Au Milieu de La Semaine

So between procrastination and finding a moment to do it, I finally attempted this recipe.  Tis Caribbean, although I had to make some tweaks from the original ingredients as I could not find scallions, and some of those partaking in the meal have picky palates, hence no bell peppers.  That being said, it turned out well, although in retrospect I should have cut the aubergines (eggplants) thinner.  Would have rolled easier and cooked better. 

Without further ado, I leave you with this past Wednesday evening recipe shared amongst friends *note:  plan ahead...the recipe is not difficult, just takes some time.  Could lead to hungry young adults loitering in your kitchen space, picking at plantain chips while huddling over a warm stove and oven.  Even in the Spring, the stove/oven still maintains that "hearth" quality in that people gather around it.*

Patates Douces aux Aubergines i.e. Rolled eggplant stuffed with Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

3 aubergines/eggplants, sliced thin

2 yams/sweet potatoes, chopped

1/2 red onion, diced

1/2 cup - 1 cup shreeded cheese blend (*used Mexican)

4-5 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

*note:  The original recipe uses bell peppers and scallions instead of red onion

1.  Chop yams/sweet potatoes, and place them in a pot of boiling water.  Cook until soft.

2.  Meanwhile, slice your eggplants and saute them in a skillet with some spices and oil to soften them so that they are soft enough curl around the sweet potato mixture.

3.  When your yams are soft, drain the water out of the pot.  Mash them, in anyway you see fit.  I used a soup blender.  Then, add in your red onion (or bell peppers and scallions) and cheese. 

4.  Place a scoop of your yam mix onto an eggplant slice and then roll it.

5.  You are going to make little foil packets for the oven.  Place 4 eggplant/yam rolls on some sliced tomatoes for each foil packet, then bake in the oven at 350 degrees.  The thicker the slices, the longer you will have to cook them.  Start with 20 minutes and then check on them.

Bon appetit!

Side dish!

Green plantains!

Sautee some green plantains in some olive oil.  Chips/tostones...however thick or thin you want to slice them.  Add some seasoning, say Adobo and chili pepper.  ENJOY!



A Little Bit of Cooking and a Whole Lot of Love

Yes...Valentine's Day.  Cheesy, Hallmark goodness.  Some take it seriously, others celebrate it in an anti-sort of way.  Regardless, it is a good excuse (not that you should need one) to spend time with the people you love and care about (friends, partners, family).  

To celebrate and enjoy a lovely evening, a Ms. Chikere Cottoy and myself (more so Chi) concocted and experimented with what you view here.  

Alors, tout simplement Joyeux Jour de Saint Valentin!

Fried Tofu Stir-Fry

Serves 5

2 blocks of firm/extra-firm tofu

Mushrooms

Broccoli

Shallots

Sugar Snap Peas

Carrots

Chestnuts

Baby Corn

Vegetable Oil (3/4 - 1 cup; for frying the tofu)

Des épices:  Adobo, paprika, garlic, curry powder, pepper

Island Soyaki (Soy sauce with a hint of pineapple; a product of Trader Joe's)

Honey

1.  Heat up that vegetable oil...more than I like.  But, the crunchy texture of the tofu is well worth it.  After some trial and error, it was discovered that the tofu was even better with various spicy seasonings.  *note:  this is a creative/inventive meal, i.e. stir-fry at its best, so feel free to play around like we did!*

2.  So, after/while you are frying the tofu, start sauteeing this veggies...whatever you have.  Let them marinate.  We tried experimenting with a champagne reduction, but totally took away from the asian flair...so just cooked it off and played around with the soy sauce adding paprika and honey to cut some of the acidity.

3.  The stir-fry was accompanied by some couscous (Just boil some water.  Pour it over the desired amount of couscous with a pat of butter and any herbs and spices you would like.  We settled on some oregano and basil.

4.  Now...what would a Valentine's Day be without any dessert!?  We chose to do something fun, classic and incredibly reminiscent of childhood.  COCOA RICE KRISPY TREATS!  Simple chocolatey, sugary and gooey goodness all in one.  Don't forget to enjoy some wine along with your meal.  And yes, you can enjoy wine and rice krispy treats.


Just melt some butter in a large pot.  Add in some marshmellows and stir in those cocoa rice krispies.

5.  Not the most decadent looking of desserts, but quite tasty and sure to please and amuse a crowd.

Warm and Cheesy

Eggplant Parmesan

Intriguing title...I know.  So...I was craving something warm, cheesy and filling.  Et voila.  Eggplant parm.  Something I had been meaning to try.  Without further ado:

Ingredients

2 aubergines (eggplants)

1 can of crushed tomatoes or tomato sauce

1-2 eggs

1/4 cup flour

Mozzarella cheese

Parmesan 

Spices (salt, pepper, herbes de provence, basil, garlic)

1.  So, I decided to spruce up the canned tomatoes by heating them and letting them simmer with some spices.  Feel free to add in some peppers and onions too!

2.  Big bad eggplant...sliced.  Not perfectly, but "coupé en rondelles" i.e. cut in circles.  I suppose you can be more precise if you intend to cook for others or really want to make it look pretty.  *shrug*  Although, this is quite ideal for lunch leftovers if you need to bring something to work on a chilly day.  

