Eggplant Rollatini

I love eggplant;  parmigiana or rollatini, it is a dish I could happily eat once a week. Notice I didn't say I could COOK it once a week, but I will say it's become much easier since I began baking the eggplant instead of frying it. In addition to making a mess of my stove and kitchen, frying makes this dish unnecessarily high calorie. So now, instead of waiting for my brother-in-law to make it for me on holidays, I make the eggplant in the oven with no loss of flavor.

Ingredients

1 large eggplant

3 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs

1 lb ricotta (whole or part skim works)

3 tbs grated Pecorino Romano cheese

3 tbs chopped parsley

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella, divided

3-4 cups of your favorite tomato sauce (homemade or jarred)

OPTIONAL:  3 links of sweet Italian sausage; remove meet from casing and brown, breaking up into small pieces

Directions

Cut off both ends of the eggplant and peel it. Holding the eggplant upright, very carefully slice it long wise into 1/4 inch slices. Try to keep each slice even from top to bottom to make rolling easier. A large eggplant should yield 8-10 slices.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray or nonstick cooking spray.

Set up a breading station:  place the flour on one plate (I use paper plates); beat the two eggs in a shallow bowl; place the panko bread crumbs on a second plate.  Use one hand to dredge each slice in flour, then dip in the egg; use the other hand to coat the slice in bread crumbs. Place each slice on the prepared baking sheet. 

Bake the eggplant slices for 12-15 minutes, flip over and bake another 8-10 minutes. Bread crumbs should be nicely browned. Cool the eggplant while you make the ricotta mixture.

Place the ricotta, 1 egg, the grated cheese, the garlic powder, the parsley, and 1/2 cup of the mozzarella in a medium bowl and combine thoroughly. Add the browned sausage crumbles to this step, if desired.

In a rectangular baking dish (like a lasagna dish or a casserole dish), ladle a few tablespoons of sauce to cover the bottom of the dish.

Lay out your eggplant slices on waxed paper and divide the ricotta mixture among them, placing a heap in the middle of each slice. Carefully roll up each slice, placing the seam on the bottom and using a tablespoon to tap the mixture into place. Place the rolls in the prepared baking dish.

Spoon over the remaining sauce and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella. Cover the dish with aluminum foil.

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes. You can broil briefly (watch carefully) to brown the cheese if your dish permits high heat. Let sit for 5 minutes to set, then serve.

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TASTE NOTES

This dish gets even better--if you can believe it--when reheated, so I hope you have some leftovers. While it's very good as a vegetarian dish, I think it's even better with the sausage. No more waiting for holidays for me. This is a great week night dish.

Fried Risotto Balls

 

The rice balls served in most pizza places are huge and dry and contain--yuk--peas in the center. The arancini I've ordered in fine dining restaurants often lack flavor. I wanted the creaminess of a freshly-made risotto, the crispiness of the breaded and fried rice ball, and the flavor that only good ingredients, like prosciutto and Fontina cheese, could impart.

Yield:  12-16 risotto balls

Ingredients

For the risotto:

5 cups low sodium beef broth

1 tbs EVOO

1 tbs unsalted butter

1 cup arborio rice

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 shallot, finely diced

1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese

For the risotto balls:

3 large eggs

1 cup grated Fontina cheese

3 oz prosciutto, chopped

vegetable oil, for frying

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup fine dry bread crumbs

Directions

Heat the stock in a medium saucepan; keep at a simmer.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a straight sided skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, until softened. Add the rice and stir to coat, cooking about 4 minutes until the rice starts to color slightly. Add the wine and cook until completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Ladle in enough stock to just cover the rice (about 3/4 cup). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is almost absorbed. Add the stock 1/2 cup at a time and cook in the same manner until the risotto is creamy and al dente, 16-20 minutes. Take off the heat and stir in the grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Set the risotto aside to cool completely.

Once the risotto is cooled, scrape it into a large mixing bowl. Beat one egg and add to the bowl along with the prosciutto and Fontina cheese. Mix completely. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop about 1/4 cup of the mixture into your hands and roll into balls. Refrigerate until just firm, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, set up a breading station: beat the 2 eggs in a shallow bowl; place the flour on one plate; place the bread crumbs on another plate. Dredge each risotto ball in flour, dip in egg, then roll in bread crumbs.

While you are breading the risotto balls, heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a medium Dutch oven. Fry the balls in small batches that are not crowded until deep, golden brown. You can keep them warm in a low oven until ready to serve.

Serve warm or hot with your favorite marinara sauce or just plain.

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TASTE NOTES:

These little gems could serve as an entire meal for me. When your fry the risotto balls, the creaminess of the risotto combines with the saltiness of the prosciutto and the nutiness of the Fontina to create a perfect bite. I like mine plain, but you might enjoy yours with a dunk in the marinara sauce. Either way, these are perfection.

 

Slow Cooker Red Wine Braised Short Ribs

 

Short ribs are a favorite fall and winter dish, one that I most often make in the Dutch oven. I decided since they are cooked low and slow anyway, I would do them in the slow cooker so I wouldn't be tied to the oven for hours.

Serves 4

1 large Vidalia onion, diced

2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces

3 - 3 1/2 lbs bone-in English-style short ribs

3 tsp Kosher salt, divided

1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper

2  tbs vegetable oil, divided

1 cup low sodium beef broth

2 bay leaves

4 fresh thyme sprigs

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 tbs tomato paste 

3cups dry red wine

Instructions

Pat the short ribs dry. Season all over with 2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper. Heat 1 tbs vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering. Sear the short ribs on all sides, doing it in 2 batches if necessary. Transfer the short ribs to a 6 quart or larger slow cooker using tongs. Add the beef broth, the bay leaves, and the thyme sprigs.

Heat the remaining 1 tbs vegetable oil in the Dutch oven and add the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with the 1/4 cup flour and stir to coat the vegetables. Add the tomato paste and cook another 2 minutes, until darkened. Pour in the red wines and stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer about 5 minutes until thickened.

Pour the hot liquid and vegetables into the slow cooker over the ribs. Cover and cook on low 8-10 hours until the meat is tender and falling off the bone.

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TASTE NOTES

Short ribs are a fatty meat, part of the reason they cook to perfection low and slow. I prefer to make them the night before and refrigerate them. The next day, I will scoop off the layer of congealed fat (leaving a tiny little bit) before reheating them. These short ribs were luscious. The red wine braise lifted them from a humble dish to a restaurant worthy one. Served with incredible fried rice balls, this was a feast with a lot of leftovers.