Greek Eggplant salad

I made this recently to bring to a potluck, and it was a big hit. The original recipe called for turning the eggplant under the broiler until the skin blackens. I took the easier route of baking it in the oven, and it was just fine!

GREEK EGGPLANT SALAD

adapted from Jane Brody's Good Food Book

4 servings (doubles easily)

1 medium eggplant (about 1 lb.), sliced 1/4" thick (skin left on)
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
1 green pepper, cut in half
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 small onion, grated (or chopped very fine in a food processor)

1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground black pepper
3 T. red wine vinegar
1 T. olive oil

minced fresh parsley for garnish

1.  Preheat oven to 375.  Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.
2.  Put eggplant slices and halved green pepper on baking sheet.  Bake for 35 minutes, until tender.
3.  Chop the eggplant and the pepper and put in a medium bowl.  Add the tomato, onion, and garlic.
4.  In a small bowl, combine all the dressing ingredients: salt, pepper, vinegar, oil.  Pour the dressing over the eggplant mixture, and combine thoroughly.  Chill the salad well.  Serve sprinkled with parsley.

Apple strudel

I was looking for a light dessert to serve with the meal just before the beginning of the fast for Yom Kippur, and it also had to be something fairly quick and easy to put together, as I had about 2-1/2 hours after I could leave work on Friday to make the main course and the dessert. The version I made combines two recipes--the filling from Jane Brody and the pastry and method from Moosewood. Most strudel recipes call for bread crumbs sprinkled on the dough, but the almond cookies included in the Moosewood recipe are a really nice touch. If you have any strudel left over, store it in the refrigerator. It is also delicious cold.

APPLE STRUDEL

adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites and Jane Brody's Good Food Gourmet,
makes enough for 2 rolls, serves 8

Filling
2 lbs. apples, peeled, cored, and finely diced
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. finely chopped nuts (e.g., hazelnuts) (optional)
1/2 cup raisins
1 t. cinnamon
2 T. grated lemon rind (2-3 lemons)

Pastry
6 T. butter, melted (or can use spray vegetable oil)
6 T. crushed almond cookies (e.g., amaretti, almonette, etc.) (approximate amount)
12 sheet filo [phyllo] dough (less than 1/2 of one package—in freezer section of grocery store)

Preheat the oven to 375.

To make the filling:
In a large bowl, combine all the filling ingredients. Set the bowl aside. (This will make somewhat more than you need for the two rolls of strudel. The leftover is nice to eat just on its own.)

To assemble the roll:
1. Lightly oil or spray a baking sheet, and have at hand the melted butter, crushed cookies, and a pastry brush or paintbrush. You'll want to work quickly in a draft-free place, as the filo becomes brittle once exposed to air.

2. Unfold the stack of filo sheets next to the baking sheet. Take two sheets at once from the stack, and, in one smooth motion, lift them and lay them flat on the baking sheet. Lightly brush the top sheet with the melted butter and sprinkle it with about 1 T. of cookie crumbs. Repeat this for two more layers, until six sheets of the filo and half the cookie crumbs are used. Cover the remaining filo sheets with a dish towel.

3. Spoon the filling onto the filo in a somewhat thick layer, leaving about 2" of the filo uncovered on all four sides. Fold the shorter bottom and top edges toward the center. Then, starting at one of the long sides, toll up the filo like a jelly roll, ending with the seam side down. Place the strudel on the baking tray and brush it with butter.

4. Repeat to make the second roll.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes until hot and golden

6. Cool for 5 minutes, cut each roll crosswise into four slices, and serve.

Also good served with ice cream.

Honeycrisp apples

No recipes this time, just a plug for Honeycrisp apples, which are now back in the store. This variety of apple was developed relatively recently, and supplies are still small enough that there is not enough to be sold throughout the year. I manage with Fuji, Red Delicious, and Granny Smith for the months they're not around, but nothing is better than Honeycrisp for being just what the name says--both sweet and crisp. Thanks to my friend Mary Beth, who suggested a couple of years ago that I try one that she had in her fruit bowl. . .

Well, I'll include one other food-related event. After eating curry the other day, I noticed a small orange-yellow stain on my best white blouse. I tried getting it out with soap and water, but I only succeeded in having the yellow migrate to other parts of the blouse. Bummer! I assumed the blouse was done for, but decided to take a look in a book I turn to from time to time: How to Clean Everything. I looked up turmeric, and got the answer--soak in ammonia. Not something I'd ever had recourse to, but it worked! I notice this book is selling for $.01 (plus shipping) on Amazon. There's also a more recent edition, that's going for $1.29.

Baked Alaska

This post is off the beaten path of my usual type of recipes. This summer, I was e-mailing with a friend about getting together for dinner, and in the course of the exchange, she used the phrase "Baked Alaska" as a kind of exclamation. I thought yes, I'll make Baked Alaska for the meal, which was for a special occasion. I had had Baked Alaska only once in my life, some fifty years ago. When I was about twelve years old, one mother made dinner for a gathering of her daughter's friends. At the end of the meal, she brought out a Baked Alaska. I had never heard of or seen such a thing--it was quite wonderful. The warm baked meringue on top with the surprise of cold ice cream and cake inside. I never thought to make it myself, but now I was committed! Turns out it's quite simple to make--the most difficult part was reading through various recipes and combining them into something that would work for me. So, if you are ever so moved, here's my version.

