Impossible Tomato Broccoli Pie - finally!

Well, I finally got the Impossible Pie made! It looks great, doesn't it? See the tomato slices peeking out of the top in the first picture? The only thing I would change is to chop up the tomato slices and drain them better because the overall pie was a bit wetter than it should have been. I'm assuming because of the water in the tomatoes. I also might be able to compensate for that liquid with a little more self-rising flour.

I tried leeching the tomato slices by salting them in a colander, but they didn't really drain. I also added diced onions and some broccoli florets. I put some onion powder in the batter along with some parsley flakes. I still wanted some salt on my own serving because it was a little flat, but I'd rather under spice than over spice. 

I also might lean towards Italian seasoning next time maybe with some pepperoni added on top. The cheese was just enough for this recipe. I'd also rather use a sweeter onion next time than the strongly flavored and fragrant one Deb bought that I had diced and frozen. Even cooked, it's not my favorite flavor.

I didn't pre-cook the broccoli and it turned out good. Because the pieces were small, they cooked all the way through. But, I would definitely want to dice up the tomatoes next time. These tomatoes were pretty fibrous, so they were on the tough side as far as being able to cut through them with my fork. They were plenty cooked, but near the center, they held fast and didn't want to break down completely. Not sure what kind of tomatoes these were, but that might have played a role in it. Maybe next time I'll use the Tommies Snack Tomatoes instead.

So, here's what I did to make this. 

3 medium tomatoes, sliced after coring

3/4-1 cup broccoli florets

1 cup shredded cheese (I used Colby/Jack)

diced onion to taste (I had about 1/4 cup)

3/4 cup self-rising flour

3 eggs

1 3/4 cups milk (I used reconstituted powdered milk)

Any other seasonings you are inclined to add - I used onion powder, parsley flakes, fresh ground pepper and a bit of salt.

Spray a 9" casserole dish with PAM (or equivalent). Prepare the veggies if they aren't already. Layer the tomatoes and broccoli (you can use zucchini or other veggies, too). You can also add a bit of Parmesan cheese here as well. Spread the shredded cheese over the vegetables. Mix up your batter with the flour, eggs and milk. Add seasonings if you want. Pour the batter over the cheese and veggies without stirring, other than to make sure they're covered. Place in a 400° F oven and cook for between 35 & 40 minutes. I took mine out after 35 minutes and allowed it to sit. It was nicely browned, but I wonder what five more minutes might have done for the excess liquid.

So, I hope you try this and maybe even experiment a little. This method of casserole making has just so much flexibility!

Breakfast/Dinner - French Toast/Tomato-Broccoli Impossible Pie

French Toast (wheat) with Pumpkin Pie Spice

As I begin writing here, I haven't started making the tomato-broccoli impossible pie. I was going to wash dishes first, but found that the dish washer isn't draining properly, so I'm working on that to see if I can fix it. I really don't want to have to call the landlord if I can avoid it.

Anyway, I made myself some French Toast this morning and it was wonderful. I probably should keep it in the pan just a little longer so that the toast solidifies a bit more in the middle, but I surely did enjoy it. I sprinkled some Pumpkin Pie spice into the egg-milk mixture and it was a much nicer flavoring than when I try using cinnamon. Not sure why - maybe it just mixes better.

Anyway, the photo isn't the prettiest one, but I love how brown it got (not burned) rather than looking overly "anemic" as I've had in the past. I didn't drown it in syrup, so it wasn't too too sweet, either. It was just the right amount of sweet combined with salty. Neither one dominated.

Now I hope to be able to make the tomato-broccoli pie. I've seen recipes for zucchini-tomato impossible pie and I've seen recipes for broccoli impossible pie, so I think I'll just swap out the zucchini for the broccoli. I know the photos I've seen of the various tomato pies look fantastic, so I am looking forward to trying this recipe out - hopefully tonight. I'll be using instructions for self-rising flour rather than Bisquick because that's what I have on hand. I'll finish this post when everything is done.

