Eggplants Are Wonderful Things

Baba Ganouj (Eggplant Dip)
1 globe eggplant or 2-3 Japanese eggplant (This is what I use)
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2-3 Tbsp roasted tahini (sesame paste, I find it in the Jewish food section in a sealed can)
1-2 garlic cloves (more or less depending on taste preference)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice of one lemon - about 2 1/2 tablespoons
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 Tbsp chopped parsley

Cut your eggplant in half, poke the skin with a fork a couple of times through the skin. Oil the eggplant and place it cut side down on a tinfoil lined sheet. Bake at 400o for about 25 minutes for the smaller eggplant or about 40 for the large. Remove and let sit for about 15 min. 

While you wait for the eggplant to cool, add garlic and parsley to the food processor or mince it by had very small creaming the garlic with the knife. Add the tahini, cumin, salt and pepper to the garlic and parsley mixture. 

Scoop the eggplant carefully from the skin and spoon it into the food processor. Discard skins and then pulse the eggplant with all the spices and tahini, adding the lemon and olive oil in to make it smooth and creamy. Spoon out your eggplant dip into a pretty bowl and top with plastic wrap smooshed down onto the mixture so it doesn't create a skin. Chill in the fridge if you like it cold. Me personally, I like it at room temp with an extra drizzle of olive oil a sprinkling of cumin or cayenne. I love to serve this with kalamata olives, picholine olives, pine nuts, bell pepper, snap peas, cauliflower, apricots, cucumber and pita bread/gf bread. 

 

Eggplant Lasagna
1 large eggplant, sliced in 8 slices 
or
2 Japanese eggplants, cut lengthwise into thin strips (You can get about 3 from each one)
1/2 cup wilted spinach
1/2 cup cooked chopped mushrooms
Salt and Pepper
4 Large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup pesto (store bought it fine, but I have a great recipe HERE)
2 1/2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs or GF blend like Ian's panko
6 tbsp lite olive oil
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup Romano or Parmesan cheese
1 cup prepared marinara sauce ( I love bertolli)

Season the eggplant with salt and pepper. In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs and 4 tablespoons pesto. Pour the bread crumbs onto a large plate. Dip each eggplant slice into the egg mixture, then coat with the bread crumbs. 

 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees ;. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the eggplant until golden, 2 minutes on each side, using the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil. Transfer the eggplant to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet. 

 
Chop mushroom and add both spinach and mushroom to a saute plan and cook together till softened. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, chopped mushroom, spinach and 3 tablespoons pecorino-romano; season with salt and pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon of the remaining pesto on each eggplant slice and top with about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture. Roll up each slice. Place rolls in a baking pan that has tomato sauce on the bottom. Bake until the eggplant is tender when pierced with a toothpick, about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat remaining sauce to a simmer if you want. Serve with an arugula salad or some sauteed broccolini. 

Curry Oooolala!

I love me a good curry. I usually prefer Thai curry, but Indian curry has started to really grow on me. I love the spices, I love the aroma and the easy way it can be made once you just get the hang of the spice mixture. It's so so easy to make at home. 
I prefer to use an electric skillet to make my curry because it tends to contain the spice smell and then when I'm done cooking it, I can take the skillet outside. If you love your house to smell like warm lovely spices for a week then by all means cook directly on your stove top. I'm just being real!

Here is an EASY PEESY beginner curry

Butter Chicken with Veg

For chicken & marinade: Place everything in a plastic bag and let chicken sit in fridge 24hrs
2lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in 1" - 2" cubes
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp kosher salt

For sauce:
2 tbsp cup vegetable oil or coconut oil
1 cups chopped onion (I do thin slices)
2 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
2 tbsp garam masala
2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste
2 cups no-salt-added canned crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup golden raisins
2 tbsp butter cut into small cubes
     Mixed veggies like sliced tomato, potato, carrot, cauliflower, zucchini
Chopped cilantro
Plain Yogurt

Heat oil over medium heat in a large saucepan or dutch oven. Add onions and slowly cook until golden, about 20 minutes, reducing heat if they are getting crispy or browning quickly.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in garam masala, paprika, cinnamon and salt; cook 1 minute more. Add tomatoes; cook 2 minutes. At this point I add this sauce mixture to the blender or use my immersion blender and make it smooth. 

Add chicken to the skillet with a little bit of oil and brown on all sides. Add sauce back into the chicken and simmer until the chicken is completely cooked through. As I add the chicken in, I also choose to add veggies. Some like to just steam veggies which is fine, but my family prefers the veggies cooked with the chicken and in the sauce, it's up to you. I add small potatoes, zucchini, cauliflower, carrot and golden raisins. Do not boil the sauce, just keep it at a gentle simmer. 

When the veg it tender and the chicken is fully cooked, top with butter slices and let it melt in. You can also stir in some yogurt or serve it along the side and a sprinkle of cilantro. Enjoy!

