Eggplant Lasagna

I had a cookbook open on my table a few weeks ago when my Grandpa came over.  He promptly sat down at the table, flipped a few pages, and said “Yum, this looks good.  I love eggplant!”.  Ok, Grandpa, I got the hint.  So a few days later I made it for him, and it was pretty delicious.

Eggplant Lasagna (from Ultimate Italian cookbook)
1 small eggplant
4 teaspoons salt
8 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound zucchini, sliced
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
1 large can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
6-9 sheets of lasagna
2 1/2 cups bechamel sauce
2/3 cup grate parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon oregano

Bechamel Sauce
1 1/4 cups milk
2 bay leaves
1 small onion
1 stick butter
6 tablespoons flour
1 1/4 cup light cream
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper

Pour the milk into a small soucepan and add the bay leaves.  Cut the onion in half and add it to the pan and bring the milk to a boil.  Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool.

Strain the milk into another bowl and rinse the pan.  Melt the butter in the pan and stir in the flour. Stir for 1 minute, then slowly pour in the milk, stirring constantly.  Cook the sauce for 3 minutes, then pour in the cream and bring it back to a boil.  Remove from the heat and season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper.  Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.

Thinly slice the eggplant, and layer it in a bowl, sprinkling each layer with salt.  Set the eggplant aside for at least 30 minutes, and then rinse with cold water and pay dry.

Heat half of the oil in a large pan and fry half of the eggplant until it is lightly browned on each side.  Remove to a plate lined with paper towels and repeat with the other half of the oil and eggplant.

 

Heat the butter in the pan and fry the zucchini until golden, about 6-7 minutes.

If you are using dried lasagna noodles, cook them in boiling salted water according to package directions.  Drape them over the side of the pot once they are cooked to keep them from sticking together or getting too done.

Now you’re ready to start layering your lasagna.  You can make either two or three layers, depending on how deep you want your lasagna to be.  Begin with a layer of eggplant and zucchini, followed by the mozzarella cheese, canned tomatoes, and top with 3 sheets of lasagna.  Repeat the layers 1-2 more times.  Spread the bechamel sauce over the final layer of noodles and sprinkle over the parmesan cheese and oregano.  Place the baking dish on top of a cookie sheet and place it in the over.  Bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden and the lasagna is bubbly.

 

Homemade oreos and an employment update

Well there’s been a lull in my posting here lately, and that is because I got a job!  Woohoo, hiphiphorray, yippee.  It’s definitely nice to have gainful employment again, but between a full-time job and a 1-2 hour commute each way, my cooking time has been severely limited these past few weeks.  I’m not sure what will happen with this blog; I enjoy having it and would like to keep it up, but I can’t promise that will happen.

But for right now, I can tell you that this weekend we hosted a holiday cookie swap party for the philosophers, and it was a huge success.  We now have far too many cookies in our house, but if I take some to work, and Justin takes some to the philosophers I think we can whittle down the numbers pretty quickly.  I made a few kinds of cookies, but the ones I will share with you tonight are homemade oreos from the ever inspiring Smitten Kitchen!  They were so yummy, and a very exciting thing to make from scratch.

Oreos (originally from Smitten Kitchen)

Chocolate Wafers
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cups sugar
1 stick plus 2 tablespoons room-temperature, unsalted butter
1 large egg

Preheat the over to 375.  Spray two cookie sheets with cooking oil or cover with parchment paper.  Set aside.

Combine first five ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer and turn on low.  Mix until well combined.  Slowly add the butter with the mixer on low.  Add the egg last, and mix until well combined.

Scoop out rounded teaspoons of the dough and roll in to balls.  Smoosh each ball with slightly wet fingers in to flat disks.  Cook for 9 minutes, turning the cookie sheet once for even cooking.

Allow the cookies to cool for a minute or two and then remove them to a cooling rack.

Cream Filling
1/2 stick room temperature butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

In the bowl on an electric mixer, on low, beat together the butter and shortening until combined.  Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, letting it get totally incorporated each time.  Add the vanilla and beat to combine.  Turn the mixer on high and beat 2-3 minutes until very fluffy.

