Category Archives: Ethnic – Regional

Casseroles, Italian, Main Dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Eggplant Parmesean – Light Version

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Use whole-wheat panko in this recipe; the regular type became soggy in a test.
Eggplant:
2  large eggs, lightly beaten
1  tablespoon  water
2  cups  whole-wheat panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
2  (1-pound) eggplants, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
Cooking spray
Filling:
1/2  cup  torn fresh basil
1/4  cup  (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/2  teaspoon  crushed red pepper
1 1/2  teaspoons  minced garlic
1/4  teaspoon  salt
1  (16-ounce) container part-skim ricotta cheese
1  large egg, lightly beaten
Remaining ingredients:
1  (24-ounce) jar premium pasta sauce
1/4  teaspoon  salt
8  ounces  thinly sliced mozzarella cheese
3/4  cup  (3 ounces) finely grated fontina cheese
Preheat oven to 375°.
To make eggplant, combine 2 eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a shallow dish. Combine panko and 1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano in a second shallow dish. Dip eggplant in egg mixture; dredge in panko mixture, pressing gently to adhere and shaking off excess. Place eggplant 1 inch apart on baking sheets coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes or until golden, turning once and rotating baking sheets after 15 minutes.
To make filling, combine basil and next 6 ingredients (through egg).   To assemble, spoon 1/2 cup pasta sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch glass baking dish coated with cooking spray. Layer half of eggplant slices over pasta sauce. Sprinkle eggplant with 1/8 teaspoon salt. Top with about 3/4 cup pasta sauce; spread half of ricotta mixture over sauce, and top with a third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Repeat layers once, ending with about 1 cup pasta sauce. Cover tightly with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 35 minutes. Remove foil; top with remaining third of mozzarella and 1/4 cup fontina. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and cheese melts; cool 10 minutes.
10  Servings
Casseroles, Italian, Main Dish, Vegetables, Vegetarian

Eggplant Parmesan

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4 eggplants, sliced 1/2″ thick
dash salt
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups spaghetti sauce
2 cups low fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Sprinkle salt on slices of eggplant.  Let sit for 30 minutes, blot moisture from eggplant slices. Dip each slice of eggplant in egg then in bread crumbs.  Fry in a small amount of oil until browned on both sides.  Drain on paper towels. Put one cup of sauce on bottom of 13×9″ baking dish.  Layer eggplant slices, top with sauce then cheeses. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 or until cheese is bubbly.
8  Servings
Asian, Chicken, Main Dish, Slow Cooker

Crock Pot Thai Chicken Thighs

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8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 (16 ounce) jars cilantro salsa (or any salsa you prefer)
1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or creamy)
2 teaspoons ginger
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons lime juice
Put all ingredients in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours.  Garnish with cilantro, scallions, and peanuts.  Serve with jasmine rice made with half coconut milk and half water (1 cup raw rice, 1 cup water, 1 cup coconut milk).
     
8  Servings
Asian, Chicken, Main Dish, Make Ahead

Spicy Sweet Glazed “Dump” Chicken

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Thumbs up for this easy recipe!  Served it with Jasmine rice and steamed broccoli.  I omitted the Tabasco for the sake of the kiddo and just sprinkled crushed red pepper on my serving.

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed
2 Teaspoons Minced Garlic
2/3 cup Apricot Preserves
1/3 cup Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Ketchup
1 Teaspoon Tabasco

For immediate cooking: Pre-heat oven to 350 F. Place all ingredients into a large baking dish, turn chicken to coat. Bake until chicken juices run clear (45-60 minutes for chicken pieces, or 20-30 minutes for chicken breasts).

For freezing: Place all ingredients into a 1 Gallon freezer bag. Lay flat in freezer.

To thaw and cook: Take the bag out of the freezer the night before, make sure the baggie is completely closed. Place the Bag on a shelf furthest from the freezer (It works best if the bag is laying flat, although this may not be the best option with a side-by-side fridge/freezer). Preheat the oven to 350 F. Empty the contents of the bag into a large baking dish and bake until the juices run clear (45-60 minutes for chicken pieces, or 20-30 minutes for chicken breasts).

Casseroles, Chicken, Main Dish, Mexican

Creamy Chicken Enchilada Casserole

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2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
6 ounces cream cheese, cubed
2 tablespoons butter
1 package flour tortillas
1 large can green enchilada sauce
8 ounces Monterey jack cheese, grated
Salt to taste
In a wide frying pan over medium heat, cook the onions in butter, for 20 minutes. Stir frequently to keep onions from burning. Remove from heat and add chicken, red bell peppers, and cream cheese; stir gently to blend, and season with salt. Pour a little green sauce in bottom of 9×13″ baking pan. Spoon about 1/3 C of filling down center of each tortilla and roll. Set enchiladas, seam side down in baking pan. Continue until pan is full. Cover with remaining sauce and top with grated cheese. At this point you may cover and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. If refrigerated, bake for 30 minutes, 15 minutes covered, remove foil and bake 15 minutes more. If not refrigerated, bake uncovered for 20 minutes.
Makes approximately 12 enchiladas.