Chocolate Cupcakes

My family has endured many “doorstop” cakes from my kitchen.  For my birthday this year, I made a vanilla buttermilk cake that claimed to be “fluffy and light,” but in fact, turned into a gigantic paperweight, dense as a brick.  I’m always seeking out light-as-air cakes and seem to have off-and-on luck!

This past weekend I wanted to make spooky cupcakes for Halloween.  I flipped through a book my aunt gave me a few years ago called “Crazy About Cupcakes” by Krystina Castella.  Krystina’s cupcakes are detailed and gorgeously decorated – the perfect inspiration for my bake-a-thon afternoon.  I decided to try one of her chocolate cupcakes; I halved the recipe and made a couple of minor tweaks.  Two hours later, iced with a pumpkin-y shmearox and dotted with festive candy corn, I had fifteen dark chocolate cupcakes waiting for neighbors, family and friends.

The verdict!?
These cupcakes were gone in TWO days!
They were so light, they seemed to evaporate in your mouth!  And the flavor was superb.  Unlike the buttermilk-brick, this is an immediate recipe repeat.

I’ve been researching different ways to change cake and muffin crumb-size and fluffiness.  This recipe includes several techniques I learned from Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) and Krystina (Crazy About Cupcakes).  Be sure to read the methods all the way through before pulling ingredients out of the cupboard, just to make sure you know the order of the steps.

Ingredients for 15 medium/small cupcakes:
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
3/4 cup evaporated cane sugar
2 eggs at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup plain, whole-milk yogurt at room temperature

1/4 cup good quality cocoa*
1/3 cup boiling water
1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate

*These cupcakes are only as good as the quality of chocolate you put into them.

Methods:

1. Remove 3/4 stick butter and two eggs from the fridge.  Measure yogurt.  Allow all three ingredients to reach room temperature, about an hour.

2.  When liquids are no longer chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Boil water on the stove.  Remove and whisk in cocoa powder.  When smooth (no powder chunks), add chocolate chunks and whisk until completely melted and glossy.  Set aside.

3.  In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter until fluffy – at least 3 minutes.  Add in eggs, one at a time, and beat for another minute.  Add vanilla.

4.  In a separate bowl, add flour, soda and salt.  Whisk with a fork.  Return to the mixing bowl and add a third of the flour mixture to the bowl, mixing slowly.  Then add a scoop of yogurt.  Add a bit more flour; add a bit more yogurt.  Add back-and-forth additions of flour and yogurt until the mixture just comes together.  Scrape down the sides of the pan and be mindful to see that no butter has stuck to the bottom of the mixing bowl.  Stir briefly once more but be wary not to over-mix.

5.  Scrape chocolate mixture into the mixing bowl and mix, just until combined.
(Note: if you want an extra “crunch” to your cupcake, add 1/2 cup finely chopped chocolate or chips.  I bypassed this step because I planned to decorate with candy corn and didn’t want too many competing textures.)

6. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way full.  Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a knife or toothpick comes out clean.  Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

Note on the frosting: I made up an autumn-y shmear (butter, powdered sugar, canned pumpkin, cinnamon, all spice, nutmeg, vanilla).  I liked it because it didn’t overpower the chocolate flavor.  These cupcakes would be especially good with a plain butter-cream frosting or – what I want to try next – a butter-cream frosting with a hint of mint.

Pumpkin Smoothie

A few hours ago I took a cool-morning jog around the neighborhood (I even saw a javalina!) and when I got back to the house and kicked off my shoes, I bee-lined to the freezer.  I yanked out baggies and tubs of various frozen fruits, Tupperware containers of fruity leftovers and a jug of soy milk to jump-start November with re-hydration and good flavor!

I am a die-hard (not to mention a fuss-pot and picky) smoothie fan.  I make a couple of different types of smoothies each week.  But guys – this blended mess of brown spices and orange puree is the tastiest, most addictive, thirst-quenching, savory smoothie I’ve ever slurped!

