There are three cookbooks my mom owned that I remember as a child: The Joy of Cooking, More-with-Less Cookbook, and The Congregationalist Church of Cambridge, VT Cookbook. Of these three, it was the More-with-Less from which much of what we ate came from. When I got married I made sure I took a copy of this book with me.
What is so great about this 33-year old, picture-less cookbook? Not gourmet recipes. No. This book is all about the basics of healthy living. It covers breads, cereals, beans, main dishes, dairy, meats and fish, soups, vegetables, salads, desserts and gardening and preserving.
Some of my all-time favorite recipes come from this book. Things like: Honey Whole Wheat Bread, Oatmeal Bread, Edna Ruth Byler's Potato Dough, Baked Lentils with Cheese, Tomato Quiche, Chinese Savory Beef, Basic Meat Curry, Creamed Chicken, Cucumber Salad, and Roman Apple Cake.
One recipe I've made many times is Eggplant Parmesan. It's perfect for this time of year when eggplants are plentiful. It doubles easily too.
EGGPLANT PARMESAN
( More-with-Less)
Print this recipe
1 medium eggplant
1 cup bread crumbs (can use gluten-free bread)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. oregano
6 tomatoes, chopped (or one 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes)
2 green peppers, chopped (I leave these out)
2 onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. oil (olive oil)
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste (or thicken sauce with 1 Tbsp. flour)
1-2 cup grated cheese
1/4 cup additional Parmesan
Slice eggplant and place on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and broil 5-7 minutes. Turn slices, brush with olive oil, and broil until tender. Place in the bottom of a greased 9 x 13-inch baking dish. (I would use a smaller dish.)
Mix breadcrumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, pepper, and oregano and sprinkle over eggplant.
Combine tomatoes, green peppers, onions, oil, garlic and tomato paste in a saucepan. Simmer uncovered about 20 minutes then spread on top of the crumb mixture. Top with cheeses and bake uncovered 10-15 minutes at 375F. Can be made ahead and refrigerated.
Serves 4.
I love my More with Less to the point it's falling to pieces! Fortunately we have our favorite recipes memorized and some renamed. Monterey Beans and Cheese is something we make almost once a month here and it's one of the first stovetop dinners the girls learn how to make.
ReplyDeleteMore with Less Cookbook is a staple. When I was in college (a long time ago) we made the Roman Apple Cake back in the dorm. Edna Ruth Byler's potato baked goods is THE best recipe for cinnamon rolls (and I have written at the top of the page in big letters DO NOT DOUBLE, because it is too much dough to handle when kneading.)
ReplyDeleteI am on my second copy of More with Less. It is my most used cookbook...don't know what I would do without it. What I appreciate about it is that I most always have all the ingredients on hand. BTW, I enjoy your blog. Thank you!...and God bless you.
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