Nope, still green.
October 13, 2012
Nope, still green.
Month: October 2012
Tart and Spicy Chickpea & Lentil Salad
This dish comes together in a flash and makes a nice, light, refreshing weekday meal. Vaguely Indian, vaguely not – big on flavor and low on fat.
Tart and Spicy Chickpea & Lentil Salad
Inspired by Wacky Chana Chaat from Herbivoracious
Salad Base
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 c. carrots, diced
1/2 c. black lentils (or any other lentil that stands up to cooking), cooked
10 cherry tomatoes, halved
6 scallions, sliced into thin rounds
1 colored bell pepper, chopped (or 1/2 to 3/4 c. mixed color peppers – whichever you fancy)
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. sriracha
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Big pinch salt
Yogurt Topper
3 oz. plain greek yogurt
1 Tbsp. tamarind paste
Another big pinch salt
In a medium sized pan over medium heat, toast the chickpeas and carrots until browned. I did this in a dry pan and kept everything moving to prevent sticking. If you’re worried about having to babysit, add a Tablespoon or so of oil to the pan.
While the chickpeas/carrots are cooking, chop the pepper, slice the scallions, halve the tomatoes; toss into a big bowl along with the spices, lime juice, sriracha, and lentils.
Once the chickpeas/carrots are to your liking, add to the bowl. Toss and taste for seasoning.
In a separate small bowl, combine the yogurt, tamarind paste and a big pinch of salt. Stir. Taste and add more salt or tamarind as necessary.
To serve, top bowls of the salad with the yogurt mixture and mint chutney if you have any on hand. Extra splashes of tamarind or squirts of sriracha may be requested.
Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch
October 12, 2012
Pink sky at night, sailor’s delight.
October 11, 2012
Love is: a dachshund to help with yoga cool down.
October 10, 2012
This little guy has lasted, unscathed but for slobber, for over a month. Go, Chew Guard technology.
October 9, 2012
Lots of fall projects, including: a plum, plum and fig, and a spicy tomato jams.
October 8, 2012
Chilly bites
October 7, 2012
The quintessential NYC hot to go cup.
October 6, 2012
One of NYU’s buildings
Eggplant Sauce
This all-purpose sauce is a great addition to any fall dish and a good way to sneak eggplant past finicky eaters. Try it as a pasta sauce with some fresh ricotta or goat cheese, over a protein with a side of potatoes or greens, nestled in a bowl of polenta, or spread on a sandwich.
I’ve been putting a couple big spoonfuls in pretty much anything I think needs a little comfort food love – including into lunchtime tuna salad. Unexpectedly yum.
*Wtf is umami paste? Umami paste is one of those wing-ding ingredients that while not entirely necessary, lends a little extra something to a dish. Think of it like fish sauce. Fish sauce adds depth to dishes, and so does this stuff. I had half a mind to just add fish sauce instead but grabbed the tube of umami at the last minute. If you have fish sauce (or the original recipe’s tomato paste), by all means use them instead.
Eggplant Sauce
Based on Yotam Ottolenghi’s Eggplant Sauce
Enough vegetable or other neutral oil to coat the bottom of the pan
2c. diced eggplant – 1/4 to 1/2 inch. cubes
2 tsp. umami paste*
1/4 c. white wine
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
big pinch salt
big pinch brown sugar
1 tsp. dried oregano
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Sautee the eggplant for about 15 minutes, or until well wilted and starting to brown in spots.
Add the umami paste to the pan, stir, and cook about 2 more minutes. Add the wine, cook an additional minute. Add the tomatoes, juice, salt, sugar and oregano and cook an additional 5 minutes. Turn the heat off the burner and let cool slightly.
Dump into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until your desired consistency is reached. This step is optional, but makes things more palatable for people with aversions to eggplant consistency.
Serves 2-4, depending upon how much you use and in what application.
Gastography 