Eggplant Parmigiana

Okay, I know I have a number of eggplant parm recipes on my blog already. What can I say...I'm a junkie when it comes to this dish. So when I came across this recipe as I was flipping through my Martha Stewart Living magazine, well, I had to try it. This dish does take some time to prepare, but it's a tasty casserole that feeds a crowd (or a couple for several nights) and worth the effort. Yummy!

Source: Eggplant Parmigiana, Martha Stewart Living, January 2011

Ingredients

For breading and frying:

2 cups fine plain fresh breadcrumbs

½ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup all-purpose flour

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 large eggplants, sliced into ¼-inch-thick rounds

¼ cup vegetable oil, plus more if needed

For assembling:

6 cups marinara sauce

3 cups coarsely grated mozzarella cheese (12 ounces)

¾ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan cheese (1½ ounces)

Directions

Bread and fry the eggplant: Combine breadcrumbs, Pecorino Romano, ½ teaspoon salt, and some pepper. Put flour, eggs, and breadcrumb mixture in 3 separate dishes. Dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in egg, letting excess drip off. Dredge in breadcrumbs to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in large straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat. (Oil is ready when a breadcrumb sizzles when dropped in.) Working in batches, fry eggplant until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. (If oil gets too dirty, discard, and heat an additional ¼ cup.)

Assemble the dish: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread ½ cup marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange a layer of eggplant on top, overlapping slightly. Top with 1 cup sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup mozzarella and ¼ cup Pecorino Romano. Repeat twice to form layers with eggplant, sauce, then cheeses. Cover with foil. Bake until bubbling, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes more.

Spaghetti Squash Casserole

I was excited to see a spaghetti squash in my CSA box this week and happy to try this casserole recipe. What was so interesting about this dish was that it essentially had all the flavors of a traditional baked spaghetti but used the squash instead of pasta...a delicious yet healthier alternative!

Source: Spaghetti Squash Casserole, Taste of Home, October/November 1994

Ingredients

1 small spaghetti squash (1 ½ to 2 pounds)

½ cup water

1 pound ground beef

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped sweet red pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

1 can (8 ounces) tomatoes with liquid, cut up

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped

¼ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon pepper

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded mozzarella or cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out seeds. Place with cut side down in a baking dish; add water. Cover and bake at 375° for 20-30 minutes or until it is easily pierced with a fork. When cool enough to handle, scoop out squash, separating the strands with a fork. In a skillet, cook beef, onion, red pepper and garlic until meat is browned and the vegetables are tender. Drain; add tomatoes, oregano, salt, pepper and squash. Cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Transfer to an ungreased 1 ½-quart baking dish. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 25 minutes. Sprinkle with the cheese and parsley; let stand a few minutes.

Favorite Chicken Pot Pie

Today, we had our first snow of the season. I was craving chicken pot pie, the piping hot comfort food of childhood that everybody loves! I won’t lie—this recipe takes some time to prepare. It was more involved than I usually make, but it’s a snowy Saturday and some meals are just worth the effort and time it takes. However, you can certainly split the work for this recipe and do some of the steps ahead of time (like roasting the chicken breasts or making the pastry).

This is an easy recipe to add your own touches, as well. You can add celery or potatoes, and you can substitute leftover Thanksgiving turkey for the chicken. I added a large clove of minced garlic. Also, instead of making individual servings, I made a large pot pie in an oval casserole.

This dish is absolutely superb! The filling was perfectly flavored and the sauce was nicely thickened and bubbly hot. And the crust was light, flaky, and beautifully browned. Oh, so yummy! This dinner really hit the spot!

Source: Chicken Pot Pie, Barefoot Contessa

Ingredients
3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
2 chicken bouillon cubes
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups yellow onions, chopped (2 onions)
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup heavy cream
2 cups medium-diced carrots, blanched for 2 minutes
1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas (2 cups)
1 ½ cups frozen small whole onions
½ cup minced fresh parsley leaves

For the pastry:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup vegetable shortening
¼ pound cold unsalted butter, diced
½ to ⅔ cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then remove the meat from the bones and discard the skin. Cut the chicken into large dice. You will have 4 to 6 cups of cubed chicken.

In a small saucepan, heat the chicken stock and dissolve the bouillon cubes in the stock. In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt the butter and sauté the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot chicken stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the cubed chicken, carrots, peas, onions and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the circle to ½-inch larger than the top of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush the dough with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with sea salt and cracked pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

Potato, Kale, and Kielbasa Casserole

This dish reminded me of a variation of shepherd’s pie with flavors of German cuisine, which I love. This one-pot meal has everything—mashed potatoes, sausage, greens, and cheese—and the flavors work well together. I was able to use the kale, potatoes, and onions from my CSA bag. It’s easy to assemble and can be made in advance.

