Ethnic: Mediterranean :: 2/4

Archive for Ethnic: Mediterranean – Page 2

Aunt Rose’s Baked Ziti

By Leslie · Comments (2) · December 20th, 2011

As I have mentioned, I lost my Great Aunt Rose a few weeks ago. Being without her around the holidays is going to be a challenge. Christmas around my family is always a large ordeal. There can be up to 80 people at my Aunt Carol’s for Christmas dinner! Always a fabulous time! My Aunt Rose contributed plenty of food! Her signatures were always baked ziti and braciole.

I find a beautiful way to keep the memory of a loved one around is through food. I find such joy in making family recipes! I just love the tradition and you can almost feel the love of that person come through their dishes. So here is my Aunt Rose’s recipe for baked ziti that I have altered slightly by adding eggplant and spinach.

Baked Ziti

This recipe serves 4 large portions or 9 small ones (you can easily double and bake in a 9×12 dish)

1/2 lb. of ziti

1/2 eggplant, cut into 1 inch cubes

tomato sauce, yours or my recipe

1 cup ricotta cheese

a couple handfuls of fresh spinach, roughly chopped

a few leaves of fresh basil, roughly sliced

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

a handful of grated parmesan cheese

a sprinkle of dried oregano

What you’ll do:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Make your tomato sauce. Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box until very al dente (chewy) The noodle will cook more in the oven and you don’t want them to get too limp. When the noodles are done, toss them in some tomato sauce to coat. (this will prevent sticking) Lightly saute the eggplant cubes in some olive oil with a pinch of salt till they just begin to turn golden.

Now for assembly. Spread some tomato sauce at the bottom of the baking dish. (so the pasta doesn’t stick)

then put a couple spoonfuls of pasta down, the eggplant, the roughly chopped spinach, some chopped basil and the ricotta cheese. (for an extra surprise, sprinkle in some toasted pine nuts)

Add another layer of ziti, then a little more sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and sprinkle with just a little dried oregano.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until the cheese starts to bubble and turn golden. Serve with some extra tomato sauce for people like me who love tons of sauce!

I hope you enjoy as much as I do!

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Comments (2)

Categories : Ethnic: Mediterranean, recipes

Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto

By Leslie · Comments (4) · October 3rd, 2011

Whether we are ready for it or not, Fall is here. October means leaves changing, cooler weather, and Fall vegetables coming to the markets. On my last trip to Trader Joe's, I picked up a beautiful butternut squash and decided to make some risotto. Risotto has a bad reputation of being super difficult to make, but in reality, it's super easy! You just have to pay attention. Risotto is also an excellent dish for having people over because just about everyone loves it, it's gluten-free, and it's hearty enough to satisfy any meat eater. By pan frying the butternut squash instead of roasting, you get a nice texture on the squash and the flavor will explode in the risotto.

Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto

Serves 4

What you'll need:

olive oil

1 butternut squash, diced into bite size pieces

1 medium onion, diced

5-6 large cloves of garlic, chopped

2 cups aborio rice

4-5 cups of vegetable stock

1 1/2-2 cups white wine

5-6 sage leaves, chopped finely

optional:

a handful of grated parmesan cheese

What you'll do:

Now you are going to need three burners for this dish; don't freak out! You can do it

In a large frying pan on medium high heat, drizzle in some olive oil and add in the diced butternut squash. Brown on all sides and remove from heat.

In a medium pot on medium low heat, heat up the vegetable stock. You just want to heat it up, you don't want it to boil.

In a large shallow pot on medium, drizzle in some olive oil and add in the onion and the aborio rice. Saute until the rice turns a barely golden color. Reduce heat to medium low.

Add in a cup of the vegetable stock and mix.

So this is where risotto gets it's bad reputation. You have to stand over the pot and pay attention.

When the liquid is almost entirely absorbed, add in another cup of broth. Continue to do this for about 20 minutes. This will happen fairly quickly. After about 10 minutes add in the chopped garlic and alternately add wine and broth. When the rice is al dente add in the last dosage of the liquid. The risotto should not be too dry or it will become chewy.

Mix in the sage and the optional cheese. Then gently add in the butternut squash.

Serve immediately!

Enjoy!!

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Comments (4)

Categories : Ethnic: Mediterranean, gluten free, Risotto, Vegetables: Butternut Squash

Golden Tomato Sauce

By Leslie · Comments (3) · September 28th, 2011

I got a few pounds of these gorgeous golden tomatoes at Green String Farm and I knew immediately I wanted to make a golden tomato sauce. It may look a little strange, but since these tomatoes are uber sweet the flavor was fantastic! I served it over some fresh spinach linguini. You could also make this recipe with red roma tomatoes.

