Spicy Eggplant and Olive Sauce with Linquine and Toasted Slivered Almonds

Last summer I had so much eggplant growing in my garden that we seemed to have it grilled with every dinner every night of the week!

This summer, alas, my plants produced only ONE eggplant!

So I thought I had better make something special and indeed I did. Read on!

Ingredinets:

6-8 tablespoons olive oil
1 small (about 1 lb.) eggplant, trimmed, pared, and cut into ½ inch chunks
1 cup chopped onion
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 14 ounce can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped green olives
1/4 cup chopped Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons rinsed and drained small capers
1 tablespoon chopped, fresh basil
2 tablespoon chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of sugar
1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

Directions:

Heat 4-6 tablespoons (I started with 4 and then added 2 more tablespoons) of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat; add the eggplant. Saute, stirring constantly, until eggplant is tender and browned, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet. Add onion, pepper and celery; sauté, stirring, until tender, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, olives, capers, basil, parsley, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar. Cover and simmer 25-30 minutes, stirring frequently.Toss with linguine, saving 1 cup of sauce.
Serve on plates or bowls, adding 1/2 cup of sauce of top of each serving. Top with slivered almonds.

Based on recipes from 365 Ways to Cook Pasta and Recipes from a Kitchen Garden.

Spicy Lemongrass Mayo

SO DELICIOUS!

Thank You Kelsey Nixon! Kelsey served it with a chicken burger and pickled Asian slaw. We have been buying grass-fed beef and it makes for a great grilled burger. Served with homemade dill pickles and roasted red potatoes.

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chili sauce, such as Sriracha
• 1 tablespoon bruised and finely minced lemongrass (I used Gourmet Garden Lemongrass Paste)
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Grilled Salmon with Lime, Chili, Garlic, Jalapeno Sauce

Fast and easy!

And YUM-elicious!

1 pound Shetland or Sockeye Salmon
3-4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chili power
1 tablespoon cumin
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
salt and pepper

I grilled this outside. I took the salmon out of the fridge 30 minutes before grilling and covered it with the sauce. I always put the salmon skin side on aluminum foil--no need to turn over. I grilled it for about 15--20 minutes on high heat. Check at 15.

Can be broiled or baked in oven; 425 for about 15--20 minutes.

I served it with fresh corn-on-the-cob from a farm down the street. And a parsley mashed  potato and sweet potato mix.

Shrimp Salad With Horseradish Rémoulade

I made a few changes (noted below) to this recipe from David Tanis which appeared in The New York Times.

Ingredients

• 1 bay leaf
• 1 thyme sprig
• Salt and pepper
• 12 large shrimp, about 1 pound, preferably wild (I used cooked shrimp.)
• 6 small yellow or red beets (I left these out; I love them but could not find at store.)
• 2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces (1 cup) crème fraîche (I used Greek Yogurt)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish (I used prepared)
• 1 tablespoon capers, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 4 handfuls watercress, tops only, about 6 ounces (I used green from my garden--Arugula, Mesculin and Beet greens....plus, I added a cucumber and sugar snap peas from my garden.)
• 1 cup sliced celery, from tender inner stalks
• 4 eggs, hard cooked for 9 minutes then cooled in ice water, peeled and halved (I left out)

Preparation

1.

Bring 6 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add bay leaf, thyme sprig, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Reduce heat to a simmer and add shrimp. Cook shrimp until shells turn red, only a minute or two. Transfer to a large bowl of cold water, let cool, then peel and set aside.

2.

Meanwhile, put beets in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook at a brisk simmer until tender when tested with a skewer, about 20 minutes. Remove and let cool on a plate until just cool enough to touch. Slip off beet skins and discard. Cut beets into small wedges. Put in a bowl, season generously with salt and pepper, and add vinegar and oil. Toss and let marinate for 15 minutes. (You may prepare beets up to a day ahead.)

3.

Make the rémoulade: Stir together crème fraîche, mustard, cayenne, horseradish and capers. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and stir in tarragon, parsley and dill. Refrigerate for an hour (or as long as overnight). Just before serving, stir in lemon juice and check seasoning.

