Vegetable Tian

Barefoot in Paris, close your eyes and just think about walking in the green, green grass park that lies adjacent to the Iffel Tower. Oh, Paris in the spring time! I remember enjoying quite a few picnics in the park with Dave during our stay in Paris. We would dine on the typical Parisian far, always a bottle of red wine and a large crusy baguette and some soft cheese. Yep, that's it, well sometimes we would add some nice salty olives to the mix. Okay now open your eyes and keep Paris in your mind but now add Ina Garten to the picture! She is a brilliant women who never ceases to dissapoint me. Her recipes are easy to follow and simple to prepare. Always delicious, always impressive.

Vegetable Tian

evoo
2 large yellow onions, cut in half and sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound medium round potatoes, unpeeled (used Yukon Golds)
3/4 pound zucchini (2 medium)
1 1/4 pounds medium tomatoes (3 large)
1 t kosher salt
1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
1 T fresh thyme leaves, plus extra sprigs
2 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (used parmesan)

Preheat the oven to 375.
Brush a 9 by 13 by 2-inch baking dish with olive oil. In a medium saute pan, heat 2 T of evoo and cook the onions over medium-low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Spread the onion mixture on the bottom of the baking dish.

Slice the potatoes, zucchini, and tomatoes in 1/4-inch thick slices. Layer them alternately in the dish on top of the onions, fitting them tightly, making only 1 layer. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme leaves, and thyme sprigs and drizzle with 1 more T of evoo. Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the potatoes are tender. Uncover the dish, remove the thyme sprigs, sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for another 30 minutes until browned. Serve warm.

Source: Barefoot in Paris

Halibut with Clementine Gremolata

Oh this is so good! So good in fact, that we are making it again tonight! I'm sitting here typing while smelling the sweet citrus aroma as Dave slices and dices!
Gremolata is an Italian garnish that is traditionally made with parsley, garlic, and lemon zest. Replacing the lemon for clementines adds an amazing and different citrus touch. I don't know about you, but I can't get enough of the little clementines. I eat at least two with my lunch each day and another couple when I get home! We kept the measurements the same for the gremolata for two fillets versus four because it it that good! This is a really quick meal to put together on a weeknight or you could really impress some guests with this meal for a special occasion.

Clementine Gremolata
3 clementines
1/3 C chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 t salt
1/4 c evoo

Fish
1 clementine
4 6-ounce halibut fillets
evoo for drizzling
parchment paper

Gremolata: Using a vegetable peeler, remove the peel (orange part only) of the clementines. Chop peel (eat the reserved flesh while you chop or add them to a side salad!) Combine peel, chopped parsley, minced garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Stir in evoo and set gremolata aside.

Fish: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a vegetable peeler, remove peel of clementine in four 2-inch-long strips. Cut four 12-inch squares of parchment paper. Place halibut fillet in center of each parchment square. Sprinkle with salt and ground black pepper. Drizzle halibut lightly with oil. Place clementine peel strip, cut side up, on each fillet. Bring 2 edges of parchment together along long side of fillet and fold parchment edges together 3-4 times. Tuck both remaining edges of parchment underneath fillet to create a packet and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining fish fillets.
Bake fish until just opaque in center, about 18 minutes. Remove rimmed baking sheet from oven, unwrap fish and place onto plates. Spoon gremolata over and serve.

Source: BonAppetit

Eggplant Parmesan

It has been a while since we visited the grocery. Living in a tourist town makes getting around over the holidays very tough. You really dont' want to go to the store the two weeks surrounding Christmas and New Year's. Needless to say the only time I went was at 7am. I think Dave had to go a few times on his way home from work but only to buy a few nessesities. So when we finally got to the grocery on a Tuesday after New Year's our cubbards were ready. We hadn't really made a firm list and decided our dinner menu as we walked through the produce section. Dave eyed the eggplants and we were off. Dinner would be Eggplant Parm with the leftover Puttanesca sauce we had in the fridge. (More on that sauce in a later post.) This was by far the best Eggplant Parm I have ever had. I truely mean it, amazing and obviously even better two days later for lunch. We always bake our eggplant rather then fry it. Its easier and less messy. I think it tastes just as good. This time around we decided to use up some ricotta we had in the fridge and this added yet another level to how delicious this dish was. The Puttanesca sauce put it over the top. Dave says we should keep this on hand at all times in our freezer. Thank you Rebekah for handing over this recipe!! I'm pretty sure that Dave likes it more then my traditional sauce!

Eggplant Parmesan

1 medium eggplant

1 large egg

1/4 C milk

bread crumbs

1/2 C ricotta

1/4 C grated Parmesan

1 C grated mozarella

2 C tomato sauce

Preheated oven to 400. Slice the eggplant. Whisk the egg and milk in a large bowl. Pour enough bread crumbs onto a plate. Place a few sliced of eggplant in the milk mixture and let them sit for a few minutes. Using your hands, take one eggplant allowing the milk to drip off and coat it in the bread crumbs. Place on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining eggplant. Bake for 20 minutes until crisp and lightly browned. Pour a 1/4 cup of sauce and coat the bottom of a large baking dish. Place a layer of eggplant in the dish. Dollop ricotta on each eggplant and sprinkle with parmesan and mozarella. Pour sauce over eggplant and cheese. Repeat with remaining eggplant, cheese and sauce. Cook for 20 minutes at 400.