Eggplant Caponata

 

 

It's rare that someone mentions a type of food or a particular dish and I have never heard of it.   This happened to me recently when I was out with a few girlfriends.  Someone mentioned Caponata and I had no idea what they were talking about.  So the next day I did a litte research and I found a "million" recipes/versions of the Sicilian dish/appetizer Caponata.  I couldn't wait to make it and try it for myself.  I decided on this particular recipe from No Recipes because the combination of ingredients appealed to me the most out of all the recipes that I read.  I really loved the combination of sweet eggplant, smokey roasted peppers, salty capers and tangy balsalmic vinegar.  I brought this to the beach for an appetizer last weekend and everyone loved it.  I will defintely be making this again.

 

Ingredients:

 

1 medium eggplant peeled and cut into 1/2″ cubes
1 Tbs kosher salt (less if you’re using table salt)
1 red bell pepper quartered, seeds removed
1/4 C olive oil
1 small onion chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs drained capers
1 clove garlic minced
1/4 C leaf parsley, stems removed and chopped

Put the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with 1 Tbs kosher salt. Toss to coat and leave it over a colander for an hour.

Grill red pepper directly on your BBQ or over a flame on your gas stove top until the skin is charred then wrap in foil or put into a brown paper bag and seal.  Leave the pepper until cool. Trapping the steam like this makes it much easier to remove the skins. When cool, peel the pepper and remove any excessively charred bits. Slice into thin short strips.

When the eggplant is done salting, rinse in a bowl of cold water to remove excess salt. Squeeze the eggplant with your hands to wring out as much moisture as you can.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onions until until they are translucent and just start turning brown around the edges. Add the eggplant, bell peppers and thyme. Salt and pepper to taste stirring until the eggplant is very soft and starts to loose its shape.

Add the balsamic vinegar and capers and stir until there is no liquid left. Take off the heat and add the garlic and parsley. You can serve this immediately with some crusty bread, but it tastes even better the next day.

 

 

Peanut Butter Mousse Pie and Banana Parfait

I'm addicted to that delicious Peanut Butter Mousse from the pie I posted last week.  I decided to use it a few different ways this week.  I made mini Peanut Butter Mousse Cups for a block party I was attending and then with the leftover I made these decadent Peanut Butter Mousse Pie and Banana Parfaits.

Ingredients:

1 cup smooth Peanut Butter

1-8 oz package Cream Cheese

1-8 oz tub of Cool Whip topping

3/4 cup Confectioners Sugar

1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

3-4 Bananas, sliced into 1/4 inch circles

1 cup Hot Fudge topping, heated slightly to spoon easier

Preparation:

Prepare Peanut Butter Mousse by mixing peanut butter, cream cheese and confectioners sugar together in a medium bowl using a hand mixer.  Beat until smooth.  Fold in 8 oz container of Cool Whip until completely incorporated.   Using 4 glasses or dessert dishes layer ingredients in this order; Sliced banana, peanut butter mousse, graham cracker crumbs, hot fudge, sliced banana, peanut butter mousse, hot fudge and sprinkle the top with more graham cracker crumbs.  Refrigerate parfaits for about 2 hours until the mousse sets.  Serve cold.

Egg in a Hole

This is one of my kids favorite breakfast recipes.  It's fun to make and to eat and of course it's easy and delicious!

Ingredients:

4 whole eggs
4 slices of bread (any kind you like)
butter or margarine
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Take 4 slices of bread and using a circle cookie cutter or the rim of a round glass cut out a circle from the center of each slice of bread.   In a large skillet or on a flat griddle melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter.  Place bread slices on to buttered skillet and then crack an egg into the center of each slice of bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook on med/hi heat on the first side for a few minutes until the bread becomes golden brown and the bottom of the egg begins to set.  Then carefully flip over each egg/bread slice using a large spatula.  (I like to re-butter the skillet before cooking the other side. I just lift up the bread slice slightly and slide another small pat of butter under each bread slice and then flip over).  Cook on second side for another 3 minutes until egg is set to medium.  You want the yolk to be soft and run slightly but not be under cooked.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve hot.