Food | Good Dinner Mrs Mellen

Category: Food
- Turkey Porcini Lasagna
  
  Posted at 12:04 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 30th
  Turkey Porcini Lasagna
  
  I adapted this recipe to use turkey ground meet and turkey sausage. The sauce is very flavorful and the vegetables add a wonderful richness. I like to make a large pan of Lasagna and cut into serving pieces and freeze. You can make the Bolognese sauce a day ahead or freeze until you are ready to make the lasagna. In fact I make soups, chilies, sauce with meatballs, and more in large quantities and freeze. I always have something ready for dinner even if I don’t have time to make a meal. Give this recipe a try for a large group or make to freeze into individual serving sizes.
  
  Bolognese (Turkey) Sauce
  
  I wanted to make a “meat” sauce that tasted wonderful but didn’t use red meat to cut down on fat and calories. I used ground turkey and turkey sausage to make this flavorful sauce. And the sauce is EASY to make!
  
  1/2 lb. Italian sausage, remove casings
  
  1/2 lb. ground turkey
  
  1 cup chopped onion(1 large)
  
  1/2 cup finely chopped carrot (1 medium)
  
  1/2 cup chopped green pepper(1 small)
  
  1/4 cup chopped celery
  
  4 cloves garlic, minced
  
  1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
  
  1 6-ounce can tomato paste
  
  1/2 cup dry red wine or chicken broth
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  
  1/2 cup whole milk
  
  1/4 cup fresh basil
  
  2 tablespoons snipped fresh oregano
  
  In a 4-quart Dutch oven, cook sausage, ground turkey, carrot, sweet pepper, celery, and garlic over medium-high heat until meat is good and onion is tender, using a wooden spoon to break up meat as it cooks. Drain off fat.(using lean turkey you don’t have much fat)
  
  Stir in tomatoes, tomato past, wine, salt and black pepper. Bring to boiling: reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in milk, basil, and oregano.
  
  Lasagna
  
  Porcini Filling
  
  15 dried lasagna
  
  1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  
  Italian parsley (optional)
  
  Porcini Filling
  
  1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
  
  4 cloves garlic minced
  
  3 tablespoon butter
  
  3 tablespoon flour
  
  1 1/2 cup whole milk
  
  1/2 cup dry white wine
  
  1 15 ounce carton ricotta cheese
  
  1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  
  1/4 cup snipped Italian parsley
  
  1/4 cup snipped fresh basil
  
  Make Porcini filling: Place mushrooms in a small bowl adding enough boiling water to cover. Let stand for 10 minutes; drain. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Chop mushrooms set aside. In a large saucepan heat butter saute garlic for about 30 seconds. Stir in flour until combined. Slowly stir in milk and wine. Cook and stir until thick. Remover from heat. Stir in mushrooms, ricotta, Parmesan cheese, parsley and basil.
  
  Cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Pre heat oven to 350 F. Use a 14 x 11 inch baking dish. Spread 1 cup of the meat sauce on bottom of baking dish. Top with three noodles and 2 cups of meat sauce. Top with three more noodles and half of Porcini filling. Repeat layering noodles, meat sauce, noodles and Porcini filling. Top with remaining three noodles and meat sauce.
  
  Cover lasagna with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes more. Let stank for 20 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley (optional)
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Food, Hearty Meal, Main Dish, Main Meal, pasta | Tagged family meal, turkey lasagna
- Slow Cooked Chicken Casserole
  
  Posted at 1:36 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 27th
  SLOW COOKED CHICKEN CASSEROLE
  
  September is here and fall is in the air in New England. Morning are cool and leaves are turning burnished shades of autumn. Time to pull out the warm sweaters for a brisk walk in the woods. Summer meals are replaced with hearty casseroles flagrantly scented with fresh herbs still flourishing in the garden. I made this chicken casserole in a low over and you could use a slow cooker too. Either method produces tender chicken that just pulls away from the bone melting in your mouth!
  
  6 pounds mixed chicken pieces, breasts, legs and thighs.
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  1 large onion chopped
  
  4 cloves garlic minced
  
  8 ounces sliced mushrooms
  
  1 tablespoon minced rosemary
  
  1 tablespoon minced thyme
  
  1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
  1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
  
  1 cup dry white wine
  
  2 tablespoon flour
  
  Pre heat over to 275 F. Heat oil in pan to high. Add chicken pieces searing to brown on each side. One browned remove chicken placing in dutch over. I love Le Creuset from France. Expensive yet so worth the price as they cook food beautifully and last forever. Cook onion in pan until translucent. Add garlic; cook for a few minutes then add mushrooms stirring until juices evaporate. Add rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper combine for a minute before adding wine. Bring to boil then simmer adding flour mixing to thicken the sauce. Poor over chicken in dutch over and slow cook for two and a half hours.
  
