Author: Robert Andrews

Cannelloni

Cannelloni

Filling
Ground pork and HB mix . Browned
Move aside and add onions to carmelize
Add rosemary
Add tomato paste in hot spot
mix together
Deglaze with white wine
Reduce liquids
Add Minced carrots and celery
Season
Add 2 C stock
Cook till reduced
Wring out cooled spinach and mix in
No running liquid in pan
Set aside to cool
Mix in chopped ham, parsley, cheese and lemon zest

Béchamel Sauce
1 stick butter . Melted
1/4 c Flour . Stir till browned
Slowly add warm milk . Whisk
Bay leaves
White pepper
Nutmeg
Blue cheese
Simmer 10-15 minutes stirring frequently

Cannelloni Shells
Cut to golf ball size
Roll into long sheet
. Lots or passes, lots of flour
Cut into four inch segments
Put between dry kitchen towels
Boil 30 seconds . Till it comes up
Plunge into ice water
Put cooked pasta between damp towels

Cooking
Line base of baking dish with maranara
. Add just a bit of you béchamel
Roll cannelloni as you would an enchilada
Line baking dish with cannellonis
Top with red sauce and béchamel
Top with grated cheese
Cover with foil and bake at 375° for 30 minutes
Uncover and cook another 20 minutes

This recipe is transcribed and adapted from Lidia’s Italy

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Puff Pastry Pizzas

Little Pizza Squares

  1. Cut puff pastry into four inch squares
  2. Add cheese and desired toppings
  3. Bake at 425º until done – about 15 minutes

Pizza Rolls

  1. Use pizza dough or puff pastry
  2. Roll till flattened
  3. Drizzle with EVOO
  4. Add desired toppings
  5. Sprinkle with additional mozzerella
  6. Roll it up into a log
  7. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes
  8. Cut into 3/4 inch medallions and lay on cookie sheet
  9. Bake at 450º about 12 minutes

Personal Pizzas

  1. Thaw a sheet of puff pastry.
  2. Roll just to flatten and shape
  3. Use a biscuit cutter to cut along the “fold” making three small sheets
  4. Top mini-pizzas with desired toppings
    1. Sauteed mushroom and garlic
    2. Tomato and black olive
    3. Pepperoni and sausage
    4. Artichoke and Swiss cheese
    5. Ham and pineapple
  5. Top with a bit of additional mozzarella
  6. Bake at 425º for 15 minutes

Enchilada Notes

SELECT YOUR FAVORITE ENCHILADA SAUCE then proceed with recipe.

Preferred for this recipe is the Tomatillo Sauce

Beans
Stock pot
Onions and lots of onions
Simmer 2 hours
Drain and add lots of evoo
Roughly blend
When you are ready to serve heat up in a pan.
. They will darken.

Enchilada
Dip corn tortilla in sauce
Pan fry about 30 seconds
Put on cookie sheet
Top with cheeses
Roll up and put in baking dish
Top with more sauce and cheese
Bake at 400 for 5 minutes

Side Salad
Chopped tomato
Onion
Avocado
Lettuce
Radish
Cilantro
Sour cream
Lime juice
Salt-and-pepper

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Steel Cut Oatmeal

2015-12-31 17.23.27THREE KINGS OF OATMEAL

  • Steel cut: Raw oats, cut with steel blades
  • Rolled: Steamed and softened, then rolled flat
  • Instant: rolled oats pre-cooked, then dried . Add boiling water

INGREDIENTS

Step One
•  1 TBL butter
•  1/2 C steel cut oats
•  1-1/2 C boiling water

Step Two
•  1/4 C whole milk
•  1/4 C low fat buttermilk
•  1/4 C cottage cheese

Finishing Touches
•  1 tsp brown sugar
•  1/4 tsp cinnamon

  1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the oats
  2. Stir for 2-3 minutes to toast
  3. Add the boiling water and reduce heat to simmer
  4. Cook uncovered at a barely perceptible simmer for 25 minutes
  5. Stir gently, every 5 minutes or so, scraping the bottom of the pan
  6. Longer cooking makes thicker and softer oatmeal
  7. Add buttermilk and cottage cheese
  8. Stir gently to combine
  9. Cook for an additional 5 minutes
  10. Spoon into a serving bowl
  11. Top with remaining ingredients.

