Eggplant and peppers

I have had several requests for using eggplant and peppers…so here they are again…from some old notes. Take care and I’ll be seeing you around…Agnes

Eggplant Casserole:

1 large eggplant peeled and cubed. Cook eggplant and 1 small chopped onion in a small amount of water until soft. Drain reserving liquid. Crumble 8 saltine crackers and pour the cooking liquid over. Beat 2 eggs and 1 can of condensed mushroom soup, stir in the cracker mixture and eggplant/onion. Season with salt and pepper. Grate 1 ½ cups of cheddar cheese. Using a buttered casserole, layer ½ the eggplant mixture and ½ of the cheese. Repeat. Bake at 350 degrees until done.

Fried Eggplant:

1 medium eggplant peeled and sliced in ¼ inch slices crosswise. Sprinkle with a little salt and let sit for about 15 minutes to draw out some of the water. Mix 1 cup fine ground corn meal with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Heat shortening. Roll eggplant slices in the meal mixture and drop in the hot shortening. Let brown and turn. When the eggplant is brown immediately remove from the hot shortening and drain. (Eggplant can also be cut in strips like French fries.)

Mock Oyster Stew:

Melt 2 tablespoons butter and add 1 tablespoon minced onion, 1 tablespoon minced celery and 1 eggplant, peeled and cubed. Cook until vegetables are almost done. Add 2 cups half and half and 2 cups milk. Heat to very hot, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot in a bowl with crackers and a little red pepper.

Italian Eggplant:

1 cup olive oil

1 large eggplant or 2 small, peeled and cut in ½ inch slices

1 ¼ cups spaghetti sauce

6 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

½ pound mozzarella cheese, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large, heavy skillet, heat oil and fry eggplant until lightly browned. Drain. In a flat casserole, arrange 1 layer of the fried eggplant. Cover with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and top with a layer of mozzarella. Repeat procedure until all the eggplant is used, ending with a layer of mozzarella. Bake for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Eggplant Sandwich:

Peel and slice one eggplant. Sprinkle with salt and let it set in a colander for 30 minutes to drain. Coat in a little seasoned flour. Dip in a mixture of 1 egg beaten with ½ cup of milk. Remove and coat in the seasoned flour or some seasoned bread crumbs. Fry in about ½ inch of hot oil in a heavy skillet. Turn once. Set aside to drain. To assemble the sandwich: Spread bread with a mixture of ½ cup real mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon catsup and 1 tablespoon mustard. Layer eggplant slices on one slice of bread. Top with a very thin slice of sweet onion, thin slices of ripe tomato and lettuce. Top with another slice of bread. If you like bacon and/or cheese, this can be added to sandwich. Cut in half and serve.

Table Ready Pepper Sauce for Vegetables:

8 quarts hot peppers, washed (if leaving whole, cut 2 small slits in the sides or pepper; you can cut down on the heat by substituting some sweet pepper for some of the hot or by de-seeding the peppers.) Put the following in a stainless steel pot and bring to a boil.

3 quarts of vinegar

2 quarts water

½ cup sugar

1 cup canning (non-ionized) salt

Reduce heat and cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add peppers, cover, turn off heat and let stand for 30 to 60 minutes. Put peppers in hot sterile jars, bring liquid to a boil, pour over peppers and remove air bubbles, seal and process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes for pints and 10 minutes for quarts.

Pepper Poppers:

De-seed large hot peppers. Pour boiling water over and let set for 5 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Stuff with a mixture of 8 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup sharp cheddar, a pinch of garlic salt and ½ teaspoon dry parsley. Dip in a thin pancake type batter and fry in one inch of hot oil. Drain and serve.

Apple/Pineapple Casserole:

Butter a medium size casserole. Mix 1 large size can have crushed pineapple, un-drained, 5 to 6 Granny Smith apples that have been coarsely grated and 1-tablespoon or more of sweetener. Mix and pour in casserole dish. Microwave on high for 5 minutes. Stir and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Repeat until apples are translucent. Serve as a side dish with pork.

Stewed Apples:

Peel, core and quarter 6 apples. Place in a sauce pan and add 1 cup water, ½ to 1 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally until apples are tender and breaking apart. Serve warm.

Recipe for laughter:

Thanks Pete at Bonaire

1. My goal for 2016 was to lose just 10 pounds. Only 15 to go.

2. I ate salad for dinner. Mostly croutons & tomatoes. Really just one big round crouton covered with tomato sauce. And cheese. FINE, it was a pizza. I ate a pizza for dinner.

3. How to prepare Tofu: Throw it in the trash and grill some meat

4. I just did a week’s worth of cardio after walking into a spider web.

5. I don’t mean to brag, but I finished my 14-day diet food in 3 hours and 20 minutes.

6. A recent study has found women who carry a little extra weight live longer than men who mention it.

7. Senility has been a smooth transition for me.

8. I love being over 60. I learn something new every day and forget 5 others.

9. I think I’ll just put an “out of order” sticker on my forehead and call it a day.

10. Nov. 6, 2016, will be the end of Daylight Savings Time. Hope you don’t forget to set your bathroom scale back 10 pounds on Saturday night.

11. Just remember, once you’re over the hill you begin to pick up speed.

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