Foodmomiac

Rainbows and Fritattas

  Rainbow! 
  Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac

Isn't this an awesome rainbow? We saw it on our way home from a fundraiser yesterday. Not the school fundraiser (which was very cute, and I'm now even more convinced that the neighborhood school is the way to go). This was a fundraiser for the boulevard park on our street. We love our little park, and though we are only moving a few blocks away, we will miss it. The fundraiser made me a little sad about our move. Don't get me wrong. I'm totally psyched about the new house. Our landlord sucks, we don't have enough space, and I am very excited. But, this is a really great block with some very friendly families. And it is a beautiful street. Anyway, it was a nice evening.

Unfortunately, the night didn't continue in such a happy rainbow kind of way. I woke up yesterday with a sore throat, and it got progressively worse throughout the day. By the time I sat down for the evening, I felt awful, and after a fitful couple of hours in bed, I spent the rest of the night sleeping upright in our living room chair. It was the only way I could breathe.

Of course, this morning I was co-hosting a mom's coffee at my friend Joni's house. And I had volunteered to bring homemade banana bread muffins (since I couldn't volunteer my house). Baking was very, very far from my agenda last night, so I ended up running to Whole Foods this morning for baked goods. They were fine, and I don't think anyone cared. Of course, one of the moms ribbed me for not baking. I think her exact words were, "Wow, the foodie went to Whole Foods?" She thought I had made the delicious fritatta. But, I didn't. Those honors go to Joni, and I must share the recipe with you here, because it was delicious.

Joni's Fritatta
3 zucchini, sliced in half-circles
3 green onions, chopped
1 bell pepper,chopped
2 cups sliced mini portabella mushrooms
8 eggs
1 cup milk or sour cream
salt/pepper to taste
1 cup or more shredded cheese (swiss, cheddar, mozzarella...)

Saute zucchini, onions, bell pepper and mushrooms in olive oil.  Spread in a 9 1/2 x 11 pyrex baking dish.  Beat eggs and sour cream together and poor over veggies.  Sprinkle cheeses on top.  Bake 30-45 minutes at 375 degrees.

Note from Joni:
I add different veggies and more eggs (depending on what I have in the fridge and  how many people I am expecting) and it has always worked out fine.  FYI, I have only used the sour cream, so I am not sure how the milk would work.

This can be prepared ahead of time.  I saute the veggies the day before and then just pour the egg mixture and cheese right before cooking.

Vegetarian Comfort Food - Eggplant Tomato Casserole

  Eggplant Tomato Casserole 
  Originally uploaded by Foodmomiac.

This is another one of my mom's classic recipes that I have reworked a bit to make it my own. My changes, though, are very slight. I can not recall which cookbook this is from originally (Mom, if you know, can you put it in the comments?), but it was a frequent member of our holiday tables growing up. It was always served as a side dish, but a few years ago, it occurred to me that it would be a pretty spectacular vegetarian main dish.

The recipe itself is kind of goofy, in a 70's sort of way. It tastes vaguely Italian (especially if you use oregano), but uses cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella, and butter instead of olive oil. Analysis aside, it is pretty damn tasty, and was a great way to use the eggplant that I received last week from Fresh Picks. It is also a very good make-ahead dish. I prepared it Sunday afternoon, but we didn't eat it until Tuesday night. If you want to do the same, do everything but cook it, and just put it in the fridge covered with foil until you are ready to eat.

Eggplant Tomato Casserole

1 large eggplant
1.5 teaspoons salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons melted butter
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme
1/2 cup bread crumbs (I use panko)
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
2 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
paprika (I use smoked)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Peel and slice the eggplant. Put it in a pan with salt and about an inch of water. Boil, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Drain the water and mash the eggplant well with a potato masher. Mix in the eggs, butter, pepper (to taste), onion, herbs and bread crumbs. Butter a shallow casserole (about 1.5 quarts). Cover the bottom of the casserole with half of the sliced tomatoes. Spoon in the eggplant mixture. Arrange the rest of the tomatoes on top and cover with the cheeses. Sprinkle with paprika.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Serves 3-4 as a main dish, 5-6 as a side dish.