4.

Assemble the salad just before serving: Make a bed of watercress on a large platter. Spoon beets and any juices evenly over watercress, then sprinkle celery slices over top. Arrange shrimp here and there and surround with hard-cooked egg halves. Give a last, very light sprinkle of salt and serve. Pass rémoulade at the table.

YIELD

4 to 6 servings

Cheese Tortellini With Spinach, Peas, and Brown Butter

Fast and easy and so ever tasty!

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
• 1 cup frozen peas (I used a bit more)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 small bunch flat leaf spinach
• 1 medium tomato chopped (I used about 15 cherry tomatoes, halved and seeded)
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• kosher salt and black pepper

• Directions

  1. Cook the tortellini according to the package directions, adding the peas during the last minute of cooking.
  2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the spinach and tomato and cook, tossing occasionally, until the spinach is wilted and the tomato begins to soften, 4 to 5 minutes more.
  3. Add the tortellini, peas, lemon zest and juice, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper to the skillet and toss to combine.

  
  

  ~from Real Simple

Kale and Garbanzo Beans

I am growing Kale this summer in my garden.

"There's a reason why sweet, earthy kale is the most popular of the greens these days: it's delicious, versatile, and incredibly nutritious. Kale contains beta-carotene and the antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin—which are associated with eye health—as well as potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, fiber, iron, and calcium. Plus, you get 2 grams of protein in a serving. Consider using kale as a stand-in for spinach in dishes..." (Cooking Light)

Ingredients

• 2 center-cut bacon slices
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 1/2 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup water
• 2 (15-ounce) cans organic chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 4 cups chopped fresh kale
• 1/2 cup plain 2% reduced-fat Greek yogurt
• 4 lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation

1. 1. Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan using a slotted spoon, and crumble. Add 1 cup carrot and chopped onion to drippings in pan, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, cumin, and red pepper; cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in chicken broth, 1 cup water, and beans; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. 2. Add 4 cups kale to bean mixture. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until kale is tender, stirring occasionally. Ladle about 1 1/4 cups bean mixture into each of 4 bowls, and top each serving with 2 tablespoons yogurt. Sprinkle with bacon, and serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
3. Wine Match: An inexpensive selection, the 2008 Turning Leaf Cabernet Sauvignon (California, $8) has black cherries, oak, and a nice, smooth taste to counterbalance the meaty bacon and beans and earthy greens in this hearty dish. --Gretchen Roberts

Cooking Light
JANUARY 2011

Roasted Green Bean, Roasted Red Potato, Red Onion, Kalamata Olive with Rosemary Vinaigrette

I made this for Memorial Day. It was delicious!

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds red boiling potatoes
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon crumbled dried, plus rosemary sprigs for garnish
• 1 red onion, halved lengthwise and sliced thin lengthwise
• 2 pounds green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 24 Kalamata or Niçoise olives, pitted and halved

Preparation:

Halve the potatoes, unpeeled, and cut them into 1-inch wedges. In a large roasting pan heat 1/3 cup of the oil in the middle of a preheated 425°F. oven for 5 minutes, add the potatoes, tossing them to coat them with the oil, and roast them, stirring them every 10 minutes, for 30 minutes, or until they are tender. Let the potatoes cool in the pan. In a blender purée the garlic, the vinegar, the rosemary leaves, and salt to taste, with the motor running add the remaining 1/3 cup oil in a stream, and blend the dressing until it is emulsified. In a small bowl of ice and cold water let the onion soak for 5 minutes, drain it well, and pat it dry. In a kettle of boiling salted water boil the green beans for 5 minutes, or until they are crisp-tender, and drain them in a colander. Refresh the beans under cold water and pat them dry (NOTE: I roasted the green beans with potatoes for about 10--15 minutes!). In a very large bowl combine the potatoes, the onion, the green beans, and the olives, add the dressing, and toss the salad gently. Serve the salad, garnished with the rosemary sprigs, at room temperature. 

 

~Gourmet Weekends. A great cookbook!