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March 16, 2009
Roasted Eggplant Dip
I was planning to make some baba ganoush, but the nearest supermarket was out of tahini. I made this instead, based on Mark Bittman's recipe for eggplant caviar. It's lighter than baba ganoush, and very lemony.
The Ingredients
- approximately 1 lb. eggplant
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil, plus a bit extra for brushing the eggplant
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 tsp. of Aleppo pepper or crushed red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
The Steps
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
- Prick the eggplant with a knife and brush lightly with olive oil. Put on a baking sheet and roast, turning occasionally, until the eggplant gets soft and starts to collapse. (15-30 minutes).
- Remove the eggplant from the oven and let it cool. When it is cool, scoop out the flesh and put in a food processor.
- Add the other ingredients and pulse until the eggplant is chopped, but is not quite a perfectly smooth puree. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Posted by spaceling at 10:03 PM
March 11, 2009
Braised Carrots and Chickpeas
This makes a nice herby but sweet side dish, or could be a complete vegetarian meal with a bit of bread, rice, or couscous to mop up the broth. (Actually, bread, rice, or couscous to mop up the broth would be nice in any case - I didn't think of it when preparing last night's dinner, though.)
The Ingredients
- a tablespoon or so of olive oil
- 6-7 medium-to-large sized carrots, peeled and cut into rounds a bit thinner than 1/4 inch.
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 1 onion, diced
- zest from 1 lemon
- juice from 1 lemon
- about a dozen fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1 bunch parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup chicken broth (or vegetable broth or water)
- (Optional) a bit of butter to finish off
- salt and pepper to taste
The Steps
- Heat the olive oil in a saute pan until hot. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or so, until the onion starts to soften.
- Add the carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes or so. (I just let the carrots cook while I prepped the sage, parsley, lemon, and the ingredients for the rest of dinner.)
- Add the chickpeas, sage, lemon zest, and enough broth to not quite cover the mixture in the pan. Stir it all up and bring it to a simmer.
- Cover and cook until the carrots are tender, but not mushy. Probably about 8 to 10 minutes, depending on how thick the carrots were cut.
- When the carrots are done, stir in the parsley, the lemon juice, and the butter, if using.
Posted by spaceling at 07:24 AM