Baked Eggplant

I found the tiniest, most perfect (and ridiculously low priced) eggplant the other day at the Asian market. It weighs in at slightly less than a pound, so there is not much to it ... more appropriate for a side dish or appetizer than a main course.

I decided to make my own version of an eggplant lasagna/eggplant and mozzarella tower/eggplant rollatini (unrolled.) Here are my thoughts ...

1. Peel and slice the eggplant into 1/2" rounds (make sure diameter will work with cooking vessel - I plan to use a smallish round casserole dish. Not sure if I am making this as individual servings (as in, using ramekin size casseroles) or sreving family style (all in one casserole.)


2. Lay eggplant slices out on a rack and sprinkle with salt (I will be using kosher) to remove excess moisture and bitterness. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, then rinse off and pat dry.


3. Grill the slices for about 4 minutes on each side (until done) in pan coated with olive oil.


4. Preheat oven to 375


5. Coat the inside of the casserole(s) with patsa sauce.


6. Combine 1 egg, ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, grated parmesan and some mozzarella (or whatever cheese you plan to top this bad boy with)


7. Drain can of diced tomatoes (or dice some fresh ones - whatever)


8. Steam and drain some baby spinach (or thaw and drain some frozen)


9. Start layering in the casserole: first, lay down a slice of the grilled eggplant, cover with some of the ricotta mixture, top with spinach and tomato, top with some sauce, repeat. When you are done with the last repeat, top the whole thing with mozzarella/whatever cheese you are using.


10. Bake, uncovered, about 15 minutes.

I think I will serve this along with some italian sausage and linguini.

Stromboli

• Ball of pizza dough - enough for one pie should do


• sauce, cheese, etc - fillings of your choice


• olive oil

Preheat oven to 450 - stretch dough to form a rectangle. In the center third of the rectangle, put down a good qty of the filling of your choice, fold over one of the other thirds, add more filling on top and fold over the last third and tuck the ends under. Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper (keeps it non-stick and easy to clean!) with the seam side down. Brush with some olive oil, cut a few slits in the top, bake 25 minutes or until golden brown. Let it sit for a few minutes before cutting so the cheese has had a chance to cool slightly and firm up a little!

Linguine with Tomato-Almond Pesto [Pesto Trapenese]

Linguine with Tomato-Almond Pesto [Pesto Trapenese]Adapted from Gourmet

3/4 cup slivered almonds
1 large handful fresh basil leaves
1 to 2 large garlic cloves
Several sprinkles of sea salt
6 ripe plum tomatoes, quartered
1/2 cup grated Pecorino or Parmesan
1/4 to 1/3 cup olive oil
1 pound linguine

In a large skillet, sauté the almonds in a little olive oil until toasted. Let cool, then blend them in a food processor or blender until they are in coarse pieces. (“The size of orzo,” the original recipe suggests.) Scoop them out of the processor and set them aside.

Put the basil, garlic and a few pinches of sea salt into the food processor and chop. Add the almonds back to the food processor (keeping them separate will keep them from getting too finely chopped as you get the basil and garlic to the right texture) with the tomatoes, cheese and olive oil and whirl briefly. Season it with freshly ground black pepper.

Cook your linguine until it is al dente and could use another minute of cooking time. Reserve one cup of pasta cooking water and drain the rest. Immediately toss the hot linguine with the pesto and mix quickly so that it drinks the sauce up a bit. Add more pasta water if needed. Serve this lukewarm, or at room temperature, with a glass of wine, after you get the baby to bed.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Seed and dice the tomatoes, combine with garlic, olive oil, balsamic and basil – add salt and pepper to taste, refrigerate. Cut ½” thick slices of the French bread (I cut them on a diagonal to get more surface area … and because I am fancy), brush with oil and toast them on a stovetop griddle – probably a minute a side. Either pile the tomato and basil on top of the bruschetta and serve, or allow each person to assemble their own – your choice!