Category Archives: Appetizers

Baked Eggplant Rollatini Appetizers

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Hi Everyone,

I hope all is well as we start at the beginning of another weekend. Here in the Northeast, it seems we are in for a chilly weekend in the 30’s and possibly snow. Even though it’s Spring, Mother Nature is still unsure.

Of course in the cooler weather, I love to be in the kitchen making a hearty meal, but on Friday, I decided to change that pattern, and Bob and I ordered lunch in from a local restaurant and it was quite filling and delicious.

When dinner rolled around we were still full from lunch and we wanted something that was not a heavy meal, but fast and delicious.

I looked in the refrigerator & cabinets for something quick and we had pasta & fish with lunch so that was out and then I spotted a lonely eggplant in the veggie bin.

I hadn’t used this eggplant because it was a lot smaller and thinner than what I usually buy to make a meal (it was part of an instacart food delivery) and then I had an idea…..

Bob and I Love eggplant rollatini but this eggplant wouldn’t make a complete meal because of the size, but it would make some appetizers and then the dinner idea blossomed…

I had ricotta and mozzarella and I always have homemade tomato sauce in the freezer. I would just use my eggplant rollatini recipe with a few adjustments.

I also had a bunch of fresh spinach that needed to be used so I sauteed the spinach in garlic and oil and added it to the filling. It worked out perfectly.

These mini eggplant rolls would be a great idea for a party platter.

So, I wanted to share my “adjusted” recipe with you. Also, if you increase the number of eggplants and serve it with a small side of pasta or a salad, it could be a complete Lenten meal.

The recipe below is for the appetizers, but if you are interested in a full meal, as I said above, just add additional eggplants and increase some of the ingredients.

I usually bread and fry the eggplant but I decided to make the meal extra easy and skipped that step and baked the eggplant with no breading.

I hope you try it and enjoy it.

Baked Eggplant Rollatini Appetizers

Ingredients:

  • 1 medium eggplant (long and thin for the appetizers), sliced lengthwise (¼ inch)

Cooks Note: if you are making the eggplant rollatini for a dinner, then use 2 large eggplants and double the other ingredients.

  • 1 cup ricotta cheese
  • ½ cup grated cheese (I used Locatelli Romano)
  • 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided (1/2 for filling and ½ for topping the eggplant rolls)
  • 1 egg
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2-3 cloves of minced garlic
  • 3 shakes of ground nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp of fresh parsley
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • 2-3 tbsp of fresh basil, chiffonade
  • 2-3 cups of pasta sauce (homemade is preferred or a no-salt jarred sauce).
  • OPTIONAL: sauteed fresh spinach or frozen spinach, thawed and drained well.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Slice the eggplant lengthwise in ¼ inch slices (they will shrink a little when cooked)

Lay the eggplants on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat (if you don’t have either then use cooking spray or grease the pan lightly with olive oil). Season with black pepper and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes

Remove the eggplant slices from the oven and let cool for an additional 10 minutes so you can easily handle the slices. The softer they are the easier they are to roll.

If you are using spinach in your filling, sauté in olive oil and garlic and cool (use a slotted spoon to add this mixture to the filling so you don’t add the olive oil making the filling too watery) or if using frozen spinach, drain the thawed spinach & squeeze dry to remove the water before adding to the filling.

Prepare your filling:

In a large bowl, ADD the ricotta, grated cheese, mozzarella cheese, salt, pepper, garlic powder, parsley, nutmeg, minced garlic, basil, and an egg. Mix well.

Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your baking dish

Once you can handle the eggplant, place a 1 tbsp scoop of the filling on each eggplant slice and then roll the eggplant slices up and place them in the baking dish with the seam side down.

Once completed, add the remaining tomato sauce on top of the eggplant rolls and follow with the remaining mozzarella cheese

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes, remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the cheese is melted. If you want additional crispy cheese, broil for 2-3 minutes but watch carefully so it doesn’t burn.

I hope you give this recipe a try for a Lenten meal or an appetizer platter at your next get-together or holiday. Enjoy!

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Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

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Baked Buffalo Style Chicken Wings

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Hi Everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying your weekend. I just wanted to share an old recipe with you that I added a “secret ingredient” to and it seemed to work out very well for me, and I just had to tell you about it.