Indian Smashed Potatoes with Mint Coriander Chutney
Red, white or any variety of small potato
1 metal spatula or the back of a metal measuring cup
Coconut oil or canola oil for, very little 
    seasoning mixture:
                          course salt
                          curry powder
                          garam masala

In a non stick pan, add potatoes and cover the bottom with water. Cover potatoes with a lid, leaving a little corner open to steam. Cook on high to a rolling simmer until all the water has evaporated. The potatoes should be tender when a knife is inserted into them, but not mushy. Remove potatoes to a plate and heat the skillet on medium high adding coconut or canola oil. Add potatoes back to pot, use the back of your spatula or measuring cup and lightly smash each potato carefully not to break the potatoes. Sprinkle with seasoning mixture and roast them in the pan until they are browned. Serve with chutney and a little yogurt sauce seasoned with lime or lemon. 
                         


Chutney
1 cup fresh chopped mint leaves
1 cup fresh chopped coriander/cilantro leaves
1 green chilli ( add more chillies if you want the chutney to be spicy)
1/2 inch ginger
1 tsp cumin powder
1 or 2 tbsp lemon juice
salt or black salt or rock salt

Mix everything into a blender or immersion blender and keep in an airtight container. 






 
Check out some of my other recipes here

http://keepitinthepantry.blogspot.com/2015/02/sweet-spicy.html

Feeling Hawaiian?

I've had a Hawaiian moment today. I figure if I can't get there then I'll bring it to me. Are you in love with Dole Whip? We are!

I was going through some recipe books to see which ones I would donate and I came across the Dole Plantation cook book. Holy hannah it brought back memories. My most beloved recipe next to pina colada cole slaw mmmhmmm, is the dole whip. Try it and love it and don't be mad that it's full of sugar, I can't change it!

Homemade Dole Whip
1 (16oz) bag of frozen Dole Pineapple Chunks
4 cups vanilla ice cream
1 tsp lime juice
1 tsp lemon juice
12oz pineapple juice


Puree frozen pineapple in a blender. It works best if it is about halfway thawed. To that, add the ice cream, lime juice, lemon juice, and half (6oz) of the pineapple juice. Blend together until it is well mixed. Freeze the mixture for about 2 hours to set up. Scoop into glasses or bowls and pour the remaining pineapple juice over each serving. We found it made about 3 servings, but you can easily double or cut the recipe in half.

Pina Colada Coleslaw
1 large bag of coleslaw mix (or 5 cups shredded cabbage)
1 large carrot, shredded
1 cup crushed pineapple (canned)
1/4 cup coconut (I use unsweetened)
1/4 cup raisins
1 cup mayo
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts or almonds

 Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix mayo and crushed pineapple together. Sprinkle veg with salt and then dress with mayo/pineapple and add macadamia nuts.


 
Over at thedailymail.com they have a wonderful recipe for fish. It's light and fresh tasting and it's really easy to put together. I hope you try it.

Macadamia Nut Crushed White Fish

4 fish fillets, I like halibut, but you can use whichever fish you like
1 1/4 cup  macadamia nuts
1/2 cup  panko bread crumbs (gluten free van's is a good choice)
2 cups  coconut milk
1  lime, juiced    

salt and pepper to taste

Salsa  

1 1/2 cup  diced mango
1 1/2 cup  diced pineapple
1/4 cup  chopped red onion
2 tablespoons  chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon  rice vinegar
1 tablespoon  lemon juice
1 tablespoon  chopped jalapeno pepper (optional) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease or cover a large baking sheet with foil. Add the nuts and bread crumbs into a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely crushed. Pour the mixture into a shallow bowl. 
Pour the milk into a separate shallow bowl. Dip each fillet into the milk and then dip into the nut and bread crumb mixture. Place on the baking sheet. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top of each piece of fish. Drizzle some of the fresh lime juice over each fillet. Spray the top of each piece with cooking spray. Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until a light golden brown.  




Poly Mac Salad
2  cups cooked macaroni, drained, rinsed, cooled (I used a gluten free quinoa pasta that had been chilled for a couple of hours, it has the traditional texture you're looking for)
1/4 cup celery, chopped small to medium size
1 medium carrots large shreds
*1/4 cup onion, minced
1/3 to 1/2 cup mayonnaise
2  teaspoons splenda
2  teaspoons white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon dried mustard
pepper and paprika to taste


Combine all macaroni salad ingredients, using about 1/3 cup of mayonnaise and stir well.  Add a little more mayonnaise, is necessary.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Cover and chill for several hours before serving.  Makes 4-6 servings of macaroni salad.

*Soak your onions in water while you're assembling all the other ingredients. This takes the sharp and bitter flavor from them. Simply drain and toss them in.

The Deep South

Hot Jambalaya anyone?

Jambalaya originated in southern Louisiana by the Cajuns around the bayou where food was scarce, as opposed to the richer part of Louisiana.

The word is said to be a compound word of Jambon from the French meaning ham, and Aya meaning rice in African, as there were many slaves in the Louisiana at the time.

Common belief is that it originated from the Spanish Paella, which has also transformed in the United States to a dish called Spanish Rice. Jambalaya is a bit different many times as it incorporates seafood , ham, link sausage rounds and chicken, although it doesn't have to have all those ingredients. 

