Eggplant Rollatini

I'm not a huge fan of eggplant. I'm not even a medium-sized fan of eggplant. Maybe a small one. Maybe. Sure I like it fried in a crispy curry batter, but in general, nope it's just not my favorite.

Guess what filled our last CSA basket of the growing-season to the brim? Bunches and bunches of eggplant! So I'm really branching out here and trying to find some good recipes for all of this fresh eggplant. I remembered this one from our CSA Farm Cookbook, and it was just as good as my memories. The prosciutto adds the perfect hint of meaty flavor to this hearty dish. Even I am wild for this stuff - I hope you enjoy it, too!

Eggplant Rollatini
adapted from our CSA Farm Cookbook

1 1/2 cups flour
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2-3 medium-small eggplants (about 1.5 lbs.) sliced lengthwise 1/8-inch thick
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese, drained overnight (see instructions below)
2 tablespoons Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/4 pound thinly sliced prosciutto
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

In one shallow dish, place 1 cup of flour. Next, place two of the eggs in a second shallow dish, and lightly beat. In a third shallow dish, place salt, and half the pepper, and the parmesan in a bowl with 1/2 cup of the flour and and mix with a fork or a whisk until blended. Dip the eggplant slices in the flour, then into the eggs, then into the flour-and-cheese mixture.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, deep skillet until hot but not smoking. Place the prepared eggplant slices in the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes on each side until golden. Remove from the skillet and place on paper-towel lined baking sheets to drain until cool enough to handle.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the drained ricotta in a bowl and mash it with a fork. Add the last egg, the parsley, half of the shredded mozzarella, the remaining half of the pepper, and mix well. Set aside.

To stuff the eggplant, place one slice of prosciutto on top of the eggplant.

Next, drop a heaping tablespoon of the ricotta mixture on top of the prosciutto at the wider end of the eggplant slice.

Beginning with the wider end of the eggplant, roll up, from top to bottom. Pour 1 cup of the marinara sauce into an 8x12" baking dish. Place the eggplant rolls side by side on top of the marinara sauce.

Pour the remaining sauce over the eggplant rolls. Sprinkle with the 3 tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese and the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella.

Bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly around the edges. Remove from the oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before serving.

Note: To drain ricotta cheese, peace it in a sieve or cheese cloth and set over a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight. Discard the whey and use the cheese as directed in the recipe!

For a vegetarian option: simply omit the prosciutto!

Shrimp Scampi

Shrimp Scampi has been one of my favorite dishes for years. When I was little, my dad would tease me and call it "Scamp Shrimpi."

This version is not only tasty, but pretty easy and quick too! The shrimp are cooked perfectly, and the lemon and white wine blend beautifully with the shallot, garliic, and parsley for a light but satisfyingly rich dish.

Shrimp Scampi
adapted from Tyler Florence

1 pound linguini
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, sliced
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and de-veined, but leave the tail on
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/2 cup dry white wine (a nice sauvignon blanc works quite well)
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves

For the pasta, put a large pot of water on the stove to boil. When it has come to the boil, add a couple of tablespoons of salt and the linguini. Stir to make sure the pasta separates; cover. When the water returns to a boil, cook for about 6 to 8 minutes or until the pasta is not quite done. Drain the pasta reserving 1 cup of water.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using) until the shallots are translucent, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper; add them to the pan and cook until they have turned pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pan; set aside and keep warm. Add wine and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Add 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons oil. When the butter has melted, return the shrimp to the pan along with the parsley and cooked pasta and reserved pasta water. Stir well and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle over a bit more olive oil and serve immediately.

Slow Cooked Fresh Tomato Sauce

Tomato season is in full swing here in North Georgia, and those 'maters were piling up high in our kitchen this week! I decided to take all our fresh, ripe Roma tomatoes and make a gorgeous slow-cooked tomato sauce.

I'm not gonna lie to you, dear readers. This sauce was a heck of a lot of work! In the end, was it really truly worth it?! Oh, heck yeah!!!