  You can make this ahead the day before and warm up to eat.
  
  Serve with rice or butter noodles.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Casserole, Chicken, Easy recipes, family meals, Food, Hearty Meal, Main Dish, Main Meal, slow cooker, Weeknight dinner | Tagged chicken. casserole, Easy recipes, family meal, le creuset, Mushrooms
- Fantastic Fall Apple Pie
  
  Posted at 4:05 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 23rd
  I have made this apple pie for over 30 years with some changes along the way. A disclaimer this pie is very rich but sometimes you just have to let go and indulge. You can’t each low fat cottage cheese and fruit every day. I just tell myself an extra hot yoga class and this piece of pie has my name on it.
  
  French Custard Apple Pie
  
  Crust
  
  1 3/4 cup flour
  
  1/4 cup sugar
  
  1 teaspoon cinnamon
  
  1/3 lb of butter
  
  2/3 teaspoon salt
  
  6-7 tablespoon apple cider or water
  
  Filling
  
  6 large Granny Smith or Macintosh apples pared and diced (you can use a combination or just one kind of apple. I like the Granny Smith because they are tart and this is a sweet pie)
  
  1 2/3 cup sour cream
  
  1 egg(2 if small)
  
  1 cup sugar
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  2 teaspoon vanilla or 1 tablespoon Brandy
  
  1/3 cup flour
  
  Topping
  
  1/3 cup brown sugar
  
  1/3 cup sugar
  
  1/2 cup flour
  
  1 tablespoon cinnamon
  
  1 cup chopped walnuts
  
  1/2 cup dried crandberries
  
  1 stick butter
  
  Crust: Combine all the ingredients expcept the apple cider in a food procussor, pulse until combined. Add one tablespoon of cider at a time and pulse after each addition. Dough will form a soft ball. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface 2 inches larger than the pie plate, fite a 10 inch pie plate. This is a solf cookie like dough what I do is lightly dust the pie plate with flour before I fit the dough. This will prevent the pie crust from sticking when you cut the pie. Fold and roll pastry under and flute.
  
  Filling: Mix filling ingredients together and fill pie shell. Bake for 450 10 minuetes, then 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Blend topping ingredients together and place on top of pie . bake for additional 15 minuets.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Apples, Baking, Baking, Food | Tagged Apple Pie, Desserts, fall baking
- Luscious Nectarine Blueberry Pie
  
  Posted at 12:36 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 22nd
  LUSCIOUS NECTARINE BLUEBERRY PIE
  
  Luscious end of the season ripe fruit makes the most delectable pies. Who can resist a delicious piece of pie with vanilla ice cream simple but oh so good! I especially love the combination of nectarine and blueberries. I made my own pie crust and the recipe follows. But for a quick and easy pie you can buy the refrigerated pie crust. I like the Pillsbury brand. Don’t be intimidated by a home made pie crust, as I’ve always said, the more you practice the better you become. If time is an issue you can make the pie crust the day before and refrigerate over night, then just roll out the dough the next day, add the filling, bake and in no time you have a wonderful home made pie.
  
  Pie Crust
  
  Makes 2 crusts
  
  3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
  2 sticks chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 ” cubes
  
  1/4 cup vegetable shortening
  
  1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. sugar
  
  1 Tbsp. salt
  
  Process flour, butter, vegetable shortening, sugar and salt in a food processor until butter is crumbly, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl. Gradually add 3/4 cups ice water, using a folk stir mixture until dough forms a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate over night.
  
  Filling
  
  6 ripe large nectarines(halved, pitted and slice 1/2-inch thick)
  
  1 pint blueberries, washed and picked over
  
  3/4 cups sugar
  
  3 Tbsp. quick-cooking tapioca
  
  2 Tbsp. lemon juice
  
  1 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
  
  Glaze;
  
  1 egg
  
  1 Tsp. milk
  
  1 Tsp. sugar(for sprinkling)
  
  Heat oven to 425 F and adjust rack to lower to middle position. In a large bowl toss nectarines, blueberries, sugar, tapioca, lemon juice and lemon zest. Set aside for 15 minutes.
  
