Sicilian Style Eggplant Casserole and Cheese Pastry Puffs

Sicilian Style Eggplant Casserole and Cheese Pastry Puffs

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

A delicious twist to Eggplant Parmesan.

The best market place in Pittsburgh is the Strip District. There’s never a dull moment with lots of diversity from the food to the people. You can’t help but want to peruse the wares of the outdoor vendors. You can find everything from Yinzer pride souvenirs, to fresh foods, to hipster cafés, to down-home diners. Fabulous good stuff!

The streets get packed on the weekends. Especially, on a bright sunny day no matter the temperature. Be prepared for a crowd. I love the outdoor market feel. There is no other place like it in the city. When you’re shopping in the Strip you’re really a part of Pittsburgh’s history.

My family and I go to the Strip at least once a month. We go early to find free parking. If you are willing to pay for parking, then you won’t have any problems. We grab breakfast at Pamela’s or Deluca’s, both serve awesome diner food, before heading out to shop for seasonal yummies.

One place we always hit is Stan’s Produce Market. He pretty much gives it away; very cheap yet great quality produce. It definitely beats sub-par grocery produce. I spent a total of $19 on two large eggplants, a large bag of carrots, three avocados, a bunch of leeks, onions, basil, a jar of already peeled garlic, and a few other things. That’s just craziness. That is why I dedicate this recipe to Stan’s Produce Market in the Strip. You inspired me to make this because I couldn’t pass up a good deal.

No beer in this eggplant casserole recipe, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have one. I am!

You’ll Need

2/3 cup of all-purpose flour
2/3 cup of Italian bread crumbs
2 Sicilian style eggplants, peeled and sliced
4 large eggs
3 cups of tomato sauce (I use my Alternative to Canning Tomato Sauce)
1/2 cup of Basil, roughly chopped. I just pull apart with my fingers.
1 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated
8 – 10 slices of fresh mozzarella balls
Lemon zest, about half of a lemon
Olive oil, as needed
Sea salt and ground pepper

Let’s get started…

Put your tomato sauce in a sauce pan and cook over medium heat. If you are using my Alternative to Canning Tomato Sauce recipe, and it is frozen, there is no need to thaw it. Just take it from freezer to pot, and cover to help speed up the process.

Add lemon zest to the warming sauce. Not much is needed at all. I do a little less than half of a lemon. As my friend Leslie says, “It seems to brighten the flavors.”

Slicing

While your sauce is heating, slice your eggplant (about a quarter inch thick).

Mixing

Mix together the flour and bread crumbs in a flat dish. Beat the eggs in a separate flat dish. Coat each eggplant slice in your flour mixture then dip each one in egg wash.

Frying

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Transfer coated eggplant into the hot skillet, and fry for 30 seconds on each side. Transfer to a paper towel.

Layering

Spread a layer (about 1 cup) of warm sauce on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.

Top with a layer of fried eggplant slices. I overlap each slice.

Sprinkle basil over the eggplant (about 1/4 cup per layer).

Add a layer of Parmesan (about1/2 cup per layer).

Repeat one more time; giving you two layers.

Top it off with about nine slices of fresh mozzarella; sporadically placed.

Baking

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, uncovered

Let it cool for 10 minutes before slicing.

Cheese Pastries, The PUSHER

As Glen’s father, Ed, would say, “You need a pusher.”

Pusher Definition: A bread-like substance, such as, muffin, biscuit, or crusty bread, to help you push your food onto your fork.

Ha! I agree.

While your eggplant cools a little, cook your pastries.

For Pastries, You’ll Need

Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (two sheets per box)
2/3 cup of Asiago cheese, grated (or any cheese you like)
1/2 of lemon, zested
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
Olive oil (about 2 tablespoons for drizzle)

Pastry Instructions

Thaw according to the instructions on the box. I usually set it out on the counter while I make the eggplant.

Coat a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Leave pastry sheets folded and place on the cookie sheet. Cut pastry sheet about one inch wide, and separate with a little space between each one.

