eggplant parmesan

I had most of these ingredients and adapted the recipe liberally, which cut the prep time and was remarkably good. I used one good sized eggplant but after draining for about 15 minutes, i dusted each with flour, salt and pepper and sauteed them in olive oil. i used a prepared italian red sauce, dried basil and didn't have a lot of monzarella so i augmented it with ricotta.


1/2 lb medium eggplants (about 3), cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds
3 1/4 teaspoons salt
5 lb plum tomatoes
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
20 fresh basil leaves, torn in half
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 cup all-purpose flour
5 large eggs
3 1/2 cups panko * (Japanese bread crumbs)
2 ozfinely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (2/3 cup)
1 lb chilled fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), thinly sliced

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Preparation

Toss eggplant with 2 teaspoons salt in a colander set over a bowl, then let drain 30 minutes.

While eggplant drains, cut an X in bottom of each tomato with a sharp paring knife and blanch tomatoes together in a 5-quart pot of boiling water 1 minute. Transfer tomatoes with a slotted spoon to a cutting board and, when cool enough to handle, peel off skin, beginning from scored end, with paring knife.

Coarsely chop tomatoes, then coarsely purée in batches in a blender. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then add garlic and sauté, stirring, until golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomato purée, basil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and red pepper flakes and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 25 to 30 minutes.

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375°F.

Stir together flour, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat eggs in a second shallow bowl, then stir together panko and 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a third shallow bowl.

Working with 1 slice at a time, dredge eggplant in flour, shaking off excess, then dip in egg, letting excess drip off, and dredge in panko until evenly coated. Transfer eggplant to sheets of wax paper, arranging slices in 1 layer.

Heat remaining 1 1/2 cups oil in a deep 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then fry eggplant 4 slices at a time, turning over once, until golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer with tongs to paper towels to drain.

Spread 1 cup tomato sauce in bottom of a rectangular 3 1/2-quart (13- by 11- by 2-inch) baking dish. Arrange about one third of eggplant slices in 1 layer over sauce, overlapping slightly if necessary. Cover eggplant with about one third of remaining sauce (about 11/4 cups) and one third of mozzarella. Continue layering with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle top with remaining 1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Bake, uncovered, until cheese is melted and golden and sauce is bubbling, 35 to 40 minutes.

Cooks' note: Tomato sauce can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. *Available at Asian markets and some supermarkets, and Uwajimaya (800-889-1928).

Read More http://www.epicurious.com:80/recipes/food/views/Eggplant-Parmesan-109739#ixzz1oYHVcXlL

Pasta With Green Puttanesca

Published: May 27, 2011

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Time: 20 minutes
Related

A Good Appetite: Puttanesca Sauce Dressed for Spring (June 1, 2011)

Kosher salt, to taste

1 pound spaghettini or spaghetti

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

10 anchovy fillets

1/4 cup drained capers

1 cup pitted and sliced green Cerignola or Picholine olives

10 fat green garlic cloves, peeled, sliced 1/4-inch thick (or use 8 regular garlic cloves)

1/3 cup chopped scallions including greens

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

12 cups baby spinach leaves (11 ounces)

1/2 cup torn basil leaves.

1. Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until it is not quite al dente, 5 to 8 minutes. Reserve a cup of cooking water, then drain the pasta.

2. While the pasta is cooking, warm 1/4 cup of oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the anchovies and capers. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the capers start to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the remaining 1/4 cup oil, olives, garlic, scallions and red pepper flakes; increase heat to high if using green garlic (leave it at medium high for regular garlic) and cook until garlic is golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the pasta and toss for 1 minute. Add a splash of pasta cooking water if the pasta seems dry. Season with salt, if necessary. Toss in the basil leaves.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

basil vinaigrette

thx to elise. have to try this.

Have extra basil in your garden right now? Here's a quick and easy vinaigrette dressing you can make with it that you can use not only as a salad dressing, but also as a sauce for fish, chicken, potatoes, tomatoes, or white beans. Here's an idea, use this dressing with some chopped fresh tomatoes and drained canned garbanzo beans. Presto jammo, instant basil-y bean salad. Enjoy.