Load cream filling into a piping bag.  Pipe about 1 teaspoon’s worth of filling on one wafer.  Gently smoosh another wafer on top, squeezing the filling out towards the edges.

 

 

Turkey Stock

We took a break from vegetarianism for Thanksgiving, mainly because I hosted not one but two Thanksgiving dinners and we were the only vegetarians out of 20 or so people.  But I figured if I was going to buy turkeys, I might as well use as much of it as possible.  Many of you might still have well picked over turkey carcasses in your fridge, and this is a great way to use up every last bit and go ahead and make a little more space in your fridge.

Turkey Stock
1 turkey carcass, with most of the meat removed
1 large onion
2 large carrots
3 celery stalks
1 clove garlic, smashed
10 sprigs of thyme
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon peppercorns
1 bay leaf

Chop the vegetables in to large pieces.  You don’t need to worry about peeling them, just make sure they are nice and clean.  Place all the ingredients in a large pot and add enough water to cover everything by about an inch.  My large stock pot has a pasta insert, so I used the pasta insert, which made removing the turkey and veggies a cinch when the stock was finished.  Simmer the stock for three hours on low.  Strain the stock to remove the veggies, turkey, and spices – see how this can become much easier if you have a pasta insert?

After three hours I found my stock to still be a little weak – probably because I had to add more water to cover the veggies with the pasta insert – so I simmered mine for a while longer to reduce the stock and concentrate the flavor.  I think mine cooked for six hours total.  This seems like a long time, and a day killer, but it requires very little attention.  I think I went for a walk, took a bike ride, and ran to the store throughout the say and just left the stock on low.

When my stock was finished, I used some as the base for turkey noodle soup for dinner, stuck some in the fridge to use in risotto later this week, and measured out several bags to freeze.

 

 

Black Bean Burgers

These black bean burgers seem more like a summer food to me, but considering that its 75 and sunny here today, they seem like an appropriate post.  I love Southern California.  Love, love, love.  It’s nearly December and I’m lounging outside in a skirt.  But now I’ll stop rubbing it in for all those poor souls not in Southern California.  I do accepts visitors though…

These black bean burgers quickly became a favorite when we switched to vegetarianism.  They are different from hamburgers, but I find them very satisfying in a similar way.  And, like hamburgers, they are a super simple way to feed a crowd.

Black Bean Burgers
2 cups dry black beans
3 tablespoons bbq sauce
1/3 cup plain dry breadcrumbs
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Rinse and sort through the beans.  Place in a large pot filled with cold water.  Soak the beans for at least 8 hours or overnight.   Drain and rinse the beans, and refill the pot with fresh cold water.  I usually cook my beans in a crock pot on low heat for about 8 hours, but you can also boil then on the stove until tender.  Also, if you’re short on time, you could use 2-3 cans of drained and rinsed black beans.

Reserve 1-2 cups of the cooked black beans.  Place the remaining black beans in a food processor with the bbq sauce, breadcrumbs, cumin, oregano, and cayenne pepper.  Pulse several times until a thick puree forms.  Spoon the black bean puree into a large bowl and mix in the remaining whole beans and the cilantro.  Form the mixture in to patties.  i usually get around 8-10, but that can vary based on how big you make your patties.

Cook the patties in a large skillet with a half inch of vegetable oil, turning once, until a nice crispy crust forms on the outside and the patties are heated through.  You could also grill these.  Just put a piece of tin foil on top of the grill grate and spray the foil with some non-stick cooking spray.

These also freeze very well.  Just follow the direction through shaping the patties.  Then freeze them solid on a baking sheet.  After they are frozen, you can stack them in freezer bags using tin foil or parchment paper to separate each layer.  Then you can pull out how ever many burgers you need and either thaw them overnight in the fridge or cook them for a few minutes longer.

