Brainy Gourmet Eggplant Parmesan... So Italian!

 

Delicious is just an Italian bistro away...

Eggplant Parmesan doesn't have to be difficult or done in the oven...you can do this dish on the stove in the skillet. One large eggplant is all you need along with some bread crumbs, tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.

Begin by soaking (washed and semi-peeled) sliced eggplant in a milk bath. Pat down both sides on a plate of seasoned bread crumbs (seasoned with dried herbs). Then gently pan fry in olive oil until browned on both sides. You will be surprised how quickly the eggplant soaks up the olive oil, so you may need to drizzle in some extra as you see it begin to disappear in the pan/skillet while the eggplant sizzles.

Once you have finished browning the long slices, remove from the skillet and set aside. Clean the skillet with a moistened paper towel and return to the stove top. Add your tomato sauce, from the jar is fine as long as its your favorite. Lay in your browned eggplant slices. Let them simmer for about 20-25 min on med heat. Then as a finale, generously top with shaved Parmesan cheese and simmer for another 15 min.

Prepare a bucatini pasta or salad as a side to this stove top lusciousness ...
















~Tutti a Tavola!

Spring is in the air... Mushroom Season begins!

 

The Piedmont region is a very mountainous region in Italy where hunting and fishing are commonplace. Mushrooms can be gathered in the Spring as well as Fall.There are a plethora of mushrooms to pick from and now is the time for Morels.

Tonight, I am serving stuffed mushrooms with mushroom filled ravioli. This recipe is truly delicious way to enjoy mushrooms. Now, if you can't find or pick morels, then whatever you can find/buy including the large 'palm size' Bavarian mushroom that can be bought at most local grocery, will be just as delicious.

For stuffing, I like to use a mixture of ground beef and seasoned ground pork, in fact a mild breakfast sausage will work. Wash your mushrooms and remove the stem. Press into the dark side or gill side of the mushroom a small patty shaped amount of ground meat depending on the size of your mushrooms. Prepare your skillet with olive oil and fresh dried herbs. 

Once the oil is hot, lay in your 'stuffed' mushrooms patty side down.  Let them sizzle for 5-6 min. on a high heat, then reduce heat to med and cover. After 5 min, flip them over gently and add 3/4 cup of heavy cream. Cover again and simmer for 8 min on low heat.  In the meantime, prepare water to boil the ravioli. Once it rolls, add a pinch of salt and the ravioli.

Set the table and get ready to serve. Ladle the ravioli onto a low lipped serving plate, spoon the stuffed mushrooms onto the plate 'here and there' and pour out the sauce. Garnish with fresh green parsley.

~ Tutti a Tavola! 

Baked Brie... simple and Deliciously Brainy for after Holidays!

 

How to begin this wonderful French/Italian combination? Start with soup, its a no brainer. Yes, I do say that often; but, that's because it is. The pork butt stock you still have from a few days ago is just waiting to become something new.

As I said, keep the stock clear as it can morph into amazing soups. For a Minestrone, just boil any tortellini pasta on the side, saute some zucchini or green beans and tomato together in olive oil, add Italian sausage if you want; and, when all is done, add to bowls and pour hot stock over the top into individual serving bowls along with the cooked pasta... simple as that.

As for the baked Brie, follow the pictures...

Bake on 375 for as long as it takes to see a brown top and oozing cheese. For a little bit different take, before wrapping and baking, slice the Brie in half and insert sun dried tomatoes or olives or spinach, put the two halves back together like a sandwich wrap with the croissant dough and bake.

A Brainy Italian Easter Lunch or Dinner at Home...

 

For this 'Easter' dish you will need: either 1 lb your choice of steak (round/flank or sirloin) or boneless pork loin, fresh green Italian parsley, provolone cheese, and prosciutto ham. Also, you will need marinara sauce or meaty bolognese, and olive oil.

Start by pounding out either the steak or pork loin. You can make a large roll or cut the meat into more individual sizes. Lay on the cheese slices or grated, prosciutto and sprinkles of fresh parsley (or use fresh spinach leaves chopped). Roll up and tie with baking string or use wooden toothpicks to hold rolls together.

Next, fry in a skillet in olive oil until browned on both sides.

Remove from skillet and lay in a glass baking dish. Pour over the top, one half jar of marinara sauce or meaty bolognese and add some beef stock until the dish is brimming. Top with fresh dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano. 

Prepare Polenta according to recipe which you can find on a previous blog. Just type in Polenta in the search box on the Brainy Gourmet Blog. 

 Serve with Polenta... and boiled eggs or in blanket ;-)

 

 

Have a blessed Easter!

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Brainy Satay made at your house to share...

 

Satay is a popular Southeast Asian (roots in Indonesia) dish made from small pieces of meat (chicken/beef/pork) or fish grilled on a skewer and served with a spicy peanut sauce. And, if you don't have skewers, don't worry....you can make without.

For this brainy gourmet dish you will need: chicken thighs (boneless/skinless) per guest. One whole white onion, minced garlic and ginger, olive oil or coconut oil and chicken stock. Also, you will need to use peanut butter (self- stir), sesame teriyaki sauce, wild rice, or brown rice or both mixed together. And, as for spices... red pepper flakes and or red curry, adding only as much as you like.

Without skewers, begin by pounding each thigh with a meat hammer. Next, lay them into a glass baking dish drizzled with either olive oil or coconut oil whichever you prefer or have on hand. Over the top of each chicken thigh, spread a hefty mixture of minced garlic and ginger then cover with slivered white onion and pour around the edges about 1/2 cup of chicken stock. 

Bake in the oven on 350f until bubbling hot with the top beginning to crisp and brown. In the meantime, prepare the rice by steaming or boiling in water with a bit of the chicken stock. When the chicken is cooked and the rice is tender, prepare the peanut sauce. Mix in a small stove top pot, 4 tbs of peanut butter (stirred) with half a bottle of teriyaki sauce and spices cooking this on med. high heat until it thickens. 

Remove the chicken from the glass baking dish. You should have a golden reserve of juices with browned, crispy onion slivers floating about. Take the peanut paste and blend into the juices. This will become a rich brown gravy to serve over the chicken and rice. 

 

~ Tutti a Tavola! 

 

Everything Creamy on the Brainy Gourmet...

Cooking with heavy cream... 

 

There's regular heavy cream, whipping cream, double cream, evaporated milk, and heavy whipping cream, but what's the difference between them all? 

For instance, heavy cream is the thick part of the milk that rises to the top due to its high fat content. With about 36-40% fat, it has one of the highest fat contents compared to other dairy products. Whipping cream comes in at a close but lighter second, with about 30% milk fat. In comparison, the half-and-half you might put in your morning coffee has about a 10.5 to 18% milk fat content.

Evaporated milk is milk with about 60% of its water removed, while half-and-half is a mixture of equal parts whole milk and cream. Evaporated milk and half-and-half are not the same, though they can be used as substitutes in some recipes. 

Double cream is a type of cream, often used in the UK and other regions, with a significantly higher fat content (around 48%) than heavy cream (36% or more), making it richer and thick. 

Now, if all you have is heavy cream in your frig at home... you're good. You can make a multitude of rich creamy meals... everything from creamy soup, to gravies, to stews. 

Check these out ~ Type the word cream in the search box on the upper left of this blog and see what comes up. You can also try: stews, soups, gravies, sauces...

 

~ Tutti a Tavola