* 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
* 1 shallot, chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1/2 cup roughly chopped basil leaves
* 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
* 3/4 cup olive oil

Method

1 Place the salt, sugar, mustard, shallot and basil in a blender or food processor. Pulse several times to combine. Scrape the sides of the blender down with a spatula. Add the vinegar and pulse again.

2 Turn the blender on low and take off the cap in the center of the blender’s lid. Slowly pour in the olive oil. It may sputter a little out of the open cap, so hold you hand over it to minimize splashing.

3 When the olive oil is incorporated, turn off the blender and scrape the sides down one more time. Cover and purée everything for 1-2 minutes.

Store covered in the fridge for up to a week.

Makes a little more than one cup.

grilled basil citrus salmon

going by memory here. a worker came to my home a few years ago, and commented on the basil growing in the herb garden. he marinates salmon in basil with other ingredients and throws in on a hot grill. i scrawled the list on a scrap of paper, as i was heading to charleston and cooking on the wilsons' houseboat.

olive oil
lime juice and zest
orange juice
honey
liberal crusted garlic
chopped tomatoes
slivered basil
diced onion
wine vinegar if you need it
red pepper flakes, salt and freshly ground black pepper

marinate salmon in a ziploc with these ingredients. grill. enjoy. it is very very good.

Soup au Pistou

, Recipe

I made this soup in late spring/early summer. I'd encourage you to substitute vegetables based on whatever is seasonal at the time. Also, I had flageolet beans, but you could substitute other small white beans.

1 pound / 16 oz / 450 g dried flageolet beans, soaked for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, then drained

1/4 cup / 60 ml olive oil
4 medium onions, chopped
2 medium leeks, trimmed and chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
12 cups / 3 liters water
1 28-ounce can, whole tomatoes, well drained, chopped
4 medium yellow potatoes, chopped
1 bouillon cube, optional
1/4 pound / 4 oz. stellette (tiny star) pasta, or other small pasta
3 small zucchini, chopped
1/2 cup (a big handful) chard stems, finely chopped
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste


Pistou

1 tablespoon crushed garlic
scant 3/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
4 1/2 cups / 2 oz / 60 g basil leaves, torn into small pieces
1 tomato (from above), well chopped
1/4 cup / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup / 2 oz / 60 g grated aged Gruyere cheese

In your largest soup pot heat the oil, then add the onions, leeks, and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes, then stir in the soaked beans and 12 cups water. Bring to a boil, dial back to a simmer, then cook for about 15 minutes. Reserve one of the tomatoes for the pistou, then stir the remaining tomatoes into the pot, then the potatoes. Cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until the beans seem like they are nearly cooked. Add a bouillon cube if you like, then the pasta, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and the chard stems and cook for another 3 minutes. Stir in salt - perhaps less if you used a salty bouillon - essentially, you want to salt to taste. At this point the pasta should be cooked through, as well as all the beans and vegetables. For the soup to taste good, you really need to get the right amount of salt in it - just be mindful of this, and adjust if needed.

While the soup is cooking, you can make the pistou. I use a mortar and pestle, but you can use a food processor if you like. Pound the garlic with the salt into a paste. Add the basil a handful at a time and pound and grind until nearly smooth. Add the tomatoes, then gradually stir in the olive oil a bit at a time. Stir in the cheese, then chill until ready to use.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with a generous dollop of pistou.

Serves 8 - 12.

zucchini egg tomato basil casserole, oh my

Zucchini Breakfast Casserole Recipe
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Ingredients

* 6-8 eggs
* 1 cup ricotta cheese
* 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce or other hot chili sauce
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 3 cups grated zucchini (from 2-3 fresh zucchinis)
* 1 1/2 cups chopped plum tomatoes (from 4-5 fresh tomatoes),
* 1/2 cup sliced fresh basil (from about 20 leaves)*
* 4 cups cubed day-old bread (from about 4 slices)
* Olive oil

*Chiffonade basil by stacking a few leaves on top of each other, roll them up like a cigar, slice thin, starting at one end of the cigar and working your way down.
Method

1 Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl beat the eggs. Add the ricotta and beat until smooth. Mix in the grated Parmesan cheese, Tabasco, salt and pepper.

