Food/Recipes

(KDKA) This week, Rania Harris uses seasonal, fresh ingredients to make two tasty, green meals.

Eggplant, Tomato and Mushroom Tart

1 large eggplant, peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 shallots, finely chopped
½ pound mushrooms, sliced
1 red pepper, seeded and diced
2 garlic cloves – chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 slices bacon - cooked crisp and diced
3 eggs
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Pie shell: 1 pre-baked pastry shell (9 inch deep shell)

3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons grated Gruyere cheese

Garnish: red cherry tomato halves
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Place eggplant in colander and sprinkle with salt. Leave to drain for 15 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and sauté until soft and transparent. Add the eggplant, mushrooms, and red pepper and sauté until the eggplant is almost a puree and the mushrooms and pepper are soft, about 20 minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute. Add the bacon and season with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a small bowl beat the eggs lightly and then add the crushed tomatoes and herbs. Add the eggplant mixture, and Parmesan cheese. Using a pastry brush, paint the pre-baked pastry crust with Dijon mustard. Sprinkle with the Gruyere cheese. Add the eggplant mixture into the crust. Garnish with halved red cherry tomatoes, cut side up, and sprinkle on the additional 3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese. Make sure the center is well covered. Put in the upper third of the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the filling is set, for 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool before serving at room temperature.

Serves: 8



Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken with Pesto
(Served Over Baby Greens)

½ cup canola oil (or other neutral-flavored oil), plus extra for coating the chicken breasts
4 - 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
12 large fresh sage leaves
4 large slices prosciutto, not too thinly sliced (about 3 ounces)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 cups loosely packed mixed baby greens
Sea salt
1/3 cup Pesto (see recipe)
½ cup vegetable broth
Lemon-infused olive oil (or high-quality extra-virgin olive oil combined with a pinch of fresh grated lemon zest), for drizzling

Directions:
Rub canola oil on both sides of the chicken breasts and place each breast in a separate sandwich-size plastic bag. Use a mallet or heavy skillet to pound each chicken breast until it's about ½ inch thick and has roughly doubled in size.

Press 3 sage leaves onto the skinned (smooth) side of each chicken breast. Wrap one slice prosciutto around each chicken breast, leaving about 1-1/2 inches exposed on both ends of the breast. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides. Repeat with the remaining prosciutto and chicken.

Heat ¼ cup of the canola oil in a large skillet over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the oil's almost smoking (you will begin to smell the oil at that point). Place two of the chicken breasts in the skillet, sage side down, and sear them for 2 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for 2 minutes more. Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate, wipe out the pan and repeat, heating the remaining ¼ cup of canola oil and cooking the other two chicken breasts in the same way.

Heap the greens onto four plates, dividing them evenly, and sprinkle them with sea salt. Lay the chicken breasts first-cooked side up on top of the greens. Pour the juices from the plate the chicken was resting on into the pan. Add the pesto to the pan and warm it over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until it bubbles. Add the vegetable broth and cook until the sauce is reduced by a third and thickens slightly. Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts and drizzle with the lemon-infused olive oil.

Pesto

5 big handfuls basil leaves (about 2 hefty bunches)
½ cup toasted pine nuts
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
Juice of 1 small lemon
2 cloves garlic, peeled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

To make pesto:
Place all ingredients with ½ cup of the oil in a blender and blend.
Gradually drizzle in the remaining ¼ cup of oil until pesto is thick and smooth.

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