Crepes Florentine with Mushroom Gravy

Savory crepes are by far one of my favorite things to cook and eat. It's a little hard to type instruction on these bad boys so it has taken me a while to get the post up, my apologies for holing out on y'all! This recipe in particular was inspired by a dish I learned in my cooking classes in Italy. 

Original Dish I Made in Italy at Giglio Cooking School

Put on your apron, pick up a skillet and get ready to make some crepes, you'll be surprised at how easy they really are. Don't get discouraged when you get started, the first crepe is usually a bust so set it aside and try again... practice makes perfect! 

Crepes

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/4 cup flour

2 tbs butter (set aside for later)

Whisk together eggs, milk and flour in a small bowl and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 

Filling 

1 cup sauteed spinach, chopped

1 cup ricotta

1/8 tsp nutmeg

sprinkle salt

Mix together the above ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Gravy 

2 tbs flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 tbs parsley, chopped

1/3 cup pecorino romano, shredded

Whisk  the flour into the milk until smooth. Place the mixture along with the broth and parsley into a skillet, bring to a light boil then reduce to a simmer, careful not to burn the milk. Once the sauce starts to thicken add in the cheese and turn heat to low to let the sauce thicken. While the sauce is cooking, make your crepes. If the gravy gets too thick add a little more broth and stir well. If the gravy is too thin just whisk in another tbs of flour in 2 tbs of broth and add. 

Next Steps 

Heat a non-stick or cast iron skillet to medium high heat. Place 1/2 tbs of butter into the skillet and swirl it around until the pan is coated. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to pour the batter into the hot pan. As soon as the batter hits the pan starts to swirl the pan so the batter is spreading very thinly into a circle. Check out this great video for making crepes. 

Cook the crepe for 2 minutes then carefully use a spatula to pick up the edges then flip and cook for another minutes. Place the crepes on a plate and continue until the batter is gone. 

Heat the oven to 200. Place a dollop of the filling on 1/4 of the crepe and fold half, then half again to make a triangle. Repeat until the crepes are finished and top with gravy and place in the oven for 5-10 minutes to warm.

Steamed Mussels

  This is another recipe inspired by my culinary adventures Italy. While visiting Cinque Terre I indulged in some of the most amazing mussels and have been craving them ever since. I had stuffed mussels, steamed mussels and pasta with mussels, all which I intend to re-create at some point soon but for now here is the easiest recipe of them all. Steamed mussels make a great side dish, appetizer or main course. Not only are mussels in-expense but they are quick and easy and take very little prep work.

 Mussels from Overland Meat Company

When you purchase your mussels, make sure to immediately unwrap them at home so they can breathe. The mussels should be stored in a cool area where they can breathe. If the mussels you purchased are farm-raised, it's not necessary to soak mussels in water at home. If they are not farm raised, soak them in cold water for 20 minutes before cleaning.

As you clean and debeard the mussels, check to make sure their shells are tightly closed. Discard any mussel that is chipped or broken. If any mussels are open, tap them gently against the counter if they don't close up within a few minutes throw them out.

Ingredients
Makes 4 servings

2 pounds of mussels, cleaned and debearded 
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs butter
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1/4 cup chopped parsley
4 garlic cloves, chopped

Place the butter, oil, parsley and garlic in to a large pot. Next carefully place the mussels into the pot and pour the wine over the top. Cover the pot and turn the stove to med/high. 

 **Do not remove the lid for 3-5 minutes and most importatntly do not pre-heat your pot. 

The mussels should only take 3-5 minutes to open. Once the pot starts steaming give it another minute or two before removing the lid to see if all of the mussels have opened. If the mussels have not all opened give them a gentle stir and cover for another 2 minutes. 

Remove the mussels from the pots and serve with the liquid and some sliced bread for dipping. 

Crostini Toscani (Pâté)

I became totally hooked on pâté when I was in Italy and just couldn't get enough of it! This recipe is a traditional Tuscan recipe and boy is it tasty. The one ingredient you might be confused about is the anchovy, but don't fret, you can't even taste it. The anchovy just brings a little more flavor. 

This is a great appetizer or party snack. So give it a go and let me know your thoughts!

