Thursday, August 21, 2008
Chinese Stuffed Eggplant
Armenian Cucumber and Tomato Salad
This salad was simply dressed with balsamic vinegar and salt. There really is something to be said for letting the true flavor of these organic, farm-fresh tomatoes shine through.
Stuffed Eggplant
This is a recipe I learned from our friend, F. My version was not exactly the same as his, but it was tasty.
Meat Mixture:
-1/2 lb ground turkey
-1 egg
-1 tb cornstarch
-salt, to taste
-4 scallions, finely chopped
-1 inch nub ginger, grated
-4 Japanese eggplant
Sauce:
-1/4 cup soy
-2 tb rice vinegar
-2 tb chili garlic sauce
-1 inch nub ginger, grated
-4 scallions, chopped
Mix together all the ingredients in the meat mixture and set aside. Cut the eggplant in coin shapes, alternating 1 cut all the way through the eggplant with 1 cut about 90% through the eggplant. This will leave you with little "coins" about 1/4 inch thick that open like a book. Fill the middle of the coins with the meat mixture to create a sandwich. Fry the meat filled coins in a single layer on both sides until browned. Fry in batches. Set aside. Add all of the fried coins back into the pan. Mix all of the sauce ingredients and pour over the coins. Cover and steam in the sauce for a few minutes. Serve.
Labels: Chinese, dinner recipes, eggplant, homemade, turkey
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Morrocan Christmas Dinner at Alexis' Parents' House
Every year Alexis' family chooses a different theme for Christmas dinner...and they spend all day cooking and drinking. The food always turns out delicious and this year was no different.
Homemade Bread (made by Alexis' dad) and Pan-fried Store-bought Naan
The Whole Meal
So colorful.
B'stilla
The picture above is before we dug into it with our fingers and the picture below is after. b'stilla is a classic Moroccan dish made of shredded chicken and egg layered in phyllo dough and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Alexis' mom made this version, but basically, you boil a chicken in a bunch of spices, including saffron. Then you pull the meat off and set aside. You reserve the cooking juices as stock and cook the beaten eggs in the broth and strain that. Then you mix together the chicken and egg mixture with more spices and layer it between sheets of phyllo that have been brushed with melted butter. You bake it on 350 for about 1/2 an hour, until golden brown, then you turn it over on a plate and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. Delicious.
Vegetarian Harira
Usually harira is made with lamb, but we'd been eating a lot of lamb, so we decided to make this version vegetarian and were pleasantly surprised that it was quite good. Harira is a stew made with lentils, chickpeas, and tomatos in a lemony, slightly spicy broth. We also thickened this with a bit of rice. It was perfect when sopped up with some of Alexis' dad's homemade bread.
Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemon
This dish epitomized Moroccan food, especially in looks. It was pretty tasty as well. Although next time I'd just use dark meat rather than the whole chicken, as the white meat was a little dry.
Cous Cous with Caramelized Onions and Toasted Pinenuts
Prawns in Chermoula
This was one of the stars of the night, made by Alexis' sister. This is also incredibly easy. You make the chermoula below, then toss the raw prawns in it to coat and sautee until just done, about 2 or 3 minutes. You could also use this chermoula on just about any protein.
Orange and Radish Salad
This beautiful salad consisted of equal parts fresh orange segments and thinly sliced radish, seasoned with salt and pepper.
Beet and Pomegranate Salad
This salad was made of 3boiled beets, peeled and cut into cubes, a couple of handfuls of fresh pomegranate seeds, 1/2 a thinly sliced red onion and a handful of chopped fresh cilantro. It was dressed in a vinaigrette made from lavender vinegar, olive oil and sweet-hot mustard.
Eggplant Tomato Relish
This is a classic Moroccan side dish.
Carrots with Lemon and Mint
These carrots were grown by Alexis' parents and were sweet and fresh tasting. The carrots were steamed until tender, then dressed in lemon juice, fresh chopped mint, salt and pepper.
Homemade Bread (made by Alexis' dad) and Pan-fried Store-bought Naan
The Whole Meal
So colorful.