Fresh Tomato Sauce
made up on the fly by yours truly

2 lbs. fresh, ripe tomatoes (or 2 large cans crushed tomatoes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium green pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup water
1 tablespoon of your favorite Italian seasoning blend
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup Italian red wine (optional)
3 tablespoons tomato paste
Fresh basil and oregano

Boil a large pot of water. Place the tomatoes (in batches if necessary) into the boiling water for 60 seconds. Remove the tomatoes with a slotted spoon and place into a bath of ice water to cool. When tomatoes are cool enough to handle, remove the skins, and core/seed the tomatoes. (BTW, this part will really freaking hurt if you have paper cuts on your fingers - oow!) Place the remaining flesh into your crock pot.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the green pepper and onion, sauteeing until soft - about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another two minutes. Pour the veggies over the tomatoes in the crock pot.

Next, add the water, Italian seasoning, vinegar, sugar, and wine into the crock pot. Turn on low and cook for 4-7 hours, stirring occasionally if possible (i.e. get your husband/friend/dog to do it when s/he comes home for lunch). During the last hour of cooking, add the tomato paste and a teaspoon or two of fresh basil and oregano, chopped.

If you like a finer texture, then transfer half of the sauce to a blender or food processor and carefully blend until smooth (remember you're dealing with a very hot liquid!). Return the blended sauce to the crock pot and stir.

Serve hot over cooked pasta of your choice, and garnish with fresh herbs. Enjoy!

Sausage Stuffed Peppers

Here's another easy weeknight meal that I made up with some fresh and flavorful ingredients we had on hand. These peppers were bursting with flavor - but still quite lean because we used chicken sausage.

Sausage Stuffed Peppers

4 medium red or green bell peppers, cleaned and cored
2 italian sausages (we used sundried tomato chicken sausages)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 medium tomato, diced
1/2 cup tomato sauce or marinara
2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano
1 tablespoon freshly chopped basil
1 teaspoon freshly chopped oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
4 slices mozzarella cheese

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease a baking dish and set your cleaned and cored peppers inside of it. Use balls of tinfoil to prop them up if you have trouble making them sit correctly.

In a large pan over medium-high heat, brown the sausages. Remove them from the pan and slice 1/4" thick on the bias.

Add the olive oil to the pan, and add the onions, garlic, and tomato. Cook over medium-high heat for about 4-5 minutes, until the onions are tender and the tomato begins to break down. Add the sausage back to the pan, along with the sauce, the rice, the parmesan, and the herbs. Stir to combine and continue to cook until heated through. Adjust seasonings to taste with salt and pepper.

Fill the peppers with the sausage-and-rice mixture. Top with the mozzarella slices. Bake in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and peppers are slightly tender. Enjoy!

Garden Pesto Tortellini

This meal was the unplanned love-child of a rushed trip to the grocery store and a night of cleaning out the fridge. When I asked the hubs what we should call it, he said something like "Good Garden Pasta Surprise." I said, "Um, no."

Garden Pesto Tortellini
1 package of refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini
12-15 spears of asparagus, washed and cut into 1" pieces
2 big handfuls of fresh spinach, roughly chopped
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced and reconstituted in water (soak for 10 min.)
1 cup fresh basil pesto (buy pre-made or click here for recipe to make your own)
1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked chicken, torn into bite-sized pieces (optional ~ for vegetarians)

In a large pot of boiling water, cook tortellini according to package instructions. When they have about 3 minutes left to boil, throw the asparagus, spinach, and tomatoes into the water with the tortellini. Drain and return to pot. Add the pesto and the chicken, tossing to coat.

Serve immediately with toasty garlic bread. Or chill thoroughly and serve as a fresh tortellini salad!

Pizza with Goat Cheese, Chicken, Sundried Tomatoes & Spinach

"Vish ish awshoum!"

These are the words that came out of my husband's mouth tonight as he ate his slice of pizza.

Have I mentioned that my husband hates pizza?

Well, my husband - he hates pizza. He has been known to call pizza "the torture food." As in, "Honey, why don't we order pizza tonight?" - "Oh great, the torture food."

(For those keeping score, America's Next Top Model is known as "the torture show.")

After he swallowed, he declared, more clearly, "I eat my words." I have succeeded in rehabilitating my husband from his post-college pizza-hangover, to the point where he actually likes pizza.

(I wonder if I'll be able to get him to say the same thing about ANTM one day?)

I made this recipe tonight in an attempt to re-create a dish that I used to enjoy when I was a college student in Washington, DC. On lovely spring afternoons, like the ones we've been enjoying lately here in North Georgia, my friends and I would walk over to a little Italian restaurant in our neighborhood, and this pizza is the dish I would order almost every single time. It is a combination of five of my favorite foods: pizza, goat cheese, chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach.

