Ricotta Stuffed French Toast with Peaches

I’m baaaaaack. It felt really good to have no job or academic obligations last week. That said, I did have a long “to-do” list for the week. You might think it’s crazy to have a list while on vacation, but I really like to make sure I take advantage of the times when I don’t have to go to work or class.

Most things on my list were totally fun: getting a pedicure, going to a family picnic, playing with my nephew, heading to the beach when the monsoons finally stopped, and seeing a musical at a great community theater. I also shopped a few late season sales and did some necessary errands. I didn’t do any formal exercise, but took plenty of good walks and practiced yoga at home. And although I did eat out a few times, including my first visit ever to Chipotle, I cooked a lot of meals as well. There are a bunch of things I didn’t get to on my “to-do” list, but that’s the way it goes.

First, we have to take care of a horticulture issue! The flower that I thought was from a beach plum shrub is actually a beach rose (Rosa rugosa). A reader suggested this, so my Mom and I returned to the scene of the original photo to investigate. I felt like I was back in introductory biology class, comparing the leaves and flower petals to various pictures. But we’re fairly confident now that we have it right.

In fact, my Mom and I spent a lot of quality time together on my vacation. And I promised her that when we were together, I would do all the cooking. On the first morning where the sun was brightly shining on the deck, I made this ricotta stuffed French toast with peaches. It was an incredibly good summer breakfast – check.

2 slices Great Harvest Dakota bread

2/3 c. reduced fat ricotta cheese

1 t vanilla

Cinnamon

2 eggs

Splash of milk

2 t canola oil

1 peach, chopped

Mix ricotta cheese, vanilla, and cinnamon. Spread most of the mixture between the slices of bread, reserving a small amount of ricotta for garnish.

Beat eggs in a small bowl, and add a splash of milk. Submerge the ricotta ‘sandwich’ in the egg mixture for a few minutes, turning the sandwich over to ensure it is well coated.

Heat oil in a frying pan, and cook sandwich on both sides until golden brown. Cut the sandwich in quarters, and place two pieces on each plate. Garnish with remaining ricotta and peaches.

Take Time to Smell the Beach Plums

It’s vacation week for me, and I am going to take time to smell the beach plums. I’ll be out and about around New England, hitting some beaches and farmer’s markets. I’ve had so much fun this July and August, and am ready for one last hurrah before the reality of fall.

I will be doing plenty of cooking and eating on my ‘staycation’, and I’ll be back next Monday to share all my latest adventures!

Eggplant ‘Meatballs’

I made these eggplant ‘meatballs’ for the first time years ago, and each time I make them, I do something just a little bit different. And honestly, I can’t even find the original recipe, so I am going by memory. I do remember that fresh parsley or basil really make these shine, but I did not have any on hand this time.

You might think of these as a vegetarian alternative to meatballs, but I see this recipe as just another healthy way to cook eggplant. And I can make a big batch at the beginning of the week, and then bring them for lunch. Here they are placed on top of whole wheat pasta with plain tomato sauce. The picture does not do these justice, but it’s a busy week so it’s all I’ve got!

1 large eggplant, peeled and boiled until tender
1 c. breadcrumbs
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
1 egg, beaten
Italian seasoning

Drain eggplant and allow to cool in a large bowl. Mash with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Shape into golf ball size and place on a cookie sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325F for 35-45 minutes, turning halfway through.

Vegetable Sandwich at Castle Island

My cooking club had a picnic at Castle Island this weekend. Every couple of years we like to plan one of our events outdoors, something very casual with no real theme. Castle Island is one of our favorite spots with a large public space right by the water.

Although this has been the most excellent and sunny summer in Boston, it was cloudy for our picnic. But here are a few scenic shots of our surroundings.

We started our meal with wine, which was a little risky, being that it is a public place and we all look underage (you better be laughing!)

I brought all the fixings for a vegetable sandwich: baguette, sauteed zucchini and eggplant, caramelized onions, sliced Mozzarella, and Amore Herb Paste. Unfortunately, this picture is the best I have! The sandwiches were good, although the bread was a little ‘too’ chewy! We also had chicken salad, lentil salad, and fresh strawberries. It was the perfect outdoor meal, enjoyed sitting by the ocean with friends.

Kale over Polenta

In my pantry which is frequently stuffed with brown rice, bulgur, barley, and quinoa, the cornmeal is often pushed to the back. I take out the cannister sometimes to make a batch of cornbread, but I forget to use it to make polenta. Sometimes I like to make polenta triangles, but on other nights a warm bowl of polenta with vegetables is the perfect comfort food.

I use a 4:1 ratio of vegetable broth to cornmeal. I start by heating the broth in a saucepan, and then slowly pouring in the cornmeal with one hand, and whisking with the other until the mixture is smooth. I let it cook over low heat for about 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes, and then adding salt and pepper to taste. On the same night, I made kale in a similar manner to this recipe, but used less broth. I spooned the polenta into a dish, topped it with the kale, and added some freshly grated Parmesan.

