Cheesy Eggplant Parmesan

As the farmer’s market comes to an end, I found myself with a surplus of beautiful eggplant. What better way to use it all up than to make a beautiful eggplant Parmesan! I served this with sautéed spinach and garlic, and it was the perfect meal for a rainy fall evening. If you can’t find provel cheese, it is Ok to just use the mozzarella and Parmesan. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3-4 medium eggplants sliced ¼ in

1 c. flour

3 eggs

3 c. panko bread crumbs

Spray oil

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes

3 cloves of garlic chopped

1 small onion chopped

2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning (or to taste)

1 Tbsp. oregano (or to taste)

1 Tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)

                                           1 Tbsp. basil (or to taste)

                                           1 Tsp. garlic powder

                                           Salt and pepper to taste

                                           Mozzarella, Provel, and Parmesan cheeses

To make the eggplant:

1.       Place the cut eggplant in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Set aside for about 40 minutes

2.       After 40 minutes press the eggplants with a paper towel to remove the salt and moisture.

3.       Preheat oven to 425

4.       Spray two cookie sheets with oil

5.       Put the flour in one bowl, mix the eggs in a second bowl, and the panko in a third bowl. Flour a piece of eggplant, shake off the excess flour and the place in the egg, and lastly coat with the panko. Place the eggplant on oiled cookie sheet. Repeat this process with all of the eggplant until both cookie sheets are full.

6.       Put both cookie sheets in oven and cook for 20 minutes. Flip the eggplant and cook an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside.

To make the sauce:

1.       Put the tomatoes in a food processor and blend until smooth

2.       In a deep sauce pan, heat olive oil. Cook onion until translucent. Add the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add the pureed tomatoes, Italian seasoning, oregano, red pepper flakes, basil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Simmer until the sauce has cooked down by half (about 30 minutes). Adjust seasons as needed

To Assemble:

1.       Lightly oil a 9x13 casserole dish

2.       Add a cup of sauce at the bottom of the casserole dish

3.       Place a layer of eggplant on top of the sauce, and then put more sauce on top of the eggplant.

4.       Add the provel, mozzarella, and a sprinkle of parmesan.

5.       Repeat with another layer of eggplant, then sauce, and a final layer of cheese

6.       Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Pan Fried "Scallops" with Garlic Aioli Sauce

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, oh my goodness!!!! I have finally found the elusive king oyster mushroom (I live in a small town in the Midwest). Bloggers, The Chubby Vegetarian, had spoken of this mushroom treat, and how a version of vegetarian scallops could be made. Of course, once I found the mushrooms, I could not find the recipe I was looking for, and I was on my own. Thus, the Happy Heffer's  "scallops!" These were so easy, and my goodness, so amazing. If I would have been by myself, I would have made a second batch and kept eating. They are the "I'm very full, but I am going to keep eating because I don't know when I will have these again" kind of good. Search out those king oyster mushrooms, and enjoy!






Ingredients:
2 King Oyster Mushrooms
2 1/2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp garlic infused olive oil
salt
Garlic Aioli (recipe follows)

Directions:
1. Cut mushrooms into 1/2 inch rounds (discard stems)
2. Heat butter and olive oil in large sauce pan over medium high heat
3. Pan fry the mushrooms in olive oil and butter until browned on each side.This took about 8 minutes on each side. If the oil and butter begin to brown, turn down the heat to medium.
4. Remove from heat, and sprinkle the tops of the "scallops" with salt and basil (optional). Serve with lemon and garlic aioli sauce.

Garlic Aioli
Ingredients:
1/2 c. mayonaise
1 clove of garlic smashed and chopped
1 Tbsp. ground coriander
1 Tsp. cumin
 1/2 tsp. paprika
pinch of dried red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
3-4 tsp. of fresh lemon juice

Directions.
1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and let chill for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours

Mushroom and Goat Cheese Hand Pies

As St. Patrick's Day approaches, I wanted to create a hand pie that was meat free and had all of the comforts of a simple street food when you want a snack and not a large meal. Thus, the mushroom and goat cheese hand pie! This was incredibly simple to make, and you can make it more simple by using a food processor to chop your veggies and using store bought pie dough. Also, if you have an infused olive oil, that will add to the flavor, but plain olive oil will work, too. I used a portabella roasted garlic olive oil in this dish. Enjoy!



