Eggplant Pesto Involtini

 

Eggplant Pesto Involtini

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant (sliced lengthwise 1/3 inch)

2 medium balls of fresh mozzarella cheese – sliced thin

1/3 cup pesto

2 ½ cups marinara sauce

1 tablespoon dried basil

1 tablespoon dried oregano

salt and pepper

Fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese to top

Cooking spray

Directions:

Pre-Heat oven to 350.

Mix eggplant with a small amount of salt and let sit in a colander for 20 minutes.

Spray a baking dish with cooking spray. Lay eggplant out in rows. Spray a light coating of cooking spray on top of the eggplant. Bake the eggplant for 22 minutes. 

Spoon the marinara sauce in a large baking dish.

 

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Remove from oven and place on a cutting board. Spread ½ tablespoon of pesto on each eggplant. Place 2 slices of mozzarella cheese in the middle of each eggplant and roll tightly.  Place eggplant rolls on top of marinara. Sprinkle with dried basil and oregano.

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Bake on 350 for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and serve. Top with fresh basil and parmesan cheese.  

Fresh Tomato Sauce

This is a great sauce to eat with any prepared Italian dish. Or I just ate the leftovers by spoonful it was so good! The picture for this sauce is with the Eggplant Parmesan. It is not too hard to make, just make sure you give yourself time to let it simmer for about 40 minutes. I actually liked it better the next day once all the seasonings settled.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

¼ cup olive oil

6-7 ripe tomatoes

¾ cup dicedcarrots

1 cup dicedcelery

2 clovesgarlic – minced

¼ sweet onion –chopped

2 bay leafs

½ to ¾ cup water

Dried oreganoand basil – about 1 tablespoon each

1-teaspoonsugar

3 dashes salt

2 dashespepper

Directions:

Heat olive oil in a Dutchoven or big pan. Add celery, onion and carrots. Let cook on medium low and stirfor 4-6 minutes. Add garlic and cook on low for 2 more minutes.

Cut shallow x’s at thebottom of each tomato to make the peeling process easier. Boil water in amedium saucepan. Once the water is boiling, add the tomatoes for 2 minutes.

Put ice and water in alarge bowl, add the tomatoes. Carefully peel the tomatoes and place in a foodprocessor. Pulse until a smooth/chucky consistency. Set tomatoes aside.

Put the celery/ carrot/onion mixture into food processor for 30 seconds and then put back into Dutchoven. Add tomatoes, water, bay leafs, oregano, basil, and sugar to the mixture.Simmer low for 35-45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Italian Chicken

This is a really easy weeknight chicken and can be served with any veggies/ pasta combination. I buy the frozen chicken strips from HEB and defrost them in room temperature water for about 8 minutes. So simple! Marinate the chicken in the fridge for at least 20 minutes before cooking and you will get a great flavor! This is what I served with the Creamy Kale Pesto Barley Salad with Roasted Tomatoes.

Italian Chicken

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast or 2 chicken tenders

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon onion powder

½ tablespoon dried or fresh oregano

½ tablspoon dried or fresh basil

Marinate chicken with all the ingredients.

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium heat. Put chicken in skillet. Flip every 4 minutes. Cook for about 12 minutes. Cut in the middle to make sure the chicken is not pink. If it is cook for about 1 more minute.