When my son was still living at home, it seemed that I made Buffalo-Style Chicken Wings for him and his friends on a regular basis.

Back then I deep fried them and dipped them in Frank’s Red Hot Sauce and melted butter served with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.

(No wonder he went to school in Buffalo, NY- close to “Anchor Bar” and the original hot wings recipe.)

Since then, I now bake our chicken wings and I started to use a dry spice rub on the wings before baking and then finish with the hot sauce, butter, and addition of minced garlic and honey.

You are probably wondering what my secret ingredient is and it is BAKING POWDER….. NOT baking soda.

A few recipes I recently came across used baking powder on the chicken to dry out the skin and make the chicken extra crispy and I am here to say it worked.

The skin was crispy on the outside and the chicken was juicy on the inside. I hope you all give it a try.

So here is my new and improved recipe for

Baked Buffalo Style Wings

Ingredients:

  • 2- 3 pounds of chicken wings (whole or they can be halved into party style separated at the joint into drumettes and flats).
  • 1 tbsp. BAKING POWDER
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • ½ tsp fresh black pepper
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp chili powder
  • ½ tsp coriander
  • ½ tsp dried parsley (optional)

Cooks Note: if there are other spices you prefer, feel free to switch the spices to your liking and customize your wings, just don’t forget the baking powder.

For Sauce:

  • 4 tbsp melted butter
  • ½ cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1-2 minced garlic cloves

Cooks Note: if you can find “ Little Vicki’s Garlic Honey”, in your grocery store, that product is perfect for this recipe.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Line a broiler pan with foil and spray the top of the broiler pan with cooking spray OR line a sheet pan with foil and place a non-stick oven safe rack on top of the pan.

Pat the chicken wings dry with a paper towel and place them in a large bowl. Add the BAKING POWDER and the salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, coriander, dried parsley, and chili powder.

Toss the chicken evenly with the Baking Powder and the spices

Place the wings on the rack in a single layer

Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the wings are light golden in color and crispy

Remove the wings to a bowl and set them aside

In a small bowl, whisk the minced garlic, melted butter, and Franks Hot Sauce

Pour the sauce over the chicken wings and toss well to evenly coat

Serve with celery sticks and blue cheese or ranch dressing

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Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Please ask your family and friends to “follow”, “like” and “share” DishingwithDiane.com 

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post…

Also, continue to send me your comments, I love hearing from you.


Cheesy Shrimp Ciabatta

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Hi Everyone,

This past week my house was all about shrimp recipes. Bob picked up 2 lbs. of shrimp and I was planning on making a big pot of gumbo; some for now and some to freeze and then I stumbled upon this recipe for a shrimp appetizer on Pinterest that looked interesting.

I discovered this recipe during one of my late night recipe searches. It called for very few ingredients which is one criteria I need when making any appetizer so I thought that I would give it a try for a quick lunch for Bob and I.

I have to be completely honest with all of my members regarding this recipe…

The taste of this appetizer was great but for my personal tastes it was a little too salty because of the cheese I chose to use. I used a regular white cheddar and I think that next time I would definitely buy the lower sodium variety.

In addition, I would ease up a little on the mayonnaise and make more of the shrimp taste shine through. It was still enjoyable but I have to tweak most of my recipes and I wanted to share my thoughts with you.

We made it for a quick “taste test” lunch but if you were to serve it for guests I would cut the bread more evenly into perfect squares.

Here is the recipe from Pinterest

courtesy of Jamhands.net

Cheesy Shrimp Ciabatta
Makes about 16 slices when cut

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 pound cooked shrimp, tails on is fine
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 large loaf ciabatta bread, sliced in half like a large sandwich
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
  • 1/4 cup fresh chives, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup of cheddar jack cheese

Oops, I almost forgot the dill …

Directions:

  1. Remove the tails from the shrimp and set aside. In a large saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shrimp and old bay seasoning. Cook just for a minute or two until coated well with the seasoning. Remove from heat and let cool. When cooled, chop into small pieces.
  2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  3. Place the shrimp in a medium bowl with the mayo, garlic, chives, dill, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread onto the cut ciabatta bread. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and bake for 10-13 minutes. Ovens vary so check it at 10 minutes to see if it looks completely warmed through and that the cheese is melted. Slice into sticks. Serve warm.

