Syrian Baba ghanoush

2 large eggplants
2 large vine tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 roasted red pepper, roughly chopped (from a jar is fine)
1 small bunch fresh flatleaf parsley, chopped, reserving a few whole leaves for garnish
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 pomegranate, seeds only
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Pierce the eggplants with a knife and roast in the oven for 45–50 minutes, or until really soft and tender. Set aside to cool.
3. Once cool enough to handle, peel the aubergines and scoop the flesh into a large bowl.
4. Stir in the tomatoes, peppers and parsley and mix well. Add the garlic, pomegranate molasses, extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper, stirring to combine.
5. Arrange in a serving dish, drizzle with olive oil. Garnish with the reserved parsley leaves and some pomegranate seeds.

 

Stuffed Eggplant (Baked)

This is an improvement of the Stuffed Eggplant Poriyal recipe, which is cooked on the stove. I tried that, but my spices burned, so I decided to bake the eggplant dish instead.

Stuffing:

VAGHAR:

2 tsp oil
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp urad dal, picked over and rinsed
2 tbsp yellow split peas, picked over and rinsed
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp hing
3-4 dried red chillies, seeds removed

ADD:

1 c flaked coconut, dry roasted till brown
salt to taste
1.5 tsp tamarind concentrate
1/2 c water

THEN:

Blend it all together into a thick paste.

STUFF paste into 12 baby eggplants.

Eggplants should be slit into quarters lengthwise, and not cut through entirely.

Fill the eggplant slits with stuffing and set aside. NOTE: Slit eggplants only AFTER stuffing is ready, or eggplants will become discolored.

Preheat oven to 250 F.

Arrange stuffed eggplants in greased pyrex.

Take leftover stuffing, add water (around 1 c) to make a stuffing that is just slightly more runny than pancake batter. Pour over eggplants.

Cover with foil and bake 30 min. Check. Bake for longer as needed until cooked. (Mine took just over 2 hours).

Serve hot with rice.

ALTERNATIVE: Can stuff green peppers instead of eggplant if you want.

NOTE: Tastes great, turned out well. Missed the roasted eggplant taste. Next time will split the difference — will cook the eggplant on the stove FIRST (after it has been split, before it has been stuffed) and then dunk it in the watered down stuffing and let it simmer on the stove or in the oven. A local South Indian place serves its veggies like this, and now I know why.

Manchego Cheese Sticks

From Bobby Flay.

Because I bought manchego cheese on sale from Costco and don’t know what to do with it.

CHEESE STICKS:

Three bowls:

Bowl 1: 1/4 c flour, salt, pepper

Bowl 2: 1 egg, 1 tbsp water, salt, pepper OR yogurt, salt, pepper

Bowl 3: 1/4 c bread crumbs, 2 tbsp ground almonds (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 450 F.
2. Cut manchego cheese into lego sized one inch pieces.
3. Dredge in bowl 1, then bowl 2, then bowl 3.
4. Place cheese stick on cookie sheet, drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bale 5-7 min until cheese is soft and light brown.
5. Serve with garlic dipping sauce.

GARLIC DIPPING SAUCE

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp sherry vinegar OR rice wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Saucepan on stove on medium heat.
2. Add oil.
3. Add garlic, let brown.
4. Remove from heat, add vinegar, salt and pepper.
5. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Berries and Cream Pie

1 easy pie crust, refrigerated

Cream filling:

2 tbsp cream cheese, room temperature
1 tsp butter, softened
2 tbsp sugar

Leftover blackberry and strawberry fruit filling from Mini Pies (I blended mine and sieved out the seeds).

Pan: Small Ceramic Bowl THAT IS OVEN SAFE

DIRECTIONS:

1. Roll out pie crust to 1-2 mm thin. Make it big enough to fit in the bottom and sides of your ceramic bowl. Fold excess dough under. Pleat the pie circle nicely without lumps so it bakes evenly.
2. Top with well mixed cream filling.
3. Top with fruit filling.
4. Top with pie crust, crimp edges with a fork.
5. Bake 350 F for 35 min.
6. Enjoy!

 

Kiwi Chips

These are SO amazing! (Hat tip: Blondie!)

Slice kiwis thinly.

Soak in lemon water.

Bake at 180 F for 3 hours.

Done and done!

 

Baked Indian Pudding

2 quarts milk

1 c yellow cornmeal

1 c molasses

1 tsp salt

Directions:

Put one quart of the milk into an earthen pudding pot, and the other quart of the milk into an agate dish, on the stove, to scald.

Stir the meal into the hot milk slowly, one handful at a time, until it thickens.

Remove from the stove and add molasses, pouring the mixture into the cold milk.

Bake SIX HOURS in a slow oven, serve warm with cream.

If properly cooked, it will be red and full of whey.