Whole Wheat Eggplant Rolls Recipe

Whole Wheat Eggplant Rolls

Dough:

- 3 C. whole wheat flour, plus more (as necessary) for handling dough

- 2 ¼ tsp. quick rise or rapid rise yeast

- 1 ¼ C. warm water

- 2 tsp. kosher salt

- 1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more for greasing

Filling:

- 1 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more if necessary

- 1 medium eggplant, diced (about 4 cups)

- 1 small onion, finely diced

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 Tbsp. tomato paste

- ¼ C. water

- 1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar (I like this one from Trader Joe’s)

- 1/8 – ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (depending on your spice preference)

- 1 tsp. freshly chopped oregano

- salt and pepper to taste

Assembly:

- whole wheat flour for rolling, as necessary

- 3 Tbsp. grated romano cheese

- 1/3 C. crumbled feta cheese

- 1 egg

- splash of water

Make the dough: In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups of the flour, 1 ¼ tsp. of the yeast, and all of the water.  Cover and let sit for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes pass and the mixture begins to show some air bubbles, mix in the remainder of the flour, yeast, as well as salt and olive oil until combined (use your hands if necessary).  Knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.  Transfer to a lightly greased bowl.  Let sit covered for 60 minutes, until doubled in size.

Make the filling: While the dough is rising, make the filling.  Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat.  Add oil and onions and cook until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another minute.  Add a drizzle more olive oil to the pan if necessary, then add eggplant, salt and pepper.  Cook for 8-12 minutes until tender.  Reduce the heat to low.  Add tomato paste and water, stir until smooth.  Cook for a minute, then add in balsamic vinegar and red pepper flakes.  Continue to cook over low heat for about 3 minutes, until all of the water is evaporated and the eggplant is coated in sauce.  Remove from the heat and stir in oregano.  Set aside and let cool.

To assemble: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  Line a heavy-bottomed baking pan with parchment paper.  Set aside.  Turn your attention back to the dough.  Punch down the dough, knead a few times.  Flour the dough, the work surface, and your hands.  Roll out the dough into a 15×10 inch rectangle.  Sprinkle the dough with the romano cheese.  Top with eggplant mixture, being sure to spread out to an even layer.  Sprinkle on feta cheese, again being sure to distribute evenly.  From the wider side of the rectangle, begin to roll the dough tightly into a pinwheel, being sure to keep the filling in its place as you roll.  Once the dough is completely rolled, set it seam-side down and slice into 8 even pieces.  Carefully transfer each piece to the prepared sheet pan.  Make an egg wash by beating together the egg and the splash of water.  Brush the tops of the rolls with the egg wash.  Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 12-15 minutes until golden brown and crusty.  Once done, remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Tortellini in Mushroom Sauce

Using frozen tortellini makes this a quick meal option!

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups (1/3 of a 16-ounce bag) frozen cheese tortellini
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps halved and thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 cup water
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon cold butter
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook tortellini according to package instructions; drain.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender, about 7 minutes.
3. Add 1 cup water; season with salt and pepper. Cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; add tortellini, Parmesan, butter, and parsley. Toss to coat; serve.

Note:

If you find fresh tortellini, you can use that instead of frozen; cook in a pot of boiling salted water until the pasta floats to the top, about 3 minutes. The mushroom sauce can also be tossed with plain pasta, such as fettuccine, linguine, or spaghetti. Cook 2 ounces of pasta, and add 2 more tablespoons of Parmesan.

Golden Clam Chowder Recipe

Comfort food at its best! Yes, you can have a warm, homemade bowl of Clam Chowder for dinner tonight. This soup is seasoned expertly and the thyme adds a great dimension of flavor.

Ingredients

2 celery ribs

2 medium carrots

1 medium onion

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cans (6-1/2 ounces each) minced clams, undrained

1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon water, divided

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

Directions

Finely chop the celery, carrots and onion. In a Dutch oven, saute vegetables in oil until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, clams, clam juice, 1 cup water, thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Gradually stir in milk; heat through. Combine cornstarch and remaining water until smooth; stir into chowder. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in bacon. Yield: 7 servings.

Easy, Decadent, Buttery English Toffee

Happy English Toffee Day!

It's amazing how simple it is to make your own tray of the buttery delicacy. Aside from a few ingredients, the main apparatus needed is just a candy thermometer. If you're feeling ambitious on this National Toffee Day, try making some yourself 

Toffee is a confection made by caramelizing sugar or molasses (creating inverted sugar) along with butter, and occasionally flour. The mixture is heated until its temperature reaches the hard crack stage of 300 to 310 °F (149 to 154 °C).

While being prepared, toffee is sometimes mixed with nuts or raisins.  Toffee used in confectionery can be mixed with many different ingredients to produce a variety of flavors: rum & butter, chocolate covered, vanilla & chocolate, rum & raisin, raspberry, and honeycomb.

 To celebrate, I chose to make some Double-Nut English Toffee and unlike some versions, this toffee isn't too hard and is easy to eat since it's only boiled to the soft crack stage. So here we go.

