Happy Birthday Uncle Eddie

This post is dedicated to Alana's Uncle Eddie, my brother-in-law!

Happy Birthday!  Love, Baby Doll

Eddie is married to my hubby's sister, Lynn, also Alana's Godmother.  He affectionately refers to my daughter as "baby doll".  She adores him.  I decided to dedicate this post to him and his favorite meal.

I asked him what is his favorite meal, he of course came back with something sarcastic, so I replied "stop it"!  I than asked again "what is your favorite meal"?  He replies, "why"?  I think to myself, dear lord up in heaven, all I want to do is give him a surprise birthday dedication and he won't give me a straight answer.  I than say, "just work with me here, I don't want to tell you yet".  He replies:  Veal Parmigiana!

Eddie and I have one great thing in common.....WINE!  As soon as I enter his home, he pulls out a bottle of nice red wine, removes the cork, and proceeds to pour me a glass.  I really like that about him!

Happiest of birthdays Eddie, hope it is great and I cannot wait to visit soon to toast to your day!

So excited he picked Veal Parmigiana, my hubby's favorite is Chicken Parmigiana.  You choose the meat, the rest remains the same.

Eddie's Birthday Dinner

Ingredients:

4 - Veal or Chicken Cutlet, Pounded Thin
2 Eggs
Milk
Seasoned Bread Crumbs
8 Slices Provolone Cheese
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Marinara Sauce (Recipe below)
Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 lb Pasta

Preheat oven to 300, proceed to make the sauce.

Marinara Sauce:

1 32 oz Can Whole Tomatoes, Mashed - preferably with basil
1 Small Can Tomato Sauce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive Oil
5 Cloves Garlic, minced

In a sauce pot heat the olive oil over medium high heat, then add the garlic, saute for one minute.

Add the whole tomatoes and sauce, salt and pepper to taste.  Allow to simmer for 20 minutes.

Put a large pot of water on for pasta, once boiling add salt.

Directions:

In a pie plate, or wide, deep dish add the milk and eggs, mix well and season with salt and pepper.

In another deep dish, add the bread crumbs.

Bread the cutlets, first in the egg mixture, than in the bread crumb, pressing well into the meat.  Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat.  Add the breaded meat, cook until golden brown then turn to brown other side.  Have a plate with paper towels by the stove.  When meat is finished, allow to drain on the paper towels, than transfer to a cookie sheet.

Place the meat in the oven to keep warm.

Add the pasta to the water.  Remove the cutlets from the oven and lay two pieces of provolone cheese on each piece of meat then top with mozzarella cheese and return to the oven.

When the pasta is finished, so is the meat, cheese should be melted and bubbly.  Drain the pasta, add to pasta bowl and toss with some of the sauce, reserving the rest for the sauce for the meat.

On warm plates, place the meat and ladle reserved sauce over it.

Serve with pasta, grated cheese and crusty bread!

Eddie and his lovely bride Lynn ~ Alana and I behind them
They just celebrated 30 years of marriage!
Love you guys!!

Delicious Eggplant Parmesan

Here is another delicious recipe for utilizing fresh veggies at the produce stand. The stands are loaded with eggplant right now, so it's the perfect time to make it.

This recipe is pretty basic but what makes a real difference is adding Provolone Cheese. For easier preparation, make the marinara sauce ahead of time.

Ingredients:

2 Medium Eggplant, peeled and sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1 Cup all-purpose Flour
4 Tablespoons Milk
Canola or vegetable oil for frying
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 eggs, beaten
2 Cups or more Italian Style Bread Crumbs
1 Lb Provolone Cheese, shredded
Marinara Sauce

Preheat oven to 350

Directions:

Sprinkle eggplant slices with salt and place in a colander for 1 hour to draw out excess water.

Pat the slices dry with a paper towel. Place in a ziplock bag with flour to coat. Beat eggs and milk with a fork in bowl and season with salt and pepper. In another bowl have the breadcrumbs. Remove the eggplant from flour shaking off excess flour and add to egg/milk mixture then dredge in bread crumbs, patting down bread crumbs. Transfer to a dish and repeat until all eggplant is breaded.

In a large skillet pour in oil to a depth of about 1 inch. Heat oil over medium high heat. When oil is ready the eggplant will sizzle when added to the oil. Fry eggplant slices until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side, then drain on apper towel. Repeat until all are fried.

Cover the bottom of 9 X 13 pyrex or oven safe plate with a thin layer of sauce. Place a layer of eggplant on top of the sauce and sprinkle with provolone cheese. Contine to layer eggplant and cheese, not the sauce until all the eggplant is used. Cover the top with a generous protion of sauce, top with remaining cheese and bake for 45 minutes to an hour. If cheese starts to brown too much, cover with foil. Remove from oven and allow to cook for 10 minutes. Cut and serve with favorite pasta.

Delectable Fried Soft Shell Crab

Soft-shell crabs are among the most delectable, and the most seasonal, of sea creatures. Maryland Blue crabs molt between mid-May and late September, and for two days the crab's brand-new shell is as tender as a fresh basil leaf. Beside being succulent, soft-shells are clean, they stop eating three days before molting, so their digestive systems are purified when the watermen retrieve them from the floats where they're kept. I do clean them of their gills and cut them in half to clean the centers. Once you take one bite you won't be able to stop. This is my favorite recipe, they are a little expensive but worth every cent. Try them and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

6 Jumbo Soft Shell Crabs, cleaned and cut in half
1 Cup Flour
2 Cups Corn Meal
1 Bag Good Season Italian Dressing, Dry packet
2 Large lightly beaten eggs
2 Cups of Milk or more
Vegetable or Peanut oil

Marinara Sauce for dipping, see recipe below:
1 32oz can San Marzano whole tomatoes in juice with basil, mashed
Mild and light olive oil
5 cloves garlic chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Clean each crab. Lift one pointed side of top shell and remove the gills by pulling them out. Put top shell back down and repeat on other side. On the bottom side remove tail flap by twisting and pulling off. Using a pair of scissors, remove the face by cutting behind the eyes. Rinse the crabs thoroughly with cold water. Dry on paper towels. In a large bowl add 1 1/2 cups of milk and add the crabs, allow to marinate in the milk at least 15 minutes while preparing ingredients. This will make them plump and juicy.

In a large bowl beat the eggs and add remaining milk, salt and pepper to taste. In another bowl add the flour, cornmeal and dressing packet, mix well. Dip the crabs first in the egg wash and then dredge them in the flour mixture. Place on a plate. Heat the peanut or vegetable oil over medium high heat in a large frying pan. Add enough oil to cover bottom of pan with at least 1/2 inch. Place the crabs in hot oil, one layer only. Cook for five to seven minutes on each side. The browner they are the crispier they will be, careful not to burn. Place on a paper towel covered dish and keep warm while frying remaining crabs.

When all the crabs are finished, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper to taste and serve immediately with marinara sauce for dipping. If you want a side dish, cook up some pasta and pour remaining sauce over. You will have plenty to do this.

Marinara Sauce:
If you happen to have some frozen or if you have red crab sauce frozen this will work great too. If not follow directions below.
In a medium size sauce pot sauté the garlic in heated oil. Sauté for one minute being careful not to burn as this will cause a bitter flavor to the sauce. Add the mashed tomatoes, salt and pepper, simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. If sauce does have a bitter flavor try this little secret, sprinkle a small amount of baking soda and the bitterness will go away.