Mediterranean Eggplant Meatball Pita Pockets

This recipe is actually a reimagining of my Eggplant and White Bean Meatballs recipe that I had previously posted a few years back. The original recipe has been a family favorite and is often in our standard dinner rotation. The way that I would most often serve the meatballs is with a side of rice and some marinara sauce for dipping. To change things ups bit, I decided to add a Mediterranean flare. Because one of the main ingredients in my eggplant meatballs is white beans, they have a similar taste and texture to falafel. This got me to thinking that the meatballs would really work well with some Mediterranean flavors. Right away, a zesty tomato-cucumber salad, some fresh mint and feta cheese came to mind.

Another update that I made to my meatball recipe was to do the initial eggplant prep process in the oven. My original recipe would have you preparing the eggplant on the stove top with shallots and some seasoning in olive oil and warm water. While this method does work well, I find that I now prefer to season the fresh chopped eggplant, toss it with some olive oil and bake it. This method adds a bit more flavor to the eggplant and is also more of a hands-free method.

As far as the tomato-cucumber salad recipe goes, the seasoning and measurements are pretty much up to you, depending on how much you prefer to prepare. For my family, I use a half of an English cucumber and a half pint of cherry tomatoes, seasoned with onion and garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Tossed with some fresh chopped mint, some crumbled feta, and some olive oil and a tiny splash of balsamic. This is really a salad that you can make and adjust to your liking!

Serving this new version of my recipe is very easy. You simply stuff a pita pocket (a tortilla wrap will also work well) with some of the tomato-cucumber salad, then add two to three eggplant meatballs (again to your preference). I also suggest adding a bit of a creamy dressing for additional taste, such as a creamy horseradish aioli, lemon aioli or tzatziki. What you will end up with is a pita loaded with all kinds of goodness and a multitude of flavor profiles. The fresh crunch of the seasoned tomatoes and cucumbers combined with fresh mint. The slight punch of the balsamic splash. The savory and flavorful meatballs. The zip of the additional creamy topping. All held together by a nice, firm pita pocket. And the ingredients are all on the healthy side!

Mediterranean Eggplant Meatball Pita Pockets

For the Tomato-Cucumber Salad
My preference for the salad is 1/2 of an English cucumber diced, 1/2 pint of cherry tomatoes halved, tossed with a drizzle of olive oil and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Seasoned to taste with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder, and chopped fresh mint. Tossed with crumbled feta or goat cheese. This is a very versatile salad, so you can adjust the amount and ingredients to your liking!

For the Meatballs
Makes approximately 12-15 meatballs

1 large eggplant, skin removed, cut into 1″ pieces
1 tspn garlic powder
1 tspn dried oregano
2 tbspn olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tbspn fresh basil, finely chopped
1 tbspn mint, finely chopped (you can use 2 tbspn basil if you do not have mint on hand)
1/2 cup canned canellini or garbanzo beans, rinsed
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten

Preheat oven to 375˚. Stir together the eggplant pieces, olive oil, garlic powder, oregano and a dash of salt and pepper until all eggplant pieces are coated. Bake the seasoned eggplant in a baking dish for 30 minutes. Remove eggplant from the oven, set aside to let cool.

When cooled, place eggplant in a food processor with remaining ingredients. Pulse until well mixed, but not puréed. You can mix by hand if you do not have a food processor, but the meatballs will have a chunkier consistency. Shape the mixture into small balls as you would with traditional meatballs. Placed the meatballs onto a lightly sprayed baking sheet. Lightly spray the meatballs. Bake for 30-40 minutes at 375˚, until they are browned and no longer soft to the touch.

For the Assembly
To enjoy this meal, simply stuff a pita pocket, a tortilla wrap or any other sandwich wrap that you prefer with the mixed salad, two to three meatballs, and for an extra optional kick a drizzle of a creamy horseradish aioli, lemon aioli or tzatziki. Grab yourself a few napkins and enjoy!

Breaded Zucchini

This past weekend my daughters and I were invited to a wedding celebration for our cousin Anthony and his beautiful new bride, Amanda. Anthony and Amanda were actually married back in December in a breathtaking outdoor ceremony out on the west coast. So this was a celebration for family and friends who live here on the east coast. Of course, the biggest highlight of the day was honoring the new bride and groom while also spending time and celebrating with our amazing family. Being the foodie enthusiast that I am, I was taking note of the many dishes that were served to us. Luckily, this trait has also carried on to my daughters. We weren’t very far into the appetizer course when both Jules and Ava asked if we could try making the crispy and delicious breaded zucchini that we all just finished scarfing up. Which brings us to today’s post!

