Eggplant Wraps

I have always loved the Beatles, and now more than ever.  Especially after reading Mary McCartney's article in the New York Times the other day.  Daughter of Paul and a true McCartney - a vegetarian - she described her eggplant wraps, which sounded like such a simple, wholesome meal.  Here I vary her theme with a bit of toasted hazelnut pesto since I had no pingoli nuts, and I add a tomato slice.  You could (and I have!) substitute roasted red peppers for the tomato, which works really very well.  I used Fontina cheese, Ms. McCartney used aged Cheddar - its a free country, you can use what you like.
2 large eggplants, sliced 1/4-inch thick, lengthwise, about 10 slices
2 large ripe tomatoes, sliced to the same number as eggplant slices
about 1/3 lb fontina cheese thinly sliced
1/3 cup toasted hazelnut pesto, or other pesto
1 Tbsp olive oil and 1 Tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, minced
8 oz baby greens - kale, spinach and arugula mix, used here
juice of 1/4 lemon
handful of chives

Heat a grill.  Spray the eggplant slices with a bit of oil and grill over medium heat for about 5 minutes per side.  Grill until nicely browned, but still firm enough to hold their shape.  Remove the eggplant slices to 2 jelly roll baking pans.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in the oil in a large skillet that has a cover.  Sauté the garlic for about 1-2 minutes, and then tip in the baby greens.  Toss with the garlic oil and cover.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes, until the greens begin to wilt.  Remove the cover and continue cooking until the greens have released all their water.  Salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat when the leaves are all dark green and are cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.  Sprinkle with lemon juice.

Heat oven to 375F.  Assemble the pockets by first painting about a teaspoon of pesto on each eggplant slice.  Then lay a few slices of cheese on the fat end of the eggplant.  Top with 1-2 tablespoons greens and then a tomato slice.  Lay a few chives over the tomato and fold the other flap of eggplant over the tomato.

Bake eggplant pockets for about 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the tomato is heated through.

Makes 10-12 pieces, enough to serve 4.

Maple Teriyaki Salmon on Dumplings

Memorial Day is a traditional day for grilling - so grill... fish.  And salmon is one of the best fish for grilling, so long as you are willing to lay it on the grill and walk away for a bit.  Don't mess around with it as it cooks or it will break apart.  It'll take a good 4-5 minutes before it's ready to release from the grill and be flipped.  Patience, Luke.
1.5 lb skinless salmon fillets, cut into four portions
2 dozen frozen pot sticker dumplings, vegetable or shrimp filled
About 4 cups baby spinach, or 1 cup frozen
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp nam pla, Thai fish sauce
2 Tbsp chopped chives

Marinade:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup pale dry sherry
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1 Tbsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-inch fresh ginger, minced
2 Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar (e.g. Marukan)

Whisk together the marinade and marinate the salmon for an hour.  A zip-lock bag works the best because it envelops the fillets with marinade, but a shallow dish, just big enough to hold the salmon will work as well.  Turn the fillets often.

Heat a grill.  Meanwhile, sauté the pot stickers in a non-stick skillet, in a bit of oil to brown them slightly.  Set them aside and add the spinach to the same skillet.  Wilt the spinach and let it release all its water.  Add the garlic and allow to cook for about 2 minutes.  Stir in the nam pla and return the pot stickers to the skillet.  Reheat the stickers, mixing well with the spinach.

Now grill the salmon, over a medium-high heat.  Spray or otherwise brush oil on the fillets and lay them down on the grill.  Allow them to cook for 4-5 minutes on one side without moving or disturbing them.  Trying to move salmon on a grill before it has seared the side can result in a crumbly disaster!  Oil the top side of the fillets.  When the salmon releases naturally and easily from the grill, flip the fillets and cook the other side another minute or two, until just cooked through.

Serve the salmon atop some pot stickers, and sprinkle with chives.  Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  If you would like a sauce, you can microwave the marinade, mixed with about 1/4 cup water in the microwave.  Be sure to bring to a full boil, to make sure the sauce has cooked through, since it had the raw fish in it.  Otherwise, you can make a second batch of marinade with the added water and heat that up.