Drizzle olive oil over the pastries. Sprinkle the cheese and garlic over the top. Finally, take your lemon and zest sporadically over the pastries. Don’t worry about being neat with the ingredients. – The olive oil will soak up the flavors; infusing the pastry while it cooks.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Done! Serve with a green salad and a Peroni Red. Your family is going to love it. Glen does not like Eggplant Parmesan and said, “This is amazing. I love the textures.” I believe the secret is in the fresh produce and the lemon zest. A little zest brightens the flavors. That goes for life in general.

Depending on how big you cut the slices, the eggplant can serve 6 to 8 people. The Pusher makes about 18 -20 individual pastries.

Thanks for the yummy produce and great prices Stan.

Middle Eastern Hummus, Photo by Jenny MacBeth using iPhone 4S

Easy Hummus Recipe

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

As I mentioned on Facebook, I’ve never made hummus, so I researched online recipes. I’m sure you can agree, when you Google Hummus, it can be overwhelming. I just used the common ingredients; chickpeas, tahini sauce, and lemon juice, and added in some of my own yummies.

Since making it, the hardest part was deciding on the toppings. The flavor of hummus is like the color black; it goes with everything. You can use whatever your little taste buds desire.

A Facebook follower, Missy, piqued my interest with roasted red peppers. When I was at the grocer, I noticed a jar of fried, marinated peppers. Grabbed it! I also diced up some Kalamata olives and walnuts. I left the toppings off for my guests to decide how to dress it.

Since I had eight cans of chickpeas in my cabinet, ah, er, a lot, I shared with all my friends (aka guinea pigs). I’ve also adjusted the recipe to fit a more reasonable party size. Tee hee!

You’ll need

2 (15 oz.) cans of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
½ cup lemon juice, I used fresh squeezed
½ cup tahini sauce
As much garlic as you like. I used two cloves per can of chickpeas.
1 teaspoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of salt (to taste)
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Your favorite additions – roasted or fried red peppers, basil, pine nuts, paprika, crushed garlic, sliced almonds, diced onions, jalapeños, the list is endless.

Let’s get started…

Many recipes call for a food processor or blender. I have a immersion blender. It’s easy to clean, and one of my favorite kitchen tools.

Drain and rinse the chickpeas. In a large bowl, mix your lemon juice and tahini, until thick. Add in your garlic, cumin, salt, olive oil, and chickpeas. Now, you can mix in your additions at this point, or add just a little, or use for toppings. Decisions. Decisions. Just be creative. I used a jar of fried peppers and its juices, as a topper. You can’t go wrong with hummus. For years, I thought that it would be hard to make. People have told me that it’s difficult to balance the flavors. As long as you don’t go overboard with the lemon juice and salt, I don’t see any problems in ruining the taste. Okay! Perhaps you can screw it up, but if you take baby steps in your experiment, you can always fix it.

Whatever you decide, start to blend everything together. With using an immersion blender, you may need to add a little water, or olive oil to help get it smooth. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It will still taste yummy. Trust me.

Serve up with your favorite tortilla chips, crackers, and/or veges. Challenge: Try spreading hummus on a sandwich, or burger, or chicken, etc., and let me know what you think.

Enjoy!

Cast Iron Skillet, Sweet Fried Potatoes

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Breakfast is my favorite meal. Mostly because I always have bacon. Since we moved into our new home, we’ve had overnight guests just about every weekend. Absolutely love a full house for breakfast served with mimosas.

This recipe is my sister, Donna’s. I’m also thinking that it’s a Pittsburgh thing because I know a lot of people who serve their fried potatoes with sugar and onions. It’s the best!

You’ll need:

1/2 stick of real butter
1 (24 oz.) bag of fingerling potatoes, sliced
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1 1/2 cups of sweet onion, chopped
4 garlic gloves, minced
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Let’s get started.

Brown butter in cast iron skillet on medium-high heat. Once the butter is brown, stir in the potatoes and cook for three minutes.

Reduce heat to medium and add in the brown sugar, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Keep tossing the potatoes until soft and onions are slightly blackened with a caramelized coating. This takes roughly five minutes.

Serve with your favorite breakfast eggs and bacon (of course). This is even great with your favorite dinner.

The cast iron skillet is the secret. I’ve made this same recipe in a non-stick skillet and they do not taste the same.

Do you use sugar in your fried potatoes?