When you look at the ingredient list below, you might raise an eyebrow.  It sounds like it might be watery.  It might also sound like weird, diet-y health food beverage.  If you have qualms about the former and like your smoothies on the thick side, feel free to use all sweetened soy/almond milk (or milk with a drizzle of maple syrup, or a couple scoops of yogurt).  But I assure you, if you use frozen bananas, this smoothie will creamy and thick.  Regarding the later, bananas and soy milk are naturally sweet, so I didn’t add any extra sweeteners.  I’m not one to skimp on good, calorie-adding additions to make a good smoothie.  Truly, this one didn’t need it.

Ingredients:
1 large frozen banana (or 1.5 smaller ones)
3/4 cup plain pumpkin puree
1/2  cup vanilla soy milk (or alternative sweetened liquid; or milk + 1 T maple syrup)
1/2 cup+ water
3 ice cubes
3/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. nutmeg

Methods: Pour, scoop, plop all ingredients into the blender and whirl until thick and creamy.  If the blender blades stop turning, you may need to add a little more liquid to loosen up the frozen banana chunks.  Enjoy right away.

Sweet Moroccan Couscous

I used to eat a box of couscous a week.  I was transfixed by the teeny pasta pebbles.  I would cook up a big pot, swirl the warm semolina balls with cheese, scallions and roasted carrots & cauliflower (coated in cumin and olive oil) and this was my lunch every single day.  Sometimes I’d vary it a little.  (I’d add mushrooms and parsley.)  Harking back, I think that couscous salad was my longest food repeat, next to my middle school Ramen noodle days.

As with all overabundant good things, couscous salad slowly petered out.  I found other good things (wheat berries!  bulgar!) that took its place.  But yesterday, while riding the bus home and flipping through the last issue of Gourmet magazine, I found reason to unearth my old box of whole wheat couscous hiding behind the oats and semolina flour.  While a great many of the November recipes sounded tantalizing (rye bread stuffing; golden onion pie; braised turnip greens with turnips and apples) a giant advertisement for cinnamon caught my eye.  I like cinnamon just as much as the next person, but on this unusually blustery, cold afternoon, there was nothing on earth that sounded more delicious than something warm and something cinnamon.  Sweatshirt cinched up around my neck, I scanned the ingredients list for this Moroccan side dish to determine what I’d tweak for my taste bud and pantry preference.  Then hopped off the bus, made a quick pit-stop to the supermarket bulk bins to buy a few more dried, unsulfured apricots and dates and rushed home to eat.  Although I varied this dish a bit from the original recipe–couscous salads are wonderfully forgiving–I stuck by the recipe’s suggestion to add dates and apricots, and boy, that was a good call.

A sweet couscous salad might raise a few eyebrows if you’re used to eating couscous with savory add-ins.  But let me assure you, this is a delicious salad, naturally sweetened by the dried fruit and absolutely excellent with a few thin strips of parmesan cheese, melted in while it’s still hot.  This salad holds up terrifically for next-day leftovers, too.

Ingredients:
1 cup dry couscous (I use whole-wheat)
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. lemon zest (I bet orange zest would be equally good, if not better.)
1/3 cup chopped dates
1/2 cup chopped dried apricot
1 tsp. ground coriander
heaping 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
scant 1/4 tsp. ground ginger (or more, to taste)
pinch sea salt (approx. 1/4 tsp or less)
2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter
several long strips of Parmesan cheese (optional, but recommended)

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Methods:

1.  In a dry skillet, heat slivered almonds on medium-high heat until fragrant and toasted, approximately 5-7 minutes.  Keep close watch; they easily burn.  Pour into a bowl and set aside.

2.  In a small pot, pour 1 cup water, lemon zest, dried fruit, spices and 2 tablespoons of butter.  Heat on the stove until boiling.  Turn off heat and add 1 cup of dry couscous.  Stir.  Put lid on top and let sit for five minutes.

3.   After five minutes, remove lid from pot and fluff couscous with a fork.  If it looks a little dry, add another tablespoon of butter and melt in.

