Life

Eggplant Sauce

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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.

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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.

Harissa

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This fiery little African/Middle Eastern condiment can be dressed up and used a thousand different ways. Use as the base for a dipping sauce for meats, cheeses, etc., on sandwiches, tucked into green beans or other veggies, as a pasta sauce, or anywhere else you want some spicy seasoning with a splash of smoke.

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Harissa

1 red pepper

1 long red chile

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. coriander

1/4 tsp. cumin

Squirt fish sauce

Blacken red pepper. When it cools enough to handle, de-stem and de-seed. Place into a food processor and add the rest of the ingredients. Pulse to forme a paste, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Season with salt & pepper.

Serves 2-8, depending upon how you use it.

Sweet Potato Carrot Mash with Charred Pepper Sauce

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This makes a hearty, satisfying and seductively velvety side for a quick weeknight steak in that transitional period between summer and fall. The Charred Pepper Sauce on its own, is fantastic. I’ve been using it in a bunch of ways since I first discovered the recipe, and as an ingredient it has snuck its way into many a dish.

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Sweet Potato Carrot Mash with Charred Pepper Sauce

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/3 inch pieces

5 medium carrots, cut into 1/3 inch pieces

1/4 c. sour cream

1/4 c. Charred Pepper Sauce

Big glug olive oil

1 sprig rosemary, chopped

Place the potatoes and carrots into a large pot of salted water. Turn the heat to high and bring to a boil. Boil 10 minutes or until tender. Drain and let cool slightly.

Transfer to the bowl of a large food processor. Add the sour cream and Charred Pepper Sauce and process. While the processor is spinning, add the olive oil to loosen things up a little. Sprinkle in the rosemary.

Serves 4 as a side dish. If you want to beef it up for dinner, top with sausage and swirl in threads of spinach.

Charred Pepper Sauce

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Charred Pepper Steak Sauce

1 large red pepper

2/3 cup tomato puree

Juice of 1 orange

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 Tbsp. good quality balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. molasses

1 tsp. grainy mustard

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. ground allspice

1/2 tsp. fresh black pepper

Big pinch salt

Char your pepper. You can do this either over the range if you have a gas stove, under the broiler if you don’t, or on the grill. You want a nice char on all sides; the blacker the better. Set aside to cool.

When you are able to handle the pepper, tear into it and remove the stem and seeds. Toss the empty pepper (skin and all) into the blender. Add everything else and blend until smooth.

Pour into a small saucepan and simmer 15 minutes, or until your desired thickness is reached. The first time I made this I simmered fairly aggressively for 10 minutes and ended up with a lovely thick sauce; the second time, I simmered gently for 15 minutes and ended up with a lighter, more pourable version.

Keeps a few weeks in the fridge – use in everything.

Chinatown Walk

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This past weekend, my DH and I attended a photography group Meetup in Chinatown. We strolled past the highlights, down alleyways, and through winding streets, mostly avoiding the heavily touristy areas with their dime-a-dozen hawkers.

Great light splash on the railing
Busy street; riot of color
That’s one way to get a balcony
Practicing to be a dragon
Dragon-in-training
Providing the framework to bring a dragon to life (taken by the DH)
Tea Shop Monsters (shot taken by the DH)
Watching ducks like TV (shot taken by the DH)
Love the shadows in this shot (shot taken by the DH)
Wide angle down the street (shot taken by the DH)
I want these chairs (shot taken by the DH)
Lomo fire escapes
Wistful in Chinatown
Here There Be Dragons
Love the shadow
Down a back alley
It’s Bowser! Eating Ice Cream!
This was down a twisting alley…
Pick me! Pick me! I have what you need!
Mmmmm…… meat candy
Love the market shadows
The watcher
He peench
Fallout shelters aplenty in the city
🙂
We stumbled upon some sort of photo shoot on the stroll
Photo shoot subject 2
Yeah, get those guys!
Untouched
Inexorably forward

 

Want to see more? Check out our Flickr page or the Meetup’s photo book.

