BREADED EGGPLANT WITH ARUGULA AND PARMESAN

What's not to love about  fried anything? I tried to make it a little healthy by topping it with greens. :) So, every once in a while I fry something, not often, but if you are going to fry make sure it's worth it. This vegetarian take on veal Milanese is tender, crispy, and full of flavor. The peppery arugula, salty Parmesan cheese, and  a squeeze of lemon puts this dish over the top.

BREADED EGGPLANT WITH ARUGULA AND PARMESAN

1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into 1-inch thick slices

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup flour

1 large egg, whisked with 1 TBSP. water

2 cups panko or coarse homemade bread crumbs

1 cup olive oil, for frying

2 cups baby arugula

1/4 cup shaved Parmesan

Lemon wedges for serving

Arrange eggplant in a large colander and season generously with salt. Let stand 30 minutes, then rinse and pat dry. 

Divide flour, egg mixture, and bread crumbs among 3 shallow bowls. Dip each eggplant slice, turning to coat and shaking off excess, in the flour, then egg mixture, then breadcrumbs.

Heat oil in a 12" skillet (oil should be about 1/2 inch deep) over medium heat, and, working in batches, fry eggplant until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes per side.

Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate and season with salt and pepper.

Top each cutlet with arugula, Parmesan, and a squeeze of lemon.

Serves 4

Recipe from Wholeliving.com

BELL PEPPERS STUFFED WITH PERSIAN RICE

Hippie Rice. That was Gracie's recipe pick this week. We are a group of bloggers cooking together using Mark Bittman's The Food Matters Cookbook as our inspiration. The recipe had raisins and nuts and broccoli. It sounded really good but the raisins made me think about my love for Persian rice and all Persian food for that matter. So I made Persian rice with currants, dried apricots, onions, garlic, and mint. A sauce of pomegranate molasses, tamarind paste, garlic, onions, and more apricots and currants. Can you taste it? This is good food. Stuff some bell peppers with the rice and bake it in the oven for a light and flavorful meal. Look for more Persian recipes to come. This is my year to master Persian cuisine.

For all the creative takes on Hippie Rice click over here to our Food Matters Project, and if you like what we are doing join in the fun! Next week we are making Sesame Noodles with Spinach and Salmon.

BELL PEPPERS STUFFED WITH PERSIAN RICE

For the rice:

2 cups Basmati rice

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. whole cumin seeds

3/4 cup currants

1/4 cup dried apricots, minced

1 TBSP. chopped fresh mint

1 TBSP. salt

2 tsp. tumeric

6 medium sized bell peppers

For the sauce:

1 small onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 TBSP. vegetable oil

4 dried apricots, chopped

1 TBSP. currants

1/2 cup pomegranate molasses

2 tsp. tamarind paste

1 tsp. salt or to taste

Bring 2 cups rice and 4 cups water to a boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Drain the rice and set aside.

Brown the onions in 1/4 cup vegetable oil until soft and golden. Add the garlic and cumin seeds. Cook until seeds have toasted.

Remove from heat and add the currants, apricots, mint, salt, and tumeric. Mix well and add the rice back in. Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.

For the sauce, Brown the onions until golden, add the garlic and brown. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for 5 minutes. Add water as needed to make a nice sauce.

Cut the tops off the bell peppers and remove the core and seeds. Lightly baste the outsides of the peppers with olive oil. Fill with the rice mixture. Top with the sauce and bake at 375~ for 45 minutes.

Recipe adapted from food.lizsteinberg.com

ASPARAGUS FLAN

This weeks Food Matters Project recipe was chosen by Lan of Angry Asian Creations. Lan chose Mark Bittman's recipe for Coconut Flan. As you may know I usually go for savory over sweet so I used the recipe as my inspiration and made asparagus flan. This flan has just a few ingredients, is simple to make and went very well with roasted salmon and potatoes. After baking the flan I topped it with some browned panko crumbs for a nice crunchy texture.

For some sweet takes on the recipe click here.

ASPARAGUS FLAN

2 lbs. asparagus (trimmed)

olive oil

salt and pepper

3/4 cup low fat milk

3 large eggs, beaten

3/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat oven to 500~. Spread trimmed asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Roast asparagus in the oven until the tips start to brown and the stems turn bright green (about 10 minutes). Cool asparagus, cut off some tips for garnish.

In food processor puree the asparagus with the milk. In a large bowl whisk together the asparagus puree and the eggs. Fold in the cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 375~. Brush small ramekins with oil and fill with the asparagus mixture. Place ramekins in a large baking pan and pour enough water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges start to brown. Remove flan from molds and garnish with browned panko crumbs and asparagus tips.

Recipe adapted from Vegetarian Times

SAVORY BISCOTTI

Our Food Matters Project group  made Biscotti this week. Margarita from Let's Cook and Be Friends chose Mark Bittman's recipe for Walnut Biscotti. In Mark's recipe he has removed the eggs and butter for a heathier version. Since I don't eat sweets often I decided to try a savory biscotti recipe. I had never made biscotti before so I followed a recipe by Giada De Laurentis. The biscotti batter is made with goat cheese and herbes de Provence. The flavors are amazing!

I never knew biscotti was so EASY to make. It just takes a few minutes to make the dough. You form it into a 13x 3 1/2 inch loaf. Bake it for 30 minutes, let it cool, slice it, and bake it again. The next time I make this (and that will be soon) I will try to adapt this recipe using Mark's recipe and leave out the butter and eggs. I think it will work.

I served the biscotti with French Lentil Soup and fresh greens from the garden.

For all the delicious takes on the recipe click here.

