Dinner – Page 11 – Parmesan Princess

24
Mar
2014

Panko Ricotta Eggplant Parmesan!! Plus, Learn How To Take The Bitterness Out Of Your Eggplant!!

categories: Dinner, Homemade Italian, Recipes, Shopping

They say the perfect eggplant is “tight-skinned” “fresh” and “young”…Yeah, yeah, yeah sounds like a mom in her 30s worst nightmare!! Well, you will be happy to hear these “types” don’t exist in Western, PA! The eggplants, that is. Ours are slightly older, a little looser, more bitter…

Since we don’t get the ripe, young eggplants, to get the best taste we need to degorge!!

Cut off the ends. Peel off skin. Thinly slice. Sprinkle with salt in a colander for 20 mins. Rinse and pay dry!! — Cut off the ends. Peel off skin. Thinly slice. Sprinkle with salt in a colander for 20 mins. Rinse and pat dry!!

Degorging takes out any bitter taste and really makes the dish delicious!

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, rinsed,peeled and thinly sliced
3 cups tomato sauce
3 cups ricotta
1 tbsp. each thyme rosemary basil
3 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
2 tbsp. milk

Directions:
Preheat oven 350!
Spoon 1/4 cup sauce in bottom of 9X13 baking dish. Spread around with spatula.
Prepare egg coating by beating with milk.
Dip eggplant rounds in egg and then cover in Panko breadcrumbs. Create a layer of these in the dish.

Use different sized eggplant rounds to cover as much of the pan as possible!

Next add a layer of ricotta topped with mozzarella and Parmesan.

Layer it up! Finish with sauce and cover with mozzarella cheese and parmesan

Follow with a layer of sauce then another layer of eggplant.

Cover with foil.
Bake 45 mins at 350 covered.
Remove the foil and bake another 10-15 mins until cheese is melted and it is bubbling a bit.

Panko browns on the edges! I made a salad and serve a nice ciabatta! — Panko browns on the edges! I made a salad and served a nice ciabatta!

Let it sit for 15 mins before serving!
Always serve with additional freshly grated Parmesan! Enjoy!

Ciao!

21
Mar
2014

Happy Friday!! Gotta Love Skinnygirl Bethenny Frankel’s Recipes For A Skinny Life! Have You Tried Her Mexican Chili Or Her Cocktails?? It is 5 O’Clock Somewhere, Right?? Salute!

categories: Dinner, Healthy Living, Recipes

Skinnygirl Bethenny Frankel created a healthy way of living with her skinny recipes! From low carb, no carb to superfoods, she has paved the way for reinventing mac’n cheese, burgers and even desserts! It is no wonder she has gone from a Real Housewife of NY and “skinny chef” to having her own liquor line and a daytime talk show with her name “Bethenny!”

Photo courtesy of www.theartfulgourmet.com Kristen Hess! I popped on her site and picked up a quick recipe from Mario Lopez! Avocado, mozzarella, tomato salad on a toothpick! Add a basil leaf. Drizzle with olive oil - salt and pepper! What a great app, Slater!! — Photo courtesy of www.theartfulgourmet.com Kristen Hess! I popped on her site and picked up a quick recipe from Mario Lopez! Avocado, mozzarella, tomato salad on a toothpick! Add a basil leaf. Drizzle with olive oil – salt and pepper!

What a healthy and easy app, Slater!! Thanks!

Whether you have tasted her Skinnygirl cocktails or love her balls to the wall attitude, Bethenny is a real mom with a great product! Who says what she thinks! Love that !!

I am a fan of Skinnygirl margarita! But Bethenny's skinny fried chicken recipe is amazing! — I am a fan of Skinnygirl margarita! I earned my shirt a long time ago when Bethenny’s skinny fried chicken recipe won over my family…amazing!

I want to share some of her favorite skinny recipes…from her book “Naturally Thin”
Try this recipe!

Bethenny’s Mexican Chili

According to Bethenny,

“This is a popular recipe on my Web site. It substitutes ground turkey for the typical ground beef; or you can just skip the turkey if you want a vegetarian version. If beans bug you, you can even leave those out. It will still be good. This chili also tastes great the next day!