B'stilla
The picture above is before we dug into it with our fingers and the picture below is after. b'stilla is a classic Moroccan dish made of shredded chicken and egg layered in phyllo dough and sprinkled with powdered sugar. Alexis' mom made this version, but basically, you boil a chicken in a bunch of spices, including saffron. Then you pull the meat off and set aside. You reserve the cooking juices as stock and cook the beaten eggs in the broth and strain that. Then you mix together the chicken and egg mixture with more spices and layer it between sheets of phyllo that have been brushed with melted butter. You bake it on 350 for about 1/2 an hour, until golden brown, then you turn it over on a plate and sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar. Delicious.
Vegetarian Harira
Usually harira is made with lamb, but we'd been eating a lot of lamb, so we decided to make this version vegetarian and were pleasantly surprised that it was quite good. Harira is a stew made with lentils, chickpeas, and tomatos in a lemony, slightly spicy broth. We also thickened this with a bit of rice. It was perfect when sopped up with some of Alexis' dad's homemade bread.
Chicken with Olives and Preserved Lemon
This dish epitomized Moroccan food, especially in looks. It was pretty tasty as well. Although next time I'd just use dark meat rather than the whole chicken, as the white meat was a little dry.
-1/4 preserved lemon, rinse, pulp discarded, peel cut in thin strips
-1 whole chicken, cut into parts
-1 onion, diced
-5 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 ts ground ginger
-1 1/2 ts ground cinnamon
-1 pinch saffron
-1 cup kalamata olives (the recipe called for green, but this is what we had and it was fine)
-2 bay leaves
-1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
-3 cups chicken broth
Brown the chicken pieces in some olive oil and set aside in a large baking dish. In the same pan add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add all of the other ingredients, except the browned chicken and cilantro, and cook for a few more minutes. Then pour the sauce over the chicken in the baking dish. Bake on 350 for about 1 and 1/2 hours, or until chicken is very tender. Remove the chicken pieces from the dish and set aside in a covered serving dish. Pour the sauce into a pan and reduce by half, stirring frequently. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the serving dish, then sprinkle with the fresh cilantro.
-1 whole chicken, cut into parts
-1 onion, diced
-5 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 ts ground ginger
-1 1/2 ts ground cinnamon
-1 pinch saffron
-1 cup kalamata olives (the recipe called for green, but this is what we had and it was fine)
-2 bay leaves
-1 handful fresh cilantro, chopped
-3 cups chicken broth
Brown the chicken pieces in some olive oil and set aside in a large baking dish. In the same pan add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Add all of the other ingredients, except the browned chicken and cilantro, and cook for a few more minutes. Then pour the sauce over the chicken in the baking dish. Bake on 350 for about 1 and 1/2 hours, or until chicken is very tender. Remove the chicken pieces from the dish and set aside in a covered serving dish. Pour the sauce into a pan and reduce by half, stirring frequently. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the serving dish, then sprinkle with the fresh cilantro.
Cous Cous with Caramelized Onions and Toasted Pinenuts
Prawns in Chermoula
This was one of the stars of the night, made by Alexis' sister. This is also incredibly easy. You make the chermoula below, then toss the raw prawns in it to coat and sautee until just done, about 2 or 3 minutes. You could also use this chermoula on just about any protein.
Chermoula
-1/2 preserved lemon, rinsed, pulp removed and roughly chopped
-3 cloves garlic
-1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves
-juice of 1/2 lemon
-large pinch of saffron
-1/2 ts paprika
-1/2 ts cumin
-1/4 ts cayenne
-1/4 cup olive oil
Put all the ingredients into the food processor and grind into a course paste.
-1/2 preserved lemon, rinsed, pulp removed and roughly chopped
-3 cloves garlic
-1 large handful fresh cilantro leaves
-juice of 1/2 lemon
-large pinch of saffron
-1/2 ts paprika
-1/2 ts cumin
-1/4 ts cayenne
-1/4 cup olive oil
Put all the ingredients into the food processor and grind into a course paste.