Rigatoni with Kale, Leek and Pecans

1/2 lb Rigatoni pasta
1 leek, cleaned and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1 large bunch fresh kale, trimmed of stems and chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp dried cranberries
1/2 lb rigatoni or ziti

Heat a medium pot of water to boiling for pasta.

Meanwhile, heat about two tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet.  Sauté the leek for about 8-10 minutes, until softened and beginning to brown.  Add the garlic and pecans and cook another two minutes.  Place the kale on top of the leek and add the wine and broth.  Cover and cook down about five minutes. 

When water is at a boil, salt well and. Cook pasta until al dente, stirring often.

While pasta cooks, salt and pepper kale to taste, and toss well.  Cover and cook a second  five minutes.  Drain the pasta and add to the kale along with the cranberries.  Toss and pour into a serving bowl.

Serves four.

Tom Ka Gai

1 large chicken breast half, cut into small bite-sized strips
6 oz smoked tofu, thinly sliced
1 quart chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
1 medium onion, sliced
1 red bird, Seranno or jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1 Tbsp nam pla, Thai fish sauce
1/3 cup dried shiitake mushrooms
1 crown broccoli, cut into small pieces, about 2 cups
1 cob corn, kernels sliced off, or ~ 1/3 cup corn kernels
1 lime cut into eight wedges

First, rehydrate the mushrooms in a medium bowl of hot water.  Toss them about as they soak two to three times over the course of about 15 minutes.

Heat a bit of canola oil in a soup pot and sauté the onion and pepper for about 8-10 minutes, until the onions soften and begin to take a bit of color.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Remove to a small bowl.  In the same pot, brown the chicken for about 3-4 minutes, adding a dash more oil if needed. 

Drain the mushrooms and slice coarsely.  Add the broth, coconut milk, nam pla, mushrooms and tofu to the pot.  Return the onion mixture to the pot.  Bring to a boil and stir in the broccoli and the corn. Return to a boil, stir and remove from heat.  Allow soup to sit about 2-3 minutes.  Serve soup in bowls, topped with cilantro leaves, and sprinkled with the juice of a few lime wedges. 

Serves four.

Curried Goat

Goats eat everything, but not everyone eats goats.  Unless, that is, if you love Indian curries and eat at Sitar India, a restaurant in University City, Philadelphia.  Serving the UPenn/Drexel cosmopolitan community, it hosts a fantastic and varied buffet which includes curried goat.  Then you might try it.  My wife did, thinking it was lamb and she loved it.  I'm not saying I've captured the depth of their curry flavors, but this is a fairly good, and delicious, reverse-engineered facsimile.  Give it a try if you can find goat in a store near you - this was imported frozen from Australia.

2 lb goat,  cut into 2-inch cubes

1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red chili (or jalapeño) pepper, sliced
1 can diced tomatoes, strained, liquid reserved
1-2 cups water

1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp powdered fenugreek
1 tsp turmeric
1 stick cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 375F.  First toast the spices but heating the cumin, fennel and coriander seeds over medium heat in a dry skillet, for just a few minutes.  Toast only until you can smell the fragrance evolve as the seeds toast.  But be careful not to burn the seeds.  Trip the seeds into a grinder (I dedicate a coffee grinder for grinding spices, so I never cross-contaminate my coffee!) grind the spices together.

Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large oven-going Dutch oven.  Brown the goat in 2-3 batches, keeping the pieces separated to brown well.  Set goat pieces aside in a bowl.

Add a bit more oil to the Dutch oven and add the onions.  Let them soften and begin to brown, for about 8-10 minutes.  Add the spices, chili pepper and garlic to the onions and cook to meld the flavors for another five minutes.  Turn the heat up and add the drained tomatoes, adding a bit more oil if necessary, to allow the tomatoes to caramelize a bit.

Return the goat to the pot and add the reserved tomato liquid and salt to taste.  Add enough water, only  just enough to nearly cover the goat.  Stir well and bring to a boil.  Cover and bake for an hour.  Stir the goat and add a bit more water if necessary.  Cover and bake another hour.

Serve with mashed potatoes and leek, if you like.  Serves 4.

Mashed Potatoes with Leek and Dill

About 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 leek, cleaned and diced
1/3 cup light cream or half & half
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp dried dill weed

Place potatoes and leek in a pot and cover them with cold water.  Place on stove and bring to a boil.  Add about a teaspoon of salt and bring to a simmer.  Cook until just tender to a sharp knife.  Drain potatoes.  Add the cream, butter and dill and mash the potatoes to your liking.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4 as a side dish.