Ingredients
1/2 medium onion, chopped
Nonstick cooking spray
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 each red and yellow bell pepper (or half a bell pepper of any color), chopped
1 small can of pureed tomatoes or tomato sauce (about 8 ounces)
1/2 cup zucchini, chopped
1/4 pound ground turkey breast
1/4 cup canned red pinto beans, drained and rinsed

Cooking Directions

Over medium-high heat, saute the onion in a nonstick skillet coated in cooking spray until soft. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Stir in the garlic and bell peppers, and cook until the peppers are soft and the garlic is golden but not burned.
Stir in the tomato sauce and the zucchini.
When all the vegetables are soft, add the turkey breast and beans.
Let the chili simmer for at least 10 or 15 minutes. The longer you simmer, the better the flavor.
Serve.”

This chili is awesome!! Plus it’s Friday!! Serve with Skinnygirl margaritas and tortilla chips for the perfect Friday happy hour! It is Lent…leave out the meat, no problem!

Ciao!!

18
Mar
2014

Superfood Quinoa Crockpot Stuffed Peppers!! Anti-aging Disease Preventing…Yes, Please!!

categories: Crockpot, Dinner, Recipes

The term “superfood” is used by nutritionists, doctors and scientists to describe foods with extremely high nutritional benefits and obvious disease fighting chemical properties. Dr. Oz is pretty convincing in his arguments promoting superfoods for anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, cancer fighting, cancer prevention and the overall health of our bodies’ systems!

Some of Dr. Oz’s favorites:
Sweet potatoes
Kale
Black soy beans
Quinoa
Red wine

In our crazy busy worlds, let’s try to add some superfoods a few times each week. Ever heard of chia?? It can add 10+ years to your life! Look for plenty of chia recipes coming soon!!!! All I need to hear is anti-aging, cancer preventing and red wine and I’m in!!

So Here it is:

Superfood Quinoa Crockpot Stuffed Peppers

Be healthy , look younger and feel great!!

Ingredients:
5-6 whole peppers- hollowed out and de-seeded with the tops cut of (see photo)
2tbsp. Olive oil
2 cloves garlic pressed
1 small onion chopped
5 carrots peeled and chopped
3 celery stalks chopped
1/3 cup chopped spinach
1 35oz can San Marzano tomatoes
1-1/2 cups quinoa- cooked
2tsp. of Salt/pepper/sage
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

I keep the ‘hats”, the top of the peppers you cut off, for a cute presentation!

Directions:
Cook quinoa according to package -3 cups water cook until tender,quinoa will absorb water

1 cup quinoa 2 cups water -it absorbs the liquid!

Meanwhile,
Add olive oil to frying pan on medium heat and add garlic

Add carrots, celery, and onion and cook 5-10 minutes

Add can of tomatoes.

As soon as carrots start to soften, add tomatoes!

Let it cook another 10 minutes

Add chopped spinach last

In a large mixing bowl, add quinoa to veggies and stir until blended.

Carefully spoon mixture into peppers

Mix well together. Taste - add extra salt, pepper, sage or spice it up with some cayenne pepper! — Mix well together. Taste – add extra salt, pepper, sage or spice it up with some cayenne pepper!

Add 2 cups of water to crockpot.

Set peppers in crockpot

Peppers will hold each other up in the crockpot! Be sure to see how many fit and choose your peppers accordingly! Maybe you need tall peppers instead of fat!

Cook on low for 3-4 hours

**Careful not to overcook the peppers!! You cannot cook them all day in the crockpot or you will end up with Quinoa Stuffed Pepper Soup!!**

Serve with a simple salad.
Always top off with freshly grated parmesan!! Enjoy!

17
Mar
2014

Happy St.Patrick’s Day!! Wow Your Family With A Traditional Irish Meal! Quick and Easy Shepherd’s Pie!!

categories: Dinner, Recipes

Happy St.Patrick’s Day!!

Surprise your family with a Quick and Easy Shepherd’s Pie!

In crockpot:

1lb. Ground beef

1 small onion

2cloves of garlic chopped

4strips bacon chopped

1/2 cup tomato sauce

1/2 cup water

Salt and pepper

Let this cook 4-6 hours

30 mins before dinner,

51/2 cups Mashed potatoes (without milk and butter)

2 eggs

Pinch of Salt

Spread mashed potatoes in a greased pie plate bottom and sides.

Layer with the drained beef mixture and then top with more potatoes.

Brush pie with melted butter

Bake at. 375 for 20 mins!

