It's rare that someone mentions a type of food or a particular dish and I have never heard of it.   This happened to me recently when I was out with a few girlfriends.  Someone mentioned Caponata and I had no idea what they were talking about.  So the next day I did a litte research and I found a "million" recipes/versions of the Sicilian dish/appetizer Caponata.  I couldn't wait to make it and try it for myself.  I decided on this particular recipe from No Recipes because the combination of ingredients appealed to me the most out of all the recipes that I read.  I really loved the combination of sweet eggplant, smokey roasted peppers, salty capers and tangy balsalmic vinegar.  I brought this to the beach for an appetizer last weekend and everyone loved it.  I will defintely be making this again.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 medium eggplant peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 Tbs kosher salt (less if you’re using table salt)
1 red bell pepper quartered, seeds removed
1/4 C olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs drained capers
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 C leaf parsley, stems removed and chopped

Put the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with 1 Tbs kosher salt. Toss to coat and leave it over a colander for an hour.

Grill red pepper directly on your BBQ or over a flame on your gas stove top until the skin is charred then wrap in foil or put into a brown paper bag and seal.  Leave the pepper until cool. Trapping the steam like this makes it much easier to remove the skins. When cool, peel the pepper and remove any excessively charred bits. Slice into thin short strips.

When the eggplant is done salting, rinse in a bowl of cold water to remove excess salt. Squeeze the eggplant with your hands to wring out as much moisture as you can.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onions until until they are translucent and just start turning brown around the edges. Add the eggplant, bell peppers and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste stirring until the eggplant is very soft and starts to loose its shape.

Add the balsamic vinegar and capers and stir until there is no liquid left. Take off the heat and add the garlic and parsley. You can serve this immediately with some crusty bread, but it tastes even better the next day.

 

 

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Guest Blogger of the Week
Jack

My 12 year old son Jack is taking a Home and Careers class this semester. Over the past few weeks the teacher has been focusing on cooking. Jack has been really into learning and replicating the recipes at home. I love that he is so into it. His assignment this week was to take his chosen ingredient...Garlic....and highlight it in a recipe. So, what's better than garlic knots to show off this spice. This recipe is quick and easy and fool proof. It was a big hit at school with all of his classmates!!

Garlic Knots



Ingredients:

2 packages of refrigerator pizza dough (we used thin crust)
olive oil
garlic powder
oregano
salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Stretch out pizza dough slightly and lay flat on a cutting board. It will be a rectangle shape. Cut dough in half horizontally. Then cut the dough into 2 inch strips lengthwise. Knot each strip and tuck ends under. Brush knots with olive oil and sprinkle generously with garlic powder and oregano. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
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I have had my crock pot for years but I never know what to make in it.  It always seems to me that most of the crock pot recipes require a can of some kind of creamed soup and that wouldn't go over very well in my family.  So I don't use it as often as I would like.  It would be really nice to just throw something together in the morning and just forget about it until dinner time.   So I'm on the search for good slow cooker recipes.  If anyone has one please leave a link in your comment so I can try it out.  Having said that, this crock pot eggplant lasagna was delicious.  My husband really loved it and so did my 21 month old son.  I used eggplant in everyother layer inplace of the pasta to help "lighten" this recipe a tiny bit. 

Ingredients:

1/2 lb of no boil lasagna sheets

1 medium eggplant sliced into 1/2 inch slices lengthwise

1 lb of ground beef (chicken or turkey would be good too)

1 1/2 jars of pasta sauce

1 small container ricotta cheese

1 egg

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

2 cups of mozzarella cheese, shredded

salt and pepper to taste

non-stick cooking spray (to spray inside of crock pot)

Preparation:

Spray entire inside of crock pot ceramic pot.  In a large skillet brown ground beef, drain off excess fat.  Add pasta sauce to meat and stir to combine, take off heat.  Mix ricotta cheese, egg and parmesan cheese in a small bowl and set aside. 