Adapted from Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen.

Ready for the oven …

Final product ……

The post and recipe for the most delicious gumbo will be coming soon… watch for it.

Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Ask your family and friends to share, like, comment, and join DishingwithDiane.com and become part of the family!

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post.

Also, continue to send me your comments and emails, 

I Love hearing from you.

Grandma’s Fried Zucchini Flowers

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Photo Jul 19, 3 00 55 PM (1)

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Hi Everyone, 

Hope all is well and for my members in the northeast, I hope you are handling the heatwave and my thoughts and prayers go out to my members in Texas who are dealing with the hurricane. My prayers for all.

Today’s post is about a traditional Italian summer favorite, Zucchini Flowers. Some of you may remember my first post about zucchini flowers in July 2018 (I will repost the original link at the bottom of the page). 

I have been posting this dish on my personal email quite a bit this summer and I have been asked to reprint the recipe once again.

Many people are unaware of this favorite Italian delicacy and for Italians everywhere, it is the beginning of the summer garden harvest.

When I used to entertain guests and serve this appetizer with a creamy ricotta and lemon/basil dip, people were shocked that the zucchini flowers were edible. They are delicious!

The first time I posted about this delicacy, I included the batter that I had been using for many years which included beer as part of the batter ingredients. Well, a week ago, a very generous neighbor gifted me some zucchini blossoms and I wanted to fry them immediately because they are best on the day they are picked and I didn’t have any beer in the house so I went old school and prepared them grandma’s way. 

Grandma used a simple batter of AP flour, club soda, salt & pepper, and baking powder that I wanted to share with you.

Whisk all the ingredients together very well, and coat the flowers lightly and fry to a golden brown. It’s as simple as that.

This batter brought back memories of grandma running out to the garden in the early morning when the flowers are open (and you can see if there are insects inside) to collect the blossoms to make either plain fried zucchini flowers or she would add them to scrambled eggs for breakfast.

Every bite was a culinary treat.

Absolutely delicious.

Always a summer treat. Grandma picked the male flowers (long skinny stems). The female blossoms have a small zucchini attached and keep those on the vine until fully grown and ripe.

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(The dip is whipped ricotta with a drop of lemon juice, lemon zest, and some chopped fresh basil).

I really hope you try this recipe and enjoy every bite.

So here is the recipe for Grandma’s Zucchini Flowers….very simple and delicious…

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. of flowers ( approx 30 flowers)
  • 2-1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1-1/2 tsp salt
  • dash of pepper
  • 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 24 oz. club Soda
  • olive oil

Directions:

  • Wash flowers under cold running water, drain and dry the flowers and remove the stamens inside, then remove the sepals on the outer leaves- be careful and watch for insects (mostly bees) inside the petals.
  • Cook’s Note: if the flowers are too wet, they will splatter once they hit the hot oil. Be Careful…
  • Dry the flowers on paper towels or on a tea towel and prepare the batter.
  • Heat 1-1/2 inch of olive oil in a skillet. Dip the flower in the batter and let excess drip off. Fry for 1-2 minutes per side turning once until golden brown. (crispy not soggy).
  • Remove with a slotted spoon & transfer to a paper towel-lined cookie sheet to drain excess oil.
  • You can sprinkle with sea salt or grated cheese and serve with ricotta dip.

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 There are many other recipes with leftover blossoms. 

For example, I add some diced and fried blossoms with some sauteed zucchini, cheese, sauteed onions, and a few eggs to make a wonderful summer quiche or add some fried flowers to a pizza. Both delicious treats.

Photo Jul 12, 8 23 27 PM

Below is my original post from July 18, 2018, with a little more detail and a recipe for stuffed zucchini flowers…..enjoy

Click on the link to open

https://dishingwithdiane.com/2018/07/18/summer-delight-fried-zucchini-flowers/2018 original post

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Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Ask your family and friends to share, like, comment, and join DishingwithDiane.com and become part of the family!

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post.

Also, continue to send me your comments and emails, 

I Love hearing from you.

Photo Jul 08, 4 55 59 PM ZUCCHINI FLOWERS

 

Mascarpone Polenta with Mushrooms and Fried Egg

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My rendition …

Photo Jul 04, 3 43 42 PM (1)

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Hi Everyone,

How many of you are like me and on occasion are stumped as to what to make for a weeknight meal? The days when you just can’t think of something new to make after you have run through your usual “go-to” meals in your head that you know will be a hit, but they just aren’t what you want?

