Vegan – Vegetarian

A twist on an Italian favorite: Eggplant Parmesan Pizza

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This week’s meatless meal is a twist on two Italian favorites: eggplant Parmesan and pizza. You better be hungry as this is a very filling meal.

Here is what I did:

Ingredients

2 eggs
Kosher salt and ground pepper
¾ cup panko breadcrumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking oil
1 medium eggplant (about 1 pound), sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
1 small loaf soft Italian bread (Approximately 12″ in length)
2 cups store bought tomato sauce (I prefer Barilla Tomato and Basil)
8 ounces part-skim mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In a shallow bowl or pie pan, lightly beat eggs and season with salt and pepper. In a second shallow bowl or pie pan, mix panko and grated Parmesan together.

Pour enough cooking oil to fill a large skillet to about ¼” depth and heat. Dip eggplant rounds in egg and then dredge in panko and Parmesan mixture. Turn to coat completely. Fry rounds until golden brown and transfer to paper towel lined platter to drain excess oil.

Cut bread lengthwise and place cut side up on a baking sheet. Spread tomato sauce over both halves of bread and then layer divide eggplant and cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and nicely browned, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Portabello, Broccoli, and Red-Pepper Melts

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Susan and I like to have at least one day a week when we do not eat meat so I am always trying new ideas and recipes in that regard. Tonight’s meatless meal was very delicious and extremely satisfying. Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

1 head broccoli florets (about 2 cups)
2 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt and ground pepper
4 portabello mushrooms sliced about ½ inch thick (stems removed)
2 red bell peppers seeds removed and sliced into strips
¼ cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic crushed and then minced
4 thick slices sourdough bread sliced about 1″ thick
4 ounces Gouda cheese, shredded

Directions

Spread broccoli out on 9 x 17 jelly roll baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Broil, tossing occasionally, until broccoli begins to char, about 6 minutes.

 

 

Add mushrooms and bell peppers to sheet, and toss again to mix vegetables. Return to broiler and broil, once again tossing occasionally, until vegetables are tender; about 10 minutes more. Remove from broiler and set aside.

 

 

While vegetables are broiling, combine mayonnaise and garlic in a glass bowl. You may want to season with salt and pepper. Place bread on another baking sheet and divide mayonnaise garlic spread between the bread slices and spread evenly. Top with vegetables, then cheese. Broil until cheese is melted and lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Rosemary and Thyme Smashed Potatoes

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Steak and potatoes just go together. We’ve known this instinctively for years, but now the Plant and Food Research, a member of the New Zealand government owned Crown Research Institute, has shown that consuming the two together helps promote digestive health. I’ll let you read the article. It is linked here: It’s official: steak is always better with potatoes.

One of our favorite potatoes is Rosemary and Thyme Smashed Potatoes.

You can use most any sized red potatoes when making this side dish. I prefer to use B sized red potatoes no bigger than a golf ball in size. What ever size you choose, make sure they are fairly uniform in size as so they cook evenly.

Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

3 to 4 B sized red potatoes per person
Olive oil
Fresh thyme leaves
Fresh rosemary leaves
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

Directions

Boil the potatoes in salted water until they can easily pierce them with a fork. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush the foil with olive oil and preheat oven to 450° F.

When the potatoes are cooked through, place them on the baking sheet a few inches apart from one another. With a flat device such as a firm spatula or even palm of your hand, smash the potatoes flat. Drizzle with a little olive oil then season with Kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, thyme and rosemary leaves.

Baked potatoes until they develop a crispy brown color. Remove from oven and let cool a minute or two then serve.

You don’t have to be a sailor to like this spinach side: Garlic Sautéd Spinach

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Popeye would love this side dish because the spinach is sautéed in olive oil. Okay, excuse the terrible pun, but this spinach dish is extremely tasty and cooks up in just over ten minutes. Here’s what I did:

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds baby spinach leaves
2 tablespoons good olive oil
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Lemon
Sea or kosher salt, optional

Directions

Rinse the spinach very well in cold water. If you have a salad spinner give the salad several good spins otherwise shake off as much water as you can. A little water left on the leaves is okay as it will create steam and help wilt the spinach.