4.  Pour into individual bowls and top with thin slices of Parmesan cheese (you can use a squash or carrot peeler) and toasted almonds.

INCREDIBLE Roasted Squash + Chickpea Salad

A few months ago I filled pots and casserole dishes with loads of good vegetables and fresh herbs from the local markets.  This past summer, the Bittman-inspired AH-MAZING pea spread took the cake for my “Favorite Summer Recipe”!  Now, maybe a mere pea spread isn’t much to snuff at, but let me just say, even when tempted by a myriad of different veggies at the Union Square Market, I bee-lined for the shelling peas 3 weeks in a row and I only stopped because the growing season was over and the root vegetables took center stage.

Guys, I have BIG, DROOL-WORTHY news: this recipe is on par with the pea spread.  Frankly, it’s on par with decadent chewy chocolate oat bars, ballooning peach dutch baby pancakes and the most glorious, artery-clogging artichoke dip.  I have been terribly excited to post this recipe.  Rest assured, this is my favorite recipe of the fall.  I know we’re only a few weeks in (or so the calendar says – Arizona missed that memo when the temps hit 98 last week – ugh!), but mark my words, this recipe is my fall go-to.  I whipped this together last Wednesday and on Thursday, I bee-lined to the butternuts piled at the feet of a favorite market vendor.  If I can give a resounding “DO IT!” to any of my recipes on this blog, this would be one of them.  You won’t be disappointed, I promise!

The recipe was inspired by one of my favorite cooking bloggers, Smitten Kitchen, who got the idea from another favorite food writer, Molly Wizenberg from Orangette.  Deb from Smitten summed it up best in her post.  She writes:  “Molly’s first book comes out this spring and to say that I’m just looking forward to reading it — and making more where has this recipe been my whole life-level favorites like this — might be the understatement of all understatements. To hold me over until it comes out, though, I know exactly what I’ll be eating.”

Ingredients for Salad:
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 butternut squash
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
salt, pepper to taste

Ingredients for the Dressing:
1/4 cup tahini, well-stirred
juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil
2+ tablespoons water (for loosening)
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 tsp. sea salt

Methods:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Peel and cube butternut squash and roll in a generous tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and pepper.  Bake until browned around the edges and slightly crisp, about 20-25 minutes.  For a quick tutorial, I show “peeling” pictures in a previous previous b-nut + couscous recipe.

2.  Meanwhile, prepare dressing.  Whisk tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and garlic with a fork until well-incorporated.  Loosen with water to reach desired consistency.

3.  Rinse and drain a 15-oz can of garbanzo beans (or a larger can if you like; this recipe is forgiving and flexible) and pour into a separate bowl.  Chop cilantro and parsley.  Mix with beans.  Finely chop a small red onion or half a large onion and combine.

4.  If crispier squash is preferred, stick under a broiler for final 3 minutes of baking.  When satisfied with squash, remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes.

5.  Combine squash with the rest of the salad.  When ready to incorporate the dressing, I recommend pouring 1/2 on top of the salad to start.  Toss and sample-taste. This recipe makes a lot of dressing; I used nearly 2/3rds and kept the leftovers for sandwich “shmear” and leafy salad dressing.  If you prefer a creamier salad, you may want to use all of it.  I recommend making the entire batch (the leftovers really are marvelous) and pour and sample until you reach the taste you’re aiming for.

6.  Serve hot or at room temperature (room temp. is my favorite).

Walnut-Date Muffins

As much as I love experimenting in my bright red kitchen apron, I consistently (and constantly) repeat my recipes.  I could claim that I do this to tweak my recipes, aiming to achieve perfection!  But really, I just have trouble veering from course when I’ve had a good success.  Take muffins: there is no breakfast-y food (apart from whole milk yogurt + granola) that I love  more than muffins.  But how many muffins have stayed in my repertoire over the years?  TWO.  While I have experimented with other varieties from time-to-time, I inevitably revert back to my dear old standbys.