Enjoy!
Ciao!

10
Mar
2014

Kick Monday’s Ass!!! Get dinner done early and get more done today!!! Try my super easy Crockpot Chicken Tacos!!

categories: Crockpot, Dinner, Recipes

I love to use my crockpot! It is an amazing feeling to have dinner cooking by 9am! Start early in the morning, throw everything in and it is ready by dinner time! We are never home during the day, so I feel comfortable leaving the crockpot cooking!!

Don’t have every ingredient when you start? No problem! Neither do I most of the time! Just start with your base and your meat and get it cooking! We cannot stand mushy overcooked veggies in this house, so it is better to add the fresh veggies later! Add them at 4 when you get home and dinner is ready by 5:30!

Crockpot Chicken Tacos

Ingredients:

Crockpot
1-2 lb.boneless skinless chicken breasts- frozen or fresh!
1 cup salsa
1/4 cup taco seasoning
1 onion chopped
1 pepper chopped
1 22oz. can diced tomatoes
1 14oz. can black beans

Non Crockpot ingredients:
10 Taco shells soft/hard
1 c.Shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 c.Shredded Mexican cheese
1/2 c.Diced tomatoes
Sour cream

Recipe:
Put salsa, diced tomatoes, chicken chopped onions and taco seasoning in crockpot.
Set time for 6 hours on high.
Add peppers, black beans and all other crockpot ingredients in last 1-2 hours.
Let cook.

Serve in shells with your favorite toppings!

Feel free to add hot salsa, hot sauce or Cayenne pepper to make it spicy!

Enjoy!

28
Feb
2014

Father, Son, Holy SHRIMP!- Try my Friday Menu! Panko Parmesan Zucchini Fries, Roasted Red Pepper and Pineapple Quinoa Coleslaw and OldBay Steamed Shrimp!

categories: Dinner, Recipes, Sides

Why do we eat cheese pizza every Friday during Lent? Why do we wear our black blouse, silver jewels, favorite jeans and boots every time we don’t know what to wear? We are content-it is easy- everybody will eat it. There are many awesome alternatives! Have you ever tried quinoa??

Let me share with you a quick, delicious menu! Panko Parmesan Zucchini Fries, Roasted Red Pepper and Pineapple Quinoa Coleslaw and OldBay Steamed Shrimp!! Voila!

Panko Parmesan Zucchini fries

Ingredients:
2 zucchini peeled and cut into 1/2 inch thick rectangles
2 eggs
1tbsp milk
1c.flour
2c.Panko bread crumbs
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Beat eggs and add milk
Set up your assembly line- zuchinni strips – beaten egg bath-flour, Breadcrumbs

Cut zucchini in half or leave long for long fries!

Dip and dunk each stick!

Shake on your Parmesan!

Place on an untreated stoneware pan or a jelly roll pan sprayed with Pam.
Bake for 15mins at 400 degrees- flip for 10 mins. Until golden brown

Roasted Red Pepper and Pineapple Quinoa Coleslaw
Ingredients:
1/2 jar Mancini red peppers chopped

I use these for everything! Great as a Pizza topping!

1/4 c.quinoa
1 bag coleslaw mix
1 can crushed pineapple
1tbsp. Spicy mustard
1tbsp. Olive oil
salt/pepper

Directions:

Boil quinoa for 10 mins.in 2 cups of water and then simmer for 15 mins

Boil and simmer with lid for 15 mins. Turn off heat until liquid is absorbed! — Turn off heat and let sit until liquid is absorbed!

In a large bowl mix coleslaw mix , red peppers, quinoa with spicy mustard, olive oil mixture

Add salt and pepper to taste!

Old Bay Steamed Shrimp
I use equal parts beer- yes beer! – white vinegar and water! Excellent recipe!! Cook only until pink!! Once the water is at a boil throw in thawed shrimp!! Love love love!!!

Old Bay shrimp!
http://www.oldbay.com/Recipes/Shrimp/Appetizers/OLD-BAY-Steamed-Shrimp-with-Cocktail-Sauce.aspx

Miss Bella and I visited Penn Ave Fish Company today! We found the freshest seafood and a wonderful surprise!!! The best fish tacos I have found, yet..spicy!!! Sushi bar and a dining room if you visit for lunch. Just walk in and buy fresh fish!

Category: Dinner