Ingredients
Makes 2 cups 

3 tbs butter

2 cups chicken livers
2 tbs capers
4 anchovies (flat canned)
4 sage leaves, chopped
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry white wine

1-2 baguettes, sliced

Melt the butter in a large pan then add in the capers, bay leaf and sage. Cook on medium/low for 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant. Next add in the anchovies and chicken liver and bring to a medium heat. Cook until the chicken liver is halfway cooked then add in the wine and increase the heat to medium/high until the liver is cooked through. Remove from heat, cover and let is set for a few more minutes so it can cool down. (The mixture should still have a little wine in the pan.) 

Place the pan of ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. If you would like it cold, just set it it the fridge until you are ready otherwise leave it out and prep your bread. 

Grill or toast the sliced baguette and place the pâté on the toast and serve. 

Buon Appetito! 

**Don't add any salt until the dish is cooked and you feel that it needs it. I didn't add any to my dish.  

Zucchini Fritters with Yogurt Dip

As I mentioned in my last post my zucchini plants have been producing some awesome zucchini so I have been making all kinds of fun dishes like Zucchini Bran Bread and Farro with Wheat Berries & Zucchini. I've seen quite a few pics of fritters on food blogs lately so I decided to give it a shot. This was my first go at it, they don't look that beautiful but they were tasty. This recipe is a work in progress so give it a go and let me know any tips you have. The one tip I do have is that It is very important to remove as much water as you possibly can from the zucchini before mixing it with the flour. 

Have you ever seen one of these?

How cool is this fun contraption?? It's like My girlfriends mom had it laying around and didn't need it so I decided to take it and try it out. It made the perfect shredded zucchini for this dish and it was super easy to clean up, plus if I lose power and want to get fancy I don't need a food processor. For this recipe you can just use a food processor with a shredding blade. 

Ingredients
Makes 12 Fritters

2 1/2 cups or 2 medium zucchini, shredded
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped 
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 cup shredded Parmesan
1 egg 

Yogurt Dip
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
3 cloves of roasted garlic, mashed to paste(make ahead of time)
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped 
S&P

Place the shredded zucchini in a mesh strainer with the salt and toss. Let the zucchini sit in the strainer over a bowl for 10-15 minutes, pressing out the water. 

Once the water is removed place the zucchini in a bowl with the parsley, flour, cheese and egg. Mix well, season with pepper and place the mixture in the fridge.

Heat 1 tbs of oil in a skillet to medium heat, in the meantime make the yogurt dip. Mix all of the dip ingredients together and place it in the fridge. 

When the skillet is hot place the zucchini mixture a dollop at a time in the skillet and press with a spatula. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side until crispy. Remove and set on a paper towel to remove any excess oil. Serve warm with a dollop of the yogurt dip. 

Enjoy! 

Farro with Cherry Tomatoes & Zucchini

Are you in the mood for a healthy summer recipe? I threw this delicious one together with some zucchini & parsley from my garden and some cherry tomatoes from the farmers market. I was very happy with the way this dish turned out and I hope you enjoy it as well! 

A girlfriend of mine gave me this yummy seasoning salt for my birthday and this was the first time I've used it and I'm loving it. If you can't find this seasoning salt I have posted some of the ingredients below so you can make your own. 

Ingredients 
Makes 2-3 Servings

1 cup farro (a.k.a wheat berries)
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
1 tbs olive oil
1 garlic clove, diced
2 zucchini and/or squash, cut into crescents 
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tbs parsley, chopped 
1 tbs Isle of Capri Seasoning Salt (see ingredients below)
      
Bring the vegetable broth and water to boil in a small pot. Once the water and broth are boiling add in the farro with a pinch of salt, cover and bring to a simmer.

 In a separate sauce pan heat 1 tbs of oil to a medium heat with the garlic for 3-5 minutes. When the garlic is fragrant add a little water along with the zucchini and Isle of Capri Seasoning Salt, cover and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the veggies are tender. 

When the veggies and farro are ready add them into a bowl with the tomatoes and parsley, toss well. Serve warm or cold. Enjoy! 



