White Sauce Eggplant Parmesan

One of my mom's staple meals that she served us growing up was eggplant parmesan.  When I was no longer able to eat the red sauce, my mom devised a white sauce version.   It's essentially a basic rue sauce, but that allows for plenty of experimentation.  Now whenever my mom makes eggplant parm for our family, she makes the originally version for my dad and brother and the white sauce version for me.  Dad and Jake always end up eating my version.  It's that good.

Eggplant Parmesan with White Sauce

eggplant cutlets (I usually get these pre-made at Trader Joe's, but you can also bread eggplant slices)
mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heated milk
salt (to taste)
black pepper
oregano
parmesan cheese

1) Place the cutlets on a baking sheet for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.  While those are in the oven, make the sauce.

2) Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add flour and stir until mixture is well blended.  Gradually, stir in the hot milk with a whisk.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sauce begins to boil and thickens.  Simmer, stirring frequently, over very low heat for 5 minutes.  Season with salt, pepper, oregano and whatever other herbs you might desire.  You can add more milk if the sauce is too thick.

3) In baking dish, layer eggplant, sauce, and cheeses.  Repeat once and put in oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

This is great on a cold winter day!
Note: any kind of mozzarella works, but my favorite is fresh.

Banana Cake for Valentine's Day

Last year on Valentine's Day, my friend Annie and I made delicious carrot cakes.  I decided to make this a tradition, and this year we tackled banana cake.  This cake is my new favorite cake.  And the frosting?  It is so divine, don't even get me started.

Banana Cake

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 egg yolks
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
3 crushed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs whites, beaten

1) Combine the sugar and butter and beat on low speed until completely combined.  Add the yolks and beat on high speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy.

2) In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt), and whisk thoroughly so that soda is evenly mixed.

3) Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients (the milk), beating each time until it is just combined.  Start and end with dry ingredients.  You should have a nice, soft, fluffy batter.

4) Mash the bananas and add them to the batter.  Add the vanilla and beat until combined.  Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, but don't dry them out.  Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter, without deflating them too much.

5) Pour the batter into prepared, round cake pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a toothpick or knife come out clean.

Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting

1 cup milk
5 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt (if you used unsalted butter)

1) Stir the milk and flour together and mix over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until it thickens.  It thickens quickly, so pay attention.

2) Set the milk mixture aside to cool.  Combine the sugar, butter, and vanilla in a mixer.  Beat on medium speed for 5-10 minutes (colder butter will take longer), until the sugar is dissolved and you don't taste the graininess of it anymore.

3) Add the milk mixture to the butter mixture and stir until smooth.  The frosting is light and fluffy.

Annie ended up doing most of the work, but she did a fantastic job.  I cannot even describe how good it is.  Make it and find out.

Zucchini Bread for Rabbit Hole

I mentioned in the garlic knots post that I was starting work on a play at school.  Well, four very short weeks later and we're gearing up for our opening night!  The play features five desserts/baked goods that are consumed on stage.  As props manager, I have the joy of preparing all those treats (with the exception of the creme caramels, too much).  I grew up around cakes and lemon squares and tortes (thanks to my mom and my brother), but zucchini bread was a new challenge for me.  The recipe I found, on allrecipies.com, was extremely simple and was extremely delicious!

Zucchini Bread (this makes 2 loafs)

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons ground cinnamon 

3 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 1/4 cups sugar

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups grated zucchini

1) Spray two bread pans (about 8" x 4") with baking spray.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2) Sift the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl.

3) Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl.  Add the dry ingredients and beat well.  Stir in the grated zucchini, and pour the batter into the prepared pans.

4) Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean.  Cool in the pan on a rack for about 20 minutes.  Remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool completely.

So tasty.  The cast devoured it.  I will definitely be making this again!

Vegetable Fries Experiment

Since French Fries (well, really anything fried) cause my stomach to implode, I like to find nice baked fries recipes so I can enjoy the taste of French or sweet potato fries without the nasty heartburn complication.  Recently, I stumbled upon two fry recipes for portobello and avocado fries that looked divine.  I tweaked the avocado recipe, mostly because I didn't have panko, but also because I was short on time and it was easier just to combine both recipes.  My friend, who enjoyed this meal with me, helped me make a basil aioli for dipping.  The portobello fries are from A Cozy Kitchen, my favorite food blog to steal stuff from, and the avocado recipe is from Circle and Kitchen.

Portobello Fries

1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon oregano
salt and pepper
2 portobello mushrooms
2 large eggs, beaten

1) Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment, foil, or cooking spray.  On a plate, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, garlic powder, and oregano.  Beat the eggs in a small to medium sized bowl (big enough that you can dip portobello slices).

2) Cut the portobellos in 1/8 inch slices.  Individually, dip into the eggs and evenly coat with the bread crumb mixture.  Place the fries on the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes.  At about 10 minutes, flip them so they are baked evenly.

