Eggplant Panini

A coworker of mine loves gardening, and I am lucky enough to reap the benefits of her green thumb!  She recently shared homegrown eggplants with us a few weeks ago, and I couldn't wait to try a recipe including eggplant.  With the advice of my mother, I put together a recipe for a great eggplant panini.  I paired the sandwich with a side salad consisting of a spring mix of lettuce, green peppers, strawberries, and freshly grated Parmesan.  Delicious!

Eggplant Panini

Ingredients

• 1 medium eggplant
• whole-grain wheat bread
• American Cheese Slices (or Pepperjack cheese slices)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
• Canola oil
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. To prepare the eggplant, I roughly peeled the eggplant length-wise so that there is some skin was still present.  I found this image (right) on Google, and it portrays how I peeled the eggplant.  Next, I cut the two ends off and washed it under cold water.  
2. Next, place the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with 2-3 pinches of salt and pepper all around the plant.  Allow the eggplant to dry for at least 20 minutes.  (Some people suggest an hour for drying.)  
3. After the eggplant has dried for the most part, I sliced it in 1/4 slices.  
4. I pan-fried both sides of the eggplant slices in 2-3 tablespoons of Canola oil.  Once the eggplant slices are cooked on one side, flip them and add American or Pepperjack cheese (cut to fit the size of the individual eggplant slices).  The cheese should melt over the slices until it is cooked.  Place the cooked slices with melted cheese on a separate plate.  
5. Next, take one slice of whole-grain wheat bread and place on the oiled pan.  While the bread is frying on the pan, spread the mayonnaise and Dijon mustard on top of the bread.  Add a slice of American or Pepperjack cheese on top of the condiments.  Then, add the eggplant slices and add a pinch of salt and pepper.  
6. Finally, place the other slice of bread on top of the sandwich, and use a spatula to flip the sandwich over.  Use a panini press or heavy cover to squish the sandwich down while still on the pan.  Cook for 3-4 more minutes before plating and serving.

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

Sugar cookies are a baking staple-- they include simple ingredients, and they're a sure-fire crowd-pleaser.  There are many sugar cookies recipes out there, but sometimes you just have to look to a knowledgeable other-- also known as Martha Stewart.  From Martha Stewart's Cookies book, I followed her recipe for "Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies" for most of the way.  I even follow her directions to rotate the cookies halfway (and it's a rule that I follow now with all my baking).  Deliciously simple cookies that are sure to please whomever devours these cookies.

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookies

by Martha Stewart

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1.75 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest*
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• sandy sugar, for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  
2. Put sugars and zest* in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.  Mix on medium speed 30 seconds.  Add butter; mix until pale and fluffy, about 1 minute.  Mix in eggs one at a time, and then the lemon juice.  Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture. 
3. Using a 2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets, spacing 3 inches apart.  Flatten cookies slightly; sprinkle with sanding sugar.  Lightly bruch with a wet pastry brush; spring with more sanding sugar.
4. Bake cookies until golden, about 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through.  Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.  Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days.  

*I do not brush the cookies with a wet pastry brush when sprinkling the sugar; I roll the dough into little balls (with my hands) and then lightly press them into the sugar.  Then, I put the dough onto the baking sheet...still works well. :)

See also: my Simple Vanilla Icing for sugar cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies with Blackberry Jam

Another successful Giada recipe resulted in delicious cookies made with peanut butter and topped with blackberry jam.  I was skeptical about using blackberry jam, but it was the perfect accent to these cookies.  Their taste is unbelievable straight from the oven, and they're very moist with a slight chewiness.  These are the best cookies I have ever made. 

Peanut Butter Cookies with Blackberry Jam

Giada's original recipe can be found HERE (courtesy of Food Network).

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick low-fat unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch pieces, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1 beaten egg, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup blackberry jam
• extra granulated sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.  
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar together in another bowl.  Add the egg and vanilla extract and mix until blended.  Gradually add the flour mixture until incorporated. 
4. Form the dough into 1/4 cup-size balls and place on the cookie sheets, about 2 inches apart.  Using a round 1/4 teaspoon measure (or the end of a wooden spoon), make a hole in the center of each ball of dough, about 1/2 inch deep.  Spoon 1 teaspoon of jam into each hole.  Sprinkled the tops with 1/2 teaspoon sugar prior to baking. 
5. Bake for 11 to 14 minutes until dough has spread and the surface of the cookies are crackled.  Cool for 5 minutes; then, transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Mini Cheesecakes

The perfect miniature dessert: creamy cheesecake filling with a graham cracker crust

Graham Cracker Crust

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 6 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Mix these ingredients altogether in a food processor and press into the bottom of cupcake liners (up 1/4 the length of the liners). Using a teaspoon helps the process.


Cheesecake Filling

Ingredients

• 2 (8 ounce) packages reduced fat cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 (21 ounce) can cherry or blueberry pie filling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and lemon juice. Fill each miniature muffin liner with this mixture, almost to the top. Bake for 15-17 minutes and top with the pie filling of your choice. This recipe makes 24 mini cheesecakes.

Easy Lemon Pasta with Chicken

I think that Pat and Gina Neely from the Food Network are such a fun couple to watch because you can tell that they love each other and cooking so much.  While watching one of their episodes, I was attracted to the simple recipe they used to make pasta with a hint of lemon and with chicken.  I followed the recipe exactly, except for only a few changes.  To cook the chicken, I used Perdue's thinly sliced boneless chicken breasts and seasoned them with salt and pepper.  I used 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil to pan fry both sides of the chicken at medium heat.  After pan frying them, I placed them on a plate and sliced the chicken there.  I also added one whole tomato (diced) to the pasta for color.  I loved this recipe, and it was so easy to make!

Easy Lemon Pasta with Chicken
The Neely's original recipe may be found HERE, courtesy of Food Network.

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried penne
• 2 chicken cutlets, cut into fingers
• 3 clovers garlic, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 whole tomato, diced
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente.  Drain well and set aside.
2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add chicken.  Cook until golden and completely cooked.  Remove to a plate and slice.  
3. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes to a sauce pan with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and saute until fragrant.  
4. Add the cooked pasta and turn heat off.  Mix together.
5. Remove pasta to a large bowl.  Add chicken to the warm pasta and season with salt and pepper.  Add chopped parsley, tomato, and lemon juice.  Toss pasta before serving with grated Parmesan cheese.