Baked Orzo with Eggplant and Mozzarella

Can you believe it's almost December? I definitely can't. I feel like I just got back from China last month, and that school just started. Nevertheless, I will gladly welcome December, as that means more time for cooking and baking, blogging, and eating!

Anyhoo, I made this baked orzo weeks ago, and it was stellar. It also reheated beautifully. I have never really had great success with eggplant in my cooking, so I was incredibly pleased that it turned out this time. Loaded with veggies, this pasta is flavorful, filling, and satisfying.

Ingredients

1 large (1-1 1/4 lbs) eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch dice

Salt and black pepper

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice

1 celery stalk, in a 1/4-inch dice

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

8 ounces orzo, a rice-shaped pasta, rinsed

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 to 3 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped. If using dried oregano, use half as much.

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest or more to taste, up to the zest of a whole lemon, or you can use 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 ounces mozzarella, firmer is better here, cut into 1/3-inch dice.*

1 1/2 ounces (a generous 1/2 cup) Parmesan, grated

3 medium tomatoes, diced

Directions

Sprinkle your eggplant generously with salt and let it drain in a colander for 30 minutes. During this time, prep the remaining ingredients. After 30 minutes, rinse it well and pat it dry with paper towels.

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Heat a large frying pan or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the oil and once the oil is shimmering, add the eggplant. Fry for 8 minutes, stirring pieces occasionally. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, transfer them to paper towels to drain. Add celery and carrots to remaining oil and cook for 3 minutes before adding onion and garlic. Cook together for 5 more minutes on medium heat. Stir in the orzo and tomato paste and cook for two minutes more. Remove from heat. Add the oregano, mozzarella, parmesan, tomatoes, fried eggplant, lemon zest, 1 teaspoon table salt, many grinds of black pepper and the stock and mix well.

Transfer mixture to an 8×11-inch (about 2 quarts) ovenproof baking dish. Cover with foil and bake 20 minutes, then bake 20 minutes without the foil. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

*I used grated mozzarella, without any problems.

Recipe Source: adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Cranberry Orange Pumpkin Muffins

I just got home after what was a loooong day of driving. Did anyone else deal with major traffic in the middle of nowhere? I sure did, and am so glad I'm finally out of the car. Travel aside, I thoroughly enjoyed my trip  home. There was lots of delicious eats, game playing, and down time. I can't wait for Christmas! According to my mom, I apparently didn't cook or bake as much as expected, but I finally got the itch yesterday, and baked these incredible muffins. 

These muffins truly epitomize holiday baking, and are probably one of the best I've ever made. They were ultra moist and full of flavor. I especially loved the bursts of fresh cranberries. I was supposed to bring them back to Cinci with me for the drive and for the school week, but I was a dummy and left them at home. At least I now have an excuse to make them again right away!

I'm also submitting this to Bake Your Own Bread. It's been a while, so I'm happy to contribute this month! :)

Cranberry Orange Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (ohhh yeah)

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*

1/4 teaspoon ginger 

1/2 can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar**

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Zest of half an orange

6 ounces (half a bag) fresh cranberries, rinsed and patted dry

1 tablespoon flour

1/4 cup pecans, chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line or lightly grease muffin tins.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl. In a larger bowl, add pumpkin, sugars, oil, eggs,vanilla, and orange zest; stir until well combined. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture, and stir until just combined. Do not over mix. 

In a small bowl, toss the tablespoon of flour with the cranberries. Gently fold cranberries and pecans into the batter. 

Fill muffin cups 2/3 of the way full and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.

*My mom didn't have all of the spices, so I improvised with a little pumpkin pie spice. Feel free to check out the original recipe if you want to see other options!

**I also sprinkled a little on top for extra crunch. Loved it! :)

Recipe source: adapted from Crepes of Wrath

Happy Thanksgiving!

I don't know about you all, but I am still recovering from all the food I inhaled this afternoon! I am thankful for countless things, but I'm especially thankful for all the wonderful people in my life. I hope you all had a glorious Thanksgiving with lots of laughter, love, and of course delicious food. Happy Turkey Day! Gobble Gobble :)

Ginger Molasses Pumpkin Bread

As promised, here comes the pumpkin! This loaf is perfect for breakfast, and in my humble opinion, best served with a piping hot cup of tea. It's not at all too sweet, which I like, and when you get a bite with the fresh ginger, it's a welcome surprise. I think it tastes even better the next day! Stay warm, and enjoy! 

Ginger Molasses Pumpkin Bread 

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

A pinch of ground nutmeg

1 egg

1 cup canned pumpkin

1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup buttermilk

1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter and flour a 9" x 5" loaf pan.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ground ginger and nutmeg.

In another bowl, blend the egg, pumpkin, sugar, butter, oil, molasses, and buttermilk. Stir until well blended, then add the ginger and vanilla extract.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just mixed. Do not over mix. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. 

Bake until a toothpick comes out clean (about 45 minutes). Let the pumpkin bread cool in the pan for about ten minutes, then remove to cool completely on a wire rack.  

Recipe Source: adapted from Omnivorous 

Baked Rigatoni with Chicken Sausage

Um...so what happened to October? Is my favorite month of the year nearly over?? NOOOO. I'm pretty sure I just made pumpkin pancakes last week, not two and a half weeks ago, and why have I not been consuming all things pumpkin every day since? I'll have to get on that.

Though I am a sucker for soups and stews when it cools down outside, I gotta say, I love baked pasta. I especially love this baked pasta. I first had this dish when I visited home last year during the Chinese new year, and have been aching to make it ever since. I bought gorgeous pesto chicken sausage from Findlay Market specifically for occasion. It did not disappoint. 

An added bonus about this recipe is that it yields two separate casseroles, and one can be put in the freezer to bake later on...MAJOR perk for a doctoral student. The dish in the photos are of the second batch that was frozen. I didn't read the directions very well and went ahead and baked it, then froze it, which you're not supposed to do. It was just a little more crunchy on top, so if you make this, it'll look a little different. It was of course still delicious. 

Ugh, this is putting my current dinner to shame. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium red onion

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup vodka (optional)

1 28-ounce can crushed or diced tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half

1 pound rigatoni

10 ounces frozen spinach (excess liquid removed)

12 ounces smoked chicken sausage, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick

6 ounces mozzarella cheese, 4 ounces cut into 1/2 inch cubes and 2 ounces coarsely grated

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic. Remove from heat; add vodka, if desired, and return to heat cooking until almost evaporated, about 1 minutes

Stir in tomatoes and oregano, and cook until tomatoes are falling apart, about 10 minutes. While that's simmering away, squeeze excess liquid from spinach and add to the pot. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add cream, and cook until warmed through, about 5 minutes. Season sauce with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400F. Cook pasta in the boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, and return contents to pot.

Add tomato sauce, sausage, and cubed mozzarella to the pot, tossing to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Divide evenly between two shallow 1 1/2 quart baking dishes. 

Top with grated mozzarella and Parmesan. Bake until browned and edges are crisp, 20-30 minutes. 

Freezer friendly: like I said above, one of the dishes can be frozen for up to 3 months! If you plan on freezing, stop once you put the pasta/tomato mixture in the baking dish. This means do not add the grated cheese yet. Allow the dish to cool, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer. Once ready to eat, remove from the freezer, add the grated cheese, cover with aluminum foil, and bake at 400F for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours. Remove foil, and bake for an additional 20-30 minutes, or until browned. Do not thaw before baking. 

Recipe Source: adapted from Martha Stewart