Good Friday

Had an opportunity to do a little cooking for my fiancée this Good Friday. A veggie and fish dinner, started with a whole wheat pasta primi with homemade red sauce... scratch made with crushed Italian tomatoes, mixed with sauteed garlic, fresh basil and Italian parsley, crushed red pepper and dry oregano. I picked up a great piece of wild striped bass and seasoned with fresh ground pepper, kosher sea salt and a light dusting of cayenne pepper. Simply seared in the cast iron skilled and then finished cooking through in the oven. The best part of the meal was the eggplant tower (pictured below). Quarter to half inch slices, stacked with different veggie fillings in each layer and coated throughout with remaining red sauce. Melted fresh grated fat-free mozzarella and reggiano cheese held it together perfectly. Layer one was filled with julienned zucchini, layer two with thin sliced mushrooms, layer three with finely chopped orange peppers and topped with more cheeses and fresh basil and parsley.