Kale Salad with Dijon Dressing

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Okay, kale, it’s green. IT’S GREEN. It’s also very bitter. This is the first time I’m eating it raw. I’ve had it cooked in butter, and that’s always a good thing. I read an article of the benefits of eating lots of kale. Which, I already knew, but it’s GREEN. It said that kale is king of green foods. It’s packed with calcium, minerals, vitamins, fiber and great for those detox’ers. I thought, “What the hell. Why not? I’ll just add my Dijon dressing to it, and all will be right.” All the while, keeping my fingers crossed.

I took a few handfuls of chopped kale (about 2 cups). Since I didn’t have shredded carrots, I stole a few off the bunnies. Shhh! Buy a bag of shredded carrots, or julienne two small carrots.

Use about 1/4 cup of parsley and sliced green onions. Add about two tablespoons of sunflower seeds, and one tablespoon of sesame seeds.

Season with ground sea salt and ground black pepper. My mistake, I was thinking, “This is going to be one bitter salad,” that I added too much salt. – Trust me, it’s so good that you only need a little.

For my Dijon dressing: Mix together one tablespoon of EVOO and Dijon. Add in one teaspoon of vinegar. – Whisk.

Drizzle over the greens and toss. This salad is moan worthy.

Secret ingredient: Pair this salad with a Belgian Pale Ale, or even a Blue Moon.

Please share your ideas because this girl likes to eat.

bruschetta finished, photo by jenny macbeth

Bruschetta Dip. Great for Parties.

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

WOW your friends with this cool and easy dip. It’s awesome for picnics.

This yummy idea was inspired by, Monica Sieber from Pittsburgh, PA. Thanks girl. We love it!

You’ll Need:

3 (14.5 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes

2 (8 oz.) bricks of cream cheese

8-10 garlic gloves, crushed

1 cup of fresh basil, chopped

2 Tablespoons of balsamic glaze

3 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

Let’s get started…

Slightly drain the diced tomatoes.

Chop up the basil. I just love chopping fresh herbs. It makes our house smell so divine. Even our bunnies come running out to the kitchen to see what I’m making.

In a large bowl, toss in the tomatoes, basil and crushed garlic.

Add in the balsamic glaze and olive oil. Season with some sea salt and fresh ground pepper and mix.

Spread the cream cheese over the bottom of an eight inch round dish, or any type of shallow serving platter. Pour your mixture over the top of the cream cheese.

Slice down a baguette loaf. No need to toast the bread or bake the dip. It’s ready.

Hint: This dip tastes better the longer it sits, so you can prepare it the night before.

YUMMY!

Any cool ideas? Please share because this girl likes to eat.

White Ale Potato Leek Soup

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Someone asked me recently, “Do you have a case of beer for each beer you use in your recipes?” That’s expensive! I do not buy by the case. Only for parties. The state of Pennsylvania has strict LCB laws. Boo hiss. There are a few (not many) venues that can sell by the bottle in the Pittsburgh area. It too can be expensive, but I like a variety. Different beers for different days; I’m moody. I really wish the liquor stores would start selling craft beer like they do wine. When I travel to other states with stores dedicated to rows and rows of craft beer, I think I’ve died and gone to beer-haven.

After planning out my recipes, I head over to my favorite Pittsburgh beer emporium, 1 For The Road, for a little grocery shopping. I pick and choose a few flavors I haven’t tried along with my must haves, and a few for my drinking pleasure. I have a beer cellar where I store most of my beer. It’s nothing fancy. More like a large place on the floor in the basement that I call my beer cellar. I hope to one day have a Kegerator and a chair.

Enough with my babble. Grab yourself a Stella Artois and let’s get cooking.

This soup is yum-yum good. I love it. It’s thick and creamy, but with a light taste. I think Stella is the perfect ale for this recipe. Of course, you can use any light beer, but make sure it’s a white ale. Anything darker will change the flavor.

It’s easy and can be made in less than an hour. You’ll see in the instructions, I’m using my immersion blender. It rocks! If you do not have one, you need to get one. It’s my favorite cool tool. It makes it quick, easy, and less messy. That leaves more time for beer.

