Eggplant Caponata

Great appetizer for the holidays. Serve with your favorite cracker, top some fresh mozzarella or even mix it into pasta!

• 5 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2-pound eggplant, unpeeled, cut small cubes (almost diced)
• 1 medium onion, diced
•  2 stalks celery, diced
•  4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
• tomato paste as needed
• 4 tablespoons drained capers
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
• salt to taste
•  3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pitted green olives
•  3 tablespoons coarsely chopped pitted black olives

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add eggplant, onion, and garlic cloves. sauté until eggplant is soft and brown, about 15 minutes. Add diced tomatoes and drained capers. Cover and simmer until eggplant and onion are very tender, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Add some tomato paste to thicken and continue to cook. Season caponata to taste with salt and lemon pepper. Mix in fresh basil. At this point you can add the chopped olives. Transfer caponata to serving bowl. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold. (Caponata can be made ahead of time and canned/jarred. 

Note: Drizzle some fresh good olive oil on it before you serve it!

Gluten Free No Bake Pumpkin Pie

Of course you can make this pie with a regular graham cracker pie shell, but this is a great Gluten Free alternative for your guests on a restricted diet. 

• 1 Gluten Free Graham Cracker Pie Shell
• 1-Cup Pumpkin
• 1-Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
• 1 Package of Instant Pudding (Butterscotch or Caramel)
• 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Spice

3 Tablespoons Heavy Cream or Half and Half (optional)

Mix together the pumpkin, yogurt, pudding and spice mix.

The mix will be thick so be careful not to crack the pie shell when filling.

You can add 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or half and half for a fluffier version, but do not over dilute.

Refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight.

Serve with Whipped Cream.

NOTE - Although Jell-O brand pudding may not have gluten listed in the ingredients, the product is not labelled gluten free and may have come into contact with gluten during the manufacturing process. 

Crab Corn and Bacon Chowder

Very easy and very delicious. Make sure you season with salt and pepper at the end because crab can be salty sometimes.

• 4 slices thick cut bacon, diced
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1mediu m  onion, chopped
• 1 cup half & half (use heavy cream if prefer thicker)
• 2 cups fresh cooked crabmeat
• 1 can corn corn kernels, drained
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 medium russet potato cooked and diced (optional)
• 8 cups fish stock ( can use chicken or vegetable stock)

Cook bacon in a medium pot until just crisp. Remove from pot and drain on a paper towel. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease from the pot. Add butter. Sauté onion until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in cream and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened. Remove bay leaves. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add chopped bacon and parsley.

Carrot Leek Zucchini Soup

Super easy and super delicious!

• 1 bag of baby carrots
• 3 zucchini peeled and seeded
• 1/2 of one large leek
• 2 tabl butter
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 4 cups chicken broth 
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Food process all of the vegetables in the food processor until chopped. Saute them in 2 tabl butter in the actual pot you will make the soup in- about 10 minutes. 

Add the chicken broth, pepper and nutmeg, bring to a boil and then simmer for about 25 minutes until veggies are tender. 

Then process only the veggies into a puree and add them back to the pot with the broth, heat again until just to a boil and then add the heavy cream, its that easy and boy is it delish!