BUT!  As of this past week,  I’ve fallen – for the time being, at least – out of my muffin rut!

Last Saturday I picked up a twisty-tied baggie filled with large, grade A medjool dates from a Syrian shop by my old house.  Typically, I enjoy eating dates plain or I take out the pit and stuff a pecan or large walnut inside.  (On more than one occasion, I’ve also stuffed a few dark chocolate chips, which was overkill.) Generally speaking, when I treat myself to dates, I can’t imagine eating them baked or stewed or blended into something new.  In my book, Plain-Jane is the way to go, to really relish them.

But, after my grocery rendezvous, I found an enticing recipe on the internet featuring dates!  I noticed that this muffin called for a generous serving of molasses.   From my limited quick-bread experience, I’ve found that incorporating molasses in baked goods yields deliciously moist breads with rich flavor.   I debated whether it was worth it to hack-up my delicious dates and throw them into a batter, fearing they’d lose their luster in a tangle of cinnamon and nutmeg flavors.  In the end, I decided to give it a shot. I tweaked this recipe only slightly, and the result: a success, a “repeat” and everything I hoped it would be!  These muffins were moist and savory, and each bite had a warm, gooey piece of date or a crunchy piece of walnut.  They also freeze wonderfully.  I think I’ve found my third rut!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (preferably dark)
heaping 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
scant 1/2 teaspoon all spice
scant 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
scant 1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk (or other alternative or milk)
1/3 cup molasses*
6 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 free-range eggs

3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped, pitted dates
few pinches of extra all purpose flour

*Cool trick for the molasses: to avoid having the molasses stick to the measuring cup, simply grease the inside of the cup with a thin layer of vegetable oil.  Then, measure desired amount of molasses into the cup.  When you pour the molasses into other liquids it will slide right out and leave little-to-no residue in the bottom of the cup.

Methods:

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Grease preferred muffin tin.  Because I was making these muffins for dinner (as a side dish, rather than a breakfast-style main dish) I made 16 small muffins.  Alternatively, grease two 6-muffin containers, or one mongo-muffin container and vary the cooking time.

2.  Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir with a fork to combine.

3.  In a separate bowl, lightly beat egg.  Add soy milk and vegetable oil.  Grease the 1/3 cup with vegetable oil (see above note) and measure molasses.  Whisk with a fork and incorporate into dry ingredients.  Fold in walnuts.  Before folding in chopped dates, because they’re gooey when cut and prone to sticking together, I tumbled the chopped dates in a sprinkling of white flour and then folded them into the batter.  That way the were able to move uniformly throughout the dough and not clump together. Roll dates in flour and fold into batter.

4.  Spoon batter into muffin trays 3/4 full.  If you desire more of a muffin-top (as I did), fill 4/5ths of the way but be sure to grease the top of the pan, too, because the muffins will rise over the top.

5.  Depending on the muffin size, the baking time will vary.  For small muffins, mine were set in the middle and clean (from the “knife test”) within 18-20 minutes.  For large muffins, I imagine they’ll need to bake close to 30 minutes.

6.  Once removed from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack so they set.  To remove muffins, carefully take a dull knife and run around the edge of each container (and very carefully under the muffin top, if you filled them a bit higher) and gently pry out.

More-Veggie-than-Egg Frittata

A couple of days ago after a long day of reading and research, I excitedly crossed off the last of my tedious “do’s” from my “to do NOW!” list and hurried into the kitchen.  I plopped a few frozen fruit chucks into a blender, whirred and scampered back to my bedroom, banana + pineapple smoothie in hand, and cozied up to my laptop to watch a couple of online episodes.  Not Gossip Girl (a show I claim not to watch, but secretly do).  Not even old Office reruns.  I sat down to review the past month of Mark Bittman Minimalist videos.  If you haven’t seen a Mark Bittman video, I suggest you sit down and watch a couple right now.  They’re such a hoot, sometimes I turn on his Chickpea video just to stave off a rotten mood!

