Vegetarian Moussaka

Moussaka is essentially the Greek lasagna--there are thousands of recipes for it, and everyone says theirs is the right one.  I learned recently that the "traditional" topping may not be a bechamel sauce, but a yogurt mixture, which sounded great to me!  So I decided to try it out!  I actually prefer the flavor to the bechamel, and it feels a bit more, I don't know, nutritious.

I love moussaka, and my mom requested it this week, but I wasn't feeling a heavy meat-filled meal.  So, we did a vegetarian version with lentils, which came out delightfully!  Even better the next day!

Ingredients:

500 grams eggplant, thinly sliced (about one LARGE eggplant, or two small ones/2 lb.)
250 grams zucchini, thinly sliced (about two medium/1 lb. zucchini)
250 grams Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced (about 2 medium/1 lb. potatoes)
2-3 T. olive oil

Filling:
1 cup cooked lentils
2 carrots, diced
2 stalk of celery, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 T. cider vinegar
1 t. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 t. gluten-free soy sauce
1 t. ground cinnamon
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/2 t. ground allspice
1/2 t. fennel seeds
14 oz. can diced or crushed tomatoes
Salt & pepper to taste

About 4 oz. crumbled feta cheese

Topping:
1 cup Greek yogurt
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
Pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon
1 t. fresh thyme leaves
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Toss your eggplant and zucchini slices in a large bowl with some salt.  Allow to sit and sweat out their water for at least 30 minutes.  Rinse and pat dry on a few layers of paper towels.

Toss eggplant, potatoes, and zucchini in olive oil until lightly coated.  Preheat your broiler and place a rack on the highest slot.  Spread the vegetables over a few foil-lined cookie sheets, in single layers, and broil for 5-10 minutes, until lightly browned on top and tender.  Set aside and allow to cool.

Now preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.

In a large, lidded skillet, heat 1 T. oil over medium heat.  Saute onion, carrot, celery, and garlic until cooked through and lightly browned.  Add in your spices and allow them to "bloom" (i.e. until you can REALLY smell them), about 2 minutes.  Toss in the lentils, vinegar, sauces, and tomatoes.  Bring to a simmer, reduce heat, and partially cover the pan.  Cook until the liquid is reduced and the mixture is thick and pasty (30 min. to an hour).  Taste and correct seasonings to your liking.

Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 inch glass/ceramic baking pan.

Arrange 1/3 of your vegetables in the bottom of the pan in the order of:  eggplant, potatoes, zucchini.  Spread half of the lentil filling mixture over this, and top with half of the feta.  Repeat.  Then, for the last layer, reverse the vegetable order (zucchini, potatoes, eggplant) and you are done assembling!    Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.

While that's baking, in a food processor, combine the topping ingredients until smooth.  Once the first bake is finished, remove the moussaka from the oven and remove the foil.  Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.  Spread the yogurt mixture over the top of the dish and place back in the oven, uncovered.  Bake for 30 minutes more, until the top is lightly browned and the sides are bubbling.

Enjoy alone, or with a lovely Greek salad!

Vegan Mondays: Baingan Bharta (Eggplant Curry)

So in the wake of going gluten-free, it seems that my lactose intolerance (which I've known about forever, but been able to mostly ignore) is also beginning to flair up.  Which is common once one goes gluten-free with Celiac/intolerance--your digestive system can now process things the right way again, so any intolerance you already had before gets worse!

It is with sad news that I announce that I must (mostly) break up with cheese.

Which leads us into today's recipe!

I *may* have posted this recipe before, but I am making it again and it may be a tad different.  So oh well!  Enjoy it again!

I have combined two recipes to make this.  From here and here.   They are not horribly different, except for their spice amounts.

Ingredients:

2 T. olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, diced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large tomato, diced (or use canned, like I did...maybe a 14-oz. can of diced tomatoes)
1 T. cumin seeds
1 t. ground turmeric
1 t. ground coriander
1 t. garam masala
1/2 t. red pepper flakes/powder
1/2 t. ground fenugreek
1/2 t. mustard powder (I didn't have this, so I used some mustard in the fridge)
1 large eggplant, or 2 medium, cubed
Salt to taste

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the onion and bell pepper, and saute until cooked-through.  Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.  Toss in your spices and allow the scent to bloom.  Add the tomatoes, and allow this to cook for about 10 minutes.

