Chicken, Pasta and Eggplant

My wife made a nice dinner the other night. She got the recipes from Cuisine magazine and from a new Indian cookbook I found. All was tasty!

From the October, 2007 issue of Cuisine at Home magazine

Chicken Saltimboca

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2T olive oil

8 oz. package button mushrooms, halved

½ c sweet marsala wine (or substitute dry marsala)

½ c beef broth

2 oz. prosciutto, chopped

2 T fresh sage, chopped

2 T unsalted butter

Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Place, one at a time, in a ziplock bag and pound to ¼ inch thickness with a meat mallet. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil over medium high heat and sauté chicken until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Sauté mushrooms over high heat, adding oil as necessary, until browned. Deglaze pan with marsala wine and scrape bottom of pan. Add beef broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Off heat stir in prosciutto, sage and butter. Return chicken to pan and serve. Season with salt and pepper.

Tomato Gorgonzola Sauce with pasta shells

¾ lb dry, medium sized pasta shells

1 T olive oil

½ c onion, diced

¼ tsp. red pepper flakes

¼ tsp. ground black pepper

1 T tomato paste

1 tsp. garlic, minced

2 (14 oz.)cans diced tomatoes in juice

2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

½ c heavy cream

1/3 c crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

1/3 c chopped fresh basil

Salt to taste

Boil the shells according to the directions on the package in salted water. Heat oil over medium heat and add onion, pepper flakes and black pepper. Sauté until onion is translucent – about 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and garlic and sauté a minute more. Stir in tomatoes and vinegar. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes, or until thickened. Add cream and simmer for a minute. Stir in cheese, basil, cooked shells and salt. Serve immediately.

From Indian Home Cooking by Suvir Saran and Stephanie Lyness

Smoked Spiced Eggplant

1 large eggplant

3 T canola oil

A 1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped

A large, red onion, finely chopped

1 tsp. salt

2 cloves garlic, ground to a paste with a mortar and pestle

1 T unsweetened, shredded coconut (optional)

1 T ground coriander

½ tsp. ground cumin

½ tsp. garam masala

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

2 ripe, medium tomatoes, chopped

½ of a fresh, green chile, chopped

2 T chopped fresh cilantro

Juice of ½ a lemon

Roast the eggplant directly on the burner of a gas stove over medium heat, turning often, until the skin is completely blackened and the flesh is soft (about 10 minutes.) If you do not have a gas stove, place on a cookie sheet and roast in a 500 degree oven until the skin is blackened (about 20 minutes.) When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, peel the skin away, cut off and discard the stem and mash with a potato masher until pureed. Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Add the ginger and cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the onion and salt and cook, stirring often until the onion begins to brown around the edges (about 10 minutes.) Add the garlic and cook, stirring until the raw smell disappears (about 30 seconds.) Add the coconut, if using, and cook, stirring for a minute. Add the spices and cook for one minute. Add one T water and cook, stirring until the onion begins to stick. Add the tomatoes and give the mixture a stir. Add the eggplant and cook, stirring often for 5 minutes. Stir in the chile and 1 T of the cilantro. Stir in the lemon juice and taste for salt. Spoon into a serving bowl and sprinkle with the remaining cilantro. Serve hot.

Everything was super tasty.
We loved it but the baby wanted chicken nuggets with honey.
She did try a little of the pasta and seemed to like it alright.