recipes

eggplant parmesan

cheese:

a cup of fresh ricotta or homemade…

use 1 quart of milk, heat to 185` turn off heat then add 2-4 T of a mix of vinegar and lemon juice. stir gently until it coagulates. let sit for a few minutes then pour through a strainer. (save the whey for another use.) sprinkle the cheese with a little salt and mix in gently

sauce:

1 can or about 4-5 large-ish tomatoes chopped

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2-3 anchovies (optional)

hot pepper flakes to taste

olive oil

saute onion in olive oil until soft, add a couple of anchovies and smush them up, add hot pepper flakes, add garlic. cook for a few minutes more then add tomatoes and cook down for a while until nice and juicy.

eggplant:

2 med to large eggplants, peeled and sliced into ~3/8” rounds

olive oil

salt and pepper

brush eggplant with oil, sprinkle with s&p and either fry, grill or bake until softened

topping:

bread crumbs mixed with fresh grated parmesan or romano

1T butter

assembly:

start with a little sauce on the bottom of your oiled baking dish( 9"x9" or equivalent), add a layer of eggplant, then a sprinkling of ricotta then more sauce. i usually do two layers, ending with sauce. sprinkle with breadcrumb/parm mixture then dot top with butter. bake uncovered for about 25 min. at 375`

eggplant bacon

preheat oven to 375̊

peel and cut very thin slices of eggplant

brush with olive oil 

sprinkle with pimentón (smoked paprika, hot or sweet) and salt/pepper

place on a tray

bake until crispy and browned about 12 minutes (flip over halfway through)