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Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Italian. Show all posts

Friday, October 4, 2013

Lasagna eggplant o pasticho de berenjenas is the same


Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients
2 large eggplants, sliced 3/4-inch thick sprinkle with salt and after 5-10 min washed and dried.
1 Lb of ground turkey
2 tbsp of oil in a small dish and a napkin or a brush
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped mushrooms
1 onion chopped 
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (15-ounce) container fat free ricotta cheese or cashew ricotta
1/2 chopped spinach
2 egg whites +1 separate egg white
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons (if you get one really good you won't need more than 1/4 cup) 
2 cups Of Marinara Sauce - Since tomatoes can be very acidic, you may use carrots and roasted garlic to bring sweetness to the marinara or you may use 1 tbs of sweetener if there won't be kids eating this lasagna.
1/4 cup of Pesto sauce (I do my own is really easy) 
1/2 cup of fat free mozzarella 

Directions
In a medium skillet add the ground turkey and onions and sautéed until everything have caramelized, mix in the garlic. Sauté until soft for about 7 minutes.  Mix the mushroom and cook for another 2 minutes. Once the mushrooms are cook put the marinara and pesto and let it simmer for about 20 min a low temperature   
Meanwhile; Pass the eggplants through the 2 eggs seasoned with salt, pepper and some Italian seasoning and cook them for a minute on each side In a pan at medium heat ( don't mess with them once you put them in the pan wait a minute and they won't be stuck) every time you are going to set new eggplant slices pass the napkin or brush along the pan or you may use a slightly oil in spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl add the ricotta,  1 eggs white, 2 tabs of Parmesan, minced spinach, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Mix well. Brush an 8-inch baking dish with oil.

Spread one third of the marinara sauce on the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Lay slices on top followed by the ricotta mixture. One more of the turkey Bolognese sauce.Lay another slices of eggplant .....ricotta and finish with sauce. Top with the 1/2 cup of Mozzarella. Bake covered with aluminum foil at 350 degrees, for 25 minutes. Take the foil off and sprinkle Parmesan on top and broil for 5 minutes or until golden.

Hope  You Enjoy!!!



Lasagna de berenjenas

2 berenjenas grandes rebanadas colóqueles sal y déjelas por 5 a 10 minutos para que pierdan el sabor amargo, enjuaguelas, sequelas y separelas 
1/2 kilo de carne de pavo molida
2 cucharaditas de aceite en un platito o aceite en spray
Pimienta recién molida
Sal marina
1 taza de champiñones picados
1 cebolla picada
2 dientes de ajo machacados
15 oz de ricotta bajo en grasa o ricotta de la nuez de su preferencia
1/2 taza de espinacas picadas
2 claras de huevo más 1 adicional
1/4 taza de  Parmesano + 2 cucharadas aparte
2 tazas de salsa Marinara como los tomates pueden ser muy acidos puedes usar zanahorias y ajo rostizado para endulzarla y para darles vegetales a tus seres queridos, si no hay niños entre los comensales lo puedes endulzar con una cucharada del edulcorante de tu preferencia.
1/4 taza de salsa Pesto (yo hago la mía es muy fácil)
1/2 taza de mozzarella libre de grasa

Preparación;
En un sartén caliente a temperatura media saltee las cebollas cuando estén doradas agregue el pavo molido y cocínelo hasta qué este dorado y separado, sal pimiente y agregue el ajo con una paleta separelo mientras se cocina para que no queden pedazos demasiado grandes. Cocínelo hasta qué este dorado aproximadamente 7 minutos, agregue los champiñones y saltee los por un par de minutos más, vierta la marinara junto con el pesto déjelo hervir por 20 minutos tapado y a baja temperatura.
Mientras tanto pasé las rebanadas de berenjenas por las 2 claras de huevo con sal pimienta y sazón italiano y en otro sartén caliente al que le va a untar un poquito de aceite del que se tiene en el platito o en spray va a poner las rebanadas de berenjenas y las va a cocinar 1 minuto por cada lado no las mueva mientras se cocinan cuando están listas ellas solas se despegan del sartén volteelas y cocínelas un minuto más.
Ponga a calentar el horno a 400 grados F
En una taza grande mezcle la ricotta, las espinacas el huevo adicional ( yo hago esto al final porque sí me queda huevo de el que use para rebozar las berenjenas lo uso aquí también) las 2 cucharadas de parmesano sal y pimienta al gusto aprox 1 cucharadita de sal y una pizca de pimienta.
En un molde  coloque un tercio de la salsa, una capa con la mitad de las rebanadas  de berenjenas y una capa con la mitad de la mezcla de ricotta, una más de salsa ......berenjenas .....ricotta y termine la salsa restante, póngale el mozzarela por encima y colóquelo en el horno cubierto con papel de aluminio por 25 minutos, destapelo agréguele el parmesano restante y cocínelo destapado bajo el rostizador por 5 minutos más o hasta que este dorado.