Add in the eggplant and place a lid on top.  Turn the heat down and allow this all to cook, stirring occasionally, for 20-25 minutes, until the eggplant is tender and the flavors have blended.  Lastly, taste for salt and season to taste.

 (I was bad about taking pictures as I was in a huge hurry.)

Serve plain, over rice, or with naan.  Enjoy!

"Satay" Pork Stir-Fry

I'm calling this a satay stir-fry because that was the flavor it most reminded me of.  I made this up (minus the marinade recipe, which I found here), and just kind of threw together what I had in the fridge.  You can add and subtract veggies as you have them.  I think the following would also be good in the stir-fry:  tofu, snap peas, greens, green beans, eggplant, zucchini, chicken, beef, green pepper, bamboo shoots, etc.

Play with it and enjoy!

Ingredients:

1-2 lb. pork tenderloin

Marinade:
2 T. hoisin sauce**
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. honey
2 T. green onions, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced

Stir-Fry:
The pork tenderloin, marinated, sliced into small, thin strips
3 T. oil, such as canola or peanut
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1-inch knob of ginger, minced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 head of broccoli florets, cut in equal-sized pieces

Sauce:
1/4 cup hoisin sauce**
1 T. peanut butter
1-2 T. honey
1-2 T. soy sauce
1 t. sesame oil
1/2 cup water

1 T. starch mixed with 1 T. water

Instructions:

Mix together your marinade and pour it over your pork tenderloin.  Marinate for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

Stir together the sauce ingredients and set aside.  You may want to heat it to get the peanut butter to combine well with the other liquids.  Taste and adjust to your liking.

Get out a wok and heat your oil in it over high heat, until the oil is shimmering and nearly smoking.

Add in the garlic and ginger.  Stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add in the pork and stir-fry until browned, about 2 minutes.

Add the vegetables.  Stir-fry for up to 5 minutes, until they are vibrant and slightly tender.

Add the sauce mixture.  Allow to come to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes more, or until everything is cooked through.

Add the starch mixture and allow to simmer until the sauce reaches a thickness you like.

Serve alone, or over rice!

I apologize for my lack of real pictures.  I didn't know it was going to be good until it was done :P.

You could easily make this vegetarian/vegan by substituting tofu for the pork.  Also, I think this would work with beef and chicken!

** If you need a good source for a GF hoisin sauce recipe, I used this one.

Szechuan Eggplant

From everything I've ever seen, Szechuan means hot.  You are warned.

I had Szechuan eggplant hotpot at a Chinese/Thai/Japanese fusion restaurant in Maryland last spring.  It was delicious, saucy, and spicy (but not spicy enough, no matter how much I tell them to make it HOT).  I HAD to find a recipe for making it at home (especially since going gluten-free), and I did.

This is the basic recipe.  When I have it on my plate, I end up adding more heat with Szechuan peppercorns and more Sriracha.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound of ground pork
2 T. soy sauce
Ground black pepper

Sauce:
2 T. sesame oil
2 T. soy sauce
2 T. brown sugar
3 T. chili-garlic paste (usually, I use Sambal Oelek, but I ran out the other day, so I used Sriracha)
1 T. rice wine (I did not have this, and used white wine.  I have also heard gin delivers a very similar flavor.)

1-2 large eggplants, sliced into fat sticks
1-2 bell peppers (red and green), optional
1-inch knob of ginger, sliced into matchsticks
1 T. cornstarch dissolved in 1 T. water
Half a head of garlic, minced

Instructions:

Look how cheap ground pork is!!!!

Place ground pork, 2 T. soy sauce, and black pepper in a small bowl to marinate.  Allow to sit in fridge for at least 1 hour.

Mix together the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.  Set aside.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat.  Add pork mixture, ginger, and garlic.  Stir-fry until browned.

