Amazing Eggplant Parm

soooooo I am on a total eggplant thing. I've been eating it about 4-5 times a week. Tonight I made Eggplant Parmigiana for the first time. I am eating it now!!

 Here's what you need:
1 lg eggplant, sliced somewhat thin (think thinner than your pinky nail is long)
2 eggs, scrambled
~ 2 c Italian-style bread crumbs*
2 c pasta sauce
~1 c ricotta cheese
~12 oz (by weight) shredded mozzarella

salt the eggplant slices and place in a colander for 15 min or more. rinse them off, let sit till mostly dry. 

Preheat oven to 350.

dip each slice of eggplant in egg, then coat completely in bread crumbs. spray cookie sheet with pam, then place each slice on baking sheet. spray the tops of the slices with pam as well. bake for about 10 min on each side, until bread crumbs are slightly crispy.

 pour some marinara in the bottom of a baking dish. should be about 1/4 c. layer eggplant slices on the bottom, as many as can be fit. spread a thin layer of ricotta over each slice, then sprinkle mozzarella. add another layer of pasta sauce then repeat with eggplant and cheeses.

one dish ended up with 2 layers, one with 3. add some sauce around the edges, cover the dish with foil, then bake 30-45 min, until eggplant is tender and cheese is melted. let rest for 15 min after removing from the oven.

enjoy!! super yummy!


 *bread crumbs: because Gma is gluten free, I made some eggplant so she could eat it. because I could not find gluten-free bread crumbs (and who needs nasty hydrogenated oils anyway?), I made my own. For a half recipe, I used 4 slices of gluten free bread, sprayed with pam, and baked at 250 until dried out (about 15 min each side). Then I threw em in the food processor with dried chopped onion, basil, oregano, garlic powder, and black pepper. Would definitely recommend this method even if you are not gluten free. It's just a little time-consuming. :D

Cranberry Chicken

1 Can cranberry sauce (whole berry)
1 packet onion soup mix
2-3 chicken breasts

mix cranberry sauce and onion soup mix. arrange the breasts in a glass baking dish, and cover with sauce. Make sure they are well covered (to prevent drying)

Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes or until fully cooked.  

Serves well over brown rice with a green vegetable (Asparagus was amazing with it!)


[NOTE: Onion soup mix typically contains gluten. This post is marked gluten-free because there is an easy substitution here http://www.food.com/recipe/copycat-liptons-onion-soup-mix-24952]

Asparagus

Pick a bunch of asparagus that looks good. I prefer thin to medium stems.

Wash, snap off the ends

Place in a 12 inch skillet with about a few Tablespoons of water.  Cover and place over medium heat.  Let the asparagus steam until it's bright green.

Drain the water

Add a small amount of EVOO (and small amount of butter for flavour if you wish), minced garlic, minced red onions, and a TBSP of balsamic vinegar. Sauté until the vinegar is mostly absorbed. Super delicious, sweet, healthy, and easy! Great with fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Roasted Chicken, Squash, and Potatoes

a.k.a, Vitamin A and Protein.

So, I wanted some of my favourite veggies--sweet potatoes and butternut squash.

Had some chicken breast tenderloins in the freezer, and the urge to cook.

In a 9x13ish dish (woot-Pyrex, or your LeCreuset), place:

a drizzle of olive oil
a few chicken tenderloins (I did under a pound cuz that's what I had, and I like more veggies)
1 medium cubed/peeled butternut squash
1 huge or 2 small cubed yams/sweet potatoes
1 purple onion, cut up into 1 inch-ish pieces (mincing isn't as cool!)
a handful of pine nuts
a few tablespoons of chopped garlic
some fresh chopped herbs (I've used sage, thyme, rosemary, cardamom and cumin in varying combinations)
fresh ground pepper
a dash of sea salt
more olive oil


here's what it looked like, just before going in the oven. sorry, low-Q cell pic.
bake at 400 F for about an hour and 15 minutes. I covered it in foil for the last 30 mins the 3rd time I made it, which helped keep it moist.


This is SO delicious, and easy. . .and. . .it was my first time cooking butternut squash! hooray!

I think maybe even a 2nd onion would be good for some more colour!

Orange Chicken

Ingredients:

Chicken-

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-size cubes)
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
1 eggs (beaten)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
Oil (for frying)


Orange Sauce-

1 ½ cups water
2 tablespoons orange juice
¼ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup rice vinegar
2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon orange zest (grated)
1 cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon ginger root (minced)
½ teaspoon garlic (minced)
2 tablespoons green onion (chopped)
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dip chicken in egg mixture and shake in flour mixture to coat. Deep fry chicken in batches at 375 degrees in a deep fryer (or use a wok) until completely cooked.


Step 2: Meanwhile, in a large saucepan combine 1 ½ cups water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger, garlic, and onion. Bring to a boil. Add more orange zest and juice if you like. I recommend making the sauce a little too strong and sweet if you will be eating this with rice.

Step 3: Combine 3 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/4 cup of water and mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until it thickens. Pour sauce over breaded chicken, and if desired add red pepper flakes and garnish with green onions.


from: http://blogchef.net/orange-chicken-recipe/


notes:
it helps to get a large bowl or a pan (like a cookie sheet with sides, whatever it's called), line it with 2 layers of paper towels, and place your chicken on it. A bowl will help retain heat, the paper towels absorb oil.

this does not make very good leftovers--so only make what you plan to eat. the coating on the chicken gets a little soggy with moisture. the sauce, however, keeps well. it starts to look gelatinous after being in the fridge, but I just dump it in a saucepan and reheat.

egg beaters work just as well as whole eggs. gluten free flour and tamari soy sauce also work great if you have celiac/follow a gluten free diet--tastes the same. I believe I used Red Mill flour (all-purpose)