Assembly:

Spoon a couple large spoonfuls of meat sauce in the bottom of crock pot, next add a layer of pasta sheets (break them up to make them fit across the bottom of pot) Next add a layer of ricotta cheese mixture, sprinkle with a handful of mozzarella cheese. Spoon more sauce then add a layer of sliced eggplant, ricotta cheese mixture, mozzarella cheese and sauce.  Continue layering using pasta sheets and then back to eggplant until all ingredients are used up.  End with a top layer of mozzarella cheese.  Cover pot and cook on low for 4 hrs.

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GUEST BLOGGER of the Week

Farah

About Farah: Hi, I'm Farah. I'm a wife of almost 9 years and a stay-at-home mom of two with a baby due in November.  I started enjoying cooking soon after I got married and it has developed into a true passion of mine.  Learning and trying out new recipes has become one of my favorite hobbies, and I find it to be a huge stress release, especially after tough days taking care of small children.  This Chicken Marsala recipe was given to me by a friend and my whole family really enjoys it.  Hope you enjoy too!

Chicken Marsala with Pancetta and Cream

Ingredients:

Olive oil
2 oz of pancetta (about 1/4 inch think slice) cut into 1/4 inch dice
Flour for dredging (about 1/2 cup)
4 thin chicken breast cutlets, about 1/2 lb total
Coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper, preferably on the coarse side
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
2 to 4 tbsp heavy cream
Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Sliced or chopped mushroom (optional)

Preparation:

Coat a large skillet lightly with olive oil and set it over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until just crisp and lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan, and set aside.

Put the flour on a plate. Pat the cutlets dry. Season them on both sides lightly with salt and amply with pepper. Heat the skillet with the pancetta fat over medium high. Add more olive oil, if needed, to get about 2 tbsp. fat in the pan.  When the fat is hot, dredge a cutlet through the flour on both sides. Shake off the excess flour and immediately put the cutlet in the pan. Do the same with as many cutlets as will fit in the pan without touching. Sauté the cutlets, turning once, until browned on both sides; if thin, they should cook through in just a few minutes total. Transfer the cooked cutlets to a plate and continue sautéing the rest, adding more oil if necessary. Transfer these to the plate as well.  Pour off the excess fat. With the pan over medium-high heat, add the Marsala and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the Marsala is reduced by about a quarter. Stir in the cream and boil until you get a nicely thickened sauce. if you choose to include mushroom, add them to the sauce.  Return the chicken and pancetta to the pan and turn the cutlets over to coat. Let them reheat for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Serve with the sauce and a sprinkling of parsley, if you like. Best served on a bed of white rice.

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I have been trying to eat less carbs and fat. These meatballs are virtually carb free. But the little bit of carbohydrate is in the form of oat bran which is a very healthy grain and is said to help in weight loss. I love spicy marinara sauce so I was happy to find a jarred Arrabbiata sauce in the grocery store that was very low in sugar (only 3 grams per serving). The key is to use a lot of spices to add flavor. I went heavy on the garlic powder. The meatballs are really delicious and the look pretty with the bright green spinach laced throughout. You can substitute, beef or turkey ground meat for the chicken

Ingredients:

1 jar of arribbiata sauce (I used Bella Familiga)
1 lb. ground chicken (you can use beef or turkey too)
1/3 cup of organic oat bran
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of minced onion
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup of frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and drained


Preparation:

Simmer sauce over medium heat. Mix the rest of the ingredients together. Roll into balls and drop into simmering sauce. Cook in sauce for approximately 30 minutes.

*note....The meatball mixture will be very soft. Roll carefully and drop into sauce trying not to touch the other meatballs. If you can't fit them all in at once, wait about 10 minutes for the meatballs to firm up and then you will be able to move them around to make room for more meatballs to drop in.
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This is my first time making both Manicotti and Bolognese sauce.....and I'm so glad I tried it.  YUM!  It's so nice to have new ideas to add to my family dinners instead of always making spaghetti and meatballs!  The kids really loved it too.  It's a little time consuming but defnitely worth the effort.

Ingredients:

Bolognese Sauce:

1 cup of onions, finely chopped ( I used frozen chopped onions)

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 pound ground beef

1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste

1/2 cup whole milk

1/2 cup red wine

1/2 cup water

1 cup jarred pasta sauce

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Manicotti:
1 - 1 lb box of Manicotti shells
1 - 16 oz container of Ricotta Cheese
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
1 egg
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/3 cup of parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

Preparation:

Cook onions and garlic in oil in a 6- to 8-quart heavy pot or large saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.   Add beef and cook over moderately high heat, stirring and breaking up lumps, until no longer pink, about 6 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, milk, wine, water, and pasta sauce and gently simmer, covered, until sauce is thickened, 20 - 30 minutes. Add salt and pepper and remove from heat. (Sauce may be made 2 days ahead and cooled, uncovered, before chilling, covered. Frozen, it keeps for 1 month).

Spread a little bit of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 casserole dish and set aside.

Meanwhile, cook manicotti shells in boiling water according to package directions.  In a small bowl mix ricotta cheese, egg, parsley, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper and put ricotta mixture in a pastry bag (with no tip) or a heavy duty ziploc bag.   Snip of end of pastry/ziploc bag and carefully squeeze mixture into each manicotti shell to fill (do not overfill)  Each shell should have about 3 tablespoons of ricotta mixture.  Place filled shells in sauced casserole dish and top with the rest of the bolognese sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese on top if desired and bake in 350 degree F. oven for 40 minutes.

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This was a fun dinner to make, although I am not as good at rolling out pizza dough as I thought I would be. My dough was not exactly round. It was more of a free form shape, like those cool pools that you see in famous peoples backyards. But once it came out of the oven it looked pretty damn good. And the taste was fabulous. My kids loved it!!

Ingredients:

1 package hot Italian turkey sausage
2 large peppers sliced (I used yellow and orange)
2 small onions sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup marinara sauce
pizza dough (divided into 4 pieces)
8 oz package of shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slice sausage, onions, and peppers. Place in a glass or ceramic baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Bake in oven until caramelized, about 45 minutes. (sausage, peppers and onions should be browned and soft). Add marinara sauce and bake 10-15 minutes longer. Remove from oven and set aside. Roll out pizza dough into a round. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese in the middle of the dough. Place 1/4 of the sausage mixture on top of cheese. Fold over dough to form a semi circle. Tuck ends under. Bake in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until dough is browned.
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Who doesn't like lasagna?  I like the idea of adding a veggie to it for some more nutritional value.  That way I don't have to serve a separate veggie if I am feeling lazy.  I can make some garlic bread and be done.  You don't even need to defrost the spinach.  Just sprinkle the frozen chopped spinach on each layer and it cooks down inbetween the layers the oven.

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 15 oz container ricotta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 jar marinara-style pasta sauce
1 box of no-boil lasagna noodles
3/4 of a bag of frozen chopped spinach
2-3 teaspoons of garlic powder (to taste)
1 teaspoon black pepper, cracked
pinch of red pepper flakes

Preparation:

Combine 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, beaten egg and garlic powder, and red and black pepper. Set aside.

In a 9x13 inch baking dish coat the bottom of the dish with marinara sauce. Place single layer of no-boil lasagna on the sauce, covering with another thin layer of the sauce. Layer with half of the frozen chopped spinach, then half of the cheese mixture over the spinach. Repeat layers of lasagna noodles, sauce, spinach and cheese mixture. Finish with more lasagna strips and cover with remaining sauce.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for one hour. Uncover and top with a layer of mozzarella cheese during last 15 minutes of baking.
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My husband wanted meatloaf for dinner but I wanted to have something different.  I settled on making a different type of meatloaf and it was really delicious.  This is my Italian interpretation of our family meatloaf.

Ingredients:

1 lb meatloaf mix (or ground beef)

1 egg

1/4 cup ketchup

1/2 cup italian flavored bread crumbs

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup shredded asiago cheese

2 tablespoons italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup pasta sauce

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Mix all the ingredient until combined (do not over mix).  Shape meat mixture with your hands into a loaf and place in a loaf pan.  Spread pasta sauce over the top of the meatloaf and bake for 45 - 1 hr.  Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing. 

