Posted on 06/04/2015 3:38:35 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I don't think there are any strict vegetarians in my current personal circle, but there are always some people with food restrictions whom we have to consider whenever we give or contribute to a big party.
I work in an 'ethnically diverse' environment with many people who don't eat 'mainstream', ranging from Jews and Muslims who don't eat pork, to a Hindu who doesn't eat beef OR pork; the occasional vegetarians of varying commitment; and (sigh) one 'raw-foodist'. (Just buy a pineapple for that one.)
Having been largely vegetarian for the first part of my own adult life - and loving veggies for their own sake - the biggest section of my personal loose-leaf cookbook is the vegetable section. I thought this week I'd share some unusual vegetable recipes.
I found this simple but special eggplant dish last year, but don't have a picture. The 'scoring' that you do on the eggplant is a kind of cross-hatching that looks like nice grill marks. (I've also seen similar recipes done by slicing the eggplant into thick slices, instead of two long halves):
Roasted Eggplant with Tahini Dressing
2 medium eggplants (about 1 1/4 pounds total), trimmed and halved lengthwise
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
DRESSING:
3 tablespoons well-stirred tahini
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons hot water
1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
1/8 teaspoon minced garlic
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
For Eggplant: Heat oven to 425°F with rack in middle. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. (It helps to first sprinkle the eggplant halves with salt, and let them "drain", flesh side down, in a large colander for about 30 minutes before roasting. It helps to reduce the moisture content of the dish.)
Put eggplant pieces on prepared baking sheet, flesh-side up. With the tip of a sharp knife, score flesh, about 3/4 inch deep. Season eggplant with salt and pepper, and drizzle with oil. Roast, rotating pan once halfway through, until eggplant flesh is soft and collapsed and edges are deep golden, 35 to 40 minutes.
For Dressing: While eggplant is roasting, in a bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Remove eggplant from oven and sprinkle with salt.
Transfer to serving plates, drizzle with half of the dressing and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with remaining dressing.
One of the most popular vegetarian recipes I've taken to a party was a Mushroom Strudel. I originally found it in some healthy-eating magazine, where it was suggested as an entree for a vegetarian Thanksgiving. I've misplaced the original, but this recipe is identical:
http://www.food.com/recipe/mushroom-strudel-21852
This next recipe from Paula Wolfert's book 'The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen' is one of the most surprising recipes that I've tried, though it appears to be very common in the Middle East. I think we actually cheated the first time by making it with frozen artichokes, and it was still very good:
http://leitesculinaria.com/6844/recipes-compote-of-artichoke-orange-coriander-and-mint.html
Lastly, as Jacques Pepin has often said, you can't do better than excellent bread with excellent butter. This week someone asked to be added to this ping list, and mentioned an interest in Sourdough bread-making. I would like to learn that too, and perhaps some of the folks who have done it can give us tips/recipes. I'm not sure if I've posted this before, but I recently found this interesting article by a microbiologist named Debra Wink, who turned her scientific knowledge to the sourdough cause:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10856/pineapple-juice-solution-part-1
Thanks!! Sounds great...love the two flavor options :) I just canned plum-orange jam...I bet that would taste great in this recipe.
Just signed up for it! Thanks for the link.
“Seriously, Docs don’t have all the answers either. “
I think they have very few answers, all while thinking they are omnipotent!
I have a lovely starter that’s been my buddy for several years now.
I LOVE super-sour bread, but can’t quite get that from the starter to the final loaf. I’ve even tried a method that had me feed the starter with rye flour (supposed to enhance the sourness) at very specific temps that the sour bacteria was supposed to thrive in, for days. Then, creating the levain, again for days at specific temps. I put the concoction in my basement and that seemed to be just right. Then, let the final loaf rise for hours. The starter was VERY sour-smelling, as was the levain. But the final loaf - not so much. I mean, it had great chew, a great crispy crust - but I only knew it was ‘sour’ dough because of all the trouble I went through.
