As a lover of Italian food, from casseroles, pasta, fried food to gelato, I wanted to create an exceptionally familiar dish, but somewhat different.

Something that we could pick up and deplete a pizza… Well, almost like a pizza. It could be served over a plate of mixed greens, as I did or with pasta, meat, fish, and so on.

I am the biggest fan of eggplants and I have been my entire life. We all know that it doesn’t even remotely look like mushrooms. However, by one means or another when I saute eggplant with onions and top it with cream it tastes precisely like mushrooms to me.

Perhaps, my taste buds are long gone “cuckoo” (however you spell that… lol), but that’s what I taste. I taste mushrooms!

This recipe not only it’s easy but so good. Even my children loved it. My youngest one, who is by the way 9, truly despises eggplants.

Not that he tasted and they were terrible, but rather he just would not even attempt to try it. Since this looked very appetizing to him, he said: “oh, that looks so good, is it chicken?”

I was like, call it whatever you want buddy, as long as you eat it, and then he did. He was actually surprised to find out that it was eggplant. Win-win for me! Alright, people, let’s get down to business.

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Easy Eggplant Parmesan

Course Appetizer, Brunch, Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Keyword meatless, baking

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Servings 4

Author Sandra | Sandra’s Easy Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• 2 Large Eggs
• 1 1/2 cup Italian Breadcrumbs
• Oil/or butter to grease baking pan
• Marinara Sauce
• Parmesan Cheese
• Italian Blend Cheese or Mozzarella Shredded

Instructions

1. Peel eggplant and slice it into half inch thick slices.

2. Add a pinch of salt on each slice. After 5-10 minutes, place it on the paper towel and pat dry. This way you will take out any moisture left in the eggplant.

3. Preheat oven to 400F (200C)
4. Take two containers/mixing bowl. In one crack two eggs, add a pinch of salt and mix it really well. In the other add Italian breadcrumbs.
5. Dip each slice into an egg wash, then in the breadcrumbs. Try to coat eggplant on all sides. Place it in a greased baking pan. You can also use nonstick alum foil, parchment paper or baking mat so the greasing will not be necessary.

6. Bake for 30 minutes OR until the eggplant is golden brown, and when you pick the slice up it’s lighter.

7. Take it out of the oven, and add about a tablespoon or so of Marinara sauce on each slice, and sprinkle cheeses or use fresh cheese, such as mozzarella.

8. Place it back in the oven and bake until the cheese is completely melted about 5 minutes. Take it out of the oven and enjoy it!

Recipe Notes

If you are sensitive to gluten, please use gluten-free breadcrumbs. Use cheese what you like the most or have. The best one so far that I’ve tried it with is Italian Blend of cheeses (It has 5 different kinds of cheese), also Pizza cheese (blend of cheeses) or Mozzarella on its own is great with this recipe. If your cheese blend does not contain Parmesan, just add it together and sprinkle with mozzarella.

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I was craving scones badly over the weekend. My kids went out for an early morning walk with their dad, and I just had to kill those cravings.

In addition, when I started making them, I thought to make something different than usual scones, so I added buttermilk, instead of milk, and an egg, coconut oil, and had half of the bag of dried pomegranate.

If I had to compare it, it is kind of between rock cakes which is similar to scones, and actual scones. The difference is that rock cakes you spoon it on the baking sheet and scones you cut it like a donut. These are like mini soda bread, sweet biscuits and I was in love with them.

At first, when my gang came home, they looked it kind of “WTF?” and did not touch, which made me little disappointed, but a few hours later they were all eating more than one.

I can see why though?! These do not look that appealing, for instance, but I actually like homemade rustic looking things so it spoke my language in an instant. Furthermore, I would say they are so much better the next day… I had to hide one to munch with my morning coffee. 

Click here for delicious cranberry scones

They are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Not overly sweet and have that kick off the savory too. I think it is a great breakfast or a snack.

Also, you can also add nuts and have a little more crunch as well as nutrition. They are super easy, not too much fuss, they suppose to look rustic and homemade.

If you like sweeter, add more sugar or more eggs. I have not tried it yet with whole wheat flour or any other type of flour, and I am eager to try. Maybe I’ll experiment this upcoming week. 

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Pomegranate Biscuits

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword bread, baking, brunch,

Prep Time 10 minutes

Servings 12

Author Sandra | Sandra’s Easy Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 cup Dried Pomegranate
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 6 tbsp. Sugar + extra for sprinkling
• 1 tsp. Salt
• 1 tsp. Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. Baking soda Sodium bicarbonate
• 1 Egg lightly mixed
• 1 tbsp. Coconut Oil melted + for greasing
• 1 1/2 cups Cold Buttermilk

Instructions

1. Put your dried Pomegranate in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Let it steep for 10 to 15 minutes, and then strain the fruit and discard the water. The fruit will be plumper, juicier, and softer. To give your fruit some extra flavor, swap the water for fruit juice or liquor, like rum, bourbon, or brandy.