Isle of Capri Seasoning Salt
- salt
- red pepper flakes
- garlic powder
- oregano 
- thyme

Tabouleh

 If you are looking for a healthy, quick and easy side dish tabouleh is a great choice! Tabouleh is  traditional middle Eastern salad. There are many variations of this salad some recipes call for mint and parsley and some call for onions and garlic along with fixins like tomatoes and cucumbers. The tabouleh I make is pretty simple but quite tasty! Next time you need a healthy side dish, give this one a try. 

Ingredients
Makes 4 servings

1 cup bulgar wheat 
1 3/4 cup of boiling water
juice from 1 small lemon
1 tbs olive oil
2 tomatoes
2 cups parsley
S&P

Place the bulgar wheat in a mixing bowl along with the lemon juice. Bring the water to a boil and pour into the mixing bowl with bulgar wheat. Stir then let it sit for 30 minutes. While the bulgar is cooking prep the veggies

Remove the seeds from the tomato and dice into small pieces. Rinse the parsley, remove the stems and mince until very finely minced.

After 30 minutes pour the bulgar mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove excess water. Place the bulgar back into the bowl and add in the parsley, tomato,, olive  oil, S &P and mix well . Place in the fridge until you are ready to serve. Serve cold and enjoy! 

Cheesy Cauliflower & Leek Rice

This is a very yummy cheese casserole that makes a great side dish or entree. I really like the cauliflower puree in this dish, it is even delicious on its own. You only need 2 cups of puree for this dish so you could make more rice or eat it as soup. I really like using white cheddar with peppercorns for this entree but you could use any creamy cheese that you have laying around. 

1 cup brown rice, rinsed
3 garlic cloves, diced
1 cauliflower, cut into small florets 
1/2 cup sliced leeks, sliced
4 cups vegetable broth, 1 cup separated
4 oz peppercorn white cheddar, shredded
1/2 tsp thyme
 S&P

Place 2 cups of vegetable broth in a large pot and bring to medium heat. Place the cauliflower in the pot, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until cauliflower is soft. Preheat the oven to 350.

While the cauliflower is cooking bring 2 cups of vegetable broth to a broil and add in the rice,  then bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or until the broth has been absorbed. Once the cauliflower is soft use a food processor or immersion blender to puree and set aside. (I like to press the mixture through a sieve to make it extra smooth but it is not necessary.) 

In a separate pan heat 1 tbs of olive oil to medium heat and saute the garlic and leeks for 3-5 minutes. Place the cooked rice, leeks & garlic, and cauliflower puree into a baking dish and toss well. Mix in 1/2 of the shredded cheese and seasoning. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 15 minutes then broil on high for 5 minutes or until cheese is golden and crispy. 

I served my cheesy rice with Sauteed Leeks & Greens and a baked sweet potato.

Truffle Mac & Cheese

I had a seriously craving for truffle macaroni and cheese today! A friend of mine made this for dinner last year and it has been on my mind since then. I finally broke down and purchased some truffle oil so I could try making my version of truffle macaroni and cheese. I tried to make this dish on the healthy side so I used less butter than most normal folks and subbed and wheat flour in place of white flour. Holy moly this was freaking delicious!! 

Ingredients
Makes 4 Servings

1/4 cup butter
3 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup wheat flour
1 cup almond milk
2 tbs truffle oil
3 cups of pasta
1 cup grated white cheddar
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350. Cook the pasta according to the instructions then drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking place the bay leaf, butter and garlic into a sauce pan and heat on low for 5 minutes. 

Combine the flour and milk and whisk until all clumps are out. Pour the milk mixture into the garlic butter, bring to a light boil for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently then remove from heat and let it stand for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf from the milk mixture and add in the truffle oil and cheese and mix well. Pour the cheesy mixture onto the pasta until spread evenly. 

Top the mac and cheese with bread crumbs and bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes turn the oven to high broil for 4 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy! 

Maple Curry Squash

Have you ever had a buttercup squash? We received one of this yummy squash in our CSA this past week and it was a first for me.

 It is a delicious winter squash that looks more like an acorn than acorn squash does. Buttercup squash has a sweet and creamy taste and can be used in place of any recipe requiring squash. 

This recipe is very easy and make the perfect side dish, snack or appetizer.


Ingredients 
1 squash
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup 
1 tsp curry powder

Preheat the oven to 400. Cut the buttercup squash in half, removed the seeds and cut into thin slices. Once the slices are but use a vegetable peeler to remove the skin. Place the slices into a mixing bowl, add in the curry, syrup and olive oil and toss until everything is coated evenly. Spread out the squash on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and serve warm. 