 

 

BBQ Tofu Sandwiches

I was checking the expiration dates on the condiments in my fridge door when I was hit with the idea for this adaption on my tofu pesto sandwiches.  Tofu is good about soaking up the flavors of whatever you put it with, so it works well with a bbq sauce marinade.  After a bit of marinating and pan frying, this makes a great substitute for a more traditional bbq chicken or beef sandwich.

BBQ Tofu Sandwiches
1 package firm tofu
2-3 tablespoons bbq sauce
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons oil
sandwich bread
sandwich topping, such as sliced red onions, cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce

Thinly slice the tofu, and press out any extra water with paper towels.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Figure on 2-4 slices per sandwich.  1 package of tofu will make about 4 sandwiches.  You can put any unused tofu in a tupperware, cover it with water, seal , and refrigerate.  It should keep for several days.

Smear both sides of the tofu with the bbq sauce and allow to sit for at least 20-30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large skillet.  Add the tofu when the oil is hot, and pan fry for about 5 minutes per side, until crispy.  Remove to paper towels.

Meanwhile, toast the sandwich bread and prepare toppings.  Any leftover marinade can be spread on the bread.  Assemble the sandwich, smooshing slightly at the end to hold everything together.

 

 

Banana Bread

A friend I was babysitting for the other day sent me home with a bag of almost rotten bananas.  You might think this is some sort of insult, but it was actually a treat, because I turned those dying bananas into delicious banana bread.  This is another quick bread recipe, and its so moist and delicious.  The bread is great sliced on it’s own, spread with a little bit of butter, or for a real treat, smeared with a nice layer of nutella!

Banana Bread 
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups smashed bananas (4-5 bananas)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat the over to 350 degrees.

Grease the bottom and sides of one 9×5 or two 7×3 inch loaf pans (I always make two smaller loaves and freezer or give away one of them).  Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.  Make a well in the center of the mixture and set aside.

In a medium bowl, smash the bananas until relatively smooth.

Add the eggs, sugar, and oil and mix.  Pour the wet mixture into the well you made in the dry mixture.  Mix until just moistened.  Your batter might be a little lumpy but that’s ok.  Over mixing can make your bread tough.

Gently fold in the nuts and pour the mixture into the pan(s).

Bake the loaves for 40-45 minutes if using two pans, or 55-60 minutes for one pan.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.  Run a knife around the edge of the pan and remove the loaves.  Allow to cool completely.

 

Easy Yeast Dough and Pecan Sticky Buns

I took another cookbook out of the library this week.  This one is called Endangered Recipes by Lari Robling.  The name was enough to catch my eye, but I was convinced to take it home when I came across a recipe for making apple butter in the crock pot.  We I got home and flipped through the book, I decided to try the easy yeast dough recipe first.  I’m trying to cut back on my sweets, so I’m working on my bread making skills instead.  Also, I bought a two pound bag of yeast at the store because it was on sale, so I’ve got a lot to work through.  I originally made this dough to turn it in to Parker House Rolls, which is another recipe in the book.  But then, after I had made the dough, I turned to the recipe for Parker House Rolls and found out it only required half of the dough.  And right below there was a helpful hint, telling me that I could turn the other half of the dough into sticky buns, and that I could find the recipe if I just turned a few pages.  And, so, well, my plan for less sweets had to be delayed until we finished these sticky buns!

Easy Yeast Dough
2 cups lukewarm water (105-115 degrees F)
2 packages active dry yeast (1/4 ounce each), or 4 1/2 teaspoons
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, cut in pieces
1 tablespoon, plus 1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
7 cups flour (the recipe calls for bread flour, but I only had all purpose, which seemed to work out fine)

In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup warm water and yeast

In a separate bowl, add the sugar, butter, and salt to the remaining 1 1/2 cups water.  Stir to melt the butter and combine the butter.  Add the yeast mixture and the eggs and mix.

Beat 2 cups of flour into the wet ingredients.  You can either use a hand held mixer, or a stand mixer with the dough hook.

If using a hand held mixer, switch to a wooden spoon at this point.  Gradually add in 3 more cups of flour, one handful at a time.  Turn out onto a board and knead for 10 minutes, adding 1 1/2 to 2 more cups of flour 1/4 cup at a time.

