Eggplant Parmesan

    Y'all know how much I love fast, easy meals. My lack of spare time is often my greatest inspiration in cooking. But there are a few ingredients that make me want to take my time and coerce every bit of goodness from the depths of their being. Eggplant is one of those ingredients. It can be a bit intimidating because if it is prepared improperly? Ick. But when you take your time and give it the respect it deserves it becomes earthy and delicious. Bread it, top it with cheese, and serve it with pasta and you have a summer masterpiece.
     One of the most useful things I learned in school is the proper method for breading. It is an involved process but will keep the breading from slipping off the eggplant (or chicken or veal or pork or anything) like a glove that is too big. There are few things a despise more when eating than a sad, soggy breading. I promise you will not be sorry to have put in a little extra effort.
     So, here is my tried and true method for respecting eggplant and breading properly.

What You Will Need:

1 medium Eggplant
Salt
1 cup Milk
1 cup AP Flour
3 whole Eggs
1 1/2 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil, for drizzling
4 cups Tomato Sauce
12 oz log Fresh Mozzarella
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Basil, for garnish


The eggplant needs several hours to dry out before dredging, so start that at least 3 hours before serving.

Peel the eggplant and cut slices approximately 1/2 inch thick

Line a cookie sheet with two layers of paper towels and lay eggplant slices in a single layer

One of the things that can ruin eggplant is not removing the water. Too much water in the eggplant during cooking is what gives eggplant that slimy texture that so many people dislike. So how do you remove the water? Salt and weight.

See the water droplets? That was drawn out by a little sprinkle of salt after just a few seconds.

     After laying the eggplant on a paper towel lined cookie sheet, add the salt and line the top with another layer of paper towels. Add another cookie sheet or casserole dish and weigh it down with whatever you can.

For example...

After a few hours, the paper towels will be wet and the eggplant will be ready to dredge and bake! Here is the PROPER way to dredge eggplant and everything else.

Set up an area of the counter as a breading station - the eggplant on one side, a lightly greased baking sheet on the other, and 4 bowls in between. Working from left to right, fill one bowl with milk, the next with flour, then the beaten eggs, and finally the bread crumbs. Using clean hands, place each piece of eggplant in each bowl, in order, using one hand to remove the eggplant from the wet ingredients and one hand from the dry. A fork is also acceptable but not nearly as fun.

Place the breaded eggplant on a greased cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese.

Place under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted and beginning to brown.
Serve with pasta, salad, or all by itself. Pop open a bottle of red wine, sit back, and enjoy the product of your love and respect!

Condensed Version:

Serves: 4 

What You Will Need:

1 medium Eggplant
Salt
1 cup Milk
1 cup AP Flour
3 whole Eggs
1 1/2 cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
Olive Oil, for drizzling
4 cups Tomato Sauce
12 oz log Fresh Mozzarella
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Basil, for garnish

1. Peel and slice eggplant. Place on paper towel lined cookie sheet, salt and weigh down to extract water. Let sit for 2-3 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Dredge eggplant by coating in (in order) milk, flour, egg wash, and bread crumbs. Drizzle with olive oil and bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and top with sauce, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. Broil for 2-3 minutes or until cheese is melted and begins to brown.
4. Serve with pasta, salad, or all by itself. Mange!

Orecchiette with Chicken Sausage and Broccoli

     I don't think it is a secret that I love pasta! It is a blank canvas to display the flavors of any season and transforms what would otherwise be a hodge podge of ingredients into an appealing entree. This recipe is made with a spring crop of baby broccoli (because I actually made this in April...remember, I've been busy) but you can add seasonal vegetables as a great way to save money and eat local. You could replace the broccoli with summer squash and tomatoes, mushrooms and arugula, or duck and caramelized onions. Another upside to pasta? It is cheap! You can buy a pound of dry pasta for a dollar just about anywhere OR you could make it yourself and spend less than a dollar on the flour and eggs needed. If you are wanting to tighten your grocery budget but don't want to feel like you are sacrificing, eat more pasta! Spend a dollar on the noodles and then 'splurge' on some bleu cheese and prosciutto. You may spend only $10 on ingredients but it will feel like a lot more.
     This dish is one you will find at many an italian restaurant. The word orecchiette (the pasta) is italian for 'little ear' and comes from the shape of the noodle. I used chicken sausage rather than a classic pork sausage for several reasons - I made it for non-pork eaters, it gives the dish a much lighter feel, and it was precooked and therefore sped up the cook time for the dish. I also used baby broccoli because it is smaller, easier to eat with the pasta, and it is just plain cute!
So, without further ado, here is what to do:

Gather your 'Mise en place' - a term basically meaning get your stuff together, both mentally and physically.