Arugula Pesto

Arugula is a tasty low calorie green that is high in antioxidants and packed full of vitamins and minerals. If you are looking to switch things up this arugula pesto recipe is delicious and quite a nice change from traditional basil pesto. 

 

Arugula pesto goes great on just about anything. I like to toss cheese tortellini in the pesto along with chopped tomatoes and black olilves for a cold pasta salad or warm fusilli noodles with artichoke hearts and sun dried tomatoes. Get creative and let me know your favorite arugula pesto dish!

Here are a few other recipes using the arugula pesto:
Green Beans and Potatoes
Shroom & Eggplant Polenta Medallions
Pesto Pasta with Turkey Meatballs
Cold Quinoa Salad w/Green Beans, Mozz & Tomatoes
Eggplant & Arugula Pesto Sandwich

Ingredients
Makes roughly 2 cups
3-4 cups of arugula
1/2 cup roasted almonds
1/2 cup olive oil
1 garlic clove
juice from 1 lemon

Place all ingredients into a food processor and pulse until smooth. 

Polenta Medallions with Arugula Pesto Mushrooms & Eggplant

This recipe makes a great party snack, appetizer or in my case an addition to dinner. I had quite a bit of polenta in the pantry and a good amount of arugula pesto left over from my Green Beans & Potatoes  and wanted to make something delicious.The first thing that popped into my head was mushrooms with polenta tossed in pesto but I wanted to get a little more creative and add some variety to the plate so I added eggplant and roasted peppers. You friends and family will be quite impressed with this recipe so give it a shot and let me know your thoughts! 

Ingredients

• 18 oz. pre-cooked polenta, sliced into rounds
• 1 tbs olive oil

• 1 Japanese eggplant, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan
• 1 roasted red bell pepper, cut into squares
• 8-10 large crimini mushrooms, stems removed
• 4-6 oz buffalo mozzarella, thinly sliced
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/4 cup arugula pesto (or any pesto of choice)
• 3 large basil leaves, sliced into strips

Bring the oven to a high broil. Place the eggplant on a nonstick pan and spray each side with olive oil. Broil the eggplant on high 5 minutes, flip and broil for 3 more minutes. Once the eggplant is cooked remove from the pan and place in a bowl, cover and keep warm.

Place 1/8 cup water and 1 tbs olive oil in a non-stick pan and bring to medium heat. Once it is warm add in the shrooms cover and cook for 5-10 minutes flipping once. Remove the shrooms from the pan when they are soft and add to the eggplant. Toss the vegetable in pesto and set aside.

Warm 2 tbs of olive oil in a large non-stick pan. Place the polenta medallions in the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes on each side or until they start to get crispy. When the polenta medallions are ready place them on a baking sheet or baking safe plate. 

After you place the medallions on the plate or pan assemble your creations. Once your medallions are assembled place the plate in the oven on a low broil for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese starts to melt. Carefully remove and serve warm.

Here are a few layering ideas: 

1) Mozzarella Cheese, Mushroom, Basil, Parmesan

2) Eggplant, Red Bell Pepper, Eggplant, Basil, Parmesan 

3) Red Bell Pepper, Basil, Parmesan 

Green Beans & Potatoes with Arugula Pesto

Here is a really delicious side dish that is quick and easy. It would make a great addition to any meal or a great dish to bring to a potluck. 

 I came across a recipe that inspired this one in a cook book that I got for Christmas, Herbivoracious. This cook book is awesome. It has really amazing vegetarian recipes and most importantly it has lots of great photos. 

I changed up the arugula pesto recipe but kept the basic beans and potatoes the same. I thought about throwing in some cherry tomatoes but they are not in season. Another goody you can add would be raw onion or scallions but I didn't have any of those laying around either, so get creative and toss in just about anything!

Ingredients
1/2 lb yellow fin potatoes, scrubbed 
4 cups of fresh green beans, rinsed and ends trimmed

Arugula Pesto
3 packed cups of arugula
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup olive oil
2 large garlic clove
juice from 1 lemon

Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way full with water and bring to a boil. Place the potatoes in the pot and boil for 10 minutes. While the potatoes are boiling make the pesto by adding all of the pesto ingredients in a food processor and pulse until everything is mixed well.