  Divide dough into two balls, one sightly larger. On a lightly floured surface roll larger pastry ball into a circle about 2 inches larger than 9-inch pie plate. Line pie plate with pastry, trim edge leaving 1 inch overhang. Fill the pie plate with the fruit. Roll out smaller pastry ball for top curst. Place on top of fruit pie. Trim pastry edge leaving an inch overhang. Fold overhang under, then bring up over pie plate rim, pinch to form fluted edges. Brush top with some of the egg glaze. Make a few decorative slits in the top and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 and bake for 40 minutes. Then brush again with remaining egg glaze, sprinkle sugar and bake for about 5 minutes more until golden brown. Cool on wire rack before serving.
  
  I serve with my favorite vanilla ice cream Breyers!
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Baking, Food, Pie | Tagged BLUEBERRY, BREYERS ICE CREAM, NECTARINE, PIES, Pillsbury Pie crust, VANILLA ICE CREAM
- Baked Eggplant Parmesan
  
  Posted at 4:17 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 20th
  Autumn quietly arrives in New England – crisp mornings turn into warm sunny afternoons with the glorious fall sun setting a few minutes earlier each day: Farmers markets stocked with the last of nature’s bounty before the first frost ends harvesting. Beautiful plump eggplant beckons me as I fill my market basket with copious quantities perfect to make my Baked Eggplant Parmesan. Coming from a long line of Italian cooks I’ve eaten and made this southern Italian dish my entire life. Like my mother I don’t fry my eggplant – I prefer to bake – forgoing the extra fat from frying. And I’ve updated the recipe using Panko bread crumbs for a lighter breading. I love to taste the eggplant, not the breading. One more item – I only use San Marzano tomatoes. I like my sauce sweeter with less acidity. The San Marzano variety of plum tomato grows in the rich volcanic soil of the Sarno River valley, near Mount Vesuvius, resulting in a sweet flesh with low acidity. Its thick skin makes it easy to peel off. Plus, it’s meatier than Romas and other plums, and has fewer seeds: all good things for making sauce. Like French Champagne, San Marzano tomatoes are grown under strict rules designed to protect and promote regional agricultural products. In Italy, D.O.P. or Denominazione di Origine Protetta rules ensure that only growers within a defined area adhering to specific farming and canning methods can sell tomatoes labeled San Marzano. I assure the extra cost is worth producing the most delectable sauce for all your cooking dishes that require canned tomatoes.
  
  BAKED EGGPLANT PARMESAN
  
  INGREDIENTS
  
  Marinara
  
  ¼ cup olive oil
  
  1 head of garlic, cloves crushed
  
  1 large red onion, chopped
  
  ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  
  1 tablespoon tomato paste
  
  ¼ cup dry white wine
  
  2 28-ounce cans whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes *
  
  ¼ cup torn basil leaves
  
  ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  
  Kosher salt
  
  Eggplant and Assembly
  
  4 pounds Italian eggplants (about 4 medium), peeled, sliced lengthwise ½–¾ inch thick
  
  Kosher salt
  
  3 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
  
  1½ teaspoon dried oregano
  
  1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  
  1½ cups finely grated Parmesan, divided
  
  1½ cups all-purpose flour
  
  5 large eggs, beaten to blend
  
  ½ cup finely chopped basil and parsley, plus basil leaves for serving
  
  6 ounces low-moisture mozzarella, grated (about 1⅓ cups)
  
  8 ounces fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced
  Marinara
  
  Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a large heavy ovenproof pot over medium. Cook garlic, stirring often, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add onion and red pepper flakes, cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste stirring until combined. Add wine, bring to a boil, and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, breaking up with your hands, and their juices; add basil and oregano and stir to combine. Swirl 1½ cups water into one tomato can, then the other, to rinse, and add to pot; season with salt. Simmer for 2–2½ hours stirring occasionally.
  
  Let sauce cool slightly. Pass through the large holes of a food mill or process in a food processor until mostly smooth. Taste and season with salt.
  
  Do Ahead: Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.
  Eggplant and Assembly
  
  Lightly season eggplant slices all over with salt; place in a single layer on several layers of paper towels inside a rimmed baking sheet. Top with another layer of paper towels and more slices; repeat as needed. Top with a final layer of paper towels. Let eggplant sit until it has released excess liquid, 45–60 minutes. This step gives the eggplant a creamy texture when baked.
  
