Recipes

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients
4 green tomatoe,s cut into ¹⁄₂-inch slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup finely ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon paprika
2 eggs
Vegetable oil

Instructions
1. Sprinkle the tomato slices with the salt and pepper; set aside.

2. Combine the cornmeal and paprika in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs.

3. Cover the bottom of a heavy skillet with ¹⁄₂ inch of oil and heat over medium-high heat.

4. Coat the tomato slices in the egg, then dredge them in the cornmeal mixture.

5. Fry as many tomatoes as fit comfortably in the pan until nicely browned, about 2 minutes a side.  Transfer them to a paper towel-lined platter. Repeat until all the tomatoes are cooked.

Comments
This recipe is from Epicurious.com.  I’ve wanted to try fried green tomatoes since reading the book in high school.  These have a very fruity and tart taste.  I’m not sure that I’ll ever make them again but I’m very glad that I finally got to try them.  

Shown here with Roasted Potatoes, Carrots and Shallots with Rosemary and Tatanka Burger.

Internet - Epicurious

Honey-Glazed Wax Beans

Ingredients
1 ¹⁄₄ pounds wax (yellow) or green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon mild honey
³⁄₄ teaspoon lemon zest
¹⁄₄ teaspoon salt

Instructions
1. Cook beans in a 4-quart pot of boiling salted water until just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain in a colander, then immediately toss with honey, zest, and salt in a large bowl.

Note: You can also steam the beans or microwave them to reach desired tenderness.  

Comments
This recipe is from Epicurious.com.  I’ve never had wax beans before and these were delicious.  The flavor of the beans is similar to green beans, but slightly milder.  The lemon zest added a fantastic aroma and the honey gave a nice bit of sweetness.  Art is a lover of beans and declared this to be awesome.  Lance is not a lover of beans but he had seconds.  I’d say this was a success!

Shown here with Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce.

Internet - Epicurious

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise to make cutlets or pounded flat
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 green onions, sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
¹⁄₂ cup white wine
¹⁄₂ cup half and half
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

Instructions
1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. In large skillet heat olive oil and butter over medium heat.

2. Add chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides. Remove chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

3. Add green onions and garlic to same skillet. Sauté quickly and add white wine. Boil rapidly and reduce to syrup. Add half-and-half and mustard, stir. Return chicken breast to pan and simmer gently until just heated through.  

Comments
This recipe is from foodnetwork.com.  The flavor of the sauce was great and it paired very well with the Honey-Glazed Wax Beans that are shown in this picture.  This chicken would also work well served with rice or egg noodles.

Internet - Food TV

Caprese

Ingredients
1 large tomato, sliced ¹⁄₄-inch thick
8 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced ¹⁄₄-inch thick
8 basil leaves, thinly sliced
Balsamic vinegar, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions
1. Arrange tomato and mozzarella slices on a plate in an alternating pattern.  

2. Sprinkle basil on top of tomatoes and cheese.  

3. Top with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper as desired.  

Comments
This is one of those recipes I feel silly posting since it feels like it’s not really a recipe at all!  I find that one tomato and one ball of mozzarella is a nice side dish portion for two people.  You can easily increase all of the ingredients depending on how many people you’re serving.  

In the winter, when delicious large tomatoes aren’t available, I made this with grape tomatoes and chopped mozzarella instead.

Person - Gwen

Baked Angel Hair with Eggplant

Ingredients ¹⁄₂ cup olive oil, divided
4-6 Japanese eggplants (about 2 pounds total), cut into 1-inch slices
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed
¹⁄₃ cup red wine
3 cups marinara sauce (This is about 1 jar)
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
8 ounces angel hair pasta
1 pound mozzarella cheese, diced
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 (17 ¹⁄₄-ounce) package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 375*F.

2. Heat ¹⁄₄ cup of oil in a large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add half of the eggplant and toss to coat in the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté the eggplant until it is golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Decrease the heat to medium. Add half of the garlic and sauté until it is tender, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the eggplant mixture to a large bowl. Repeat with the remaining ¹⁄₄ cup oil and the remaining eggplant and garlic.