Next add the green beans in with the potatoes and boil for 5 minutes. Strain the veggies and shake off as much excess water as you can. Place the veggies in a bowl and toss with the pesto 1/4 cup at a time.

*The pesto recipe above makes a little more than you need for this recipe so set some aside for a yummy white fish or something else delicious. Stay tuned for a recipe using arugula pesto and polenta.

Sauteed Leeks, Collard & Beet Greens

Have you ever bought beets and tossed out the greens? I know I have tossed them out multiple times. But one day I decided to saute them with a little S&P and olive oil and see what would happen. They actually tasted pretty delicious with a spinach kind of texture. Next time you buy beets don't toss out those gorgeous greens, cook em' up! 

I had a really nice bundle of collard green in my CSA box along with 2 beets so I decided to toss all the greens in together and came out with this yummy side dish.

Ingredients 
Makes 2-3 Servings

2 garlic cloves, diced
1/4 cup sliced leeks, rings separated
2 tbs olive oil

5 1/2 cups of collard greens and beet greens 
S&P

Heat 2 tbs of olive oil in a large skillet on medium/low heat. Once the oil is warm add in the garlic and leeks and cook for 3 minutes. Add in the greens and mix them up so that they are lightly coated in olive oil. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes on medium/low heat or until wilted. Season with S&P.

Roasted Carrots

I'm always looking for good healthy side dish to go with my entrees. I had some extra carrots in the fridge and decided to try roasting them. I was serving the carrots with black bean veggie burgers so I thought I should stick to the same flavors. I threw this little dish together and well it turned out pretty good.  

5-6 carrots 
1 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp cumin
1 tbs lime juice
pinch of salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 400. Peel your carrots and cut into 1/4 inch diagonal slices. Toss the carrots in olive oil then the seasoning and lime juice. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes. Make sure you stir up the carrots while they are cooking or else they will burn a little like in the picture below. It is quite a fun twist on carrots. 

Romesco Sauce

Romesco Sauce (raw)
Makes 1 1/2 cups
Ingredients

1/2 cup almonds

1 red bell pepper

2 vine ripe tomatoes

1 tbs red wine vinegar

1 tbs olive oil

Place the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the almonds are finely chopped. 

You can use this sauce on pasta, as a dip, on white fish or pretty much anyway you want it. 

My favorite way to use this romesco sauce it mixed with roasted eggplant and chickpeas. I really like the raw vegetable crunch so I usually just toss it with something delicious and enjoy. 

Roasted Eggplant & Chickpeas with Romesco Sauce
Makes 4-5 cups

Ingredients: 
1 eggplant, cubed (3-4 cups)

1 tbs olive oil
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups of romesco sauce

Set the oven to a low broil. Coat the eggplant with 1 tbs olive oil or spray. Broil for 5-6 minutes tossing every few minutes. One the eggplant has softened place it in a mixing bowl with the chickpeas and seasoning. Mix the eggplant and chickpeas with romesco sauce and serve. 

Eggplant Involtini

Italian food has to be by far my most favorite cuisine  Next summer I will be traveling to Florence, Italy and I will be taking a few cooking classes. I am so excited to improve my skills in the kitchen and learn the way Italians create yummy dishes! Until then I will keep creating recipes with what I know to be Italian cuisine.

I will eat just about anything with a delicious tomato sauce on it. I recently saw some images of Involtini on my favorite food blog website http://www.tastespotting.com but I had never eaten it before. According to About.com "Involtini is an Italian word for a small bite of food consisting of some sort of outer layer wrapped around a filling." I decided to make my Involtni with a lasagna style filling wrapped in eggplant. I could not decide on one type of filling so I made two! 

Officailly added to my wish list!! 

If you have a mandolin this is way easier. I don't own one yet so I very carefully cut thin slices of eggplant. It is not a simple task and it can be a pain so buy a back up eggplant so you can have plenty of slices for your Involtini make plenty of wraps.

