Baked Zucchini Parmesan

If it’s called “baked *insert food here* parmesan…I’ll always eat it! My husband doesn’t care for eggplant, but loves zucchini. I figured this would be the next best thing to get my baked cheesy vegetable goodness feeling satiated.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Baked Zucchini Parmesan

2-4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1.5-2 zucchinis, ends trimmed, sliced into 1/2″ discs
• coarse salt and black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup tomato sauce (bought or homemade)
• small handful of basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan
• 1 container (8 ounces) of small fresh mozzarella balls (the bite sized ones)
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray an 8″x8″ baking dish with non-stick spray.

Sprinkle slices of zucchini with a small pinch of salt and black pepper on each side.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. In a small bowl, lightly dredge the zucchini slices in the flour and tap them on the side of the bowl to shake off excess flour. Add the zucchini slices in a single layer, turn the heat to medium-high and cook on each side or until dark golden brown, about one and a half minutes.

Transfer the zucchini to a paper towel lined plate and allow excess oil to drain.  Repeat in batches until all of your zucchini it is cooked, adding more oil if necessary.

In the prepared baking dish, arrange as many slices of zucchini as can fit snugly in a single layer. Top each slice with a small spoonful of tomato sauce, small pieces of basil, a dusting of grated parmesan, and a slice of mozzarella.

Finally sprinkle shredded parmesan over the whole dish.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cheese has melted and begun to turn a golden color. In the last 2-3 minutes, change oven to broil setting to brown the cheese.  Remove from oven, and garnish with additional basil.  Serve warm.

Enjoy!!

“The trouble is, you cannot grow just one zucchini. Minutes after you plant a single seed, hundreds of zucchini will barge out of the ground and sprawl around the garden, menacing the other vegetables. At night, you will be able to hear the ground quake as more and more zucchinis erupt.” – Dave Barry

Vegetable Tortellini Soup

SOUP! It’s finally getting cold enough in Texas to start making some comforting soups. We finally have a low of 42°F in October, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. This soup is really easy to make, delicious, full of veggies, and is super hearty. You can even make it vegetarian by picking out cheese tortellini instead of the meat filled ones.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Vegetable Tortellini Soup

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 medium white onion, chopped
• 1 small zucchini, diced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon Herbes de Provence (can substitute dried Italian seasoning)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup canned crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 package (9 ounces) fresh tortellini (can do only cheese filled to make this vegetarian, but I usually like to do ones with some meat in them – used Buitoni’s Sweet Italian Sausage Tortelloni)
• Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Directions:

Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, zucchini, and carrot pieces. Sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and translucent.

Next, add the broth, salt, Italian seasoning, bay leaf, tomatoes, salt, and pepper to the pot. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Allow the flavors to incorporate for about 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the pasta and bring the soup back to a low boil. Cook it for 2 minutes, then reduce the heat and let it simmer for 6 to 8 minutes longer.

Continue to  stir and taste test. Add more pepper if needed. Serve with crusty bread or cheesy garlic bread.

Enjoy!!

“A first-rate soup is more creative than a second-rate painting.” – Abraham Maslow

Egg Salad

Egg salad sandwiches…I love them and crave them from time to time. This is my go-to egg salad recipe. I usually have all the ingredients around since it doesn’t take that many. Hope you love it as much as I do.

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Egg Salad

4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 8 hard boiled eggs, peeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
• 4 tablespoons chopped green scallions or chives
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 8 pieces of bread, your choice

Directions:

Put the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan, covered by at least an inch of cold water. Add a tablespoon of vinegar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Bring the cold water mix and eggs to a boil over high heat. As soon as the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to low, and let simmer for one minute. After a minute, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let sit for 12 minutes.

Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon, run them under cold water, and allow to cool completely.

Separate the yolks from the egg whites and discard 2 of the yolks. Chop eggs and combine with mayo, yogurt, mustard, and scallions. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Make sandwiches and serve.

Enjoy!!

“Oh man, Friday, I really wanted an egg salad sandwich and I was just obsessing about it and I was like, ‘Man, I’m gonna make one of those.’ So Saturday, I went out and got, like, a dozen eggs and then I boiled them all and I just, I spent, I dunno, probably three hours, like three and a half hours making, you know, the mayonnaise, and the onions and paprika and, you know, the necessary accoutrement. And then, by the time I was done, I didn’t really feel like like eating it. ” – Andy Stitzer, The 40 Year Old Virgin

Five Cheese White Pizza

The elusive white pizza! This is one of my favorite pizzas. It’s so simple and garlic-y cheesy. This is perfect for an at home date-night with the husband or when friends come over just to catch up. I usually serve it with a salad and white wine. Mangia! (mangia = eat in Italian)

With LOVE from Texas,
The Pint-Sized Mayo

Five Cheese White Pizza

Yields 1 12-inch pizza

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped roughly
• 1 pizza crust
• 4 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced
• 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, shredded
• 2 ounces herbed goat cheese, crumbled
• 1/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup gruyère cheese, grated
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Heat the olive oil in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic, allow to brown and for the garlic to infuse. Be careful not to burn the garlic or it will taste bitter. Turn off heat, remove garlic, and set aside the oil.

Flatten the dough ball into a disk using the palms of your hands. Starting at the center of the disk and working outward, use your fingertips to press the dough until it is about ½-inch thick. Holding the center in place, stretch the dough outward. Rotate the dough and stretch again. Repeat until the dough reaches a diameter of 12 inches. Place the dough on the pizza pan and use your palm to press down and flatten the thick edge of the dough.

Lightly brush the garlic-infused olive oil on the pizza dough, leaving a ½-inch border uncovered.

Top with the mozzarella, Parmigiano Reggiano, goat cheese, ricotta, and gruyère cheeses. Place the baking sheet or pizza pan into the oven.

Bake until the crust edges brown and the cheese is golden brown, 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it cool for 5 minutes.

Drizzle the remaining garlic-infused olive oil on the pizza and top with fresh basil. Slice and serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

“Pizza is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. ” – Anonymous