A half hour later, smoothie cup drained, I had some great recipe ideas.  The following day, I ca-clunked my cast iron skillet out of the cupboard and hacked up a giant mound of asparagus, eggplant, four types of herbs and gobs of garlic in preparation for whipping up his  “More-Vegetable-Than-Egg Frittata.”  Here’s his frittata video, which I heartily recommend, but if you want to cut to the chase, here’s the recipe print-out as well.

The recipe was a hit and it’s so flexible, you can throw in what ever vegetables you have on hand.  Unlike standard frittatas, heavy on the egg and cheese with subtle hints of vegetables in the background, Mark suggests you use just enough egg and cheese to serve as a “binder” and let the vegetables scoot out into the lime light by double or tripling their standard amount.

One quick suggestion: an addition that made this dish especially good was the amount and variety of herbs that got tossed around in the skillet just before I poured in the eggy mixture.  If you don’t happen to have these different herbs on hand you can experiment with dry, too.  Or, if all else fails, coarsely chop a lot of garlic.

We ate this frittata along side a light leafy-green salad with roasted sweet potatoes, toasted pecans and herbed goat cheese.  We also broke into some warm buttermilk corn muffins a la Alice Waters, The Art of Simple Cooking. And on top of the frittata we generously spooned my ma’s salsa (roasted chiles, onion, gobs of cilantro, garlic, stewed tomatoes pulverized until “chunky” in the blender) and it was wonderful.

Ingredients:
1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
5+ cloves garlic
1-2 cups diced eggplant
2-4 cups partially cooked asparagus*
3 eggs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
splash soy milk/milk preference
1/3+ cup basil, chopped
2 tablespoons each: fresh oregano, dill, parsley (optional)
salt, pepper to taste

*Because asparagus takes a bit longer to cook than the eggplant, I steamed them for about 1 minute until they turned bright green and then added them with the rest of the vegetables.  Depending on what vegetables you use, you may or may not need to precook some vegetables.  (It would be a good idea, for example, to consider precooking sweet potatoes or beets.  Spinach or kale, on the other hand, hardly needs to be cooked at all and you can stir in the leafy greens at the very end along with fresh herbs.)

Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Chop between 4 and 6 cups of vegetables.

2. Heat olive oil on medium in an oven-proof skillet until hot.  (If you do not have an oven proof skillet, have no fear – you can always cook the frittata on the stove on low heat until eggs set in the center of the pan.) Add onion, a pinch of salt and pepper and cook until wilted. Add garlic.

3.  Add vegetables and cook until aldente.  In my case, I cooked the (slightly pre-cooked) asparagus and eggplant for about 7 minutes, but that time will vary depending on what vegetable additions you use.

4.  Turn the heat down and stir in any leafy greens, herbs, sun-dried tomatoes (if using).

5.  Take skillet off the stove.  (You don’t want to pour the egg mixture in immediately or the eggs will curdle and become tough from the high heat.  Let the skillet cool for just a moment while you whip up the eggy mixture.)

6.  In a separate bowl, mix eggs, milk and Parmesan cheese.  Whisk.  Pour into the skillet.

7.  Pop in the oven for 10 minutes or until the egg at the center is set (springs back slightly to the touch) and the top is golden.  Let sit for 1-2 minutes and serve immediately.

Tzatziki (an homage to Brooklyn)

During my dwindling summer days in the City, my work friends showered me with food suggestions.  They’d even calculate how many remaining meals I had left to prioritize their recommendations!  They’d tell me where to find “the best” anythings – pickles, cupcakes, muffins, falafel, hamburgers, baguettes, madelines, buttery egg breads, cheap sushi and baby artichokes.  I faithfully jotted down every suggestion in a small, disheveled notebook (which I organized by neighborhood and subway lines!) and made plans to seek out everything, making muffins my top priority.  I figured, I was in the food capitol of America and by golly, I was going to “eat the most” out of my final few weeks!

