EGGPLANT PARMESAN

Good morning.  Well here it is the middle of the week already.  After being notified by the Electric Company that power would be off all day yesterday, I was out of my house only to find when I got home, the power never went off.  I would have been hopping mad, but as it turned out I had an opportunity to spend some time with Bonnie, a longtime friend.  We went to a Movie and then I made the Spaghetti in Wine for dinner.  She loved it.  Her daughter Stacy, who lives in San Francisco, loves to cook, so she is going to tell her to be sure and make it.  It is so easy.  I know through e-mails that some of you have already tried that recipe.  Reaction all around, "we love it."

It is a little cooler here today, so I'm thinking comfort food.  One of my very favorites is Eggplant Parmesan.  You may think it is difficult to make.  But just follow these directions and you will see how easy this dish is to make.  As you go through my recipes you will understand why I make my sauce in large batches and freeze it so I have it on hand.  And the same with Marinara Sauce.  But don't fret if you don't have any made, just use your favorite jar sauce.  (Bertoli makes the best)

Here then is Eggplant Parmesan.

1 large (the biggest you can find) eggplant.  Deep purple color and nice, fat, round shape.
2 eggs
flour
seasoned bread crumbs (Progresso or Contadina)
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella shredded
Sauce
Casserole dish

Cut the ends off of the eggplant, and then slice it into rounds, a little less than 1/2" each.  Whip the eggs in one dish,  put the flour in another, and the bread crumbs in another.  (I use 3 pie pans).  Dip the eggplant slices, one at a time in the flour, then the egg wash, then the breadcrumbs.  Lay them out on wax paper and let set for about 10 minutes.  (this allows the breadcrumbs to dry a little so they don't fall off when you fry them)  In a large skillet, put a half a cup of olive oil.  After it is hot, turn down to medium and put two or three slices of eggplant in at one time.  Cook until lightly brown and crispy on one side, turn and cook on the other side.  Just a couple of minutes on each side, till golden brown.  Remove and let drain on a paper towel.  Continue until all pieces are cooked.

Put a layer of your sauce on the bottom of your casserole, then a layer of eggplant slices, some sauce over those, sprinkle with parmesan, and a handful of shredded mozzarella.  Repeat this three times, ending with the mozzarella covering all.  Bake at 350 degrees, until bubbling and the eggplant is tender.  Remove from the oven, and let stand for about 6 or 7 minutes.  Slice and serve.

Try it soon, it will be a family favorite.

Ciao for now
Grayce

SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATO PESTO

Hi everyone.  I am writing this at 11:18 PM Monday night because our electric is going to be shut off for 6 or 7 hours tomorrow starting in the early morning.  Our whole complex will be without power.  This is the second time they have done this in the past 4 months.  What a pain.  So anyway I thought I had better do this now to be sure you have a recipe for the day.  This is so easy, and really quick, not to mention very delicious.  Even to make it for 1 or 2 people is a cinch.  You can just keep the extra pesto for another time.  And best of all it only takes a couple of ingredients.  Dinner on the table in about 20 minutes.

1 tall jar of Marzetti sun dried tomatoes in olive oil.  1 pint of cherry tomatoes. Parmesan cheese 1/2 cup.  Fresh basil.

Use a little over half of the jar of sun dried tomatoes, drained.  Put into a blender and add 1/2 cup of olive oil.  Cut the tomatoes in half and add to the blender.  If too thick add a little more olive oil.  Puree.  Take out of the blender and put into your large pasta bowl. Stir in the parmesan cheese (1/2) cup.  Cook 1 pound of Barilla thick spaghetti, just until Al dente.  Drain and add to the pesto mixture.  Toss quickly and add 1/2 bunch of fresh chopped basil.  Season with some freshly ground black pepper. Toss and serve with parmesan.

Add a salad and some hot Italian bread.  Dinner in 20 minutes.  Delicious, quick and easy.

Thanks for stopping in today.
Ciao for now
Grayce

CHOCOLATE BEET CAKE

Good morning.  Here it is Monday already.  Time is whizzing by so fast.  Still hot here in California.  We are really ready for a little cool down.  I talked to my friend Marti in New York yesterday and she said it was "almost" 60 degrees, and raining.  That did not sound very appealing.  So I guess I should quit complaining the weather.  Now back to food.  It's time to get in a really good dessert.  And I have one for you.

