Friday, April 12th, 2013

Good morning!  We had a lovely walk in the Park today.  It waited until we were as far out in the Park as we could get before turning on a  cold, pelting rain!  We were not amused - NONE of us.  To make matters worse - I was sort of a zombie this morning.  No - not sort of....

I was slower than molasses getting going and felt super out of it.  I stopped at a breakfast truck for coffee.  Just what the doctor ordered.

So - what's new?  I made Vegetarian Recipe #10 last night and I LOVED it!!  Rave reviews - really.  I'd make this again and again - despite the fact that it's not terribly simple.  So what is it?  I'll tell you.  It's that thing in the middle picture.  The picture is nothing to write home about - I'll direct you to the site for the original recipe where she took very nice photos.  It's delicious - it kind of tastes a little like Ratatouille - which is one of my favorite things.  However you add big hunks of mozzarella cheese which get all melty and pully in the dish.  I left it in a little longer than prescribed, too, so it was chewy and crispy on all the edges.  I ate a huge portion and then went back to the pan and just ate straight out of it.  

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2012/09/baked-orzo-with-eggplant-and-mozzarella/

Vegetarian Recipe #10 - Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Mozzarella:

1 large eggplant - cut into 1/3-1/2 inch chunks

3 tomatoes - diced 

1 medium onion - diced small

3-4 cloves garlic - minced

1 carrot - peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces

1 celery stalk (I used 2) - cut into 1/4 inch pieces

zest of 1/2-1 whole lemon

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

3 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

4-5 oz mozzarella - I used a less moist (i.e. cheaper kind - Sorrento) kind - cut into 1/4 inch chunks

1/2 cup shredded parmesan

8 oz orzo

1/4 cup olive oil - I needed a bit more - eggplant always soaks it all up

salt & pepper

Deb (lady of Smitten Kitchen) - says to salt your eggplant chunks in a colander and let them soak for awhile to eliminate excess moisture.  This is a common method of preparing eggplant that I've never found to be necessary - so I don't do it.  

Preheat your oven to 350.  Heat your olive oil in a large sauté pan or wok.  When it is glistening, add the eggplant and sauté for about 8 minutes - stirring a bit.  Once your eggplant starts to shrink just a little, remove it using a slotted spoon and set it onto some paper towels or into a colander.  It was at this point that I needed to add a touch more olive oil to what remained in the pan.  Add your carrot & celery mixture (apparently it's called a mirepoix - didn't know that).  Sauté for about 2-4 minutes - stirring.  Then add your onion & garlic mixture.  Sauté them together for about 5 minutes.  Finally, add your orzo and sauté for about 2 more minutes.  Dust with salt & grounds of black pepper - you don't need much salt - if you use regular vegetable stock (i.e. not low sodium), it has enough salt to make it tasty.  

Now take the mixture off heat and combine with the eggplant.  Stir in your remaining ingredients - the mozzarella, parmesan, oregano, lemon zest, tomatoes, and the vegetable stock.  Once combined, add to a 8x11 inch casserole or baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes until the top is crispy and a bit browned.  

Hope you enjoy! 

Carpe diem,

J