In a large pan or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute. Add all the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pan and toss it with the garlic and oil. Cover the pan and cook it for no more than three minutes. Remove the lid and turn the heat to high. Cook the spinach for another couple minutes stirring with a wooden spoon until all the spinach is wilted. Remove the spinach to a serving bowl using a slotted spoon. Give the spinach a good squeeze of lemon and a sprinkling of kosher salt if needed. Serve immediately.

Meatless Monday or just any time: Gemelli with Mixed Mushrooms and Thyme

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Sometime around 2003 a push was made to reintroduce Meatless Mondays: a campaign begun during World War II to help the war effort but today to help establish better eating habits which has since become a global initiative. I know many people who partake in Meatless Monday or have one day a week that the main meal of the day is vegan or less reliant on meat as do I. Here is a great meal for the Meatless Monday that is protein packed, full of B vitamins.

I paired this with an excellent pinot noir. My only wish is that I would have had more morels…

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper
12 ounces gemelli pasta
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (about 1 cup)
4 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, minced
½ cup Sauvignon Blanc (one that you would drink)
10 ounces baby bella mushrooms,  thinly sliced
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 ounces morel mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves only
¼ cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Directions

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain, and return to pot. Set aside. While pasta is cooking, in a small bowl, soak porcini in 1 ½ cups hot water until tender, at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallot; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot begins to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add wine; cook until almost evaporated, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add baby bella and shiitake mushrooms. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add morels and porcini along with their soaking liquid (leaving any grit at the bottom of the bowl), morels and thyme to skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces by half, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer porcini mixture to pot with pasta. Add Parmesan and remaining butter, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and serve with more Parmesan.

Comfort Foods: Creamed Eggs on Toast

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I don’t know what it is, but I love Lent if not for any other reason but for the food. I have very fond memories of my Catholic upbringing when it comes to the foods we ate: tuna and noodles, fish fries at the Knights of Columbus, tomato soup and grilled cheese, and even a few odd ones my mother made like “rice and eggs.”

That last one sounds very weird but was always quite tasty. It was white rice cooked in whole milk that was topped with sugar and cinnamon and served with hard boiled eggs. My brother and sisters and I just ate it up. I think it was our second favorite Lenten meal following very close behind tonight’s meal; creamed eggs on toast.

There is story about me and creamed eggs on toast that my brother and sisters still bring up whenever this meal is mentioned.

As I mentioned, we loved this meal. One evening when I was no more than seven or so, I took a tremendously large helping of creamed eggs on toast. My siblings were not happy with me as it left very little for them. They demanded that I put some back but I swore that I would eat every last bite. I believe it was my brother who said, “If you don’t eat every bite, we are going to tie your hands behind your back and force you to eat it.”

Now, creamed eggs on toasts is a very filling meal and about halfway through, you guessed it, my little stomach got very full. My brother and sisters were mad. Yes, they lived up to the threat. One sister held my hands behind my table chair, the other plugged my nose so I would have to open my mouth to breath, and my brother shoveled fork full after fork full of creamed eggs on toast into my mouth.

Anyway, I still like creamed eggs on toast. I just go a little easy on the portion. In case you were wondering, I still like my brother and sisters too. Here’s the recipe. The following recipe will serve four normal people.

Ingredients

6 Hard boiled eggs, peeled and chopped
¼ Cup unsalted butter
¼ Cup all purpose flour
2 Cups whole milk
Salt
Fresh ground pepper
8 to 10 slices of toast

Directions

Melt the butter in a sauce pan and then add flour to make a roux. When the roux starts giving you a nutty aroma, add the milk and cook over medium high heat until the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then stir in chopped eggs, cover and keep warm.

Meanwhile, cut toast into roughly 1″ square pieces. Place toast squares on serving platter and pour creamed eggs over toast. Serve immediately.

My new favorite way to cook eggs: Shirred Eggs

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Shirred Eggs fresh from the oven.

I have discovered my new favorite way to cook eggs; shirred eggs or as the French call them, oeufs en cocotte. Not only are these insanely delicious, they are extremely easy to prepare. With the holiday’s quickly approaching and often times needing to prepare a breakfast for many people, this is also a great way to make a lot of eggs all at once.

Your guests will ooh and aah over what appears to be a very complicated breakfast. Once they bite into these creamy, cheesy, delectable eggs they will be even more impressed. Enjoy it! Only you will know truly how easy these are to create.


