Eggplant Parmigana

A couple of  weeks ago my husband and I had dinner at a lovely Italian restaurant.

The eggplant was a disappointment.
So I had to make it for dinner to remind us how yummy it really is.


First, beat two eggs in a shallow bowl (I used a cereal bowl).


Next, place 1 cup flour into another bowl.
I added some seasonings to mine:  salt, pepper, rosemary, basil, and some bread crumbs.


Now, wash and peel your eggplant.


You can see how quickly they begin to brown.
Next, slice it into slices that are 1/4 to 3/8 inches thick.


Dip each slice of eggplant into the egg, being sure to coat both sides.


Then do the same thing in the flour.


Continue until every slice is covered with flour.


Heat some oil  and butter in a frying pan.


When the pan is hot, gently place each slice of eggplant in the pan.


Let it cook until it looks like this when you flip it over.


Mmm.

While you are cooking the eggplant, boil some water and cook a little pasta.
My husband picked fettuccine noodles this time.


In a small saucepan, I also opened some garlic and herb spaghetti sauce and began to heat it.


When the pasta is al dente, drain it.


Remove the eggplant from the heat as soon as it is cooked on both sides, and assemble your dish.

Tonight, I first put pasta on a plate, then eggplant followed by your sauce and Italian cheese.  Garnish with Italian parsley.


Delicious!  You want some?

The thing to remember about dishes such as this is how inexpensive they are.
Because this is a meatless dish, the cost per serving is incredibly low.   I love summer barbecues, but sometimes I feel like we end up eating too much meat.   Dishes like this are nice to rotate into the mix.  It’s also a great way to take advantage of summer produce.
Try it!

Hopeful Homemaker’s Eggplant Parmigana

1 eggplant 2 eggs 1 cup flour 1 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary 1/2 tsp. dried basil 2 Tb. dried bread crumbs 1 Tb. oil 8 ounces pasta of your choice 2 cups spaghetti sauce 1 cup Italian blend shredded cheese Italian parsley (for garnish, if desired)

Beat eggs in small bowl.  In separate bowl, combine flour and seasonings.
Wash, peel and slice eggplant into 1/4 to 3/8 inch slices.
Dip each slice of eggplant in to egg mixture and then into flour mixture.
In frying pan, heat 1 Tb. oil.  Gently place eggplant into pan.
Turn when golden brown, and remove from heat.
Boil pasta until it reaches desired tenderness.  Heat spaghetti sauce.
Place pasta on plate, drizzle with spaghetti squash and 2 Tb. cheese.
Place 2 slices eggplant on top of pasta, drizzle again with sauce and sprinkle with more cheese.
Garnish with Italian parsley.  Enjoy!

Sausage Souffle

My mom has been making this my whole life, and now I make it all the time for my family.

It’s a great, make-ahead breakfast dish that everyone always loves.

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To begin, start by cooking 13-16 ounces of sausage.
You can cook the little links if you want, and then cut them up, or you can buy it packaged like this.

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I prefer to just use the Jimmy Dean, but I usually buy the 50% less fat variety because there is so much less grease involved.
It was out of stock, so I had to go for the regular.

Cook the sausage.

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Meanwhile, lightly spray a 9×13 inch pan with non-stick spray.
Break about 10 or so pieces of bread and even cover the bottom of the pan.
(I prefer to use wheat bread with this recipe, but feel free to substitute with white.  You do want the bread to have a little substance to it.)

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Next, sprinkle about 1 cup of shredded cheese over the bread.

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When the sausage is browned, rinse it if it’s too greasy.
Then spread it over the bread and cheese.

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Sprinkle with one more cup of cheese.

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In a mixing bowl, beat 6 eggs.

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Add 1 teaspoon mustard and 2 cups milk.

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Mix well and then pour evenly over bread, sausage and cheese.

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Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 325 if you’re using a glass pan, or 350 if you’re using  a metal pan.  I prefer glass.

While oven heats up, pour one can cream of mushroom soup and 1/2 cup milk into a bowl.

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Mix together and spread over egg and bread mixture.

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Place pan in oven and bake for 1 hour.
Remember:

325 degrees for a glass pan 350 for a metal pan.

When it’s done, pull it out of the oven, and good luck keeping people from eating it while they wait for the meal to begin!

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Let stand about 5 minutes, then slice and serve!
Sorry I don’t have a great picture.  Everyone was too hungry!

Enjoy!

Zucchini Quiche

I had a breakfast at my home last week for a few of my favorite women.

I like making breakfast, especially when the menu includes something as yummy as this quiche.
I also love zucchini, so this dish makes me happy.

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Start with 4-5 medium zucchini.  Wash and thinly slice them.

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You need 4 1/2 – 5 cups of zucchini.

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Next, chop one medium to large onion.

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Mince one clove of garlic as well.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet and add garlic, onion and zucchini.

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Saute until they are turning brown and you’d like to just eat them!

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Add 1 1/2 cups cooked crumbled bacon to the pan.

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Allow to cook together for a couple of minutes.
If you’re interested in a great time-saver, a friend of mine introduced me to this bacon a while ago.

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It’s real bacon, pre-cooked, crumbled, and with most of the fat removed!
It stores on your shelf for months, and is lower in fat than buying bacon in strips.
I like that it requires zero prep.
It comes from Costco.

Anyway, back to our food.  After the bacon has cooked with the vegetables for a couple of minutes, remove the pan from the heat and set aside for a few minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, mix 8 large eggs.

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Add 1/2 teaspoon salt

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1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

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1/2 teaspoon dried basil

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1/2 teaspoon oregano

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and 1/4 teaspoon pepper

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Mix together.

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Gently mix bacon and vegetable mixture into the eggs.

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Add 2-3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

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Stir together.

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Next you need 2 pie crusts.
I like to make mine, but when life’s as crazy as it is right now, I buy them.
A good friend of mine, who is an excellent cook, likes this kind the best.
Pillsbury, deep dish.  They’re in the freezer section.  I just trust her.

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In the bottom of each pie crust, squirt 1 teaspoon of mustard.

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Spread it around with a spoon.

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The divide egg and zucchini mixture between both pans.

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Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven, uncovered, for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

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Remove from oven and let stand 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Then you’d better be prepared to enjoy it!

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So good!  You will love it!
This dish makes a lovely breakfast when you have guests.
In fact, you can do most of the work the night before if you’d like.
You can cook all the vegetables and mix them together right up until you’re ready to pour it in the crusts.  Instead, cover the egg and vegetable mixture and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, spread the mustard in the pie crusts, fill them, and bake.
Makes breakfast prep a breeze!
The delicious taste won’t be compromised at all!

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