BAKED ALASKA
(recipe adapted from The Settlement Cook Book, Fanny Farmer, Joy of Cooking, and Martha Stewart--see how much research I'm saving you!)

about 2 quarts ice cream (all one flavor or two)
8" round sponge cake (recipe below)
meringue (recipe below)

A day or two ahead: Leave the ice cream out to soften a bit. Select a bowl that holds about 2 quarts, but, most important, a bowl whose rim is a little less than 8" in diameter, as you'll be inverting the ice cream on to the top of the 8" round sponge cake. Spray a 2-quart bowl with cooking spray and line with plastic. Pack ice cream firmly into the bowl--either all one flavor, or layered. Cover surface with plastic wrap and put in freezer. Freeze until ice cream is very hard--at least 2 hours.

On the day you'll be serving: Place sponge cake on the serving plate you'll be using. Remove ice cream from freezer and invert over the cake. Keep the plastic wrap on, and return to freezer.

Preheat oven to 500.

Shortly before you are going to serve the dessert, make the meringue. Remove plastic from the ice cream. Spoon the meringue over the ice cream, swirling with a spatula. Place in oven and bake until the meringue starts to turn brown, about 1-2 minutes. Serve immediately.

SPONGE CAKE (adapted from The Settlement Cook Book)
(enough for one 8" round layer)
1-1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 c. cake flour
2 eggs, separated
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
3/8 c. water

Preheat oven to 325. Sift baking powder with the flour. In a bowl, beat egg yolks until light and thick. Add sugar gradually and continue beating. Add vanilla, and then alternately add the flour and water. Beat egg whites to stiff peaks, and fold into the mixture. Bake in an ungreased 8" round pan until done, about 25 minutes. (For a full recipe, double this, the cooking time is 40-50 minutes. I forgot to write down how long this halved recipe took.) Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes, and then remove cake from pan.

MERINGUE (This makes more than you need)
4 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 pinch cream of tartar
1/2 t. pure vanilla extract

Beat egg whites until light and frothy. Add cream of tartar. Continue beating until stiff enough to hold a peak. Gradually beat in sugar and beat until meringue is stiff and glossy.

Two more cold soups

Jan asked for the apricot-wine soup recipe too.  While I'm at it, I'll include the yoghurt soup recipe I like as well.

APRICOT-WINE (or not) SOUP

serves 5

I've always made the soup with the wine called for, but last week I made it without, because one of the people at the table could not have alcohol.  The soup was still wonderful!  I didn't change anything else--just left out the wine.

2/3 c. dried apricots

2/3 c. peeled, diced tart apple

1 c. water

12 oz.  mixture of apricot nectar & orange juice, about half each

1-1/4 c. apple juice

1/2 c. sour cream (light is fine)

2/3 c. chilled dry white wine (can be left out)

mint sprigs

Cook apricots and apple in water covered, until apricots are soft, adding more water if needed.  Purée in blender with the juices and sour cream.

        

Chill, add wine to taste, and serve with sprigs of mint.  (The mint is both for decoration and for the taste--very nice with the apricot flavor.)

  
        

 COLD YOGHURT SOUP

adapted from Craig Claiborne, The New York Times Menu Cookbook

4-5 servings

1/2 cup raisins

3 cups yoghurt (non-fat is fine)

1/2 cup milk (I use skim)

1 hard-cooked egg, chopped (or 2 egg whites)

6 ice cubes

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup chopped scallions (about 3)

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

1 T. chopped parsley

1 T. chopped fresh dill or 1 t. dried dill

Soak the raisins in cold water for five minutes.

          

Place the yoghurt in a large mixing bowl and add the milk, egg, ice cubes, cucumber, scallions, salt and pepper.  Drain the raisins and add them to the yoghurt mixture.

Add one cup of cold water and mix well.  Chill for 2 or 3 hours.  Serve garnished with parsley and dill.

 

A cool soup for summer

I like making cold soups in summer, and I have a few favorites that I make each year (yogurt/cucumber, apricot/wine, gazpacho).  But today I happened to have extra buttermilk on hand (left over from making scones), and I noticed a recipe in a new cookbook I'd just purchased that would help me use it up.  This soup is great!  I was dubious about the base of buttermilk, which I've only used before in baking.  I'm a convert!  Actually, it's quite similar to yogurt, but with a bit of a tang.

CHILLED BUTTERMILK-VEGETABLE SOUP

adapted from Vegetarian Meals: Meatless Recipes Everyone Will Love (Good Housekeeping) (NY: Hearst Books, 2006) 

makes about 6 first-course servings

1-2 limes

1 qt. buttermilk (4 cups)

3 medium tomatoes (about 3/4 lb), seeded and cut into 1/4-inch pieces

1 seedless cucumber, chopped in 1/4" pieces (can leave skin on if thin)

1 ripe avocado, cut into 1/4" pieces

3/4 cup chopped cilantro

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. coarsely ground black pepper

Grate about 1 t. peel from the lime(s) and squeeze to get 2-3 T. juice.

In large bowl, combine peel and juice with the rest of the ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Picadillo

There are versions of Picadillo from a number of countries; Wikipedia lists variations from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.  The version below is from one of my many WeightWatchers cookbooks, and is good either served over rice or rolled up in a tortilla.  Quick and easy to make, with simple ingredients.

PICADILLO

6 servings

adapted from  WeightWatchers, In One Pot

1 T. vegetable oil
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 lb. lean ground beef
1-1/2 c. canned crushed tomatoes
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup raisins, chopped
2 T. pitted green olives, chopped (with pimentos fine)
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. hot pepper sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups cooked rice

Heat the oil on medium heat and saute the pepper, onion and garlic.  Cook until the onion is golden, about 8 minutes.  Add the beef, breaking it up, and brown the meat, about 6 minues.

Stir in all the other ingredients except the rice.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, about 10 minutes.  Serve with rice.  Or instead of rice, heat up corn tortillas and use as a stuffing for those.