Food is life in Louisiana and the deep south. Their culinary exploits are what make up their national identity. While there are many ways of making this time honored dish, you'll hear the "experts" claim a their own way. But remember all versions are delicious, and one is about as authentic as another. So the next time you hear somebody declare dogmatically that a proper jambalaya always has to contain such-and-such, you can either roll your eyes and keep your own counsel or you can hold up your hand and say, “Not so fast there, my friend.”

Jambalaya

2 tablespoons oil

1 large onion, chopped 

1 green bell pepper, chopped

8 green onions, chopped 

1 clove garlic smashed 

2 celery ribs, chopped 

1 package of beef kielbasa

6 chicken thighs with rib meat (or you could do 2 bone in breasts)

1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2-1 tablespoon creole seasoning. I used Tony Chachere's Hot creole blend

5 cups water
2 cups rice

Brown sausage in pan on medium until they are browned, then add chicken into the sausage fat and brown on both side. Remove and set aside. Saute onion and pepper in oil for about 5 minutes on medium. Add green onion and garlic and celery and coat with oil and other veg. Lay chicken back on top with sausage. Mix creole seasoning into tomato sauce and then pour mixture over everything. Add water and rice and stir making sure the rice is covered by the water. Cook on medium/low until rice is tender and chicken is fully cooked, usually about 45 minutes.

You can also use a traditional creole seasoning blend in place of the Tony Chacere's. You can store this blend for up to a year, to extend it's life put it in the fridge.

Creole Seasoning Blend
2 T each
          Onion powder
          Garlic powder
          Dried Oregano
          Dried Basil
1 T each
          Dried Thyme
          Black Pepper
          White Pepper
          Cayenne Pepper
5 T Paprika

3 T Salt 

This recipe comes from catholiccuisine. It's such a classic and yummy treat. You can cut the shrimp small and use it as a dip for crackers or serve high up on rice. It's really versatile and you'll really love it.

Shrimp Remoulade Salad 

2lbs cooked shrimp

1 1/2 cup mayo

1/4 cup celery chopped fine

2 tbsp garlic minced

1/2 cup green onion chopped fine

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup parsley chopped

1/4 cup creole mustard

1/2 cup ketchup 

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp paprika

salt and pepper to taste

Mix your remoulade sauce ingredients together and toss with your shrimp. Pile them up high on your favorite greens, with a lemon wedge dipped into some creole seasoning. 

As a child, one of my favorite things was that famous red and white with the gold seal label condensed soup. Chicken gumbo was by far my favorite soup. I always figured it was kind of complicated to make so I just never did. This recipe below is one of the closest to that childhood favorite. It's pretty easy too! I did modify it slightly to meat my needs, so I hope those people over at copykat don't mind.

Chicken Gumbo Soup

2 whole, boned chicken breasts (cut into 1/2" strips)
         Cornstarch for dredging chicken 
6 strips of bacon, cut into 1" pieces
2 tablespoon coconut oil
4 cup chicken broth (gluten free)
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 1/2 cup frozen or fresh okra
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 stalk of celery, chopped
1/3 cup instant rice
5 cup water
Seasonings: hot pepper sauce, black pepper, Cajun spices, and parsley

In a large pot, fry the bacon. Remove the bacon and set aside. Discard bacon drippings, but don't clean the pot. Add your coconut oil or whatever oil works best for you. Dredge the chicken in corn starch and brown them in the pot. This may have to be done in several batches. Pour the chicken broth over browned chicken and simmer. Add all remaining ingredients, but save the rice for a bit later and simmer for 30 minutes. Once the veg is soft, add the rice. The okra will thicken the soup, but if it's not as thick as you want, just keep simmering until it's cooked down a bit. Taste and season before serving. You may add the bacon to the soup, if desired, but I didn't.

• 1½ Cup Mayonnaise
• ¼ Cup Celery (chopped fine)
• 2 Tablespoon Garlic (minced through a garlic press)
• ½ Cup Green Onions (chopped fine)
• ½ Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
• ¼ Cup Parsley (chopped fine)
• ½ Cup Creole Mustard (I used TABASCO Coarse Ground Mustard)
• ½ Cup Ketchup
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
• ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon Paprika
• Salt & pepper to taste

In a glass bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours so all of the flavors meld.
- See more at: http://www.batonrougeliving.org/crawfish-salad/#sthash.P4pNvG1y.dpuf

• 1½ Cup Mayonnaise
• ¼ Cup Celery (chopped fine)
• 2 Tablespoon Garlic (minced through a garlic press)
• ½ Cup Green Onions (chopped fine)
• ½ Teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
• ¼ Cup Parsley (chopped fine)
• ½ Cup Creole Mustard (I used TABASCO Coarse Ground Mustard)
• ½ Cup Ketchup
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire
• ¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• ¼ Teaspoon Paprika
• Salt & pepper to taste

In a glass bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours so all of the flavors meld.
- See more at: http://www.batonrougeliving.org/crawfish-salad/#sthash.P4pNvG1y.dpuf