Well, tomato-broccoli pie didn't happen. I made the mistake of telling my daughter my plans and she expressed her disgust at the entire concept, so I guess I'm going to have to let the end results speak for themselves. I'll have to get it done while she's working tomorrow. I'll be sure to post whatever it is I do. I shredded the cheese already for it, so you'll hear about it when it happens.

Oh, and I seem to have fixed the dishwasher problem by using a vinegar soak and wash to clean it before I tried anything else. Thanks God!!

Zucchini and Eggplant

Zucchini, Wikimedia Commons

I may have written about zucchini before, but considering how abundantly it grows, it is probably a topic that can be revisited more than once. I'm including eggplant because I've found that what you can do with one you can usually do with the other.

Fried Eggplant, courtesy Wikimedia Commons

I grew up eating fried zucchini slices and fried eggplant spears. I love both of them. I wouldn't eat either one of them stewed, but I ate them hungrily when Mom made them. I still love both of them fried. Mom would dip them in an egg wash and then into seasoned bread crumbs before pan frying them and draining them on paper towels. Salted with a side of ketchup and we were set to go. I honestly can't remember what else we had because my focus was on those veggies. 

Eggplant being sweated, Wikimedia Commons

Eggplant tends to be more bitter than zucchini which might be a turnoff for some, but I think if you buy them young (or use white eggplant) or be sure to sweat them prior to breading them (salting them to leach the excess liquid), a good portion of that bitterness is eliminated.

Homestyle Eggplant Parm

Mom also made eggplant Parmesan, which isn't exactly Parmesan since it has no Parmesan cheese, but what she made differs significantly from what is served in most restaurants. Hers was mostly like eggplant lasagna, but using fried slices of eggplant instead of lasagna noodles. What restaurants serve is individually fried slices topped with cheese and sauce with a side of pasta. I love both. But, if you have an abundance of zucchini, you can do the same thing - just slice it thicker than you normally do and layer it accordingly (or serve ala restaurant). They're both just so delicious!!


I have since discovered that I love grilled zucchini that is seasoned with salt, pepper and olive oil before being grilled. Oh my gosh - I never thought I could enjoy it like that, but it seems that your tastes do change as you mature. Or maybe it's the tastes that mature because I can be pretty childish at times. 


I also like zucchini sauteed in marinara sauce. I still don't like it steamed, but in the marinara I can enjoy it. And, not too long ago, I tried Baba Ghanoush, which is a Middle Eastern appetizer dip that is made from roasted eggplant and garlic. Now, I had my doubts because I do NOT like garlic, but I was pleasantly surprised. I did add salt to mine, and it was served cold, but I did like it and would order it again. I'm wondering how it would taste if served warm because I think I'd like it that way even more.


So, that's the end of my April A-Z Challenge posts. I wish I could post as often without a challenge, but I'm still glad it was there. Maybe I'll do some Googling to see if there are other blog challenges out there. It keeps me motivated. I hope you've enjoyed reading my posts, though. I've enjoyed writing them.

Zucchini, the Wonder Veggie!

We have all heard stories about people's gardens being overrun by proliferate zucchini, not being able even to give it away because everyone else already has an abundance from other family and friends.


We've all either had or made zucchini bread, zucchini fritters, fried zucchini (my favorite), and more recently, grilled zucchini sandwiches or atop pizza. My goal here is to offer some less commonly seen zucchini recipes to help you find new ways to incorporate this healthy veggie into your and your family's diet.

Cheese and Sausage Stuffed Zucchini

Zucchini Brownies

Zucchini Relish

Mock Apple Pie

Mock "Crab" Cakes

Mock "Apple" Cobbler

For other ideas, look back at my eggplant blog. Whatever you can do with eggplant you can do with zucchini.  You will just have slightly different taste and coloring. Try shredding it and adding it to your spaghetti sauce for added thickness and fiber. Slice it and make pickles the same way you would with cucumbers. As you can see, it's one of the most versatile vegetables on the planet!