2 Prepare the vegetables and bread. Once you chop the tomatoes, squeeze excess moisture out of them by pressing them in a sieve, or wrapping in paper towels and squeezing. Add the tomatoes, basil, and zucchini to the egg mixture. Moisten the bread cubes with a little water then squeeze out any excess moisture using paper towels. Mix the bread cubes into the egg mixture.

3 Coat the bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish generously with olive oil. Pour the egg vegetable mixture into the baking pan and even it out in the pan. Place in the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 30 minutes at 350°F. The casserole should puff up and brown lightly. If it hasn't after 30 minutes at 350, increase the heat to 425° and cook for 5-10 minutes further. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 10 minutes before cutting into squares to serve.

Makes 6-8 portions.

tomato pie

Double Crust Tomato, Onion, and Bacon Pie

* 1 recipe pie crust (9″ pie) – feel free to cheat and use refrigerated if you’re in a hurry
* 4 very ripe tomatoes
* 1/2 medium onion
* 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
* 3/4 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
* 3 slices bacon crumbled
* 3 TBSP mayonnaise
* 1 tsp dried basil divided
* salt/pepper to taste

Core each tomato. This is simply a matter of removing the hard area around the stem. Cut each tomato in half through the equator. Use your finger to scoop the seeds out and into the trash or sink. Then slice each tomato. Place the sliced tomatoes in a colander over a large bowl or the sink, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Allow this to sit while preparing the other ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 425F. Slice the onion very thinly. No, thinner. No, thinner still, we want the Calista Flockhart of onions.

In a bowl combine the cheese, bacon, and 3TBSP mayo. Mix thoroughly.

tomato layerCarefully lay the bottom pie crust in a 9″ pie plate. Arrange a layer of tomatoes, sprinkle with half the sliced onion and 1/2 tsp dried basil.

Repeat the first layer with the remaining tomatoes, onion, and basil.

Top with cheese mixture. Add the second crust, seal the edges, and cut slits in the top.
Use water to glue on any decorative touches.

Use water to glue on any decorative touches.

double crust tomato pieBake for 45 minutes, checking after 30. Use the foil trick from the pie crust recipe to protect the edges of the crust.

Allow the pie to cool for 10 minutes (at least) on a wire rack. If you can wait longer to slice the pie, the cheese won’t be as runny.

We look at each other and say, but we LIKE the cheese to be runny.

Enjoy.

sw bbq shrimp on tomato salad

Ingredients

1. 1/3 cup packed basil leaves, plus extra leaves for garnish
2. 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4. 2 1/4 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
5. 1 1/2 teaspoons pure ancho chile powder
6. 1 1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar
7. 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
8. 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
9. 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
10. 24 jumbo shrimp, shelled and deveined
11. 2 tablespoons canola oil
12. 3 large yellow heirloom tomatoes (1 1/2 pounds), sliced 1/4 inch thick
13. 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
14.

Directions

1. In a blender, puree the 1/3 cup of basil leaves with the olive oil until smooth. Season the oil with salt and black pepper.
2. Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. In a small bowl, mix the sweet smoked paprika with the pure ancho chile powder, light brown sugar, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Brush the shrimp with the canola oil and season all over with the spice mixture. Grill the shrimp over moderately high heat, turning once, until they are lightly charred and cooked through, about 4 minutes total.
3. Arrange the tomato and onion slices on a platter and drizzle with the basil oil. Top with the shrimp, garnish with the remaining basil leaves and serve.