Crepe notes from chef cullen campbell

Crepe notes from chef cullen campbell of crudo restaurant

Ingredients
Crepes
1 ½ cups flour
4 eggs
2 cups milk
½ tsp. salt

Steps
1. Pour flour into mixing bowl. Crack eggs into flour then add salt & milk. Whisk until smooth.
2. Using a crepe pan or a non-stick pan turn burner on to medium heat. Add a little canola oil to pan. Once hot ladle the crepe batter into the pan just enough to cover the bottom. Brown one side, and then turn crepe over to make sure it has been cooked through.

Ingredients
Bechamel
2 tbsp. butter
2 tbsp. flour
2 cups milk
1 bay leaf
Pinch of nutmeg

Steps
1. Make a roux with butter & flour on medium high heat until golden brown.
2. Heat milk & bay leaf almost to a boil then add milk to the roux pan while whisking constantly. Season with salt, pepper & a pinch of nutmeg.

Ingredients
Filling
2 cups ricotta
2 eggs
1 oz. basil, chopped
1 oz. parsley, chopped
½ oz. thyme, chopped
1 small roasted butternut squash

Steps
1. Put all ingredients in mixing bowl and whisk together.

Cheese Layers
1 cup grated parmesan
1 cup grated fontina

Assemble
Oil a springform pan or pizza pan and lay one crepe down. Scoop a generous amount of filling on the crepe, spread evenly over from side to side, top that with a layer of bechamel & sprinkle with a little cheese mixture. Repeat the same process again, top with one more crepe, spread bechamel on top crepe & sprinkle cheese mixture on top. Place in a 350 degree oven for 35 minute until the top is golden brown. Pull out of the oven, let cool for 30 minutes & slice just like a pie.

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Notes from Trees Class with Shane

Trees Class with Shane

Almond . Regular water

Peach and Apricot
Orange, Lime, Lemon, Grapefruit . Less water
. Produce fruit on last years wood

Fertilize just before leaf drop

Section of tree dies, look for blister
. Seal then paint to protect

Acidify the soil . Alka Liche

Citrus tree goes dormant . Fertilize mid February, then monthly through October

Sisous . Fast growing . Invasive roots

Ficus . Dirty . Lots of leaves

Texas ebony
. Low water slow grow . More water fast grow

Pomegranate good in winter . Likes high water
. Prop it up during fruiting . Sweet, wonderful, others
. Wonderful most common . 10 ft high

Apple . Bloom in spring . Fruit in summer and fall
. Look at chill hours . 300 or less
. Dorset or ansheimer to mix pollinate
. Prop up tree during fruiting
. Thin for larger apples
. Ours golden dorset or ana??

Cherry . Royal lee and mini royal
. Trim after last chance of frost . Mid feb
. Cut one third back

Fig . China honey . Grackles eat them

Graft . Different leaf? Cut it off

Roof rat . Just collect fruit

Pecans
. Prepare soil . Sand for drainage
. Mix with native soil

Water crystals if you tend to under water

Plant level . Same as in pot . Twice as wide and mixed
. Not higher or skin will rot
. Keep soil moist entire time
. Fill with water . How long to drain
. Avidify soil if over two hours . Alka Liche

Lime near new driveway pours . Take years to cleanse

Plant starter . Hair root growth . Helps reduce shock
. Better than B vitamin

Iron . Winter it is hard to absorb . Need supplement
. Iron plus sulfur “fast acting iron”
. Gypsum neutralizes salt

Scare em away . Scare tape. Long piece hanging freely in the sun

Bird X netting

Insect problems . Bore beetles . Kill use systemic
. Bayer advanced . Fruit citrus veg insect control
Lingers six months .

Bore problems .