If you are using a stand mixer (which is what I did), leave the mixer on low with the dough hook attached, and set a timer for 10 minutes.  Gradually add 4 1/2 – 5 cups of flour, scraping down the sides occasionally.  After 10 minutes, turn out onto a board and knead a few times until you have a smooth ball.

Place the dough in a greased bowl.  Cover and allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

At this point I divided the dough in half.  As I mentioned above, half became rolls and the other half became these sticky buns, which were soooo gooey and yummy.

Sticky Buns
1/2 recipe easy yeast dough
1 stick butter (4 ounces), plus 1 tablespoon, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
3/4 cup toasted pecans
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Spray a deep pan with nonstick cooking spray.  I used a 9 x 13 casserole dish, which fit 12 rolls nicely.  Set aside.

In a large saucepan, bring the stick of butter, brown sugar, and corn syrup to a boil.  Cook over medium heat for a minute, until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved to form a smooth syrup.

Pour into the prepared pan, and spread the pecans evenly over the bottom.  Set aside.

Roll the dough out into a large rectangle.  Brush 1 tablespoon melted butter over the top.  Sprinkle the cinnamon evenly over the butter.

Roll the dough up along the long side.  Pinch the ends and seam closed.  Slice into 1 – 1 1/2 inch rounds and lay cut side down in the pan.  At this point I covered mine and left them in the fridge overnight.  This worked out really well because they were about to have a slow second rise to get large and fluffy, and made for a fast breakfast treat in the morning.  You could also bake them right away if its just too tempting.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25-30 minutes, or until light brown on top.  Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, and then invert to serve.

 

Pot Pies

A few weeks ago I starting cooking for my grandparents a few times a week.  They are older, and have been increasingly unhappy with the food options available to them now that they can’t cook for themselves.  Since I live close by, and enjoy cooking, our new arrangement has worked out well.

My grandparents aren’t vegetarian, so my new cooking assignment also lets me challenge myself to cook different meat dishes as well.  A few weeks ago I made them chicken pot pies.  I made a vegetarian version for myself, so I can confidently tell you that this recipe is delicious.  I’ll also tell you that I based it off a recipe from the Barefoot Contessa (original recipe here), which is generally proof of deliciousness in and of itself.

FILLING
4 chicken tenders
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper
4 cups vegetable stock
1 stick butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 carrots, medium-diced
1 large potato, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 tablespoon parsley

PASTRY
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/4 pound cold unsalted butter, diced
1/2 to 2/3 cup ice water
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
Flaked sea salt and cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat the oil in a skillet. Salt and pepper the chicken. Cook the chicken in the skillet for 10-15 minutes, until cooked through, turning once. Set aside until cool enough to handle, then cut the chicken into bite size pieces. You could speed this up by using a rotisserie chicken from the store.  This recipe would also be a great way to use up any leftover chicken from a previous dinner.

In a small saucepan, heat the stock. In a large pot, melt the butter and saute the onions over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes, until translucent. Add the flour and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the hot stock to the sauce. Simmer over low heat for 1 more minute, stirring, until thick. Add 2 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and heavy cream. Add the vegetables, chicken (if using), and parsley. Mix well.

For the pastry, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the shortening and butter and mix quickly with your fingers until each piece is coated with flour. Pulse 10 times, or until the fat is the size of peas. With the motor running, add the ice water; process only enough to moisten the dough and have it just come together. Dump the dough out onto a floured board and knead quickly into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes – this really helps it roll out nicely.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Divide the filling equally among 4 ovenproof bowls. Divide the dough into quarters and roll each piece into an 8-inch circle. Brush the outside edges of each bowl with the egg wash, then place the dough on top. Trim the dough so it overlaps the edge of the bowl. Crimp the dough to fold over the side, pressing it to make it stick. Brush with egg wash and make 3 slits in the top. Sprinkle with salt and cracked pepper. I used a little bit of left over cream instead of egg wash, and left off the salt and pepper since I was making these for my grandparents.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 1 hour, or until the top is golden brown and the filling is bubbling hot.