  Meanwhile, pulse panko, oregano, pepper, and ¾ cup Parmesan in a food processor until very finely ground. Transfer to a shallow bowl.
  
  Preheat oven to 350°. Place flour in another shallow bowl and eggs in a third shallow bowl. Working one at a time, dredge eggplant slices in flour, then dip in egg, allowing excess to drip off. Coat in breadcrumbs, packing all around, then shaking off excess. I don’t fry my eggplant instead I bake. Place eggplant on parchment lined cookie sheet baking for 20-25 minutes until lightly browned.
  
  Toss chopped herbs, low-moisture mozzarella, and remaining ¾ cup Parmesan in a medium bowl. Spread 1 cup sauce over the bottom of a 13×9″ baking pan; top with a layer of eggplant slices. Drizzle 1 cup sauce over and sprinkle with one-third of cheese mixture. Add another layer of eggplant, followed by 1 cup sauce and half of remaining cheese mixture. Repeat layers with remaining slices, sauce, and cheese mixture. Cover with foil and bake 45–60 minutes until sauce starts to bubble.
  
  Remove from oven and arrange fresh mozzarella over eggplant. Increase oven temperature to 425° and bake, uncovered, until cheese is bubbling and browned in spots, 15–20 minutes longer. Let rest 30 minutes. Top with basil leaves just before slicing.
  
  Do Ahead: Eggplant Parmesan can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover with foil and chill. Reheat in a 350° oven, uncovering halfway through, until bubbling gently at edges.
  
  * I used Cento San Marzano tomatoes.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Farm Fresh Produce, Food, Hearty Meal, vegetable bake | Tagged Cento San Marzano tomates, Eggplant, Parmesan
- Candied Apple Crumb Cake
  
  Posted at 3:56 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 18th
  Fall at it’s best with fresh picked apples baked in a rich pound cake with crumb topping and caramel drizzled on top. Richly flavored with just a hint of orange juice, cinnamon and crisp tart apples. I used Granny Smith Apples in this cake for their tart flavor along with a firm consistency after baking. In this cake I want to bit into the apple with each bite as if I just had reach up picking the apple right off the tree. As gorgeous as this cake looks it is quite easy to make. Delicious, dazzling, easy to duplicate, what could be better.
  
  Candied Apple Crumb Cake
  
  Cake
  
  4 cups flour
  
  2 cups sugar
  
  1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  4 teaspoons baking powder
  
  1 cup oil
  
  1 cup orange juice
  
  3 large eggs (4 if small)
  
  1 teaspoon vanilla
  
  Apple Filling
  
  4 Granny Smith Apples peeled and slice
  
  1/2 cup sugar
  
  2 teaspoon cinnamon
  
  Crumb Topping
  
  1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
  
  1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
  
  1 cup flour
  
  1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  
  1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  
  Caramel Sauce
  
  1 cup granulated sugar
  
  ½ cup heavy cream
  
  2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  
  1 teaspoon fleur de sel (or another sea salt)
  
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease tube cake pan and set aside. Sift together flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Place in a large mixing bowel making a well.
  
  2. Combine oil, orange juice, eggs and vanilla. Pour into center of well and beat for three minutes.
  
  3. Combine sugar and cinnamon in small bowel and set aside.
  
  4. Pour third of batter into prepared pan, add half sliced apples and half cinnamon-sugar. Cover with half the remaining batter. Top with remaining apples then cinnamon-sugar. Add remaining batter on top.
  
  5. Combine ingredients for crumb topping blending until thoroughly combined. A pastry blender works best to make the crumb topping but you can cut butter in with two knives.
  
  6. Sprinkle over cake. Bake 1 hour 30 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
  
  7. Cool for 1 hour before removing from tube pan.
  
  8. Make caramel sauce: In a medium saucepan over medium high heat combine the sugar with 1/4 cup cold water and stir to combine. Cook, without stirring, until the sugar has turned a deep amber color about 10 minutes. Meanwhile warm the cream in a small saucepan. When the caramel is ready, slowly, whisk in a warm cream and continue simmering for another 2-3 minutes until the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat, then whisk in the butter,, and then salt. Slowly drizzle over cake.
  
  Serve with Vanilla ice cream or just plain.
  
