Category: Vegetables

Nonna Marietta’s Eggplants

As you probably know by now, eggplant is another favourite of ours. My Nonna Marietta’s eggplants are simple treats made with fresh ingredients. The best recipes have few ingredients that bring out the flavour of the main ingredient. This recipe is also part of the grand Cucina Povera. My family in Italy used readily available vegetables to make satisfying meals that they would share at the table.

You need small baby eggplants to make this recipe. The eggplant is sliced halfway through and then stuffed with with garlic. Marietta would also stuff them with cheese. I changed the recipe a bit, but you can always put nice slices of provolone cheese in the middle. The egg plant gets sautéed in oil and then removed from the pan. I made a fresh sauce using red onions, tomatoes, garlic, and olive oil. Then the sautéed eggplant is placed back into the pan and simmered with the sauce. To finish it we use fresh breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese.

Many times we had this as a main meal in the evening with a nice piece of bread. It can also be served as a Secondo after a dish of pasta as a primo. Whatever you choose, this dish won’t disappoint. Another one of my favourite eggplant recipes on the blog https://recipesatmytable.com/grilled-eggplant-roll-ups


Ingredients For Nonna Marietta’s Eggplants

  • 4 small eggplants
  • 4 cloves garlic (sliced)
  • salt and pepper
  • olive oil for sautéing
  • 1tsp Italian seasoning
  • 10 small tomatoes (diced)
  • 1 medium red onion
  • 2 cloves garlic sliced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp breadcrumbs

Process

Take the egg plants, wash them and cut off the tip. Then slice them lengthwise so that you’re going down about halfway through. Take some of the peel off the outside with a vegetable peeler. Slice the cloves of garlic and put one sliced clove per eggplant. Put some olive oil in a sauté pan and start sautéing the eggplant so they turn nice and golden brown. Make sure you salt and pepper the egg plants in the pan.

This is the colour you were looking for. Do you want that nice golden brown crust on them .

Dice the red onion and the tomatoes. Chop up the other two cloves of garlic.

We are making a fresh little sauce to go with the egg plants. Let the vegetable sauté for a bit and then add about half a cup of water to the veggies and let them hang out for a couple of minutes. Now it’s time to put the egg plants into the pan. Add the Italian seasoning. Cover the pan and turn your heat on low and let them sit there for about 10 minutes.

When that sauce thickens a bit remove the lid and let it thicken some more for about five minutes. Then sprinkle on the breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese. This will also flavour the sauce. At this point you want to turn the heat off when you’re adding the cheese.

Serve on a large platter with the thick and delicious sauce. Drizzle with a little more olive oil.

Leave a comment
Creamy Carrot Soup: Recipes At My Table

Creamy Carrot Soup

Creamy Carrot Soup

I love all soups.  This Creamy Carrot Soup is hearty and healthy.  You can add other ingredients to it and make it a complete meal.  Growing up Italian, we didn’t eat cream soups, but I discovered their velvety texture at local restaurants. Prepare cream soups by using cream or milk and their are a variety of ones to choose from.  They have a thick texture for an added level of flavour.  A roux sometimes used as a thickening agent may enhance their texture.

Today I am serving this soup with my double grilled cheese sandwiches.  The secret to these sandwiches is toasting both sides. These thick soups are great for dunking and I love dunking my sandwich into this. I find  this lunch comforting and filling.

Another one of my favourite soups https://recipesatmytable.com/lentil-beef-barley-soup/

Ingredients For the Soup

  • 3 cups of peeled chopped carrots
  • 1 large onion quartered
  • 2 cups vegetable or chicken both
  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp slat
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp all purpose flour
  • salt and pepper
  • parsley
  • cooked chicken breast or grilled shrimp

Process

Put the carrot, onion, broth and salt into a sauce pan.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes until they are soft.

Creamy Carrot Soup: Recipes At My Table

Remove the cooked carrots to a bowl and let cool.

Using an immersion blender pulse everything.

In the same pot melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux.

Cook out the flour and then warm up the milk and slowly pour it into the melted butter and flour.

When it comes to a boil add the carrot puree .

Serve with my double grilled cheese sandwiches.  

 

Double Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Butter both sides of the bread.

Put one side down on your heated grill for girls marks.

Assemble your condiments and at least 2 to 3 types of your favourite cheeses to layer.

Slather the condiments and place the cheese onto the grilled side of the bread.Make sandwiches and now butter the other side of the bread and return to the grill.

On the grill and pressed down. 

 

Leave a comment
Mushroom Wontons In Broth: Recipes At My Table

Mushroom Wontons In Broth

Mushroom Wontons In Broth

No wonder that my first dish after recovering from Covid is a broth based.  Mushroom Wontons in Broth are hearty and healing.  I made bone broth as suggested by one of my followers and a supercharge for my immune system.  In Chinese medicine, mushrooms are one of the healthiest foods you can eat. Growing up Italian, we forged for mushrooms, but my grandparents knew what they were dong.  Once collected the mushrooms were washed and boiled in garlic and a silver coin.  If either the garlic or silver coin turned colour, the mushrooms were poison.

