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Robert’s Eggplant Parmesan!
Monday, July 30th, 2012My husband Robert has been known for his delicious Eggplant Parmesan for longer than I have known him. I have been bugging him to give me the recipe so I could share it with you all, but since he never measures anything – and never makes the recipe the same way twice – it has been difficult. So, on Saturday night when he decided to make this delectable dish for dinner, I grabbed pen, paper and my camera, sat down at our kitchen counter while he cooked and recorded what he did. Upon finishing, he announced that this was absolutely the best version he had ever made! And it truly is scrumptious. Robert likes to serve it with cooked pasta and some of the marinara sauce on the side. Enjoy!
Eggplant Parmesan with Sausage, Mushroom and Olive Marinara Sauce
(Serves 12 to 14)
2 large jars (25 ounce) marinara sauce
6 large mushrooms, sliced
1 small can (2.25 ounce) sliced olives
1 can (14 ounce) fire roasted tomatoes with garlic
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 to 8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 pound mild Italian pork sausage, casings removed (or purchase bulk)
4 eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
2 medium eggplant
4 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
16 ounces grated Mozzarella cheese
In a large sauté pan (or skillet), stir together the marinara sauce, mushrooms, olives, tomatoes, Italian seasoning and pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer while cooking the sausage.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until no longer pink; drain.
Chop briefly in a food processor to break into small pieces. Stir into sauce; continue to simmer while preparing the eggplant.
Whisk together the eggs and buttermilk and place in a shallow bowl. Place the breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl. Thinly slice the eggplant (around 1/4-inch thick) and dip each slice first into the egg mixture, then into the breadcrumbs. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the eggplant until golden brown on each side. You will be able to cook around 6 slices at a time; add additional oil as needed. Place on paper towel to drain.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Spread some of the marinara sauce on the bottom of a 9-by-13 inch baking dish (enough to cover the bottom). Layer the eggplant on top in two rows, with each row going in an opposite direction (you may be able to fit 3 rows, depending on the size of your eggplant).
Cover eggplant with remaining sauce (Robert likes to save some to serve over pasta on the side).
In a medium mixing bowl, using your hands, mix together the two cheeses. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the sauce.
Bake for around 30 to 40 minutes or until bubbly hot, the cheese has melted and is golden brown on top. Let sit for around 5 minutes before serving.
Make ahead: Eggplant can be prepared and baked up to 24 hours ahead, cooled, covered and refrigerated. Reheat in a 375 degree oven. Can also be frozen after baking.
A light, healthy dinner for tonight – Spaghetti Squash Marinara
Monday, July 9th, 2012I love spaghetti squash and I’m always experimenting with new ways to fix it. There are several different ways to cook the squash (before you combine it with the rest of the ingredients) and after a bit of experimentation, I decided that microwaving is the best approach. The method described below was developed by Jaden of SteamyKitchen.com – you can see her original instructions here along with another delicious spaghetti squash recipe. While she actually prefers baking the squash, following her microwaving method keeps the prep time on my dish under 15 minutes. Combined with a baking time of around 30 minutes, you can have a delicious (and healthy!) dinner on the table in under an hour!
Spaghetti Squash Marinara with Turkey and Zucchini
(Serves 6)
1 large spaghetti squash
1 pound ground turkey
2 cups chopped zucchini
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
4 tablespoons whipped cream cheese
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 to 3 cups marinara sauce (roasted tomato is delicious in this recipe)
1 cup shredded cheese (can use any kind – I use a mixture of cheddar and Monterey Jack, but can also use Mozzarella)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2 1/2 to 3 quart baking dish with olive oil.
Stab the spaghetti squash in several places with a sharp knife. Microwave for around 12 minutes, rotating halfway through. Squash should be tender when poked with a knife. Let squash cool enough to handle, then remove from microwave and cut in half lengthwise. Note that, depending on how long the squash sat in the oven it may still be very hot to handle, especially on the inside. Scrape out the seeds (I like to use a grapefruit spoon) and then using a fork scrape out the strands of spaghetti squash.
While the spaghetti squash is cooking (and cooling), prepare the other ingredients: Spray a large nonstick skillet or sauté pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the ground turkey and cook, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink. Remove cooked turkey from the pan and drain. Wipe out the skillet, spray again with olive oil and place over medium heat. Add the zucchini and garlic and cook until the zucchini is soft. Reduce heat to low, stir in the cooked turkey and cream cheese. Cook, stirring until the cheese melts. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese.
Spread 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with half of the spaghetti squash. Spread 1/2 of the turkey mixture over the squash. Pour half of the sauce that is left (around 1 cup) over the top, then sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the cheese. Repeat layers – rest of the squash, the rest of the turkey mixture, then rest of the sauce and cheese. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until bubbly hot.
Make ahead: Dish can be prepared but not baked earlier in the day, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before baking.
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