Recipe: Simple Eggplant Parmigiana

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From Denny: How about a simple recipe of Eggplant Parmigiana? Light foods like this are great in this summer heat, easy and faster to digest than heavy meats.

Did you know that tomatoes are cooling for your liver? Why is that important? Cool your liver; cool your body! A win-win in this summer heat!

Same goes for foods like cucumbers and vinegars. A little (like about 1/2 teaspoon per large glass of water) white or red wine vinegar in your glass of water helps your liver handle the hot weather.

Eggplant Parmigiana

From: “Savannah Collection” by Martha Giddens Nesbit

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

2 small eggplants, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch circles

Salt

2 cups cottage cheese

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 clove garlic, squeezed through a press (if using commercial spaghetti sauce)

1/2 cup olive oil, approximately

2 cups tomato sauce (recipe follows) OR commercial meatless spaghetti sauce

10 ozs. grated mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Salt sliced eggplant and allow it to drain for about 30 minutes. Rinse and pat dry with paper towels.

2. In small bowl combine cottage cheese, eggs, Parmesan cheese and parsley. I used commercial spaghetti sauce so I squeezed 1 clove of garlic through a garlic press into the cheese mixture for added flavor. Set aside.

3. In large, nonstick skillet, heat oil and fry eggplant until lightly browned on both sides. At first the eggplant will soak up the oil, but as it cooks, the oil will release. When browned, drain on paper towels.

4. Use a 9x13-inch shallow baking dish for making a one- layer casserole or an 8x8-inch dish for two layers. Begin by spreading the spaghetti sauce on the bottom of the dish, all of it for single layer casserole or half the remaining ingredients if you’re making two layers.

Layer cooked eggplant slices over sauce then spoon cottage cheese mixture over eggplant, spreading it out as evenly as you can. Top with grated mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, beginning with tomato sauce if making a double layer and ending with mozzarella.

5. Bake in 400-degree oven for 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Tomato Sauce

From: Recipe is from “Savannah Collection”

Makes: about 4 cups of sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced (I love a lot more!)

2 (16-oz.) cans Italian plum tomatoes

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried thyme

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup cleaned and chopped parsley

Directions:

1. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil. Add other ingredients.

2. Cover and cook, stirring often, for about 30 minutes. Use in eggplant dish, or freeze for later.

Recipe: Fresh Peach Ice Cream

Image by karlo via Flickr

From Denny: It's been too hot to run the computer today so am late getting out my posts. Was able to get out a few this morning and the rest had to wait until it got cooler. Will be glad when fall comes! :)

In this heat all I think about are cooling foods - and ice cream sure is a treat! Enjoy this wonderful recipe as he gives lots of tips in this recipe. It's as if he is standing next to you, walking you through the recipe.

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

From: Ray Sonnier of Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Yield: 1 gallon. This is rich but good!

Ingredients:

2-1/4 cups sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/2 Tablespoons flour

6 extra large eggs

3 cups whole milk

2 cups half-and-half

1 (13-ounce) can evaporated milk

1-3/4 cups heavy whipping cream

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups chopped fresh or frozen peaches

1 cup sugar

Directions:


1. In mixer, combine sugar, salt and flour. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Blend well. Add milk, half-and-half and evaporated milk. Blend well.

2. Boil water to add to outer pan of double boiler. Add custard to inner pot. Heat water to boiling and stir custard as it heats up until thickened. Stir often with whisk to prevent lumps. Add whipping cream and vanilla, stir and cool in cool water in sink. Stir periodically to prevent skimming.

3. Use 3 cups of fruit. Peel and cut peaches into small pieces in a bowl. Add 1 cup sugar and microwave for about 2-1/2 minutes. Skip the microwaving if fruit is very ripe, but I would let fruit and sugar sit for about 1 hour.

4. Pour custard and fruit into freezer container with paddles inserted. Refrigerate or cool in ice water for several hours if possible.

5. Freeze until firm.

Note: This recipe works well in a 4-quart ice cream freezer. I adapted this recipe as best I could remember for a smaller freezer — my mother had a 1-1/2-gallon freezer.