Pizza

Pizza

stuffed eggplant

I’ve prepared eggplant before, mainly sliced into about 1 inch slices and prepared.

A different method this time. Basically sliced lengthwise, scoop out some of the interior leaving a shell (x2).

Prepare your favorite stuffing with the removed eggplant diced.

Sparing the details, such as peeling the eggplant, and salting and draining etc, precook the shells in an oven.

Add the stuffing to the shells and baked again till cooked through and soft.

Not the most appetizing pictures of the finished product but similar to a pizza with an eggplant crust.

the shells before baking

prepped ingredients and stuffing preparation

pre baking the shells

A small amount of cooked rice added with sauteed onion,diced green pepper and celery along with seasoning.Later, (not shown) add tomato sauce, diced, cooked sausage. spoon into shells, top with sliced mozzarella cheese.

The finished meal , Placing one of the shelves at the upper most position results in a broiler effect if you like the eggplant a bit more well done. Oven temp was about 350 degrees F Timing was by eye.

thick crust pizza with cheese, greens and herbs

Just a quick pizza with some greens and herbs from the hydroponic garden added at the last few minutes of baking

Eggplant calzoné

Sliced, salted and drained eggplant , with a simple tomato sauce with oregano and garlic. Add some mozzarella and a sprinkling of parmesean. Wrapped in the tipoOO flour based dough. 

The eggplant  was fried in olive oil, till browned slightly.

Ready!

Sorry didn’t get any pictures of filling when done, too delicious, they disappeared !!

But wait! Extra dough left over for supper the next night……

Chicken three cheese pizza, 1/2 chicken , 1/2 sauce and cheese. Parm, mozzarella,Romano.

Eggplant cassarole (updated)

Ah ! Eggplant again ! How about a different preparation? A lasagne type cassarole this time , prep ahead to be later baked.

Make up a quick batch of dough, eggs , flour and salt pulsed in a food processor, kneaded and let rest.

Peel and slice horizontally the egg plants  (2  medium, )about 1/4 inch thick, sandwich between layers of paper towel after salting o both sides, apply weight and let stand about 30 minutes. Rinse with plain water.

Tomato sauce already prepared. Cook ground beef, also canned red beans to bulk up the cassarole.

My cheese will be the typical store b ought sliced mozzarella

.

Ready?   Oops !  roll out the pasta dough also.

Assemble the layer as you see fit to vary the ingredients, on the fly measurements, so amounts will dictate the layers.

Ok , done , to the fridge for baking tomorrow.

Now the finished product, It was just the right consistency, not overly juicy, easily sliced. 

Thin pasta and meat, red beans, eggplant throughout. Minimal sauce and cheese. 

Excellent when cool or even cold from the fridge.

braciole

I don’t even know how to pronounce this but my wife had bought some at the store for me, frozen, now thawed, it was time to cook them.

Having mozzarella cheese in them I knew I couldn’t cook them too long. So I just browned them and braised them stove top for a short period of time.

 

In a large pot with olive oil browning.

After turning it and browning the sides I added a bit of stock, covered the pot and cooked a short time , about 10 minutes.

Plated up with rice and veggies.

Not bad for a store bought piece of beef.

I would like to try this and make it with different ingredients, mushrooms  with onions would be good.

BTW these were tied with butchers twine around the circumference.

served with a dark Porter, Home-brewed of course.

http://peabodypico.wordpress.com/2014/03/08/english-porter-30/

 

PIZZA, White and wheat flour

Pizza, deep dish, cast iron skillet baked, Hodgson Mills white and wheat flour (about 1 wheat to5 white ratio), Bottos chorizo sausage, delMonte (canned) diced tomatoes, Balgioioso mozzarella, Locatelli Pecorino Romano, olive oil, chopped garlic and garden picked oregano and green onion garnish 10/15/10. Nice texture, taste , good crunch, satisfying.