Add in bell peppers and eggplant.  Stir-fry for a few minutes to brown the eggplant.

Throw in the sauce mixture and bring to a simmer.  Turn heat down to medium and allow stir-fry mixture to cook until the eggplant is cooked through, 5-10 minutes.  Stir frequently.

I put a lid over it so the eggplant would cook more evenly.

Add in the cornstarch and water mixture, bring to a boil, and allow the mixture to thicken.

Serve immediately over rice/quinoa, or all alone if you like!  I was so hungry, I didn't take a great picture...but it was delicious!

If you like heat...I suggest investing in some Szechuan peppercorns.  I prefer it with about a teaspoon of them added to the recipe, but a lot of people don't like how hot it gets, so I just add them after.

Cornmeal-Crusted Basa (Catfish) with Homemade Tartar Sauce and Kalyn's Ratatouille Wanna-Be

A few weeks ago, I discovered basa fish, which was super-duper on sale at IGA and had the "sustainable fish" stamp of approval on it (I try to be aware of which fish are on the do-not-eat list, typically).  Upon coming home and researching, I have discovered that basa is indeed a Vietnamese catfish, and is being shipped worldwide due to its large numbers and nutritional value.  So, take that as you will.  I will buy it again when I see it.  The fillets are HUGE, and it's relatively low-calorie.

Sometimes, I feel like having some good ol' Southern-style food.  Fried catfish is one of those things.

First!  Homemade tartar sauce, because you want this to sit for at least an hour before you eat it.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
3 T. minced dill pickle (or sweet relish, but I prefer the sour aspect)
1 T. dill
Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.  Taste and correct any ingredients (you may want more dill, more pickle, whatever).  Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before eating.  That was easy!

Fish time!

Ingredients:

1/2 cup finely ground corn meal
1/2 t. half-sharp paprika
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/2 t. thyme
1/2 t. oregano
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. ground black pepper

2 basa fillets (I have no idea how big mine were, really...)

Vegetable oil for frying

Instructions:

Fill a large, heavy-bottomed skillet with enough oil to fill it about 1/2 inch from the bottom.  Heat over medium-high heat.

Mix corneal and spices/herbs on a plate or shallow bowl.

Dredge both sides of the fish in the cornmeal mix, pressing to make sure the fish is well-coated.

Your oil is ready when, if you dip your fingertips in some water and flick water droplets at the surface of the oil, it sizzles and pops and generally goes crazy.

Fry your fish for about 6 minutes on each side (or according to the packaging), until golden brown and crispy.  Place on a plate with paper towel to remove any excess oil.

Serve immediately with your tartar sauce and a side of your choice!  The ratatouille wanna-be recipe can be found here.

 I also enjoyed a mojito :D.

Happy 100th, Julia!

Today would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday, if she had been able to grace us with her amazing presence for any longer.  I never watched her show (I think I was too young), but she greatly inspired and aided me in my creativity and technique in the kitchen.  I grew up constantly hearing about how wonderful she was and how she revolutionized cooking in the United States.

So, today, I honor her by making a couple of her recipes (gluten-free, of course) and feast upon the deliciousness.

Both recipes are adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child

Aubergines (Eggplant) Stuffed with Mushrooms and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

2 medium-sized eggplants, stemmed and halved lengthwise
3 T. butter, divided
3 T. olive oil, divided
1/2 a large yellow onion, finely minced
1/2 pound of mushrooms (I had buttons, but you could easily use portobellos or something else to your liking), finely minced
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 1/2 oz. soft goat cheese, crumbled (the original recipe had cream cheese)
1/2 t. dried parsley
1/2 t. dried thyme or basil

Instructions:

Take the eggplant halves and score the flesh within 1/4 inch of the skin.  Sprinkle salt onto the flesh and place them, cut-side-down, on paper towels to allow the water to seep out of them.  Leave them for 30 minutes to an hour.

