Update on Sustainability post...

After much thought, Michael and I purchased a half share with our local CSA.  I'm up for the culinary challenge.  Stay tuned in June for weekly creations. It'll be like Iron Chef in my kitchen...only with multiple secret, unknown ingredients.  And no competitors.  Ok, it won't be like Iron Chef at all, but Michael will still bite into a green pepper and reveal our basket full of surprises.


Oh, and the half share comes with eggs.  So key.

RECIPE: Light Eggplant Parmesan

The other night I was in the mood for Eggplant Parmesan AND Chicken Parmesan.

As a compromise, I made Parmesan crusted chicken cutlets with a light eggplant side.  The doc has ordered that I cut my carb intake so here's a carb conscious way to enjoy some Italian comfort food.  I broil the eggplant instead of breading it and use no sugar added tomato sauce (which tastes better anyway). The eggplant dish is inspired from a recipe I read in Bon Apetit a while back, but I simplified it to cut it down to 2-3 servings and ingredients that are on hand.  Also, allow yourself about an hour of prep time because removing the moisture from the eggplant takes some waiting.  Who said you can't have your eggplant and your chicken too?

Light Eggplant Parmesan
Serves 2-3 with leftovers (bump it up with 2 eggplants)

1 large purple eggplant, sliced thinly lengthwise
1 jar no sugar added tomato sauce (Colivata makes a good one so does Whole Foods)
1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced into coins
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 15 oz container of part skim Ricotta
1 egg, beaten
1/2 package frozen spinach, thawed and well-drained
8 or so basil leaves


The Eggplant

Prep:
Salt the eggplant slices with course salt and line a colander with the slices, layering them as you go.  Be careful not to over salt.  Allow to drain for 30-60 minutes.  Rub excess salt off/dry with paper towel.

Adjust the oven rack to the top position and preheat the broiler.  Brush both sides of each slice of eggplant with olive oil or spray with olive oil spray, and lay flat on a baking sheet.  Broil each side, about 4 minutes each side.  Set aside and cool.  Keep oven on, but heat to 350 degrees.

The Filling

In a small mixing bowl, combine the egg, 3/4 of the Ricotta cheese in the container, 1/4 cup of Parmesan and the spinach.

Assemble

In a small casserole dish, spray with olive oil spray and spread half of the sauce on the bottom.  Take one slice of eggplant and place a spoonful of filling in the middle.  Roll width wise (short side in) and place seam side down in the dish.  Repeat and line side by side in the casserole dish.  Pour the rest of the sauce over the rolled eggplants.  On each roll, place a basil lead and a mozzarella coin.  Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.  (below, right before the oven)

Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.  Remove foil and bake until the cheese is bubbly and brown.  Pair with the chicken recipe below.  Or don't.  It's your world, I just cook in it!

RECIPE: Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

Serves 3-4

1/2 cup flour mixed with a pinch of salt and pepper  

1 egg beaten

1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese (not the stuff in the can. I take shredded parm and grate in a small food processor)

2-3 chicken breasts sliced into cutlets (See note)

Olive oil

Coat each cutlet with flour mixture (in a shallow dish or put flour mixture in a plastic bag to evenly coat) shake well to take off excess flour, dip in the egg, then coat both sides with the grated Parmesan until well covered.

Cook both sides of cutlet in hot olive oil until cooked through.   I use a non-stick for this one.  Outside should become golden with some brown edges. These cutlets should be thin...so cooking time isn't that long.  165 degrees on the meat thermometer for chicken.

Drain on paper towels.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt if desired.

The crust is so very crispy and cheesy.  I don't like breaded cutlets because they are often greasy and soggy...but these come out perfect each time. This chicken goes great with just about anything.   I pair it with steamed veggies.  Or sometimes over pasta with fresh parsley and a flavored olive oil.  You can even make it the base for a quick chicken parm...after draining just melt some cheese over it in the oven and serve it with some pasta and marinara.  Sometimes I put it on a bun for a "fried" chicken sandwich.  You can also change up the flour mixture to flavor it up a little more.  Or..instead of chicken, I've used tilapia fillets.  They work great too.  Go with it.

 

Note: Start with the chicken breast flat on a cutting board, slice parallel to the board carefully through the thickest section and open like a book. This should create two halves.  Separate) Or you can pound them thin.

RECIPE: Olive a Whiskey Old Fashioned

I stumbled upon this Midwestern gem in the hotel bar inside the Radisson in LaCrosse, WI so I can only take credit for my cute name for this cocktail.  Michael has always been a huge fan of the Old Fashioned, and according to him and every other Wisconsinite I met on my trip out there, you can’t find a decent Old Fashioned anywhere on either coast.  Well then.  Today I do not bring you cheese, or beer, or cured meats from the fly-over state (is that offensive?)…I bring you the Whiskey Old Fashioned with a little something special.

Olive a Whiskey Old Fashioned

1.5-2oz of Seagrams Seven Whiskey

1 sugar packet (or cube, or eyeball a little more than a teaspoon and a half)

1 small orange slice (the equivalent to about a 1/16 of a large orange)

3-4 dashes of bitters

1 maraschino cherry

Splash of soda water

Splash of Squirt lemon lime (soooo Midwestern)

2 olives for garnish

In an empty rocks glass add orange slice, sugar and cherry.  Add 3-4 dashes of bitters.  Splash in a bit of soda water to activate the bitters.  Muddle well.  Fill with booze, ice and top off with a little Squirt.  Garnish with 2 olive.