Slice sausage on the bias

Make sure your saute pan is REALLY hot - that is what gives you the yummy caramelization.

The baby broccoli does not take long to cook :)

My sous chef - she is easily distracted by bright things

The finished product!

 What you need:

3 tbsp Olive Oil
3 cloves Garlic, minced
1.5 lb Chicken Sausage, sliced
1 pkg Orecchiete, boiled in salted water
1 bunch Baby Broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 bunch Italian Parsley, chopped roughly

1. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute, until aromatic.
2. Add the sausage and cook until most of the pieces are brown. Add the broccoli and cook until al dente, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the cooked pasta, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes, and parsley. Toss together and salt to taste. Enjoy!

Excuses, Excuses...

     Everyone remain calm. You have not entered the Twilight Zone nor have you gone back in time. I am actually writing a blog post. Life got a little bit crazy and unfortunately blogging was the first thing to fall to the wayside.
     What was so crazy, you ask? Since my last post I traveled to Ohio for Christmas with my family. (Yes, I know...Christmas was 8 months ago.) In case you have forgotten, I grew up with my 4 siblings on a little farm in Ohio. We were all home schooled together and are very close now because of it. Over Christmas, all of us kids were home and it was the longest stretch of time Justin and I have spent in Ohio together. Nothing says 'home' better than having your husband and your family under the same roof for Christmas. The food wasn't too shabby either. There was lasagna, chili, pancakes, french toast, champagne, wine, bread, and many other moan-inducing meals.
     Upon returning from Ohio, I learned that the family I had been working with as their nanny for the previous 18 months would be moving to Minneapolis (brrrrr!) at the end of February. That began the process of saying goodbye to "my babies", looking for a new job, and assisting in the children's transition. To say it was hectic and exhausting is an understatement. The last week of February turned into the first week of March and I found myself traveling with two toddlers to the frozen tundra that was Minneapolis at the time. After a few days in a hotel with said toddlers came the most difficult goodbyes I have experienced to date. I kissed those chubby cheeks and had those little arms wrap around my neck for the last time until who-knows-when. I cried all night and much of the next day, while making my way to New Jersey to spend time with Justin's grandma, who has recently suffered a stroke. Emotional, right? Yikes!
    I returned from New Jersey on Sunday and started my new job on Monday. Phew! Thanks to my previous employer, I was referred to several families and did not have to look for a job for long. Since the middle of March I have been spending my days with a baby girl who I fell IMMEDIATELY in love with!

My sous chef working hard.

I also fell in love with her parents, who adopted me as a part of the family within days of beginning my time there.

     A few weeks into my new job my beautiful sister Madeline came to stay with us in Charlotte for awhile. Most. Fun. Ever.

The ever-posing Madeline Rose with a picnic of antipasti and pasta salad

Maddie is the orchid whisperer. So we spent part of a rainy day at a local greenhouse that looks like THIS inside!

Maddie was 9 when I moved to Charlotte and this visit was the first time since then that I have spent significant time with her. It was so fun getting to know my sister, who turned 13 when she was here, as my friend rather than just as 'the baby'. She is way cooler already than I will ever be, not to mention taller. She is brilliant, artistic, creative, funny, and the best sister a girl could ask for.
     Justin and I returned Maddie to Ohio over Mother's Day Weekend. The weekend also contained graduation celebrations for two of my brothers, as well as a birthday for my almost-twin brother. It was very short but very sweet and lots of fun was had by all.

The Bros. From left: Conner (21), Logan (18), and Keith (25)

The summer brought Litchfield Beach, SC with some girlfriends and Folly Beach, SC with the in-laws and the hubby. Both brought sun, sand, good food, and much-needed time away.

A quick picture of the approaching storm on Sullivan's Island, SC - just down the road from Poe's Tavern where we had just consumed a delicious lunch.

The first beer of vacation, and my handsome (albeit a little strange) husband at Taco Boy on Folly Beach, SC.

Outside of Husk Restaurant in Charleston, SC. The standard for local, sustainable, farm-to-table cooking.

The final sunset of our stay on the 1500 block of E. Ashley, Folly Beach, SC

    I am finally back into a routine at home. The better the vacation, the longer the recovery time. I am learning that to fully live life, one must find joy in the mundane. It is not always easy but family, friends, food, and fat baby cheeks are my mundane and they bring me more joy each day. I will also be adding 'blogging' back into the mundane that is my life. I promise that there are some yummy, summer recipes coming your way SOON!

Thanks for reading!