  Enjoy!
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  Posted in Apples, Baking, Cake, Dessert, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen | Tagged apples, cake, caramel, fall baking
- Savory Bread Pudding with Heirloom Tomatoes, Herbs and Mozzarella
  
  Posted at 11:16 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 11th
  First let me just say that this is a very rich dish not meant to be eaten in large portions. A wonderful lunch or dinner with a salad eating only a small serving size. Eating rich dishes and staying thin is all about portion control and exercise. It’s important to me that I don’t encourage anyone to over eat. With that said let’s get on to this wonderful bread pudding. Until recently I only thought of bread pudding as a rich dessert that I occasionally indulged. One summer in New Hampshire I ordered a savory bread pudding and I was hooked. I made my bread pudding with heirloom tomatoes that I picked fresh from my garden along with my fresh herbs. You can add different veggies to recipe. Experiment, have fun and enjoy a wonderfully richly flavorful dish.
  
  Savory Bread Pudding with Heirloom Tomatoes, Herbs and Mozzarella
  
  1(1pound) loaf crusty white bread
  
  1/4 cup olive oil
  
  1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  
  2 tablespoon fresh basil
  
  1 tablespoon fresh oregano
  
  1 garlic clove, minced
  
  3 tablespoon olive oil
  
  2 shallots, chopped
  
  2 cloves garlic chopped
  
  2 cups chopped heirloom tomatoes
  
  3 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  
  8 large eggs
  
  1 teaspoon black pepper
  
  8 ounces fresh mozzarella chopped into 1-in cubes
  
  2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
  
  Heat oven to 375 F. Butter or spray with cooking spray a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Cut bottom crust and short ends off bread, discarding. Cut remaining bread with crust into 1-inch cubes(about 10 cups loosely packed). Place cubes in large bowl. Add oil, thyme, basil, oregano and garlic; toss to coat. Spread bread cubes out on large baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until golden and slightly crunchy, stirring occasionally, about 15-20 minutes. Return toasted bread cubes to the same bowl.
  
  Add olive oil to large skillet. Add shallot and garlic saute about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes continuing to cook for additional 5 minutes. Set aside.
  
  Whisk heavy cream, eggs, salt and ground pepper in large bowl. Mix egg mixture into bread. Place 1/3 of bread and egg mixture in prepared pan. Layer with 1/2 tomato then cheese. Continue layering 1/3 bread then 1/2 tomato and cheese then finally remaining 1/3 bread mixture. Sprinkle top with Parmesan cheese. Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.
  
  Preheat oven 350 F. Bake uncovered until set and top is golden about 50-60 minutes. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting and serving.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Casserole, family meals, Farm Fresh Produce, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Main Dish, Main Meal, Vegetarian, Weeknight dinner | Tagged bread, family meal, heirloom tomatotes, herbs, Mozzarella, savory bread pudding, vegetarian
- ROASTED BEETS WITH ORANGES
  
  Posted at 8:57 am by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 9th
  ROASTED BEETS WITH ORANGES
  
  Gorgeous Roasted Beets and Oranges
  
  Beets taste so delicious that I sometimes forget their health and nutritious benefits. Beets are low in calories yet high in fiber, antioxidants and an array of important micronutrients. And fresh beets are so easy to cook, readily available year round, don’t use canned. Beets roasted with citric juices enhances the root flavor of beets creating a nice glaze. A fine salt like Pink Himalayan is used to finish the dish adding a burst of flavor, not to salt while cooking. Gourmet salts from around the world are all the rage with so many different choices as well as added ingredients. On a recent trip to Amelia Island in Florida I had the pleasure of staying at the Ritz Carlton with the famous Salt restaurant and boutique with the boutique stocking salts from around the world. Assisted by a knowledgeable salesperson I returned home with a array of interesting salts.
  
  ROASTED BEETS WITH ORANGES
  
  12 Beets
  
  1 tablespoon olive oil
  
  1 1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme
  
  1 lemon, juiced
  
  3 oranges, 2 juice and one cut into half slices 1-inch thick.
  
  2 teaspoon Pink Himalayan fine salt
  
  Preheat oven 375F.
  
  Remove the tops and the roots of the beets and peel each one with a vegetable peeler. Cut the beets in 1 1/2-inch chunks. (Small beets can be halved, medium ones cut in quarters, and large beets cut in eighths.)
  