But somehow, as early August steamrolled into late-August, I’d glance at that little booklet, sadly flip-flipping through all the uncharted, vendrified streets.  Each evening as I walked home I’d say, “Now, just drop your stuff off.  Don’t sit!  Don’t open the fridge!  Get your purse!  Go to the subway!”  I’d say, “Tonight will be different!  Tonight I’ll go to the artichoke man!  Tonight I’ll eat a bag of madelines!”

You can see where this is going.  Looking back, it was inevitable. I’m sorry to say it, but I’m a creature of habit.  It’s not unusual for me to  rewatch the same movie twice, even three times in the same evening.  I bobby-pin my hair in the identical do-up each day.  I also floss religiously.  And so, back in Brooklyn, each night I’d shuffle up five flights of stairs.  I’d open up the door to my cozy studio, plop down my backpack, splash my face under the faucet (still with the best intentions to leave just moments later!), drink two giant mason jars of refrigerated water (daily brain freeze) and then, as just as the fridge door nearly shut, I’d cast a sideways glance at two, unassuming plastic tubs: the hummus and tzatziki.  I was doomed.  I’d wrench the fridge back open with gusto!  I’d actually giggle out loud.  I’d shmear hummus onto warm, homemade pitas, blobbing globs of tzatziki on top and folks – I was in tastebud heaven.

These shmearox gems came recommended by  Sheila, my friend from work, who clued me in on her Brooklyn Heights hot spots: around the corner from Trader Joe’s, another Starbucks, another Dunkin’ Donuts and a teeny movie theatre are two little shops — Sahadi’s and Damascus — home of warm pitas, pistachio halvah (absolutely killer, in both shops), mujeddara (better at Damascus), the creamiest hummus (very different at both places but equally good) and tzatziki that I ate like gazpacho.

There are some parts of New York City I’ll never miss (ie. subway screech; tourist mobs; weirdos at 42nd street) but there are other parts I miss already.  I’ve been making hummus on a bi-weekly basis and it just doesn’t come close.  The tzatziki, on the other hand – well, I’m almost giddy to say – the moment I blobbed this batch on top of my pita and took a bite, I knew it: I tasted NYC once again.

Ingredients:
6 – 8 oz. plain goat yogurt (whole-milk; not low-fat)
1/3 cup cucumber (seeded), chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dill, chopped
2-3 tablespoons mint, roughly ripped

Methods:

Slice cucumber in half, lengthwise and scoop out seeds with a narrow spoon.  Chop into smaller-than-bite-sized pieces.  Mince garlic cloves.  Chop dill and mint.  Squeeze lemon juice.  Mix all ingredients with plain, full-fat goat yogurt.  Serve cool or cold on top of everything.

Orange Creamsicle

Last weekend my mom decided to organize the kitchen cupboards.  Three hours later, I walked into the kitchen and saw her hovering over a small pile of Tupperware lids without bottoms, bottoms without lids and a bunch of marred cutting boards. She quickly ushered me over to another pile of “cool stuff” which included some terrific “finds” –  junk we vaguely knew we had in the house but weren’t quite sure where to look for it.  Highlights included a single-serving casserole dish (!) and six, small popsicle containers.

There are about five gazillion combos of flavors you can attempt when making your own popsicle, so don’t feel like you have to stick strictly to these proportions below.  Also, don’t feel daunted if you haven’t found six random pop containers lurking in the back of your cupboards.  Just use  small, freezer-proof plastic cups or disposable paper cups and popsicle sticks.

Small recipe for three little pops:
scant 1/2 cup plain yogurt (whole-milk preferred)
1/2 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon good maple syrup
3+ teaspoons dark chocolate, slivered
1 tsp. orange zest, optional

Methods:
Mix OJ, yogurt and zest (if using) in a bowl.  Once combined, ladle a few spoonfuls of mixture into each pop container.  Sprinkle chocolate chunks into each cup and using a spoon, stir to let some of them sink toward the middle.  Insert plastic attachment or popsicle stick all the way down, into the cup/container.  Freeze at least 6 hours before serving.  When ready to serve, simply dip molds/cups in warm water before unmolding.

