Vegetable Napoleon Stack Food

VEGETABLE STACKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400˚. Brush a 24-cup mini-muffin pan (preferably nonstick) with olive oil. Toss the potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, olive oil, garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl.
• Place a potato slice in each muffin cup (trim if needed). Top with an eggplant slice, then a tomato slice. Cover the pan with foil and bake until the vegetables are tender, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Uncover the pan, sprinkle with the parmesan and bake, uncovered, until browned, about 15 more minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then remove from the pan. Top with chopped parsley.

VEGETABLE NAPOLEON OR REMY'S RATATOUILLE IN ROASTED PEPPER SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare the first 4 peppers by first cutting off the top and bottom and discarding inedible portions. Then cut down the sides so they form solid squares. You can usually manage to get about 3 pieces from each pepper that are 2 inches square each. Throw all pieces, including excess edible portions into a baking pan. Gut the two peppers for the sauce and cut into manageable pieces. Place them in pan as well.
• To prepare other vegetables, cut off top and bottoms, discarding inedible portions. Slice eggplant, zucchini, onions and squash into circular pieces. Eggplant should be approx 1/4 inch thick, onion, zucchini and squash can be any thickness desired under 1/8 inch. Place all edible pieces in baking pan.
• Coat all vegetables in olive oil.
• Roast in oven (500 degrees) for up to 30 minutes until edges of pepper are beginning to blacken and other vegetable centers become soft enough to poke with a fork.
• Grill 6 slices of eggplant on skillet and lay out individually on a cooking-sprayed cookie sheet.
• Then grill 12 slices of bell peppers. Place one on each stack of vegetables. The other 6 will be another layer after the next step.
• Next, grill zucchini slices and places enough on each pepper slice to cover fully. Throw excess into blender or food processor.
• Now stack other grilled bell peppers on top of stacks. ALL other pepper not yet used, including those specifically made for the sauce should be thrown in the blender.
• Grill squash and place enough slices on each stack to cover peppers fully. Throw excess into blender.
• Place onion slices on top of stack.
• Top each stack with a generous helping of mozzarella cheese (or one slice).
• Place cookie sheet in oven (350 degrees) for approx 15 minutes or until all cheese is completely melted.
• While the pieces are in the oven puree the excess vegetables and put in a large saucepan. Add the juice in the bottom of the pan from roasting the vegetables as well as the whipping cream and veggie broth.
• Season sauce as desired. I personally added parsley and pepper flakes for a sweet and spicy combination.
• Heat on medium-high until throughly mixed into a creamy sauce.
• To serve, place one napoleon on a plate and pour pepper sauce on top until well covered.

VEGETABLE NAPOLEON WITH GRILLED PORTOBELLO MUSHROOM AND TOMATO BASIL BISQUE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over low heat. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper and saute until they begin to soften. While they are cooking, cut fresh tomatoes in half, squeeze out seeds. Stir the fresh tomatoes into the skillet along with tomato paste and diced canned tomatoes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer partially covered to integrate flavors, about 5 minutes. Add stock and cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Season portobello mushrooms with salt and pepper and brush with olive oil. Place on baking sheet in oven for 10 minutes.
• Remove pan of tomato mixture from heat, stir in cream and season with salt and pepper, to taste. While the mushrooms are in the oven, puree sauce in batches in food processor. Remove mushrooms from oven and let cool.
• To assemble napoleon, place a portobello on serving plate. Top with 1 slice of cheese followed by a slice of tomato, then another slice of cheese, another tomato slice and the second portobello on the top layer. Ladle warm sauce over the vegetable napoleon and finish with a basil sprig, for garnish.