Cook's Note:  You can also do the same thing with sweet potatoes for a fantastic, unique dish.

Deconstructed Malaysian Fish Curry

Recently I met an old friend in Singapore who now lives in Malaysia.  He kindly greeted me with a handful of Malaysian curry pastes, which I subsequently reveled in, Stateside.  After a while, I was getting the sense that many of the curries I was making began to look and feel similar.  So on a whim, I decided once to keep everything separate and found the individual flavors and textures of the dish were heightened, even with a generous slathering of the spicy curry paste, prepared as a sauce.
2 large tilapia fillets, cut in half; enough for 4 portions

1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup Malaysian fish curry paste
1 cup chicken broth or water

2 cups green beans
1 orange pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1/4 head cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cumin seeds

In a small sauce pan, sauté the onion in a little canola oil, for about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.  Add the tomatoes and bring the heat up to high.  Cook the veggies for another 5 minutes or so, until the tomatoes release their liquid and begin to caramelize.  Add the curry paste and the broth and stir well.  Reduce to a low simmer.

Meanwhile, sauté the green beans, peppers, cabbage, pepper flakes and cumin seeds in a large skillet, in a bit of canola oil (I also ad a pad of butter for flavor). Cook only until just crisp-tender, about 6-8 minutes.

While to veggies are cooking, heat a tablespoon each of canola oil and butter in a large non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat.  Add the tilapia and brown the first side for about 3-5 minutes.  Carefully flip the fish and cook the other side through for another 3-5 minutes.

Plate the fish and vegetables, ideally next to a bit of rice.  Spoon some curry sauce on top of the fish. Garnish with lime slices.

Serves 4.

Singapore River

Gratin of Onion and Cabbage

A buttery, bread-crumberly, cheesy baked anything would be good.  As Mark Bittman would say - shoe leather would taste good this way.   I love gratins.

Don't let cabbage fool you - and don't let others fool you about cabbage.  There's a reason it is a vegetable that has lasted the tests of time...  Saute it briefly, to lighten it, but not to expose those nasty sulfurous compounds (sorry - the chemist comes out in me), and you will have a sweet, but toothy-crunchy vegetable full of fiber and nutrition.
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 large cabbage, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 cup shredded carrot
2 cloves garlic
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup half and half
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
dash salt (about 1/4 tsp) and freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp nutmeg - or equivalent, freshly minced
1 cup grated cheese (mix of Stilton and Canadian Cheddar - or your choice)
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350F.  Heat oil and butter in a large skillet, and sauté the cabbage, onion, carrot and garlic over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the veggies soften and begin to sweeten. 

In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, half and half, red pepper, salt and nutmeg. Stir in the veggies and then the grated cheese.  Tip veggie mixture into an oiled 1-1/2 quart casserole, and spread out evenly.  In a small bowl, toss together the Parmesan, bread crumbs and oil.  Top the veggies with the crumb mixture.  Bake about 30 minutes, until bubbly and browned.

Serves 4-6 as a side dish.

Beef Barley Stew

1/4 lb apple-smoked bacon, diced
2 lb chuck beef stew, cut into 2/1-inch pieces
1/3 cup barely
10 oz fresh mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 lb pkg frozen pearl onions, defrosted
1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch matchsticks
2 cups very small baby carrots
1 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 cup white wine
1 cup red wine

Preheat oven to 375F.  Heat a bit of canola oil in a large Dutch oven. Brown the bacon and remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl when cooked.  Brown the beef in the Dutch oven, in at least two batches, so you don't crowd the beef in the pot.  Set the beef aside in the bowl with the bacon after it is browned.  Next, toss the pearl onions into the Dutch oven and allow them to brown, about 5 minutes.  Add the parsnips and carrots to the onions and cook another 8-10 minutes, to soften and sweeten a bit. Add the garlic and rosemary and allow to cook another minute or two.

 

While the veggies are cooking, sauté the mushrooms in a large skillet over high heat in a bit of olive oil. Allow them to release their liquid, and to brown a bit, about 10 minutes.

