Baked Eggplant with Mushroom-and-Tomato Sauce
Yields 4 servings
Wine Pairing:
San Giuseppe Merlot (Red Wine)
Ingredients:
- 1 peeled eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1 1/4 pounds)
- Cooking spray
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- (8-ounce) package pre-sliced mushrooms
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
- (8-ounce) can no-salt-added tomato sauce, divided
- 2/3 cup (about 3 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
- 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Preheat broiler.
Arrange the eggplant slices on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray; broil 3 minutes on each side or until lightly browned.
Preheat oven to 375°.
Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat; add onion and next 4 ingredients (onion through mushrooms). Cover and cook 7 minutes or until tender, stirring mixture occasionally. Increase heat to medium-high; uncover and cook for 2 minutes or until liquid evaporates.
Spread half of mushroom mixture in bottom of a 1 1/2-quart round baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange half of eggplant slices over mushroom mixture; sprinkle with 1/8-teaspoon pepper. Top with 1/2-cup tomato sauce and 1/3-cup mozzarella. Spread remaining mushroom mixture over mozzarella; top with remaining eggplant slices. Sprinkle with 1/8-teaspoon pepper; top with remaining tomato sauce. Cover and bake at 375° for 1 hour. Sprinkle with 1/3-cup mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake, uncovered, 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Let stand 10 minutes.
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Struffoli
Yields 4 servings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 1 cup honey
- Multicolored candy sprinkles
Preparation:
In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt.
Add the eggs and zest. Stir until well blended.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead for 1-2 minutes.
Add a little more flour if dough seems sticky.
Shape the dough into a ball, cover with an overturned bowl.
Let rest for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough into 1/2-inch thick ropes then cut into 1/2-inch nuggets.
Heat about 2 inches of oil to 370 degrees F. in a wide saucepan or deep fryer.
Begin adding struffoli in batches into the oil to fit without crowding.
Cook, stirring occasionally with a slotted spoon, until crisp and brown,
about 1 minute.
Remove the struffoli with the slotted spoon and transfer to paper towels to drain.
When all the struffoli are fried, gently heat the honey just to a simmer in a
wide saucepan.
Remove the honey from the heat, add the struffoli and coat well.
Pile the struffoli into a mound on a large platter. Dust with the multicolored sprinkles. |
Glazed turkey with a plum or red currant jelly glaze
Wine Pairing:
San Giuseppe Pinot Noir (Red Wine)
San Giuseppe Pinot Grigio (White Wine)
Ingredients:
- 1 turkey, 10 to 14 pounds
- Salt and pepper
- Butter
- Chunks of carrots and celery, to make rack
- Plum Glaze, optional, recipe below
- Giblet Gravy
- Turkey giblets
- 2 to 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 to 3 cups water and chicken broth
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Preparation:
Wash turkey inside and out; remove giblets and set aside. Lightly salt and pepper all over and inside. If desired, cut a tablespoon or two of cold butter into small pieces and slide under the skin, using your finger or a wooden spoon handle to gently loosen skin at the same time. Rub a little oil on the skin. Cut a few carrots and celery sticks into large chunks and place in a roasting pan to form a rack, or use a lightly oiled roasting rack. Place turkey on the vegetable chunks or rack. Fold wings under the turkey; tie drumsticks together with twine if not already secured.
Place a buttered piece of foil, buttered-side down, over breast of the turkey. Place in a 325° oven and roast for 1 hour. Remove foil. Roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted deep in thigh registers 180°, brushing occasionally with the plum glaze during the last 20 minutes, if desired. (Recipe Below) If turkey is getting too brown, tent again with a little foil. Total time will be about 3 to 3 1/2 hours. Add about 45 minutes to 1 hour for a stuffed turkey. When turkey is done, turn off oven, cover with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes longer, then carve and serve.
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While turkey is roasting, place giblets in a saucepan. Cover with broth or water, or a combination, and bring to a boil; skim. Turn heat down to low, cover, and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.
To make gravy:
Take the neck, heart, and liver out of the water and broth combination. Strain and add more chicken broth to make 2 to 3 cups. Remove meat from neck and chop along with the liver and heart (cut away any tough gristle parts). Place roasting pan with the roasting juices over medium heat. Stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons flour (1 tablespoon for each cup of broth). Heat, stirring, until flour is dissolved in the turkey juices. Gradually add the chicken broth, stirring and cooking until thickened.
Plum Glaze (optional)
- 1/2 cup red plum jam or red currant jelly
- 2 tablespoons dry red wine or water
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
Combine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Use to brush on turkey about 20 minutes before done. If turkey glaze begins to brown too much, cover with a lightly buttered piece of foil. |