Source: Potato, Kale, and Kielbasa Casserole, Gourmet, February 1992

Ingredients
3 pounds russet (baking) potatoes (about 6)
½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter
¾ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 ½ pounds kale, coarse stems discarded and the leaves washed well
½ pound Münster, grated coarse (about 2 cups)
1 pound smoked kielbasa, cut crosswise into ¼-inch-thick pieces
2 large onions, halved lengthwise and sliced thing crosswise

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a kettle combine the potatoes, peeled and quartered, with enough water to cover them by 2 inches, bring the water to a boil, and boil the potatoes for 15 minutes, or until they are tender. Transfer the potatoes with a slotted spoon to a colander, reserving the cooking liquid, and force them through a ricer into a bowl. Add the butter, ½ cup of the broth, the vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste and combine the mixture well. Bring the reserved cooking liquid to a boil, add the kale, and boil it for 20 minutes, or until it is crisp-tender. Drain the kale in the colander, refresh it under cold water, and press out the excess water. Stir the kale and 1 cup of the Münster into the potato mixture and spread the mixture in a buttered 13- by 9-inch baking dish.

In a large skillet brown the kielbasa over moderate heat and transfer it to a bowl with the slotted spoon. In the fat remaining in the skillet cook the onions over moderate heat, stirring, until they are golden and stir them into the kielbasa. Scatter the kielbasa mixture on top of the potato mixture, sprinkle it with the remaining Münster, and pour the remaining ¼ cup broth on top. The casserole may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled. Bake the casserole in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes, or until it is heated through.

Baked Shrimp Scampi

If you like shrimp, you will love this shrimp scampi. Usually shrimp scampi is prepared in a large skillet, sautéed with olive oil, garlic, onion, and white wine. This one, however, is baked in a casserole. The flavors of the lemon and garlic come through, and the butter and panko mixture adds a light, crispy topping. It's a perfect marriage of buttery, lemony, and garlicky flavors. Easy to prepare and so tasty, this dish has become one of my favorite Barefoot recipes!

When prepping this recipe, be sure to finely mince the garlic and rosemary, which are mixed in with the butter and panko mixture. You'll want to taste these bold flavors in the mixture without getting a big bite of either. Also, after you've separated your egg, save the white in a properly labeled freezer bag. It lasts up to a year in your freezer, and you can use it later in a pavlova or meringues.

Source: Baked Shrimp Scampi, Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics

Ingredients
2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell
3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
¼ cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 extra-large egg yolk
⅔ cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.

In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper until combined.

Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer
cut side down with the tails curling up and towards the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges.

Favorite Tuna Casserole

McHubby requested this dish for dinner this week—it’s one of his favorites. Since he loves it so much, I always make a big batch in a large casserole pan. I modified the classic tuna casserole recipe a bit, using whole wheat egg noodles, cremini mushrooms, shallots, garlic, celery, and fresh herbs for a more earthy flavor. The French fried onion topping adds a crunchy texture.

Ingredients
Whole wheat egg noodles

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces cremini (baby bella) mushrooms, sliced
2 stalks celery, diced
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon rosemary, finely chopped

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 packages albacore tuna (in spring water, drained)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 cups French fried onions

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook whole wheat egg noodles in salted boiling water, according to package directions. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan. Add shallots and celery and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook another 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic, rosemary, and parsley, cooking 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and set vegetable mixture aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cooked noodles, tuna, soup, vegetable mixture, 1 cup of mozzarella, salt, and pepper.

Spread the mixture in a large casserole pan. Top with remaining cheese and fried onion topping. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes, until topping is golden brown. Serve hot.

Baked Ziti

I love casseroles, because you can “cook once and eat twice.” They are economical on the budget and on my time. And who doesn’t love baked pasta dishes? This is a hearty dish that pleases many palates. I’ve made this baked ziti for friends with children and for a friend preparing to run in a race. It’s easy to prepare and delicious, even as leftovers!

Ingredients
16 ounce package of ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2-26 ounce jars of spaghetti sauce
1 pound ground beef
1 package of sweet Italian sausage
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounce package of mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon sugar
1 ½ cups sour cream
8 ounces provolone cheese
12 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook ziti according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

In a large saucepan, sauté onion in olive oil for approximately 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes until mushrooms are softened. Set aside in a bowl.

In the same saucepan, brown the ground beef and sausage. Drain excess liquid. Combine the meat mixture, vegetables, and spaghetti sauce in the saucepan. When sauce boils, reduce to a simmer and add the rosemary, oregano, basil, and sugar. Salt and pepper to taste.

In a lightly greased casserole pan, place a few spoonfuls of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Layer half of the ziti. Layer the provolone cheese, then the sour cream. Spoon half of the sauce. Layer the remaining ziti. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese over ziti. Spoon in remaining sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted throughout.