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I Know: Another Cabbagy Slaw Salady Thing

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Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know: I’ve posted a bunch of these cabbagey slaw salad-ish dishes, but I love them so. Red cabbage is such a good foil for tanginess that I can hardly resist creating something magnificent or terrible for lunch with leftovers.

This version lends a tangy, sweet, crunchy and spicy backbone to simple black bean burger with avocado crema and a fried egg leftovers (or any other leftovers that aren’t a balanced meal in and of themselves, really).

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Red Cabbage Slaw with Blackberry Honey and Spice

1/4 head red cabbage, sliced very thin

1 tsp. Whidbey Island Blackberry Honey (I realize you most likely don’t have this on hand – substitute regular honey, preferably with a kiss of fresh blackberry or blackberry jam alongside)

2 tsp. rice vinegar

1 tsp. sambal olek (I use chicken brand chili sauce with garlic)

A dusting of chopped cilantro

Citrus salt to dress

Combine all ingredients but salt in a bowl, finger toss until everything is playing nicely together. Sprinkle with citrus salt and toss again.

Makes a great kicky accompaniment to any kind of leftovers – if you want to turn it into a full lunch alone, add some salad greens or tuna and/or chickpeas.

Serves 1 for lunch

Sesame Ginger Edamame Mash

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This is a fabulous side dish made all the more rich and satisfying by the addition of toasted sesame oil. What you get is a sumptuous, velvety mash with the consistency of potatoes, the smoothness of a root vegetable puree, and the nutty richness of peanut butter. Bonus points for those wanting a hearty potato alternative that is low on the glycemic index.

Sesame Ginger Edamame Mash
Adapted from Gluten Free Girl and the Chef’s recipe for edamame mash

15 ounces frozen edamame, shelled and unsalted
3 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 Tbsp. grated ginger
2 Tbsp. ponzu (you could also use soy or tamari)
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. fish sauce (you may need a splash more)
2 tsp. lemon juice (or lime, whatever you have on hand)

Bring a large pot of water up to a boil. Add the edamame and cook until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain and add to the bowl of your food processor. Add the sesame oil, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, fish sauce and lemon juice. Whiz until a puree forms, scraping down the sides if needed. If your mixture is looking a little dry, drizzle in some water until you reach the desired consistency. Taste and season with extras if needed. I needed a bit more fish sauce to hit the right balance.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch as a hearty side; could be stretched to 4 sides with ease.

Red Cabbage and Fennel Slaw with Beet Horseradish

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This is a great little sturdy slaw that works great as a topping for pork burgers or sausages, or as a crunchy side for any other late-summer dinner.

Seriously? I think Lasik might be in my future… I thought this was in focus.

Red Cabbage and Fennel Slaw

1/4 Granny Smith apple
1/4 bulb fennel
1/4 head red cabbage
2 Tbsp. beet horseradish
2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 tsp. spicy mustard
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste

Shred the cabbage, julienne the apple and slice the fennel into wafer thin arcs, depositing into a large bowl as you go. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, mustard, vinegar and horseradish into a dressing. Pour over the salad & toss. Salt & pepper to taste.

Serves 2 for dinner as a side, 4 or more as a protein topper.

Sweet Summer Sunshine – aka Tomato, Peach & Basil Salad with Chili

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Sometimes I try to pretend that I don’t wait for this season all year long with varying degrees of patience. Some years, I’d like to think that it’s the corn I’m really after. The berries. Burgers on the grill. But who am I kidding? It’s tomatoes. Tomatoes are what I crave in the deep recesses of winter – tomatoes are what I pine for. Sweet, umami-laden globules of liquid sunshine.

This salad highlights their peak season glory perfectly – and lucky for me, I’m the only tomato worshipper in the house. It’s a dead simple thing to whip up for lunch – barely a recipe, really.

Mine… all mine 😀

Sweet Summer Sunshine – aka Tomato, Peach & Basil Salad with Chili

Mixed heirloom tomatoes – a cup, cup and a half – thinly sliced
1 ripe peach, pitted and sliced thinly
1 tsp. thinly sliced basil ribbons
1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil
1 tsp. sambal oelek (hot garlic chili sauce – I use the brand with the white chicken – it should be located near the squeeze bottle sriracha with the same chicken and comes in a clear plastic jar with a green lid) – sub for Whole30 sriracha if going that route

Your favorite finishing salt – I used some grey sea salt, but I could see black or Maldon salt being fabulous here, or even citrus-infused kosher

Arrange your tomatoes on a plate. Scatter peaches about until you have something that looks exciting and alive. Sprinkle with basil.

In a small bowl, mix the grapeseed oil and sambal oelek. Beat with a fork to combine.

Drizzle oil mixture over salad. Sprinkle with salt to finish.

Serves 1 for lunch. Feel free to scale up to feed a crowd. If you are making for a party, prepare as close to go time as possible. This salad is best at room temperature (I would never suggest refrigerating fresh tomatoes as it kills some of their taste) or even a little above.

Update: After writing this, my DH came home from work not hungry in the slightest for dinner. I ate this salad again for dinner beefed up with slivers of fennel, crumbles of feta and citrus salt. Yum. I might just have to hit the greenmarket this weekend so I can try a version with rosemary-infused olive oil, smoky cheese and orange….

Italian Sausage, White Bean & Kale Ragout

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This makes a satisfying and surprisingly hearty weeknight meal for two.

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Italian Sausage, White Bean & Kale Ragout

1 lb. hot Italian sausage
1 onion, halved and sliced in 1/4 inch thick half moons
1 cup vegetable stock
2 Tbsp. sun dried tomatoes, diced
1 can cannellini beans, drained
2 fresh bay leaves
3 c. kale, washed and chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp. preserved lemon, diced
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
Hazelnut gremolata (optional, recipe below)

Put a large pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Put the pan back over the heat and add 1 Tbsp olive oil and the onions. Sautee until softened and beginning to brown.

Add vegetable stock, tomatoes, cannellini beans, bay leaves and kale. Sautee 10 minutes or until kale is wilted.

While your kale is working, slice the sausage into bite-sized rounds.

During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add the sausage, thyme, preserved lemon and vinegar. Taste. Salt and pepper if needed.

Top with hazelnut gremolata and serve.

Serves 2 for dinner with a little left over for lunch.

Hazelnut Gremolata

Toast 1/2 cup hazelnuts in a 350 degree oven for 6-8 minutes or until browned and smelling nutty. Cool & chop rough. Add to a bowl with 3 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley, the zest of 1 lemon, 1 clove minced garlic and a big pinch salt.

Toss a handful in anywhere you want a nice nutty crunch or need a hit of protein.

Risottoed Fresh Sweet Corn

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If your household is anything like mine, fresh ears of corn dominates the shopping list every week this time of year. And while I absolutely love my corn on the cob and various corn salad permutations, sometimes you just need something a little different. That’s where this creamy, risotto-like side comes into play. This dish takes the best summer has to offer and transports it to near fall amounts of decadence. It’s creamy, it’s hearty, and it makes the perfect accompaniment to a protein main (like the too-dry pheasant in the picture).

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Risottoed Fresh Sweet Corn

4 ears corn
1/2 c. liquid – water, stock or milk
1/2 red onion
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. half & half
Salt & pepper to taste

Dice onion and set to sautée in the oil over medium-low heat.

Over a large bowl, de-kernel the corn and then run the back of your knife down the empty cobs to extract the milk.

Add the corn & 1/2 c. liquid to a food processor; whiz until the mixture looks like risotto.

When the onion is softened, add the corn. Raise the temperature to a simmer and cook, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, 20 minutes or until the desired consistency is reached. You want a loose risotto texture.

Add the cheese and half & half. Stir and cook another couple minutes to fully incorporate. Salt & pepper to taste.

Serves 2 for dinner + 1 for lunch.