Baked Eggs with Ratatouille

I've never before made ratatouille because eggplants intimidate me. The few dishes I've eaten with eggplants I didn't much enjoy the chewy skin or flavor. This weekend I decided to give these healthy veggies another try.

What I like about this recipe is the health (kudos to low calorie dishes packed with veggies!), the skinned egg plants (no chewy skin), and the yummy broiled egg on top. The egg is what convinced my picky 3 year old to eat her dinner...as did the banana split dessert. 

I didn't add the banana pepper because I wanted to keep the heat low for my children's sake. Instead I added a shake or two of red pepper flakes. I also didn't have cocettes so I used ramekins and topped each with only one egg.

Baked Eggs with Ratatouille

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, cut into ½-inch dice
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
1 banana pepper, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tomatoes, seeded and cut into ½-inch dice
2 small zucchini, cut into ½-inch dice
1 medium eggplant, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
8 eggs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
¼ cup julienned fresh basil
- fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Special Equipment: 4 6-inch cocottes

Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, red pepper, banana pepper and garlic to the pan and sauté until tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste and continue cooking for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and cook until tender, about 10 minutes, adding water as necessary. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This can be done up to 2 days ahead and kept refrigerated.

Preheat oven to broil.

If the ratatouille was done ahead and kept cold, gently re-warm over medium heat. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the ratatouille into a cocette, crack 2 eggs on top of the ratatouille and place the cocettes in the broiler and cook until the egg whites are just barely set, about 5 minutes; serve hot with Parmesan and basil on top. 

Who Dished it first? Eric Ripert

Layered Mediterranean Dip

I'm a fan of Pioneer Woman's site. Her humor, style, and country life are so fun to read about. Even better, I love her recipes. There's no shame in butter, right?  She now has a food site, Tasty Kitchen, and last week a foodie blog friend of mine, Natalie, spotlighted this Mediterranean dip. Mmmm ... it is one my new favorite turn-to healthy finger snacks/appetizers. Enjoy!

Cilantro-Pecan Pesto Layered Mediterranean Dip

For the Pesto:
1 1/2 cups fresh cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/3 cup olive oil, divided
2 T pecans, chopped
2 T pine nuts
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Process cilantro, garlic, and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a food processor until a rough paste forms. Add pecans, pine nuts, and cheese, and process until blended stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the processor running, pour the remaining oil through the food chute in a slow and steady stream; process until smooth.
Pesto can be chilled for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month if desired. Yields 3/4 cup.

For the remaining layers:
2 cups hummus, any flavor
1/2 cup baby cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, chopped
1/2 cup grape tomatoes, chopped

For garnish:
pita chips
feta cheese

Assembling the layered dip:
Spread pesto on a platter. Layer the remaining ingredients on top of pesto in the order listed. Top with the garnish ingredients and serve with pita chips.

Who Dished it first? Tasty Kitchen

Brown-Sugar Pound Cupcakes with Brown Butter Glaze

This weekend I tried a new cupcake recipe and I just had to share it here as one of my new favorite dessert Dishes.

First of all, I've never made a brown butter glaze until now and I've been missing out on a lot! What a deliciously buttery sweet glaze and what a fun alternative to the typical butter-cream frosting. I'm also a fan of the density of the cake as it's not your average light and squishy cupcake.  What I especially like about this recipe is NO leftover frosting! One of my pet peeves is not coming out even after you've frosted and I'm glad to say that this glaze recipe makes just enough for the two dozen cupcakes.

This is a very rich recipe so plan to enjoy your one or two cakes and share the rest.

Brown-Sugar Pound Cupcakes with Brown Butter Glaze
Yield: 2 dozen cupcakes

3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups packed light-brown sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners.

Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a separate bowl cream butter and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Reduce speed to low. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the addition of buttermilk, ending with the dry. Scrape sides of bowl and begin filling muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake for 25 minutes.

Set rack with cupcakes over a parchment-lined baking sheet. Spoon brown-butter glaze over tops and let stand until set. Serve glazed cupcakes immediately.

