Eggplant, Heirloom Tomato, and Chickpea Curry

I've been getting eggplants in my CSA box over the past few weeks and trying to figure out new ways to use them. I came across some recipes that used just the flesh of the eggplant in curry dishes (versus dicing it up and including the skin) and I thought this would bring a nice texture and meatiness to a vegetarian curry dish. I also had some heirloom tomatoes and some canned chickpeas on hand, and with some spices you can easily create this dish in a pinch. My favorite thing about these type of Indian-inspired curries is that they are so healthy and leave you feeling great after you eat them. The spices in this curry are also great for you - the turmeric is an anti-inflammatory, and the red chile flakes can help speed up your metabolism.

Eggplant, Heirloom Tomato, and Chickpea Curry
Active Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes

Serves 3-4

1 T. ghee (clarified butter), coconut oil, or olive oil (use the latter 2 for a vegan option)
1 large eggplant
2 medium or 1 very large heirloom tomatoes, diced
1 15 oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 t. ground cumin
1 t. ground turmeric
1 t. ground coriander
1/2 t. dried red chile flakes
Kosher salt
Brown rice, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut the top off the eggplant and half lengthwise. On a baking sheet or sheet pan, drizzle a little olive oil in 2 places where you'll put the eggplant halves. Sprinkle some kosher salt on each eggplant half, then place the cut side down on the olive oil spots and rub around to coat. Transfer to the oven and cook for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the onion, garlic, and tomatoes. Heat the ghee or other oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute until softened, about 7-8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chickpeas, cumin, turmeric, coriander, chile flakes, and 1/2 t. kosher salt and stir to combine, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or whenever the eggplant is done.

Remove the eggplant from the oven, flip it over with a spatula, then use the spatula or a spoon to spoon the flesh of the eggplant into a small bowl. Mash it slightly with the spatula or spoon, then transfer to the pan with the other vegetables, stir to combine, and simmer for another 3-5 minutes. A nice shortcut for the rice in this recipe is Trader Joe's frozen organic short grain brown rice, which I always have on hand and only takes 3 minutes to reheat. Serve the curry over brown rice or with naan.

Summer's Bounty Quinoa

Summer is definitely one of my favorite times to cook because the quality and quantity of so many fruits and vegetables are at their peak. I received a large bunch of basil in my CSA box recently and wanted to come up with another way to use it besides in pasta. I ended up using quinoa as the base of the dish, combining it with a basil puree, and adding cherry tomatoes, corn, romano beans (similar to green beans, but slightly flatter and bigger), red onion, and some feta. The result was a flavorful, satisfying, healthy, and very summery dish that was equally good warm or at room temperature.

Summer's Bounty Quinoa

Serves 4 as a main dish, 6-8 as a side

Active Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

1 c. quinoa

2 c. water

2 c. packed fresh basil leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Black pepper

2 ears white corn, kernels cut off the cob

1 large red onion, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced

1 lb. romano beans or green beans, ends snapped or trimmed off, then chopped

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 c. feta cheese, crumbled

Put the quinoa and water into a medium sized saucepan, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.

Meanwhile, prep the vegetables. Then, in a large skillet, heat 1 T. olive oil over medium heat. Add the red onion and a pinch of salt and saute for about 7-10 minutes, or until softened. Set aside in a medium-sized bowl and cover with foil or a kitchen towel. Return the skillet to heat, add the corn and a pinch of salt and saute for 1-2 minutes, stirring, then remove from the pan and set aside in the bowl with the onion. In a small saucepan, bring some water to a boil for the beans. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then drain and add to the bowl with the onion and corn.

Add the basil, garlic, 1/2 t. kosher salt and 1/8 t. black pepper (or, a few grinds) to a food processor. Measure out 1/4 c. olive oil. Start the food processor, then slowly add in the olive oil until it comes together.  

When the quinoa is done, add the basil puree and stir to combine. Then, add in the reserved onion, corn, and beans as well as the tomatoes and feta and stir to combine. Season to taste for additional salt and pepper, garnish with a sprig of basil (if you have any left over) and serve.