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I've been wanting to make stuffed shells for awhile so when I was having friends over for dinner I figured this was a good recipe for a big group.  The best part is that you can make all the parts of the dish well in advance of dinner so you don't have to be at the stove when you have your friends over.  I served the stuffed shells with a homemade ceasar salad (recipe to come) and garlic bread.  It was a big hit and we had lots of leftovers for lunch the next day.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion

1 tablespoon of chopped garlic

1-28 oz can of crushed tomatoes

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon of dried basil

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 1/2 cups of ricotta cheese

2 cups of mozzarella cheese

1 cup of shredded asiago cheese

1/2 cup of grated parmesan cheese

1 egg

1/4 cup of fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

1-12 oz box of jumbo pasta shells

1-12 oz box of jumbo pasta shells

Preparation:

To a small sauce pot over moderate heat add oil, garlic and onions. Saute onions and garlic about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and season sauce with salt and pepper.  Simmer sauce 5 minutes and stir in dried oregano and basil.  Simmer for an additional 20 minutes on low heat.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and add pasta. Cook shells 12 to 15 minutes, they should be softened but still undercooked at the center. Drain pasta and cool.

Combine ricotta, 1 cup of the shredded mozzarella, 1/2 cup of  grated parmesan and 1/2 cup of the asiago. Add egg and parsley to the cheeses and stir to combine.

Pour a little sauce into the bottom of a shallow medium sized casserole dish.

Fill shells with rounded spoonfuls of cheese mixture and arrange them seam side down in prepared casserole dish. Top shells with remaining sauce and remaining mozzarella and asiago cheese.  Cover casserole with foil and bake in oven for about 40 minutes.
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This is the best picture I'm going to get because my husband decided to eat one when I was in the middle of styling and I walked away for half a second.  He said...."who's eating these??" as he rolled one in the sauce. UGH!

Ingredients:
1 Can(16.3 ounce size) large refrigerated biscuits (I've also used pizza dough)
8 frozen cooked Italian meatballs, thawed, each cut in half
2 sticks (1 oz size) string cheese, each cut into individual pieces
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup spaghetti sauce, heated

Preparation:

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Separate dough into individual biscuits. Separate each biscuit into 2 layers. Press each biscuit layer to make a 3-inch round. Place 1 meatball half, cut side up, and 1 string cheese piece in center of each dough round. Wrap dough around meatball and cheese, pressing edges to seal. Place seam side down in a single layer in an ungreased 8- or 9-inch round pan. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and garlic powder.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and biscuits are no longer doughy in center. Remove from pan.

Serve warm with warm spaghetti sauce for dipping.

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Tonight's Dinner - 1/5/11
















I Like to make this recipe with turkey sausage and whole wheat pasta. It requires very little oil so it is a yummy low fat meal. If you want you can spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray and avoid the oil all together. I also like to mix the pasta in with the sausage and peppers before I serve it as you can see in the picture.

Ingredients:

2 lbs sweet Italian turkey sausage

3 large peppers, sliced (red/yellow/green)

1 T crushed garlic

1 large red onion, sliced

1/2 can of tomato paste

1/4-1/2 cup of white wine

olive oil

Preparation:

Coat the bottom of a heavy bottomed pan with olive oil. Over med/high heat, brown sausage on all sides and remove from pan. Pour in a little bit of white wine to deglaze the pan (use wooden spoon to scrap up all the bits). Put in garlic and onions and cook until soft and golden. Then add peppers and cook until soft. Add tomato paste and 1/4 cup white wine. Slice sausage into bite sized pieces and add back into the pan. Cover and cook for approximately 30 minutes. Serve over whole wheat pasta.

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Tonight's Dinner 1/3/11

Super easy one pot dinner that tastes sooooo much better than you would think.  Something about having the pasta cook in the sauce makes this dish.  Really yummy, reheats perfectly so great for left overs and your whole family will love it.

*note: you can make this dish with ground turkey and whole wheat pasta and its still totally delicious.

Ingredients:

4-5 T. vegetable oil
2 lbs of ground beef or turkey
1 large onion chopped
16 ounces of pasta (penne, fussili, rigatoni)
1 jar of pasta sauce
2 cups of water
garlic powder
salt
pepper

Preparation:

Saute' onion in vegetable oil, add beef and cook until browned. Stir in pasta, sauce, water, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Cook over low to medium heat for 30-40 minutes until pasta is cooked.

Linked to Julie's Eats and Treats
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