Now add the wines to the veggies and bring to a boil.  Add the meat, mushrooms and barley to the Dutch oven.  Add a bit of water if necessary, to just about cover the beef stew. Season with salt and pepper and return to a boil.  Stir the stew, cover the Dutch oven and place in the oven.  Cook an hour.  Check the stew and add a bit of water if necessary.  Stir the stew, re-cover and cook another hour in the oven.  Check the stew again; the beef should be very soft and split apart with a fork.  If not, cook another 30 minutes or so.

Serves 6.

Pollan-Moss Chick Pea Soup with Chorizo and Fresh Tomato

I recently read an article in the New York Times by food authorities  Michael Pollan and Michael Moss, who shopped in NYC and then cooked lunch together.  Pollan's dish was a simple chick pea soup, which inspired me for a quick weeknight meal.  I jazzed it up with chorizo and fresh tomato and thyme, but kept the essence of fresh lemon juice before serving, as per the original dish.  He served it with Moss' pizza, but we just served it with crusty bread, for a wholesome meal. I will serve this to our daughter who loves chick peas, upon her return from Spain, as she will miss the wonderful spiced sausages for sure.

1 medium onion, or 2 shallots, sliced

1 cup chopped carrots
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
 2 Tbsp chopped chives
2 cloves garlic, sliced
6-8 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/4 tsp dried
2 cans chick peas, drained
2 cups broth (chicken or veggie)
6 oz. chorizo (meat or veggie), crumbled
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 large ripe tomato, diced

Heat a tablespoon olive oil in a soup pot and sauté the carrots, onion, chive and jalapeño pepper. Let veggies caramelize over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.  Add the thyme and garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and the broth and bring to a boil.  Stir, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 30-45 minutes, until the chick peas are nice and tender.  Salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, heat a bit of olive oil in a non-stick skillet and brown the chorizo slowly over medium heat.  Set aside when browned. When ready to serve, stir the lemon juice into the soup and remove from the heat.

 

Now assemble the soup.  Ladle some of the chickpea mixture into four wide shallow bowls.  Sprinkle the chorizo about the bowls of soup, to taste.  Top the soup with the fresh tomato and garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note: A major success factor of this soup is the broth you use.  There are lots of great broths these days you can buy, both meat based and vegetable based. But I still try to keep homemade stocks frozen for soups like this, and here I used my own chicken broth that I had frozen.  So you see I am an omnivore like Pollan, but you could also use a mushroom or vegetable broth as well.

I'm always searching for good vegetarian protein, so I love tofu (fresh, smoked, pressed) and I try all kinds of veggie burgers, sausages, etc.  Here, I used vegetarian chorizo (Trader Joe's), which we find delicious.  I'm not claiming its the same as fresh chorizo sausage, but is a nice vegetarian alternative. I say that because many 'fake meats' in my opinion really are not great - you have to be careful and search out good ones. It may take some experimentation.  I think Michael Pollen would weigh in that if it does not look like food, don't eat it.  But does real chorizo look any more like food than vegetarian chorizo?! Both are processed, but which is better?  You choose.

To honor Michael Pollen's simplicity, and thank him for the inspiration, I left the chorizo out in the serving below, which was absolutely light and delicious.

Shrimp Enchiladas Suizas

It's Cinco de Mayo, so enjoy Mexican fare.  Enchiladas Suizas are enchiladas with a creamy, cheesy sauce.  Apparently derived from Swiss emigrants to Mexico, who produced dairy, Enchiladas Suizas are commonly filled with chicken.  But fish and seafood are increasingly popular in tacos and enchiladas, so I used shrimp here.

4 8-inch flour tortillas
1 lb large shrimp, peeled
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp Spanish Pimenton, smoked paprika
1 red pepper, sliced
1 yellow pepper, sliced
1 jalapeño pepper, diced
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, inched
1/2 lb pepper jack cheese, grated
Palmful cilantro leaves, chopped
1 lime quartered

Enchilada Suizas sauce:
1 cup salsa verde
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup light cream or half and half
1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp cold water

Heat a bit of olive oil in a large skillet.  Toss in the red and yellow peppers and the onion.  sate over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes.  Add the jalapeno and garlic and cook another 2 minutes. 