3. Add the sausage and wine to the same frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat until the wine evaporates and the sausage is brown, breaking the sausage into pieces with a spoon or spatula, about 8 minutes. Add the sausage, marinara sauce, and crushed red pepper to the eggplant mixture, and toss to combine.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the angel hair and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until pasta is still slightly crunchy and undercooked. Drain. Toss the angel hair with the eggplant mixture. Add the mozzarella and Parmesan and toss to combine.

5. Roll out 1 pastry sheet on a floured surface to a 13 ¹⁄₂-inch square. Transfer to a deep casserole dish that is around 2 quarts in size, allowing the excess pastry to hang over the rim. Spoon the pasta mixture into the pan. Place the second (unrolled) pastry sheet atop the pasta filling. Pinch the edges of the pastry sheets together to seal. Trim the overhanging pastry edges to about 1-inch. Fold the pastry edges in to form a decorative border. Cut a slit in the center of the top pastry to allow the steam to escape.

6. Bake until the pastry is brown and puffed on top, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let stand for 20 minutes. Serve.

Comments
This recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis.  It was fantastic!  I selected it to use the Japanese eggplant we’d gotten from the market and it turned out very well.  The original recipe calls for a 9-inch springform pan, but there is no way everything would have fit unless you’ve got a pan with very high sides.  I used a glass casserole dish that’s about 9 inches in diameter and around 4 inches deep.  Plating would have been easier with a springform, I’m sure!  

I didn’t notice any difference between Japanese eggplant and the other eggplant I’ve eaten.  Regardless of that, this dish was great.  In the future I might even skip the puff pastry part and just make it as a straight bake in the oven since the pastry was a bit superfluous even if it was pretty!

Internet - Giada De Laurentiis

Egg Pesto Pasta

Ingredients
1 pound pasta (I use long noodles, any shape would work)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Red pepper flakes, to taste (I use a shake or two from my bottle)
1 cup pesto
6 eggs
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, to taste

Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook pasta as instructed on the package.  Drain.  

2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add red pepper flakes and stir for a few minutes.   Add the drained pasta to the skillet and stir.  

3. Add pesto to skillet and stir to coat pasta well.  Crack the eggs into a small bowl and then add them to the skillet on top of the pasta.  Break the yolks with your spoon or spatula and then fold the pasta over the eggs.  Repeat this folding motion until the eggs are distributed and cooked through.  

4. Season to taste and serve with Parmesan cheese, if desired.  

Comments
Once upon a time, when Food Network was still about cooks teaching people how to cook, I saw an episode of Essence of Emeril where Emeril Lagasse made this dish.  Try as I might, I’ve never been able to find the recipe online anywhere but, thankfully, it was simple enough that I could recreate it from my memory.  

Art fell in love with this the first time I made it, then we ate it every week for a month or so, and then I got totally sick of it and didn’t have it for 2-3 years afterward.  Art requested that I use the farmer’s market pesto and eggs for this dish and give it another try after a long hiatus.  

It really is a great meal.  Simple, fresh, quick and easy.  Good pesto makes all the difference!

Internet - Emeril Lagasse

Layered Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients
2 pounds large tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and halved (If you haven’t got two pounds, make up the difference with tomatoes)
1 ¹⁄₄ cups chicken broth
10 cloves garlic. peeled
2 cups green onions, sliced
2 cups fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped and packed
1 large Serrano chili, sliced (Or other similar hot pepper)
18 5- to 6-inch corn tortillas
3-4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped (I sautéed mine for 10 minutes a side)
1 pound mozzarella cheese, cut into strips or shredded
1 cup half and half

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Mix tomatillos, tomatoes if using, chicken broth, and garlic cloves in large saucepan. Cover and bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat; simmer gently until tomatillos are soft, about 10 minutes. Transfer hot mixture to food processor. Add sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and sliced chili; blend mixture to coarse puree. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.

2. Overlap 6 tortillas in 13x9x2-inch oval or rectangular baking dish. Top tortillas with half of chicken strips and half of mozzarella strips. Pour ¹⁄₃ of the tomatillo sauce evenly over. Top with 6 tortillas, chicken strips, and mozzarella. Pour another ¹⁄₃ of the tomatillo sauce over.  Top with remaining 6 tortillas and remaining tomatillo sauce, then whipping cream. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Bake until bubbling, about 25 minutes. Cool enchiladas 10 minutes.