Orange and Radish Salad
This beautiful salad consisted of equal parts fresh orange segments and thinly sliced radish, seasoned with salt and pepper.
Beet and Pomegranate Salad
This salad was made of 3boiled beets, peeled and cut into cubes, a couple of handfuls of fresh pomegranate seeds, 1/2 a thinly sliced red onion and a handful of chopped fresh cilantro. It was dressed in a vinaigrette made from lavender vinegar, olive oil and sweet-hot mustard.
Eggplant Tomato Relish
This is a classic Moroccan side dish.
-1 eggplant, baked and diced
-3 tomatoes, diced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-3 tb olive oil
-juice of 1 lemon
-salt and pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients together and set aside to meld at room temperature. Eat on thick pieces of crusty bread.
-3 tomatoes, diced
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-3 tb olive oil
-juice of 1 lemon
-salt and pepper to taste
Mix all the ingredients together and set aside to meld at room temperature. Eat on thick pieces of crusty bread.
Carrots with Lemon and Mint
These carrots were grown by Alexis' parents and were sweet and fresh tasting. The carrots were steamed until tender, then dressed in lemon juice, fresh chopped mint, salt and pepper.
Labels: beets, carrot, chicken, dinner recipes, eggplant, homemade, salad, soup
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Lunch at Work
Leftover Kielbasa with Mustary Onions and Roasted Zuchinni and Eggplant
The keilbasa fared well in the re-heating, but the veggies were a bit mushy.
Leftover Tomato, Cucumber and Fennel Salad
These veggies all hold up well to a day or so of refrigeration with little softening.
Labels: eggplant, homemade, leftovers, lunch recipes, salad, sausage, zuchinni
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Dinner at Home
Avocado and Cucumber Salad
We're still enjoying the bounty of summer.
-1 ripe avocado, halved and cubed
-1 lemon cucumber, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
-1 mediterranean cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
-1 tb mustard
-1 2 ts balsamic vinegar
-1 ts olive oil
Mix together the mustard, vinegar and oil until emulsified. Pour over the cut veggies.
Season with salt and pepper.
-1 lemon cucumber, peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
-1 mediterranean cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
-1 tb mustard
-1 2 ts balsamic vinegar
-1 ts olive oil
Mix together the mustard, vinegar and oil until emulsified. Pour over the cut veggies.
Season with salt and pepper.
Rosemary Parmasean Roasted Eggplant and Zuchinni
Again, inspired by the farmer's market.
-2 small eggplant, diced
-2 large zuchinni, diced
-1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and minced
-1 ts garlic powder
-2 tb olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste
-1/3 cup grated parmasean
Toss the eggplant and zuchinni with all of the ingredients except the parmasean. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake on 375 for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. When veggies are soft and browned a bit, remove foil and sprinkle all of the parmasean over the veggies. Bake for a few more minutes.
-2 large zuchinni, diced
-1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and minced
-1 ts garlic powder
-2 tb olive oil
-salt and pepper to taste
-1/3 cup grated parmasean
Toss the eggplant and zuchinni with all of the ingredients except the parmasean. Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with foil and bake on 375 for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. When veggies are soft and browned a bit, remove foil and sprinkle all of the parmasean over the veggies. Bake for a few more minutes.
Kielbasa with Carmelized Mustard Onions
A simple and tasty weeknight entree. A bit tart, a bit sweet and very good.
-3 kielbasa, sliced
-1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
-3 tb grainy mustard
-2 tb apple cider vinegar
Sautee the onions over medium-low heat until carmelized. Stir the mustard and vinegar together until uniform. Pour over the onions and stir to combine. Add the kielbasa and sautee until heated through.
-1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced
-3 tb grainy mustard
-2 tb apple cider vinegar
Sautee the onions over medium-low heat until carmelized. Stir the mustard and vinegar together until uniform. Pour over the onions and stir to combine. Add the kielbasa and sautee until heated through.