Fungicides . Neem oil . Dusty leaves . Spider mites

Thuricide organic worm killer

Hatch white grub and let it hatch

Wilt stop . Oil . Prevents dehydration and freeze damage

Deep Water before freeze . Cover with frost blanket
. Not plastic or wide weave cloth

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Crepe Lasagna

Make crepes . See recipe
Basically 2 eggs, 1/2 c flour, 1/2 c whole milk, salt
Mix and set aside for bubbles to disappear

Filling: Ricotta, basil, roasted squash or pumpkin, thyme, parsley, eggs

Liquid Layer: Cream, butter, flour, grated parm

Springform pan, buttered
One layer of crepes over entire bottom
One layer filling
One layer liquid
One layer shredded parm
Keep stacking and layering
Top with parm mixture

Oven 35 minutes

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Pumpkin Flan for Four

Pumpkin Flan for Four

Caramel sauce
Pour 1/2 cup sugar into sauté pan with 1 tablespoon butter . Start heating over low heat

Flan
Mix four egg yolks and four whole eggs
Add three-quarter cup sugar
Add 1 cup pumpkin or puréed squash
One half canned sweetened condensed milk
Add 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Add one half teaspoon nutmeg
Add one pinch salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

When caramel sauce is completely melted, pour into bottom of four small ramekins
Once Caramel sauce has cooled, poor Flan into ramekins
Put ramekins into pan (bain marie) containing three-quarter inches of water
Bake at 350° for 45 minutes to an hour
Jiggle at 45 minutes. If it seems firm take it out, otherwise let it continue cooking
If it starts to puff up take out immediately and place in shallow ice bath

Let cool at least four hours before serving

Turn out onto plate
Served with pumpkin seeds and whipped cream on the side

Pumpkin Flan

Edible Garden

Edible Garden

4 boards, notched . Lincoln Logs

Top Soil Plus
Blood and bone for fruity vegetables
Bag Bed . Right on the concrete
. Notched boards works this way too
Don’t use soils with peat moss . Acidic
Check mur acid . Muriatic?!?!
Ceramic pots . Insulate
. Resin pots are better
Artichoke . Fertilize in fall
Pinch off seed tips
Ollas . Buried ceramic pot for timed irrigation
Pomegranates . Well drained soil . LOTS of water . Support or trellis
Blueberries like cactus soil . Lots of acid . Do not like calcium buildup which will rob of nutrients
Yarro . Medicinal . Aches
Lemon grass . Citronella . Trim back just before spring
Phosphates for tomatoes every 4-6 weeks
White flies . Hose off every other day . Nemo . Traps . Hummer feeders near white flies

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Simple Soft Cheese and Yogurt

Simple Soft Cheese and Yogurt
Kaesha Neil – Science Professor
Food Preservation Classes

Whole milk . 185 degrees
Lactic acid bacteria is good
Raw milk
Pasteurized milk . Spoil . Throw it away
Spoiled milk good for plants
Best . Low temperature pasteurization . 145 degrees
Bad . HTST
Worst . UHT . Usually cream . Not for cheese
. Required for “shelf-safe” milk
Higher fat gives more cheese
Sheep . High in fat and protein
Goats milk doesn’t separate . Soft cheese only
Rennet . See slide . Lemon juifce
. Non chlorinated water
Tight colander or loose CLEAN cloth
Whey . Lots of health benefits
Try mixing THEN draining
Raw milk from aber dairy
Higley and Riggs . Fall = higher availability . $10/gal
. Better to have a goat or cow
Whipping cream, but not UHT . Try it
Aged cheeses . 60 days
Goat cheese at farmers market . Black market
Listen to tape . Milk sold as pet food
Buy pure citric acid powder . Fruit Fresh ?
Seville higher acid content
Half and half for cream cheese . Quark
Rennit . Tina . Whole Foods

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Kebabs

Kebabs

Cut beef and pork tenderloin into one inch cubes and place on plate to come up to room temperature

Into blender place the following:
Chop Vidalia onion into pieces
Four cloves garlic
one square inch ginger
One large handful cilantro
1/4 cup EVOO
One jalapeno chili
1/4 cup lemon juice
add water if necessary to purée above ingredients

Reserve about 2 tablespoons of purée, and use remainder to marinate tenderloin pieces for 20 to 30 minutes.

