Melanzane o zucchine grigliate

Grilled eggplants or zucchini

When we were in Italy recently visiting our daughter and her family, we were invited to eat in the home of Becky's friend, Marina. She is a wonderful Italian lady and is an excellent cook. This is one of the dishes she served and she has given me permission to use her recipe.

1. Slice the vegetables 1 cm thick. For the eggplants, soak them in salt for 1 night.
2. Grill them in a heavy iron grill on the hob. ( I am not sure what the hob is. I will just use the skillet on my stove.)
3. Put in a dish sprinkling each layer with salt, olive oil, vinegar and, if liked, mashed garlic and basil leaf or parsley. It is possible to make 1 or 2 days in advance. They keep well in the fridge covered with film.
Marina fixed both zucchini and eggplant for us. They were equally delicious. I had never eaten eggplant that I liked until I ate hers. It was fantastic!! Thanks, Marina.

Cheddar Potato Slices

1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 medium baking potatoes, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1. In a small bowl, combine soup, paprika, and pepper.
2. In greased 2-qt. oblong baking dish, arrange potatoes in overlapping rows. Sprinkle with cheese; spoon soup mixture over cheese.
3. Cover; bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 10 min. or until potatoes are fork-tender.

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Here is another of my mom's recipes for Sweet Potatoes. It seems like with the Holidays coming up our thoughts turn to food and the good things we eat at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

1 Reynolds oven bag
1 Tbsp. flour
4 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/8 in. thick slices
1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, sliced
2 Tbsp. pancake syrup or molasses
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Place oven bag in a 13 x 9 baking dish. Add flour; twist end of bag and shake. Add sweet potatoes and next 5 ingredients. Squeeze to blend. Arrange in an even layer. Close bag and cut 6 slits in top. Bake 45 min. in a 350 degree oven.

Hawaiian Sweet Potatoes

2 lbs. sweet potatoes
2 cups coconut
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/2 cup cream
4 Tbsp. butter
Salt to taste
Cook sweet potatoes until tender. Then whip and add 1/2 of coconut, sugar and cream.
Spoon into buttered 9 x 13 baking pan; mix remaining coconut and butter and sprinkle on top.
Bake uncovered in 325 degree oven for 20 minutes.

Spiced Copper Coins

2 lbs. carrots, sliced and cooked in salt water until done. Drain and cool.
1 can tomato soup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 doz. green onions, diced
1/2 cup oil
1 diced green pepper
Mix tomato soup, sugar, vinegar, onions, oil and green pepper together. Bring to a boil and then let cool. Combine with cooked carrots. Cover tightly and marinate at least 24 hours in refrigerator.

Glazed Carrots

Cindy, my daughter-in-law, gave this recipe to me. It is delicious.

1 1/2 lb. carrots
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
Cook for 20 minutes. Pour off water.
Glaze:
7 1/2 -8 Tbsp. brown sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
1 orange peel, grated
3 Tbsp. margarine
Cook until it bubbles.
Add carrots and simmer.

Oven-Fried Vegetables

Mock french-fried vegetables without the fat. I have fixed these with onions and yellow squash. It is delicious.

Nonstick spray coating
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. paprika
2 cups 1/4-inch-thick zucchini slices, onion rings, or cauliflower flowerets
2 Tbsp. reduced-calorie Italian salad dressing
Spray a cold baking sheet with nonstick spray coating. Set aside.
On 9-inch pie plate stir together bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and paprika till well mixed. In a medium mixing bowl place zucchini, onion rings, or cauliflower. Drizzle vegetables with salad dressing; toss till coated.
Then, roll vegetables in crumb mixture till coated. Place the coated vegetables in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake vegetables in a 450 degree oven for 9 to 11 minutes or till golden. Makes 4 (1/2 cup) servings. Calories: 51 per serving