Eggplant Stacks

Here's a little recipe that I whipped up last night.  It's super simple and super yummy!!

Eggplant Stacks

1 Medium to Large Eggplant
1 Small Container of Ricotta Cheese
1 Egg
1 Small Jar of Marinara Sauce
1 cup of Shredded Italian Cheeses
Salt
Pepper
Parsley
Olive Oil
Bread Crumbs

Preheat oven to 375.  Slice the Eggplant into thick sliced rounds, and saute each round in a tiny bit of olive oil on a medium-high heat (You could oven roast the eggplant slices if you prefer), so that each side is lightly browned.

In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta cheese and 1 egg.  Add a little parsley, salt, and pepper (If you have Parmesan cheese, this would be yummy, too!).

On a baking dish lined with parchment or foil, place one cooked eggplant round and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Then, top with a dollop of the ricotta mixture, a little marinara sauce, and some shredded cheese.  Repeat this process until you have 3 layers.  Sprinkle a bit of bread crumbs on top.

Bake all eggplant stacks at 375 for 30-45 minutes (Or less if your oven cooks faster than mine =-).).

Serve with a side salad.

YUM!!

I didn't have any jarred marinara sauce, so I made my own with a can of Italian tomatoes, some fresh basil, a garlic clove, and some red wine.  This dinner was very easy and tasty!  It made 5 eggplant stacks for me, so I've stuck some in the freezer, hoping they will be good options for my lunches during the week.

Let me know if you try it!

Lucky Me

I don't know about you guys, but I am looking forward to 2012 and all of the excitement it may bring.  Of course, after the year I had in 2011, I could use any help I can get!  In an attempt to ensure that 2012 will be better, I will be following the usual tradition of eating black-eyed peas on new years for luck.  Recently, I read about the tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Years, and discovered, that you are actually supposed to eat 365 peas....one for each day of the year!!  Did you know this??  All these years, I've only had a spoonful (simply because I'm not a big fan of black-eyed peas), and that probably only gave me enough luck to last a week...TOPS!  Now, I'm not sure I can eat 365 black-eyed peas, but one thing is for certain - If I'm going to try, I have to come up with a recipe that will make them tasty.  After searching the web to no avail, it dawned on me....I already have one thanks to a friend of mine who makes a FABULOUS salsa using black-eyed peas!  It's super easy, and super yummy.  So, for all of you who are looking for a little luck in 2012, here's how I plan on eating my black-eyed peas this year - Try it out!

White Trash Caviar

2 cans of Black-eyed Peas (drained)

1 1/2 cups of Frozen Corn (thawed)

1 can of Diced Tomatoes (drained)

1/2 medium Red Onion (diced)

1/2 Jalapeno (small dice)

1 small Green Pepper (diced)

1/4 cup of Cilantro

1/2 teaspoon Garlic Salt

1 cup Zesty Italian Dressing

Mix all above ingredients and let sit in fridge for at least 2 hours to "blend."  Before serving, top with small dollops of sour cream and serve with Fritos Scoops (or a chip of your choice).  Try not to devour all in one sitting! (UNLESS you are trying to reach the goal of eating 365 black-eyed peas on New Years Day)

I made mine today, so it could sit overnight in the fridge, and be ready for the snacking tomorrow!! 

YUM!

Here's to an AMAZING 2012!  Enjoy!