Smoked Cheese-Stuffed Eggplant Rolls (Involtini di Melanzane)

Eggplants have that hearty, meaty texture of some kinds of mushrooms. This is one reason why they are beloved by vegetarians. Cheese-stuffed eggplant rolls are wonderful for a meatless Monday, especially when a friend has just given you beautiful, shiny lavender eggplants from her garden. If you don't have eggplant, a similar dish can be made from other long summer squashes like zucchini.

The creamy smoked of the cheese is the highlight of this dish. We urge you to splurge on some really good melty high-quality kind if you can afford it. The rest of the recipe is really inexpensive, and you are worth it.

Try pronouncing this in-vole-TEE-nee dee may-lon-ZAH-nee. Melanzane is the Italian word for eggplant.

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 20-oz can crushed tomatoes
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp capers
1 large eggplant (a long, thin one works best for this recipe)
1/2 pound smoked provolone, gouda, or scamorza cheese, sliced sandwich-thin
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves

Directions

Take the cheese out of the fridge and let it warm to room temperature.

Heat the oil in a saucepan until wavy. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes. Add the oinon and red bell pepper and saute for 2 or 3 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the garlic and saute 2 more minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes. Stir in the thyme, salt, and capers, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes, or until the eggplant is ready to be stuffed.

Cut off the top of the eggplant. Slice it lengthwise into 1/4 thick strips. On a medium grill, cook the eggplant for several minutes on each side, or until the eggplant is tender and pliable.

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup of the tomato sauce in the bottom of a 9x11 casserole pan.

Lay an eggplant slice flat on a cutting board. Place 1/2 slice of cheese on the slice. Rip a basil leaf in half and place each half on the slice. Roll up the slice and place it in the casserole pan. Repeat with each slice. Pour the remaining tomato sauce over the rolls. Tear up the remaining cheese and sprinkle over the top.

Bake the casserole for 20-30 minutes,until heated through and bubbly. Serve with a tossed green salad and crusty bread, if desired.

Serves 4-6.

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Seafood-Stuffed Portobello Caps

I'm torn between presenting this stuffed mushroom recipe as an appetizer or a meal. If you want to use baby portobellos (crimini mushrooms) or white button mushrooms instead, these make a tasty bite-sized appetizer. We stuffed them with white fish and shrimp, but if those are not your favorites, stuff them with any seafood combo you like.

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil

1/2 cup chopped white onion

1/3 cup chopped celery

1/2 small jalapeno, seeded and minced

4 oz. any kind of white fish, chopped

3 oz. shrimp, cleaned, tails removed, and chopped

2 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1 tbsp butter, melted

1 cup white bread crumbs

3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

8 large portobello mushrooms, or 1 pound white mushrooms

3 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

Optional

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 tsp wasabi paste or powder

Instructions

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and finely chop them. Grease a baking sheet and set the mushroom caps on the sheet. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet. Add the mushroom stems, onion, celery, and jalapeno, and saute until tender. Add the chopped fish, shrimp, and Old Bay spices and cook until just opaque. Try not to over-cook the shrimp, because they'll get rubbery.

In a bowl, stir together the butter, bread crumbs, and Parmesan cheese. Add the seafood mixture and stir well. Fill each mushroom cap with the fish stuffing and top with the shredded cheese. Bake at 350 degrees 20-30 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and the filling is bubbly and toasted on top.

If you want, whisk together the mayonnaise and wasabi. Just before serving, drizzle the wasabi mayo over the hot mushrooms. Serve the mushrooms piping-hot.

Serves 4 as a main meal; serves 6-10 as an appetizer.

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Pork Chop Valdostano (stuffed pork chop)

Joe and I were looking through cookbooks for some new recipe ideas, and I pulled down a cookbook from Rao's, a famous Italian restaurant in New York City. The original recipe was made with veal chops, prosciutto, and golden raisins, but we made it a little more budget-friendly with Virginia ham, black raisins, and boneless pork chops. Joe gave the recipe a few more tweaks for our taste, and he says that next time he makes this, he'll try a bone-in chop for ease of stuffing, and golden raisins for a prettier presentation.

Ingredients
6 6 oz, 1 1/2 inch thick pork chops, trimmed of all fat
12 pieces of ham or prosciutto, thinly sliced
1/2 cup black or golden raisins
6 thin slices of mozzarella cheese
2 cups flour
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sliced white mushrooms
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp. butter
2 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup Marsala wine
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
3 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley

For the egg batter:
2 large eggs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
2 tbsp. minced Italian parsley
dash of salt and pepper

Directions
Cut each chop open horizontally to the bone, splitting it open like a hamburger bun. Pound the meat very thin. Layer the inside of each chop with a slice of ham,  a spoonful of raisins, a slice of mozzarella, and another slice of ham. Fold the top of the chop down and pound the edges together until sealed.

