Easy Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Hola!

All I have to say today is “Django”! WOW! What an awesome movie! I thought it was an academy award winner movie! It had a great story line. There were some very horrific scenes so it is not at all appropriate for younger children. It was also a bit funny and it reminded me of the westerns my dad loved to watch. The music was good and the scenery was excellent…there you go…go see it!

I don’t make eggplant very often because I kind of feel like it’s limited to certain dishes. This baked eggplant was delicious!

Look at it-beautiful. Add a salad and your meal is all set!

Easy Baked Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces (about eight)
• 2 eggs, beaten with a fork
• 1 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (sundried tomato or plain)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil*
• 1 (25 ounce) jar pasta sauce (roasted vegetable or any variety)*
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese*
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions

Preheat oven with a baking sheet inside to 375°F. Coat eggplant slices with beaten egg, then bread with panko crumbs. Spread oil on hot baking sheet and place eggplant slices on it in a single layer. Bake 15 minutes, flip and bake another 10 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 475°F. In an 8 x 10-inch ovenproof dish, layer pasta sauce, then eggplant, and top with cheeses. Repeat, finishing with cheese. Bake until the cheese melts and turns golden in spots, about 15 minutes.

If you have ny leftovers ( you might not have any leftovers at all) you can make sandwiches on Italian or French bread for your next days lunch.

Besos,

Flor

Recipe from http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/

 

Scrapbook Saturday-Intro to Italian Honor Society

Hola!

How are you? How is the weather in your neck of the woods? It has cooled down quite a bit here, but I love it! I am lucky to have a three-day weekend so I intend to enjoy it all!

Do we ever get tired of taking our kids pictures? I don’t think so. I take pictures of them for every occasion and sometimes just because.

This particular occasion was also special. This past February my Julissa was inducted into the Italian Honor Society. I am so proud of her. She is tri-lingual! She speaks English, Spanish and Italian. Her dream is to go to Italy and I certainly hope she makes it there!

I am very proud of my girl!

After I finished this scrapbook page I thought it was a bit too much. Too much of the same colored but different patterned paper. What do you think?

Besos,

Flor

Supplies: Stampin’ Up!, Martha Stewart, House of Three, Misc. Paper, Anna Griffin

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

Hey! Hey!

Happy, Happy Friday! I am so excited for this weekend. I am not doing anything exciting but the weather is going to be in the low 7o’s here! That makes me want to celebrate! And celebrate I will by baking!

Fall will be here soon and that is my absolute favorite season I just love decorating my house with fall decorations. I adore the cool mornings, warm days and the crisp evenings! I love sitting on my back steps in the evening with a cup of tea or coffee on fall evenings. Here in Illinois we are very lucky to be able to experience each season to the fullest and I think the one that is least complained about is fall. So gear up people…it’s almost here!

Yesterday I posted a recipe for tilapia. This recipe today is what I served with it. It was a hit too.

This side dish would be excellent with any main dish such s chicken, beef or pork.

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions

1. Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in orzo and saute until lightly browned.
2. Stir in chicken stock and bring to boil. Cover. Reduce heat and simmer until orzo is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 15 – 20 minutes.
3. Mix in Parmesan cheese and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to shallow bowl. Garnish with basil sprigs.

I had a lot of basil in the garden this summer. It was such a nice feeling to just go out to the backyard and pick fresh basil for this (or any) recipe. My man worked hard on the garden so I have used everything that I could! I have even dried tons of basil so that I can use it in the next few months.

Besos,

Flor

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com

 

 

Crock Pot Italian Beef

Hola!

Happy Friday! It’s been a busy exciting week! On Monday my sister in law had her baby girl. Baby #4 to be exact! That started out the busy week. Tuesday was my daughters graduation and my dad’s birthday. I am very glad that Wednesday was pretty quiet. Yesterday was that last day of school for my district! Yay! My daughter is so happy to be sleeping in for the summer. Sure ,I still have to work another two weeks before starting my vacation, but it will be nice and quiet in my office as we close out this school year and get things moving on next year. I can’t wait to go see  my new niece on Saturday. The rest of the weekend will hopefully be spent relaxing!

It’s going to be in the 90′s this weekend and I am not looking forward to that temperature. It will definitely be good weather for lounging around!

