This is an Armenian dish that my Mom makes to can. I made this dish yesterday for dinner and canned 10 jars, as well!Ingredients
2 eggplants, peeled and cut in big chunks
4 bell peppers seeded and quartered
4 tomatoes sliced
3 onions sliced
1/2 a stick butter
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper
Directions
In a big pot layer all the veggies starting with the tomatoes, then onions, eggplant and then peppers. Continue layering until all the veggies are finished. Then add the water, salt and pepper, and the butter. Cover the pot and let it cook over a medium low heat until everything is cooked completely.
Araksya's tip: This is perfect to can like that but if you are making a dinner out of it you can add any kind of meat, potatoes and parsley.
Ingredients
1 small head cabbage thinly sliced
2 cups diced potatoes
2 cups chopped turnip tops or spinach
1/2 big eggplant, peeled and diced
1 yellow squash, diced1 zucchini, diced
1 onion, quartered and sliced
1 link kielbasa, cut into bite-size pieces
1 cup chopped tomatoes or canned tomatoes
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (or 2 TB dry)
2 TB tomato paste
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 TB oil1 tsp dry basil
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Use an electric skillet or heat a big pot over medium high heat with oil. Add all of the veggies and kielbasa to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally until they start turning brown. Add the spices and herbs, tomato paste and water. Stir, cover and turn the heat down, then cook until the veggies are all cooked but a little crunchy.
Araksya's tip: It's better if you cook this dish in a large skillet without crowding the veggies too much, otherwise they won't be able to brown but they'll only steam.
"Life may be as dull as a cold dinner,
but a little laughter makes a tasty sauce."
I made up this recipe when my husband harvested some red potatoes from our garden.4 potatoes
2 boneless chicken breasts quartered
1 yellow squash diced
1 zucchini diced
1 eggplant peeled and diced
1 big bell pepper, diced (I used red pepper)
1 onion chopped
1/2 cup milk
2 cloves garlic with skins
1 tsp paprika
2 TB parsley chopped
1 tsp dry basil
oil
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Boil potatoes in a pot with water until cooked through. Drain and mash them in the same pot adding milk, salt and pepper to taste, half of the paprika and parsley. Cover and set aside to stay warm.
Meanwhile arrange the veggies and chicken on a big cookie sheet, drizzle with some olive oil, add dry basil, the rest of paprika, salt and pepper and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until the veggies are browned and the chicken is cooked.
Remove the skin from the roasted garlic and mash it with a fork.
Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces and add to the potatoes along with the veggies and garlic.
Makes 4-6 servings
Araksya's tip: I used the red potatoes with skins.
BELIEVE while others are doubting.
PLAN while others are playing.
STUDY while others are sleeping.
DECIDE while others are delaying.
PREPARE while others are daydreaming.
BEGIN while others are procrastinating.
WORK while others are wishing.
SAVE while others are wasting.
LISTEN while others are talking.
SMILE while others are frowning.
COMMEND while others are criticizing.
PERSIST while others are quitting.
William Arthur Ward
I had most of these veggies freshly picked from our garden and so I came up with this recipe today ("Obviously gorgeous - and SO tasty" - Jim)
Ingredients
2 sweet potatoes sliced
1 big eggplant quartered and sliced
3 peppers cored and sliced
2 zucchini sliced
2 yellow squash sliced
4 big tomatoes sliced
8 oz package of sliced mushrooms
1 big onion cut in half and sliced
2 cups cooked chicken shredded*
1/2 cup tomato juice or sauce
1 cup shredded Italian cheese mix**
3 TB fresh flat leaf parsley
1 TB fresh basil or 1 tsp dried
2 TB balsamic vinegar
2 cloves garlic minced
olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Turn the broiler on low.
Arrange the veggies in one layer on the sprayed cookie sheets. Drizzle them with olive oil and salt and pepper. Drizzle balsamic vinegar on the sweet potatoes in addition to the oil. Bake them in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables start getting brown. Take them out and turn the oven on to 350 degrees F.
Spray a 9x13" casserole dish with oil and then sprinkle with 1/4 cup tomato juice or sauce. Then start layering the vegetables, starting with sweet potatoes, then the squashes. Sprinkle half of the cheese on top of squash and then continue layering with the tomatoes, then minced garlic, onions, herbs, and chicken with one layer each. Then add a layer of peppers, then mushrooms, and finish off with eggplant. Sprinkle the rest of the tomato juice and the cheese on top, cover the dish with foil and put it back into the oven to bake 25 more minutes.
Araksya's Tip: * You can use any kind of cooked meat. The leftovers are great. I used some grilled chicken leftovers.
**Any kind of cheese will work. I had a mix of Provolone, Parmesan, Asiago and Mozzarella cheeses.
Quote of the week
"If you want to do something, you'll find the way. If you don't, you'll find an excuse."