SAVORY BISCOTTI

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons herbes de Provence

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup (2 ounces) goat cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoons sugar (I would use 2)

2 eggs, beaten, at room temperature

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, herbes de Provence, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and goat cheese together until smooth. Beat in the sugar and eggs. In batches, add the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Transfer the dough to the prepared baking sheet. With damp hands, form the dough into a 13-inch-long, 3 1/2-inch-wide loaf. Bake until light golden, about 30 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes.

Transfer the loaf to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the log on the diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack and cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Recipe by Giada De Laurentis

WHITE BEANS WITH TONS OF FRESH HERBS

This week I'm hosting The Food Matters Project. I chose Mark Bittman's recipe for Pureed White Beans with Tons of Herbs. I thought this would be a great recipe for our group because as Mark suggests, you can puree it for a smooth texture or just mash the beans for a lumpier texture. He suggests turning it into a dip or as a base for chicken or fish. The possibilities are endless. I just served them right from the pan because they were so good.  I used parsley, cilantro, and mint for my mild herbs and oregano and tarragon for my stronger herbs. I was curious as to how all these different herbs would taste when mixed together and it was a pleasant surprise.

For the other members creative takes on this recipe click here.

PUREED WHITE BEANS WITH TONS OF FRESH HERBS

by Mark Bittman

This puree has a stunning green color from all of the fresh herbs and is the perfect dip-warm, cold, or at room temperature-for toasted bread or crudites. Or serve it as a main dish under bits of crumbled bacon, sausage, or prosciutto, or a small piece of simply cooked chicken or fish.

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for garnish

1 leek, white part and some of the green, trimmed, well rinsed, and chopped; or 1 onion, chopped

1 cup chopped mixed mild herbs, like parsley, cilantro, mint, basil, or chervil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, tarragon, or thyme

3 cups cooked or canned cannellini, navy, or other white beans, drained, liquid reserved

About 1 cup bean-cooking liquid, stock (for homemade, see pages 135 to 140), or water, or more as needed

Salt and black pepper

Put the butter and oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped herbs and cook a minute or 2 more.

If you want the mixture super-smooth, transfer it -along with the beans-to a blender, food processor, or food mill and process, adding as much liquid as you need to make a smooth but not watery puree. If you want a lumpier texture, mash the beans right in the pan with a fork or potato masher, adding liquid slowly to get them as soupy as you like.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper; taste and add more if necessary. Heat and serve immediately or keep warm over low heat for up to an hour or so. Garnish with a drizzle of olive oil if you like.

THAI CURRY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

This week for The Food Matters Project we are using Roasted Butternut Chowder with Apples and Bacon as our inspiration. The recipe was chosen by Jen of Prariesummers. I chose my favorite recipe for Thai Curry Butternut Squash Soup.

This soup is super quick. You roast the squash first which gives the soup a tasty layer of flavor, then you add coconut milk for a silky, creamy texture, vegetable broth, then spice it up with Red Curry Paste. A quick zap in the blender and you are good to go. Perfect for these chilly winter nights.

For all the other Food Project Members takes on this recipe click here. You can find the original recipe on Jen's site here.

THAI CURRY BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

1 butternut squash (about 2-3 lbs.)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

2 cups coconut milk
2 cups vegetable stock
2 TBSP. Thai Red Curry Paste
1 TBSP. canola or vegetable oil

Cilantro for garnish

Pre-heat the oven to 375~

Cut the butternut squash in half through the stem and remove the seeds and membrane. Drizzle cut edges and cavity with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Roast on a sheet pan until very soft, about 1 hour.

Let stand until cool enough to handle. Scoop the flesh from the shell into a large pot or Dutch oven.

In a small pan heat 1 TBSP. canola oil and add the curry paste. Stir until fragrant. Add the warm paste to the squash. Add the coconut milk and the vegetable stock and heat over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring constantly.

Let soup cool a bit and then blend until smooth and creamy. If using a blender, work in batches. If using an immersion blender, blend directly in the pot.

Taste and season with salt in necessary.

Garnish with chopped cilantro.

BUFFALO CHICKEN AND QUINOA FRITTERS

This weeks Food Matters Project recipe was chosen by Aura of Dinner With Aura.  Aura chose Mark Bittman's recipe for Sweet Potato and Corn Fritters with Thai Dipping Sauce. Mark's recipe sounds fantastic and you can find it here but I was thinking along the line of football snacks. I had leftover chicken and quinoa in the fridge so Buffalo Chicken and Quinoa Fritters sounded perfect.

Cooked quinoa is combined with cooked chicken, finely diced onion, and a mixture of cheddar cheese and blue cheese. Add your favorite hot sauce, an egg, and some crunchy panko crumbs and you are ready to fry. The fritters are lightly fried until golden and crispy. Serve with carrot and celery sticks and blue cheese dressing for the ideal game day snack, appetizer or light lunch. This recipe is so adaptable. Leave out the chicken and just make cheesy quinoa fritters. Don't like blue cheese? Substitute any cheese inside. Bottom line, quinoa makes the best fritters!

For the other members creative takes on this recipe visit our website here. 

Buffalo Chicken Quinoa Fritters

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed

1 cup water

1 cup chicken, cooked and shredded

1/4 cup hot sauce or to taste

1/4 cup onion, finely diced

1/2 cup cheddar, shredded

1/4 cup blue cheese, crumbled

1 egg

1/4 cup panko breadcrumbs

salt and pepper to taste

oil for frying

      

Simmer the quinoa in the water until the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 15 minutes and let cool enough to handle.

Mix the cooked quinoa with the chicken, hot sauce, onion, cheddar cheese, blue cheese, egg, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper, adding more breadcrumbs if required to allow it to hold its shape.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.

Spoon the mixture into the pan and form patties of any size that you desire and cook until golden brown on both sides, about 2-4 minutes per side, and set aside on paper towels to drain.

Recipe from Closet Cooking.com