Shirred eggs prior to baking.

Here is my recipe for shirred eggs or oeufs en cocotte. (Makes one serving)

Ingredients

2 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons shredded Gruyere cheese
a few sprigs of thyme
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a four inch ramekin. You can use a smaller size but you may have to adjust your cooking time.

Crack the eggs into the ramekin. Pour two tablespoons of cream onto the eggs. Season with a bit of kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Sprinkle the cheese and thyme leaves onto the eggs.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the egg is ‘set’ to your preference. Serve immediately. The eggs will continue to set up once after they have been removed from the oven so get them to the table as soon as possible.

Roasted Butternut Squash Chipotle Soup

~ The Blind Guy Cooks ~ 1 Comment

I included this soup in a post last October that contained three recipes. I made this again today and tweaked it just a little. This soup is also so good I thought it deserved its own post. You can easily make this a vegetarian soup by substituting vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

Here it is:

Roasted Butternut Squash Chipotle Soup

Ingredients

Approximately 4 pounds of roasted butternut squash (instructions below)
Two carrots
Two stalks celery
One small to medium sized onions
Several cloves of garlic
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Olive oil (for sautéing)
Walnut oil (for roasting squash; you may use olive oil instead)
1 cup heavy cream
One canned Chipotle peppers plus a little of the adobe sauce

Directions

Roasting the Butternut Squash
Preheat oven to 375° F. Slice squash length wise in half and scoop out seeds. Rub walnut oil over cut side of squash and place face up on baking sheet. Season with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and fresh ground nutmeg. Roast until squash is fork tender, approximately 45-60 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

Making the soup
Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in large pot. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and salt and sauté until soften, about 10 minutes. Scoop flesh from roasted butternut squash into pot. Add chicken broth and diced Chipotle peppers along with some adobe sauce from peppers. Bring to boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Working in small batches, transfer soup to blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Return to pot, stir in cream, and serve.

Spaghetti aglio e olio — Every man needs to know how to make this

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During our daily morning meeting today, I mentioned that it is World Pasta Day. Upon doing so, one of my co-workers said that she had made the most fantastic pasta last night that was really light and simple, and tasted so good. She said it only had 5 ingredients. Right away I knew she was talking about spaghetti aglio e olio; spaghetti with garlic and oil.

This recipe is very easy. Every man, especially a young bachelor, needs to have this recipe in his recipe repertoire. As long as he doesn’t burn the boiling water, he is sure to impress a young lady with his cooking skills.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

1-2 cloves of garlic, minced, or more to taste
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/3 cup good olive oil
1 pound spaghetti
Grated Parmigiano or Pecorino Romano

Directions

Bring 6 quarts of lightly salted water to a boil and add the spaghetti. Meanwhile, sauté the garlic and red pepper flakes in the oil until the garlic begins to brown. Turn off the heat (the garlic will continue to brown; you don’t want it to over-brown and become bitter).

When the spaghetti is done, drain, return to the pan, and drizzle the oil mixture over the spaghetti. Stir until evenly combined. Sprinkle the grated Parmigiano or Pecorino Romano on top and serve.

A Timeless Side Dish: Potatoes au Gratin

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Potatoes au Gratin have been a staple of family potlucks and cookouts since God knows when. And why not? Cheese and potatoes just go together. My creation adds a few other flavor profiles not typically found in these ubiquitous potluck standards that I feel give them just enough flavor to stand out. Here is what I do:

Ingredients

2 lbs potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch thick slices
1 ½ cups finely shredded cheddar cheese
1 sprig thyme (leaves)
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ t freshly grated nutmeg
2 C heavy cream
1/3 C course bread crumbs
2 T butter, divided

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring the cream with a sprig of thyme, chopped garlic and nutmeg to boil over medium heat. Remove from heat.

While cream is heating up, butter a casserole dish with one tablespoon of butter. Melt remaining butter and mix with bread crumbs and set aside.

Place a layer of potato using half the potatoes in an overlapping pattern and season with salt and pepper. Then layer half the cheddar cheese on top of potatoes. Repeat with remaining potatoes and cheese.  Pour cream mixture over the potatoes. Top with bread crumb mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 50 to 60 minutes.