Make Ahead

The basil oil can be refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before serving.

lemon snow pudding with basil custard sauce

For snow pudding:

* 1 (1/4-ounce) envelope unflavored gelatin
* 1/4 cup cold water
* 1 cup boiling-hot water
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
* 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
* 3 large egg whites at room temperature 30 minutes


For custard sauce:

* 2 cups whole milk
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1 cup packed basil leaves
* 3 large egg yolks


* Garnish: basil leaves

Preparation

Make snow pudding:
Stir gelatin into cold water in a large bowl and let stand 5 minutes. Stir in hot water, sugar, and lemon zest and juice until sugar has dissolved. Set bowl in an ice bath and stir often until mixture is cold and thickened (consistency will be similar to that of raw egg whites), about 45 minutes.

Beat gelatin mixture with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until very frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, beat whites until they hold soft peaks.

Add whites to gelatin mixture and beat at high speed until tripled in volume and thick enough to form a wide flat ribbon that holds its shape on top of mixture when beater is lifted, about 5 minutes (longer if using a hand-held mixer). Transfer to a large serving bowl and chill until set, about 3 hours.

Make custard while snow pudding sets:
Bring milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt just to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in basil. Let steep, covered, 30 minutes.

Put yolks in a small bowl. Strain milk mixture through a sieve into another bowl, pressing hard on and then discarding basil, and return to saucepan. Whisk about 1/2 cup warm milk mixture into yolks, then whisk into remaining milk in saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until custard coats back of spoon and registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer.

Transfer custard sauce to a bowl and chill, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 2 hours.

Assemble dessert:
Spoon snow pudding into glasses or bowls and top with custard sauce.

Cooks' notes: •The egg whites will not be fully cooked.
•Snow pudding and custard sauce can be chilled separately, tightly covered, up to 1 day.

polenta casserole with fontina and tomato sauce

If fresh basil isn't available, make the sauce with canned whole tomatoes that have basil included. Muir Glen has an excellent product that we often use. If you prefer mozzarella over fontina, feel free to substitute.
Ingredients

* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1/2 cup chopped celery
* 1/4 cup finely chopped carrots
* 3 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes (with basil if you have it)
* 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
* 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano (or 1 Tbsp fresh, chopped)
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

* 4 cups water
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup polenta, or coarse cornmeal
* 2 cups grated Fontina cheese

Method

1 Heat olive oil in a large saucepan on medium heat, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook until onions are translucent and carrots just tender (5-10 minutes). Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add the tomatoes and their juice (break up tomatoes as you put them in), parsley, and oregano. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes, uncovered, until sauce is reduced to about 3 cups. Mix in fresh basil, season to taste with salt and pepper.

2 In a large saucepan bring a quart of water to a boil, add a teaspoon of salt. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, stirring often, until thick and cooked through, about 10 minutes.

3 Prepare a baking dish, brush 8x8x2 pyrex or ceramic baking dish with olive oil. Spread 1/3 of the sauce over the bottom of the dish. Pour half of the polenta over the sauce. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Pour another third of the sauce over the cheese. Pour the remaining half of the polenta over the sauce. Sprinkle with remaining cheese, cover with remaining sauce. Let stand for 2 hours at room temperature.

4 Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake until completely heated through, about 25 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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Zucchini basil soup!

zucchini-basil soup

Gourmet | July 2008

by Shelley Wiseman

ZUCCHINI-BASIL SOUP

This smooth puréed soup manages the near—impossible feat of being velvety and creamy without any cream. Ribbons of zucchini add a final soupçon of elegance.

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 45 min

Servings: Makes 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 pounds zucchini, trimmed and cut crosswise into thirds
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cups water, divided
1/3 cup packed basil leaves

Equipment: an adjustable-blade slicer fitted with 1/8-inch julienne attachment
Preparation

Julienne skin (only) from half of zucchini with slicer; toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and drain in a sieve until wilted, at least 20 minutes. Coarsely chop remaining zucchini.

Cook onion and garlic in oil in a 3- to 4-quarts heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chopped zucchini and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Purée soup with basil in 2 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids).

Bring remaining cup water to a boil in a small saucepan and blanch julienned zucchini 1 minute. Drain in a sieve set over a bowl (use liquid to thin soup if necessary).

Season soup with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls with julienned zucchini mounded on top.