Low Sodium, Big Flavor French Onion Soup

This week, I accepted a challenge from my friend Jess to revamp a favorite recipe into a very low sodium version - less than 40mg per serving. Jess has a fabulous blog http://sodiumgirl.wordpress.com/ AND a book coming out next year. Not only does Jess like to come up with creative ways to make flavorful, low sodium recipes, she also has to for her health. Jess was impacted by a severe onset of lupus while we were in college, and while she has made an awesome recovery, her kidneys cannot regulate sodium levels the way that a normal person's kidneys can, which means - no salt.

While we might not all have conditions like Jess, I think it is important for us all to think about our sodium intake. We might focus on calories, carbs, and fat, but sodium intake has risen dramatically in recent years and can have long-term affects on your health. There are little ways that I try to cut back but I know I need to be more mindful of it. One easy first step is trying to avoid products that already have a lot of unnecessary sodium added to them - such as chicken/vegetable stock, soups, and canned goods - and buy a low-sodium or no salt added version instead. You can always add your own seasoning and in most cases will end up adding much less than what the full-sodium version contains. I do this with vegetable stock, canned tomatoes, and many other things.

This challenge was all about taking a traditionally high sodium favorite - I chose French Onion Soup - and trying to remake it to a very low sodium version. The trickiest part of this was the stock - even low sodium varieties have far higher sodium levels than the 40mg dictated by Jess' low sodium rules. So, I had to be creative, and ended up coming up with a flavorful soup based on Julia Child's version which incorporates vermouth and cognac, and adding depth by using herbs, balsamic vinegar, molasses, and most importantly, carmelizing the onions very well. This is not a quick recipe, but it isn't difficult either if you have the time!

Low Sodium, Big Flavor French Onion Soup
Serves 4 as a main dish, 6 as a starter

Active Time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs. yellow onions, thinly sliced
3/4 lb. shallots, thinly sliced
2 T. unsalted butter
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 t. dry mustard
1/2 t. brown sugar
2 T. flour
4 c. hot water
1 fresh bay leaf or 2 dried
1 T. fresh thyme leaves
1 T. balsalmic vinegar
1 T. molasses
5 T. Cognac
1 c. dry white vermouth
Black pepper
Crusty white bread
Low-sodium swiss cheese (I used Sargento baby swiss)

Melt the butter and oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until the onions are tender and translucent, about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occassionally.

Stir in the dry mustard and brown sugar. Cook until the onions are well browned, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occassionally. It's ok (and good) if you get a lot of brown bits at the bottom of the pot, this will help deepen the flavor of the soup. You can scrape up some of the brown bits as you're stirring the onions. However, if it starts to burn or smell like burning, turn down the heat a little.

Add the flour and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the Cognac, dry vermouth, molasses, and balsamic vinegar, scraping up the brown bits. Stir in the water and add the thyme, bay leaves and 1/2 t. pepper. Bring to a low boil and then partially cover and let simmer, over low heat, for about 45 minutes. Taste and add additional pepper or balsalmic vinegar to brighten it up if desired.

To serve: Preheat the broiler. Ladle the soup into oven-proof bowls or crocks and lay a piece of bread in the middle of each bowl. Lay a slice of swiss cheese on top of the bread. Put the bowls on foil-lined baking sheet and broil until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown slightly. We served this as a main dish along with a big green salad. Enjoy!

Potato-Leek-Onion Soup

One of my favorite recipes growing up was a Potato-Leek Soup from the Williams-Sonoma Soups cookbook. I have made it dozens of times over the years, but this time wanted to dress it up a little with a few more ingredients and also try making it with vegetable broth instead of chicken broth (Adam and I are in the midst of a no-meat, no-alcohol January to start off the New Year). Other than some chopping at the beginning, this is an easy soup to make, it's very healthy and satisfying, and it tastes even better the next day. Serve with some good bread and a green salad.