You’ll Need

3 tablespoons of butter
3 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 large shallots, peeled
4 leeks, only whites roughly chopped
6 potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cups of chicken broth ( or vegetable broth)
1 bottle of white ale (I use Stella Artois)
1 cup of heavy cream
1/2 tablespoon of nutmeg
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste
Olive oil and chives, for garnish

Let’s get started…

Roughly chop up three potatoes and all four leeks. No need to do any fine chopping. The immersion blender will take care of it. We will get to the other three potatoes later.

In a large dutch oven (or soup pot) toss in all the ingredients except for three potatoes.

Over a high heat, bring to a boil. While you wait for it to boil, chop up the other three potatoes into quarter size bites, and set aside.

Once the soup reaches its boiling point, reduce heat to medium. Using an immersion blender, slowly blend the ingredients until smooth. Cook for an additional 20 minutes. Add in the chopped potatoes to chunk it up. Cook until potatoes are tender (about 8-10 minutes). And, salt and pepper to taste.

Drunken good! Garnish with olive oil and chopped chives, and grab another S T E L L A.

Low-Cal Salad Dressing

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Since the girl likes to eat A LOT, she needs to watch what she eats. On occasion.

Actually, this healthy twist is a fully awesome alternative to regular store bought salad dressings.

Put a few spritz on your salad using a Misto with extra virgin olive oil. This will help hold the seasons to the leafy greens.

Every time I make a salad I try different greens to give it a variety in flavor. Especially, when we eat salads just about every day. For this salad I used:

Spinach

Plum tomatoes

Baby arugula

Fresh basil leaves

Sweet onion

Cucumber, skin on

Toasted sesame seeds

I always have a bag of toasted sesame seeds in my cupboard, and add it to many dishes. Sesame seeds give a great peanut’y crunch to your food.

For the dressing I just use spices in my cupboard. I also change the spices for each salad to give it a different flare. For this salad I used:

Crushed sea salt

Fresh cracked pepper

Paprika, a few dashes

Lime juice, a few squirts

Misto your greens, sprinkle on the spices and toss. That’s it!

I highly recommend you play around with your spices. It’s lighter and gourmet.

What are your favorite spices? Please share because this girl likes to eat.

Holy Moses White Ale Potato Salad

Posted on by Jenny MacBeth

Featured in Taste of Home Simple & Delicious

This potato salad and the Kale salad are great for hot, outdoor picnics because it does not call for mayo. It calls for beer. And, who doesn’t like beer? I’m not a potato salad fan, but I have to say, “I really love this.”

I’m not a fan I guess because most people use Miracle Whip, and I’m always hesitant to eat a mayo based salad on a hot day, especially, when it sits out for more than an hour. This salad has a longer picnic-table-shelf-life.

Let’s get started…

You’ll Need:

1 (24 oz.) bag of Fingerling potatoes

4 cups of baby arugula, or chopped kale

1 (11-12 oz.) package of grape tomatoes (or cherry)

2/3 cup crumbled bacon

6 green onions, diced (about 1 bunch)

1/2 cup of chives , diced

 1 (4 oz.) package of Gorgonzola crumble cheese

Dressing Ingredients 

1 package of Good Seasons Italian dressing mix

 1/2 cup of white ale style beer  (drink the rest)

2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons of Balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Prep

You can cut the potatoes anyway you wish, however, I like cutting them at an angle. It makes it look more fancy, I think.

Boil the potatoes in a little sea salt for about 6-8 minutes, or until ‘fork’ tender. Drain and let cool.

While the potatoes boil, chop up your chives and green onions.

For the bacon, I bought a big bag of Hormel Real Crumbled Bacon, and have been keeping it in my freezer.

You can cut the tomatoes in half if you like, but I think it makes the salad soggy. Not to mention, it’s more work.

Whisk your dressing ingredients together. Very important: Consume the other 1/2 of the beer. Cooks don’t waste!

In a large bowl, toss in all the ingredients with the Gorgonzola cheese. If you do not like the blue taste of Gorgonzola, use feta. Feta gives the salad a milder taste.

Pour the dressing over the salad and gently toss.

Tip: If you use baby arugula, you can get everything ready the day before. However, wait to toss it before you serve it. The arugula can become wilted. Kale is more hearty and can withstand sitting overnight in the refrigerator.

Secret Ingredient: I used Holy Moses White Ale by Great Lakes Brewing Co.

Enjoy!