Saturday, June 30, 2012

Egg Plant That Is Actually Edible: Egg Plant Parmigiana With Prosciutto


We inherited an egg plant from our friends, the Meisingers. The problem, though, is my wife HATES egg plant. I made it my goal to create a recipe that would make her eat her words...and the egg plant dish (final product pictured above).


Hatred of egg plant must run in my wife's family, because when I put a note on Facebook asking for recipes, my sister-in-law Jessica said, and I quote, "Arrange on a flat surface with a silver bowl and fresh-cut flowers, other fruits and vegetables optional. Photograph. Enjoy!" The photo above is for you, Jessica.

INGREDIENTS:

1 package prosciutto
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 small package frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 large egg plant, cut into 1/4 inch slices and peeled
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup Italian style bread crumbs
1/4 -1/2 cup olive oil
1-2 cups spaghetti sauce
Mozzarella cheese








Add the following to  a medium sized bowl: 1 cup ricotta cheese;
1 small package frozen spinach, thawed;1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 teaspoon dried basil; 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon minced garlic.


Mix together and set aside.


Here is where the egg plant comes in. (I LOVE egg plant purple. Some day I want a chair upholstered in fabric that is egg plant purple.)


 Cut off both ends of the egg plant and throw them away.


Slice the egg plant lengthwise (about 1/4 inch thick).


Every recipe I read for egg plant, and I mean EVERY recipe, they kept the skin on...Ew! Are they kidding? I recommend cutting it off. 


Beat three eggs in a pie plate. Set aside. 


Next comes the Italian style bread crumbs. Here is the what the packaging looks like. I use the Progresso brand. 


Pour one cup of the bread crumbs into another pie plate. Set aside. 


Heat about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of olive oil in a frying pan over medium, low heat. 


Dip the egg plant (both sides) in the egg then...


in the bread crumbs (both sides).


Now fry both sides in the olive oil until each is golden brown. Once done, pat off the oil with a paper towel. 


Next, spread the spinach mixture on the fried egg plant.


Next, lay prosciutto on top of that. (I didn't have any, so I used cooked bacon. I do NOT recommend this. It's not as good, in my opinion.) 


Spread on a layer of spaghetti sauce.


I just used prego. (I hate Ragu, in case you are wondering. If I use a jarred sauce I use Prego, Newman's Own or Bertolli.)


Now, layer with slices of Mozzarella cheese. 


Cook in the oven for 20-30 minutes at 350 degress. (I cooked mine in my grill with two burners on low.)



Now you have a delicious egg plant dish. One that is actually edible. You can eat it plain like in this photo, or...


on top of noodles. We like ours on top of noodles.  


Well, my wife did not really get into my egg plant dish, but at least she didn't hate it. I thought it was pretty good. 


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Why I Chose To Pollute the Environment and Make the World A Horrible Place




Last night, as my wife and I were lying in bed, we got onto the topic of "the environment." This was, of course, because of my last post, "Where My Environmentally Crazy Neighbor's Argument Breaks Down To Pish Posh."  Anyway, we were reminiscing on the time when we bought a push mower. No, not a gas or electric mower that does not have an automatic drive. We are talking PUSH mower...like in my old photo above. We felt we would help save the environment, which we did. Our thoughts were as follows:

1. Reduce emissions and save the earth.
2. Reduce the use of fossil fuels and save the earth.
3. Save money by eliminating the need to buy gas for a mower.
4. Get more exercise and be healthy.

Well, we left out one factor in the equation...that push mowers SUCK at cutting grass. Our lawn looked like we hacked it with a machete.  And we bought the top of the line model too. We endured this for most of a summer then finally said, "Screw it!"

Lesson learned: sometimes we have to balance effectiveness with saving the earth. 

Where My Environmentally Crazy Neighbor's Argument Breaks Down To Pish Posh


 I have a neighbor who is "environmentally conscious." Scratch that. I'm environmentally conscious. He's environmentally psycho. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for saving the earth and all. I recycle. I conserve energy where I can. I ask for paper bags instead of plastic from time to time, but this guy is certifiably nuts...from being blinded by his views. 



This is my electric lawn mower. This neighbor, of whom I'm speaking, was walking by and complimented me for using an electric lawn mower and reducing pollution and the use of fossil fuels. I didn't say this out loud, but I was thinking, "What? Apparently, you haven't thought this through from beginning to end." Here is what was going on in my mind (in diagram form):

This is my electric lawn mower. That orange thing is the power cord. 



The power cord plugs into an outlet.



The outlet, via power lines, is connected to a power plant.



 Power plants are fueled by nuclear energy, dirty coal, and fossil fuels. On a good note, sometimes they are powered by moving water. In that case, his argument is solid, but...


this is our local power plant, and there is no moving water anywhere except  the bathroom inside. 




Well, before my friend finds this post and hates me, I just want to send him a little peace symbol. I'm not meaning to cut you down. After all, you are smarter than me. You have a doctorate degree, you've taught at a prestigious university, and I'm like...a nobody. BUT, I feel we should all think things through before we take a position. There! I said it. 

Savory Thai Noodles As Easy To Make As 1,2,3 And With Ingredients You Already Have In Your Cupboard



I got this recipe from my sister-in-law Jessica. I love it not only because it is delicious, but because it is simple and can be made with everyday ingredients that you should already have in your kitchen.

UPDATE:


I know I said that this recipe could be made from "everyday ingredients that you should already have in your kitchen," but I'm deviating a little from that thought. My Chinese neighbor brought me some special soy sauce that I used the last time I cooked this, and it tastes ten times better with it. 


 It's a seasoned soy sauce for use with meat dumplings. If you have a Chinese store in your area, I recommend that  you find some of this stuff. It makes this amazing recipe outrageous. Okay, back to the recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
2-3 medium sized carrots cut into short, thin sticks
1/2 a 17 oz package of spaghetti noodles, cooked in boiling water (you can use rice noodles, too)
1 cooked, boneless chicken breast, medium sized (I cook mine on the grill)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2/3 cup chunky peanut butter
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup water taken from water used to cook the noodles



Chop 2-3 medium carrots into small, thin match stick looking pieces. Set aside 


Chop one cooked, medium sized, boneless chicken breast into small chucks. Like so. Set aside.


 Boil your water then cook your spaghetti noodles for eight minutes. While your noodles are cooking...



Heat  1/4 cup vegetable oil in a medium sized pot. (Can you even see the oil in this photo? It's hard to see, but it's there...and it's heated.)


Cook your carrots in the oil for 1-2 minutes.


Add chopped chicken breast and cook for another 1-2 minutes.


Stir in  2/3 cup chunky peanut butter, 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and 2 teaspoons minced garlic. I will look thick like this.



Take 2/3 cup water from your boiling noodles before you strain them and mix it into the thick peanut sauce.


Pour the sauce on top of your noodles and enjoy.