Saucy, or Not?

Hubs and I have a very important on-going debate. It isn't about balancing the budget, or funding education, or healthcare regulations. It isn't even about the new trim color for the house, or if I should cut off my hair again, or who should pick up puppy poo in the backyard. Our debate is of far more importance. We disagree on something so fundamentally basic that most people don't even think about it.

Sauce on the pizza? or not?

I don't care for a lot of sauce. I don't want a juicy pizza. I don't want tomato goo (even wonderful basil and garlic tomato goo created from my ripe, red garden tomatoes and lovingly cooked and canned by yours truly) squirting into my mouth whenever I take a bite of perfectly crisp, but slightly chewy crust (recipe perfection in the works) and whatever toppings are grabbing my attention at the moment. Honestly, in my opinion, the best pizzas don't even have a sauce, like Garlic Chicken Pizza and Roasted Veggie Pizza. I love a smear of the the unexpected as the base for other toppings on our Italian pies. Bleu Cheese dressing is fabulous on Buffalo Chicken Pizza, and pesto rocks on a Chicken and Pesto Pizza with Red Grapes. Sometimes, I brush our crusts with garlic infused olive oil and top with thinly sliced tomatoes before adding other toppings. However, I will concede that a good old pepperoni pizza must have sauce, but...PLEASE! don't be too heavy handed with it. As I said, I want pizza, not a mouth full of tomato goo.

On the other side of this debate, Hubs loves his sauce. Gooey, drippy, juicy, saucy pizza is his favorite. I fight to be the one that adds the toppings on our homemade pizzas to avoid his sauce dripping ways. If he starts pizza prep, I will stand vigil and warn not to add too much sauce and sometimes bark out unpleasantries if his spoon dips into the sauce jar once too often. (Really, I am not a tyrant. I just don't like overly sauced pizza.)

That being said, Eggplant Parmesan Pizza *NEEDS* its sauce. Sauce is an integral part of Eggplant Parm, and a less than saucy pizza mimicking this pasta classic just doesn't quite cut it. In this ONE instance, I must concede to Hubs' saucy ways. Please, just make sure your sauce is stellar. Don't settle for second rate tomato glues. Choose something wonderfully aromatic with garlic and basil and oregano and onion. Let the sauce cradle the breaded eggplant layer and be a bright contrast to the melty cheese. Sauce is the vehicle that balances the crust and eggplant for this pizza. You have my approval to...just this once...be saucy.

 

Eggplant Parmesan Pizza

olive oil

2 large eggs

3/4 cup plain breadcrumbs

3/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

coarse salt

pepper

1 large eggplant, sliced into ½-inch rounds

1 pizza crust (pre-made or your own recipe)

1 cup pizza sauce (or pasta sauce)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat oven to 375.
Brush 2 baking sheets with oil; set aside.
In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water.
In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, 3/4 cup Parmesan, oregano, and basil; season with salt and pepper.
Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; place on baking sheets.
Bake until golden brown on bottom, about 15 minutes; turn slices and back about 10-15 minutes longer.
Raise oven heat to 400.
Top pizza crust with sauce, eggplant, and cheeses.
Bake 15-20 minutes, until crust is baked through and cheeses are melty and bubbly. (Serves 4-6...but, Hubs and I ate the whole thing)

Fridge Friday, episode 2

It is Friday! As promised, I am going to try to keep up with Fridge Friday photo shots. Here is my refrigerator today:

Two things have occurred since last Friday. 1) My basement refrigerator which is supposed to hold beverages and worms for fishing, but often holds overflow from the kitchen refrigerator died. (Note the surplus of butter now living in the bottom right corner of the kitchen fridge.) and 2) Hubs had a doctor's appointment in the big city, so we did some stock up of produce. My fridge runneth over. Therefore, today's focus will be using as many ingredients from the fridge as possible. Some are hidden in the crisper and deli drawers; others are out in plain sight. A simple Roasted Eggplant Sandwich should fit the bill nicely.

This quick and even pretty healthy sandwich will use up some of the enormous jar of Pesto that I picked up at Sam's Club. I love to make my own pesto, but it is too early for basil from my garden and purchasing the quantity of basil needed for pesto at the area groceries (if they even had it) would be horribly cost prohibitive even for a compulsive food shopper like me.

Other players pulled from the cold for this sandwich will include eggplants and peppers (to be roasted), baby greens, and goat cheese. I realize as I circle the goat cheese in the deli drawer that the Laughing Cow cheese would have made a great stand in if goat cheese wasn't available or wasn't to your taste. Both are flavorful and would spread easily on the toasted bread. I used a toasted sour dough hoagie roll for my Roasted Eggplant Sandwich, but any firm bread would be great.

So...what is in your fridge this Friday? What are you cooking up? Do you have the makings for a healthy and delicious Roasted Eggplant Sandwich On Your Plate?

