

There should be a nice slice of onion in here but unfortunately I was out of them that day (!!!)...normally that's a given with any grilled cheese I make.  Still, it was awesome.

I want the herbs in my garden to last forever!!!

Grilled Fresh Mozzarella, Tomato & Pesto Sandwich
2 slices bread
pat of butter
sliced fresh mozzarella cheese
sliced tomato
pesto (homemade or store bought)

Spread pesto on both sides of bread.  Add cheese and tomato, then close sandwich.  Melt butter in a pan over medium high heat, then put sandwich in.

Grill on one side, then flip.  Grill on other side until cheese is melted, then remove and plate.  Cut in half and serve.

Chicken Bruschetta

We've been having some crazy weather this summer!  Well, it's really been crazy for months now, but this summer has been interesting.  TONS of thunder and close, powerful lightning like I've never seen before.  I even know someone whose house was struck.  Scary stuff!

Thanks to some of the insanity, I wasn't able to grill this chicken dish like I planned.  Didn't matter because it was equally delicious cooked in the oven.

Fresh garden basil always makes things better :)  And the leftovers were perfect the next day tossed together for a great lunch to bring to work.  Love this dish!!

Chicken Bruschetta
4 boneless chicken breasts
extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
salt and pepper
juice of one lemon
fresh mozzarella

for the bruschetta:
1 pint grape tomatoes (regular tomatoes are fine, too)
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Place chicken in ziploc bag and combine with other ingredients.  Shake to evenly distribute and let marinate for at least 3 hours.

Combine all bruschetta ingredients in a bowl and let sit in the fridge for at least a few hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Place chicken in a baking pan and cook for about 20 minutes, depending on size of pieces.  Remove from oven with a few minutes of cooking time left, add slice of mozzarella on top of each piece, and place back in oven until cheese melts.  (this can also be done under the broiler or in the toaster oven)

Spoon bruschetta over each piece and serve.

Caprese Pasta Salad

Cool, easy side dishes and salads for the summer are crucial to have in your recipe file.  You never know when company will stop by or when you get invited somewhere and need to throw something together at the last minute.  Like this pasta salad.

They'll keep inviting you back, as long as you keep bringing it.

I threw this together while we were down the shore to go with sandwiches.  It totally hit the spot!  It's great if you need a dish that can be made ahead or transported.  

Make this for the 4th!

Caprese Pasta Salad

1 pound rotini pasta

4 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 ball fresh mozzarella, chopped

1 cup chopped fresh basil

1 can pitted black olives

1/2 large onion, chopped

salt and pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar

Cook pasta according to package instructions, or even a minute less.  Drain and run under cold water.  

In a bowl, combine all ingredients.  Adjust seasonings, oil and vinegar to taste.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes with Beef & Mozzarella

Sometimes you end up with an overabundance of something and just aren't quite sure what to do with it.  Such was the case with us recently - Frank came home with a dozen tomatoes on the vine, when we already had half a dozen at home.

Since stuffed peppers don't fly in this house (ahem) I decided to do the next best thing.

Growing up we always had stuffed peppers, and many times the tray would also consist of other stuffed veggies, like eggplant, zucchini, and tomatoes.  Whatever Mom had on had went in the pan.  And it was delicious.

A low carb version certainly never did any harm either.  You won't miss the rice in these.  All beef and cheese, baby.

This is a super adaptable recipe, incase you haven't figured that out yet.  I also love making these with ground lamb and feta, or ground turkey and cheddar.  Whatever floats your boat.

It's easy to "stuff" yourself on these little things!

Come share in the tomato love at the Tomato Love Recipe Exchange, hosted by Gimme Some Oven & Bake Your Day, sponsored this week by Pizza Home Chef. Also visit Recipe for Change to learn more about how to support tomato farmers.