Ingredients

1-1/2 teaspoons plus 2 cups butter, softened, divided

2 cups sugar

1 cup chopped almonds, toasted

1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips, divided

2 cups ground walnuts or pecans, divided

Directions

Butter a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. pan with 1-1/2 teaspoons butter; set aside. In a heavy saucepan, combine sugar and remaining butter. Cook and stir over medium heat until a candy thermometer reads 290° (soft-crack stage). Remove from the heat; stir in almonds. Immediately pour into prepared pan.

Sprinkle with 1 cup chocolate chips; let stand until chips become glossy. Spread evenly over top. Sprinkle with 1 cup walnuts. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

In a microwave, melt remaining chips; stir until smooth. Spread over toffee. Sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Cover and refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Break into 2-in. pieces. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 3-1/2 pounds.

Editor's Note: We recommend that you test your candy thermometer before each use by bringing water to a boil; the thermometer should read 212°. Adjust your recipe temperature up or down based on your test.

Another wonderful English toffee recipe is by the one and only, Paula Deen.  Check it out here.  

Want to buy some specialty toffee instead? Check out the links below! :)

Happy Hour English Toffee with pretzels and peanuts( beer infused toffee)

Ascot Royale English Toffee

English Toffee with Chocolate and Nuts

White Satin Almond Toffee

Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Ricotta, Asiago, Mozzarella & Cottage Cheese

Satisfying four-cheese stuffed shells, bursting with ricotta, Asiago, mozzarella and cottage cheese. Use your favorite brand of spaghetti sauce--meatless or not.

Ingredients

6 uncooked jumbo pasta shells

1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided

1/4 cup shredded Asiago cheese

1/4 cup ricotta cheese

1/4 cup 4% cottage cheese

1 tablespoon minced chives

1 package (10 ounces) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 cup meatless spaghetti sauce

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, Asiago cheese, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese, chives and 1/2 cup spinach (save the remaining spinach for another use).

Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce into a shallow 1-1/2-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Drain pasta; stuff with cheese mixture. Arrange in prepared dish. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce and mozzarella.

Cover and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 2 servings.

Broccoli Cheese Soup

It's been freakin' cold lately. Comfort yourself by making a hot & hearty supper like this Broccoli Cheese Soup. This simple soup has basic ingredients, but it tastes so good. The green broccoli florets and the brilliant orange carrots make this creamy soup a colorful addition to any table.

Ingredients

2 cups sliced fresh carrots

2 cups broccoli florets

1 cup sliced celery

1-1/2 cups chopped onion

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 can (10-1/2 ounces) condensed chicken broth, undiluted

4 cups whole milk

1/2 pound process cheese (Velveeta), cubed

Directions

In a large saucepan, bring 2 quarts water to a boil. Add carrots, broccoli and celery; cover and boil for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In the same saucepan, saute onion in butter. Add flour and stir to make smooth paste. Gradually add chicken broth and milk. Cook until mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes. Add vegetables; heat until tender. Add cheese; heat until cheese is melted. Yield: 6-8 servings (2 quarts).

Christmas Update!

Christmas is a crazy, crazy time in most of our lives. Between making wreaths, ornaments, buying gifts, preparing meals, and entertaining family, I have been whooped, which explains why I haven't had much time to dedicate to my blog.  I have missed all of you and hope your holidays have been filled with good health, appreciation, and love from family and friends.  

My family went and had Christmas dinner at relative's houses this year, which was quite nice since it's usually at my house.  I got to sit back and relax, sip some eggnog, and enjoy my daughter and fiance's company.  Well mostly. I still did dabble in the kitchen here and there helping Grandma prepare her traditional Christmas meal.  

I'd like to hear how all of you enjoyed your holidays! Comments welcomed!

Also, everyone, this is the beginning of a new chapter for Yum In My Tum.  I have been blessed to have received lots of new, upgraded equipment to improve this blog.  Lots of new recipes from my kitchen will soon be covering these pages.  I invite you to stick by and uncover the art of cooking. 

Until my next food adventure, here's some photos from yesterday. Enjoy!

Gabriel

Table Setting at Gram's

Italian Santa Claus Figurine

Foreign Ornament--Slovenia, maybe? (The Grandparents Travel A Lot!)

Spinach & Artichoke Hummus & Veggies

Feliz Navidad! Santa Hat from Spain

Grandma made a gingerbread choo-choo this year.

Bennington Potters

Lighted Cactus at my Dad's! I love it!

Tammy Town--My stepmom's beautifully done Christmas village!

Cozy stone fireplace hung with stockings and more..at my Dad's! The house I grew up in!

Antipasto Kabobs

Ingredients

1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini

40 pimiento-stuffed olives

40 large pitted ripe olives

3/4 cup Italian salad dressing

40 thin slices pepperoni

20 thin slices hard salami, halved

Fresh parsley sprigs, optional

Directions

Cook tortellini according to package directions; drain and rinse in cold water. In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the tortellini, olives and salad dressing. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Drain and discard marinade. For each appetizer, thread a stuffed olive, folded pepperoni slice, tortellini, folded salami piece, ripe olive and parsley sprig if desired on a toothpick or short skewer. Yield: 40 appetizers.