3. Beat your egg(s) in a bowl.  Place your flour and any spices you so choose in a bowl next to your beaten egg. So, what you are going to do is fry these little eggplant rondelles.  What you do is dip them in your beaten egg bowl.  Get them all nice and eggy.  Then dredge them in the flour mixture you concocted.  (*I used a mixture of oat flour, almond meal and adobo seasoning.  I should admit that I have been experimenting with flours and things.  Regular flour would work fine.  The oat flour and almond meal are more of a taste thing.  :  )  Feel free to experiment yourself too.*)  Next, you heat up some oil in a skillet and fry the eggplant, then place on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.  You will do this in batches so as not to crowd the eggplant.  

I suppose I should mention that I probably did not add enough oil.  But, they still turned out okay.  There were also some pieces I did not fry either.  I did a blend when putting the dish together which worked out well.  But, I do think that frying every piece adds a nice flavor and a bit of an extra kick.  

4.  So, take a baking dish (I used two pie plates for this).  Coat the bottom with your tomato sauce mixture.  Then top with the fried eggplant.

5.  Next, add in mozzarella chunks or slices.  It is probably easier to slice it thinner than I did.  Trial and error.  But, it was definitely cheesy in a good way.  Top with the sauce, then more eggplant and more mozzarella.  You now should have two layers.  

6.  Top with some Parmesan!  I may or may not have gone overboard with the cheese.  Mighty tasty though.  

7.  Bake in the oven at 350-375 degrees for 40 min. to an hour depending on your oven.  It is done when the cheese is melted and the Parmesan is slightly crispy.  

Bon appétit!

Spicy Green Mussels

adapted from the NY TIMES (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/12/dining/spicy-green-mussels-recipe.html)

So, this was made, as per my mom's request.  *note:  credit should be given to the hammering and dessicating of the coconut to the lovely kitchen aids, Peg Kuman and Gayle Sorrentino.  :  )

I would like to say that this is a stellar recipe for anyone who enjoys fresh mussels, spice and just trying new things.  It is also important to note that it might look a tad intimidating, but essentially it just requires some prep work for the food processor.

Without further ado:

Ingredients

2 bunches cilantro, leaves and tender stems, coarsely chopped, about 2 cups

1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thickly sliced

2 garlic cloves

1 or 2 serrano chiles, split lengthwise (I would recommend just one, two if you or your fellow diners like to feel a lot of burn.)

1/2 cup grated unsweetened fresh coconut fresh

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons brown sugar

4 pounds mussels

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup vegetable broth or water

3 or 4 scallions, thinly sliced

Lime wedges to serve

1.  Here is your fresh coconut.  Essentially, it has two eyes and a nose.  Now...what to do with this strange fruit.

2.  BREAK IT!!!  Heh, how many times can you honestly say that you were able to use a hammer as a kitchen utensil!?  If you are feeling frustrated, this could be a good go-to recipe.  So, with regards to actually getting into the coconut, there are plenty of youtube videos, etc. on how to actually do it.  I would recommend watching one.  But, for a quick summary, poke the eyes and nose of the coconut.  Puncture the softest one to drain coconut milk (which you can drink).  It should be sweet.  If not, you should get yourself a new coconut.  Then, heat the coconut in the oven for about 20-25 minutes.  After it cools...break that baby!  "If I had a hammer..."  You can then scrape the flesh and get the chunks you want.  No need to shred it as it will be placed in the food processor anyway.

3.  You are going to make a green chili curry paste of sorts.  This is where you place the garlic, cilantro, chilis, salt, ginger, coconut and brown sugar into a food processor.  Ground to a coarse paste.  Et voila!

4.  Clean and rinse your mussels thoroughly.  Remember to discard any open or broken ones.

5.  Heat the butter in a large dutch oven.

To quote Julia Child "Butter makes everything better."

6.  Add the mussels to the pot and coat with the butter.  Then add the broth or water, raise the heat and keep covered for another two minutes.  Add 1/2 a cup or a quantity of your choosing to the pot and cook 4-5 more minutes, keeping the lid on.  

7.  Chop up the scallions and add them to the pot.

8.  The mussels will not take very long to cook/steam.  They are done when they open.

Serve and enjoy!

It is "chili" outisde...

Quand il fait froid (when it's cold outside), we tend to crave things to keep us warm.  There's that whole "stick to your ribs" fare or mom's home cooking.  We get nostalgic or think of thick soups or just having some hot cocoa by a fireplace.  Anything to keep your mind off the cold.  Chili is a most lovely dish.  The one presented here happpens to be vegetarian.  Go figure.  :  )  You can have some most filling and satisfying meatless chili and still come away warm and full.

Enjoy!

Des ingredients

1-2 oignons (onions), chopped

2-3 sweet potatoes of medium-large size, peeled and chopped

2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large can of crushed tomatoes (you can chop up some fresh tomatoes too if you like)

Des epices (garlic, chili powder, salt, pepper, cumin)  You can add some cocoa powder if you feel a tad adventerous

1.  Heat oil in a large dutch oven.  Add the spices until they become fragrant.  Saute the onions for 2 minutes, then add in the sweet potatoes.

2.  Cover and let the onions become more caramelized.  Add in some water to cover the mixture.  Bring to a boil.  Add as much water as you like.  It depends on how liquidy or thick you prefer your chili.  The one here was more thick and hearty i.e. moins d'eau (less water).

3.  Stir in the black beans.  Mix them in and stir for 2-3 minutes.

4.  Add in the crushed tomatoes and stir to make sure it is well covered.

5.  Cover and let simmer.  You want the sweet potatoes to be soft and tender.  At least an hour.

6.  Serve and enjoy.  
Note:  After sitting in the fridge, the spices  absorb into the chili making it that much tastier when you reheat it the next day.  Everyone loves leftovers.  ;  P