Eggplant served Sicilian or just Brainy Gourmet Style...

 

Eggplant is served in Sicily. The eggplant is actually considered a fruit because it is related to tomatoes and peppers. And, it is a species of nightshade plants. It has been cultivated in southern and eastern Asia since prehistory. And, just maybe Marco Polo had something to do with it coming into Europe, Italy.

For this dish you will need: chicken breasts - boneless, skinless. Canned tomato sauce and or diced tomatoes as well as onion, and as many eggplants as you like. To begin, saute one whole onion in olive oil and dried herbs. Once browned, push aside and lay in filkkleted chicken breasts which have been dipped in egg wash and laid in dried bread crumbs, adding olive oil as you go when needed.

Brown the chicken breasts on both sides. Add to the skillet, the juice from any leftover olive jar and or liquid from a jar of roasted red pepper. If you don't have either, a squeeze of lemon or some white wine or even some chicken stock for extra liquid.

Next, add your small can of either diced tomatoes or tomato sauce. Let this simmer while you prepare the eggplant and angel hair pasta. As for the eggplant, wash, slice in half and score. Squeeze lemon juice over the open halves and sprinkle with dried herbs. Flash fry in olive oil until tender and slightly blackened on edges... if you prefer.

Boil the pasta until tender. Just before serving, top the chicken with grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Meatballs with Lamb... Not, because it has to be Greek!

Whether you like the Greek version or Moroccan (north African) version of meatballs, either or are delicious. But, what's the key the difference? Well Greek's tend to us beef or pork; but, of course they do use lamb. For this dish, Moroccan's more strictly use beef or lamb...which I happen to prefer.

Greeks love mint for a added special flavor and serve with tzatziki (salted cucumber yogurt dip); whereas, Moroccan's like a more stew version of this dish and to spice it up with curry, ginger and red pepper. Also, the Moroccan meatball can be flavored with carrots, onion, tomatoes, and even raisins...and to be really exotic, try cumin, cinnamon and dried chilies. 

And, as with all recipes, follow your own taste buds. The basic 'brainy' mix is 1-2 lbs of ground meat (depending on number of guests), dried bread crumbs, heavy cream (or one egg as substitute) diced onion, a dash of Worcestershire sauce, salt, and seasonings depending on the version you're making.  

Gently pan fry the meatballs in olive oil and a bit of coconut oil (or not). For the Moroccan version, add diced tomatoes in sauce (1 large can). If you like a thicker sauce, you can also add about 2-3 tbs of rich tomato paste. 

To that tomato sauce, when making the Moroccan version, you can go as crazy as you like with hot and spicy seasonings. If you are making the Greek version meatball mix, add in garlic paste and dried mint; but, skip the tomatoes and just add beef stock to simmer until cooked.

*For a more traditional Greek version, serve with pita bread and traditional tzatziki..

 

~ Tutti a Tavola!

The Brainy Gourmet Loves Chicken Piccata...

 

Summer is approaching ...time to eat out!

You will need to buy boneless skinless chicken breast strips, a jar of capers, one lemon, angel hair pasta, one onion, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Saute one whole chopped onion in a blend of 3 tbs of coconut oil and olive oil, adding to that 2 tbs of butter.

Prior to that, freshen your chicken breast strips in a rinse of squeezed lemon juice. Now, add the strips to the onion, having pushed the onion to one side of the skillet. Brown the strips on med. heat (adding an extra drizzle of olive oil) and then bring back in the onion.

Next, add 3/4 to 1 cup of heavy cream, dried herbs: rosemary, mint and oregano and half a jar of capers, cover and simmer for 8 min.  Near the end of those eight minutes, slice half a fresh 'washed' lemon, cutting in half the slices and then laying them on top of the chicken to cook covered on low heat for about 4 minutes.

In this time, prepare the pasta by cooking in salted boiling water until tender. Drain and ladle the pasta onto a low lipped serving plate and then top with the rich creamy chicken and sauce; grate Parmesan cheese on top and serve.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

Blackened Caribean Dump Chicken with Dark Cherries and Veggies...

 

You will need to buy a package of chicken thighs with or without skin, dark cherries, crushed pineapple, and dried plums along with left over homemade and barbecue sauce. 