Golden Tomato Sauce

Serves 6

What you'll need:

2 1/4 lb. golden roma tomatoes, diced

1 medium onion, diced

4-6 cloves of garlic, chopped

What you'll do:

In a large frying pan over medium heat, add in a few swirls of olive oil, the onions, and a big pinch of salt. Saute the onions until they are soft. Add in the garlic and the tomatoes. Saute on medium-medium low until the tomatoes breakdown. About 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender or transferring to a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve over pasta.

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Comments (3)

Categories : Ethnic: Mediterranean, Pasta, Vegetables: Tomato

Super Easy Creamy Tomato Bowties

By Leslie · Comments (2) · September 15th, 2011

Tonight was one of those nights… There was nothing in the fridge… I stared at the ketchup and mustard for a few minutes trying to figure out if I could make anything with them. When I'm in this position, there is only one thing that really helps me. I go through the refrigerator and pantry and take out all the ingredients I think I could use and place them on the counter. Then I mix and match them up to see what I can make. Can you tell I'm a visual learner? Well, with everything out there on the counter I decided on using the onion, tomato paste, garlic, leftover cream, and some pasta. Honestly, I've never made a sauce like this before, but it turned out really, really delicious! By the way, it comes together as fast as boiling and cooking the pasta!

Super Easy Creamy Tomato Bowties

Serves 2

What you'll need:

1/2 lb. bowtie pasta (you could also use penne or any other fun shape)

1/4 onion, sliced or diced (whatever you like)

4 cloves of garlic, chopped

3 oz. tomato paste (1/2 of those little cans)

4 tbsp. cream

4-5 basil leaves, thinly sliced

What you'll do:

In a medium size pot, boil some water and cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. While you are waiting for that, place a large frying pan on the stove and turn on medium heat. Add in a drizzle of olive oil and the onion. Let it get happy for a minute and when they start to get shiny add in the garlic. Turn the heat down a little and add in the tomato paste. With the back of a spoon, break up the paste and mix with the onions and garlic. Turn the heat to low and add in the cream. Carefully stir together until the sauce is smooth.

By now the pasta should be perfectly al dente. When it's ready, turn the heat off the pot and use a slotted spoon to put the pasta right in the sauce. Don't throw the the water out just yet! Toss the pasta and sauce together and add in spoonfuls of the hot pasta water to thin to the right consistency. Toss in some fresh basil and serve.

I hope you enjoy!

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Comments (2)

Categories : Ethnic: Mediterranean, Pasta

Sunday Rice

By Leslie · Comments (1) · September 8th, 2011

Yes, I'm aware that it's only Thursday, but this is the kind of dish that is perfect for the end of the week. It's one of those dishes that uses up those items in your refrigerator that you've been trying to figure out what to do with all week. Lots of the ingredients in this can be subbed out to accommodate what you already have. I used this great rice/lentil blend that I found in the bulk bins at Whole Foods, but any rice or pasta will work for this as well.

Sunday Rice

Serves 4

What you'll need:

1 lb. of rice, quinoa or pasta

1 small or 1/2 large eggplant, cubed

1 small or 1/2 large onion, diced

a couple handfuls of mushrooms

a handful of spinach, chard or whatever green you've got around

3 cloves of garlic

a couple handfuls of grape tomatoes, or any tomatoes, but if they are bigger, chop them

about 5 basil leaves, thinly sliced

pine nuts optional

What you'll do:

Put the rice or pasta on to cook. Cook according to the directions. That being said, if I'm making rice I usually will cook it in vegetable broth or toss in some chopped garlic and or onion into the pot to give it a little flavor.

While that is cooking, in the largest saute pan you have, saute the eggplant with some olive oil and a big sprinkle of salt on medium high heat. Toss a few times. When the eggplant is starting to get a little golden on the edges, reduce heat to medium and add in the onions. Toss together and about 2 minutes later, reduce the heat to medium low and add in the mushrooms. Again toss together and let cook for a few minutes. You may have to add another drizzle of olive oil if your eggplant absorbed it all. When the onions are soft and shiny, add in the garlic, greens (unless you are using spinach, then save it for the end), and tomatoes. Toss together.

When the rice/pasta is done cooking, pour it all into a large serving dish or bowl. In the frying pan, toss in the spinach, basil, and nuts. Gently mix it all together and pour right on top of your rice or pasta. Serve family style.

Of course you can always plate these individually as well.

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Comments (1)

Categories : Entrees, Ethnic: Mediterranean, Vegetables: Eggplant, Vegetables: Mushrooms, Vegetables: Tomato

Throw Another Pizza on the Barbie!

By Leslie · Comments (3) · July 28th, 2011

Wanna know the secret for making the best pizza you'll ever make at home? The barbecue! Yup, that's right, the barbecue is not just for hamburgers and hot dogs. Cooking pizza on the grill gives your crust that crisp bottom and soft center that we all love about pizza ovens.