Potato-Leek-Onion Soup
Serves 4-6

Active Time: 30 min
Total Time: 1 hour

1 T. unsalted butter
2 lb. leeks, thinly sliced, white and light green parts only (soak leeks briefly in a small bowl of water to remove any grit that gets into the leeks)
3 lb. russet potatoes, peeled, cut into eighths (quarter and then slice in half lengthwise again) and then cut into thin slices
1/2 large yellow onion (or 1 small), thinly sliced
A few inside stalks of celery and their leaves, thinly sliced (about 1 c. chopped)
6 c. low-sodium vegetable broth/stock
2 bay leaves
A few springs fresh thyme, or about 1 t. dried thyme
Kosher salt
Black pepper

Heat butter in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, celery, leeks, and 1/2 t. kosher salt and saute until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add the potatoes, vegetable stock, bay leaves, sprigs of thyme (you can leave them on the stem, they will infuse the flavor in the broth and usually just fall off into the soup as it's cooking), 1 t. kosher salt (if using low-sodium broth) and 1/4 t. pepper.

Bring to a low boil, then simmer over low heat, covered, for 30 minutes, until potatoes are cooked. Remove the bay leaves and thyme (if using fresh) and adjust for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if desired. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Kale, Carmelized Onions & Parsnips

While we are having a warm early October in the Bay Area (it was in the mid-80s this weekend), I can't help getting into the mood for fall. Squash, pumpkins, autumn greens, and root vegetables are starting to pop up at our local farmer's market in Menlo Park. I wanted to make something for dinner that was a little lighter given the warm weather while incorporating some fall ingredients.

I ended up adapting this recipe from one I found by Jeanne Kelley, substituting whole wheat pasta to amp up the protein and adding chanterelle mushrooms, which is optional, but were available at the farmer's market for a very reasonable price. I used baby parsnips that were available at the market, but you can find regular parsnips at the grocery store, and I used lacinato kale, which I think has the best texture for this recipe, but any variety of kale would be fine.

Pasta with Kale, Carmelized Onions, and Parsnips

Serves approx. 4 people

Extra virgin olive oil

Approx. 1 lb. parsnips, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/3'' slices

1 large red onion (or 2 small), thinly sliced

1 T. chopped fresh thyme or 1 t. dried thyme

4 garlic cloves, roughly minced

1/2 c. dry white wine (I used Chardonnay)

1 large bunch kale, chopped (discard ends of stems)

1/2 c. vegetable broth (or if you don't have any on hand, use an additional 1/4 c. wine and 1/4 c. water)

8 to 12 oz. whole wheat penne (depending on how big of eaters you are - I used approx. 3 cups of dried penne which was enough for a hearty dinner and leftovers the next day)

3/4 c. Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (freshly grated or shaved)

1 t. salt

1/2 t. pepper

2 c. chanterelle mushrooms, roughly chopped (optional)

Heat 1 T. of the olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add parsnips to pan and cook approximately 10 minutes or until tender and browned, stirring occassionally, and season with a pinch of salt. Place in a large bowl (which you'll use to mix all of the ingredients together later) and keep warm.

Meanwhile, heat another 1 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt (which helps the onions cook down) and cook for approximately 20 minutes or until tender and golden brown.

Start the water for the pasta and salt the pasta water generously. Cook pasta according to directions.

Meanwhile, Stir in the thyme and garlic to the pan with the onions and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occassionally. Add white wine to pan and cook for another 2-3 minutes until liquid is almost all absorbed. Stir in the kale and broth (or wine/water) and cook, covered, for 5 minutes or until kale is tender, stirring once or twice. Uncover and reduce heat to low, cooking another 4 minutes or so until kale is very tender, stirring occassionally. Season with salt and pepper.

If using chanterelle mushrooms, in the pan used for the parsnips, melt 1 t. butter over medium heat. Saute the mushrooms for approximately 3-4 minutes or until tender and season with salt and pepper.

Reserve 3/4 c. of the pasta cooking water, then drain the pasta. The cooking water will help bind all of the ingredients together and create a sauce. Add the pasta to the large bowl with the parsnips and add the kale and onion mixture as well as the mushrooms, if using. Add 1/2 c. of the cheese, 1 t. salt, and 1/2 t. pepper, and pour the pasta water over the mixtures, stirring well to combine. Serve with additional Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

Enjoy!