Baked Stuffed Tomatoes with Beef & Mozzarella
10 tomatoes on the vine
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground beef
2 teaspoons dried oregano
salt and pepper
shredded mozzarella cheese
chopped fresh herb of your choice

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Cut tops off tomatoes and hollow out, removing insides and seeds.  Set aside.

Add oil to a hot pan, followed by onion and garlic.  Add beef, oregano, salt and pepper and cook through.  Drain fat.

Place tomatoes in a baking pan.  Add beef to each one.  Top with mozzarella.  Bake for about 25-30 minutes.  Top with fresh herbs and serve.

Linked to: Tomato Blog Hop

Pepperoni Calzones

Can you name your top 10 favorite foods off the top of your head?  It's harder than you might think...at least it is for me. 

Go ahead, try it...matter of fact, I'd love to see it in the comments!

I can safely say that calzones rank pretty high on my list.  I don't eat them very often, but when I do, I thoroughly enjoy every bite.  And I love that I can put anything I want in them.  But this version is my absolute favorite.

So go ahead...give me your lists!  Then try this recipe.  I can guarantee you'll be doing some editing :)

Pepperoni Calzones

adapted from Real Simple

1 pound pizza dough (homemade or store bought)

1 cup ricotta

1 cup grated mozzarella

1/3 cup grated pecorino romano cheese

pepper

1/2 cup pepperoni, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup marinara, warmed

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Divide dough into 4 equal parts and roll and stretch on a lightly floured surface into rounds, about 8 inches wide.

Combine ricotta and pecorino romano cheeses and pepper in a bowl.  Layer mozzarella on one side of dough, then top with pepperoni, then ricotta mixture.  Fold dough over filling and pinch edges to seal.

Brush tops of calzones with oil.  Transfer to foil lined baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes, until golden.  Top with marinara or serve on side.

Linked to:  Pizza/Calzone Blog Hop

Polenta Sausage Bake

Lately I've been making two dinners on Monday nights.  One for Monday, one for Tuesday (since I'm in the office all day).  The Tuesday meal obviously has to be a make-ahead, so I've been getting creative some weeks for fear of boredom (we all know how much I love variety!).

This is another "Melissa special".  Another one of those meals where I check my fridge, freezer, pantry, whatever...and come up with something delicious and easy.  I actually used marinara AND vodka sauce in this dish because I had a little of both sitting in the fridge.  SO good.  Same rule applies for veggies...toss in whatever you have!

Polenta Sausage Bake
4 Italian sausage links (I used a combo of hot and sweet), cut into one inch chunks
extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, sliced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
salt and pepper
marinara sauce (about 2 cups)
1 tube polenta
fresh mozzarella (half a ball or more, if you want), halved and sliced
grated pecorino romano cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place oil in a hot skillet, then add sausage.  Cook for a few minutes, then add onions and mushrooms.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add sauce and let simmer for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, add a little sauce to the bottom of a baking dish - enough to lightly cover the entire surface (I used a 9 inch round).  Slice polenta into 1 inch rounds and add a layer over the sauce.

Spoon the sausage mixture on top.  Top with remaining polenta, then mozzarella.  Finish with pecorino romano.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Chicken Pasta Pesto Bake

I had a bit of a challenging day earlier this week.  To sum it up quickly...

Got ready for work.  Bella got sick.  All over the house.  Plopped her in the bath.  Cleaned it all up...rug, floor, clothes...you get my drift.

Finally got out of the house and hopped in my mom-in-law's car to go to work.  Car dies on the road.  Co-worker picks me up.

Proceeded to have a super craptastic day at the office.  Crappy days in sales impact your paycheck.  No bueno.

The highlight of my day?  Dinner.  Not just because it tasted good, but because I prepped it the night before.  Ahhhhh.

Chicken Pasta Pesto Bake
12 ounces penne, cooked al dente
2 large chicken breasts, cooked, cut into chunks
2/3 cup pesto (homemade or store bought)
1 1/2 cups chopped fresh mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients in a baking dish.  Bake for about 20 minutes.