Ingredients:
16 oz. mushrooms (any variety) chopped
1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves of garlic chopped
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tsp. Dried Thyme
Salt and pepper
2 pie crusts (store bought is fine)
2 oz. plain goat cheese










Directions:
1.) Preheat oven to 375
2.) Heat olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Add mushrooms, onion, garlic, and thyme, and, while stirring occasionally, cook until most of the moisture has evaporated, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.
3.) Line a baking sheet with foil and spray to prevent sticking. Working with one pie crust at a time, cut out  4 in. circles in the pie crust. Do the same with the other pie crust. You should have 6 circles total.
4.) In the center of each circle, place 1-2 Tbsps. of mushroom mixture. Crumble a bit of the goat cheese on top of the mushroom mixture. Fold the dough in half over the mushroom mixture and cheese, and use your fingers to gently press the edges together. Cut a small slit in the top of the pie to let steam escape. Place on prepared pan.
5.) Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the pies are golden brown and cooked through. Let cool for 10 minutes on a baking rack. Serve warm

Corned "Beef" Hash

After over twenty years of being a vegetarian, I still get a wild craving for meat. This was one of those mornings. With predictions of up to 13 inches of snow and negative degree weather, I instantly wanted some corned beef hash; you know, the old school kind that comes in a can, plops out, and is a big mess of lard and preservatives. Thank goodness I was able to come up with a mock version of this classic that is both vegan and mystery meat free! I was quite impressed with the texture, and I think it is about as close as you can get to the saltiness of corned beef. If you have backyard hens, feel free to send another member of your household out in the frigid, snowy morning to collect a few eggs, and serve this up with a fried egg on top. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 16 oz. can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 Tbsp. of soy sauce
1 Tbsp. of Vegan Worcestershire sauce or Steak Sauce
1 tsp. of liquid smoke
1 Tbsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. mustard powder
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. nutritional yeast flakes
1-2 small potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
1 small onion diced (approximately 1/2 cup)
3 Tbsp. of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Pour the chickpeas into a large bowl, and with a potato masher, smash the chickpeas completely. You may have to smash a few with your fingers, but try to mash them down as completely as possible.
2. Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire, liquid smoke, garlic powder, mustard powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, and nutritional yeast flakes to the smashed chickpeas. Mix well, add salt and pepper if necessary, and set aside.
3. Place cubed potatoes in a microwave safe dish and toss with 2 Tbsp. of olive oil. Cover, and cook on high in microwave for 6 minutes, stirring the potatoes after 3 minutes of cooking. Remove the potatoes from the microwave and drain excess oil and water in colander.
4. Meanwhile, heat remaining Tbsp. of olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Sautee the onions until slightly translucent. Add the drained potatoes to the onions and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes. Add salt and pepper if necessary
5. Turn the heat down to medium, and add the chickpea mixture to the onions and potatoes. Continue to cook, frequently stirring, until the chickpea mixture begins to brown. If the mixture sticks, add more oil and turn down the heat.
6. Once the mixture has browned, taste to see if more salt and pepper is needed,  remove from heat and serve with an optional fried egg.

Spicy Tofu and Broccoli (Vegan)

It is a new year and time for a new post! This past holiday season, I bought myself a new deep fryer. Although I hope not to be too much of a fried cook, I think it is a fun and fast way to cook some appetizers or parts of a meal that would normally take three times the cook time without the fryer. Take tofu for instance. Usually when I make a tofu stir-fry, it takes about 30 minutes of watching and flipping the tofu until it reaches a nice brown. This recipe, with the help of my deep fryer, took 5-7 minutes. Sure the deep fryer is not the best for the waist line, but in moderation, I think it will be a welcome time saver in my kitchen! Now that my defense of the fryer is over, I will move on to the dish. This is a simple broccoli and tofu stir-fry, with the main ingredient in the sauce being soybean paste. You can find soybean paste in the Asian section of most grocery stores, or online. It added a nice, but not overwhelming taste to the dish. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. Seasoned Soybean Paste
1 tsp. Chopped green onion
1 tsp. Chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp. Chopped fresh garlic
1 pkg. of tofu drained and patted dry
1 head of broccoli
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. of water

For the Sauce:
Mix the soybean paste, green onion, ginger, and garlic in small bowl and cover. Set aside. (may be refrigerated up to 24 hours)

For the Tofu:
Cut the tofu into one inch cubes. Fry in a deep fryer at 340 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until browned (this may take longer if frying with 1/2 c. oil in a deep frying pan.) Drain on a paper towel and set aside.

For the Stir-Fry:
Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large frying pan or wok over medium high heat. Sautee broccoli in oil until tender. Add fried tofu and reduce to simmer. Meanwhile, add 1 Tbsp. of water to the sauce, and stir until well combined. Add sauce to tofu and broccoli and stir until everything is well coated. Cook until heated through.
 Remove from heat and serve over rice.