People often call polenta ‘peasant food’. Yes, this meal was very inexpensive to make, and yet still nutritious. When food is scarce, people get creative with what ingredients are available in an effort to nourish themselves and their families. The best values are not on the Dollar Menu, they are in the whole grains, legumes, and seasonal produce! I hope to encourage people to get into the kitchen to explore all the options.

Breakfast Pizza

When I think about breakfast pizza, I imagine taking cardboard boxes out of the fridge from the night before, and lifting the lids to see what’s left. Maybe I’ll eat the leftover pizza hot, maybe I’ll warm it up in the microwave. It’s a lazy breakfast, but sometimes that’s what you need on a Sunday morning.

This is so different. I admit, when I saw this breakfast pizza with an egg over on Smitten Kitchen, I didn’t think it would work. But it does work, and makes a dish suitable to serve to company or just to enjoy on your own. I stretched the dough very thin to make sure the pizza base was large enough to support the egg; you can see I ended up with a pizza almost as big as the plate. I like my egg yolk cooked, and it was just firm enough for me here. But if you like your egg over easy, you could take it out of the oven sooner. Either way, it’s a novel idea and changed the way I think about breakfast pizza.

4 oz. whole wheat dough (such as from Trader Joe’s)

1/2 c. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1/2 tomato, chopped

1/4 c. shredded mozzarella

1 egg

Stretch dough into a circle on a greased cookie sheet. Top with spinach, tomato, and cheese. Crack egg gently in the center of the pizza. Bake at 425F for 12-15 minutes.

Mocha Ice Cream Cake

Every good birthday meal must end with cake. And this time, it was mocha ice cream cake! I must admit, I have not spent that much time in the cookie aisle of the grocery store in a long time. I couldn’t find chocolate wafers, so I used chocolate graham crackers instead. As suggested in the recipe reviews, I increased the crust ingredients by 50%, which seemed about right.

You do need to start this cake the day before you are planning to serve it, to ensure that all the layers have time to freeze. But it’s worth it! The flavor really is more coffee than chocolate, and it’s sweet, but not too sweet like some commercial ice cream cakes.

“Gosh, I wonder what they’re planning for my birthday? All I know is that I’ve got to figure out a way to get my hands on some cake…..”

Veal Scaloppine with Lemon, Capers, and Leeks

We finished our meal with a meat course of Veal Scaloppine with Lemon, Capers, and Leeks. This was my very first time cooking veal, and although I’ve had it before, it’s not something that I generally order at restaurants. There are valid ethical concerns about veal which go beyond simply eating meat. But if you do choose to eat veal, this was a wonderful recipe, and it could be adapted very easily to other cuts of meat such as turkey or chicken.

The veal cutlets were very thin, and browned easily. The combination of leeks, garlic, capers, lemon, and parsley made this the perfect dish for a warm summer evening. The flavors were light, and this was a wonderful end to the meal.

I’ll be back tomorrow with the best part: dessert!

Penne with Vodka Sauce

Some hours later, when the sun had set, we moved indoors to enjoy the rest of the meal. Our pasta course was Penne with Vodka Sauce. The original recipe called for capicola as well, but I left it out since we were serving this after antipasto.

The recipe was very easy to follow and everyone enjoyed the dish, but it was more like a rich tomato sauce than vodka sauce. I think it needed more vodka and more half and half. I will give this one another try someday with modifications.

Eggplant with Gremolata and Antipasto

Our next course was Eggplant with Gremolata. According to Wikipedia, and many recipes out there, gremolata refers to a condiment made of parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. The gremolata itself was good, but to be honest we could have happily eaten the eggplant right off the grill. The garlic paste really provided a great flavor which easily stood on it’s own. I would make gremolata again, but perhaps use it as a stuffing rather than a garnish.

2 medium eggplant, peeled and sliced

Olive Oil

Garlic Paste (such as this one by Amore)

1 c. chopped fresh parsley

2 t minced garlic

Zest of one lemon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1/3 c. whole wheat breadcrumbs

Dip eggplant in a mixture of olive oil and garlic paste, and place on a hot grill. Cook on each side, until the eggplant is golden brown. Mix parsley through breadcrumbs, and sprinkle the mixture on the eggplant slices to serve.

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The third course of our meal was an Antipasto Salad, prepared entirely by my sister (Kelly P.) She served a large bowl of field greens with cucumbers and tomatoes, and made a tray full of Italian good stuff – cheeses, meats, roasted red peppers, artichokes, olives, and breadsticks. It was like Christmas in August! My Mom loves ‘stinky cheese’ and this dish was certainly a hit.