***I used leftover chicken (seasoned and grilled).  It can be cooked however you like - just make sure it's seasoned for added flavor!

Sicilian Artichoke Pie (Tortino di Carciofini)

These are a few of my favorite things...

Artichokes.
Cheese.
Sicilian food.

Combine them and what do you get?  Well, awesomeness is one word that comes to mind...

My dad found an old cookbook that we've been sifting through and finding some pretty incredible recipes.  This is one of them.  And it brings me right back to the homeland.

Lunch, dinner, snack, appetizer...you decide.  Enjoy this little slice of heaven, no matter when you have it!

Sicilian Artichoke Pie (Tortino di Carciofini)
from The Art of Sicilian Cooking (the version we have is WAY older than this one!)

for the crust:
2 cups sifted AP flour
pinch of salt
3/4 cup shortening (or 2/3 cup lard)
1/3 cup ice water

for the filling:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup grated caciocavallo cheese
8 ounces mozzarella, chopped
salt and pepper

Place flour and salt in bowl, and cut in shortening with two knives or pastry blender.  Continue until mixture resembles small peas.  Sprinkle ice water, one tablespoon at a time, over mixture, adding to driest part each time.  Mix gently with fork until fully moistened.  Form into ball and divide in half.

Roll one half between two pieces of waxed paper to 1/8 inch thickness and 1 inch larger than 9 inch pie pan.  Fold in half and place loosely in pan, working carefully.  Set aside.  Do the same for other half for top crust; set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Saute garlic in hot oil.  Add artichokes and brown lightly on both sides.  Transfer to bowl and stir in eggs and cheeses.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, then pour into pie pan.

Cover with top crust and trim off all but 1/2 inch of excess dough.  Turn under, sealing two crusts together.  Flute crust gently and cut air holes on top with a knife.  Bake for about 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 30 minutes, until golden brown.

Serves 6-8.

Roasted Garlic, Caramelized Leek & Bacon Bites

I haven't been talking much about it, but I'm pretty freakin' excited about the Super Bowl.  As a lifelong Giants fan, you can understand why.

Once again, the underdog has prevailed.  I LOVE that.  Even when my team isn't the underdog, I think it's awesome.  All I keep thinking is, it's deja vu...and I'm hoping for the same outcome as four years ago.

My birthday is on Thursday and I'm not even thinking about it.  It's all about SUNDAY.

Now, I don't know what your Super Bowl plans are, but if you're looking for something a little classier than the usual football apps, this recipe is for you.  I'm all about the nachos, wings and crack dip, but sometimes I like to see some different options.

The blend of flavors here is really, really good.  And although they seem "fancy", they're very easy to make.  Oh, and I used frozen leeks (Trader Joe's comes through once again) so if that's all you have, go ahead and use them.

So, what are your Super Bowl plans?  And who are you rooting for?

Roasted Garlic, Caramelized Leeks & Bacon Bites
slightly adapted from What's Cookin' Chicago?

1 package prepared pie crust dough (or homemade)
2 bulbs garlic
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
4 thick slices bacon, cut into small chunks
1 cup frozen chopped leeks (or one medium leek), thawed and completely dried
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Season garlic with salt and pepper and coat with oil.  Wrap individually in foil and bake for about an hour, until soft.  Squeeze garlic out of skin with the side of a knife.  Set aside.

Saute bacon over medium low heat until crispy, about 15 minutes.  Add leeks to skillet (keeping heat at medium low), season with salt and pepper, and cook until very soft and sweet, stirring occasionally, about 20-30 minutes.

Lightly spray each tin of a mini-muffin pan.  Roll a small piece of dough into a ball the size of a quarter and press into tin, carefully, while making sure it reaches the sides.  Repeat until all dough is gone.

Place a small dollop of garlic paste into each crust, followed by leek and bacon mixture, then cheese.  Bake for about 10-12 minutes, until cheese is bubbly and lightly browned.  Let cool slightly before serving.

