Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

There is no doubt that the picky eating that I stuck with in my youth was inherited from my daddy. My brother, sister and I learned "eeewww" from the best, and we're all slowly recovering from that in our adulthood. I was recently talking to my dad about my vegetable delivery service and how it made me realize how much I really love eggplant. I got a classic crinkly nose from my daddy, and even as I tried to explain that if it is cooked properly, eggplant is delicious, he kept arguing that he just KNOWS he doesn't like it, no matter how it is cooked (along with all squash, all of which, he says, is too squishy). Really, I'm happy with more eggplant for me! I've learned some tricks, including buying eggplant on the smaller side and slicing/salting/sitting for a little bit (and rinsing) before using in a recipe. All of this keeps the texture just firm enough and the flavor slightly sweet. I found this recipe on Cooking This and That and thought it would be the perfect way to use the small eggplants I received in my vegetable delivery basket (one of my last ones before I chose to cancel for the winter). As I'm reading the recipe to see what I changed, I realize that I changed quite a lot! I made these into stacks, but didn't create a lasagna style filling the way the original recipe called for. This is baked, not fried, but still had lots of flavor. After baking, I just stacked up the eggplant disks with a spoonful of (heated) pasta sauce and one leaf of fresh basil. The top slice received a generous amount of mozzarella before I covered the pan to simmer and melt everything together. My husband, who likes eggplant okay, but isn't a huge fan, thought this was a great Eggplant Parmesan. I will definitely make this again next summer when eggplant is in season again.



Eggplant Parmesan Stacks (adapted from Bite This via Cooking This and That )
2 lbs of eggplant (two small) sliced into 1/2 inch disks
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup bread crumbs (I used standard Italian Seasoned)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking Spray
1 24 oz jar pasta sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese

Place slices of eggplant into a colander. Sprinkle salt on both sides and allow to sit about 15 minutes. Rinse to remove salt and any "goop" that develops, then dry each slice well. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Set up dipping trays: one tray with the lightly beaten egg, one with the bread crumbs and parmesan cheese mixed together. Dip each eggplant slice in egg and then bread crumbs, flipping to cover both sides. Place each slice on a cookie cooling rack on top of a foil lined cookie sheet (this set up allows for really crispy oven fried goodness, I highly recommend it!). Bake for 20-30 minutes until golden and crispy, rotating once. Meanwhile, gently heat pasta sauce in a large skillet. Dip both sides of eggplant in the sauce, then top with a basil leaf before stacking with the next sauce dipped eggplant slice. Continue until 3-4 slices high, then top with about a 1/4 cup of mozzarella. Repeat with other eggplant slices until you have 4 stacks. Cover and simmer until mozzarella is just melted. Serve with pasta and remaining sauce.

Fava Bean Risotto

I received Fava Beans in my Plow to Porch box and thought that it might be nice to try and incorporate them into a risotto of some sort. I have never eaten fava beans before, so I thought combining them with a starch like risotto would be a good way to ease in. I wish that I had just tried them on their own, or had tried them in a different recipe. They were so much fun to cook, but this recipe that I found on allrecipes just didn't bring enough fava bean color or flavor to the party. I think the author might have errored when they called for 1/2 lb of unshelled favas and maybe meant 1/2 lb of favas removed from the first shell, but not the second skin? Either way, this was my first time making risotto, and I think I have the technique down. It is a ridiculously starchy dish, so I need to perhaps make it next time when we have company instead of just the two of us. It is easy to overload on risotto, even when you aren't very fond of the recipe as was the case here (look at the portion size I served up, sheesh!). I have to say, I really loved the process of the double shelling of the favas, and they are so beautiful after they have been shelled the second time! I look forward to cooking them as a standard side dish next spring, since they have such a short season that they are available.