So how do you do this you ask? Place your pizza stone right on the grill and heat the bbq up on high heat. The fact that the bbq can get well above 600 degrees is the real secret. Place the pizza on the pizza stone and close the lid. The pizza will cook pretty quickly, about 3-5 minutes depending on how hot your bbq gets.

Here is the recipe for my pizza dough and tomato sauce.

Now this particular pizza I added a few fun toppings. I sliced some tomatoes and basil from the garden and after it was done cooking I topped it with a big handful of arugula. Ever tried arugula on pizza? It's fantastic!

So get outside, fire up the barbie and make some pizza!

Comments (3)

Categories : Ethnic: Mediterranean, Pizza

Vegetarian Bolognese

By Leslie · Comments (0) · June 23rd, 2011

A staple in most Italian homes, bolognese sauce is hardly ever vegetarian, but it's so easy to take out the meat and make it that way. I was recently asked if I had a recipe for vegetarian bolognese and I realized I've never posted it! So here is my recipe adapted from my tomato sauce recipe, which is adapted from my Grandmother and Mothers. You may notice that there is no celery in this recipe. You are welcome to add it, I just don't love cooked celery. That's the great thing about a recipe like this, you can tailor it to whatever vegetables you like or dislike. I hope you enjoy!

PS this dish is vegan, but it's so filling, it's perfect to serve to anyone!

Vegetarian Bolognese

Serves 6-8 or 4 very hungry people : )

What you'll need:

1 onion, diced

56oz. (2 large cans) of whole tomatoes (I prefer san marzano if you can find them) If you have a garden full of tomatoes, definitely use fresh! You'll need about 3.5 pounds. Stew them before you add them in the recipe.

6oz (1 can) of tomato paste

a pinch of sugar

a dash of wine (optional)

1 carrot, sliced

15 mushrooms (1 package), sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 medium zucchini sliced and halved

1 pint of small grape tomatoes, halved

a large handful or two of spinach (or any green), sliced

6-8 cloves of garlic, sliced

a tiny dusting of cayenne pepper (optional)

fresh basil leaves, sliced

What you'll do:

First you have to make the base sauce. In a large pot pour 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil in to cover the bottom. Heat on medium and add in the onions and a big pinch of salt. Saute for about 2 minutes. Add in the canned tomatoes, paste, sugar, half of the garlic and wine (opt.). Stir and cover on medium low to low heat (you want a gentle simmer) for about 30 minutes. Stirring occasionally. NOTE: if your sauce becomes too thick at any point, add in a little water.

Now to add the vegetables. You are going to add in the order that takes longest to cook to shortest. So first in the sauce is the carrot. Let cook as you chop the other vegetables. NOTE: the key to a good bolognese sauce is not to overcook the vegetables! Mushy vegetables never taste good! You'll want to add in the vegetables about 20-30 minutes before you serve it. Next add in the mushrooms and bell pepper. Then the zucchini. And about 5 minutes to service, add in the fresh tomatoes, rest of the garlic, spinach, a dusting of cayenne and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning to your taste.

Serve over linguini or whatever pasta you like. Gluten free? It's just as good served over quinoa.

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Tools I Used:

My favorite Le Crueset Pot

the Wusthof knife (best knife in the world for cutting anything!)

San Marzano Tomatoes

Comments (0)

Categories : Ethnic: Mediterranean, Pasta, Vegetables

Grilled Eggplant Rollatini

By Leslie · Comments (3) · June 16th, 2011

In my family, eggplant rollatini is a staple at Christmas dinner, but the traditional version includes breading and frying the eggplant. So to keep this dish a little more healthy (and bikini season friendly) I grill the eggplant. It makes the dish so much more light and fresh! This dish is perfect alongside some pasta and eaten outside on a beautiful summer evening

PS I'm sorry I don't have a fabulous picture…. It just got too dark : (

Grilled Eggplant Rollatini

Serves 4

What you'll need:

1 large eggplant

tomato sauce (your recipe or mine)

12 basil leaves

about a cup of ricotta cheese (try making yours from scratch)

1 ball of fresh mozzarella

What you'll do:

Cut the ends off the eggplant and slice thinly lengthwise. Place the slices in a strainer and sprinkle with salt. Let sit for 15-20 minutes. Make your tomato sauce by following this recipe or yours.

**Super secret! When I make my tomato sauce in the summer, I add a secret ingredient for some bright, fresh flavor. I dice up some sun dried tomatoes and stir them in. They will plump up in the sauce and add the perfect amount of sweet tomato.

Back to the recipe! Pat the eggplant dry and grill inside or outside. Just make sure to use some olive oil on then so they don't stick.

Time to assemble: In a 9 X 9 baking dish, place about a 1/4 cup of tomato sauce in the bottom and spread around. This will keep the eggplant from sticking to the dish. On a flat workspace, lay a slice of eggplant out and place a basil leaf down, top that with a dollop of ricotta, followed by a piece of mozzarella. Roll them up and place them, seam side down, in the baking dish.