Paolo's Pizza

1 lb. raw pizza dough
3/4 cup tomato pizza sauce
8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese (part skim makes it less greasy)
1/4 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, reconstituted in water for 10 minutes
2 ounces goat cheese (chevre), chilled
1 1/2 cups shredded cooked chicken (I recommend rotisserie chicken)
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning (or a mixture of dried basil and oregano)
2 large handfuls of baby spinach, roughly chopped

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grease a large rectangular or round baking sheet or pizza pan. Roll out the pizza dough to desired thickness and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Spread the pizza sauce over the dough, leaving the edges as a crust. Arrange the shredded mozzarella evenly over the sauce.

Next, sprinkle the sun-dried tomatoes over the cheese. Then drop the goat cheese in tiny globs evenly across the pizza. Spread the chicken over the top, and sprinkle the italian seasoning evenly over the crust.

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the spinach on top. Return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes. Slice and serve immediately.

Fresh Basil Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken

Just the smell of fresh basil makes me weak in the knees. Luckily, ti's not a treat reserved only for summertime in our house. For my birthday a couple years ago, my sweet hubby got my an AeroGarden. This thing is amazing - we grow enough basil to have pesto about every other week! I'm planning on doing a more detailed post about this nifty gadget, but for now, here is my pesto recipe.

Classic pesto is simply a blend of basil leaves, cheese, nuts, garlic, and olive oil. It goes well with creamy cheeses on toasted crostini or crackers. It also goes extremely well with fish and chicken dishes (think grilled chicken or smoked salmon).

Our favorite, though, is to toss some farfalle (bow-tie) noodles with the pesto, topped with chunks of smokey grilled chicken.

Fresh Basil Pesto
recipe from our dear family friends Judy and Joe

1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed
1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano cheese, grated
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts or walnuts
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Measure all your ingredients except for the olive oil into your food processor. I like to use my mini-processor for making pesto:

Pulse several times to chop the leaves and nuts into the other ingredients. Then slowly stream the olive oil in while you process the pesto on medium speed. Add just enough olive oil to reach your desired consistency (tip: make your pesto thicker for a spread, thinner for a sauce). Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Yield about 1 cup of pesto. Serve as desired (with cheese and crackers, tossed with pasta, as a glaze for roasted veggies, etc.).

Refrigerate and use yourfresh pesto withon 2-3 days OR freeze individual portions in an ice cube tray to use at your leisure!

Italian Sausage Baked Ziti

Need a hearty dinner to bring to a friend? Need a dinner that freezes and travels well? Need a dinner you can make days ahead of time but still feed a crowd? This baked ziti is for you!

Italian Sausage Baked Ziti

1 lb. ziti noodles, uncooked
4-6 sweet Italian sausages, browned and sliced
1 15-ounce tub of fresh ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or oregano and basil)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 16-ounce jar of your favorite tomato sauce
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Apply cooking spray to a deep-dish 9x13 inch oven-safe baking dish and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook your ziti noodles until barely al dente.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, stir together ricotta, egg, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper until completely combined. Drain your cooked ziti noodles, and pour them into the ricotta mixture. Stir until evenly incorporated.

Spread about half of the tomato sauce in the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Next, spread half of the noodle mixture on top. Then, sprinkle half of the sliced sausage over the noodles. Finally, sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on top. Repeat, layering the rest of the tomato sauce, noodles, sausage, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the paremsan evenly across the top.

Cover with tinfoil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until cheese is brown and bubbly.

Carbonara Pizza

And yet another recipe from last week's wine tasting. This tasty little dish was a great appetizer and paired nicely with our Da Vinci Chianti Classico. The topping of this pizza is a re-creating of a carbonara pasta dish - complete with pancetta, eggs, and ricotta!

Pancetta is a wonderful Italian style bacon, with a great smoky-n-salty flavor. And the gorgeous cheesy mixture on top somehow manages to seem rich and light at the same time. This would be a fun weeknight meal or a tasty appetizer to get your guests going before an Italian meal.

