Make-Ahead Eggplant Parm

 

MAKE-AHEAD EGGPLANT PARMESAN

 

I'm a single woman who shops for 1 at the grocery store. Unfortunately, more often than not, I over-buy fresh produce and end up throwing away salad greens, rotten avocados, and moldy cheeses in the middle of the week. I've been trying to incorporate more frozen fruits and vegetables into my shopping list, but of course nothing beats working with fresh whole foods, especially when you love to cook. This week I challenged myself to stretch my budget and my food's shelf-life by doing a Make-Ahead Eggplant Parmesan. And now 10 days after my trip to the grocery store, I've still got a warm home-cooked entree to eat for days to come! Whether you're looking to stretch your budget, feed a family of 5, or simply save time with prep and planning, this is a dish for you! 

 

 

Eggplant is part of the "Clean 15" so you don't have to splurge on organic. 

Ingredients: 

2 medium eggplants

salt

1 box of bread crumbs (Panko for extra crunch) mixed with Italian herbs

1-2 eggs for egg wash

1 package of provolone cheese pre-sliced 

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1-2 jars of your favorite marinara sauce

olive oil

 

tips:

Most grocery stores have bread crumbs with Italian seasoning which are delicious, easy, and usually under $2 per box. If you're using plain, or making your own breadcrumbs, I suggest adding Italian herbs like oregano and basil with garlic powder and onion powder. I already had Panko breadcrumbs in my pantry so I just added this "spaghetti & pasta" spice blend. 

 

step one.

Prep your eggplant. slice into no bigger than1/4 inch slices, sprinkle generously with salt and submerge in warm water for at least 30 minutes. This insures your eggplant isn't dry and doesn't soak up all your sauce.

step two.

Dip each slice in egg wash (egg whisked with a little water) and then pat firmly with breadcrumbs on both sides. A cookie sheet may come in handy. 

 

step three.

Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully place breaded slices into the hot oil and cook until golden (about 2 minutes) on each side and then stack into your baking dish.

step four. 

Cover layered eggplant with your favorite sauce. Some of this sauce will be absorbed by the breadcrumbs so be liberal here. 

step five. 

Top with provolone and Parmesan cheese, wrap with foil ad freeze for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat, thaw completely and bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until the cheese bubbles up nice and golden.

Orzotto

I know... I know... It's been a while!
The holidays always have me trying so many new recipes, it can be overwhelming and often times I find myself being overly ambitious (Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Brownies??). So today we are visiting an old stand by. I've been cooking this "orzotto" recipe longer than I've had this blog, so I'm surprised actually that it hasn't made it's way to these pages yet. 

I first came across this recipe for Lemon Basil Orzotto on the Cooking Channel in 2011. I loved the idea of a risotto made with pasta, it as like a light-bulb going off in my head. And this recipe is so simple that it quickly became my go-to dinner dish when I needed something fast and delicious. I started with whole wheat orzo pasta to add an extra layer of flavor, and because I think it's got sucha  a great bite and it's so good for you. But soon I found myself adapting the recipe to use seasonal vegetables, or sometimes just whatever I could find in my kitchen. This is the perfect recipe to share with friends and family because of how easy it is to variate this dish so that it's always fresh and exciting, every time you make it.

Butternut Squash variation I posted on my Instagram in 2013

For this post, I used asparagus, zucchini, and shiitake mushrooms because they are three flavors I just can't get enough of in the fall. There is something so earthy and grounding about the taste of this dish. I want to just carry my plate to the couch and put on a movie.

My sister recently borrowed this recipe for a dinner party and said that is was "by far the crowd favorite". 

Enjoy!

Asparagus, Zucchini and Mushroom Orzotto

Ingredients: 

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons of butter (optional) 
• 1/2 onion diced 
• 1 1/2 cups orzo 
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (I usually have a heavy hand here) 
• 3 cups vegetable stock or broth (Rapunzel Bouillon is my favorite) 
• 1 zucchini quartered and thinly sliced
• 1 bunch asparagus chopped 
• 1 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms diced
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (or pecorino romano) 
• 1/4 cup heavy cream or soy cream 
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup pine nuts (optional)

Tips: 

• Choose a wine that you like to drink. Sacrifice 1/2 cup to your dish, and pour yourself a glass while you man the stove. 

• Substitute Farro or Pearl Barley for the Orzo.

• Toast your pine nuts for 2 minutes in a dry sauce pan to bring out the flavor. (Keep and eye on 'em, they burn quickly!) 
• Prepare your veggies a day ahead for even quicker cook time. 

• Add garlic at anytime. 

Directions:

step one. Prepare your veggies. If you don't have a steamer, you can poach your asparagus by dropping into boiling water for 2-3 minutes and then transferring to an ice bath. For my zucchini and mushrooms, I like to add 2 tbsp of butter to a skillet  on med-high heat and stir occasionally until everything browns a little. Mushrooms LOVE butter so don't be surprised if they soak it all up! Set vegetables aside. 

step two. Bring your broth to a boil.

step three. In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until fragrant and translucent. Add the orzo and toast until you see some browning on the grain (this will keep the pasta al dente). stir occasionally. 

step four. Add the wine and cook until absorbed. 

step five. Gradually add your vegetable broth (1 cup at a time), stirring frequently until the liquid is almost absorbed and orzo is tender. Remove from the heat. 

step six. Fold in vegetables, cheese, and cream. Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with Pine Nuts. 

Serving suggestion: 

Served with mixed green salad with pomegranate vinaigrette.

 

Chanterelle Tacos

FRIDAY: DINNER

Nightfall at the campsite.  Photo by Ramin Sharifi

After an amazing session of restorative yoga, it was time for dinner.  These Chanterelle Tacos are straight from Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Every Day cookbook. I used Jalapenos for a little more kick. Great if you give the tortillas a little char, and make sure you buy Mexican oregano. The yogis enjoyed them with black beans, chips, and salsa. 

     I'm new to mushrooms, I've never really liked eating them before this year. And I find that I'm more fond of the "exotic" type mushrooms. Chanterelles have a great earthy flavor and might even convert the mushroom-objector near you. 

Chanterelle Mushrooms and Onions.   Photo by Ramin Sharifi

Chaterelle Tacos

(Adapted from Super Natural Every Day)

 Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
• 1 small serrano chile, or jalapeno finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• Fine-grain sea salt
• 12 ounces chanterelles or mixed wild mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
• 8 corn tortillas
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Serving suggestions:

I heated a can of black beans with some salsa and served it on top or along side these tacos, whichever you prefer. 

step 1.
    Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion, chile, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until onions are translucent.

step 2.
    Add mushrooms and cook, stirring, over high heat, until mushrooms turn deep golden brown and release their liquid. I got two tips from a chef friend of mine for this recipe: 1. "Give mushrooms a lot of room," so use a big pan. 2. "Chanterelle's love butter," so I replaced oliv oil in this recipe for vegan butter.

step 3.
   While your mushrooms are cooking, warm your tortillas either over the flame of a gas burner, turning with tongs, until crisp and blackened in spots. Or by wrapping a small stack in foil and placing over the heat. (You can also char them in the broiler if you have one available).

Step 4.     
   Remove the mushroom and onion mix from heat and sprinkle with oregano. Adjust salt if necessary

plating.
    Divide mushroom mixture among tortillas and sprinkle with Parmesan.