Green Risotto with Fava Beans (from Allrecipes)
1/2 pound fresh, unshelled fava beans (probably means shelled but not "second skinned")
4 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup grated Reggiano Parmesan cheese
salt to taste
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, shell the favas and discard the pods. Boil the favas for 4 minutes, strain and then immediately plunge into ice water. Let cool for 2 minutes then pierce the favas and squeeze them out of their skins. Separate 3/4 of the favas and puree in a food processor.
In a separate large saucepan bring the broth to a simmer, and keep it hot. Meanwhile, in another large saucepan over medium heat, melt 1.5 tablespoons of the butter and add the onions. Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 5 minutes; do not brown the onions. Add the rice and cook, while stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the wine, increase the heat to medium, and stir constantly. When the wine has been absorbed, add a little of the hot stock. Once the stock is absorbed, add a little more; repeat this process, stirring constantly, until the rice is cooked through.
To the cooked rice add the pureed favas, the remaining 1.5 tablespoons of butter, the rest of the favas and the cheese. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter and cheese melt and the puree is incorporated evenly. Season with salt.

Roasted Beet & Tomato Salad

Although I love, love, love my weekly fruit & vegetable deliveries from Plow to Porch, I have to admit, sometimes I am frightened. The husband and I grew up in pretty traditional households where vegetables were usually corn, green beans, peas and maybe an iceberg lettuce "salad." I was lucky enough to live in central California, so I also got some yummy asparagus and artichokes from time to time. Not very adventurous. So when I first saw beets on the delivery list, I was scared. The first appearance of beets happened to coincide with a visit to my dad & stepmom up in SLO. They hadn't seen me in a while and I had lost a ton of weight in that time, so they were curious to hear about this fruit & vegetable delivery service that was encouraging me to try new things and focus more on fruits & veggies (since that was pretty much how I lost all the weight!). As I was telling them all about it, I mentioned that I was really nervous about the beets in the next week. I kid you not, both dad and stepmom, like 6 year olds, preceded to "eeewww" and "you are kidding, throw them out" in ridiculous ways. No freakin' wonder I have fears of certain vegetables! I'm pretty sure I ended up throwing away that first batch of beets out of not having a clue what to do with them, but soon enough, I was roasting them up in foil packets with a little bit of olive oil, adding them to salads. I actually really like them, and after the first time I made them, the husband admitted that they had them all the time when he was growing up (so weird to me, he is such a traditional midwesterner, I had no idea they ate beets!). Eventually, my husband admitted that he wouldn't mind having a salad that was entirely beet focused. I researched on the internet and found that the most common ingredient in a beet salad is (well, other than beets) goat cheese. Well... we're not fans (I know, take away my foodie license or whatever). I also saw that many like the flavor of balsamic vinegar and beets. That gave me the idea for this salad. Very simple roasted beets, chilled, with chopped ripe heirloom tomatoes and a light dressing of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. This was so delicious, and it might sound strange, but we get soooo many tomatoes with Plow to Porch in the summer that I'm really excited for another way to use them up. The husband doesn't love balsamic vinegar like I do (what, doesn't everyone want to drink it?), but he really liked this as well, even though I "poured a bunch of that weird brown stuff on there." By all means, go ahead and add goat cheese if you want. I might add some feta next time for some creamy texture. But don't fear the beets!

Balsamic Roasted Beets and Tomato Salad (my own creation)

4-5 small beets, tops and bottoms trimmed off (I used golden here, but all sorts of beets would work, I think)

1 large heirloom tomato

olive oil (about 3 Tbs)

Balsamic Vinegar (about 1-2 Tbs)

Salt & Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place trimmed, unskinned beets in foil packet. Drizzle with olive oil before folding the packet closed (I leave a little bit of air inside the packet to circulate). Place in heated oven for about 45 minutes or until beets are soft and skins come off easily. Allow to cool completely before removing skins. Chop into wedges or bitesize pieces. Refridgerate about 1 hour until chilled. Chop tomato into bitesize pieces. Mix tomato & beets in small bowl. Toss with approx even amounts of olive oil and balsamic vinegar or to your own tastes. Tomatoes and beets should absorb most of the dressing and there shouldn't be much pooling inside the bowl. Top with salt & pepper to taste and serve. Makes two servings.

Asparagus Season

My Plow to Porch life is complete. I was excited about the artichokes we got this Spring, but I knew I wouldn't be satisfied until I got locally grown asparagus delivered to my door. Look at these beauties! The husband said this meal was restaurant quality (flat iron steaks, "baked" potatoes in the microwave, and asian grilled asparagus). The only problem was that they consider one bunch to be a 1/2 pound of asparagus. I'm quite certain I could have (and would have, had the husband not stopped me) eaten the entire bunch! I supplemented with some sliced grilled zucchini with the same sauce/marinade. This is not a new recipe, but it is pretty high on my list of vegetable dishes, and it looked so pretty I had to share!