Cut red onion into eight pieces
Separate onion layers
Place tenderloin and onion alternately on skewers
Leaving marinate on tenderloin were possible
Optionally you can use pieces of pepper, thin slices of potato, mushrooms, etc.

Seer kebabs on stovetop over high heat – all sides
Place in oven at 350° for 15 minutes

Served with pita and chutney

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Fingerling Potatoes

INGREDIENTS

STEP BY STEP

  1. Halve or quarter fingerlings
  2. Toss fingerlings with rosemary, sage, thyme and EVOO
  3. Add garlic powder, salt and pepper and toss again
  4. Add eight large cloves garlic with their skin still on and toss again
  5. Dumped onto preheated baking tray
  6. Cook at preheated 425° oven for 25-30 minutes

 

Risotto – COLLECTION

Creamy Risotto

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 C Arborio rice (or similar) – set aside
    Other similar rices are Vilone Nano and Carnaroli rice – read more
  • 1 1/4 C broth – set aside
  • 1/2 C white wine – set aside
  • 3 TBL grated Parmesan, Gruyere or Padano cheese
  • 1 TBL EVOO and 1 TBL butter per person – set aside
  • 2 shallots – minced
  • one bay leaf
  • 2 Mushrooms – Baby Crimini, Shitake, White or Porcini
    – Reconstituted dry mushrooms are okay too, but fresh is better
  • Scant rosemary and nutmeg
  • Lemon zest from one lemon
  • Grated celery root (optional finely diced celery)
  • Garlic, salt and pepper
    If dried spices, let soak in broth 1 hour
  • White wine to deglaze

STEP BY STEP

  1. Dice shallots into the skillet and soften in the EVOO
  2. Add salt to taste and add broth
  3. Add arborial rice and heat just until it starts to smell toasty
  4. Add lemon zest
  5. Deglaze the pan with a splash or two or three of white wine
  6. Add stock a ladle at a time.  Not too wet and not too dry. Stir gently.
    Not enough to boil, but you don’t want it to fry and brown any more.
    Scrape the bottom with your spatula.  If it leaves a dry path, it means you need to add more liquid.
  7. Taste occasionally and make sure the risotto is not “crunchy.”
    Al dente is OK, but you don’t want any crunch in the rice.  (about 25 minutes)  It needs to be completely softened.
  8. As soon as any hint of crunch is gone, turn off the heat and add the butter.
  9. After butter has melted, stir in grated cheese, lemon zest and scant nutmeg.
  10. At this point, you can stir in chopped asparagus, chives, mushrooms, etc
  11. Optionally, sprinkle just a bit of rosemary, chopped parsley, grated celery root, garlic, salt or pepper over the top
  12. Thinly grate mushroom over the top:  Truffle, Baby Crimini, Shitake, White or Porcini – Reconstituted dry mushrooms are okay too, but fresh is better
  13. Top with grated Parmesan cheese
  14. Serve family-style and it will stay creamier longer.

Lemon & Chive Risotto

  • Make risotto as shown above, with these exceptions
    • At Step 4 use three lemons, rather than one.
    • At Step 5 increase wine from 1/2 C to 3/4 C
    • At Step 7 add Parmesan cheese rinds
    • At Step 10 (above) add 1/4 C chopped chives

Butternut Squash Barley-Risotto

  • 1/2 C pearl barley
  • 2 shallots – finely chopped
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 small stalk celery – finely sliced
  • 1/2 carrot – julienne strips
  • 1/2 tsp dried sage
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 small Butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 2 cm cubes