Heat oil in a large saucepan on medium heat. Dredge each chop in flour and then dip the chops into the egg batter. Cook the chops five minutes on each side, then place on a platter and keep warm in the oven.

Sprinkle the onions with flour and then saute in the saucepan until soft. Add the mushrooms and saute until tender, about five minutes. Stir in butter, and when it is melted, return the chops to the pan.

Pour in the broth and wine and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. Place a chop on each plate and pour several spoonfuls of sauce over the top. Sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan before serving.

Serves 6.

Find more of Rao's recipes here.

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Gorgonzola and Olive Stuffed Mushroom Caps

We made these stuffed mushroom caps for a meatless Monday when we wanted to use up some odds and ends from other meals. Eventually this recipe evolved into a rich, decadent appetizer. There are never any leftovers when we make these little guys.

The mushrooms make a fantastic holiday appetizer, especially if you can serve them on a warming tray. If you make them as a one-bite appetizer, choose a package of small bite-sized mushrooms. If you're making them for a meal, you might want to use 1 1/2" diameter mushrooms, like we did here.

We have stuffed mushrooms with all kinds of things, so I assure you that more recipes will be posted on this yummy fungus!

Ingredients

24 mushrooms (you can use ordinary white, baby portabellas, crimini, or any others with a large pocket under the cap)
1/4 cup white onion, minced
1 small clove garlic
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
3 oz. gorgonzola cheese, finely crumbled
6 kalamata olives, pitted and minced
1 tbsp chives, minced
2 tbsp Italian flat-leaved parsley, minced
2 cups finely crumbled fresh bread (or 1 1/2 cups dried fine breadcrumbs)
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Instructions

Snap off the stems of the mushrooms, or cut them off. Coarsely chop the mushroom stems and onion.

Heat the butter and olive oil in a medium saucepan until melted and bubbly. Saute onions, mushrooms and garlic in the olive oil.

Remove from heat. Stir in breadcrumbs, parsley, chives, gorgonzola, and olives. Toss mushroom caps in 1/2 tsp olive oil.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Oil cookie sheet and place the mushrooms upside down on the pan. Fill the well in each mushroom with a spoonful of the breadcrumb mixture. There should be enough filling to stuff each one until the mixture reaches the edges of the cap, with a big mound in the center. Sprinkle the tops with the parmesan cheese.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, until the mushrooms are cooked and the tops are browned.

Serves 8 as an appetizer, 4 as a side dish.

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Pick-A-Filling Pierogi

Pierogi, also called vareniki, perogi, perogy, piroghi, pirogi, piroshki, pirozhki, pyrohy, pielmieni, pierogies, pierogie, piroggen, and pelmeni. Whew!

Why would Joe and I try to cook pierogi when we can get them frozen in the store any day? Well, we had a couple reasons. First, we knew that  the Polish celebrate Christmas and Easter with special types of dumplings, and we wanted to get into the spirit of Easter by celebrating some other country's customs.

Second, Joe has been experimenting with different kinds of pasta dough, as you may have seen in our recipes like gnudi with wild mushrooms, gyoza dumplings, ricotta and chard gnocchi, and bacon-filled ravioli. Pierogi was a logical step.

Third, we all know that everything tastes better when you make it fresh, and when you customize it to your own tastes. That's why we've included some rather traditional pierogi recipes, along with our own variations. The wonderful thing about dumpling filling is you can throw in whatever you have or whatever you like - just make sure it's well chilled or stuffing will be difficult.

Our fillings for pierogies (below the photos):

Potato-Mushroom	Berries and Cottage Cheese
Potato-Cheese-Onion (Pittsburgh or Ruskie style)	Apricot Compote
Beef and Vegetable	Sweet Prune (Lekvar)
Mushroom-Sauerkraut (Uzska)	Peanut Butter and Banana (not traditional!)
Bacon-Swiss-Caramelized Onion	Kielbasa and Cabbage (Haluski-style pierogi)

Traditionally, Polish Catholics forsake meat products on holy days, especially in the 40 days of Lent before Easter, so potato, cheese, mushroom, sauerkraut, and fruit are often the favorite stuffing.

I also read that people (perhaps in smaller villages) would bring their foodstuffs to the church before Easter and have the priest bless them. Then they would share their dishes with each other. I love the idea of a community getting together to share their foods and celebrate together. It reminds me of the community breakfast my church serves on Easter Sunday.

Priest blessing food baskets (Swiecone) the day before Easter
(thanks to http://www.polamjournal.com for the beautiful photo!)

While Joe and I did quite a bit of experimenting while making these, we got some initial help from the time-tested pierogi recipes of Tasting Poland. The writer shares her family pierogi recipes, along with all sorts of tips and tricks.