To learn more about different types of mushrooms and their properties :https://sporelifesciences.com/pages/arti3?gclid=CjwKCAiAr6-ABhAfEiwADO4sfb3gWa6ceLyD4YucLp6NWnTu5L-e4RtEQYYoOtlMDD7RMmhgtRACyxoC7RcQAvD_BwE

Mushroom Wontons In Broth come to the table with elegance.  These easy to make little pasta pillows have a surprising hearty filling.  This is a great option to using meat. Mushrooms are thick, earthy and rich.  I like to use dried mushrooms for intense flavour.

I use the same method to make ricotta tortellini: https://recipesatmytable.com/easy-homemade-ricotta-tortellini/

The Ingredients

The Wontons

  • 1 package wonton wrappers ( available at your grocery store in the produce section)
  • 2 cups dried mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic minced and 1 onion finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp each of  parmesan cheese and bread crumbs
  • 1 egg
  • 6 cups vegetable or chicken broth
  • parsley for garnish
  • parmesan for garnish

The Broth

  • good beef bones
  • 1 carrot
  • a stalk of celery
  • 1 onion
  • couple of bay leafs
  • salt and pepper
  • parsley

The Process

For the broth, put everything in a large pot bring to a boil and simmer for several hours.

Prepare the mushrooms.

I like to buy this brand at Costco.  I use these to make risotto also.

Once the mushrooms cool, chop them finely.

Mushroom Wontons In Broth: Recipes At My Table

Place the onion, spices and oil in a pan and sauté for a few minutes.

Next add the mushrooms.

Now add some wine.

Remove from pan, let cool and add the garlic, parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and egg.

Spread out the wonton wrappers and put a teaspoon of filling on each wrapper.Wet the edges of the full square.

Mushroom Wontons In Broth: Recipes At My Table

Fold into a triangle and crimp the edges.  ( see video demonstration for my tortellini: it is the same method)

Mushroom Wontons In Broth: Recipes At My Table

Put on a tray and place in the refrigerator.  You can also freeze and use at a later date.

Put a large pot on to boil. lWhen water boils, add the wonton pockets to the potBoil until they float to the surface.Lift with a slotted spoon and put them into a bowl.  Add the broth and dress with parsley and scallions.

Mushroom Wontons In Broth: Recipes At My Table

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leave a comment

Calabrese Verza Ripena per Natale

Calabrese verza ripena Per Natale

For us it isn’t Christmas without our traditional Calabrese cabbage rolls. Calabrese Verza Ripena per Natale take on different shapes and stuffings.  My nonna traditionally made the with an all meat stuffing or a meat and rice stuffing.  I am going to give you both recipes, although today I am making the rice and pork ones.  The meat ones are pretty heavy.  LOL

Cabbage was and is a typical seasonal dish for many Italians especially in the south.  Meat was a real treat for my mother growing up in the late 30’s.  My nonna made the most of what little meat they had.  They also didn’t have all the kitchen gadgets or cooking choices that we do today.  I like this recipe because unlike the Polish cabbage rolls, the Calabrese use mostly uncooked ingredients.  The only thing cooked is the rice and that is left to cool.

I don’t boil cabbage any more.  My easy method is to wash the leaves and then I place them in some very hot water and let them sit.  It cuts time and your kitchen won’t smell of boiling cabbage.

If you want an easier version of a cabbage roll try my https://recipesatmytable.com/easy-napa-cabbage-rolls/

Ingredients for the meat and rice recipe

  • a small savoy cabbage
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 cup boiled arborio rice ( this is the uncooked measurement)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup Parmigiano cheese ( grated)
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 3 cups marinara sauce
  • salt and pepper
  • Calabrese oregano
  • sliced provolone or mozzarella

Ingredients for the all meat recipe

  • a small savoy cabbage
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup Parmigiano cheese ( grated)
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
  • 3 cups marinara sauce
  • salt and pepper
  • Calabrese oregano
  • sliced provolone or mozzarella

Process

Boil the rice and set aside to cool. Once cooled add the eggs,parmigiano, garlic, salt, pepper and parsley.

Next add in the ground pork and mix everything together.

Separate and wash your cabbage leaves.

Put a kettle on to boil and pour the hot water over the leaves and let them soak for a few minutes.

Take a few leaves at a time and cut out the core.  Place a small scoop of the mixture in at the end of where the core sat.

You can see the steps here.  First bring the two sides together, fold over and wrap tightly. The secret is to overlap the leaves and make tight little packages.

Place a 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce on the bottom and the same overtop.  Sprinkle with oregano and add some more salt and pepper.  Cover and place in a 350 F oven for 1 1/2 hours and then uncover for 15 minutes.

Out of the oven, golden and yummy!!

Plated goodness!!

 

 

 

Leave a comment