First, I simmered the thighs to get a stock from them for the week. I have said it many times before, keep a chicken stock in the pantry or fridge. I also stuck some carrots and green cabbage in the stock. Once the meat was white, I removed the thighs and laid them into a glass baking dish which was drizzled with olive oil. I also removed the carrots and cabbage transferring them to a glass baking dish.

To the chicken thighs, I dumped in the dark cherries, the crushed pineapple and some dried plums. Over the top, I dumped the left over homemade barbecue sauce (you can also use store bought), and lastly, I sprinkled on some dried herbs. All of this went into a F400 degree oven uncovered for 50 min.

Next, I took fresh ginger and grated some over the carrots and cabbage. To that I drizzled over the top, teriyaki sauce, and organic honey til it blanketed the veggies. You can also lay on some fresh sliced lemon.

Sprinkle on some dried herb seasonings and transfer to the second or lower rack of the oven, covered with foil. Walk away, relax and take in the smells.

In about one hour, you will feast on a delicious meal.

 

~ Tutti a Tavola...

Let Summer Begin ~ Put on the Barbeque Brainy Style...

 

 

 

Want to begin the summer with a spectacular dish... then try patio oven barbecued chicken. As a side, you can roast in a separate dish herb seasoned garden fresh zucchini.

To begin: buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts (as many per guest), shallots from the garden along with three young zucchini, fresh herbs: rosemary and lavender. Heat a conventional oven or patio oven to 375f, take two oblong glass baking dishes (one for chicken and one for zucchini) and coat with olive oil.

Lay in the chicken and sprinkle on garlic powder and sea salt to taste. Garnish with herbs and slip in the oven. You can do the same with the zucchini adding some paprika if you like.

Bake together until roasted to a golden rich brown color. Prepare on the stove a mixture of Sweet Baby Rays and Open Pit Barbecue sauces to pour over the top of the chicken for a finale... prior to serving garnish with a fresh sprig of lavender.

 ~ Tutti a Tavola!

Its Brainy Veal Scallopini...

 

Veal is very young beef; and, for that reason, it is high with vitamin B. This vitamin is essential for energy and healthy metabolism. Other than vitamin B, veal is a rich source of vitamin B-12, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and pantothenic acid. People who like to consume beef on regular basis can easily switch to a smarter and healthy choice with veal.

For this dish, you will need: 1-2 lbs of boneless veal (as much as you think your guests will eat), dried bread crumbs, beef stock, jarred roasted red peppers, onion, jarred capers and angel hair pasta.

To begin, pound the veal cutlets with a meat tenderizing hammer. Next, pat the veal with herb infused bread crumbs, sprinkle with garlic powder and saute in a blend of olive oil and creamy butter; browning each cutlet on both sides.

Next, saute in olive oil, diced jarred roasted red pepper and fresh chopped onion (optional/onion) in a separate skillet; once browned add to the veal. Lastly, pour in as much as you like of the jarred capers and 1/2 cup of beef stock. Let this simmer covered on low heat while you prepare an angel hair pasta.

~ Tutti a Tavola!

A Brainy Gourmet Take on Pierogi...

 

 

The best Polish food is simple and filling...which means it can be no other than pieorgi... some with potato and cheese, or just cheese, or meat and even fruit. Yum!

Polish pierogi are a kind of filled dumpling. They are usually boiled in salted water. Some are fried, sauteed, baked or even deep fried. There exists tons of recipes both for the filling and for the dumpling dough. 

During decades of communist regime, Poles usually could only enjoy the more simple rural versions with basic toppings. Perhaps this is why nowadays a lot of eateries and homes are tempted to experiment with extravagant fillings and fancy toppings to turn this simple dish into a gourmet delicacy. 

Make no mistake! Ruskie pierogi arrived from a prewar region of Poland which is now part of the Ukraine. Indeed, before 1945 Ukrainians used to call this particular variety of pierogi ‘Polish pierogi’. It is likely that “pierogi ruskie” were created by Poles living in Ukraine at the time.

We like them boiled or boiled then fried in butter or in lard with bacon bits to crisp up the edges... a pinch of paprika adds extra zest. Always served with sour cream, what a brainy fast and frugal meal!

 

~ Tutti a Tavola!