Eggplant, peeled and sliced into ½ inch thick slices
¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup pepper, diced
3 cups tomatoes, diced
2 cups onions, chopped
1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced
½ cup of basil, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush olive oil on both sides of the eggplant slices and place on a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Bake until the eggplant is easily pierced with a fork. Check after 15 minutes and then check every few minutes until they are softened. Remove from the oven but leave the eggplant on the pan.
Sauté the peppers until they are soft in a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the basil and salt and pepper to taste and turn down the heat to very low. In another pan add 2 tablespoons olive oil and over medium heat cook the onions until they are caramelized, about 7 to 10 minutes.
Top each slice of eggplant with a small spoonful of onions and then a slice of mozzarella. Sprinkle a small amount of salt on the mozzarella and return the eggplant to the oven until the mozzarella melts. To each plate spoon about 1/3 cup tomato sauce and top each pool of sauce with two slices of eggplant. Garnish with basil.
September 04 2010 | Recipes | No Comments »
10 to 20 frying peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, quartered and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 ½ tablespoon chopped, basil or marjoram
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Slice the peppers into rings and remove the seeds and veins if desired. Heat the oil in a skillet, add the onion and garlic and cook over medium heat until they are translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Raise the heat and add the peppers, sauté for 5 minutes stirring now and then. Add the tomato paste, half the herbs and ¼ cup water to the pepper mixture. Cover the pan and lower the heat to medium and cook until the peppers are soft, another 10 minutes or so. Season the peppers with salt and pepper add the vinegar and raise the heat. Continue cooking until the peppers are glazed, then stir in the rest of herbs. Serve warm or cold.
This recipe was adapted from Local Flavors.
August 12 2010 | Recipes | No Comments »
Olive oil ¼ teaspoon allspice
1 garlic clove, minced ¼ cup chopped toasted almonds
1 onion, chopped ½ cup chopped tomatoes
1.5 cups raw brown rice 6oz. Cheddar cheese, grated
3 cups of water or stock Salt and pepper
4 green peppers
Heat some oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions and garlic until they are soft. Add the rice and brown it for about 5 minutes. Add the water or stock and the allspice, cover and cook until the rice is done, about 40 minutes. Toast almonds in a dry skillet or hot oven several minutes, tossing often. When the rice is cooked, stir in the tomatoes, almonds, cheese and salt and pepper. Cut the tops off the peppers and remove the seeds. Cook the peppers in boiling water for about 2 minutes. Drain the peppers and stuff them with the rice mixture. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.
This recipe was adapted from From Asparagus to Zucchini.
February 22 2010 | Recipes | No Comments »
2 small eggplant 3 or 4 sweet peppers
4 tomatoes Salt and ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil 1 to 2 tablespoon wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Wash the eggplant and cut them into ¼ inch thick slices. Sprinkle the slices with salt and let them drain on paper towels for 1 hour.
Roast the peppers, over an open flame or preheated broiler until the skin is dark brown and blistered all over, let cool in a plastic bag for 30 minutes then remove the seeds and skin and cut into small strips. Place the pepper strips in a salad bowl.
Cut off the tops of the tomatoes and cut each tomato in half horizontally. Remove as many seeds as possible. Put the tomatoes on a baking sheet with the cut side up.
Pat the eggplant slices dry and brush both sides with oil. Place them alongside the tomatoes on the baking sheet. Broil until the eggplant is lightly golden on both sides and the tomato skins begin to wrinkle and their tops to begin to brown.
Cut the eggplant into small strips and coarsely chop the tomatoes. Add the eggplant strips and tomatoes chunks to the peppers. Dress the vegetables with salt and pepper, olive oil and vinegar. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve warm or at room temperature.
from Modern Italian Cooking by Biba Caggiano.
February 22 2010 | Recipes | No Comments »
1 or 2 eggplant 1 or 2 summer squash
1 teaspoon salt 6 Tablespoons olive oil, more if needed
1 ½ cups sliced onions 2 sweet peppers
2 cloves mashed garlic 1 ½ cups chopped tomatoes
Additional salt and pepper to taste 3 tablespoon minced parsley
Peel the eggplant and cut them into lengthwise slices about 3/8 inch thick, 3 inches long and 1 inch wide. Scrub the squash, slice off the ends and cut the squash into slices about the same size as the eggplant. Place the sliced vegetables in a large bowl and toss with the salt. Let them stand for 30 minutes, drain and pat them dry. Sauté the eggplant and squash one layer at a time in 4 tablespoons hot oil for about a minute on each side. Remove the vegetables to a side dish.
In the same pan, cook the onions and peppers slowly in 2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil for about 10 minutes or until they are tender but not browned. Stir in the garlic and season to taste. Add the tomatoes and season them with salt and pepper. Cover the pan and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes have rendered their juice. Uncover, and baste the tomato mixture with some juice. Then raise the heat and boil for several minutes until the juice is almost evaporated.
Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of a deep pan and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the parsley. Arrange half of the eggplant and squash over the top, then half of the remaining tomatoes and parsley. Add the rest of the eggplant and squash and finish with tomatoes and parsley. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Uncover and tip the pan and baste the mixture with the juices. Taste and correct the seasoning if needed, Raise the heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes more, basting several times, until most of the juices have evaporated. Watch carefully so the vegetables on the bottom do not scorch. Set aside, and let cool uncovered then refrigerate if you are not going to serve the ratatouille right away.
The Ratatouille is best if made a day ahead before it is served then reheated slowly or served cold.
This recipe was adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
February 22 2010 | Recipes | No Comments »
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