Fixins:

1 large eggplant, sliced VERY thin

2 cups of pasta sauce, separated

olive oil

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan

Filling 1 - Olive & Capers

1/3 cup diced Mediteranean olives

1 tbs capers

1/2 cup ricotta

a sprinkle of cracked pepper

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

Filling 2 - Shrooms

1 cup mushrooms, 

1 garlic clove

a sprinkle of basil 

a sprinkle of red pepper flakes

Place all ingredients in a food processor until mushrooms are finely chopped. Then add:

1/2 cup ricotta and mix into a small bowl. 

Preheat the broiler to high. Brush olive oil on each side of the eggplant slices and place on a baking sheet. Broil on high on the middle rack for about 7 minutes on each side. Remove from the oven and set let cool. 

Preheat the oven to 350. Using a spoon place the filling of your choice on the larger side of the eggplant and carefully roll up into individual wraps. Spread the pasta sauce in the bottom of a baking pan and place the roll into the baking pan. Sprinkle the Parmesan over top each roll and bake for 20 minutes. 

Carefully remove each roll from the baking pan and serve with a drizzle of the pasta sauce on each one. Enjoy!! 

Notes: If you prefer one filling over the other just double the ingredients and you will have plenty.

If you have some messups from slicing the eggplant, set it aside and use any leftover filling and pasta sauce to make a mini pastalesss lasagna. 

Roasted Red Pepper & Chickpea Dip

This yummy dip can be served with pita chips, crackers or even used a a spread on wraps or sandwiches. It is super easy and taste great!

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into quarters & seeds removed
• 1-2 tbs red wine vinegar
• 1-3 tbs olive oil
• Seasonings: red pepper flakes, S&P

Preheat the oven to 400. Place the red peppers on a non-stick baking pan and spray or brush olive oil onto the bells and bake at 400 for about 20 minuets or until the skin starts to crinkle. Remove from pan and let cool. 

Meanwhile, place 1 tbs olive oil, 1 tbs red wine vinegar and the chickpeas into the food processor. Pulse this mixture until smooth, adding the rest of the vinegar and oil as needed. Once the bell peppers have cooked and cooled add them to the food processor and pulse until mixed well with chickpeas. Season with red pepper flakes, S&P to your liking. 


Notes: You can serve this right away or refrigerated and serve cold.

Polenta Bruschetta with Eggplant & Mozzarella

With so many ripe tomatoes from my garden I absolutely had to make some bruschetta. Unfortunately i didn't ave time to bake a baguette so I decided to use polenta, which was a GREAT idea. I also had an eggplant laying around and decided it would make a great combo! 

Bruschetta Topping

• 4- 5 medium tomatoes
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 5-6 basil leaves
• S&P

Heat a small sauce pan on med/low heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot add the garlic and cook for about 4 minutes or until fragrant. Reduce to lowest setting and let it sit for 10 minutes. While this is infusing chop the tomatoes and basil then place into a small mixing bowl. Add the infused olive oil to the tomato basil mixture, season with S&P and set aside.

• 1 tube of pre-cooked polenta, sliced into disks  
• 1 Japanese eggplant, peeled and cut oval and circle disks 
• 4 oz of buffalo mozzarella, sliced thin ( small enough to fit on polenta disks)

Preheat the oven to 400. Slice the polenta into disks and place on an oiled non-stick baking pan. Place a slice of mozzarella on each polenta slice then place the eggplant. Brush or spray the eggplant with a touch of olive oil and bake for 20 minutes. 

Remove from the oven, top with bruschetta topping and serve immediately.  YUMMM! 

Notes: The eggplant skin can become quite hard during this cooking process so peeling the eggplant is the way to go. You can use regular eggplant but Japanese eggplants make smaller rounds for the polenta.

Creamy Radish Dip and Htipiti (Greek Feta Dip)

These are both super easy and really good!

Creamy Radish Dip

Ingredients:
6-8 radishes, washed and diced
1/4 onion, diced
2 tbs. sour cream



Mix the ingredients above together and refrigerate for an hour before serving Taste great with either rye or whole grain crackers.



Htipiti

Ingredients
8 oz. feta
1/3 cup of pepperocini/banana peppers
1 tbs. plain yogurt
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp. olive oil
Oregeno & S&P

Place above ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Place in a bowl and season with red pepper flakes. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Best served with flat bread or pita, katamala olives, artichoke hearts and sliced tomatoes.