Comments
I found this recipe on Epicurious.com while looking for something delicious to do with my tomatillos.  Sadly, I didn’t have two pounds of them, so I supplemented my sauce with tomatoes.  This turned out really well.  I was a bit concerned about the mozzarella and cream, but all the flavors worked well together.  I did make a few modifications to the recipe and I’m pleased with how it turned out.  

I just wish it plated a bit nicer since this is the first recipe photo with my new camera!

Internet - Epicurious

Mushroom Bacon Breakfast Strata

Ingredients
10 slices bacon, cut into ¹⁄₂-inch pieces
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
8 eggs, beaten
¹⁄₂ cup half and half
Salt and pepper, to taste (I only added pepper as I felt the chips were salty enough)
4 ounces cream cheese
¹⁄₂ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
10 ounces Stacy’s Simply Naked Pita Chips

Instructions
1. Fry bacon in a large skillet over medium heat just until crispy.  Drain well.  Without cleaning the skillet, add the mushrooms and sauté until soft. 

2. Mix eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper. 

3. Pour pita chips into a 9x12-inch baking dish and press to flatten and smoosh.  Tear or cut cream cheese into pieces and place over the top of the chips.  Top with mushrooms, bacon, and cheddar cheese.  Pour egg mixture over everything in the baking dish. 

4. Cover and refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.  

5. Preheat oven to 325*F and bake for 40 minutes or until eggs are cooked through.  Cut into squares and serve. 

Comments
I saw this recipe on Pioneer Woman’s blog and my first thought was “What?  Pita Chips?!” followed by “Ooh, that sounds good.”  And it was good.  It would have been even better with a drizzle of maple syrup on the top.  Art and I both greatly enjoyed this.  Make sure you smoosh the chips down so they can all absorb the egg mixture.  I sort of neglected to do that.

Internet - Pioneer Woman

Gwen"s Favorite Peanut Noodles with Chicken and Vegetables

Ingredients
8 ounces soba noodles (If you can’t get soba noodles whole grain angel hair is a great substitute)
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 teaspoons sesame oil, divided
¹⁄₃ cup creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 head napa cabbage, shredded (Other cabbage will also work well)
2 green onions, thinly sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
12-ounce bag fresh vegetable medley, such as carrots, broccoli, snow peas

Instructions
1. Season chicken well with salt and pepper and toss with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Heat grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat; cook chicken until browned and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and chop, shred, or dice.  

2. Cook pasta in boiling water until not quite tender, about 1 minute less than specified in the package directions. Add vegetables and cook until the pasta and vegetables are just tender, 1 minute more. Drain.

3. Whisk together peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, water, and remaining oil in a large mixing bowl. Add chicken, noodles with vegetables, cabbage, and green onions; toss gently to combine and serve warm, cool, or chilled.  

Comments
This is an amalgamation of many different peanut noodle recipes.  I ended up finding something I liked about each of 3-4 different recipes and combining those things to make this recipe.  Due to Lance’s peanut allergy, I can only make this when he’s out of town, but it’s a nice treat when I can have it.  If you don’t want to use a vegetable medley bag, you can use a similar amount of fresh non-packaged veggies.

Person - Gwen

Grilled Eggplant

Ingredients
Eggplant(s)
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Lemon juice

Instructions
1. Slice eggplant(s) into ¹⁄₂-inch thick planks.  Place in bowl and toss with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon juice.  

2. Heat grill or grill pan.  Grill slices for 3-5 minutes per side until nicely browned.  

Comments
I don’t have a grill, but I have a grill pan!  I picked up some eggplants at the market and was told they were great for grilling, so I decided to give it a go.  These were so easy and so flavorful and delicious.  Everything in the recipe is to taste and dependent upon how many eggplants you’re using.  I used the two pictured in my last CSA post and a few good grinds of pepper, about a tablespoon of oil, and a pinch of kosher salt.  Yum.

Person - Gwen