An olive you ask?  It equalizes the bitters and the sweetness I was told.  And they were absolutely right.  Cheers.

Restaurants "Unleashed" Week

Here's a second chance at Restaurant Week.  RAMW (Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington) has released a list of restaurants participating in effort to make up for lost business due to the Snowtorious 2010.  Sorry I'm getting this to you late, but you still have some time, and these look like some good deals:

http://www.ramw.org/pdf/Unleashed%20Database.pdf

An Evening with Friends (RECIPE: Mac'n Cheese Stuffed Mushroom Caps)

Michael is home for good from his deployment...which means celebration eating.  This translates to liberal use of bacon, butter, cheese, and elastic banded pants.  I've included all in the following recipe.  We had our close friends Anthony and Nicole over for some cocktails, scallops and this crazy concoction outlined below.  My inspiration is drawn from a similar dish I had at Patrick M's house.  I've tweaked it here and there but the concept, I must admit is his.  Macaroni and cheese...in a portabella mushroom cap.  We were fortunate enough to have Tonic's star bartender Anthony Rivera as a dinner guest, serving up his Tamarind Rickey.  You can use any old mac n 'cheese recipe, but here's one I've developed over the years:

Macaroni and Cheese Stuffed Mushroom Caps 

Serves 6 with leftovers

Box of macaroni pasta

1/2 medium onion, finely grated

Couple of glugs of white truffle oil (optional)

2 tablespoons of butter

2 tablespoons of flour

2-3 slices of bacon

2 cups of milk

Dash of white pepper

1 1/2 cup of shredded Gruyere cheese

1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar

Handful of chopped chives for garnish

Salt

Mushroom caps

6 portabella mushroom caps

Olive oil or spray

The Shrooms

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Wipe any dirt on the mushroom caps...you don't know where they've been, and you don't want to know where they grow.  Once they are nice and clean remove the stems and scoop out the "gills" with a spoon.  Rub them in olive oil or spray them down with some olive oil spray and place stem side down on a baking sheet.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Keep the oven on.

The Magic

Boil water for the pasta.

Cook the bacon until done in a medium sauce pan.  Remove the bacon, resist the urge to eat a slice, chop and set aside for garnish.  Pour out the bacon fat except maybe a half tablespoon, reserve the rest to drink with your morning coffee.  In the same pan, add grated onion and cook until soft at medium heat.  The onions almost dissolve at this point.  Add butter and melt. Once the butter has completely melted, carefully whisk in the flour.  This will act as a thickening agent, as if the cheese won't be enough.  Continue to whisk the flour and butter/onion mixture for about a minute or two.  Ensure they are combined well.  If you don't cook this roux long enough, your sauce will have a floury taste.  Stirring for about 2 minutes at a medium heat should ensure that the flour is cooked through.  

Slowly whisk in the milk.  Bring mixture to a boil.  (Speaking of boil, add the pasta to your water and cook according directions.  Remove pasta right before it is al dente.).  Lower medium low and slowly whisk in the Gruyere until well combined and creamy.   Add more milk if the mixture seems a little too thick.  If your sauce is too thin, add a buerre manié (see note fancy pants). Salt and white pepper to taste.

To the strained pasta, stir in a glug of white truffle oil.  It keeps the pasta from sticking as well as adding a ton of flavor.  And fat.  

Combine the glorious cheesy sauce with the carbohydrate and mix. 

Spoon pasta mixture on to caps.  Cover with the shredded cheese.  Bake until the cheese has melted.  Carefully remove caps from the baking sheet and sprinkle with chives and bacon.  Serve with a side salad (pictured: baby spinach salad with craisins,  walnuts and a sweet dijon vinagrette).  There should be some pasta left over if you only stuffed 6 caps.

 

Promise yourself you will do some strength training in the morning.  Maybe even some cardio.  

Note: a buerre manié is a paste made from flour and butter to thicken sauces.  Just take equal parts flour and some room temp butter and mash it with a fork until well combined.  Add to sauce.  This method ensures that there aren't chunks of flour in your sauce.

Something to think about: Sustainability

I can't stop hearing/reading about it so I decided to do a little research. It seems to be the hip thing to do (and I'll actually buy into this rather than skinny jeans, Vampire Weekend, and Wayfarers).  Since I'm not much of a writer, here's something I completely ripped off of the Local Harvest website:

" Over the last 20 years, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) has become a popular way for consumers to buy local, seasonal food directly from a farmer. Here are the basics: a farmer offers a certain number of "shares" to the public. Typically the share consists of a box of vegetables, but other farm products may be included. Interested consumers purchase a share (aka a "membership" or a "subscription") and in return receive a box (bag, basket) of seasonal produce each week throughout the farming season." 


After doing some research in my area on costs of shares, I came across some reasonable prices: $300 for 16 weeks (Potomac Vegetable Farms) or $710 for 20 weeks, eggs and veggies at Virginia Green Grocer, Certified Organic  for a half share.  The seasons usually start in the spring and go into the fall.  Something to think about.