Category: FoodieFriday

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Eggplant Rollatini or Parmigiana

I shared a photo of my eggplant rollatini/parmesan the other day, and many of you asked for the recipe, so here goes! Whether I make rollatini or parmigiana depends on the size of the eggplants I have. You need an eggplant that’s at least eight (8) inches long in order to make rollatini, but not much bigger than that because then the eggplant has too many seeds. If you have an eggplant that’s smaller than that, it’s better to make it parmigiana. It’s not an easy recipe, but it’s also not that hard, especially if you use a jarred sauce. Our favorite jarred sauce is Victoria White Linen Marinara. I give it a little more flavor with some fresh basil. Would Chef Carlo from NEVER A BRIDE ever use a jarred sauce? NEVER! He wants to win over Emma with his cooking! Grab your copy today at https://amzn.to/4wVHdZk.

Ingredients

1 large eggplant (at least 8 inches for rollatini)
2 eggs
2 cups breadcrumbs
32 ounces Galbani Ricotta Cheese
16 ounces shredded mozzarella (or 2 cheese mix – mozzarella & provolone)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 cup grated parmesan
Cooking spray

Directions

Cut a small slice off the top and bottom of the eggplant so you can stand it up to make the long slices. The slices should be about 1/4 inch thick. If you’re making it parmigiana style, cut into 1/4 rounds.

I do not salt and press my eggplant. I’ve never found it to be too bitter, but it’s okay if you want to do that. If you’re making rounds, you can also peel away some of the peel to reduce bitterness.

Preheat your oven. I use a toaster oven with an air fry feature and generally get it pre-heating for at least 5 minutes. If you do not have an air fryer or that option on a toaster oven, you can do “air fry” it in a regular oven. Just crank it to 450 for at least 10 minutes.

My oven has an air fry basket, but again, if you don’t have that, it’s easy to duplicate. Just place a piece of foil on a baking sheet and use a cooling rack. Spray the racks with the cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Beat one egg and add about a 1/4 water to lighten the egg wash for the eggplant slices. I use two pie plates to do the egg wash and bread crumbing.

Dip the eggplant into the egg wash and then press it into the bread crumbs. I do the one hand for wet, one for dry which makes it go easier. I can only fit about three slices on my air fry basket, so I make it in batches. Once I put the slices on the basket, I spray each side with the cooking spray.

You might be wondering why I do the air fry method. First, it’s healthier. But the major reason is that eggplant will soak up a lot of oil and frying it the traditional way can sometimes make for a greasy dish. You might also be wondering why I don’t do the flour/egg/bread crumb combo. I find that doing that additional flour step is too heavy and masks the flavor of the eggplant.

Place the racks with the breaded eggplant slices in the air fryer/oven. Cook for 5 minutes and then flip. Cook for another five minutes and then set on a tray to cool.

For the filling, mix 32 ounces of ricotta with 1/2 cup parmesan, the other egg (beaten), parsley, and 8 ounces shredded cheese. Mix well.

To start rolling/stacking, get a 9×13 baking pan and spray with the cooking spray. Add 1 cup marinara sauce to the pan and spread it around.

To roll, spread 2 tbsp about 3/4 of the way along the eggplant slice, moving from the widest part down to the end. You want to then roll it from the widest part toward the smaller end. Place that roll with the seam side down in the baking pan. Repeat as necessary.

When stacking, I normally do three (3) slices of eggplant per stack. The cheese mixture goes on the first slice, followed by a slice, cheese, and then the third slice on the top.

When you’ve rolled/stacked all your slices, spoon marinara sauce over all the rolls/slices. Top with the remaining 8 ounces of shredded cheese and 1/2 cup of parmesan.

Bake in a 350 oven for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes. You can also heat some more marinara to spoon it over the rolls/slices when serving them!