Labels: dinner recipes, eggplant, homemade, salad, sausage, zuchinni
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Lunch at Work
Leftover Spinach, Egg and Parmasean Soup
This soup held up better than expected after a few days. Tasty and healthy.
Deviled Eggs
A very simply, sort of retro lunch. This version is kicked up with a healthy dose of dijon mustard.
-4 eggs, hard-boiled
-1 tb mayo
-1 tb dijon
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 ts hot paprika
-1 ts garlic powder
Halve the eggs and pop out the yolks. Mix the yolks with the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Spoon the yolk mixture back into the concave of the eggwhites. Sprinkle with paprika.
-1 tb mayo
-1 tb dijon
-salt and pepper to taste
-1 ts hot paprika
-1 ts garlic powder
Halve the eggs and pop out the yolks. Mix the yolks with the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Spoon the yolk mixture back into the concave of the eggwhites. Sprinkle with paprika.
Labels: eggplant, homemade, leftovers, lunch recipes, soup, spinach
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Dinner at a Friend's, Fremont, CA
We had dinner at F.'s house in Fremont tonight. He is Giao's old roommate, and he used to cook for Giao before Alexis did. In any case, he is slowly teaching Alexis some of the Chinese dishes that Giao loves. Last time it was wontons, this time, eggplant...
BBQed Scallops
Seasoned with salt and pepper and BBQed on the grill. We also made a nice little sauce with lime juice, olive oil and garlic to pour over the scallops after they were grilled.
Duck Feet with Wasabi
Cold and a very rubbery.
Spicy Beef and Carrot Stew
Made with Sichuan peppercorns that numb your tongue, this was quite tasty.
Steamed Sticky Rice with Peanuts, Chicken and Sausage
This sticky mass was interesting, if a bit bland.
Fried Eggplant with Pork
This was the star of the night. The eggplant just melts away in your mouth. Totally addictive. This was labor-intensive, but totally worth it.
Steamed Chicken
We forgot to take a picture of this until after we'd eaten it. So, here's the half eaten carcass.
BBQed Scallops
Seasoned with salt and pepper and BBQed on the grill. We also made a nice little sauce with lime juice, olive oil and garlic to pour over the scallops after they were grilled.
Duck Feet with Wasabi
Cold and a very rubbery.
Spicy Beef and Carrot Stew
Made with Sichuan peppercorns that numb your tongue, this was quite tasty.
Steamed Sticky Rice with Peanuts, Chicken and Sausage
This sticky mass was interesting, if a bit bland.
Fried Eggplant with Pork
This was the star of the night. The eggplant just melts away in your mouth. Totally addictive. This was labor-intensive, but totally worth it.
Eggplant:
-3 long, skinny eggplants, cut in semi-sliced coins
The method is to make every other slice only 5/6 of the way down, so you end up with "coins" that have a slit down the middle, kind of like a mini eggplant hot dog bun.
Meat:
-1/2 lb ground pork
-1" nub grated ginger
-2 tb cooking wine
-2 tb corn starch
Mix all ingredients thoroughly, then smoosh a chickpea-sized dollop of meat inside one of the eggplant coins.
Batter:
-1/2 cup cornstarch
-1/2 cup water
-2 eggs
Whisk until combined.
Sauce:
-3 scallions, thinly sliced
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-several pickled hot peppers, minced
-1" nub ginger, minced
-3 tb chili bean paste
-1 cube chicken bullion mixed with 1 cup water
Method:
After the eggplants coins are stuffed with the pork, as per the directions above, dip in the batter, then place in concentric circles in a pan with several tb of oil in it, over medium-low heat. When browned on one side, flip and fry until browned on the other, then set aside. In the same pan throw all of the ingredients for the sauce and sautee for a couple minutes. Then add the eggplant back into the sauce, cover and then simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour the whole thing into a big dish and eat right away.
The method is to make every other slice only 5/6 of the way down, so you end up with "coins" that have a slit down the middle, kind of like a mini eggplant hot dog bun.