Breaded zucchini is a tasty and nutritious dish that is very simple to make. Just a few basic ingredients are all you really need: zucchini, breadcrumbs, eggs for egg batter and some seasoning. My breadcrumb of choice for this dish is Panko. Unlike traditional breadcrumbs, Panko is a bit more flaky and airy, which gives more of a crispy texture to the breaded food. Panko also holds up well when fried, however I prefer to bake as often as I can as opposed to frying, and this dish bakes up very well!

Before we get into the recipe, I thought I would share some of my tips and tricks when using Panko. I like to add grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano to the breadcrumbs for a nice, nutty flavor. For every cup of Panko, I add 1/4 cup of grated cheese. I also like to add additional seasonings. Italian seasoning and garlic powder are always perfect seasonings of choice. For this dish, I decided to use Everything Bagel Seasoning. It has a nice combination of onion, garlic and sea salt flavoring, along with the texture of poppy and sesame seeds. If you don’t have Everything Bagel Seasoning on hand, a mixture of Italian seasoning, garlic and/or onion powder, or your favorite seasoning of choice will work just fine.

When breading with a Panko mixture, I find that it works best to use the mixture in small batches as opposed to dipping the battered food into one big bowl of the breadcrumb mixture. Because Panko is more crispy and airy than traditional breadcrumbs, I find that they can become soggy and mushy when combined with too much of the wet batter. Think rice crispies after they have been sitting in a bowl of milk for a while. What I like to do is mix up the breadcrumbs and seasonings in one bowl, then add it to another bowl in portions. Just enough to use what you need, adding more as you need it. This will help prevent the breadcrumbs from turning into a pile of mush that will not stick to the battered food. Patting the food dry with a paper towel before battering and adding breadcrumbs is also a good idea to help make the breadcrumbs stick and stay crunchy.

BREADED ZUCCHINI

Makes about 24 pieces

3 small zucchini, sliced length-wise about 1/4 inch thick. You can keep the skin on or peel it ahead time. Keeping the skin intact will give a bit more firmness to the slices. You can also slice the zucchini into round chip shapes if you prefer.
salt for seasoning
1 cup Panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese
2 tablespoons Everything Bagel Seasoning (or your choice of seasonings, such as Italian seasoning, garlic or onion powder)
2 eggs, beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix the Panko, grated cheese and seasonings in a bowl. Add the breadcrumb mixture in small batches into another bowl, which you will use for applying the breadcrumbs.

Pat the sliced zucchini dry to remove any excess moistrure. Lightly season the sliced zucchini with salt on both sides.

Dip the sliced zucchini into the egg batter one slice at a time, making sure that the zucchini slice is fully coated. Toss the battered zucchini into the small-batch bowl of breadcrumb mixture, lightly pressing the breadcrumbs to make sure they stick. Place the breaded zucchini onto a parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer. Continue this process, adding breadcrumbs to the small batch bowl as needed, until all zucchini slices are breaded.

Bake until the breadcrumbs turn a golden brown, about 15 minutes. Serve on its own, or with a dipping sauce such as marinara or ranch.

CONGRATULATIONS ANTHONY AND AMANDA!

Baked Ricotta

If you are a fan of spreadable baked cheese appetizers, like a baked brie, then you must give baked ricotta a try! It’s a very simple recipe with just a few basic ingredients. The key to really making this recipe special is fresh herbs. The herbs that I prefer using are fresh thyme and oregano, along with grated parmesan for that slight nutty flavor, and salt and pepper to taste. This alone would work well as nice appetizer spread over crostini or used as a dip for crackers. But the real fun happens when you start to incorporate some toppings. Ricotta is a versatile cheese, compatible with fruits and vegetables, drizzles of honey or glazed balsamic, or additional fresh herbs. Anything from apples and strawberries, to tomatoes, sage and rosemary would all work beautifully. My personal favorites are crisped prosciutto, sun dried tomatoes and drizzled honey.

You can bake the ricotta in either one baking dish, or separate into three to four ramekin dishes. I’ve done it both ways and both work well. The baking dish may work better as a party appetizer, where your guests could help themselves. The ramekins offer more of a personalized touch that you can place out for two to three people to share at a time. Yo could also refrigerate any unused ramekins and reheat it when ready. For this post I am using three ramekins, but the recipe measurements will also work well in a small sized baking dish.