That’s it! It sounds like a lot of work, but it’s totally worth it! The eggplant keeps well for leftovers as well, so I always make enough for that and to send some to my daughter.

eggplant rollatini

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Delicious Zucchini Flower Fritters

I’m adventurous in the kitchen (no, not that way) and will try making many different recipes. But when my brother-in-law gifted me some amazing zucchini flowers, I was a little flummoxed. How do I make these? My sister-in-law said she had stuffed them with mozzarella instead of ricotta, and that made sense. I didn’t want to deal with piping bags. You can also chop the flowers up, add chopped zucchini, and make pancake-like fritters. But I decided to go full bore and do them stuffed and fried. Here’s a little video on how I made them and the recipe! P.S. Chef Carol from the At the Shore novels would definitely pipe ricotta into these while he’s trying to win Emma’s heart! But why not grab the first book in the series, ONE SUMMER NIGHT, for only 99 cents at https://amzn.to/4o0DtCW.

Zucchini Flower Fritter Recipe

Ingredients

8-10 male zucchini flowers (stamens removed)
Mozzarella cut into 1-2″ rods

For the tempura Batter

1 egg, beaten
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup ice-cold club soda/seltzer
2 tbsp corn starch

Directions

Heat oil. Your choice of oil, but I use corn oil with some olive oil. The oil should be glistening and you can test it by dropping a little of the batter into it to make sure it’s hot enough. If you have a thermometer, it should be at 350. If the oil is not hot enough, the fritters may turn out greasy.

Carefully open the zucchini flower and stuff mozzarella into the center. Close the flower petals around the cheese. Set aside.

Beat the egg and add the flower and corn starch. Stir to mix and then add the club soda until it is relatively smooth. Do not over beat it because you don’t want to lose the club soda bubbles.

Dip the stuffed flowers into the batter and then gently place in the hot oil. Fry until golden on one side and then turn and fry the other side until golden. Remove from oil and place on a paper towel to drain any excess oil.

Serve warm for the best flavor! You can make a dipping sauce if you want, but honestly, delicious just on their own!

Here’s what the final product looks like!

Zucchini flower fritters

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Happy National Rum Day

Happy National Rum Day! I’m not much of a drinker, but when I do have a drink, I like sweet ones. My favorite drink is a fruity Planter’s Punch with our without rum. And since I mentioned my wonderful client Jose Cuervo, they also had an amazing rum in their line-up! On National Rum Day, I’m giving you my recipe for Planter’s Punch. I use dark rum because it is sweeter, but if you don’t like anything too sweet, switch to light rum and omit the Amarena cherries and juice. If you haven’t heard of those before, they are delicious dark, ripe cherries preserved in a sugar syrup. You might find them in Italian-style groceries, but Aldi also had them recently! P.S. The ladies of the At the Shore novels would definitely sit down for a glass of this punch on a hot Jersey Shore night. Grab the first book in the series, ONE SUMMER NIGHT, for only 99 cents at https://amzn.to/4o0DtCW.

Ingredients

2 tbsp Freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup Grenadine or simple syrup
1/4 cup Dark rum
1/2 cup Pineapple juice
1/2 cup Orange juice
1 tbsp Amarena cherry juice and 2 or 3 Amarena cherries

Instructions

Add lime juice, grenadine or simple syrup, dark rum, pineapple juice, orange juice, and cherry juice. Stir well. If you have a shaker, even better. Put them all in the shaker and shake well. Pour into a tall glass filled with fresh ice. Add the Amarena cherries to the glass. Garnish with pineapple or orange slice to dress it up.

planter's punch

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Tasty Ambrosia for National Ambrosia Day

Happy National Ambrosia Day! Ambrosia is one of those desserts that screams 1950s to me. It also reminds me of my mom since, in the summer months, she’d regularly make it! I never got the recipe from her, but I remember she used cream cheese in her version, and based on that, I came up with my own version of it! P.S. Nothing to do with ambrosia, but don’t wait—grab your of COLD CASE K-9 and join Gabriella, Diego, and Poppy on the hunt! Pre-order your copy today at https://amzn.to/48qzo4R.

