Rose Shaped Eggplant Parmigiana

Let's give a new shape to the traditional Italian eggplant Parmesan!

This rose shaped appetizer is made with thin slices of eggplant rolled in buttery pastry crust, 

filled with melted mozzarella cheese and garlicky tomato sauce,

a sprinkle of oregano flakes and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Finally, here it is! I know many of you have been waiting for this. A savory variation of my so-talked-about rose shaped apple dessert!!
After the rave reviews and the many requests, I finally came up with something deliciously savory, vegetarian and quite healthy. And (of course!) pretty and elegant, shaped like a rose. Something  you will want to try as soon as you see how easy it is to prepare. This is going to be a sure hit at your next party.
This recipe is just as easy as the apple roses', but made with scrumptiously savory Mediterranean ingredients. All you have to do is spread tomato sauce and shredded mozzarella cheese on strips of puff pastry. Place the eggplant slices on the strips, sprinkle with oregano flakes and garlic infused olive oil. Roll up the roses and bake. It's so much fun looking at these roses come alive right under your eyes!
When ready, you might thinks that these eggplant Parmesan roses are too pretty to be eaten. Well... think again! When the amazing aroma coming from your oven hits your nostrils, you will not be able to resist.
So, ready for this recipe?!? Hold on tight, and start taking notes so you can head right to the store and get what you need. My only suggestion: make sure you bake enough for everybody!

Buon appetito!

Ingredients to make 6 roses:                                 Printable Recipe

• 1 medium eggplant (about 12 oz, 340 gr)
• 1 frozen puff pastry sheet, thawed
• 1 cup of crushed tomatoes (I like San Marzano)
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• a couple of leaves of fresh basil
• 6 tablespoons of shredded mozzarella
• oregano flakes
• garlic infused olive oil (optional)
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top
• salt

Preparation time: 20 minutes to prepare, plus 45 minutes to bake
Directions:
1. Thaw the puff pastry if you haven't done so. It should be outside the freezer for 20-30 minutes.
Prepare the tomato sauce: in a small pan, saute' for one minute the crushed garlic clove with one tablespoon of olive oil. Add the crushed tomatoes and salt to taste. Let the sauce simmer for a few minutes. Add the basil leaves after about five minutes. Turn off the heat when ready.

2. Peel the eggplant and slice as this as you can. Cut the slices in half. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle with garlic infused olive oil, if you have it, or regular extra virgin olive oil.

3. Unwrap the puff pastry (9 in x 9 in) over a clean and lightly floured counter.  Using a rolling pin stretch the dough a little, in one direction, trying to keep it in a rectangular shape. Cut the dough in 6 strips, about 2 in x 9 in (5 cm x 22 cm).

4. Preheat the oven to 350° F (175° C). Spread about one tablespoon of tomato sauce on each strip.

5. Sprinkle each strip with about one tablespoon of shredded mozzarella .

6. Place the eggplant slices as shown in the picture.

7. Sprinkle with oregano.

8. Fold up the bottom of the dough.

9. Carefully roll, seal the edge and place in a silicone muffin cup. No greasing is needed for silicone muffin mold. Make sure to spray regular muffin tin.

10. Do the same steps for the other 5 strips. Bake for about 40-45 minutes,on the lower rack. Check after the first 30 minutes. If the top of the eggplant slices are starting to burn, cover with aluminum foil for the remaining of the time.

Note: Before removing from the oven, make sure the pastry is fully cooked on the inside.
11. Sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

Buon appetito!

Ham, Cheese and Mashed Potatoes Rolls

Indulge yourself with these savory, hearty, scrumptious rolls filled with ham, mashed potatoes and mozzarella cheese.