Spices for roasting

  • 1 tsp coriander
  •   scant cracked black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 C vegetable stock * use scraps and trimmings to MAKE YOUR OWN
  • 1/2 C dry white wine
  • 2 TBL  butter
  • Italian grated hard cheese
  • Black pepper
  1. Pre-heat oven to 500º F
  2. Toss the butternut squash in olive oil
  3. Sprinkle with ground coriander, black pepper and salt.
  4. Put onto large baking trays and roast on high shelf for 25 – 35 minutes until slightly browned on the outside but still with quite a bite inside.
  5. Put VEGETABLE STOCK into a pan under medium-low heat
  6. Cover with lid.
  7. Sautee the onions in a deep pot using EVOO over medium heat
  8. Add carrot and celery when onion has softened
  9. Add white wine and set to medium-low
  10. Add garlic and sage, keep stirring for further 5 minutes.
  11. Add barley to the pan and stir fry for 5 minutes.
  12. Now add the stock to the pan and stir, bring to boil
  13. Turn down to medium heat, and let it all simmer until almost all the liquid is absorbed.
  14. Add more stock if necessary, simmer, stir, etc. – you don’t need to stay with it all the time but keep on stirring very frequently, always scraping the bottom of the pan – you want to cook it slowly.
  15. If you run out of stock you can add water
  16. Once the barley looks swollen add zest a well washed lemons, their juice, salt and cracked pepper to the pan.
  17. Now add and stir in.
  18. Then add Italian style hard cheese (finely grated stuff).
  19. Taste, add more salt if necessary.
  20. Add the roast butternut squash.
  21. Serve topped with chives or parsley
  22. Refrigerates well.  Reheat at 400º covered on middle shelf

Mushroom Risotto

  • 1/2 onions – finely chopped
  • 1/2 carrots – peeled and sliced
  • 1 stalk celery – washed and finely sliced
  • 1 clove minced garlic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Rind from washed lemons
  • 3-5 mushrooms – sliced roughly
  • Pearl Barley – 1/2 C
  1. In a medium sized pan (can be a steel one) pour vegetable stock.
  2. Cover and bring to boil.
  3. In yet another medium sized pan heat up olive oil until very hot and fry the mushrooms on a high heat until browned. Repeat process until all mushrooms are cooked. Put aside.
  4. In a large pot, pour in olive oil and fry the onions until transparent.
  5. Add the garlic and the celery, and carrots.
  6. Turn heat up.
  7. Once sizzling, turn heat to medium and cover with lid and let vegetables sweat for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
  8. Zest the lemons with a grater (finely) and add, with the thyme and bay leaves to the pan.
  9. Turn up heat.
  10. Add the barley to the pan and stir well.
  11. Add stock
  12. NOTE:  For the next 30 – 40 minutes you have to stay close by the pan to avoid it all getting stuck. If you need to leave the pan – turn off heat.
  13. Once the barley has absorbed most of the liquid, add more, stirring most of the time. Keep on adding and stirring until the barley is all thick and chunky, chewy when tasted, but soft.
  14. The whole risotto should be porridge like in consistency – on the runny side.
  15. Use water if you run out of stock
  16. Add all the mushrooms to the big pan. Stir in.
  17. Add cracked pepper to the pan. Stir in.
  18. Now add 2 tabs of butter to the large pan and stir in.
  19. Then add Italian grated hard cheese (the parmesan like cheese in red and green plastic bags) and stir in.
  20. Taste and see whether risotto needs more salt.

 

Tips: Safety

Safety tips

When weighing any meat, use a plastic bag to protect the surface of your scale.

To sanitize your sink and counter area use 1 tablespoon of bleach and 1 quart water.

To avoid cross-contamination, put all your seasonings into a small bowl and mix before putting on to your meat. Discard what you don’t use.

Cool hot items such as a casserole on a cooling rack for an hour before putting in the refrigerator.

To clean bacteria from fruits such as apples, use a solution of one part white vinegar to 3 parts water. Rinse off underwater when you are done.

Grandpa’s alternative: use one part lemon juice and two parts water. Spray on to your fruit, and that’s it.

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Tips from Grandpa

Not everything is about skill.  Many of the magic done by great cooks is knowing how to do something.  Browsing these Tips and Trips will bring you closer to being a better cook or chef.

