Eggplant & Zucchini Parmesian

Last night I declared a “night off from everything” for me and Jonno.  That included any form of exercise, any kind of being responsible, and anything work-related.  I put the kaibosh on and we had to actually interact with each other, face to face.  Well, at least for a few minutes anyway.

What does one do with a whole evening in which to engage with their partner?? 

Our answer: eat dinner while watching a superhero movie and scoffing two bottles of tasty red wine.  

What?  We were thirsty!

A model of relationship communication and how to spend quality time together, we are. 

Geek girl tangent: Can I just say that Joss Whedon really should direct all the superhero movies from now on?  I mean, have you seen The Avengers?!  For shiz, it’s great for comic books nerds and newbies alike because JW really knows how to strike the balance between interesting plot lines and subplot, a little implied but not in-your-face romance, lots of humour, and relevant political issues.  I’ve even mended my feud with Scarlett Johansson because Joss managed to make her into an ass-kicking, wrong-righting, smart as hell but under the radar superhero.  In case you were wondering, ScarJo and I had a falling out after she divorced Ryan Reynolds.  Imagine what kind of superhero power couple they would have made if they stayed together – the Green Lantern and the Black Widow.  Rawr!! 

Back to veggies delicately resting under blankets of sauce and cheese and bread crumbs.  Jonno swears that it is the bread crumbs that really make this dish, and I can’t say he’s wrong. 

And who wouldn’t love to sleep under a blanket made out of cheese? 

On second thought, that sounds stinky, maybe not.

Apologies for the lack of photos, but just imagine roasted eggplant and zucchini covered in rich red sauce and lovingly dusted with melted cheese.  Nom.

Eggplant & Zucchini Parmesian

Makes enough for 4 dinners

Ingredients:

• Vegetable or olive oil
• One medium-large eggplant
• One medium-large zucchini, or two small zucchini
• Flour
• 1 c. breadcrumbs
• 1 c. grated Parmesian cheese
• 1 jar prepared tomato-based pasta sauce
• 1 c. mozzarella or tasty cheese, shredded

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C/350 F.
2. In a decent-sized skillet or fry pan, pour enough oil to cover the bottom and turn on medium heat.
3. Slice eggplant and zucchini into 1cm rounds.  Dredge the veggies by coating in flour on all sides.
4. Once the oil is hot (fling a drop of water into it and it should sizzle), fry veg slices in batches til golden on each side.
5. Shake excess oil off and remove to a 9x9” baking dish, arranging eggplant on the bottom layer and zucchini on top.
6. Sprinkle half the breadcrumbs over the veggies. 
7. Pour contents of tomato pasta sauce over the top.
8. Top with remaining breadcrumbs and allthecheese. 
9. Bake for 20 minutes, or until you think the top is sufficiently golden and bubbly. 
10. Boil up a packet of fettucine pasta and serve alongside the E&P Parm and some garlic bread.  And a nice red wine.

Proceed to GO and collect $200.  I wish. 

Zucchini Bread - Yes, Veggies in Baking!

There is something about being forced to sit in front of a computer for eight hours a day that gets my creative juices flowing.  Please note however, that I do compose these posts on my own time, not on company time – I just tend to come up with the ideas while staring at something completely unrelated.


So yes, after three months of unemployment/couch occupation, I have a job!  Which is slightly diabolical for a food blogger, because while I didn’t have a job, I had heaps of time in which I could have done a lot of blogging…if I had had the money, creativity and motivation to do so.  But there was something about having alllll that free time – it just got sucked up by more important everyday life things, like watching Dance Academy and Ellen.  


Also, Motivation and I are not really friends, not when there’s heaps of time to get something done.  It’s Motivation’s evil twin Procrastination that is my BFF when I have plenty of time to get shit done.  I’m sure most people are like that, it’s nothing new.  But it’s funny what I would call a “good reason” for not doing something. Here are some popular excuses: 


-I can’t get out of bed yet, I have to read all the Internets before I can start my day properly!
-I can’t do the dishes right now, a cat has just taken possession of my lap and desperately needs my love and affection.  For the next two hours.
-I can’t possibly do laundry right now, there’s a could in the sky that could potentially produce rain that would get any washing I hang out wet.
-I can’t go for a swim right now, I’ve just eaten lunch!


But here’s something you can’t procrastinate on: baking with in-season veggies.  


What what?!  Baking something sweet with veggies?!  Cue Jonno’s horror-stricken face; he has declared that it is an abomination to have vegetables in a cake.


Back when we were working together and someone would bring in carrot cake for afternoon tea, we used to tell him is was a “spice cake” so that he would eat it.  Then later we would enjoy telling him he had indeed just eaten a CARROT CAKE.  Gah!


Anyway, this zucchini bread/loaf/cake is great if you include both raisins and some kind of nuts, because it adds great texture and crunch to an already great dish.  Make it now while the zucchinis are big and glorious!!

Zucchini Bread

Adapted from Love & Confections

Makes 2 loaf pans

Ingredients:

·         2 cups Zucchini, grated & drained - about 3 medium zucchinis

·         4 Eggs

·         1 cup Vegetable Oil

·         2 cups Sugar

·         3 cups All-Purpose Flour

·         1 tsp salt

·         1 tsp Baking Soda

·         1 tbsp Cinnamon

·         1 tsp Vanilla Extract

·         1 tbsp Baking Powder

·         1 cup Nuts - walnuts are good

·         1 cup Raisins

Directions:

1.      Preheat oven to 325°F/160°C.

2.      Grease and flour loaf pans

3.      Beat Eggs well

4.      Add Oil and Sugar to Eggs and beat well

5.      Add Flour, Salt, Baking Soda, Cinnamon, Vanilla Extract, and Baking Powder.

6.      Mix to combine.

7.      Add Zucchini, Nuts (optional) and Raisins (optional). Mix to combine.

8.      Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when testing.