CHOCOLATE BEET CAKE, some of you are probably saying yuk.  Beets in a cake.  Well don't be fooled.  This is the best chocolate cake ever made. I have been going to Lake Tahoe for 25 years now.  Two weeks every August.  It is a Paradise.  For the first two or three years we always ate lunch at this amazing little Restaurant called The Squirrels Nest.  It was off the road and set back among the pine trees.  All in the open.  It was the most quaint little place, like being in a Fairy tale.  They served sandwiches, soup and wonderful desserts.  The most famous being their Chocolate Beet Cake.  After the first bite I knew that I had to have that recipe.  They very generously shared it with me.  And lucky that they did, for a couple of years later, they closed down and were gone.  A very sad day indeed.  So today I am posting that recipe.  You will never have a Chocolate cake this moist, this rich.  It is Decadent, Delicious, Delightful, Tempting, Luscious, Mouth Watering and more........in other words, make this cake and find out for yourself.

CHOCOLATE BEET CAKE
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 1/2 cups Wesson oil
4 oz baking chocolate (4 squares) unsweetened
3 cups of pureed cooked beets (3 cans) well drained
3 cups of flour
3 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp of vanilla

Melt chocolate in half of the oil.  Beat together sugar and eggs until fluffy, add other half of the oil and beets, add chocolate and oil, mix and beat.  Sift flour, soda, and salt, add, with vanilla to other ingredients.  Bake in a greased and floured bundt pan, with excess in a small 8" cake pan or cupcake pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes.  Do not open oven door for the first 45 minutes.  DO NOT OVER BAKE.  Frost with your favorite frosting.  You can keep left over cake in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days and it will still be awesome.

Once you make this cake and your family tastes it, you will never want any other Chocolate Cake.  Try it soon.  It is well worth the effort.

Thanks for stopping by.
Ciao for now.
Grayce

FRITTATA

Hi everyone.  Here it is the weekend already.  Time is just flying.  It will soon be October and from then on the rest of the year until January becomes one large blur.  People seem to get more busy and more busy at this time of year.  There seems to be no slowing down.  It's like you are on a fast moving freight train saying "out of my way."  And the next thing you know it's New Year's Day and all the hustle and bustle have ended and your breathing is back to normal.  So, this weekend, take a deep breath, slow down a minute, and on Saturday or Sunday morning get your family together and make a great breakfast, read the paper, and have some conversation.  To go along with this, here is something that can be the main focus of that relaxing time with family or even some friends before Football starts.  Easy to make, delicious, and good for you.  In case you have never heard the word Frittata, it is the Italian version of an omelet.  And you can get imaginative and creative when you make them.  This is my favorite.

10 Asparagus spears cut into 1" pieces
1 1/2 cups sliced Mushrooms
1'2 diced Onion
3 cloves diced Garlic
1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano Cheese
Olive Oil
8 to 10 Eggs depending on how many people you are serving (this serves 4)
Salt and Pepper (remember the cheese is salty)

In a bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy (the more air you incorporate into the eggs the higher the Frittata)
Add 1/4 cup or so of water.  In the meantime, put 1/4 cup of olive oil into a large skillet, when hot add the onions and saute until tender.  Add the minced garlic on top (this way it does not burn) saute for a minute or two, add the asparagus and saute for three or four minutes, add the mushrooms and saute for a couple of minutes.  Add the cheese to the eggs and incorporate.  Then gently add to the vegetable mixture, turn the heat to low and cover your pan.  Let it cook for 3 or 4 minutes minutes, remove the cover, and with a spatula, draw the egg mixture gently from the sides allowing the uncooked egg to go to the bottom.  Repeat this until all the liquid has gone to the bottom.  Place a plate over the eggs, holding with one hand and flip the Frittata onto the plate.  Let it slide back into the pan and continue cooking on low until done.

Remove to a platter, cut into pieces, and serve with a fruit salad and some grilled bread.  This dish is even yummy served cold (just in case you happen to have some left over.)  I often make it for a light dinner with a dish of fruit.

Enjoy!
That's it for now.
Ciao
Grayce

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH SALSA

Hi everyone.  I know you are probably tired of my whining about the hot weather but good grief, 6:30 am and it is already hot!  So instead of the wonderful Beef Stew recipe that I was going to tell you about, I am going to have to re-think and give you instead a quick, easy recipe for chicken breast.  I know, I know, how many ways can you make chicken?  It is the age old question.  I have asked that myself.  Personally, there are only a few ways that I really like chicken myself.  This happens to be one of my favorites.  You already have some of my other favorites in recent blogs.  This is the one I talked about yesterday that I made for the party.  It is really wonderful.  Quick, easy, and melt in your mouth tender.  So turn up the air conditioner and you will have this on the table in about a half hour.