Ingredients - Pierogi Dough

3 cups white flour
1 tsp.salt
1 cup warm water
1 egg
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp. vegetable oil

Instructions - Pierogi Dough

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Pour in the water while mixing vigorously.
Whisk together the egg, sour cream, and oil. Make a well in the middle of the flour, then pour in the egg mixture. Using a pastry cutter or two knives, blend the liquid into the flour mixture.

Turn out onto a floured work surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic - about 5 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add a little flour; if it is too dry, sprinkle it with a bit of water.

Now sprinkle some more flour on your work surface and roll out the dough until it is about 1/8" thick. Try not to overwork the dough, or it will be tough after it's cooked. Cut out circles with a cookie cutter or cup.

Step 1: Roll out your dough and fill the dough circles. These are potato-cheese and meat-veggie pierogi.

Place a heaping tablespoon of filling onto one half of the circle, then wet the edge with a little water so the dough will stick together. Fold over the other half of the dough and pinch the edges shut.

Step 2: Boil the pierogi 5-8 minutes

Heat a large pot of boiling water, drop in 1/3 of the dumplings, and give them a gentle stir. Boil 5-8 minutes - the pierogi should pop up to the top about halfway through the cooking time. If you're watching the pot, you can time the second half of the cooking by the time they bob to the surface.

While they're cooking, if you'd like to toast them before eating, heat up a little oil in a pan on medium heat. Drop in the pierogi after you've strained them out of the water, and cook 2 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned.

Step 3: Brown the pierogi in some oil or butter. These are Haluski-style pierogi, with kielbasa and cabbage.

Whether you want to fry the pierogi after cooking or not, we really like serving these with a dollop of sour cream, regardless of the filling. Some people pour melted butter over them, and top with fried onions. Delicious.

 Makes about 30 stuffed pierogi.

Pierogi Filling Recipes

Potato and Mushroom

2 cups diced potatoes

1/2 cup milk

2 cups chopped mushrooms

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 tbsp butter or oil

1 tsp powdered garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil or steam the potatoes until tender, then mash with the milk until smooth. In a skillet, saute the vegetables until tender, then stir in the garlic, salt and pepper, and potatoes. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogi.

Potato-Cheese-Onion (Pittsburgh or Ruskie pierogi)

2 cups diced potatoes

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, cubed, or fresh Farmer's cheese (more traditional)

1/2 cup chopped onions

1 tbsp butter or oil

1 tsp powdered garlic

Salt and Pepper to taste

Boil or steam the potatoes until tender, then mash with the milk until smooth. Stir in the cheese cubes, cover with a lid, and let sit for 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted. In a skillet, saute the onion until tender, then stir in the garlic, salt and pepper, and potatoes. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogi.

Mushroom and Sauerkraut

2 oz. dried mushrooms, rehydrated, or 2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms (porcini, morels, or chanterelles are very good here)
1 onion
1/2 tsp dill
2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and well-drained
1 tbsp butter

Chop the onion and mushroom well, then saute in the butter until tender. Chop the sauerkraut and dill and stir into the mixture. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogi.

Beef and Vegetable

1/2 lb ground beef
2 carrots
1/2 cup fresh parsley
1 leek
1 celery stalk
1 onion
butter or oil for frying
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup water or broth
Salt and Pepper to taste

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Set aside. Finely chop the vegetables, then saute in the oil until soft. Stir in the rest of the ingredients, then transfer to a blender or food processor. Process until the mixture has a uniform texture similar to large crumbs. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogies and cook away!

Bacon-Swiss-Caramelized Onion

1/2 lb bacon

1 cup chopped onions
1 cup Swiss cheese

1/4 cup melted butter

1/3 cup bread crumbs

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fry the bacon until crisp, then drain on paper towels. Cook the onions in the bacon grease, then drain and place in a bowl. Chop up the bacon and add it to the onions. Shred the cheese, then add the cheese, butter, bread crumbs, salt and pepper to the mixture. Chill until very cold, then stuff the pierogi.

Kielbasa (Haluski-style Pierogi)

1/2 pound Polish Kielbasa sausage
1 tsp oil

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup chopped onions

1/3 cup chopped celery

2 cups shredded green cabbage

Dice the kielbasa. Heat the oil in a large skillet, then add the kielbasa and cook until warm and slightly browned. Remove to a mixing bowl, then melt the butter in the skillet. Add the rest of the ingredients, and cook over low heat until tender. Add to the kielbasa and stir well. Chill until cold, then stuff into pierogi.

Berries and Cottage Cheese

4 cups raspberries, blueberries, sliced strawberries, bilberries, or other fruit
1 cup small curd cottage cheese
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Put the cottage cheese in a colander and press out the liquid. Stir together all ingredients, then chill until very cold. Stuff into pierogi.