Once the eggplant have drained some of their water (give them a good squeeze to get even more out, preheat your broiler on high, and place the halves cut-side-up on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with a small bit of oil (I used my Misto sprayer) and broil 5-6 inches from the heat for 10-15 minutes, until the flesh is golden brown and fork-tender.

Scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving the skin and about 1/4 inch of flesh, and place in a medium mixing bowl.  Set scooped-out eggplant in a roasting pan big enough for them to fit side by side.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat 1 T. butter and 1 T. oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Add onion and saute for 5-6 minutes, until it is beginning to turn translucent.  Add in the mushrooms and saute together until both are cooked through and slightly browned, about 5-6 minutes more.

Combine eggplant flesh, mushrooms, and onions.  Stir in the goat cheese, herbs, and salt and pepper.  Be sure to taste and correct any seasonings you desire.

Place filling in the eggplant halves in the pan. If you desire, top with grated Swiss cheese and bread crumbs (I didn't think it needed it).  Add 1/8 inch of water to the pan, and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until tops are browned and everything is heated through.

Before cooking!

After cooking!

I had a helper for some of this.

Chicken in a Tomato and Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients:

6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
2 T. butter, divided
2 T. olive oil, divided
1/2 pound of mushrooms, sliced (again, I had buttons, but you could use others)
2 shallots, minced
1 cup of peeled, seeded tomatoes, chopped (I used canned whole San Marzanos)
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/2 t. tarragon or basil
1/4 t. salt
Pinch of pepper
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock, mixed with 1 T. cornstarch (I used GF potato starch) and 1 T. water

Instructions:

In the same skillet as before (I used it out of haste and not wanting to clean another pan), heat over medium-high heat and brown both sides of the chicken thighs (this should take about 6-8 minutes).  Set aside on a plate.

Heat 1 T. butter and 1 T. oil over medium heat in that pan, add mushrooms, and saute until browned.  Set aside with chicken.

Heat remaining butter and oil and saute shallots for a minute or two.  Add tomatoes, garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper, bring to a simmer, and cook for 4-5 minutes.

Add wine and broth mixture, bring to a boil, and allow sauce to cook for 5 minutes or so, until the sauce is reduced a bit and thickening.

Add the chicken and mushrooms back into the pan.  Cover and allow to cook through (about 5-10 more minutes).

Serve hot!  Enjoy!  The sauce would be GREAT over some rice or something, but I am avoiding too many carbs lately due to lack of exercise (I injured my foot a while ago).

Here's to you, Julia!

OPERATION GLUTEN UPDATE:

Also, after going GF for a month, I glutened myself and reacted badly.  So I will be GF from now on.  I feel great, it just sucks having to entirely avoid anything with gluten in it.  Oh well, at least I know!  But, oh my, I miss my beer.

Eggplant Masala(ish) Curry

Authentic?  Not particularly, but I like to add my own tastes to the dish, and it's still tasty!

Ingredients:

2 T. vegetable oil or ghee
1 large yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves of garlic, minced
2 medium eggplants, cut into 1-2 inch cubes
1 t. ground ginger (use 2 t. fresh if you have it, it's better)
1 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground turmeric
1 T. garam masala
1/2 t. fenugreek
1/2 t. salt
1 can chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 small bunch of cilantro, chopped

Instructions:

Heat oil over medium heat in a large skillet with a lid.  Add in the onion and cook until a rich golden brown color (this should take about 10 minutes).

Add in the garlic and stir.  Cook for 2 minutes.  Add in the eggplant and spices, stirring to coat.  Slightly brown the eggplant for a few minutes.

Pour the tomatoes into the mixture and bring to a simmer.  Cover the skillet and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes, until the eggplant is cooked through.

Remove the lid and allow the extra juices to cook off, stirring occasionally.  Taste and correct spices to your liking (I ended up adding more garam masala and some Vindaloo seasoning because I wanted some kick to it).

Immediately before serving, stir in the yogurt and cilantro.

Serve with naan and/or rice if you desire.  I just ate it plain and it was delish :D.  You could also serve it as a side dish or add some meat to it to flesh it out a bit more.

Vegan if you omit the yogurt!