Avocado Fries

2 firm-ripe medium avocados, pitted, peeled, and sliced into 1/2 inch wedges
2 large eggs
salt
1 1/4 cups panko
grated Parmesan for serving

1) Repeat the same procedure for the portobello fries, using the panko and salt to taste instead of the bread crumb mixture.

Basil Aioli

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup packed basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 medium garlic clove
pinch of salt
1/2 cup mayonnaise

1) In a food processor or blender, combine olive oil, basil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt until mixture is smooth.

2) Combine with mayonnaise.

They were delicious! I saved the extra aioli and plan on making these tasty fries again soon!

Cauliflower Pasta

Today was a "me day".  I decided to take the day off and pamper myself.  I gave myself a facial, took a long, hot shower, and painted my toe nails.  And most importantly, I finally managed to get to the grocery store after a week of boxed mac and cheese.  To wrap up the day, I decided to try a new recipe.  Found on Kitchen Daily, this pasta recipe puts an Italian twist on cauliflower.  It originally calls for red pepper flakes, but I omitted those for my stomach's sake.  I also omitted anchovy fillets...just because.

Penne with Cauliflower

1 head cauliflower, cored and cut into 4
olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons capers, chopped
2 to 4 tablespoons kalamata or oil-cured olives
white wine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped

1) Boil cauliflower until very tender, then drain.  Cook penne according to instructions.

2) Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high on a large skillet.  Add garlic and reduce heat to medium-low and stir.  Add capers and olives and saute with the garlic, but don't let the garlic brown.

3) Deglaze the pan with whit wine with just a splash.

4) Add the cauliflower to the olive mixture and mash with a fork, stirring it in and varying the textures.  Add salt and pepper to taste and even some pasta water if too dry.

5) Toss with the penne with the mixture and add cheese.  Top with parsley (which I, unfortunately, forgot to buy).  Sprinkle with a little more Parmesean for good measure, and serve.

It was great to eat something healthy again!  I will definitely be making this again.

Mushroom and Pepper Tacos

While on winter break in Spokane, my cousin made some delicious poblano pepper and mushroom tacos.  After gobbling down two and a half tacos, I knew I had to try these.  My best friend is home from school, and we took an overnight trip up to Bellingham for her to meet my roommate and our cat.  This is the perfect opportunity to make this recipe.  Now, even with mild poblano or pasilla peppers this is not an acid reflux friendly recipe.  So I took a zantac and drank some milk with dinner because these tacos are too good to pass up.

Poblano and Mushroom Tacos

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 fresh poblano chile, halved, seeded, thinly sliced into long strips
1/2 small red onion, sliced
2 portobella mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 corn tortillas
4 thin slices Monterey jack cheese
Fresh cilantro, chopped
Crumbled feta, or cojita cheese
Toppings of your choice

1) Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large skillet and saute mushrooms, onion, and poblano over medium-high heat until brown, about five minutes.  Mix in the ground cumin and season to taste with salt.  Transfer to bowl.

2) Heat remaining oil in skillet over medium-high.  Add tortillas in single layer, draping up sides of skillet to fit. Divide mushroom mixture among tortillas, mounding only on one side.  Place cheese inside and fold over.  Cook until both sides are browned, about 1 minute per side.  Transfer tacos to plates, open, and add assorted toppings.  I like avocado and sour cream.

They were wonderful!  Now to wash them down with some gelato!

Garlic Knots that make your heart melt

I'm beginning work on a play at my school (as the props master), called Rabbit Hole.  For the read through, our director decided it would be fun to have a pot luck so that cast and crew could get to know each other.  So I decided to make a recipe that I have been drooling on my keyboard over for months.  Mozzarella. Garlic. Knots. These knots are divine and I want to make them for everybody I know.

Garlic Knots

1 store bought pizza dough

5-6 mozzarella sticks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces or 1 1/4 cups shredded mozzarella

1 stick unsalted melted butter

8 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon salt

oregano (enough to sprinkle on top)

Parmesan cheese

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Liberally butter a large baking dish.

2) Finely mince the garlic cloves and salt.  A small food processor (or magic bullet in my case) makes this faster and easier since it needs to be minced into a wet paste.  Stir this mixture into the butter and set aside.

3) On a floured surface, divide the pizza dough into 1 inch pieces.  Pound or stretch each piece out into a circle, about 3 inches wide.  Place the cheese in the center and fold up the dough around it.  Pinch the seams closed, and roll the dough in your hands to smooth the cracks and seams.  The less cracks, the less the cheese will escape while baking.  Place them in the buttered pan so that they just barely touch.

4) Brush the knots with the garlic butter mixture and sprinkle with oregano.  Bake in the oven for about twenty minutes, or until they are puffed up and slightly golden browned.  Once out of the oven, brush with the remaining garlic butter mixture and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (if you have any, i didn't).  Eat them while they are hot and fresh.

They are bomb.  So amazingly delicious that I made them Monday for the read through and Wednesday for a friend.  So delicious.