So, I still feed my starter - which again, always smells very nice and sour. Hoping someday I’ll hit on how to translate that to an actual loaf.
If you have any suggestions, let me know.
Thank you so much for your reply. Sourdough ,for me, is a work in progress. Slowly building my bread supplies and moving away from proofing in antique stoneware bowls to plastic proofing buckets. The new modern works just fine and no fear of breaking my much loved antique bowls. I am a woman of the new millennium, after all.
My experience is on a novice level. My starter is young and I have mixed success. Good tang, good crust, somewhat dense texture. But, I like the heavy texture myself. My problem is the rise. I’m going to work around and try a batch just a few hours after feeding the starter. Try to catch it when it’s active and really bubbly. I have tried baking on cookie sheet to a ceramic lined Dutch oven. Like the Dutch oven bread best, but again not a good rise. I live in a rural area, here in SoCal and I think this helps the starter. Time will tell. I can’t believe maintaining sourdough has to be so difficult, after all my ancestors just ‘did it’ with maybe not understanding the science behind it. Yes, they were in the gold rush in Nome AK. Successfully too. Oh, my bread receipt call for a total 5 cups flour. I substitute 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour. I like the taste and texture it gives. Maybe not a purest result, but I like it. Happy baking. :)
Oh, I give my proofing a long time in the fridge. Up to 12 hours and one time it went almost 24 hours. Something in the cold exile in the fridge increases the lactic? Acid which causes the sourness.
Oops it’s the acetic acid that is enhanced with the refrigeration.
One question, if I might. What type container do you keep your starter in? I had a ceramic lined clay crock on hand with loose fitting lid, (was designed as a cheese keeper) and it works pretty good. Approximately 1.5 -2 quart capacity.
One question, if I might. What type container do you keep your starter in? I had a ceramic lined clay crock on hand with loose fitting lid, (was designed as a cheese keeper) and it works pretty good. Approximately 1.5 -2 quart capacity.
Is that the last proofing of the loaf or both rises?
Hey, I think those using sourdough starters long ago probably weren’t as picky as we are in the results. They were just HUNGRY!
I have a regular mason jar with one of those white screw-on lids. Those lids are not air tight.
That way I can easily see it when it is rising to see if it’s active or not, or when it’s done. Looks pretty too!
Seems silly to waste money on a store-bought sourdo keeper, LOL! Sounds like you found a good solution too.
Sorry, I wasn’t specific - a quart-sized wide-mouth jar. There’s plenty of room for the starter to rise and for me to stir in more flour, etc. And I have multiples for the times I want to dump the starter into a clean vessel and wash the old one. They can get pretty gunky!
This recipe calls for three 3 count um 3 proofs. First proof for 2-4 hours at room temp. Then into to the fridge for 12+ hours. Final dry ingredients added then , kneading then another proof for 2-4 hours. I like to give my dough a few min (5 ) bench rest then into the Dutch oven for the final rise. I did see a clay baking bowl in a catalogue that is on my wish list. This could become an obsessive activity very easily. :).
The jar sounds good too. I have read many use the jars. I just happened to have this crock thing and figured what the hell? Just go for it.
Here in just this part of Texas it takes about 3 days for 2 year old starter to get infected and useless for making bread.
Made me cry when I figured it out. I like my sour dough.
/johnny
Oh I find dealing with sourdough very addictive! It’s a living, breathing hobby!
We recently moved and I HAD to find away to transport my little sour friend over 2300 miles. I dried some, as a backup as well, in case I ran out of a way to keep it cool.
Do you mind sharing the whole recipe? I don’t quite get the suggested time in the frig after each proof?
And you get a nice tang out of it?
BTW, I’ve read that rye or whole wheat will increase the sourness, so good call on that one!
Just had a brain fart..I’m trying to figure out how you got the rice to stay in the steamer basket..AND cook in 8 minutes...
My pleasure...
/johnny
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