My younger brother had asked if I can try making Italian Beef in the crock pot so of course I had to try.

They were delicious and juicy. They were even better dipped! It almost tasted like the great beefs you can get in so many places here in Chicago.

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon onion salt
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 (.7 ounce) package dry Italian-style salad dressing mix
• 1 (5 pound) rump roast

Directions

1. Combine water with salt, ground black pepper, oregano, basil, onion salt, parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, and salad dressing mix in a saucepan. Stir well, and bring to a boil.
2. Place roast in slow cooker, and pour salad dressing mixture over the meat.
3. Cover, and cook on Low for 10 to 12 hours, or on High for 4 to 5 hours. When done, remove bay leaf, and shred meat with a fork.

I did add 3 beef bouillon cubes to make sure it tasted beefy enough. I had mine with gardiniera and that made it all the better!

Besos,

Flor

recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com

Tomato & Sausage Risotto

HI!

What a busy week!

Today is my daughter’s prom and she is super excited! Yesterday she had her mani & pedi and today she is having her hair and makeup done! I am so happy and grateful to be a part of this for her! I want her to have fun and be safe!

And now for some delicious food! I can eat rice every day. It doesn’t matter if it’s white rice, brown rice, wild rice…I will eat it. I can make a meal out of just rice alone!

This was delicious! I couldn’t stop eating it!

Ingredients:
1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes in juice
3 c water
¾ lb hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed (I used 3 links of Jennie-O)
1 small onion, finely chopped
salt & pepper, to taste
1 c uncooked Arborio rice
½ c dry white wine
9 oz fresh spinach, chopped (Fresh Express sells a 9 oz bag, I used that)
½ c grated Parmesan cheese
2 T light butter

Directions:
1.    Combine the tomatoes and their juices with the water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn heat to low to keep the mixture warm until needed.
2.    In a large pot or sauté pan, combine the sausage and chopped onion and add salt & pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat, breaking the sausage up with a wooden spoon until meat is brown and onions have softened. Add the rice and stir to coat the rice and combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes and then add wine. Stir until wine is absorbed (1-2 minutes).
3.    Add two cups of the tomato mixture to the rice and stir. Turn the heat down to a simmer (medium-low heat) and cook until liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally. Add another cup and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed. Continue, one cup of liquid at a time until all of the tomato liquid has been added and absorbed. Rice will be tender and creamy. Add the chopped spinach and stir in until combined. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until spinach is wilted and combined.
4.    Remove risotto from heat and add the butter and cheese. Stir until thoroughly mixed. Serve immediately.

When I first made risotto years ago I was scared because it just sounded like it needed so much attention. It is really easy, just a lot of broth adding and stirring. Nothing scary about it.

This rice had so much flavor.  Have a  glass of wine with the risotto and you are all set!

Besos,

Flor

Recipe from http://www.emilybites.com

 

Fettuccini Alfredo with Prosciutto and Peas

Hola!

Yesterday I felt like banging my head on my desk at work. Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely love my job. I was just so tired. I wanted someone to just punch me in the face and knock me out…how sad is that?

One day my husband came home with prosciutto. I knew what it was, but had never tried it. I was like “ok, this is not going to go to waste”. So of course I jumped on line to find a recipe to make use of the Italian meat. I am not a fan of Alfredo sauce, but had all the ingredients (except the fettuccini and shallots) on hand to make this recipe. Needless to say it was wonderful!

 I didn’t have fettuccini, so I used penne pasta. In place of the shallot I used a bit of finely chopped onion. It’s the perfect meal for when company comes over. It’s quick, easy and look at the pretty colors!

Everyone at home reallly enjoyed it! I might have licked the plate.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots, minced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 cup heavy cream
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 pound prosciutto, julienned
• 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for garnish
• 1 pound fresh fettuccini

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and saute for a couple minutes or until tender. Add cream and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add prosciutto and peas and toss gently to combine. Sprinkle cheese over top and stir to melt and combine. Cook until heated through.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, add fettuccini and cook until al dente (just a couple minutes for fresh pasta.) Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. Add the reserved pasta water and drained fettucini to skillet. Toss to combine pasta with sauce and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Serve, garnished with extra cheese.

 

Besos,

Flor

Recipe from http://www.foodnetwork.com