This is the only one of my books that goes comically above the 30 or so recipes that are in all of the others.  There are so many good times, and things that I really want you to know…

  1. Learning to Cook
    FIRST THINGS FIRST
  2. Kitchen Safety
  3. Knife Skills
  4. Food Storage
  5. Food Safety
  6. The Danger Zone
    EQUIPMENT
  7. Slow Cookers and more
  8. Kitchen Tools
  9. Temperature
  10. Gadgets
  11. Electric vs Gas
  12. Dishwasher
  13. Care of Non-Stick Skillets
  14. Care of Cast Iron Cookware
  15. A Good Thermometer
    GETTING THE RIGHT FOOD
  16. Mail Order Food
  17. Canned Food
  18. Expiration Dates
  19. Bread Wrappers – Color Coded Tags
  20. Grocery Store Shopping
  21. Beef and other red meats
  22. Chicken and other poultry
  23. Pork and other white meats
  24. Seafood in general
  25. Potatoes
  26. Avocados
  27. Onions and Garlic
  28. Peppers
  29. Tomatoes
  30. Noodles and Pasta
  31. Yeast
  32. Cheese
  33. Snacks
  34. Dietary Water
  35. Edible Colors
  36. Eggs
  37. Vegetables
    PLANNING YOUR MEALS
  38. Terminology
  39. Grinding, Grating and Peeling
  40. From Chopped to Minced
  41. Food Preparation
  42. Garnish
    COOKING YOUR FOOD
  43. Microwave Cooking
  44. BBQ and Grilling
  45. Fry Tips
  46. Grilling Food
    PREPARATION COMPONENTS
  47. Starch Thickeners – Differences
  48. Butter and Oil
  49. Substitutions
  50. Spices
  51. Salads
  52. Dough
  53. Sauces
    AFTER THE MEAL
  54. Cleaning Up
    REHEATING YOUR FOOD
  55. Reheating Food
  56. Brown Bag Safety
  57. All about Mold
    HEALTHY EATING
  58. Healthy Eating
  59. Cutting Down on Salt
  60. Cutting Down on Sugar
  61. Eliminating Potentially Dangerous Foods
  62. Recipe Rehab – Eating Healthier
    PRESERVING YOUR FOOD
  63. Storing Fruits and Veggies
  64. Pickling and Canning
  65. Freezing Food
    OTHER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT
  66. Garden Tips
  67. Other Life Hacks
  68. Composting
  69. Roaches
  70. Travel Tips
  71. Potluck Safety
  72. Grinding your own Meat
  73. Tailgate Safety

Download Tips and Tricks for only 99¢. Select any FIVE BOOKS for only $2.99 and start cooking as soon as possible. It is worth “the price of admission” just to browse these time and money saving tips.

Flattened Chicken

Flattened Chicken

Chicken breast
Flatten
Egg dip and flour
Brown in 2 TBL evoo
Take out of pan
Destem 1/2 lb fresh shitake mushroons
Sautee with shallot and thyme
Deglaze pan with 1 c white wine and 1 c chicken stock
1 t tomato paste and 2 tsp fresh thyme
Cook to thicken
Put chicken back in and simmer 20 minutes

Robert@RobertAndrews.NET

Eggplant or Zucchini Rolls

zucch-rollBefore we begin…

  • When you buy your eggplant, don’t get one that is too big – it will be tough. It is better to have smaller rollups.
  • Zucchini is the same way – bigger is not necessarily better
  • Jarred capers are fine. I prefer the little ones, although the big ones work too.
  • Buy block cheese and grate it yourself as needed. It will keep longer.
  • Use a grill pan for nice markings on the outside of your rollups

Ingredients to feed 4 people

  • 2 eggplants or zucchini
  • gorgonzola or mozzarella
  • parmesan cheese
  • provolone cheese
  • cheddar cheese
  • capers
  • lemon
  • 1 C flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 3 eggs

1/2 LB ground pork (cooked)
or thinly sliced smoked salmon
or thinly sliced Proscuitto