ROASTED EGGPLANT AND TOMATO NAPOLEONS WITH BLACK OLIVE DRESSING

Steps:

• For the black olive dressing, combine all ingredients and allow to sit for at least 2 hours, covered and refrigerated, for flavors to develop. For the poached garlic in the basil puree, place unpeeled garlic cloves in a small saucepan and cover by 1-inch of cold water. Bring to a boil, drain and repeat process 2 more times. Remove husk from garlic, chop. For the basil puree, blanch the basil in lightly salted boiling water for about 5 seconds. Remove and immediately plunge into ice water to stop the cooking and set the color. Drain well, squeeze dry and chop. Add to a blender along with poached garlic, olive oil, pine nuts and enough stock to make a smooth puree. Store in refrigerator.;
• To oven dry tomatoes for napoleons, cut tomatoes in half and remove stems. With your fingers gently squeeze and remove the seeds. Lightly oil a baking sheet, place tomatoes and season lightly with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Place in a preheated 225 degree oven for 3 to 4 hours or until tomatoes are somewhat shriveled and have the faintest bit of color on them. For the napoleons, slice the eggplants into 12 (1/2-inch) thick rounds and generously paint both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast in a preheated 400 degree oven until cooked through and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside. Oil, season and roast remaining vegetables in the same manner and set aside. Be sure not to overcook, vegetables should still have some texture. To assemble the napoleons, on a lightly oiled baking sheet start with a round of eggplant and top with slices of zucchini, onions, peppers, mushrooms and oven dried tomatoes and cheese. Repeat the layers, ending with an eggplant slice for each napoleon. Place a rosemary spear in the center of each napoleon to hold it together. To serve, Place baking sheet with napoleons in a preheated 375 degree oven for a few minutes to warm through and barely melt cheese. Place on warm plates and spoon the black olive dressing around. Top with drops of the reduced Balsamic vinegar, fresh basil puree and garnish with herb sprigs. Serve immediately.;

ROASTED VEGETABLE NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450°F. and brush 2 baking sheets with some of the olive oil.
• Arrange as many vegetables as possible in one layer on sheets. Brush vegetables with some remaining oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables in middle and lower thirds of oven, switching positions of sheets in oven half way through roasting, until just tender and lightly browned, 10-15 minutes. Transfer vegetables as roasted to a tray, arranging them in one layer. Roast remaining vegetables in same manner. Vegetables may be roasted 1 day ahead, cooled completely, and chilled, layered between sheets of plastic wrap on trays and covered. Bring vegetables to room temperature before proceeding.
• In a small bowl stir together ricotta, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Put 1 eggplant slice on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Spread 1 tablespoon of ricotta mixture over eggplant. Cover ricotta mixture with 2 potato slices and layer with 2 zucchini slices, 1 onion slice, 1 mozzarella slice, 2 to 3 tomato slices, 2 zucchini slices, and 1 onion slice. Spread 1 tablespoon ricotta mixture over onion and top with 1 eggplant slice. Make 5 more napoleons using remaining vegetables, ricotta mixture, and mozzarella in same manner.
• Insert a metal or wooden skewer through center of each napoleon to make a hole from top to bottom. Trim rosemary sprigs to 1-inch taller than napoleons and remove bottom leaves from each sprig, leaving about 1-inch of leaves around top. Insert 1 sprig into each napoleon and bake in middle of oven 5 minutes, or until mozzarella is melted and vegetables are heated through.

GRILLED VEGETABLE AND GOAT CHEESE NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Brush tomatoes with 2 teaspoons oil; sprinkle with oregano, basil and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Transfer to an ungreased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until tender., Brush zucchini and yellow squash with 2 tablespoons oil; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place vegetables in a grill wok or basket. Grill, uncovered, over medium heat for 8-12 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally., Remove and discard stems and gills from mushrooms. Brush mushrooms and eggplant with 1 tablespoon oil; sprinkle with remaining salt. Grill mushrooms, covered, over medium heat for 12-15 minutes or until tender. Grill eggplant, covered, over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until tender., In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon garlic and remaining pepper., Place mushrooms on a greased baking sheet; spread each with 2 teaspoons cheese mixture. Layer with zucchini, squash, 2 teaspoons cheese mixture, eggplant and remaining cheese mixture. Top with mozzarella cheese and tomato. Bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted., In a large skillet, saute remaining garlic in remaining oil for 1 minute. Add spinach; cook for 4-5 minutes or until wilted. Divide among four plates; top each with a mushroom stack. Drizzle with vinaigrette.