Eggplant Parmesan

When I bought a couple of eggplants a few weeks ago, it wasn't because I had anything specific in mind that I wanted to make with them. It was because they were for a great price and I had no doubt at all that I would use them.

I was flipping through Cooking Light and saw that one of the best recipes from that particular issue was for Eggplant Parmesan. I didn't follow the recipe completely, as they had it turned into a casserole of sorts-I just used their coating and baking instructions.
I decided to top our eggplant with provolone cheese, served it over red quinoa and used some bottled marinara sauce to bring it all together.

My oldest son was a little bit wary of this dish, but I told him it would taste just like chicken. He tried it and concluded on his own that it did taste like chicken!

We really enjoyed this lightened version of a classic dish. It was good!
Recipe for Eggplant Parmesan
* I only followed the recipe for steps 1 & 2
* I added some Italian seasoning to my panko coating
* I topped each slice of eggplant parmesan with 1/2 slice of provolone cheese and then put it back in the oven until the cheese was melted

Chicken Parm Burgers and Carrot Fries

I saw this recipe for Chicken Parmesan Burgers in Bon Appetit magazine and thought it was a really fun twist on chicken parm and a burger.
We don't eat burgers very often or meat for that matter, but these just looked too fun to pass up.
I used some local, lean ground turkey (93 % lean) instead of ground chicken since it was from a local farm and I have switched the two before with great results.

I had also seen a recipe for Carrot Fries that I wanted to try and this was the perfect opportunity to have a classic "burger and fries" dinner, but without the classic part.
The burgers were great. I made them smaller than the recipe said because I used a whole grain baguette for the "bun" and didn't want the burgers to be too big for the bread.
I used basil from my basil plant (Yay!- I love having my own herbs!) and used provolone cheese instead of the fresh mozzarella called for since that is what I had in my fridge.

I think I overcook my carrot fries a little bit, but they were still delicious.
This was a fun dinner.

Recipe for Chicken Parmesan Burgers
* I used local, lean ground turkey (93% lean)
* I used a whole grain baguette
* I used provolone cheese

Recipe for Carrot Fries

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

I love browsing through cookbooks. A few weeks ago we were at a book store and I was thumbing through one of Giada's cookbooks, I don't remember which one, but I saw this recipe for pasta with roasted veggies.

I love roasted veggies. It is the best way to eat any vegetable, in my opinion.
My parents and brother were still here when I made this pasta dish and it was really good.

I made a couple of changes to the recipe, but they were small ones. I subbed in asparagus for the mushrooms, mostly because asparagus was really cheap and my family loves it and because mushrooms aren't my favorite.
I also used whole wheat pasta because I always do and my family likes it.
I didn't use smoked mozzarella because it was too expensive for me to buy, but I am sure that adds something special to the flavor of this dish. I just used mozzarella.

The leftovers were fabulous. My brother and I were fighting over them to the very last bite.



Recipe for Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables
* I used 1 lb of asparagus instead of the mushrooms
*I used regular mozzarella instead of smoked
*I used whole wheat penne

Chicken Breast Florentine with Whole Wheat Angel Hair and Marinara

My older sister shares my love for cooking and good food. Anytime she has an unbeatable recipe that she really loves, she passes it on to me. And I try it, because I totally trust her and have loved everything she sends my way. This is a recipe she shared with me a couple of years ago that I make all the time. I have made it several times when we have had guests for dinner, just because it is really a crowd pleaser. I can't remember where my sister got the recipe. She just emailed it to me and I have been making it ever since. I have made it so many times that I don't even measure the ingredients anymore. I know what it is supposed to look like, so I just proceed. quick sidenote- do you do that with recipes that you know really well? or do you always measure, no matter what?
Back to the recipe. I usually use chicken tenders or thinly sliced chicken breast because that makes it go even faster, but if you have to take the time to pound some chicken breast, it will be worth it. I usually serve green beans and salad with this dinner, but any veggie would be good. I just really like green ones.

CHICKEN BREAST FLORENTINE
1/2 cup flour
2 large eggs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed
2 tsp italian seasoning
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
3 T olive oil
2 whole, boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half and pounded lightly or chicken tenders
1 or 2 jars marinara sauce
shredded mozzarella cheese
whole wheat angel hair pasta, cooked

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the flour in a bowl large enough to dredge the chicken breasts in.
2. Combine the eggs, cheese, spinach, italian seasoning, garlic, salt and pepper in a large bowl, blending well. The mixture should be the consistency of pancake batter.
3. Place the olive oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Dredge the chicken breasts first in the flour, dusting off any excess and then in the batter and carefully place in the hot oil. Saute, turning once, until golden brown on both sides ( about 3 minutes per side), Pour marinara sauce in a 9 by 13 inch dish. Place the chicken breasts in the marinara. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese and place in the oven for 15 minutes.
4. Serve over warm angel hair pasta.

Come back Tomorrow for Orange Rice Pudding

Polenta Rounds with Turkey Sausage and Vegetables in Marinara

I love polenta. I love that you can buy it in a little tube at the grocery store and it is ready to go. I had some leftover turkey sausage in my fridge and some leftover marinara, so I bought some polenta and came up with this dish. Full of veggies, with just a little meat- it was delicious and with all those colors almost to pretty to eat. But, we did eat it and it was good! Happy November!