Eat to the Beat: "Mambo Italiano" Chicken Parm

If you're equally as obsessed with music as you are with food, you can pretty easily come across a song that reminds you of something you'd eat, or vice versa.  Elly from Elly Says Opa came up with Eat to the Beat a few years ago and challenged food bloggers to come up with a dish that relates to a song.  Since Elly is coming upon her blog's 5th anniversary, she decided to bring back Eat to the Beat as a way to celebrate, and I was happy to join in on the fun.  The round-up will be posted on her blog on the 30th, so be sure to check it out!

The good news about Italian food is that it's as passionate as music, so it was easy for me to come up with a dish and a song that related to each other.  A traditional, comforting, "red sauce" Italian dish, paired up with an Italian song?  Perfetto.

"Mambo Italiano" by Rosemary Clooney talks about "the girl who went back to Napoli", which is where my mother came from and where many of our relatives still reside.  It's loud, it's dramatic, it's powerful...just like many of our family dinners and dishes.  The one I thought would represent that best is my chicken parmigiana.

There isn't much more that would scream "Italiano", eh?  Looking at this just makes me want to smile, pour a glass of wine and dig in.  After I boil up some pasta to serve with it, of course :)  It's another one of Frank's favorites...and I guarantee once you try it it'll be one of yours, too!

Congratulations on hitting the 5 year mark, Elly!

"Mambo Italiano" Chicken Parmigiana
3 pounds boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin (butterfly first if necessary)
2 cups Italian bread crumbs
salt and pepper
2 eggs, beaten (add about a tablespoon of water to thin them out)
extra virgin olive oil
marinara sauce
fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced
grated pecorino romano cheese
fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Lightly sprinkle chicken cutlets with salt and pepper, then dip in egg, followed by bread crumbs.  Shake off excess and set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add chicken (do not crowd the pan) and turn after brown on one side.  Brown other side and remove from pan.  Continue until all chicken is cooked.  Place on paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil.

Spread a thin layer of marinara on the bottom of 9x13 pan.  Add chicken, then top with mozzarella and more marinara.  Sprinkle some pecorino romano on top.  It's okay if you need to stack some chicken on top of each other...just make sure each piece is covered with cheese and sauce.

Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until cheese and sauce are bubbling (check after 20-25 minutes).  Top with fresh parsley and serve.

Guest posting today!

Hi everyone!  Head on over to Dainty Chef to see what I've got cooking today.  Here's a hint:

If you aren't familiar with Krissy's blog, now's your chance to make it happen :)  She's got some great recipes that I think you'd all enjoy - check them out!

Busy, busy, busy

When you're running out of time, make pasta.  It's as simple as that.

And when you get tired of the usual pasta, make gnocchi.

Gnocchi Florentine with Sausage
1 pound gnocchi
4 chicken sausage (or Italian, doesn't matter...use your favorite), cooked, cut into bite size pieces
Marinara
1 cup frozen spinach, cooked and well drained
1 1/2 cups part skim ricotta cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
grated pecorino romano cheese (for topping)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cook gnocchi until al dente.  Drain, add marinara (enough to coat) and place in baking dish.  Add sausage, spinach, ricotta and mozzarella.  Stir until combined.  Top with pecorino romano.

Bake for 20 minutes or until sauce starts lightly bubbling and top begins to brown.

Linked to:  These Chicks Cooked

Memories live on (What's Baking)

It took me about three seconds to decide what my contribution would be for this month's What's Baking challenge.  Dani from Cloud 8 1/2 chose "A Family Favorite" as the theme, and I immediately knew I'd be making one of our family's absolute best dishes.

Although my Nana is Greek, she made amazing Italian food.  I guess if you marry an Italian and live in his country for a while, you don't have much of a choice but to perfect the cuisine.  Most of her memorable meals are from her homeland, but this dish is one that shines through just about all of the others, and I often wonder if perhaps her mother-in-law showed her the ropes with it.