Step by Step

  1. Slice eggplant or zucchini into long planks as thin as possible
  2. Whisk eggs
  3. Prepare flour with salt and pepper
  4. Flour planks
  5. Dip in egg wash – hold up to mostly drain
  6. Put into hot oiled grill pan until browned – doesn’t take long – about 4 minutes per side
  7. Place onto baking sheet to drain after cooking
  8. Salt them as they come out, while they are still sizzling
    – Just like this, you can also use them for great sandwiches
  9. Smear a thin cream cheese strip across the plant
  10. Put capers across the cheese, roll them up.
    Put in an optional protein
  11. You can add longer pieces of carrot, basil, cilantro, etc to make it especially pretty.
  12. Place them in an appetizer serving dish
  13. Poke with toothpicks if you wish
  14. Top with finely grated cheddar
  15. Plate with slices of lemon

If you want to take this to the next level, and serve as a family dinner, put into a greased baking dish rather than an appetizer serving dish. Then, jumping from Step 10 above to Step 11 below…

  1. Mix 1/2 C gorgonzola or mozzerella with
    – 1/4 C Shredded cheddar
    – 2 TBL Parmesan cheese
  2. Sprinkle cheese over top of rollup layer
  3. Spread cooked ground browned pork on the next layer
  4. Spread with a little red sauce
  5. Top with provalone
  6. Bake at 450º for 10 minutes
This is a recipe that has been created or modified by Robert (Grandpa) Andrews.
CLICK HERE for a free sample copies of Grandpa's Cookbooks. © 2016, 2017, 2018.

Eggplant Ravioli in Tomato Soup

This is mainly for Grandpa’s use.  This is a good dinner soup

Posted on October 4, 2013 at 1:23 PM
Your Life A to Z Recipe: Thursday, October 3, 2013
By: Chef Gabe Bertaccini

Ravioli di melanzana in zuppetta di pomodoro
Eggplant in ‘ravioli’ in tomato soup

Ingredients:
•    Fine Sea Salt
•    1 ¼ pounds plum tomatoes
•    ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
•    Freshly ground black pepper
•    1 teaspoon finely chopped basil, plus 4 torn leaves, plus whole leaves for garnish
•    1 teaspoon finely chopped mint, plus 4 torn leaves, plus whole leaves for garnish
•    1 (1 ¼ pound) eggplant
•    1 ¼ cups fresh ricotta cheese (10 ounces)
•    1 tablespoon finely grated Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
•    Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
•    ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
•    Unbleached all-purpose flour for dining

1.    Bring a saucepan of salted water to a boil. Drop tomatoes into water and boil 30 seconds. Drain, peel, quarter seed in a blender, combine tomatoes, 3 tablespoons oil and pinch pepper. Puree until smooth. Transfer soup to a bowl, stir in ¼ tablespoon salt, torn basil and torn mint. Set aside. (Soup can be made up to 3 days in advance. Keep covered in refrigerator. Let stand at room temp. for 30 to 45 minutes before serving).

2.    Peel 2-inch wide strips of skin from opposite sides of eggplant and discard. Using an adjustable-blade slicer or a chef’s knife, cut eggplant lengthwise into 20 (1/8 inch thick) slices. Season both sides of eggplant slices with salt.

3.    Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook eggplant slices in single layer in batches until light brown and pliable, 30 seconds per side, then transfer to the tray.

4.    In a bowl, combine ricotta, Grana Padano, Lemon Zest and generous pinch of salt and pepper. In a small skillet, combine 1 tablespoon oil and oregano; gently warm over low heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add to cheese mixture, stir and combine.

5.    Place 1 tablespoon cheese mixture on each eggplant slice, then roll up slices beginning with a short end, pressing gently to flatten slightly once rolled.

6.    Lightly dust dry tray with flour. Place eggplant ravioli on tray and lightly dust ravioli with flour

7.    In a 10 to 12 inch skillet, heat ¼ cup oil over medium-high heat until shimmering; fry ravioli in 2 batches, turning pieces once and adding remaining tablespoon of oil to skillet after first batch, until golden brown on both sides, about 8 minutes total. Drain on paper towels, then season with salt.

8.    Divide soup among shallow serving bowl. Top with ravioli. Garnish with pepper and herbs.

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