Main Dishes

Eggplant Parmesan

Over the weekend, I visited my parents, who have a huge garden, and brought home a ton of veggies — eggplant, kohlrabi, green beans, onions, cabbage, and cucumbers. All of that, combined with tomatoes and zucchini from my small raised garden, has led to a lot of healthy, delicious meals this week, including eggplant parmesan. I like to use only a little marinara when I make eggplant or chicken parmesan and, instead, use slices of fresh tomato. I also brown the breaded eggplant slices for a minute or so in a nonstick pan before placing them in a dish to bake in the oven.  

Eggplant Parmesan
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Ingredients
  1. 1 eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
  2. 2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced
  3. 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
  4. 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, shredded
  5. 1/2 teaspoon each of garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried basil, dried parsley, and kosher salt
  6. Ground black pepper
  7. 1 cup of plain breadcrumbs
  8. 1/4 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
  9. 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour
  10. 2 large eggs, beaten
  11. 2 1/2 cups of marinara sauce
  12. Olive oil
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Spray a 9x11-inch baking dish with cooking spray, and add the marinara sauce to the bottom of the dish. Set aside.
  3. In a flat bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, dried basil, oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper. In another bowl, add the beaten eggs. In a third bowl, add the flour.
  4. Dip each piece of eggplant in the flour, then the egg, and then the breadcrumb mixture.
  5. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat.
  6. Working several pieces at a time, fry the eggplant until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side, and then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any access oil.
  7. When all of the eggplant in browned, place the slices in the baking dish with the marinara sauce, overlapping slightly if need be.
  8. Top each piece of eggplant with a slice or two of tomato, the chopped fresh basil, and the shredded mozzarella cheese.
  9. Bake covered for 30 minutes, uncovering for the last 5 minutes.
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta With Sausage and Zucchini

I have to give myself (and, of course, Ree Drummond aka the Pioneer Woman) a pat on the back for this pasta recipe. It’s AMAZING! I’ve been feeling less than inspired with cooking over the past few weeks, so I turned to some of my favorite food blogs for some new ideas and found The Pioneer Woman’s recipe for Pasta With Roasted Red Pepper Sauce. I took the easy route and used jarred roasted red peppers rather than roasting my own and added in a zucchini and some spicy turkey sausage, and voila, I had a delicious dinner on the table in 30 minutes. I’m already hungry thinking about the leftovers tonight.

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta With Sausage and Zucchini
Serves 4
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
30 min
Ingredients
  1. 1 small onion, diced
  2. 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  3. 1 small zucchini, chopped
  4. 12 oz. jar of roasted red peppers, drained
  5. 2 tablespoons of pine nuts, toasted
  6. 1/2 tablespoon fresh basil, roughly chopped
  7. 1/2 tablespoon fresh parsley, roughly chopped
  8. 12 oz. dried pasta (I like whole wheat penne)
  9. 3 links of lean spicy turkey sausage, sliced into thin rounds
  10. ½ cup heavy cream
  11. 2-3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  12. 1 pinch of red pepper flakes
  13. Salt and pepper
  14. Fresh Parmesan cheese, shaved or grated
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. Heat a large sauté pan (you’ll use this pan again) over medium-high heat. Add the pine nuts to the skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, until golden brown. Be careful not to burn them.
  3. Add the drained roasted red peppers, the pine nuts, and the basil and parsley to a food processor or blender, and pulse until smooth. Set aside.
  4. In the large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sliced sausage to the pan, and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer cooked sausage to a bowl and set aside.
  5. If needed, add an additional tablespoon of olive oil to the sauté pan. Over medium-high heat, add the onion and zucchini and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes, and sauté for about 1 minute. Reduce the heat to medium, and return the cooked sausage to the pan. Pour in the roasted red pepper puree, and stir together. Add in the heavy cream, and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked pasta to the pan, stir, and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, to allow the pasta to absorb some of the sauce.
  6. Top with Parmesan cheese, and serve.
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Adapted from The Pioneer Woman
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/

Parmesan Pork Chops

I’ve never been a big fan of pork chops. They always seem to end up dry, tough, and flavorless. But this recipe for Parmesan-Crusted Pork Chops from Giada De Laurentiis got me singing a different tune. They’re moist (I know, I don’t care for that word either), flavorful, and super quick to make. I made only a few adjustments to her recipe, mainly because I only had plain breadcrumbs in the pantry.

 

Parmesan Pork Chops
Serves 4
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Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
12 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
12 min
Ingredients
  1. 4 (1/2 to 3/4-inch thick) center-cut pork loin chops
  2. 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  3. 2 large eggs, beaten
  4. 1 cup bread plain breadcrumbs
  5. 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  6. 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  7. 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
  8. 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  9. 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  10. 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. Whisk the eggs in a shallow bowl to blend.
  2. In another shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano, and paprika.
  3. Place the parmesan cheese in a third bowl.
  4. Season both sides of pork chops with salt and pepper.
  5. Coat the pork chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere.
  6. Dip the pork chops into the eggs and then coat with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere.
  7. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown and the center reaches 150 degrees, about 6 minutes per side.
Notes
  1. If you're making a large batch and want to ensure all pork chops are done at the same time, cook in the skillet for only 2 minutes per side and then transfer pork chops to a nonstick baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees, flipping the pork chops after 10 minutes.
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Adapted from Giada De Laurentiis
Seasoned to Impress https://seasonedtoimpress.com/