My youngest sister Noreen is a very good cook. She does most of the cooking in our house and I am super duper grateful to her for doing that. She would whip out a very special dish once a week and I personally think that each of these occasions is truly a gastronomical experience. It’s like eating out at a fancy restaurant for a parcel of the cost. Here is what she prepared for us last weekend.

It looks good and it tastes even better. Below is her own recipe. Please feel free to try it out.
Aubergine Penne Pasta
Ingredients:
For the breaded aubergine/eggplant
1 pc Egg
Pinch of Pepper
Pinch of Salt
3 pcs big eggplants (sliced diagonally with about 2 cm thinness)
20 g kasugai (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 cups vegetable oil
For the sauce
2 cups water
1 big can diced tomatoes
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup minced garlic
¾ cup minced onion
1 big can sliced button mushrooms
Sugar to taste
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
100 g finely chopped parsley
For the pasta
250 g penne rigate
100 g shredded mozzarella cheese
Directions:
Breaded aubergine/eggplant
Beat egg
Add pinch of pepper and salt
Coat sliced aubergine/eggplant with egg
Dredge it with breadcrumbs
Heat a pan and put oil
Deep fry the breaded aubergine/eggplant
Set aside
Red sauce
In a casserole, boil water and tomatoes
Heat pan
Add olive oil
Sautee garlic, onion, and mushrooms
Add the sautéed ingredients to the boiling mixture of water and tomatoes
Lower the fire and wait until the red sauce thickens
Add sugar, pepper and salt to taste
Add parsley
Pasta
Cook the pasta according to the its packaging directions
Mix together the pasta, sauce and breaded eggplant
Put it in a 9×5x2 baking pan
Top it with mozzarella cheese and parsley
Bake it in a preheated oven at 185 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts
Serve
Serves 3
Note: For crispier eggplants, put the breaded eggplant in the freezer for at least an hour before frying.
For a richer red sauce, real tomatoes are better than tomato sauce or paste.
Cheddar cheese can be used as a substitute for mozzarella cheese.
If you love herby pasta, add oregano for a refreshing mint flavor.
Chicken-Basil Roulade
Ingredients:
1 kg chicken thigh fillet
Salt
Pepper
¼ bar butter (sliced thinly)
1 beaten egg
80 g kasugai (Japanese breadcrumbs)
3 cups vegetable oil
Directions
Sprinkle chicken fillet with salt and pepper
Put sliced butter on the middle of the chicken fillet
Stuff the chicken with basil by putting the chopped basil in the middle of the chicken fillet and then rolling it
Coat it with the beaten egg
Dredge it with breadcrumbs
Deep fry
Serves 5
Note: For crispier chicken, put the breaded chicken in the freezer for at least an hour before frying.
It is better to use chicken thigh fillet (though chicken breast fillet is an alternative) because it is juicier and tastier.
For an aromatic meal, serve it with fried whole basil leaves.
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