Fresh

Image thanks to I’m not obsessed

Watching re-runs of heroes? Wishing the writers strike was a thing of the past? Guess we might as well go get something to eat while we wait right? So why not check out recipes for menu items we discovered at The Celebrity hot spot The Ivy and Ali’s rumored fave restaurant Grotta Azzura

Eggplant Parmigiana (Melanzane alla parmigiana)

A Grotta Azzura menu item thanks to Web Wombat for the recipe

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:
3 eggplants (firm)
250g mozzarella (sliced)
1 small onion (finely sliced)
basil leaves
1 garlic clove (crushed)
6 Tbls. parmigiano
½ cup olive oil
400g ripe tomatoes
100g flour
salt
pepper
pinch of sugar

Ingredients

1. Cut the eggplants into slices lengthwise, not thicker than 10mm (¼ inch). Place the slices on a large platter. Sprinkle them with salt, place a weight on top, and let stand for roughly 1 hour.
2. In the meantime, brown the onion and the garlic in the oil over a very low flame, then add the tomatoes and let simmer for about ½ an hour, stirring frequently. When this is done, pass through a sieve and add a pinch of salt.
3. Cut the mozzarella into very thin slices and let them dry on a cloth. Chop the basil and mix it with the parmigiano.
4. Wash the salt off the eggplant and dry them. Coat with flour and fry in very hot oil, turning them to brown and when both side are done, lift them out and drain on a paper towel.

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Coat a deep baking dish with olive oil and put in a layer of eggplant. Sprinkle with parmigiano, pour on a layer of tomato sauce, and cover with slices of mozzarella. Repeat this layering until all the ingredients have been used, then cover with tomato sauce, sprinkle with more grated parmigiano and bake for about 30 minutes.

Tip: This dish is very good hot or at room temperature and makes a good antipasto. Also, if you don’t like vegetables you can use chicken fillets or schnitzels instead of the eggplant.

Fudgy Pecan Brownies

Perhaps like the ivy thanks to recipezzar

Ingredients

1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp

3/4 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped (about 2 1/2 tbsp)

1/4 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon egg whites, well beaten 2 1/4 teaspoons egg whites, well beaten 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 5 by 3″ loaf pan. Line the bottom of pan with a strip of tin foil to fit down the length & up the short sides with enough extra length to extend over the edges by 1 1/2″. Lightly grease foil and set pan aside.

Place butter & chocolate in a med. microwaveable bowl. Microwave on med. power until chocolate is soft & butter is melted, about 1 minute Stir until chocolate is smooth. Add sugar & whisk well. Then add egg white & vanilla. Whisk until blended. Add the flour and salt. Whisk well. Fold in pecans. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan.

Bake until toothpick inserted in centre comes out with moist crumbs, 28-30 min; the top will be dry and starting to shrink from edges of pan. Do not overcook.

Remove from oven & place on wire rack. Let brownie cool compleatly in the pan. Use edges of foil to lift the brownies out of the pan. Remove the foil and cut brownie into three servings.

Posted on January 21st, 2008 by Ruth
Filed under: Dairy, Nuts, Sweets, Vegetables, Vegetarian