Thursday, September 30, 2010

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:
  • 1 cups Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 8 ounces fresh cheese, thinly sliced
  • 1 jar marinara sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
Preparations:
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
  2. Prep the eggplant by laying the slices on papertowels and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for at least 15 minutes
  3. Combine bread crumbs with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Pour the vegetable oil into a shallow bowl or plate. Dip eggplant in the oil, then bread crumb mixture, coating both sides well. Arrange eggplant in single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.
  4. Evenly spread marinara sauce over the bottom of a 5x9 inch glass baking dish. Layer 1/3 of the baked eggplant, top each eggplant piece with a slice of garlic, a slice of cheese, and a sprinkling of parmesan, then top with sauce. Repeat for two more layers, but do not place the cheese on the top layer.
  5. Bake 45 minutes. Remove foil and top with shredded cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. 
Cook Time: 2 hours
Serves: 4

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:
  • 4 green bell peppers, tops removed and seeded
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium tomato - peeled, seeded and chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped parsley
  • 1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
  • 2 tablespoons water
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup grated Pepper Jack
Preparations:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F . Lightly grease a 5x8 inch glass baking dish.
  2. In a pot of boiling water, cook the bell peppers for 4 to 5 minutes; until they begin to soften. Remove them from the boiling water and plunge them into a cold bath.
  3. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute the onion for 3 minutes, then add garlic in the olive oil saute for additional 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and mix in the tomato, parsley, bread crumbs, water, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and black pepper. Fill the peppers with this mixture and place them into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the peppers.
  4. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove peppers from the oven, sprinkle Pepper Jack over the tops and bake for an additional 5 minutes. 
 Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 4