These rolls are simply exquisite! Great for a light family dinner served with a big green salad on the side. Or cut in slices, and they are a perfect pick-up food for your next party.
I first ate these a long time ago at my in-laws' house. That's where I first learned how to prepare this dish. But I never wrote down the recipe, made it many many times, and probably changed the recipe along the way. So this might not be how my mother-in-law makes it anymore, but today, and all for you, I finally measured and written down all the ingredients.
As you will see, this recipe is quite simple and quick. Cook and mash the potatoes, add the cheese, roll in ham, dip in batter and fry. I know ... I said  FRY. I, too, always try to avoid giving fried food to my family, but unfortunately there is no way around with this recipe. Believe me. I tried! I did try to bake these rolls and failed miserably. The problem is the batter. Unless it's cooked right away, it will droop down and off the rolls. And honestly, batter is really meant to be fried. That's when its flavor comes alive and brings the aroma of all the ingredients together. You can make the frying a little "healthier" though, by using fresh olive oil, and just enough to cover the bottom of the pan. And always make sure to remove as much  oil as you can from the rolls with a paper towel at the end.
Not so bad... actually, as I said already, simply exquisite! Enjoy!


Ingredients: to make 8 rolls                                  Printable Recipe

• 2 medium (around 14 oz, 450 gr) potatoes (I used russet) 
• 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley
• 4 oz (100 gr) of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8 slices (8 oz, 225 gr) of ham
• oil to fry (I used olive oil)
• salt

for the batter:

• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup (125 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 fl oz (120 ml) of milk

Preparation time: about 50 minutes
Directions:
1. Peel and wash the potatoes. Cut them in half and place them in a pot covered with cold salted water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for about 20-25 minutes until fully cooked. Test with fork for readiness.
2. While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the batter: in a bowl add the egg, flour, salt, olive oil and half of the milk. Whisk well together so that there are no lumps. Add the rest of the milk a little bit at a time, until smooth.

3. Press the potatoes through a ricer when still hot into a large bowl. Add the cheese and the parsley. Mix quickly with a spoon just to combine the ingredients. Make sure to keep the mashed potatoes soft.

4. On each slice of ham, place about 2 tablespoons of the potato and cheese mixture. Roll the ham as shown in my picture.

5. Heat the frying oil in a large skillet over medium-high flame. I used just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Carefully not to lose the filling, dip each roll in the batter, and place it right away in the pan. Fry all the rolls, turning them on each side. Remove most of the oil by placing the rolls on a plate lined with paper towel.

Serve hot! If you prepare the rolls ahead of time, warm them up in the oven until hot! Enjoy.

Vegetarian Eggplants Parmesan Rolls

Delicious grilled eggplant rolls filled with melted mozzarella cheese, 

served hot and bubbly with garlicky tomato sauce

Today I prepared another variation of the traditional Italian Melanzane alla Parmigiana. These eggplant Parmesan rolls are perfect for a special and inviting appetizer, or also for a light vegetarian dinner, maybe next to a few slices of toasted bread. The deliciously Mediterranean flavor of this dish is similar to the eggplant Parmesan, but the look is different. The eggplants are thinly sliced and grilled (not fried!), and rolled around lots of melted mozzarella cheese. The rolls are served hot and bubbly with a garlicky tomato sauce, and complemented with the bold aroma of the oregano. Here is the recipe!

Ingredients: to make about 15 rolls (based on the size of the eggplant) - appetizer for about 4 people

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
• 1.5 cups of crushed tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• some fresh basil leaves
• oregano
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt

Preparation time: 45 minutes

Directions:
Step 1: Cut the eggplant in thin slices lengthwise - to obtain the largest  possible slices. I got 15 slices. In one (or two to make it faster) large grilling pan, grill the eggplants over medium-high heat. I like to brush them with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.

Step 2: In a saucepan, saute' the crushed garlic cloves with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. Add the crushed tomatoes, salt to taste and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the basil in the last couple of minutes.

Step 3: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Over each eggplant slice place about 1 tablespoon of shredded mozzarella. Roll the slice and place in an oven pan, seam side down.

Step 4: Sprinkle with oregano, the Parmesan cheese and a little bit of olive oil. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes until the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese are melted and bubbly.

Serve warm with the tomato sauce. Buon Appetito!