Polenta Rounds with Turkey Sausage and Vegetables in Marinara by Mary Ann

1 tube refrigerated polenta, sliced into 1/2-1 inch rounds

4 white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 4-oz link sweet turkey sausage (I use Jenny-O)

1/2 medium zucchini, thinly sliced

1/2 medium yellow or summer squash, thinly sliced

1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped

3 oz baby spinach

marinara sauce

Squeeze turkey sausage out of casing, into a warm electric skillet. Crumble with a wooden spoon and add mushrooms, zucchini, summer squash, and yellow bell pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes, until sausage is cooked through and veggies are tender. Stir in spinach, just until wilted. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm.

Spray electric skillet with cooking spray. Layer polenta rounds in skillet and cook until warmed and browned, 2-3 minutes on each side.

Warm marinara sauce and ladle some on a plate. Arrange 3 polenta slices in marinara and spoon sausage-veggie mixture over top of polenta. Serve and enjoy!

Tomorrow- You Want Pies with That? Fashion Edition- Banana Pudding Pie and a Southern Dinner to go along with it- Chicken N Dumplings, Fried Okra.....

Roasted Vegetable and Italian Chicken Sandwiches with Marinara

This is something I came up with the other night and it is based on two of my favorites. One of those is a sandwich I always get at Maggiano's, deep-fried, breaded eggplant, roasted red peppers, roasted mushrooms and squash,with some lovely cheese, all on crusty Italian bread, with marinara to dip it in. The other favorite is something my mom always used to make when we were kids. She thinly sliced zucchini, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, whatever veggies we had from the garden, layered them on a hoagie bun, put a slice of mozzerella on top, and broiled it until golden. So, this is me trying to recreate all those delicious veggies, without the deep-fried goodness, and I added some chicken, because some people in this house can't handle just eating veggies (It isn't me). Oh, and I found these wonderfully, thinly sliced chicken breasts in the poultry section of the grocery store, which saved me some pounding! I was also able to use some of the great produce I found this past weekend at the local farmers market.
Roasted Vegetable and Italian Chicken Sandwichs with Marinara by Mary Ann
2 red bell peppers or pre-bottled roasted red peppers if you don't want to roast your own
1 japanese eggplant, (or normal eggplant), thinly sliced
1 summer squash, thinly sliced
1 zucchini, thinly sliced
4-5 button mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 chicken breast halves, sliced thin, or pounded thin
Italian seasoning
arugula or spinach leaves
provolone cheese slices
ciabatta bread, or other crusty Italian bread (hoagies would work too)
marinara sauce, for dipping

1. Preheat the broiler. Cut the red peppers in half, discard seeds and membranes. Place them cut side down, on a piece of foil, on a baking sheet. Smash them down with the palm of your hand. Broil until roasted and skins are slightly black, 10-15 minutes. Remove from foil with tongs and place in a large ziploc bag for 10-15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, carefully remove the peel and place in a bowl.

2. Switch the oven control to 450 degrees. Spray another baking sheet with cooking spray. Layer your thinly sliced veggies on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil or spray with cooking spray, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until almost tender, 5-7 minutes. Place in a bowl and cover with a plate, leaving a small opening to vent.

3. Heat 1 Tbls olive oil in an electric skillet. Add chicken breast and season liberally with Italian seasoning. Cook for a few minutes, and turn over to other side. Season with more Italian seasoning and cover. Cook for a few more minutes, until cooked through. When cooked through, remove from pan.

4. Warm marinara in the microwave or in a small saucepan while preparing sandwich.

5. To prepare sandwich, slice bread in half. Layer arugula (this has a bit of a bite, kinda peppery) or spinach on the bottom. Top with roasted zucchini, summer squash, eggplant, and mushrooms. Layer chicken on top of veggies. Top chicken with roasted red peppers and provolone. Place under broiler to melt cheese. Put other half of bread on top and serve with marinara. You could also spread the marinara on the bread, if you are not one who likes to dip!

Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Smoky Marinara

This is one of the best pasta dishes I have tried in awhile. It has a delicious homemade marinara sauce and a cheese stuffing that is so good. My kids gobbled it up. I pureed the marinara sauce in the blender because my husband doens't like big chunks of tomatoes in anything and I think it enhanced the sauce by really melding the flavors together. This can also be made with whatever herbs and cheeses you have on hand, plus it makes two casserole dishes so you can freeze one for another night. My kind of recipe, this one is definitely a keeper.

Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Smoky Marinara

1 pound jumbo shell pasta (40 shells)

Cooking spray

1 (12-ounce) carton 1% low-fat cottage cheese

1 (15-ounce) carton ricotta cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Asiago cheese

3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

6 cups Smoky Marinara*

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain and set aside.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Coat 2 (13 x 9-inch) baking dishes with cooking spray; set aside.
Place cottage cheese and ricotta cheese in a food processor; process until smooth. Combine cottage cheese mixture, Asiago, and next 6 ingredients (Asiago through spinach).
Spoon or pipe 1 tablespoon cheese mixture into each shell. Arrange half of stuffed shells, seam sides up, in one prepared dish. Pour 3 cups Smoky Marinara over stuffed shells. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup mozzarella. Repeat procedure with remaining stuffed shells, Smoky Marinara, and mozzarella in remaining prepared dish.
Cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
To freeze unbaked casserole: Prepare through Step 5. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Wrap with heavy-duty foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.
To prepare frozen unbaked casserole: Preheat oven to 375º. Remove foil; reserve foil. Remove plastic wrap; discard wrap. Cover frozen casserole with reserved foil; bake at 375º for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the shells are thoroughly heated.
*Smoky Marinara
1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried oregano

2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 (28-ounce) can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, undrained

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic, basil, parsley, and oregano; sauté 1 minute, stirring frequently. Stir in vinegar and remaining ingredients. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.