Espero que la disfruten!!!



Thursday, July 4, 2013

Zucchini???? But I want Pasta, Italian food!!!!

Since I am part Italian, I always thought that life without pasta was not life and so I grew up with pasta as a staple in my meals. Little did I know or imagine there is an allergy to gluten (main part of anything made of wheat, processed or not) so when I met this girl who used to not only get bloated but her legs would literally inflate in seconds, I knew there was something very wrong with it, but since that was my staple how could I keep my friends and my beloved pasta together?
If I had actually looked for a solution I would have never found it; I always thought that nothing but my mother's food could satisfy my voracious appetite.... But, here I was shredding pounds and looking for new ways to eat without carbs (yes, I've been evading my staple) but I couldn't do it any longer!! One blessed day my daughter took me to a restaurant, because she thought if I ate out maybe I would forget about my biggest craving, "The Pasta," and I thought well if I cannot eat pasta at least I will enjoy my sweet daughter's company and I will eat the craziest food they may have, asking them to remove any carb on it. So there we were in this amazing restaurant my daughter wanted to try and I was reading the menu, when something started "whispering" my name, but as soon as I looked at it, there it was, that wonderful word... "PASTA" and you.... Well most of you, know I am a one-mind-set-decision woman, so I looked away, and there were a few exquisite selection of dishes but nothing appealed to me, I wanted that pasta, so there it is! The reason why people get into a "Yo Yo lifestyle;" I said to myself as an excuse "I will have it and go back to my diet tonight, only my daughter will know and she won't sell me out", so I looked at her with a guilty face and said "I will have the pasta", she looked at me a little confused, then at the menu and again at me and she said "good choice mom! I am so proud of you, to come to this place and get the best choice you can".... Hey! Can you imagine she was cheering on my choice?! Either I went crazy or she didn't understand, so I decide not to ask her about it but to give my choice a second look, well let me tell you she wasn't crazy I only read Pasta but the dish was called "I can't believe it's not PASTA" before I could finish reading my daughter was telling the waitress what we wanted and like that I had ask for my first non-pasta dish... Just so you know, I have recreated it so many times that now I may say I am in love again.


"I can't Believe I... may have something like Pasta.


1 big zucchini sliced just like julienned
1/2 cup of marinara
3 tbsp of coconut cream (I use milk, cream, half and half...or what ever I may have in my pantry)
1/4 cup of mozzarella.. today I used a couple of  mozzarella sticks instead
Parmesan cheese for taste
Salt


Preparation:

Place the zucchini in a plate or in a colander and sprinkle with salt, 


While that is going on for a few minutes you may heat the marinara to almost boiling point,



Wash the zucchini removing all the salt, let the water run a minute over it and dry it as much as you can, put the cream in the sauce and mix..... Let it boil once.



 then add the mozzarella, turn off the heat and mix it well until the mozzarella is all gooey


It should something like this;



put the zucchini in, mix like you would do with regular pasta serve, sprinkle with some Parmesan  and Enjoy it.



I found out this restaurant has another location and they offer the zucchini noodles too, but with some kind of Bologna sauce, I will try it and let you know.




Tip: the middle of the zucchini may be cut in quarts and keep it to do a stir fry in a latter day, or to give thickness to a soup..... This gives me an idea, I will ask my mother about her zucchini creamed soup and I will share it with you!

                                Until next time!