Pasta and Veggies with Rosemary

Okay, what just happened?  Oh yeah, I had a second baby, went back to work full-time, and adopted a dog.  Guess what took a back seat?  Blogging, right..along with just about every other non-essential thing I usually enjoy doing.  Things come up and I ask myself, "Is this going to take more than 10 minutes?"  If the answer is yes, I'll usually pass.  That's okay, I wouldn't trade it.  But, I have had to scale back a lot of things, including time-consuming cooking projects.  The other night I threw this together last minute and we really enjoyed it.  It was quick, easy, and super tasty...just my style right now. 

1/2 an eggplant, salted, drained, and then cubed in 1/2" pieces
1 zucchini, diced
1 tomato, diced
10-15 black olives, sliced
1 bunch spinach, chard, or other greens
3 Tablespoons good quality olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
1/2 pound pasta, any shape

Cook pasta according to package directions.  In a frying pan, saute garlic gently in olive oil for 1-2 minutes.  Add eggplant and zucchini and stir occasionally 2-3 minutes.  Add spinach or greens and stir occasionally until tender.  Add remaining ingredients until well mixed.  Season with salt, pepper, and Parmesan cheese to taste. 

NOTE: Salting and draining the eggplant will keep it from absorbing all the oil when you put it into the frying pan, so don't be tempted to skip this step.  It really does make a difference. 

Inside-Out Eggplant Parmigiana

This recipe seemed appropriate for the week I had.  I got to work on Tuesday and discovered, much to my dismay, that I had my shirt on backwards.  Even more unfortunate, was the fact that I had kissed my husband goodbye, dropped off both my children at day care, seen their teachers, fellow parents, and a few co-workers, all before realizing my error. How I miss the days when I had time to glance in the mirror before leaving the house! 

So, dinner with "inside-out" in the title looked like the recipe for me.  Thankfully this was amazing!  We loved it.  The egg patties and sauteed arugula were a nice twist on traditional eggplant parmigiana.  I know it looks like a lot of directions, but it really wasn't that involved.  It's worth it! 

Adapted slightly from Gourmet, January 2009

For tomato sauce


2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups crushed fresh tomatoes, skins removed
3 tablespoons finely chopped red pepper
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pasta seasoning

For eggplant stacks

2 (1-lb) eggplants
6 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus additional for drizzling
3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/2 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
1/2 lb arugula, coarse stems discarded, coarsely chopped
1/2 lb cold fresh mozzarella, ends trimmed and remainder cut into 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices

Make tomato sauce:

•Heat oil in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes.

•Meanwhile, peel and crush tomatoes. Add to onion mixture in saucepan with red pepper, seasonings, 1/4 tsp salt and balsamic vinegar and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Keep warm, covered.

Bake eggplant:

•Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in lowest position.

•Cut 12 (1/3-inch-thick) rounds from widest portion of eggplants. Brush both sides with 2 Tbsp oil and season with 1/2 tsp salt (total). Bake on an oiled baking sheet, turning once, until golden and tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm, covered. Leave oven on.

Make egg patties and sauté arugula:

•Stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, half of garlic, and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper, then stir in eggs and water.

•Heat 3 Tbsp oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Drop 4 rounded 1/3 cups of egg mixture into skillet and cook, turning once, until patties are golden brown and puffed, about 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain.

•Add remaining Tbsp oil to skillet and cook remaining garlic with red-pepper flakes, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add arugula and stir until just wilted, then stir in 1/8 tsp salt.

Assemble stacks:

•Arrange 4 egg patties about 3 inches apart on a baking sheet. Top each with 2 Tbsp tomato sauce, 1 slice mozzarella, 1 eggplant slice, 2 more Tbsp tomato sauce, another eggplant slice, arugula mixture, and remaining eggplant. Bake until cheese melts, 5 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with additional oil and serve remaining sauce on the side.

Vegetarian Lebanese-Style Stuffed Eggplant

I had a friend E-mail me today asking if, when riding an escalator, English people stand to the right or to the left.  He was also curious if, upon coming face to face with someone in England, and needing to move out of the way, you'd step to your left or to your right, as we do in the States.  It made me recall the many dances I've had with strangers over my various trips to the U.K.  I never seemed to be walking or standing in the correct place, not to mention looking the appropriate way when crossing the street.  That sense of being out of your element is exactly how I felt when we first started gardening.  I had never grown anything before, nor did I know what we were going to make with it all (assuming things would grow, of course).   I loved to cook, but I hadn't done much real cooking in years.  I was too busy dealing with a new baby, a full-time job, and our fixer-upper house.   It has taken us some time to get everything right.  Did we plant these far enough apart?  Oops, it says to plant this in summer, it's January...How much water should we be giving this or that?  How partial is partial sun?  Why are all of our flower beds filled with vegetables and not flowers? (My question, not Andrew's...)  What will we do with all this produce? (Another one of mine.)  But, just as quickly as I learned to step to my left in the U.K., I started to love this new adventure.  It was fun to plant seeds, to watch them take off, and to eat the fruits of our labor.