Apricot Compote

12 oz. dried apricots
1 cup water
1 tsp lemon zest
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp brandy
1 tbsp melted butter

Place the apricots, water, and lemon zest in a small pan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then simmer until soft - about 20 minutes. Drain the water, then transfer to a blender or food processor. Add the rest of the ingredient, then process into a thick chunky jam. Chill well before stuffing into pierogi.

Sweet Prune (Lekvar)

2 cups dried, pitted prunes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar

Put the prunes in a pan and cover with hot water. Let them soak 1/2 hour, then drain them. Add the lemon juice and sugar and simmer, stirring occasionally,  until it forms a chunky paste. Chill until cold, then stuff the pierogi.

Peanut Butter and Banana

2 ripe bananas
1 cup peanut butter
2 tbsp cocoa powder (optional)

Slice the bananas into disks, then place one or two disks onto each dough round. Top with a few teaspoons of peanut butter. After boiling, fry these in butter and then sprinkle with the cocoa powder.


Make lots of pierogi - and then freeze them for later!

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Gourmet Stuffed Hamburgers

Try this fun recipe the next time you have people over for a burger cookout. Give each guest two hamburger rounds and an array of stuffings like bleu cheese, chopped olives, jalapenos, shredded cheddar, onions...whatever your imagination suggests!  After stuffing the patty, place the second round on top and pinch the edges together.

Clockwise from top right: Cheddar and bacon, Swiss with onions and mushrooms, Olive with feta and roasted red pepper, and Swiss with green olives and pancetta.

The griller is in charge of remembering which burger belongs to which guest; it helps if a little of the stuffing drips out the side. Why not try these on homemade pretzel buns? It takes the burger to new heights of deliciousness.

Ingredients

For each burger

1/4 pound ground beef or turkey
1/4 tsp salt, pepper, and powdered onion
2 tbsp shredded cheese
2 tbsp sliced olives
1 tbsp sauteed mushrooms
1 tbsp sauteed or fresh chopped onions
1 tbsp roasted red pepper strips
1 tbsp cooked bacon, ham, or pancetta, diced
2 tbsp chopped spinach, kale, or basil
2 tsp chopped jalapenos
1 tbsp pizza sauce
2 tbsp chopped pepperoni or sausage

Note: each hamburger will only be able to hold about 3 types of stuffing before it explodes!

Directions

Form each 1/4 pound of ground beef into two patties with a lip around the edge. Sprinkle the stuffings on one half, then put the top patty over it and press down. Pinch the edges together well. Grill over medium heat until the desired level of doneness.

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Eggplant Stuffed with Mushrooms (Aubergines Farcies Duxelles)

Julia Child's exquisite stuffed eggplant recipe can be either a main dish or served in quarters or slices as a side dish. Though Julia probably never heard of Panko bread crumbs, I am certain she would have used them if she found them.

Part of the luscious taste is the cream cheese and small amount of Swiss cheese. I'm sorry, vegans, I don't know how to make this vegetarian-friendly. The rest of you, happy aubergine-ing!

Ingredients

3 medium eggplants
1/4 cup olive oil, divided in half
1 cup minced onion
1 cup porcini mushrooms, finely chopped
2 cups white button mushrooms, finely chopped
2 tsp black truffle salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 oz cream cheese, softened (we used fat-free cream cheese)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Swiss or sharp cheddar cheese (we used low-fat cheese)
2 tbsp butter, melted

Directions

Cut the stem end off the eggplant and cut them in half lengthwise. Make lengthwise cuts about 1/2 inch apart, scoring the eggplants nearly to the purple peel. Sprinkle the surface with salt and lay on sheets of paper towels for 30 minutes to draw out the water and any bitterness.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Spray or oil a baking sheet, then lay the eggplant halves cut side up on the sheet. Broil them 4-5 inches away from the heat for 10 or 15 minutes, until the flesh is very tender. Cut the eggplant from the skin, leaving a 1/4 inch shell on each eggplant. Coarsely chop the flesh. Turn down the oven to 375 degrees.

Heat a frying pan, then add 1 tbsp olive oil. Saute the onion until tender and translucent. Set aside the onions and heat up another tbsp of olive oil. Saute the mushrooms until tender, then stir into the onions. Stir in the truffle salt, pepper, mustard, cream cheese, and herbs.

Lay the eggplant shells in an oiled baking sheet. Fill each eggplant with an equal amount of the mushroom mixture. Stir together the Panko crumbs and cheese, and carefully sprinkle over the tops of the eggplants. Drizzle with the melted butter. Pour 1/8 inch of water around the shells. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the stuffing is tender and bubbly, and the topping is golden brown.

Makes 3 main-dish meals, or 6-8 side dishes.
If you follow Weight Watchers, one medium eggplant half is 4 points+, counts as 2 vegetable servings, and 1 milk serving.

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