Carbonara Pizza
from Rachel Ray

Cornmeal, for sprinkling
1 lb. pizza dough, at room temperature (recommended: Trader Joe's)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 lb. pancetta, chopped
1 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated pecorino romano cheese (parmesan would also work well)
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 clove garlic, grated or minced
Pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded provolone cheese
1/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat your oven to 450°. Sprinkle a few pinches of cornmeal on a baking sheet. Place the pizza dough on the sheet and stretch it into a large round or rectangle. If stretching is difficult, use a rolling pin. Brush the dough with the olive oil and partially bake the crust until puffed and slightly golden, about 8 minutes.

Note: If you are pressed for time, you could start right >>here<< in the recipe with a pre-made crust like Mama Mary's or Boboli's. :-)

Warm up a small skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring often, until crisp and browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a bowl lined with paper towels and allow it to drain and cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, pecorino romano, egg yolks and garlic; next add the pancetta. Season the mixture with pepper, stirring to combine.

Spread the ricotta-pancetta mixture over the partially baked pizza dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges for a crust. Top the pizza with the provolone. Bake until the crust and topping are golden and cooked through, about 12 minutes.

Sprinkle with parsley, cut into wedges, and serve immediately!

Chicky-Chicky-Parm, Chicky-Chicky-Parm

Have I ever mentioned that my brothers are a little bit silly? Yeah, they used to sing "Chicky-Chicky-Parm, Chicky-Chicky-Parm" whenever my mom would make us Chicken Parmesan. And they always did it with this incredibly catchy but annoying rhythm to it. So now I'm cursed because what I think of every time I have Chicken Parmesan!!

Here is an easy and "lighter" (i.e. not fried) version of this dish that you can make in the crock pot. It even came out pretty crispy on the top. Don't ya just love it when things are easy AND delicious?!

Crock-Pot Chicky-Parm

4 raw skinless boneless chicken breasts;
1 cup flour
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese (plus extra for sprinkling)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Fresh parsley or basil for garnish

NOTE: Chicken can be fresh OR frozen. For frozen (which I used here), simply add an extra hour of cooking time.

Apply cooking spray to the inside of your crock pot. Next, set up three shallow bowls. In the first bowl, place the flour and half of the salt and pepper. In the second bowl, place the lightly beaten egg. In the third bowl, place the panko bread crumbs, the parmigiano reggiano, the rest of the salt and pepper, and the Italian seasoning. Take your chicken breasts one at a time, and dip them first in the flour, coating completely. Next coat with the egg mixture. Finally, coat with the panko mixture. Then place the chicken breast in the bottom of your crock pot. Repeat with the other chicken breasts.

Pour your marinara sauce around the sides of the chicken breasts. (Around, not on top - this will keep the tops crispy.) Sprinkle a few more tablespoons of the parmigiano reggiano cheese on top of the breasts. Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours. During the last hour of cooking, top the chicken with the shredded mozzarella cheese so that it can melt and get nice and bubbly. Garnish each serving with fresh parsley or basil. Serve with spaghetti or angel-hair pasta.

Shrimp, Tomatoes, Basil, and Voila!

I wanted to make a lighter supper for hubby and me since we're hosting a fondue party at our house tomorrow night. Shrimp was on sale at the grocery store, and I actually found some really nice looking tomatoes, so we decided to "wing it" from there. We ended up with a fantastic, light, delicious dinner.

Tomato-Basil Shrimp Bowl

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lb. shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 teaspoons Paula Dean's house seasoning (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder)
2 more tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup onion, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
10-12 cherry or plum tomatoes, sliced in half
4 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped, divided
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 servings of cooked pasta, hot - your favorite shape

Heat first two tablespoons of olive oil in a grill pan (a regular skillet will work, too) over medium-high heat. Add shrimp so that each one is laying flat on the grill pan. Sprinkle house seasoning over the shrimp. Allow to cook for 2 minutes, then flip and allow to cook for 1 more minute. Remove from heat and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat the other two tablespoons of olive oil in a stir fry pan or large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and allow to cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and 2 tablespoons of the basil. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and allow to simmer for another two minutes.

Add the shrimp to this mixture, tossing to combine. Simmer for another 3 minutes.

Top each serving of pasta with a quarter of the shrimp mixture. Garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of basil. Serve immediately with crusty garlic bread.

PS: Doesn't my new camera that hubby got me for Christmas ROCK????