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
2 or 3 Mangoes
1 large Papaya
1 Roma tomato
1 chile pepper

Rub the chicken breasts with some WEBER Roasted Garlic and Herbs seasoning.  (in any grocery store it is great to have on hand).  Have your stove top grill, grill pan or outside grill hot, then turn down to low heat.  Drizzle olive oil on one side and put on the grill.  Then drizzle the top side.  Cook for 5 or 6 minutes, turn and cook through.  In the meantime dice the Mango, Papaya and tomato as small as you can, add just a small diced piece of the pepper (to your taste) don't overpower the sweetness of the fruit. Add 1 tabls of chopped cilantro and the juice of 1 lime.   Add just a touch of salt.  Mix well and let set while the chicken cooks.  Slice a fresh pineapple into thick pieces and put on the grill when the chicken is almost done.

When the chicken is cooked, remove from the grill, let it set for a couple of minutes, then slice against the grain into 1" pieces, spoon the salsa over the top.  Serve with a pineapple spear.  Serve with some fresh asparagus,  and a salad.

This is a really quick meal, light in calories, and wonderfully delicious.  I guarantee you will make it often.

Thanks for stopping by.
Ciao for now.
Grayce

GORGONZOLA CHICKEN

Good morning.  Well as they used to say on KMET today is hump day.  The middle of the week and two days to the weekend.  Even if you work at home, the weekend is just a special time that everyone looks forward to.  Here in California with the temperatures hovering around one hundred, it is going to be a mad dash to the beaches.  Or maybe to the cool of an air conditioned movie.  Or just sitting in the house with the air on just to get some blessed relief from the heat.

Today I have a very decadent chicken recipe for you.  It is so good you really will want to lick your plate.  Not to mention that it is just as good or better the next day if you happen to have any left over. I got this recipe from my sister, who got it from a friend, who got it from a friend etc.  All I know is that it is well worth posting.

CHICKEN BREAST WITH GORGONZOLA
Lightly brown chicken (3 or 4 chicken breasts) in butter and season with salt and pepper.  Remove to a baking dish and add drippings from pan and a little water.  Cover and place in oven at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

Sauce: (this is the decadent part)
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/4 pound Gorgonzola cheese (crumbled)
1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Melt butter in a large skillet.  When butter foams (don't burn or let it get brown), add cream and bring to a boil.  Add the Gorgonzola.  Stir and cook 3 to 4 minutes over low heat, until cheese is melted and cream begins to thicken.  Season with salt and pepper.  Remove from heat and add the Parmesan cheese.

Take chicken from the oven and pour most of the liquid off.  Pour sauce over the chicken and place back in the oven for about 10 minutes.  Serve over rice.

This is so good you won't care how many calories it has, so don't even think about it :)

Try it soon.  thanks for stopping in today.
Ciao for now.
Grayce

HAWAIIAN CHICKEN

Good morning everyone.  Boy is it hot!  Not even seven and you can feel a scorcher coming on.  Every year at this time, just when the kids go back to school, the heat comes rushing into California hotter than ever.  Luckily, the schools are air conditioned or they would probably have to have some days off.  Speaking of school days, when my kids were in school, any time there was a need for cookies, cakes, cupcakes etc.  It was always my kids who raised their hands and said, "my Mom will bake."  That was because I was always always baking something, bread, cookies you name it.  And always cooking in general.  In fact one time when the teacher asked who could bring cupcakes, one of my son Ed's friend raised his hand and said, "Ed's Mom will."  Anyway when Ed was in 5th grade his class was going to celebrate the end of the school year down at the beach.  (it was only about 15 minutes away in Corona del Mar.)  So this time I did the volunteering.  I would make Hawaiian Chicken for 40 people.  Good grief, learn to keep your mouth shut girl!  Just kidding.  I loved to do it.  It was a huge success, and to this day it is one of the family favorites.  So today I give you Hawaiian Chicken.  So yummy.

1 whole chicken cut up, or 4 breast (with skin) or legs and breasts, whatever combo you like
Put 1/4 cup of olive oil into a dutch oven , dredge the chicken in flour and brown the chicken on all sides.  Remove from the pot , and add 1 1/2 cups of orange juice, 1 bottle of Heinz chile sauce, and 1/4 cup of dark molasses.  Cut one green pepper into chunks and add to the sauce.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.  Lightly salt and pepper the chicken pieces and add to the mixture.  Cover and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for approximately 2 hours until the sauce is bubbling and has thickened.  Five minutes before taking it out of the oven add 1 can of drained pineapple pieces.  Serve over rice.  Believe me, your family will ask you to make this often.  I still make it for mine.

Have a great day.  Thanks again for stopping by.
Ciao
Grayce