I am fortunate that it’s just Bob and I and he is not a picky eater. If I said, “let’s have ice cream for dinner” he would be okay with that.

I always have frozen meals that I have prepared when I make a larger portion than we can eat in one sitting but nothing I had in the freezer appealed to me.

I still cook as if my son lived home even though he moved out eight years ago (it has to be an Italian mom thing. My mom never cooked for just two people after I got married either). I usually save those frozen meals for days I will be at the hospital all day so we have a hot meal when we come home.

No, I needed something different and then it hit me. A few years back (seems like yesterday but it was 7 years), Bob and I attended the Feast of Saint Anthony in the North End of Boston, and one afternoon we wanted to leave the festivities of the Feast and find a quiet restaurant so I read some reviews online and we booked a reservation at a restaurant called Nebo (stands for North End Boston).

It is a Southern Italian restaurant owned by two sisters (the Pallotta sisters- Carla  & Christine) and they happen to have roots in Bari, Italy like my family. The majority of recipes are family favorites passed down from their mother, so we had to try it.

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 We were fortunate enough that Carla and Christina came to the table to spend a little time with us and we spoke of our heritage and food and traditions. Lovely hosts.

(yes, they tan and I don’t)
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I found a fantastic appetizer on their menu that I thouroughly enjoyed and decided to try and recreate it at home – simple ingredients and it quickly comes together plus it’s delicious.2013-08-23 18.54.42

The appetizer is creamy polenta with mascarpone cheese with a saute of wild mushrooms accented with sage and a fried egg in olive oil to the top of the masterpiece. The restaurant and the hosts are both fabulous and I highly recommend a trip.

(Their appetizer does not have mascarpone cheese) 

So here is my rendition…..

You can even make this a brunch item.

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp. of olive oil
  • 1 cloves of garlic – minced
  • 1 1/2 lbs. of mixed mushrooms (cleaned and chopped)
  • 1/2 stick of butter (divided)
  • 1/4 cup of chopped sage 
  • 1 shallot finely chopped
  • sprig of thyme
  • sage leaves for garnish
  • 1 cup mascarpone cheese
  •  1 1/2 cups of your favorite grated cheese (I use Locatelli)
  • polenta
  • water or milk or chicken broth for polenta – your choice
  • 1/4 cup sherry
  • large eggs for frying

Directions:

I now use the 5 minute polenta in a box as opposed to the original slow cooked 45 minutes polenta so this step is very easy.

Prepare the polenta as per package directions which usually includes bringing water (or milk or chicken broth) to a boil with a pinch of salt and the chopped sage. Gradually pour in the polenta, stirring continuously for about 3-5 minutes until the polenta has thickened and pulls away from the pan. Take it off the heat and add the mascarpone cheese and Locatelli cheese.

For the mushrooms, melt 2 tbsp. of butter & 1 finely chopped shallot in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and for the first few minutes do not move them and let them start to carmelize. Then add 1 clove of chopped garlic, salt and pepper and continue to saute until golden brown. If the pan gets too dry add 1 tbsp more of olive oil.

Add 1 sprig of thyme and 1/4 cup sherry and scrape up the brown bits in the pan. Cook for 1 minute more to cook off the alcohol then shut the heat. Check for seasoning.

Last step, in another skillet,  add olive oil and fry a large egg and try not to break the yolk.

Assembly, add 2 tbsp of butter to the polenta and mix well to keep it creamy and place in a dish, add sauteed mushrooms on top of the polenta and top the dish with a fried egg and garnish with sage. 

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We had a wonderful weekend and I even got to meet Maryann Esposito from the “Ciao Italia” TV show and she autographed an Italian apron for me …

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Here is a little slideshow of some of the highlights of our trip ….

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I hope you try this dish and enjoy it! If you do, let me know what you think….

Until my next post, make every day a celebration!

Stay well,

Diane

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Ask your family and friends to share, like, comment, and join DishingwithDiane.com and become part of the family!

Once you become a member, you’ll never miss a post.

Also, continue to send me your comments and emails, 

I Love hearing from you.

 

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