Eggplant Fricassée

I love eggplant. L-O-V-E.  (I hated it as a child)  So I got a little giddy when I found one in good shape on the discount rack at Stop and Shop today for 75 cents!  That meaty specimen was definitely priced close to $4 yesterday. Since I got it discount though I wanted to cook it today since throwing away food is the saddest thing ever. 


Since Italians really know what to do with an eggplant, I flipped through The Silver Spoon for a yummy looking, paleo friendly dish, and found this!  I was very pleasantly surprised, learned a new cooking technique, and have a happy belly. The recipe below is slightly modified from the book as it called for 5 eggplants, and I don't think any of us are eating that much eggplant anytime soon.


Eggplant Fricassée

The picture in the book:
 
Ingredients: 
* 1 large eggplant, sliced thickly (~1/2in)
* 2 tbsp butter
* 3 tbsp oil
* 1 onion, chopped
* 1 can peeled plum tomatoes, drained & chopped
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 tbsp parsley
* salt and pepper
* 2 eggs
* juice of 1 lemon (or equivalent from bottle)

It is important to remember that eggplant must be well salted and allowed to 'sweat' for 30 minutes, then rinsed and patted dry before using. This takes the bitterness out. I've skipped this step if I'm in a real hurry but it does make a real difference. I like to slice mine, layer it in a colander (salting each layer well), then place a bowl full of water on top to help press them a bit. 

Meanwhile - melt the oil and butter together in your skillet (I use my cast iron, but an enamel casserole like le creuset would be great). Add the onion and sauté over medium for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until translucent. 



 


Add your patted dry eggplant slices, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, and pepper. (Save the salt for the end and add only if it needs it since the canned tomato will likely have enough). 
Stir this around to coat the slices (it's a little awkward unless you have an enormous pan). Let cook for about 15 minutes or until the eggplant is tender enough for you. Flip them over every few minutes to make sure they cook evenly and get coated in the seasonings. 
When they're done, remove from the heat. 
Scramble the eggs together with the lemon juice - it will be very liquidy. ( You'll probably get the best flavor from juicing a fresh lemon)

Pour this over the eggplant in the pan and stir right away so the egg doesn't scramble. It should coat the eggplant like a cream sauce! (I was totally fascinated by this)

I am still fascinated by this dish - it was so simple, with basic ingredients, and seriously came out tasting 5 star restaurant quality. I will definitely make this again (an incredible compliment coming from someone who's only made like 3 things more than once), and I am going to try it with chicken too! I bet it'll be killer.

Turnip Home Fries

I just watched "I, Caveman" - a documentary following a group of people trying to survive 10 days in the Colorado wild with only paleolithic supplies and tools. It was hard - 2 people quit, but the rest really managed to make it work! They built shelter, purified water, hunted small game and even managed to bring down an elk. The whole experience made me both want to try it myself, and really appreciate my stove! In homage, I'm sharing my awesome recipe for turnip home fries - they're super delicious, low cal, and low glycemic index. And...it's quick!

Turnip Home Fries

1/2 bag frozen turnips
A couple tablespoons of olive oil
A pinch of salt and pepper, or Mrs. Dash :)

Put the turnips in a pan and cook on high, stirring often, until melted and beginning to brown. Add the olive oil and the seasoning, turn to medium high, and stir often until golden brown all over! Probably 15 minutes total cook time. 


So yummy with eggs for breakfast, or with steak for dinner! Only thing - they're best hot out of the pan. 




Day 2 of Paleo experiment - going beautifully.


Breakfast: 2 fried eggs + 2 strips bacon
Lunch: chicken breast over salad, with carrots in balsamic vinegar and rosemary
Dinner: rest of the chicken leftover from lunch with almond butter on it, plus rest of Spanish Style Mussels from last night, and some delicious home fry turnips!

Gratitude, & some Southern cookin'

An often overlooked, though very necessary, step to achieving happiness is bringing your attention to everything you've go to be happy about!

I use the Gratitude Journal app from happytapper now as it is an easy reminder. Nothing beats paper...but I try not to fight progress.  :)

It is in the spirit of gratitude that I write about my most recent culinary adventure. I had two wonderful people over my house the other night and wanted to give them more than boxed pasta and a jar of sauce. Wracking my brains in the bulk beans aisle, I had a moment of enlightenment and decided to treat them to some good old fashioned Italian-American Southern home cooking.

The menu:

Cornbread (the rustic kind. no sugar. no corn chunks.)

1 ½ c yellow cornmeal 

1 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 scant tsp sea salt
1 egg lightly beaten
2 cups buttermilk (or soured regular milk, or just regular milk. any %.)
2 tbsp olive oil (or bacon drippings)

* Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
* Put the oil in a cast iron skillet and place it in the oven while it preheats.
* Mix together dry ingredients. Whisk egg and buttermilk together. Mix wet and dry ingredients together.

* Take cast iron skillet out of oven. Pour the hot oil into batter and mix.
* Pour batter into cast iron skillet, bake in oven for 20 minutes - or until cornbread is brown on top and pulling away from the sides of the skillet. 

*Serve warm, with real butter.

Beans n' Greens

This is both a traditional Italian, and Southern, dish. Any bean with any green works really - experiment! The foundation is always the same:

* In a heavy bottomed pot or skillet, warm a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and cook 1 chopped onion and a few smashed and chopped garlic cloves until translucent and fragrant. 

* Add fresh or frozen greens, toss with the oil, and cook until crisp-tender and bright green.

* Add can or two of beans - only add the juices from one can (try to get NO Salt Added)

* Simmer gently until all the flavors combine- 5-10 minutes.

I used chopped leftover Easter ham in with the oil, onion and garlic, with kidney beans and a whole pot full of fresh kale.

Mac n' Cheese

A classic - prepared classically. Boiled macaroni noodles, into a casserole dish with about a cup of shredded cheddar and fresh parmesan-reggiano, with ½ cup buttermilk and a little powdered milk to help make the roux come together. Basil, oregano, black pepper, & a pinch of sea salt. Panko breadcrumbs on the top. Baked with the cornbread when the bread had about 10 minutes left.

(Trick: heat butter in a pan, add a spoon of flour and mix it together. Then slowly whisk in your milk. This should make a sort of gravy. Add your shredded cheeses to this and it'll all melt together into a cream sauce, rather than milk+cheese bits!)

All together - a success. Many thanks to my company and my cast iron skillets!

Love,

E