  Place the cut beets in oven proof baking dish. Combine olive oil, thyme, lemon and orange juice pouring over beets. Roast for 50-60 minutes, turning once or twice with a spatula, until the beets are tender. Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with salt and serve warm.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in cooking, Farm Fresh Produce, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, vegan, vegetable bake, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged baked veggies, beets, Healthy, oragnes, Ritz Carlton Amelia Island, vegan
- Roasted Swordfish with Olive Tapenade and Tomates
  
  Posted at 12:51 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 6th
  Swordfish is a wonderfully densely firm white fish easy to prepare absorbing the seasonings and flavoring perfectly. I love to roast, pan sear or grill swordfish it’s so versatile. In this recipe I combined swordfish with another favorite – olive tapenade – then topped with petite tomatoes. Simply delicious!
  
  Roasted Swordfish with Olive Tapenade and Tomatoes for Two
  
  1 lb. swordfish
  
  1 lemon, juiced
  
  1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  
  1/4 teaspoon pepper
  
  olive tapenade
  
  1 cup chopped petite tomatoes
  
  2 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped
  
  Preheat oven to 400 F. Place swordfish in over proof dish. Pour lemon juice on top and season with salt in pepper.
  
  Let stand while preparing olive tapenade. Place tapenade over swordfish then top with tomatoes. Sprinkle with fresh basil. Roast for 15 minutes. Serves 2.
  
  Olive Tapenade
  
  1 cups pitted Kalamata olives
  
  2 clove garlic, chopped
  
  1 teaspoon capers rinsed and dried
  
  1 teaspoon lemon juice
  
  2 teaspoons olive oil
  
  Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Puree until the olives are a fine spread. I like my black olive tapenade like a fine spread but you can try different constituencies from chopped to pureed.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Easy recipes, family meals, Fish, Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, Healthy, Main Dish, Main Meal | Tagged easy dinner, for two, olive tapenade, swordfish, \
- Baked Stuffed Eggplant
  
  Posted at 1:01 pm by Good Dinner Mrs Mellen
  
  Sep 2nd
  Eggplant a versatile vegetable who like a chameleon changes assuming the characteristic of the spices and ingredients used by the cook. Eggplant parmesan, beautiful stacked eggplant, tomato, mozzarella towers, baked stuffed eggplant and more I could continue adding to the variety of the eggplant recipes; all equally delicious. I was moved to create this recipe one day when I was at a farmer’s market and saw a beautiful array of eggplant glistening with fresh picked dew beaconing me to purchase. Once home I started thinking about how to cook the beautiful eggplant and I just decided to leave the eggplant whole hollowing out the center using the meat as stuffing and the shell as a baking dish. As a filler to substance to the ingredients I use La Casa de Grano Fregolo Sarda a traditional Sardinian Pasta that is toasted available at Italian markets such as Eataly or on line. I loved the texture and resulting taste all the flavors marrying to create a delicious baked eggplant, a beautifully presentation too.
  
  1 eggplant
  
  juice of 1/2 lemon
  
  pinch of sea salt
  
  2 tablespoon olive oil
  
  2 cloves garlic, chopped
  
  1 tablespoon fresh basil
  
  1 tablespoon fresh thyme
  
  2 tablespoon toasted pine nuts
  
  1/4 cup La Casa de Grano Fregolo Sarda, cooked or orzo
  
  2 teaspoon capers
  
  4 oz brie, rind removed and cubed
  
  oil for drizzling
  
  1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  
  1/8 teaspoon pepper
  
  garnish with fresh basil and thyme
  
  Preheat oven to 400F. Gently remove top of eggplant and set aside. Cut out eggplant meat and cube. Place eggplant in bowl add lemon juice and sea salt. Put olive oil in saute pan and heat. Add garlic and saute until slightly translucent, don’t brown. Add cubed eggplant, basil, thyme cooking about 5 minutes until eggplant is soft. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes after adding pine nuts, pasta and capers. Put eggplant mixture into hollowed out eggplant layering with cubed brie. Place eggplant lid on top. Drizzle with olive oil seasoning with salt and pepper. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the filling starts to escape from the eggplant. Serve at room temperature.
  
  Enjoy!
  
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  Posted in Food, Good Dinner Mrs Mellen, vegetable bake, Vegetables, Vegetarian | Tagged Baked Eggplant, brie, farm fresh, La Casa de Grano Fregolo Sarda
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