Baked Zucchini "Fries"

From what I understand, a common problem with CSA subscriptions and/or growing a home garden is that zucchini comes in quicker than you can eat it. Sure enough, we got a batch of golden zucchini in our second week of Plow to Porch, but since so many of the blogs I follow are also CSA subscribers, I had already starred a few zucchini recipes. I knew I would make zucchini fries the first time we had a delivery. I love bread crumbs in all varieties, but I think panko is the way to go with this recipe, as it gives the zucchini that extra crunch that makes this dish reminiscent of french fries (they definitely don't taste like fries, though!). This did take a while to make, and since my usual veggie side dishes don't involve much prep work, that was the only negative. But this was a fun, tasty recipe and I know I will make these again (and I already have, actually!).



Baked Zucchini Fries (from Le Petit Pierogi)
1 zucchini, cut into sticks
2 eggs
splash of milk (about 2 tbsp)
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs (I'm going to grind mine in the Magic Bullet next time for a finer consistency)
2 tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
salt
pepper (I added some cayenne as well)
Preheat oven to 425 degrees, and line a large baking dish with foil and spray with non stick spray.Set up a breading station. On one plate, add flour. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and milk together with a fork. On another plate add panko and cheese and mix together. Season zucchini sticks with salt, pepper and cayenne.One by one, dredge zucchini sticks in flour, then dip in egg mixture, then press into panko until completely coated. Place on baking sheet side by side, until all zucchini sticks are breaded.Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown - flip after 10 minutes and serve hot.

Roasted Cauliflower Cheese Soup

Immediately following my Vegas girls weekend (no blog post on that, what happens in Vegas....), I returned to an empty house. The husband had to go on yet another business trip, this time up to Morgan Hill for a Specialized Bicycles training course on how to fit riders to their bicycles. As usual when my husband is out of town, I took this opportunity to make meals that I knew he wouldn't like. This is one of them, since he hates cauliflower. I loved this soup and it really gave me confidence that I can make delicious soups at home and don't need to just wait until we go out so I can order soups. Of course, when I described my dinner to the husband during our nightly phone call, husband was acting like he was going to be sick! I'm looking forward to making this again when he leaves for his next trip!

Roasted Cauliflower Cheese Soup (by me!)

2 cups cauliflower florets

2 cloves garlic

2 Tbs olive oil

1 Tbs Butter

1 Tbs Flour

1 cup chicken stock (separated)

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup cheddar cheese

salt & pepper to taste

Toss cauliflower with garlic and oil in a large ziploc bag. Roast in a shallow pan for about 25-30 minutes (until tender). Meanwhile, melt butter in large saucepan. Add flour and cook for about a minute. Add 3/4 cup of the chicken stock and stir to create a thick sauce. Puree cauliflower with about 1/4 cup chicken stock in blender or food processor (I used the Magic Bullet). Add to saucepan. Stir well to combine. Add cream and stir. Add cheese and stir well until melted. Season with salt & pepper and serve very warm. Makes 4 small servings, 2 large servings.

Garlic Roasted Potatoes

I am sorry to admit it, but I have issues with baked potatoes. I went through a 4 year period of not eating them at all because of a bad science experiment in Jr. High that involved potatoes and I just couldn't bear to eat them after that. I got over it soon after leaving my parents home when I realized that they are a really cheap side dish. Unfortunately, I still haven't been able to master the baked potato. My husband likes russets and I like white rose potatoes. I can't cook either one to the right consistency to appease both of us (I like a creamy baked potato, he likes a flaky baked potato). I tried this recipe this weekend because I was grilling some steaks and wanted to serve potatoes, but didn't want our potato differences to get in the way of a great meal. I made this up based on our preference for some garlic flavor without being overwhelming, and we don't really like rosemary, although most people would probably use that instead of oregano.

