Recipe: Zucchini and Eggplant Casserole

I know it has been quite a while since I have posted one of my great recipes up here... life just has this persistent tact of getting all in the way of blogging. But, hey, at least y'all know I haven't completely disappeared! I made this recipe last night. My roommate and friend both really liked it. Hope y'all enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 large eggplant, cut into 1 inch chunks

4 large zucchini, cut into 1 inch chunks

3 cups of wild mushrooms (oyster, trumpet, shitake, etc.)

1 large sweet onion

6 slices of thick slab bacon, diced

1/2 stick of unsalted butter

1/2 cup of heavy cream

3 large eggs

1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese

1 cup of shredded Asiago cheese

2 tbsp. of Herbs de Provence

1 tbsp. of sea salt

2 tbsp. of garlic powder

1 1/2 tbsp. of white pepper

1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs

Cooking spray

Extra sea salt (to sweat eggplant)

Directions:

Place cut eggplant into a large colander. Coat generously with sea salt. Cover colander with a plate and press down to apply some pressure. Let sit in the sink for at least 4 hours to allow the eggplant to sweat out most of the bitter juices.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a large 9" x 13" casserole dish with cooking spray. In a large, deep skillet, turn the heat to medium high and melt the butter. Once butter is melted, add the diced bacon. Cook until bacon is slightly crisped. Loosely chop the mushrooms and onion and place into a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped. Add to the skillet with the butter and bacon and stir with a wooden spoon to evenly distribute. Add the sweated eggplant, zucchini, salt, white pepper, garlic powder, and Herbs de Provence. Stir to combine well. Cover the skillet and cook for 25 - 30 minutes until the zucchini and eggplant are very tender and can be mashed apart with the wooden spoon, stirring every few minutes. Once the mixture is tender and mushy, turn off the heat and add the cheeses and stir in to combine evenly. Transfer the entire mixture to the greased casserole dish.

In a small bowl, whip the eggs into the heavy cream. Pour the egg mixture over the casserole and stir in to distribute the egg mixture evenly throughout the casserole. Sprinkle the bread crumbs evenly over the top of the casserole. Place in the preheated oven and bake first for 20 minutes. Take out from the oven and generously spray the bread crumbs on top with a layer of cooking spray (this will help brown the top). Place back in the oven and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.

Serves 6 as a main course or 12 - 14 as a side dish.

Recipe: Moussaka My Way

For those of you who have Greek heritage, please don't stone me for making this without a true bechamel sauce - I happen to be watching my waistline, so I chose to make a savory tomato sauce instead. Since I've had a tomato-based version in Greek restaurants before, I figure I can't be THAT far off ;)

Ingredients:

3/4 lb. lamb loin
1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 1/2 cup(s) canned tomatoes
1 cup(s) canned tomato paste
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup red wine
1 tbsp olive oil
2/3 cup(s) grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup of panko
1 large eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
2 large potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup fresh chives, chopped
1 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp dried tarragon
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp dried mint
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.

Place peeled and sliced eggplant into a colander and coat with salt, allow to drain for 30 mins. to 1 hour.

Cut the lamb loin and chicken breast into 1/4 inch cubes. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Place the lamb pieces into the saucepan and cook until cooked through, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add the chicken and continue cooking for about 5 - 6 minutes. Add the red wine to deglaze the pan. Add in the chives, basil, oregano, thyme, tarragon, pepper, mint, and onion powder. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato paste. Lower heat to low to keep warm. Sauce should be the consistency of a thick pasta sauce.

In a non-stick skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the eggplant slices for about 1 minute on each side. Line the bottom of the casserole dish with the eggplant. Top with 1/2 of the tomato sauce mixture and 1/2 of the parmesan cheese. Use the sliced potatoes to make the next layer, top with the remaining tomato sauce mixture and parmesan cheese and sprinkle the panko over the top. Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe: Shrimp and Crab Gratin

This dish is just absolutely decadent... I made it last night for friends of mine who were over for some wine and chit-chat. Everyone loved all the dishes I made, but this one was their favorite...

Ingredients

1 lb. of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 lb. of lump crab meat (dungeness crab is the best! :))
3 cups of diced white potatoes
3 cups of diced parsnips
2/3 cup of fresh parsley, loosely chopped
1/4 cup of fresh chives, chopped
2 1/2 cups of Gruyere cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups of Parmesan cheese, shredded
2/3 cups of bread crumbs
2 cups of heavy cream
1 stick of unsalted butter
3 teaspoons of salt
2 teaspoons of black pepper
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray to coat. Put the potatoes and parsnips in a layer on the bottom of the dish. Sprinkle the parsley and chives over the vegetables. Place the shrimp and crab meat over the vegetables in an even layer.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter into the heavy cream. Add the salt and pepper. Add the Gruyere cheese to the cream mixture and whisk until the cheese fully melts. Whisk in the all-purpose flour. Remove the mixture from the heat and pour it all over the other ingredients in the casserole dish. Sprinkle the bread crumbs in an even layer over the top. Place the casserole in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, sprinkle the Parmesan cheese evenly over the casserole and return to the oven. Bake for an additional 15 minutes or until the Parmesan layer on top is nice and browned. Remove from the oven and let set for a couple of minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings.