Holy Eggplant!

Scalini's restaurant in Georgia is famous for "Eggplant Babies", that is, babies born within 48 hours of their mothers eating Scalini's Eggplant Parmigiana. They have shared their recipe on tv and online. To celebrate my friend, Amy's, due date, we decided to make it.








It was FABULOUS! The recipe is definitely a keeper. She didn't go into labor last night, but her friend who lives their said that you need to drink a glass of red wine with it for it to work. We may have to test that theory with the leftovers!

We used fresh basil (from Amy's garden), parsley and rosemary. We used canned tomatoes because they are so much easier and Amy's tomatoes suffered a tragic end. We used whole milk ricotta and what a difference! We also grated the Romano and Parmesean cheeses ourselves. Devine and delish!

Recipe for Egyptian Koshary

Koshary is one of the best, cheapest meals in Egypt. Almost nobody makes it at home because it is so cheap to order it and it is labor intensive. I used Samia Abdennour's recipe from her book, Egyptian Cooking, A Practical Guide. Then I made some additions to make it more like I had at the restaurant.

1 cup brown lentils
1 cup rice (I used Basmati. It is a long grain rice that they use or a combo)
1/8 kg macaroni (dittalini pasta is the closest but use whatever small pasta or elbow macaroni you have)
2 large onions, chopped
2 tablespoons oil
2 cups tomato sauce
hot chili (optional), salt

Cook lentils in salted water until tender. Strain. Cook rice in salted water until tender. Strain. Cook macaroni, preferably the small, round variety, strain, rinse, and strain again.

Place these three ingredients in a cooking pot. Fry onions (in a separate pan) to a rich brown (almost black), then remove the onions onto absorbent paper and strain the oil into the lentil mixture. Return the pot to the flame and cook for 7-10 minutes, tossing often to prevent sticking.

Serve by topping each individual plate with tomato sauce and fried onions. Sprinkle with hot chili.

Recipe for Samia's Tomato Sauce

2 cups tomato juice (or any tomato product, I used whole peeled tomatoes b/c I got a ton of them on sale and then just pureed later)
1-2 onions, chopped very finely
5-7 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon vinegar (white vinegar)
cooking oil, salt, pepper

Saute onions until soft, then add garlic and fry to a pale brown. Add tomato juice and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until sauce is cooked and becomes dark. Add vinegar and seasonings and cook 2-3 minutes longer.

This dish is usually served with two side sauces: a cumin, vinegar, garlic sauce and a spicy, tomato/chili sauce. I decided to just add some red pepper flakes to the dish, but I did make the cumin, vinegar, garlic sauce:

Take garlic cloves and hit the with the end of the knife, but don't break them up. Add into white vinegar. Add some cumin and coriander into the vinegar. Stir and let the flavors meld. I think they use whole seeds because when you get the sauce, you can definitely taste the cumin, but it just looks like a clear, slightly yellow liquid.

The keys to this dish are the fried onions and that cumin, garlic vinegar sauce.

I combined everything together and it tasted pretty authentic. It can be spicier in the restaurant, but I didn't spice it up too much so that Ian could eat it. Also, unlike other areas, Egyptians don't like things very hot anyway. As I was looking around for recipes, I saw one that said their was hot paprika in that chili sauce as well.

I added some extra salt to the lentil mixture. Egyptian cooking is all about oil, salt, onions, garlic and cumin. You can't have too much. I also added chickpeas which are usually in this as well.

What's for Breakfast? Deviled Eggs

I decided to make deviled eggs to mix up my daily egg routine. I found this website devoted to making the perfect deviled egg. I didn't follow all the steps since I was just making them for myself but this is great information if you were going to make them for a party and wanted them to look pretty. I just made the classic filling, but several recipes are listed and it would be easy to create your own variation.

Hot Crab Dip

I made myself hot crab dip with a portabello mushroom. I just threw real crab, cream cheese, pepper jack, sour cream, hot sauce, worcestershire sauce, lemon juice. mayonnaise and chives together and baked it until hot and bubbly. I looked at some recipes online and then just threw in what I had. Ian was not in a dipping mood so it was just me. It is a bit wasteful, hope I can eat it all, but I just wanted it.

Cooking Progress

I've been doing much better with cooking dinner. The only problem is that my husband keeps threatening to go on extreme diets, like vegan, but with more restrictions. This is usually proceeded by eating a big pile of ribs (that he makes). I want to be supportive, but I cannot (and have no desire to) eat an extreme diet since I am pregnant. Also, he doesn't often get home on time, which I could use as an excuse not to cook, but instead choose to be happy that at least he has something good to microwave when he comes home and Ian and I eat on time.

When I make something healthy like Eggplant and Cauliflower Curry with Brown Rice, he will eat it once, maybe twice, but the rest goes to waste. When I make some more deliciously unhealthy like enchiladas, the pan gets scraped clean. What would inspire you more? I really don't cook anything that is super unhealthy. I don't deep fry or anything like that, but the fat content is higher than the plain chicken breast and broccoli or restricted vegan diets that he wants to go on. There is no moderation. It is a slab of ribs or raw foods! He is driving me crazy!

So today I am making pork chops, rice and green beans. I did dip the pork chops in egg and bread crumbs, but they are topped with spicy mustard and baked over apples, not fried. The green beans are fresh and will be steamed and then there is the rice.

I've also decided to track my fruit and vegetable in-take in a little notebook to remind myself to eat plenty of both. Fruit isn't a problem, but I could definitely eat more vegetables. I think the key is buying and preparing them in advance to be eaten or cooked so it is easy to do.

Easy One Pot Meals: Golden Chicken & Autumn Vegetables

So retro, they almost make me want to have a Tupperware party. I found this recipe on the back of a Swanson's chicken broth container. It is much healthier--no cream of x soup involved, though I have been known to make those meals recently as well.

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of chicken broth
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp dried thyme
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into 1/2" pieces
2 cups fresh whole green beans

1. Heat oil in 12" skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook for 10 minutes or until it is well-browned on both sides. Remove chicken and set aside.

2. Increase heat to high. Stir broth, garlic, rosemary. thyme, potatoes and green beans into skillet. Heat to a boil and cook for 5 minutes.

3. Return chicken to skillet and reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 12 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender.

4. Season to taste.

Variation: Herbed Chicken Dijon with Wine: Add 1/4 cup white wine, 1 ts. lemon juice and 2 tbsp of Dijon mustard with broth. Substitute Yukon Gold for sweet potatoes.

This recipe is so easy and obvious it is almost not a recipe. The sample variation shows how easy it is to vary the flavor with just a few simple changes. I like the one pot aspect. It is a very easy one-step method to cook sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes add sweetness to the meal which is nicely balance with the herbs. I don't know why, but having the sweet potatoes and green beans in the same pot reduces the psychological barrier to cooking them. I always buy fresh vegetables, but sometimes wait too long to cook them. I am getting much better about that and trying to think about what I will use it for as I put it in my cart.

This is a complete meal, but since we are in Korea, I am obligated to remind everyone that you can always as rice as a side to this dish! A green salad would be nice and fresh as well.

Eggplant and Cauliflower Curry

Trying this recipe tonight for Eggplant and Cauliflower Curry from the Post Punk Kitchen.

It smells great so far! I had cilantro, potatoes and cauliflower that needed to be used. We just bought an eggplant. I love eggplant but we often forget about it until it is too late.

Recipe Doctor

My mom has definitely developed a rotation of things that she makes. It is not ordered on specific days or anything, but she has past the point where she likes to cook and so she makes things that are tried, true and easy. In my attempt to prepare dinner more often, I have started gathering some of these recipes. They all started out as precise recipes from somewhere, probably Good housekeeping magazine or one of the compilation cookbooks that military wives always put together, but now they have evolved and are very fluid. There are two that she makes and I like the combination of the two (which she does if she is missing ingredients for one or the other) best:

Chili Poco Loco
1 lb ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 envelope chili seasoning mix )or taco or make your own)
1 16 oz can of corn
1 15 oz. can of chili + beans
1 small can tomato paste (if no paste use enough tomato something)
1 can refrigerator biscuits-I often don't bother with the biscuits
1 cup shredded cheese-cheddar or whatever
corn meal
parsley

1. Brown beef + onions, drain grease

2. Add chili + beans, corn, seasonings, + tomato paste

3. Simmer while preparing biscuits--I usually don;t simmer. I just mix everything in the casserole and let it bake a little longer.

4. Cut biscuits in half. Roll in corn meal and parsley.

5. Spoon meat mixture into baking dish.

6. Sprinkle half the cheese on meat mixture-if you didn't simmer the meat mixture, pop in oven so it heats through before putting biscuits on

7. Arrange biscuits on top. Sprinkle remaining cheese.

8. Bake at 375 until biscuits are brown.

Tamale Pie

2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
1 28 oz can tomatoes
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 cup shredded jack cheese
1 4.5 oz can of black olives
3 cups water
1 cup corn meal
1 tsp salt

I add: 1 can of corn
1 can of any kind of beans (black, pinto, etc.)

1. Cook ground meat and onion until browned, drain.

2. Stir in tomatoes with liquid (if tomatoes, I chop them) seasoning mix, cheese, olives, corn and beans. Spoon into baking dish.

3. In 2 quart pan cook water, crn meal and salt stirring constantly until mixture is very thick.

4. Pour cornmeal mixture over meat mixture.

5. Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly.


I was trying to make Chili Poco Loco with the polenta topping from the Tamale Pie, but I mixed up the recipes and added a 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes instead of the tomato paste because I was looking at the other recipe. It really didn't matter, though.

You can tell by her notes that she is a very flexible cook and can naturally balance things. I cook the same way. Curt went to culinary school as a hobby and is much more precise. If we are missing an ingredient for something he wants to make he gets a little flustered. I can always find an acceptable substitute or change of plans.

Rachael Ray's Buffalo Chicken Salad

Making this tonight. Find the recipe here.

Rachael Ray's Salmon Burgers with Caesar Slaw

Tonight, I made Salmon Burgers with Caesar Slaw, recipe by Rachael Ray:

Salmon Burgers with Caesar Slaw
Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Show: 30 Minute Meals
Episode: 30 Minute Dinner Club


1 (14-ounce) can Alaskan salmon, drained and flaked
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
Handful parsley leaves, finely chopped
2 lemons, zested and juiced, divided
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs, 3 generous handfuls
Salt and pepper
4 anchovies, finely chopped, optional
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, eyeball it
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Couple handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Romano
2 hearts romaine lettuce, shredded
1 head radicchio, shredded
To flaked salmon, add egg whites, parsley, the zest and juice of 1 lemon, 2/3 of the total amount of chopped garlic, the bread crumbs and lots of black pepper and a little salt. Mix together and form 4 large patties or 8 mini patties.
To a salad bowl add the remaining zest and lemon juice, remaining garlic, chopped anchovies, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire. Whisk in about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil and cheese. Add lots of black pepper, no salt. Add shredded lettuces to the bowl and toss to coat evenly. Now, season the slaw with salt to taste, if necessary.

Preheat 2 tablespoons, of extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan, in a nonstick skillet over medium to medium high heat. Cook salmon patties 2 to 3 minutes on each side for mini patties, 4 minutes on each side for large patties.

Serve salmon patties atop Caesar Slaw.

To Connie, tell Brad, I followed the recipe almost exactly this time. I didn't have radicchio and I used less romaine than they called for because I didn't want that much slaw. So close.