Roasted Garlic Baby Potatoes
1 lb baby potatoes, sliced in 1/2

1 Tbs olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt & pepper to taste

Combine oil and garlic in a gallon size ziploc bag. Add potatoes and shake until all pieces are lightly coated in the oil/garlic mixture. Pour onto a shallow baking dish or sheet pan. Season with oregano, salt & pepper. Roast at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until just golden. Makes 4 side dish servings.

Nutrition info: Calories: 137.4, Fat: 3.5g (.5 sat, .3 poly, 2.5 mono), Carbs: 24.9g, Fiber: 1.7g

Grilled Glazed Asparagus

Asparagus has always been one of my favorite vegetables. I even liked the canned stuff as a kid (although that was back in the day when any vegetable dipped in butter or mayo tasted awesome). As an adult, I love it when asparagus is featured as a side dish at a fancy restaurant, whether steamed, roasted or (especially) grilled. As I've tried making fancier dinners at home, I've perfected my own version of grilled asparagus that I love as much as the restaurant version. This is completely my own, based on flavors that I enjoy. Marinating this kind of vegetable may seem a little weird, but the "treetops" absorb the liquid nicely, allowing for a little liquid to penetrate the entire stalk with flavor. I recommend grilling until each stalk has a little give, but still keeps its shape when held horizontally (see picture).

Grilled Glazed Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus

5 Tbs Soy Sauce

1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar

1 Tbs Honey

1 tsp sesame oil

Combine all ingredients except asparagus in ziploc bag and mix with fingers until honey is well blended. Add Asparagus and allow to marinate for about 15-20 minutes. Grill on medium high heat or until asparagus starts to brown and reaches the appropriate tenderness. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition Info. for 1 serving: Calories: 44.1, Fat: 1.3g (.2 Sat, .3 Poly, .6 Mono), Carbs: 6.4g, Fiber: 1.4g

Sauteed Grouper + Roasted Broccoli

I was in the neighborhood of my favorite fresh fish market here in Santa Barbara (yet another reason why I love it here), and decided to stop in and pickup some of the yummiest fish ever, the local halibut. Well, they were out, so I asked for my next favorite, Petrale Sole. They were out of that as well (the fish dude said it was late in the day and they are always swamped when the weather is nice, which it was, 79 degrees for the high!). I asked for the next best available whitefish and was given Mexican Grouper. Note to self: Always chat with fish dude more when cooking a new type of fish. The fish was of supreme quality and was very good, but my normal recipe for sauteed whitefish (like halibut, sole, tilapia) just didn't seem like the best preparation for this type of fish. I think next time I will try this marinated and grilled instead. The broccoli is based on this recipe from allrecipes for cauliflower, but I'd heard it works well for broccoli as well, and it is now one of our favorite ways of enjoying broccoli.

Sauteed Grouper (my recipe)

2 5 oz Grouper Filets (or lighter whitefish like halibut, sole or tilapia)

2 Tbs Butter

2 Cloves Garlic

Seafood Seasoning

Fresh Chopped Parsley (optional)

Coat fish filets in seafood seasoning. Melt butter over low heat and add minced garlic. Cook over low heat. Butter shouldn't bubble much, the idea is to get the butter infused with garlic, see picture. Increase heat to medium high and add fish. Saute until cooked through (no longer opaque or pink). Top with butter from pan and (if available), fresh chopped parsley

Roasted Broccoli
8 oz Fresh Broccoli florets (try to have medium sized pieces, too big or too small doesn't turn out as well)

2 Tbs Olive Oil

2 Garlic Cloves

Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix Oil and Garlic in a gallon zipper storage bag. Add broccoli and mix very well (all the florets should have a little glisten to them from the oil). Pour into a shallow roasting pan and spread out evenly. Roast at 375 for 20-25 minutes or until broccoli reaches desired consistency and is just starting to brown.

Nutrition Info. for Fish: Calories: 304.6, Fat: 15.7g (7.8g Sat, 1.8g Poly, 4.7g Mono), Carbs: 1, Fiber: .1

Nutrition Info for Broccoli: Calories: 155.6, Fat: 13.9g (1.9g Sat, 1.3g Poly, 10g Mono), Carbs: 6.9g, Fiber: 3.5g