Ratatouille (pop-in-the-oven method)

When I think ratatouille, I conjure images of a cool, fall evening, while hovering over the stove cooking three batches of different vegetables, all to their perfect done-ness, before combining them all together with discernible gusto in a savory tomato sauce.  I love to cook and I equally enjoy long and short meal preps.  But for all you east-north-not-southwest-dwellers out there, savoring hot oatmeal and donning cozy sweaters, let me just tell you that in Arizona, we’re still simmering.  Yesterday it hit 100.  Fall, anyone?

So, for dinner a few nights back, I decided to tweak my romantic image of stirring and standing and thrice-fold vegetable rotations.  Even though I wasn’t too keen on  spending an hour over a hot stove and sweating even more, I was intent  on eating a good meal and using up the beautiful white eggplants nestled in the bottom of the fridge drawer.

And so, I present the lazy-girl, one-skillet + one-casserole dish meal.  I’m sure a lot of folks would just call this: tomatoes with eggplant, peppers and zucchini.  Whatever the case, I just ate my last bowl of it and I can attest that not only is it good, but boy does it ever improve with age!  My only regret is that I didn’t try this a la Molly Wizenberg’s method!  In her chapter about cooking solo in Paris (from “A Homemade Life“) she describes boiling gold potatoes, smushing them with the back of her fork and ladling ratatouille on top.  Doesn’t that sound divine?

I’m out of potatoes, but tonight I made do: with my final bowl of lazy-girl ratatouille, I toasted a hefty wedge of sourdough bread, smothered it in butter and used it to mop up the tomato sauce.

Ingredients:
1 24-oz can plum tomatoes, chopped
1 16-oz can diced tomatoes
5+ garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1-2 onions, chopped
1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1-2 zucchini
1 bell pepper
1-2 eggplant

salt, pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons olive oil

preferred cheese for topping (my favorite is grated Parmesan; herbed goat cheese is a close runner-up)

(Bottom layer)

Methods:

1.  Heat oven to 375.  In a wide-brimmed skillet, saute the heck out of an onion or two in some olive oil.  Once brown and crispy, add garlic and reduce heat. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste.

2.  When fragrant, add tomatoes with liquid.  Bring to a boil.  Add parsley.  Stir.  Turn off the heat.

3.  Using a sharp knife, thinly slice eggplant, zucchini and bell pepper (approximately 1/8″ thick).

4.  Pour tomato mixture into a large casserole pan.  Top with overlapping zuke/eggplant/bell pep’s.  To view a beautiful rendition of this meal, head on over to Smitten Kitchen!

5.  Cut a slice of parchment paper to cover the vegetables inside the casserole pan during baking (this will prevent burning).  Bake for 45-60 minutes until the vegetables are wilted and slightly crisp.  Remove parchment paper and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.  Garnish with favorite cheese.

Watermelon + Mint + Feta Salad

Melons have hit the markets!  And goodness, this combination of flavors (feta, mint, balsamic) isn’t one to pass up!  I first tasted a salad like this one at the laugh-attack-inducing Conni Convergence performance at 66 Wooster St. in Manhattan where theatrics and food converge.  I can’t tell you exactly how it was served to each guest because it’s a secret and you’ve got to go yourself to find out.  But I promise, the mere serving of this salad was hysterical and the taste, delicious.  (I had thirds.)  If you land the chance to check out these folks don’t pass it up — they’re a HOOT!  Without further ado, my attempt to recreate the second course at the Ohio Theatre:

Ingredients:
8 cups watermelon, chopped
1/3 cup mint, chopped
1/2 cup feta, crumbled (I use Israeli feta)
2-4 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar, to taste

Methods:
Chop watermelon into bite-sized chunks.  Toss with vinegar, crumbled feta and mint.  Once thoroughly combined, garnish with a little more mint and feta.