eggplant

Chicken with Eggplant and Basil

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chicken_with_eggplant_basil
Chicken is one of the most versatile meats you can buy. It goes with just about everything and most dishes are so simple and easy to prepare. The Chicken with Eggplant and Basil is one such dish.

This dish requires 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1 baby eggplant cut in half, salt, 1 tablespoon pine nuts, 4 thin chicken cutlets, Freshly ground pepper, All-purpose flour, cloves garlic, chopped, 1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained, rinsed and chopped, 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1/4 cup ricotta cheese, and bread.

To prepare, first season the chicken with salt and pepper and roll in the flour. After shaking off the excess put aside. Next drizzle a little olive oil over the eggplants and add salt; place in an oven and cook for a few minutes. Toast the pine nuts over a saucepan over a high flame and then place in a bowl and drizzle the remaining olive oil.

Place the chicken in a saucepan and brown for a few minutes add the garlic and cook a few more minutes. Slice the eggplant into chunks and add tomatoes, eggplant, basil, nuts, and broth to cooking chicken. Simmer. Allow to cook and top with ricotta cheese and eggplant. Serve with bread.

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Arancini, meaty rice balls

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arancini

Arancini is an Italian dish said to have originated in Sicily and is typically served in the Sicilian port city of Messina.

The meal is fried, stuffed, rice balls which are coated with breadcrumbs and filled with meat sauce, tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and peas. Some other variations also include mushrooms, pistachios or eggplant.

The ingredients include vegetable oil, 2 large eggs, beaten, 2 cups Risotto with mushroom and peas, ½ cup parmesan, grated, 1 ½ cups bread crumbs, salt, and 2 ounces mozzarella, cubed.

For the rice mixture all that is needed is 500g of risotto, chicken or beef stock, 1 tablespoon of butter, 1 medium egg and ¾ cup Parmesan.

To make the risotto melt butter in a large pan add rice and fry for a few minutes. Add stock and stir into the rice until cooked. Leave to cool at room temperature.

Then combine eggs, risotto, parmesan, and bread crumbs. Fold mixture into balls and coat with remaining bread crumbs. Place one mozzarella cube in the centre of each ball.

Add oil to a large saucepan and heat over medium flame, add balls and fry until golden brown. Add salt to taste.

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Tiella, Italian pie

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tiella
Italian cuisine is more than just pasta and pizza. There are many recipes you can try. Tiella is a layered vegetable dish which often contains tomatoes, potatoes, and zucchini, baked in an earthenware dish. It is most popular in the Italian south.

Eggplant, onions, red peppers, mushroom slices, sauteed greens, and sliced winter squash can be added. For the dough use 2 teaspoons dry yeast, ¼ cup warm water, 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 1½ cups semolina flour, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ cup cool water, and 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil.

For the filling use 2 pounds escarole, 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 1½ tablespoons chopped garlic, ⅓ cup capers, drained, ⅓ cup Gaeta olives, pitted, ½ teaspoon peperoncino flakes, and salt. To prepare trim the base of the escarole rinse, drain the leaves and chop into shreds.

Pour ¼ cup of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add garlic. Cook for a minute then add the escarole, capers and olives, add salt and peperoncino. Steam for 5 minutes.

To make the dough, dissolve yeast in ¼ cup warm water and leave for several minutes to and start to bubble. Put flour, salt, and sugar in a food processor and run for a few seconds to blend the dry ingredients. Stir the yeast with the cool water and 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Pour the liquid into the flour and continue processing for 30 seconds.

Turn out the dough onto a floured surface and knead to form a smooth round. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until doubled. When filling is prepared, heat the oven to 375°. Place a rack in the centre of the oven. Brush the bottom of the baking pan with olive oil.

Knead the dough to form a round and cut off 1/3 for the top crust of the tiella. The larger piece from the bottom. Put the round in the baking pan then scrape add escarole filling in the bottom crust and spread evenly. Fold the rest of the dough over the crust making indentations with the fingertips to seal. With a knife, pierce the top crust all over, brush extra-virgin olive oil and bake for about 45 minutes. 

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