Roasted Eggplant Sandwiches

8 (1/2-inch-thick) eggplant slices

2 teaspoons olive oil

kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

1 large red pepper

2 Sour Dough Hoagie rolls

2 tablespoons pesto

1 cup baby greens

2 tablespoons soft goat cheese

Preheat broiler.
Arrange eggplant slices in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet. 
Brush both sides of eggplant with 1 teaspoon oil and season with salt and pepper. 
Cut bell pepper in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membrane. 
Arrange bell pepper halves, skin sides up, on baking sheet with eggplant; flatten with hand. 
Broil 4 minutes; turn eggplant over (do not turn bell pepper over). 
Broil an additional 4 minutes; remove eggplant from pan.
Broil bell pepper an additional 7 minutes or until blackened. 
Place bell pepper in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. 
Let stand for 15 minutes; peel and discard skin.
Toast bread or buns until lightly browned. 
Spread 1 tablespoon pesto on each of 2 bread slices. 
Layer each bread slice, pesto side up, with 2 eggplant slices, 1 bell pepper half, and 2 eggplant slices. 
Divide baby greens evenly between sandwiches. 
Spread goat cheese over each of 2 remaining bread slices; place, cheese side down, on sandwiches. (Makes 2 sandwiches)

Pass the Parmesan, Please

Pass the Parmesan, please. I am back in the kitchen. I actually cooked something for last night's dinner. Don't fall to your knees in praise, yet. I did used Bertolli jarred marinara sauce, in my quick and easy version of Eggplant Parmesan. I am not back to full speed ahead at the stove, but it was a very good meal, if I may say so myself. The dust has been blown off of my pots and pans, and my taste buds are very happy for it.

Baked Eggplant Parmesan

olive oil
2 large eggs
¾ cup plain breadcrumbs
¾ cup finely grated parmesan cheese
plus 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese, for topping
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried basil
coarse salt
pepper
1 large eggplant, sliced into ½-inch rounds
3 cups marinara sauce
1 ½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 375.
Brush 2 baking sheets with oil; set aside.
In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water.
In another bowl, combine breadcrumbs, ¾ cup Parmesan, oregano, and basil; season with salt and pepper.
Dip eggplant slices in egg mixture, then dredge in breadcrumb mixture, coating well; place on baking sheets.
Bake until golden brown on bottom, about 15 minutes; turn slices and back about 10-15 minutes longer.
Raise oven heat to 400.
Spread enough sauce in the bottom of a 8x8-inch baking dish to cover.
Arrange half the eggplant in the dish; cover with more sauce, then ½ cup mozzarella.
Repeat with remaining eggplant, sauce, and mozzarella.
Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan.
Bake until sauce is bubbling and cheese is melted, about 15 to 20 minutes.
Allow to stand 5 minutes before serving. (Serves 4)

Ode to Aubergine

Aubergine. Doesn't that word just roll off your tongue? Doesn't it sound exotic and mysterious? Now, say "eggplant." It just isn't the same, is it? Eggplant brings to my mind a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree type of plant drooping under the weight of stinky boiled eggs on its branches. I like deviled eggs just as much as the next person, but that image just doesn't do it for me. Give me the intrigue of the aubergine.

Aubergine is French for eggplant, and any way you say it, I like my eggplant sliced and breaded. I have tried other preparations, but none seem to hold the meatiness and preserve the texture of the eggplant like the breading. Once breaded, different variations of Eggplant Parmesan find their way onto my plate. I have made the traditional baked dish; plopped the discs of eggplant on top of a pizza; and created sandwiches. I like that the breading and baking or frying of the eggplant slices can take place at one time, and the remainder of the prep for the dishes can happen whenever we are finally ready for our meal.

Today's Aubergine (Eggplant, if you must) and Tomato Sandwich begs for fresh garden tomatoes. The garlic and thyme blend to make an outstanding mayonnaise and enhance the Parmesan crusted eggplant slices. Of course, the better the bread, the better the sandwich. Don't skimp on this beauty. I want some aubergine On My Plate.

Aubergine (Eggplant, if you must) and Tomato Sandwich

1 egg, beaten
1 eggplant, peeled and cut into ¼ inch slices
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
¼ cup seasoned breadcrumbs
½ cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
2 tomatoes, sliced
1 loaf French bread, halved lengthwise

Preheat oven to 375º. Spray large baking sheet with cooking spray.
Dip eggplant slices into beaten egg, then breadcrumbs combined with the grated Parmesan.
Arrange on prepared baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Turn slices over. Bake 10 minutes longer or until browned on both sides. Remove from oven.
Mix garlic and thyme into mayonnaise and spread on bread.
Layer the eggplant and tomato slices on bread.
Slice sandwich into 4 sections and serve. (Serves 4)