Ingredients

4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 pint sour cream
1 can mandarin oranges, drained
1 can diced/sliced peaches, reserve the juice
1 can diced/crushed pineapple, reserve the juice
1 can fruit cocktail, drained
2 cups mini marshmallows

Directions

Place cream cheese in a large bowl. Add the juice from the can of sliced peaches to soften the cream cheese. Add the sour cream and stir. Add the fruit and marshmallows and stir. If the mixture seems too thick, use some of the pineapple juice to loosen it up, but not too much. Also, remember that the marshmallows will also thicken it again once it’s chilled. Place in the refrigerator for at least an hour or two.

national ambrosia day

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Double Apple Bread Pudding

I posted a photo of one of our new Thanksgiving dinner must-haves: Double Apple Bread Pudding. I can’t take credit for this recipe since it’s based on one by America’s Test Kitchen. I tweaked it to make it a little simpler and to also pump up the apple, cinnamon, and vanilla flavors. It does take at least an hour and a half to assemble/soak the ingredients and another 45 minutes to bake, but it’s totally worth it! If you want to see more recipes, you can visit the Cook’s Treat page on my website or download Recipes for the Romantic Soul which is free on Kindle Unlimited. Grab your copy at https://amzn.to/49YMIyy.

Ingredients
6 cups challah, hand torn into 1/2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup apple cider or good apple juice
2 large Granny Smith apples cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1¼ cups heavy cream

Directions

Butter an 8×8 baking dish. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Tear the challah into 1/2-inch cubes. You can cut it, but I think it looks better when it’s in rough pieces. If you can’t find challah, use a good brioche. Spread the challah on a cookie sheet, toss occasionally, and dry in the oven for about 15 minutes. Let the bread cool. Set aside 3/4 cups of the bread crumbs to make a crumble topping later.

Melt 2 Tbsp butter in skillet. Add 1/4 cup brown sugar and apple cider and stir until sugar has dissolved. Stir in apples, cover, and simmer for about 4 minutes. Then uncover and cook for another 4 minutes or until apples are translucent. Don’t overcook the apples as you want them in nice pieces and not saucy.

Place a strainer over a bowl and drain the liquid from the apples. Press on them lightly to remove the liquid, but don’t mash them. Set the apples aside and place the apple juice you just drained into a measuring cup. Add milk until you get to 1 1/2 cups of liquid. Add 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon to the apple/milk combo and mix. Add the 2 eggs and whisk it all together. Add the heavy cream to this mixture and mix it well. Stir in the apples (gently).

Add the 5 1/4 cups of the toasted bread to the liquid and apple mixture. Toss gently and then transfer to the baking dish and gently press down on the mixture.

Let it soak for 15 minutes and do another gentle press. Wait another 15 minutes and press gently again.

While your doing that, put the 3/4 cup of bread into a bowl and break into small and bigger pieces. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 2 tbsp melted butter. Crumble all the elements together and once the other mixture has finished soaking, top it with this crumble.

Place the baking dish on a baking sheet and cook in the 325 degree oven for about 45 minutes. The center should register 160-165 degrees when you check the temperature. Remove from oven and let it cool (if you can wait that long! LOL!)

I served it with a caramel sauce, but you can also top it with a creme anglaise or whipped cream! Enjoy!

Double Apple Bread Pudding

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Thanksgiving Must-Have Dish

OMG, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I’m sure some of you are already thinking about the Thanksgiving dinner menu! That makes me wonder: What’s your must-have dish on the table? In our house, the must-have is my sister Carmen’s corn casserole recipe. It’s delicious and even better, it’s very easy to make! You can find the recipe at https://bit.ly/CarmenCornCasserole. P.S. Chef Carlo from NEVER A BRIDE probably has several must-have dishes for his family’s Thanksgiving table. Carlo is Emma’s Prince Charming, if she’d only open her eyes to see that! Grab your copy of NEVER A BRIDE at https://amzn.to/2MLZRyK.

thanksgiving dinner

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