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce my mixing the salsa, broth and cream in a small saucepan.  Bring just to a boil, whisking from time to time.  Dissolve the cornstarch in the water and whisk into the boiling liquid.  Cook until thickened.  Remove from heat and cover.

Dry the shrimp by patting with a pepper towel.  Toss the shrimp with the chili powder and paprika in a bowl.  Heat a bit of canola oil over high heat in a large skillet.  Toss in the shrimp and shake gently to distribute the shrimp.  Allow shrimp to sizzle for about a minute, until the first side is browned.  Using tongs, flip shrimp and cook for another minute or two on the other side.  The total cooking time should be about 3-4 minutes for the shrimp.

Now heat your broiler.  Assemble your enchiladas by dividing the veggie mixture and shrimp evenly, one one half of each of the four tortillas.  Roll the enchiladas and place in a 13x9 casserole.  Spread cheese on top of enchiladas and broil for about 2-3 minutes, to melt the cheese.  Take care to let the cheese bubble and slightly brown but not to burn.  Top with the enchilada sauce and plate each enchilada.  Top enchiladas with chopped cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.

Serves four.

 Cook's Note:  While corn tortillas are common for enchiladas, I really like soft flour tortillas, especially flavored with peppers.  So here I used Trader Joe's Habanero-Lime flour torillas.  But you can certainly use corn tortillas.  You can also enrich the creaminess of the sauce by adding a few tablespoons of sour cream if you like.

Pasta with Roasted Red Pepper and Eggplant

Roast some red peppers; they are sweet and delicious. Go ahead and char 'em, burn 'em, sear 'em.  Its fun with flames - what guy wouldn't love it? You can use a gas stove (my favorite) or a gas grill (my second favorite) or an oven and broiler (last ditch effort if gas not available). I used red and yellow peppers here. I wouldn't use green, as they have a decidedly different taste than red, yellow and orange peppers.

And they're good for you - full of carotenoids and antioxidants.  Too bad most of the vitamin C is probably degraded with roasting.  Oh well, such a rich flavor roasting imparts...  Fresh thyme is really a great pairing for roasted red peppers - seek it out if not in your garden - its worth it.

1/2 lb large pasta such as Rigatoni

1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/2-inch slices
1 red pepper
1 orange pepper
1 large jalapeño pepper
1/2 cup roasted pepper sauce (see Cook's Note)
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1/4 tsp dried
1/4 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese

Heat a gas grill.  Place the red, yellow and jalapeño peppers on the grill.  The plan is to blacken their skins. So allow them to roast, turning them every 3-4 minutes or so, until they blacken evenly.  Meanwhile spray or brush the eggplants with a bit of olive oil. Place eggplant slices on another section of the grill and allow them to brown slightly, about 3-5 minutes.  Turn them 90-degrees to get criss-cross grill marks.  Cook another 2-3 minutes.  Flip the eggplants and cook them on the other side in the same fashion, until the slices are nicely browned and cooked through.  Remove eggplant to a platter.  The pepper should require at least twice as long to blacken.

When the peppers are well roasted, place them in a paper bag and fold it closed, or in a bowl sealed with plastic wrap.  Allow the peppers to steam for about 5 minutes, and then remove them when they are cool enough to handle, and gently pull the blackened skin off of them.  Seed and slice the peppers.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil for the pasta.  Cook the pasta until al dente.  When the pasta is cooked, drain and return into pot.  Add the pepper sauce, stir together, and then add 3/4 of the peppers and the eggplant.  Gently fold the veggies and pasta together.  Tip pasta into a serving dish.  Top pasta with remaining pepper and eggplant, and then the thyme and the grated cheese. Serve with extra virgin olive oil on the side, and some crusty bread.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note: Fast Weeknight dish - to save a whole lot of time, you can use a 12-oz jar or fire roasted red and yellow peppers, instead of roasting your own peppers.  Add a dash of red pepper flakes, or some jarred jalapeño to add the heat. There are a lot of sauces which would work well here, the idea being to emphasize the peppers with a pepper-based sauce like Trader Joe's Roasted Red Pepper Spread with Eggplant and Garlic, or Romesco Sauce (9-26-12), or Yellow Pepper Pistachio Pesto (1-29-13).  But any nice pesto would work.