With growing eggplant though, we have a new mantra, "two plants, not six, two plants, not six, two..."  Let's just say, we have A LOT of eggplant.  I hesitated to post another eggplant recipe so soon after my first one, and so soon after lots of other food bloggers have posted this recipe.  But, it was soooo good.  I made a few changes to substitute a few ingredients I was missing, but it came out delicious.  And now you've got two options, the vegetarian way I made it or the meat-eater way the original recipe was written (see parentheses below).  You won't regret this one!           

Adapted slightly from Gourmet Cooking...

6 Japanese eggplants (6-7 inches long)

1/2 Cup brown rice (or long-grain Jasmine rice)

1/4 Cup olive oil

3 Tablespoons pine nuts
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Cups chicken stock
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes in juice
1/2 Cup firm tofu crumbled (or ground lamb or beef chuck)
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or allspice)
1/2 of a lemon
3 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Hollow out each eggplant using a melon-ball cutter or by digging in with a sharp ended potato peeler.  Leave about 1/3 inch eggplant flesh along interior walls.  Rinse rice in a sieve under cold water until water runs clear.  Drain well.

Heat oil in a 12-inch or larger heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.  Fry pine nuts, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 3 minutes, then transfer with a slotted spoon to a bowl.  Saute onion and garlic, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 6-8 minutes.  Transfer 1/2 cup onion mixture to bowl with pine nuts.  Add stock, tomatoes, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper to skillet and simmer, uncovered, while stuffing eggplant.

Add rice, tofu, pumpkin pie spice, a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper to bowl with onion mixture and mix well with your hands. 

Stuff eggplant with tofu mixture, being careful not to pack tightly (rice will expand during cooking).  Transfer stuffed eggplants to skillet with tomato sauce and simmer, covered, carefully turning once, until rice is cooked through, 50 minutes-1 hour (cut one in half to test). 

If sauce is watery, transfer eggplant to a plate and boil sauce, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes, then adjust seasoning if necessary.  Return stuffed eggplant to sauce.  Squeeze lemon over dish and sprinkle with parsley before serving.

Grilled Eggplant Stuffed with Spinach and Cheese

Wow, so unlike me to start a blog, but I'm giving it a try. I have an interesting life, lots of great things, and some not so great. So, I thought I'd write about it all and combine it with my new found hobby: cooking! Food can bring up so many memories and emotions and that's what I love about cooking. From the meals I shared with my husband when we first met, to the casseroles my Mom would leave warming in the oven on a night she stayed late at school, I can't eat anything close without thinking of those times.

I have a husband, Andrew, originally from England, who I met on a bike tour of the West Cork coastline in Ireland. We reside in Santa Barbara, CA thanks to a winning coin toss five years ago. Yes, you read that right! We flipped a coin, I won, and the rest is, well, history. Our courtship started in Rome with a magical weekend of eating, drinking, and merriment. I found this recipe which reminded me of those late, lingering, enjoyable dinners that you never want to end. Plus, did I mention my husband is an avid gardener? Eggplant, basil, and tomatoes are taking over our yard! So, here it is:

(Adapted from http://www.yummymummyfood.blogspot.com/)
Serves 4

For the Tomato Basil Sauce:
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
15 cherry tomatoes diced
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
3/4 Cup pasta sauce (any brand will do)
1 Tablespoon tomato puree
1/4 Cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Heat oil over medium low heat. Add garlic and cook one minute, making sure not to burn the garlic. Stir in tomatoes and balsamic and bring to a gentle simmer. Add tomato puree and pasta sauce. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in basil. While sauce is simmering, prepare the eggplant rolls.

For the Stuffed Eggplant:
4 Japanese eggplants, sliced lengthwise and grilled
1 1/2 Cups ricotta cheese
1/4 Cup parmesan cheese
1/4 Cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 Cup thawed and drained chopped spinach

4 Cups of cooked penne pasta

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix cheeses together and season with salt and pepper (not too much salt, the cheeses are already salty!). Stir in the spinach. Drop cheese mixture onto eggplant slices and roll up. Spread sauce on bottom of baking dish and place eggplant rolls seam side down on top of sauce. Sprinkle with a little parmesan cheese. Bake uncovered 20 minutes. Meanwhile cook enough pasta for four people (about 2 Cups of dry pasta (it doubles)). Toss pasta in a little olive oil. Remove eggplant from oven and scoop on top of pasta. Garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately.