The Makings of a Middle Eastern Lunch

Hard to believe it's already Thursday and another Saturday is nearly upon us. I'm still thinking about last weekend's 75-degree weather and super-chill Mediterranean style lunch. A trip to NYC will prevent me from repeating that meal this Saturday, but if I could, I would, in half a heartbeat. It's the obvious way straight to my heart: breads, spreads, salad, and a glass of wine. Easy to please, no?

I might as well pass along the recipes I used in case you're interested in replicating my lunch last Saturday. Really not hard, really really tasty. Whip up a greek salad to accompany the spreads here, get (or make) some good pita or laffa (shepherd bread), and wash it all down with some cold, fruity white wine. My mouth is totally watering.

First up: Muhamarra, the Syrian red pepper and walnut spread with a kiss of pomegranate syrup. Next, a lovely walnut hummus from Heidi at 101 cookbooks topped with paprika and sumac, the tart Middle Eastern condiment. Finally, labneh (at long last) -- the thick, tangy yogurt cheese finished with a drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkling of za'atar, a Middle Eastern plant ground into a fine powder and mixed with sesame seeds.

Last week was the first time in a long time that I've been able to bring a part of my experience in Israel into my home in DC, and I'm still riding the wave.

(Also -- shout out to my little bro, who turned 23 today. Yowza!)

Muhammara adapted from Epicurious

1 12-ounce jar roasted red bell peppers in olive oil with garlic, drained 1 cup walnuts 1/3 cup breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses or fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper Pita chips

Blend all ingredients except pita chips in processor until coarse puree forms. Season with salt. Transfer to bowl; serve with chips.

Hummus en Fuego adapted from 101 Cookbooks

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted 2 cups cooked (or canned) garbanzo beans, drained 1-2 medium cloves garlic, to taste juice of 1 lemon (about 4 tablespoons) 1/4-1/2 cup hot water 1/4 cup olive oil 1 Tbsp za'atar (or paprika)

To make the hummus, give the walnuts a spin in the food processor, just until they are a sandy texture. Add most of the garbanzos, 1 or 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1 clove garlic, and lemon juice. Now process until smooth. Drizzle in the water a bit at a time and puree more, until the hummus is creamy and billowy. Taste; if desired, add the second garlic clove. Let the processor run for a minute or so at this point, to incorporate air into the puree and give it a light texture. Taste, adjust the seasoning - more salt, more lemon juice, etc.

Serve in a shallow bowl, drizzled with plenty of the remaining oil and paprika, sumac, za'atar or other Middle Eastern spice. Heidi garnishes with cured olives and red pepper oil, another lovely option.

Makes roughly 2 1/2 cups.

Labneh

1 quart greek or regular yogurt 1 tsp salt olive oil za'atar

Stir salt into yogurt. Line a wire mesh strainer with either cheesecloth (at least two layers) or paper towels. Spoon yogurt into strainer; set over a bowl, cover loosely with saran wrap, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, bowl will contain much of the whey. For regular yogurt, strain an additional 3-4 hours or more, for maximum thicknes. Greek yogurt will be ready after about 8 hours.

Serve in a shallow bowl; drizzle olive oil, and top with a generous sprinkle of za'atar.

Another Caponata Recipe

I know I've posted caponata on the blog before, but it's such a go-to recipe that I'm not surprised to see it up here again. Caponata is easy to make, very flavorful, and a true crowd-pleaser, even among the most carnivorous eaters. I made it this time as my contribution to a potluck lunch at work in honor of a colleague's last day, and was quite surprised by how popular it was with the meat-lovin crowd. I promised them I'd post the recipe, so even though I've already got a caponata recipe on the blog, here's one more.

This one takes its inspiration from a favorite dish that my mom used to make, called Huachinango a la Veracruzana, or Red Snapper, Veracruz style. It's essentially a whole red snapper (we used filets), baked in a tomato sauce that's laced with jalapeno peppers, green olives, capers, and raisins, and spiked with cinnamon. The flavors are assertive but balanced, and the dish is really tasty. I basically substituted eggplant for the snapper, and held the olives but put in some olive juice to lift the other savory flavors. I also had been eating too many jalapenos, so I subbed in chili flakes instead. If you've got green olives, they'd go great in this dish. I also browned the tomato paste in its own pan to make its flavor more complex, though that step is totally optional.

One of the best things about a chunky caponata like this one is that in addition to being a dip, to be eaten on crackers or baguette, it can double as a pasta sauce. I spooned some if it on top of some whole wheat rigatoni and topped it with feta cheese for an easy and tasty lunch.

This caponata also helped break a slightly frustrating cycle where everything coming out of my kitchen was just so-so. I leaned over this caponata pot, smelled its strong tomato and onion aromas, and thought, oh yea. This is gonna be good.

How good? Good enough that I ate it on pasta the next day.

Another Eggplant Caponata Recipe

olive oil, about 1/4 cup 6 garlic cloves 1 onion, coarsely chopped 1/2 tsp cloves 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp chili flakes 1/2 tsp. cumin 1 tsp. coriander seeds, optional 2 eggplants, cubed into 1-inch pieces 2 Tbsp capers 1/2 cup tomato paste 1/3 cup raisins 1 1/2 cups water several leaves chopped fresh basil, optional 1 tsp dried italian spices (basil, oregano, etc) -- I use Penzeys Tuscan Sunset 1 Tbsp date honey (regular honey is also fine) 1/3 cup green olive juice (can also add 1/3 cup olives, if desired) 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil on medium heat. Add onion and garlic; stir to coat, and cook for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add all spices, toss to coat onions, and cook 2 minutes more. Add eggplant, stir to incorporate, and cook about 5 minutes until eggplant starts to soften and brown in spots.

(If you want to brown the tomato paste in a separate pan before adding to caponata, do so now. Put tomato paste in a small pan over medium heat, mush around, and cook about 5 minutes, until the bottom of the pan starts to turn brown. Add 1/2 cup water and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up the brown bits (called fond) into the tomato liquid. When all the fond has been incorporated into the tomato liquid, add the whole thing into the caponata along with the remaining 1 cup water. If not browning tomato paste, simply add it and all the water to the caponata. Stir to incorporate.

Add all remaining ingredients except for red pepper, stir to combine, and allow to simmer over medium-low heat for about 45 minutes, until well-incorporated. Now -- here's the tricky part -- taste it. Does it need more salt? More spice? Is the sweetness of the raisins and honey coming through enough for your taste? Add with a light hand in whatever direction you see fit, and continue to taste and adjust until what's in the pot makes you happy. Then add the red pepper pieces, and cook 15 minutes more.

Caponata will keep for at least 1 week stored in an airtight container in the fridge.

Serious Barbeque Sauce

Missing your grill right about now? I sure am, and I never even had a grill. But nothing says "miss your grill" like cold, wet, winter nights.

Enter Ina Garten, my favorite Food Network dame and partner in butterlove. Her bbq sauce is the real thing, lemme tell you. By the looks of the recipe, you'd think she was joking: you'll need nearly 10 bottles of already-processed sauces and goops to make her sauce. But when it's done, you'll see that she was serious all along. Laced with onions, generously spicy and perfectly sweet-tart, this sauce is way, way tastier than the sum of its (very processed) parts. Trust me.

Serious BBQ Sauce From The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook Makes 1 ½ quarts

1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion (1 large onion) 1 T. minced garlic (3 cloves) ½ cup vegetable oil 1 cup tomato paste (10 ounces) 1 cup cider vinegar 1 cup honey ½ cup Worcestershire sauce 1 cup Dijon mustard ½ cup soy sauce 1 cup hoisin sauce 2 T. chili powder 1 T. ground cumin ½ T. crushed red pepper flakes

In a large saucepan on low heat, sauté the onions and garlic with the vegetable oil for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer uncovered on low heat for 30 minutes. Use immediately or store in the fridge.

Have you bid yet? Go bid! Go! Now! :)

Steelcut Oatmeal with Peach Compote

Is it obvious I love breakfast? Between french toast casserole, cinnamon buns, vintage breakfast biscuits, shakshuka, and even simple bites like this one, I seem to have found my obsession. In keeping with my breakfast trend, here's another maddeningly simple morning meal option: steelcut oats.

What are steelcut oats? They're oats, really -- but unlike quick oats, which are essentially slices of oats, steelcut oats are like large crumbs. They look more like Grape Nuts than Quaker. They're also quite firm; they don't crumble in your hand the way quick oats can. They take about 25 minutes to cook fully, which means you need to have a bit of time to cook'em up. But if you've got the time, you'll be handsomely rewarded: cooked steelcut oats are like a thicker, homier version of grits or polenta, with a distinctly nutty flavor and lovely pot liquor. I also add a pinch of salt to the water for contrast, and a daub of butter at the end, a la Mandy, because it makes breakfast more luxurious. In my humble opinion, oatmeal is best topped with a splash of milk or half and half, and either a dollop of jam or a spoonful of fresh fruit compote. In this case, I used my very last summer peach to make a lovely quick compote that went perfectly with the oatmeal.

These steelcut oats make a lovely break from my weekday morning routine, but oatmeal's really a splendid breakfast, anyway you cut it.

Steelcut Oatmeal with Peach Compote 1 cup steelcut oats 2 cups water a pinch of salt 1 Tbsp butter, optional

In a small pot, bring water and salt to a boil. Add oats, stir to incorporate, and turn heat down to low. Let oatmeal simmer, stirring regularly, for about 25 minutes, until water is absorbed and remaining liquid is thick, as with grits or polenta.

While oatmeal is cooking, make peach compote:

1 peach 2-3 Tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon pinch salt 1/2 cup water splash white wine, optional

Combine all ingredients in a small saute pan. Simmer over medium heat until liquid is reduced and syrupy, about 10-15 minutes.

Serve oatmeal in deep, comfort-food bowls, with cream and peach compote (or jam, or even maple syrup. yum.)