Baked Ricotta

1 16 ounce container whole milk ricotta
1 large egg
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus 1 tablespoon for topping
1 teaspoon fresh chopped oregano (or 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, mix the egg, ricotta, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, herbs and salt and pepper. Mix well.

Divide the mixture between three to four ramekin dishes, or spoon it all into one baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle the top with olive oil. Serve warm with toasted crostini (see below) or crackers.

Toasted Crostini

To prepare toasted crostini, slice a French baguette into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices. Place the sliced bread on a baking sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Place the tray in the oven during the last 15 minutes that the ricotta is baking. Remove when golden brown, making sure the crostini doesn’t burn. You can either plate the crostini loose, allowing everyone to add the baked ricotta spread themselves, or you can top the crostini with the ricotta before serving.

Crisped Prosciutto

One of my favorite toppings for baked ricotta is crisped prosciutto. Tear about 4-6 slices of prosciutto into pieces. Place the pieces onto a small baking sheet and place in the oven during the last 10 minutes that the ricotta is baking. Crisp it up to your liking, making sure it doesn’t burn. Spread the crostini with the baked ricotta, then top with a piece of prosciutto, or whatever other toppings you prefer! Pictured below are my favorite varieties: crisped prosciutto, sun dried tomatoes and drizzled honey.

Flatbread Fridays

Friday night pizza is a well known go-to dinner for many. Whether it’s home made pizza or ordered from your favorite neighborhood pizza shop, it is an easy and fun way to help celebrate the end of a long week. To help mix up this routine a bit, my daughters and I have started making flatbread pizzas once or twice a month. It’s a special day that we have named Flatbread Friday. 

Flatbread Friday is not so much about a recipe, but rather being fun and creative with whatever topping we decide to use for that day. To help keep it interesting, we often come up with themed Flatbread Fridays, often revolving around a specific ingredient. Some of our favorite themes have been Chicken Flatbreads (buffalo chicken, barbecued chicken, chicken with feta and spinach) and South Philly Flatbreads (cheesesteak, crab gravy with shaved parmesan, meatball parm, and pulled pork with broccoli rabe, provolone and roasted red peppers). We always make sure to include a traditional flatbread with mozzarella and sauce, and a white flatbread with extra garlic! Our favorite is the prosciutto and arugula flatbread. Nothing better than oven crisp prosciutto!

First comes the Flatbread

Instead of sharing a specific recipe, I thought it would be best to share some tips and tricks on how to make your own flatbread pizza. First, you need the actual flatbread. There are no specific rules or regulations for this. You can buy a variety of flatbread shells in the grocery store, usually in the bakery section. The shells could be rectangular or round, whichever you prefer. Even a Naan flatbread will work if you prefer. My personal choice is Brooklyn Bred Thin Pizza Crust. You can get two large shells or four small in a pack. Again, the key is to have fun. 

Pick your Toppings

The second tip is to go light on your toppings. Flatbreads are thinner than a traditional pizza crust, so there is a good chance of the flatbread folding or breaking if you go too heavy on the toppings. When adding a sauce, such as traditional pizza sauce, buffalo sauce or barbecue sauce, just a light coating will do the trick. The same goes for your toppings. Whether they are chicken, vegetables or meats, thin lightly chopped or shredded pieces work well. Try to avoid big chunks. 

Start the Oven

Preheat your oven to a nice, hot temperature. I prefer 425 degrees, which will cook your flatbreads in about 7-10 minutes. The best part of this is that you can make a variety, whether it is for a family of three or a party of twelve.  Get a variety going. Put out a bunch of toppings and let your family and friends make their own flatbread, Then slice them up and enjoy!

Flatbread Suggestions

Traditional – lightly brushed sauce, topped with shredded mozzarella and oregano

White – lightly brushed olive oil, topped with shredded mozzarella, grated parmesan cheese and garlic powder. You can also add pieces of prosciutto. Top with some arugula after the flatbread is cooked.

Pizzazz – thin slices of American or cooper sharp cheese, topped with hot banana pepper rings and thin sliced Roma tomatoes

Cheesesteak – cooked thinly shredded pieces of rib eye steak, mixed or topped with shredded provolone and caramelized onions

Porchetta – cooked thinly shredded pieces of Italian style pulled pork on top of sliced provolone. Topped with bits of broccoli rabe and roasted red peppers. 

Buffalo Chicken – cooked chopped pieces of chicken breast, either mixed with or placed on top of a thin layer of Buffalo sauce (home made or store bought), topped with bits of bleu cheese.

You can also check out this post in the Winter 2022 edition of RowHome Magazine!