Meat:
-1/2 lb ground pork
-1" nub grated ginger
-2 tb cooking wine
-2 tb corn starch
Mix all ingredients thoroughly, then smoosh a chickpea-sized dollop of meat inside one of the eggplant coins.
Batter:
-1/2 cup cornstarch
-1/2 cup water
-2 eggs
Whisk until combined.
Sauce:
-3 scallions, thinly sliced
-4 cloves garlic, minced
-several pickled hot peppers, minced
-1" nub ginger, minced
-3 tb chili bean paste
-1 cube chicken bullion mixed with 1 cup water
Method:
After the eggplants coins are stuffed with the pork, as per the directions above, dip in the batter, then place in concentric circles in a pan with several tb of oil in it, over medium-low heat. When browned on one side, flip and fry until browned on the other, then set aside. In the same pan throw all of the ingredients for the sauce and sautee for a couple minutes. Then add the eggplant back into the sauce, cover and then simmer for about 5 minutes. Pour the whole thing into a big dish and eat right away.
Steamed Chicken
We forgot to take a picture of this until after we'd eaten it. So, here's the half eaten carcass.
-4 scallions, thinly sliced
-2" nub of ginger, minced
-lots of salt
-3 tb cooking wine
Poke a whole chicken with the tip of a knive all over. Then rub all over, including the inside, with salt, scallions and ginger. Steam until done.
-2" nub of ginger, minced
-lots of salt
-3 tb cooking wine
Poke a whole chicken with the tip of a knive all over. Then rub all over, including the inside, with salt, scallions and ginger. Steam until done.
Labels: beef, chicken, Chinese, dinner recipes, eggplant, homemade
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Lunch at Home
Morrocan Chicken Soup
This was made in an attempt to use up some leftover stew. It was better than expected. Basically, I took what was leftover of the stew, separated out the chicken, diced it and set it aside. Then I added to cans of chicken broth to the stew, brought it to a boil, pureed it, and then added back in the diced chicken. The almonds gave the resulting soup a nice sweetness.
Labels: chicken, eggplant, homemade, leftovers, soup
Friday, March 23, 2007
Dinner at Home
Neither of us are particularly fond of eggplant, but we got one in our organic delivery box, so we had to figure out a good way to use it.
Morrocan Chicken Stew
This recipe was adapted from something Alexis found on Epicurious.com. It was pretty good. Nice and tangy.
Morrocan Chicken Stew
This recipe was adapted from something Alexis found on Epicurious.com. It was pretty good. Nice and tangy.
-6 chicken thighs
-1 eggplant, cubed
-6 tomatos, diced
-1 onion, diced
-10 cloves garlic, minced
-juice of 2 limes
-1 cup water
-1 ts each: turmeric, cumin, marjoram, fennel, coriander, paprika
-salt and pepper to taste
-1/2 cup chopped almonds
Spread the eggplant cubes on a cookie sheet. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake on 400 for 25 minutes, until soft and brown. At the same time, sautee onions and garlic over medium high heat in a bit of olive oil until brown, stirring constantly. Add the spices and sautee for another minute or so. Add the tomatos and water and bring to a boil. Add the chicken, reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is done. Add the eggplant and lime juice and simmer, uncovered, until a thick stew has formed. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.
-1 eggplant, cubed
-6 tomatos, diced
-1 onion, diced
-10 cloves garlic, minced
-juice of 2 limes
-1 cup water
-1 ts each: turmeric, cumin, marjoram, fennel, coriander, paprika
-salt and pepper to taste
-1/2 cup chopped almonds
Spread the eggplant cubes on a cookie sheet. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake on 400 for 25 minutes, until soft and brown. At the same time, sautee onions and garlic over medium high heat in a bit of olive oil until brown, stirring constantly. Add the spices and sautee for another minute or so. Add the tomatos and water and bring to a boil. Add the chicken, reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is done. Add the eggplant and lime juice and simmer, uncovered, until a thick stew has formed. Sprinkle with almonds and serve.
Labels: chicken, dinner recipes, eggplant, homemade
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