2. In a large bowl, add flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and soda, then mix. Drop in dried pomegranate and dust them with flour.

3. Make a well and add lightly mixed egg and melted (but not hot) coconut oil and pour cold buttermilk. You can use warm milk too.

4. With a wooden spoon, mix to combine, then flour work surface (board, countertop etc.) and place dough on top.
5. Knead for a minute or so and form a ball. Roll it out, it should be thicker and with a cookie cutter or even glass and press on the dough. Knead again, roll and cut into biscuits.
6. Preheat oven on 375F/190C, grease a baking sheet, sprinkle biscuits with extra sugar. Bake for 25 minutes or until they are golden.
7. When done, pulled them out of the oven and cover with clean cotton kitchen towel.

Recipe Notes

When I am making this type of biscuits usually I use warm milk and you can too if you do not have buttermilk.

Also, yogurt or sour cream can work really well just make sure to add enough liquid.

The dough still needs to be soft and bit sticky rather than hard. You can use any dry fruit on hand, or even mix them together.

You can use any dried fruit.

 

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One more recipe that I can say with the confidence I know how to make blindfolded. Stuffed peppers are one of those meals that it doesn’t take too much of your time, meaning once it’s done with prep, you just let it simmer. The incredible taste and comfort that you get out of this absolutely amazing. I was mentioning in this post, how many dishes from when the Ottoman Empire was ruling left its trace in the cuisine of Southeast Europe, and the Balkan Peninsula.

I am one of those people or you can call me a nerd, that look deep into the history of the recipes. Actually, I did grew up with these kinds of dishes, but when you start researching, connect dots, finding the root, it is just mind-blowing what you can find.

Some would refer stuffed peppers or any vegetable that is stuffed as a “dolma”, and I do call it that way too. Not only that I love stuffed peppers but also sarma (rolled stuffed cabbage leaves), yaprak (stuffed grape leaves /or Collard greens) etc.  

You can pretty much stuff them with ground lamb, pork, chicken and most common is with a beef and rice. Unique taste and aroma that particularly beef gives to me are simply irreplaceable, however, there are of course options like I said that you can change it and use any ground/minced protein that you and your family prefer.

I am a complete sucker for dishes that slow cook on a stove in the fall or winter time. It’s one of the things that I am actually looking forward to. You can hear boiling bubbles in the pot, aroma wrapping your whole house and you can’t wait to dig in and mop the floor of your plate with freshly baked bread. Dishes like that are making me happy, extremely happy and I hope it will do the same for you.

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Stuffed Peppers with Ground Beef and Rice

Course Main Course

Keyword beef, dinner, lunch, comfort food

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Author Sandra | Sandra's Easy Cooking

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp. Oil
• 5-6 Peppers Any on hand /read notes
• 1 lb Ground Beef
• 1/4 onion shredded
• 3 garlic cloves minced /or 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cup rice
• 1/3 tbsp. Ground black pepper
• Meat seasoning to taste or salt

Sauce/broth:

• 2 cups Beef Broth
• 2-3 cups water
• 8 fl oz tomato sauce
• 1  bouillon cube
• 1 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 dry bay Leaf
• Seasoning/or salt to taste

Other veggies:

• Potatoes  quartered
• Carrots sliced

THICKENER

• 1 tbsp. Flour/or cornstarch
• 2 tbsp. Tomato sauce
• splash of water

Instructions

1. Wash peppers and push the top of the peppers inside(pressure), then pull the core out and clean out leftover seeds. If you are using small sweet peppers, it's easier to just cut the top off. Set aside.
2. Mix meat mixture; add ground beef, onion, garlic, seasoning and mix to combine. Add rice and knead/mix again.
3. Prepare large pot. Stuff each pepper with the meat, if any leftover meat just makes small meatballs and fill the gaps in between, and lay each stuffed pepper in the large already greased pot.
4. Mix together beef broth, and water, then pour in the pot over the peppers. add bouillon cube, tomato sauce, and season to taste.
5. Add potatoes and carrots in between and on top. Place bay leaf and turn the heat on high until it boils. Once it boils turn the heat on simmer/low, cover with a fitted lid and let it simmer for at least 45 minutes, preferably 50. Check if you need to add more water because the liquid will reduce.
6. Once it's cooked, just mix quick roux-  flour, warm water, and tomato sauce. Mix until smooth. Then add smooth roux in the pot. Push down the peppers to slightly mix it, or you can shake the pot too to mix the roux with the sauce. It will become a thickener.

Recipe Notes

Bell peppers here are pretty huge, so I usually use 4-5 bell peppers and fill gaps with sweet (small) peppers. I actually like small ones because they are tender and cook faster, although you can use any color or size. If you find smaller bell peppers then use more peppers. Stuff peppers are very good the next day or the day after. I place them in the airtight container with fitted lid. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days, just reheat and heat.