This was my first time experimenting with canned salmon. There are bones and skin in it, so you have to pick that out, but it is a good option for cheap salmon. The commissary doesn't carry fresh fish and it is expensive on the economy. Also, a lot of what is available at the Korean supermarkets are varieties of small, white fish that taste like the bottom of a lake. I need to find a fish market, but judging on the lack of quality in the sushi I have had, I don't have much hope. Korea is a peninsula, but I like the beef and pork dishes much better than the seafood.

The recipe turned out well. The slaw is very tangy and goes well with the salmon.

Cooking Success: Giada's Torta di Pasta

Giada De Laurentiis' Recipe:

8 ounces spaghetti
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
4 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
3/4 cup grated fontina
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
Cook the spaghetti in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain. Toss with the sun-dried tomatoes. Set aside to cool completely otherwise the hot pasta could curdle the eggs when you add them later on.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, salt, and pepper, Parmesan, and fontina to blend. Add the cooled spaghetti mixture; toss to coat.
Preheat the broiler. Melt the butter and oil in a 9 1/2-inch-diameter nonstick skillet over medium heat. Transfer the spaghetti mixture to the skillet, pressing to form an even layer. Cook until the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the broiler. Broil until the top is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Cool in the skillet to room temperature.

Invert the torta onto a platter. Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature.

I used leftover whole wheat spaghetti, roasted red peppers instead of sun dried tomatoes (none at the commissary) and leftover feta that I had in the fridge instead of fontina (again, none at the commissary).

It was a great way to use leftovers. The pasta gives a bit more substance than egg alone. This recipe is easily adapted to whatever is in your fridge. We had it for lunch, but it would be a great breakfast/brunch dish as well.

Lasagna from Leftovers

1 package Whole Wheat Lasagna Noodles
1 jar of spaghetti sauce
1 15 ounce container of light ricotta cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (whatever was left in the container)
big handful of spinach chopped (leftover from yesterday's salad)
2 green onions (leftover from bulgogi)
3 cloves of garlic minced, sliced finely
1 package shredded mozzerella cheese
1 pound of ground beef
red wine (leftover)


Cook ground beef in red wine.
Combine ricotta, parmesan, green onions, spinach, and garlic.
Take a 9 x 13 pan. Pour sauce on the bottom. Put down a layer of uncooked noodles. Add half the ricotta mixture. Then add half the meat mixture. Add a layer of mozzerella, then a layer of sauce. Repeat. Top with noodles, sauce and cheese. Cover and bake for 45 minutes at 350 F/175 C.

Pork Bulgogi

From the following recipe from the Seoul Survivor Guide 2007-2008:

Marinade
5 TBSP soy sauce
4 green onions, finely shredded
2 TBSP sake or dry white wine
3 TBSP sugar
3 large garlic cloves minced
dash of ground black pepper
2 TBSP sesame seeds
2 lbs thinly sliced pork or beef
1 TBSP sesame oil

Mix all the ingredients except the sesame seed oil. Add to sliced meat and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Add sesame oil just before grilling. Barbeque the meat slices over a charcoal grill or portable table top grill. Turn only once (thin slices cook quickly). A wok can be used if grill is not available. Serve over rice. We are using brown rice to make it healthier.

Koreans have propane table top grills. We used a grill plate that we bought here that goes over the burner on a stove. I used about half the sugar that the recipe calls for. We also added some spicy red bean paste as well.

Lentil Soup

I made Egyptian Lentil Soup for dinner from the following recipe:

1/2 kg split lentils
2 onions
1 tomato
1 carrot
1 zucchini
1-2 tbs oil
1 tsp cumin
1-2 tbs lemon juice,salt

Place lentils, one onion, tomato, zucchini, and carrot in pot and cover with twice their amount of water. Cook for about 15 minutes. Whirl in blender, strain, then add salt and cumin.

Chop the remaining onion very finely and fry to a light brown, then add to soup with oil and cook for 5 minutes longer. Stir in lemon juice.

It turned out great! Ian licked his bowl.