The recipe says this is supposed to feed 4 people, but I somehow ended up with much more than that.  Each of the ramekins I made these in was a large individual serving, and then I had enough filling and crust to fill an additional 8 x 8 inch pan, which I froze.

 

Kale Chips

We got a beautiful bunch of kale in out CSA box last week.  But I’ve never cooked with kale, and to tell you the truth, I find trying new dark leafy greens a little bit intimidating.  That’s part of the beauty of the CSA box, because it forces me to try new fruits and vegetables that I would never buy on my own.  I’d seen several recipes for kale chips floating around the internet lately, so I figured that would be a pretty unintimidating way to introduce kale into our diet.  These were super easy, and came out light as air. They just sort of crumble and disintegrate in your mouth, and they’ve got a very mild vegetable taste.

Kale Chips (adapted from Epicurious)

1 bunch fresh kale
olive oil
1/4 – 1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Wash and trim the kale, removing most of the stem.  Pat dry or spin in a salad spinner.

Spread the leaves in one layer on a baking sheet, or two.  Drizzle with olive oil, or mist lightly if you have a spray can of olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt, and toss with your hands to coat each leaf.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the leaves are dry and crisp.

 

Roasted Beet Bread

I know this post is coming a little bit late to the game, but there were many things to celebrate in October, like Vegetarian Awareness Month, Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and Halloween.  Surprisingly, I think I managed to honor all three with this recipe for roasted beet bread from CookingBread.com.  This all came about when we got some beets in our CSA box.  And for me, beets are one of those vegetables suffering from the “Mom made me take three bites when I was little, and now I’m a grown up and I don’t have to eat my beets if I don’t want to, so there!” syndrome.  But I couldn’t let them go to waste, so I had to find something to do with them.  And then I found this recipe which makes pink bread!  Pink bread! Pink!

This bread is made in a few steps, so it takes some planning ahead, but the active prep time isn’t that bad, especially if you have a stand mixer with a dough hook.

Night Before:

• 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1 cup bread flour
• 1 cup lukewarm water

Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl (or the bowl of your mixer) and mix with a wooden spoon. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit on the counter for 12 to 16 hours.

Day of:

• 2 3/4 cups bread flour
• 1/2 cup whole wheat Flour
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1 cup roasted beet puree (3-4 beets, roasted at 375 for about an hour, then pureed)
•  juice from the roasted beets if any
• 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme

Method

Add the pureed beets, whole wheat flour and instant yeast.

Mix with a wooden spoon till smooth. Allow to sit for 10 minutes uncovered.

Add in the thyme and salt; mix till smooth.

Attach the bowl to an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and turn it on at low speed.  Start to gradually add in the bread flour (I didn’t have bread flour, so I used all purpose.  It seemed to work out fine).  Knead for 10 minutes.

After the dough is finished kneading, add a little olive oil to a separate bowl.  Place dough into the bowl and turn over a few times to very lightly coat all sides of the dough.

Cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise for 1 1/2 hours or until it doubles in size.

After the dough has risen, pour out onto a flat surface cut it in half.  Shape it into whatever shape you like.

Place the shaped dough onto a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal. Spray the tops with a little cooking spray and cover with plastic wrap for 1 hour or until it doubles in size again. Move to a baking pan and sprinkle the top of each loaf with a little flour and slash an x on top of each. Place into a preheated 400 degree oven with a cast iron pan to create steam (create steam by placing a cast iron pan on the bottom of the oven when you turn on the oven. When you put the loaves into the oven, pour a cup of boiling water into the preheated cast iron pan and close the door). Bake for 30 -35 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when you knock on the bottom. Remove and cool on a wire rack.

I forgot to take a picture of the finished loaves, but I did make this tasty sandwich out of the bread.  You end up with a loaf with a crusty outside, and a soft, chewy, holey inside.  And you get the nutrition benefits of a bunch of beets in a delicious loaf of bread.