This dish holds so many memories for me...sure, there are other versions of lasagna that I enjoy, but not as much as this, and that's likely the reason why.  Obviously, it tastes delicious too, even if it isn't the prettiest looking plate  :)

The additions of hard boiled egg and salami may seem odd to some people...and for those people, I feel very sorry.  Don't judge.  Just trust me.

I try my best to give accurate measurements when making dishes like this - ones that I've been making for so long and never measured before.  I do it now because I know it helps all of you.  But, with lasagna, much of it really is approximate, or enough to fill or layer the pan that you're working with.  So, a lot of eyeballing may be necessary.

It's also a good idea to have everything ready BEFORE assembly...don't chop or cook while putting the lasagna together.  Do all the prep work first, then sort it all out on your work station, then layer.  The French call it "mise en place"...I have no idea what the Italians call it :)

Thanks for a great challenge, Dani!  It gave me a good reason to make my favorite :)

Nana's Lasagna
24 lasagna sheets, cooked slightly al dente
Marinara
1 1/2 pounds ground beef, cooked
1 large (32 oz) container ricotta cheese
1 egg
salt and pepper
1 pound fresh mozzarella cheese, grated (or torn into small pieces)
grated pecorino romano cheese
8 hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
1/2 pound thinly sliced genoa salami, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a bowl, combine ricotta with egg and a bit of salt and pepper.  Set aside.  Place all other items in separate bowls to prepare for layering.

Cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan with some marinara.  Add 8 lasagna sheets, layering them vertically (this is approximate - use enough to cover the bottom of your pan).  Add beef on top of pasta, followed by spoonfuls of the ricotta mixture, followed by mozzarella, then egg and salami.

Top all ingredients with sauce, then add another layer of pasta, and continue in the same order as above.  Add sauce, then the top layer of pasta, followed by more sauce, a little mozzarella, and pecorino romano.

Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until lasagna is entirely heated through.  Let rest for a few minutes before cutting.

Linked to: What's On Your Plate?
                  Mingle Monday
                  Hunk of Meat Monday

The healthy way out

Eggplant is wonderful.  A clean slate of sorts.  And healthy, too.  Unless you decide to bread it, then fry it in a ton of oil.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE it that way, I really do.  But a healthier alternative is always welcome.

This is the way I make eggplant parmigiana when I'm behaving myself.  And it still tastes pretty damn good.

Don't worry - I'll post the fattening version soon :)

Lightened Up Eggplant Parmigiana
1 large eggplant
salt
Marinara sauce
fresh mozzarella cheese, shredded
fresh basil leaves, torn
grated pecorino romano cheese

Peel eggplant in lengthwise strips.  Slice thin (about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick) lengthwise and lightly salt. Place on wire racks (or drape over a large pot) to drain moisture, for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350.  Spread a small amount of marinara on bottom of 9x9 square pan.  Add layer of eggplant, followed by sauce, then mozzarella.  Add another layer of eggplant, then sauce, then mozzarella.  Top with sauce, then add grated cheese and basil.  Cover and bake for 25 minutes, then remove cover and bake for an additional 10 minutes or so.

Linked to:  A Little Nosh

It's the simple things.

I never understood why Italian cooking intimidates people.  It's so SIMPLE.  As I've said many times, it's all about basic, good quality ingredients.  The same applies to Greek cuisine.  That's how all Mediterraneans eat.  If you've been to either country, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

If you buy good olive oil, your food will taste better.  If you use fresh ingredients, your food will taste better.  If you cook with love, your food will taste better :)

This recipe is not a good example of what may seem complicated to someone, but it IS the perfect example of a delicious dish with simple, quality ingredients.  Plus, it takes two minutes to make.  Can't argue with any of that!

