SPAGHETTI WITH ROASTED TOMATOES AND BASIL

SUMMER SPAGHETTI WITH ROASTED 

TOMATOES AND BASIL and

FRIED EGGPLANT

My sister came last year to help me after my hip surgery and made this dish, It is yummy, light, healthy and pretty! Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! Made it for my honorary sister and her family tonight.

Spaghetti:

1 16 oz box Whole Wheat Pasta, cooked to directions

10 ripe Italian Plum Tomatoes, sliced and quartered

10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (NOT THE BOXED STUFF! 

Eggplant:*

1 Medium eggplant, sliced long ways into fingers

2 eggs, beaten in a large ziplock

2 cups Italian bread crumbs in a large ziplock

olive oil and canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

Spaghetti:

Heat oven to 350. In a large cookie sheet with sides. coat liberally the pan with olive oil. Place sliced tomatoes in cookie sheet. Sprinkle each tomato with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with chopped basil. Place in preheated oven for 20-30 minutes

In a large pot, fill 2/3 with water and bring to boil . Cook spaghetti according to directions. Drain. Toss in baked tomatoes in the oil. Add additional oil as needed. Add generous amount of Parmesan cheese, Toss. Serve immediately with additional fresh basil.

Eggplant:

 Add sliced eggplant into the ziplock with the eggs and toss to coat all pieces well. Transfer to the ziplock with the bread crumbs. Toss well to cover thoroughly. In a large Fran, add equal amount of each oil to cover bottom of pan by 1/2 inch. Heat on medium high heat til hot, add 1/2 the eggplant, browning on each side til golden brown (3-4 min per side approx). Remove to plate with paper towels and drain. Repeat. Salt lightly. Sprinkle with Parmesan if preferred.

BUON APPETITO!

TIPS
* Can use zucchini as well!
   Can make eggplant Parmesan from this step. 

SHRIMP AND GRITS

I love Shrimp and grits so searched the net for a good recipe and found this Low Country Shrimp and Grits...from All Things Food, Cooking with Mary and Friends:

Low Country Shrimp and Grits

17Ingredients

340Calories

45Minutes

Ingredients

for the grits...

1 cup grits (stone ground) (Can sub Quick Grits if time constraint-follow package directions)

3 1/2 cups water

1 cup chicken stock

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

2 tablespoons butter

2/3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/3 cups grated parmesan cheese(opt)

ground black pepper (Course, to taste)

for the Shrimp

1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (peeled and deveined)

2 tablespoons olive oil

freshly ground pepper

salt

2 garlic cloves (minced)

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 teaspoons sauce (sauce)

1/3 cups white wine(opt-can sub chicken broth)

3 dashes parsley flakes

Directions

 Method
To prepare the grits, in a large sauce pan over medium heat, combine the grits, water, chicken stock, salt, and butter and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until tender, 25-30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, and course-ground pepper.

Peel and de-vein shrimp. In a fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Toss in the garlic and saute' until the garlic is just slightly browning.

Add the shrimp, Chesapeake Bay Rub, salt and pepper, stirring well. Add white wine, lemon juice and hot sauce; cook until shrimp is pink and heated through.

Remove from heat and serve over grits. Sprinkle on some parsley flakes; serve immediately.

Read full directions on All Things Food, Cooking with Mary and Friends: http://www.cookingwithmaryandfriends.com/2015/03/low-country-shrimp-and-grits.html

BEEF AND VEGETABLE SOUP

We have had a few days in the last month that were a little chilly when I was visiting my cousins in Northern PA, so I took advantage and made BEEF AND VEGETABLE SOUP. It is a family favorite and a comfort food for us all. Enjoy!

BEEF AND VEGETABLE SOUP

1 2-3 lb chuck roast
Lawry's seasoning salt
1 large onion
3 tbs minced garlic
1 14oz can diced tomatoes
1 16 oz diced tomatoes
Veggies frozen or fresh- 8-10 oz ea: green beans, corn, peas, edamame,cabbage, lima beans*
5 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 medium potaoes, peeled and cut in bite size pieces
3 stalks of celery, sliced
2 tbs Worchestershire sauce
3 tbs basil (to taste)
Pepper to taste
2 handfuls fresh baby spinach

In a 10-12 qt pot. add beef, seasoned front and back w/ seasoning salt. Add rest of ingredients except spinach. Cover all with water to 2 inches over all in pot. Bring to boil. Cover and Lower to simmer and simmer 2-3 hrs. Add spinach and cook 30 more minutes. Serve with crusty rolls and a salad.
Serves 10+


TIPS-
   I used a frozen roast this time and it did very well.

* Vegetables-use what you like. I have also put in cabbage and mushrooms. Be creative.

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM ANYONE??

HOMEMADE ICE CREAM ANYONE?? Are you ready for the most amazing, awesome and fairly easy recipe for home made Ice cream? My late mother in law had this recipe/ It is fabulous! It is using a cooked custard. If you have made homemade ie cream from all raw ingredients, it was probably grainy? Right?  With about 1/2 hour prep time, you can have creamy, delicious ice cream.

Phyllis  Leonard’s Ice Cream Custard

1 qt milk or ½ & ½

2 cans sweeten condenced milk

2 cans evaporated milk

8 whole eggs, beaten

¾ c sugar

3 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp almond extract

½ jar marshmallow fluff (1/2 cup)

In a large metal pot, scald the 1 qt of milk, DO NOT BOIL In a large bowl, Whisk together evaporated and sweet milk. Put in fridge to chill. Beat eggs and sugar together. To scalded milk add the beaten eggs slowly- whipping in  (TIP: Mix a little of the scalded  milk to egg mixture first, then add SLOWLY to hot milk wisking vigorously). Heat milk and egg mixture to almost boiling. DO NOT BOIL. Remove from heat and whisk in til smooth the vanilla, almond extract and marshmallow fluff. Pour the hot mixture into the cold milk mixture, mixing thoroughly.

Refrigerate overnight. Freeze in Ice Cream Maker according to directions.

Enjoy!

Buon Appetito!

tip> Add fresh fruit to the ice cream as toppings or incorporate it during the freezing after the ice cream begins to get a little hard.