Brown-Butter Glaze
Yield: enough glaze for 2 dozen cupcakes

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 t pure vanilla extract
2-4 T whole milk

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Carefully pour butter into a bowl, leaving sediment behind. Add sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk to butter and stir until smooth. If glaze is too thick add more milk. Use immediately.

Who Dished it first? Martha Stewart

Peppermint Bark Popcorn

Don't you wish you were my neighbor? We made plates of fudge and this delicious peppermint bark popcorn for neighbors and friends this Christmas. I love this recipe for peppermint bark popcorn because it's easy to make large batches as gifts and it tastes amazing!

Peppermint Bark Popcorn

16-20 cups popped popcorn
1 pound white chocolate almond bark
1 6 ounce box candy canes, crushed (about 1 generous cup)
2 teaspoons peppermint extract or a few drops peppermint oil to taste
3/4 cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Place popcorn in a very large mixing bowl.

Melt almond bark according to package instructions. When completely melted, add extract or peppermint oil. If using extract, it's normal for the almond bark to seize (get lumpy) which is okay, just stir very quickly because the more you wait the more it will seize.

Pour melted bark mixture over popcorn, adding crushed candy canes on top. Stir to coat evenly. Pour popcorn onto waxed paper, parchment, or foil and spread out.

Place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Drizzle over popcorn mixture. Let popcorn dry completely until chocolate and almond bark are hardened. You may place in the fridge to speed the process along.

When chocolate is hardened, use your hands to break it into large chunks and then serve.

Who Dished it first? Our Best Bites

Middle Eastern Eggplant Salad

I'm slowly venturing into my own uncharted territory of eating eggplants. I don't know if it's my unfamiliarity with the squash or previous negative experiences but I fear eating eggplant. So...this middle eastern eggplant salad was a giant leap for me. Yum! I'm glad I took this jump. This salad is easy to make and surprisingly kid friendly seeing as my kids ate it up.

Middle Eastern Eggplant Salad

2 medium red bell peppers
1 medium tomato, peeled and seeded
3 Tablespoons no-salt-added tomato paste
2 Tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
Dash of ground red pepper
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pound eggplant, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preheat broiler.
Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand. Broil 12 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel and chop.
Place tomato in a blender; process until smooth. Combine tomato puree, tomato paste, 2 Tablespoons water, 1/4 teaspoon salt, ground red pepper, and garlic in a blender; process until smooth.
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add eggplant; cook 30 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in bell pepper and tomato mixture. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and black pepper.

Who Dished it first? Cooking Light, July 2009

Cranburgers

I hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving. If you have any leftover cranberry sauce or turkey gravy then I have the recipe for you.

My first reaction to this recipe was definitely not positive. I'm not a huge fan of cranberry sauce, especially jellied cranberry sauce. My husband on the other hand loves the mixture of cranberries and turkey. In honor of his taste preferences and because I love a good hamburger I decided to make this meal.

The verdict: Thanksgiving dinner in a bun. Serious!

The patties are moist and packed with Thanksgiving flavors of thyme, turkey, cranberry, and even gravy. I would definitely cook these in a fry pan instead of a grill because I'm not sure how well they will would hold together. The burgers held for me but they were delicate. I overlooked adding oil to my fry pan and since turkey is a leaner meat the patties were stickier than I would have liked so be sure to add the oil.

The best compliment I can hope for is my husband sincerely praising the dinner after each bite he takes.  This meal hit that nail on the head! He L.O.V.E.D. it! Gravy and jellied cranberry on a turkey burger. You might be surprised. No, you will be surprised.

Cranburgers

1 cup whole-berry cranberry sauce
1 cup turkey-flavored stuffing mix
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1-1/2 lbs. ground turkey
1 Tbsp. oil
6 lettuce leaves
6 hamburger buns
1/3 cup turkey gravy, warmed
6 slices jellied cranberry sauce

In a large bowl combine whole-berry cranberry sauce, stuffing mix and thyme. Crumble turkey over mixture and mix well. Shape into six patties.

In a large skillet, cook burgers in oil over medium heat for 6-8 minutes on each side or until a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees and juices run clear.

Place burgers on lettuce-lined buns; top with a spoonful of gravy and a slice of cranberry sauce.

Who Dished it first? Taste of Home magazine October/November 2010