Caprese Salad
fresh mozzarella balls
whole tomatoes, sliced lengthwise and halved
fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped or torn
extra virgin olive oil
white balsamic vinegar (optional)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix.  Taste as you go and adjust seasonings accordingly.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Told you it was easy :)

All over the place

***Don't forget to enter my giveaway - click HERE for details!***

Summer is a crazy time for us...spending lots of time down the shore, get togethers with friends, BBQs...the usual warm weather fun.  I sometimes don't know when/where I'm coming and going.  And I've been realizing that committing to recipe swaps can be a big challenge during all of this because of those reasons.  Plus, I usually forget when the deadline dates are!  Whoops.

We had a nice little "shake up" earlier this week with the earthquake, and now we're preparing for Hurricane Irene to sweep through this weekend.  Yeah, craziness is a great way to describe these past few days.  So when I realized I needed to make a recipe submitted by Melissa (Lemons & Love) for our Italian swap, and I needed to do it ASAP, I had to get creative with what I had.

I was down at our shore house, faced with many ingredients that I needed to use up before they went bad.  I immediately remembered a quick and easy dip that resembled Melissa's, but was perfect for what I had in the house (and the garden!).

This dip is GREAT for when you need something thrown together super fast, or when you're too lazy to do much else besides combine 3 ingredients :)  The addition of fresh garden basil is perfect...try not to use the dried stuff if you can help it.

Hot Caprese Dip
from How Sweet It Is

10 ounces fresh mozzarella, cubed
2 tomatoes, seeded and juiced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Italian bread

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine all ingredients in baking dish (make sure you get as much juice out of the tomatoes as you can!) and bake for about 15 minutes.  Serve immediately with sliced Italian bread to keep the dip from getting too "wet".

You can stick this under the broiler for a few minutes after it's done baking if you like.

The whole enchilada (Secret Recipe Club)

I noticed several fellow food bloggers posting about The Secret Recipe Club and became curious, so I decided to look into it.  I'm so glad I did...what fun!  You get a blog assignment each month from one of the leaders of the group, and you get to pick any recipe you want from it.  Then everyone posts their recipe on the same day at the same time for the big reveal.

When I got my assignment I had to do a double take, because as it turned out, I was given the blog of the creator of the group...Amanda from Amanda's Cookin'.  I was honored, and was even more excited after seeing the wide variety of delicious recipes in her index.  Great stuff!

I actually spent a few weeks deciding what to make, believe it or not...I went back and forth between a few things (this is where Frank will come in and tell you how indecisive I always am infront of a menu).  Then, I came upon a recipe for homemade enchilada sauce, and jumped on it.  I had a craving for Mexican food and since I've never made my own before, I figured this was the perfect opportunity, and combined it with my chicken enchilada recipe.

Do yourself a favor - next time you're at the grocery store, put down the can of prepared stuff and make this.  Too easy not to.  No excuses.

By the way,  you can check out all the other SRC recipes at the bottom of this post.  And why not join in the fun yourself if you're a food blogger?  Visit the site for all of the details.

Amanda, hope you're proud of my first assignment, especially since it's coming from your blog!  Loving the SRC already...can't wait for the next round :)

Easy Chicken Enchiladas with Homemade Sauce
sauce recipe from Amanda's Cookin'

For the enchiladas:
meat from 1 rotisserie chicken
1/2 cup light sour cream
juice from 1 lime
7 large whole wheat flour tortillas
shredded cheese (this time around I used monterey jack, sharp cheddar and mozzarella)
2 scallions, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl and mix.  Spoon a little sauce (see recipe below) on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.

Take a tortilla and place filling toward the bottom of it, then tuck the sides in and roll it up.  Place seam down in the pan.  Continue with the rest of the tortillas and filling.

Pour sauce over and around the enchiladas, then top with cheese.  Bake for about 20 minutes, or until brown and cheese has melted.  Top with chopped scallions and serve with sour cream.

For the sauce:
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chilies (do not drain)
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, minced


Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered for 5-7 minutes.