When you fill the dish, cover with a few more spoonfuls of cheese and top with the rest of the mozzarella.

Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Enjoy!

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Comments (3)

Categories : Ethnic: Mediterranean, Vegetables: Eggplant

Eggplant Caprese Skewers

By Leslie · Comments (3) · May 25th, 2011

I had some of my family over the other day and I wanted to come up with a new twist on caprese on a stick and this is what I came up with. I added some grilled eggplant to the mix and decided to use super long skewers to make them a little more fun! They turned out delicious and were a big hit with my family. I hope you enjoy as well!

Eggplant Caprese Skewers

Makes 22 skewers

What you'll need:

1 large eggplant, sliced thinly lengthwise and then cut in half, grilled and cooled

11 grape tomatoes, sliced in half

11 mini mozzarella balls, sliced in half

22 basil leaves

dressing:

1/3 balsamic vinegar

3/4 olive oil

a pinch of sugar or agave nectar

a pinch of salt

What you'll do:

To assemble pierce the tip of the end of an eggplant strip with a long skewer, then string on a tomato half, weave the eggplant back over and add a mozzarella piece. Repeat, but this time weave a basil leaf in there too. Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together. You can either drizzle some over the skewers or leave it in a little bowl next to it for people to dip their skewers in.

Enjoy!

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Tools I used:

Comments (3)

Categories : Appetizers, Ethnic: Mediterranean, Vegetables: Eggplant

Mini Eggplant Timbale

By Leslie · Comments (3) · February 10th, 2011

An Eggplant Timbale is a very traditional Italian dish that has been around as long as spaghetti and meatballs. It is like a big meat and pasta pie with an eggplant crust. . . I guess that's the best I can do to describe it. But yes, normally it's like a large pie that your slice up. I've been thinking about how to change up this dish forever and it finally hit me this morning when I was thinking about romantic food for Valentines Day. I was going to make them mini! Well, individual portions that is. They are so much prettier when you plate them! And of course I left out all the meat. (which if you like you can add back in) One of the best things about this recipe is that you can make them ahead of time, keep them in the frigde and pop them in the oven when you are ready for dinner : )

It's like a little present you get to unwrap for dinner!

Mini Eggplant Timable

Makes 4 (10 oz.) ramekins

What you'll need:

2 eggplants

1/2 lb. pasta

marinara sauce (homemade or your favorite)

about 1 cup of ricotta cheese (store bought or homemade)

a small handful of shredded mozzarella

a few handfuls of shredded parmesan

fresh basil

What you'll do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Slice the eggplant thinly lengthwise, sprinkle with salt and lay in a colander. Let it rest for about 15 minutes. Using a grill pan, grill the eggplant. While the eggplant is grilling, cook the pasta according to the package. Drain the pasta and toss with enough marinara sauce to coat it. Ok, now for assembling.

Grease the ramekins with cooking spray. Lay the eggplant in the the ramekins so they hang over the lip like this:

Next sprinkle a generous amount of mozzarella and parmesan cheese on the bottom. Fill up halfway with pasta. Add a couple spoonfuls of ricotta cheese.

Scoop in some more pasta and press down. Next, tightly fold the eggplant "flaps" over the top of the pasta going clockwise.

Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and place a plate upside down on top of the ramekin. Carefully flip over. Tap the ramekin and pull it off. The timbale should slide right out. Garnish with some marinara sauce, parmesan and fresh basil.

Serve immediately.

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Tools I used:

Ramekins

Comments (3)

Categories : Ethnic: Mediterranean, Vegetables: Eggplant, Vegetables: Tomato

RT @cozmodiva: "It's simple ... go the extra mile and you will stand out from the crowd." - Robin Crow #quote
“@GaryBlouin: @LeslieDurso Happy Belated Birthday. Same birthday as my wife who's from Orange County CA.” Thank you! :)
Excited to try @FeedBodySoul in Venice for @SarahNatasha birthday! I hear great things about their #vegan food! Menu recommendations?
“@TheSquirrelWood: @LeslieDurso HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Wishing you a fabulous day and wonderful year ahead :)” Thank you!! xoxoxo!!
“@joan_fuller: Happy birthday @LeslieDurso! Had an amazing vegan cupcake in Sacramento last week. I'm starting to eat like you!”Thank u! :)

Archive for Ethnic: Mediterranean – Page 2

Aunt Rose’s Baked Ziti

Butternut Squash and Sage Risotto

Golden Tomato Sauce

Super Easy Creamy Tomato Bowties

Sunday Rice

Throw Another Pizza on the Barbie!

Vegetarian Bolognese

Grilled Eggplant Rollatini

Eggplant Caprese Skewers

Mini Eggplant Timbale

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