Edamame with some Latin flair

Edamame rarely find their way into my kitchen, and I really don't know why. They're a perfect addition to salads, an easy and elegant appetizer, and a perfect snack, but I can't think of the last time I bought them. No, really, I don't think I've every bought them. The ones in these pictures were leftover from my birthday party. Dina, another one of the birthday girls, made this easy recipe and I've been trying to figure out how to recreate it ever since.

See, Dina used sesame oil and this wonderful spice blend called Tajin; but she got the Tajin from Mexico, and it's not like I get to Mexico so often. (Update: in true American style, this stuff sells on Amazon for under four bucks; click here or on the link above to purchase. It's well worth a try.) In advance of posting this recipe, I attempted to recreate tajin with what I had around, and while I came pretty close, there are definitely some secret ingredients in the real thing that make it different. I used hot chili pepper, lime juice, and sea salt, which is a pretty good combo. And really, this recipe couldn't be easier -- or more addictive -- so give it a try.

Edamame

• 1 package edamame
• about 1/8 cup sesame oil, or even less
• tajin, or a mix of 2 Tbsp. chili flakes, 6 Tbsp lime juice, and 1 1/2 Tbsp. sea salt

Cook edamame according to package directions, until cooked through but still green. Transfer immediately into ice bath so that they keep their color. Transfer to a large bowl; toss with sesame oil to coat, and sprinkle with tajin to taste. Serve immediately. (They keep quite well in the fridge, for up to 2 weeks.)

Teriyaki Tofu with Brussels Sprouts and Soba

I've been on a tofu hiatus lately. Its estrogen-mimicking qualities had me a little nervous, and I hadn't been craving it much anyway, so I took a tofu timeout. Then I was at the whole foods near work and some baked pressed tofu caught my eye. I can't remember the brand, but it's the kind that comes in thai, teriyaki, and lemon-pepper flavors. I usually buy regular organic extra firm tofu, and do the pressing and marinating myself. But don't kid yourself -- that process takes time. Ideally, you'd put the tofu in a bowl, cover it with a paper towel, rest a heavy can on top, and let the liquid drain out over at least half an hour. Then you'd marinate the tofu for half an hour more, replacing the plain liquid with flavor. But whole foods, the blessing that it is, carries ready-made-and-marinated tofu for only eighty times the price! Actually, this stuff was under 2 bucks -- not bad at all.

With the tofu flavored and ready to go, I was able to make this entire meal, start to finish, in 23 minutes. People, that's faster than our not-so-favorite thirty-minute-meal star. And it was delicious to boot! Even D thought so.

As always, I used what I had in the fridge, which last Tuesday night amounted to ten brussels sprouts. Feel free to substitute cabbage, bok choy, peppers, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, spinach, you name it. Just be sure not to overcook the soba; they're best when they still have a little bite to 'em.

Teriyaki Tofu with brussels sprouts and soba serves 3-4

• 1 block tofu (I used pre-marinated and baked, but feel free to start from scratch; I've included my teriyaki marinade recipe below.)
• ten brussels sprouts or about 2-3 cups of any other vegetable
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/2 an onion, sliced
• Olive oil
• 1/3 pound soba noodles (about half a package or a bit more)
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup teriyaki marinade (recipe below)

1. If tofu is not pre-marinated, follow my instructions above to drain and then marinate the tofu.Then chop tofu into a large dice.
2. Cook soba in well-salted water, according to package directions. do not overcook. Drain over the sink, rinse with cold water to stop cooking, and set aside.
3. chop brussels sprouts into 4-5 slices each, then break into layers with hands.
4. Over medium-high heat, add olive oil to a saute pan and when hot but not smoking, add tofu to the pan. Do not disturb much; turn each cube of tofu just once or twice, letting each side cook a good 2-3 minutes. This will develop a nice crust on the tofu. When tofu is browned on all sides, drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.
5. Add another Tbsp. of olive oil to the same pan, and toss in garlic and onion. Let cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, and then add brussels sprouts. Toss the mixture for about 3-4 minutes, until sprouts are cooked but still firm, and start adding teriyaki sauce by the spoonful, tossing to coat the sprouts.
6. When you've added a few spoonfuls of the sauce, add the tofu back into the pan and toss quickly to coat with the sauce. Add more if needed.
7. To plate: first arrange soba on the bottom of the plate; then add sprouts and tofu on top. Pour extra sauce overtop, if desired. Toss around to mix, and eat!

Teriyaki Marinade adapted from The Bold Vegetarian Chef

• 3 Tbsp. apple cider or sherry vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. mirin
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. cane sugar or brown sugar
• 4-5 dashes Tabasco sauce or 2-3 shakes of chili flakes
• 1 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger
• pepper
• 1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil

combine all ingredients and stir or whisk to combine.
1. uh, yea. That's it!

It's Frittata Time

D and I were in New York over New Years, and our hostess, Meryl, made a lovely pajama brunch. (Let's face it; what else do you really want to do on New Years day besides lounge around in your pjs eating great food with friends? Yea -- it was pretty fabulous.) Meryl picked out the recipes in advance, and she and I did most of the cooking that morning. Now, if it's not clear from reading this blog, I'm a darn lazy cook. I mess up recipes all the time, burn things almost chronically, and rarely even read through a recipe before reaching into the flour jar. Meryl=exactly the opposite; she couldn't have read through the recipe more, or have been more exacting in her measurements. It was slightly hysterical. But dare I say our different approaches yielded some pretty excellent food? All morning long, people swooned over the frittata, which really couldn't have been easier to make. The recipe originally came from Real Simple magazine, and basically had you mix a whole boatload of eggs with spinach, tomatoes, onions and feta cheese, pour it into an oiled pyrex pan, and bake for 40 minutes until firm. Real simple, indeed -- and real delicious.

That recipe is fantastic for when you're hosting a lot of people and want to make a large frittata. However, when there are fewer stomachs to fill, the method I put forth here is excellent. The resulting frittata will have a nicely crisp exterior, a fully-cooked but fluffy interior, and a whole lot of flavor. It can be served alone, with toast, or sliced as pizza into slices and offered as one of several dishes.

I happened to have a couple bunches of arugula from the farmers' market that Mandy gave me, since she doesn't like it (thanks, Mandy!) a box of cherry tomatoes, and a nice hunk of Greek feta, so I made mine in that style. However, please do not feel limited to those ingredients or that combination! When D and I were in Boston, we had a lovely brunch with Dellie and Jeremy, and Dellie made a to-die-for frittata with broccoli, goat cheese and onions (I think). I've provided several other variations below the recipe; sky's the limit on this one.

Frittata serves 2-4

• 4 eggs
• 1/8 cup water
• salt and pepper
• 1 cup spinach or arugula
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup onion, diced
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil OR 1 Tbsp. olive oil and 1 Tbsp. butter
• fresh basil

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except olive oil, and mix with a whisk until combined.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Move the top rack to the highest level.
3. In a small oven-safe pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Make sure to swirl it around so that it coats the entire surface of the pan.
4. Add omelet mixture to the pan. Using a spatula, create slits in the middle of the omelet as it forms, allowing the uncooked egg to seep through onto the pan's surface. Repeat for the first minute of cooking.
5. Turn the heat down to medium, and let cook another 2-3 minutes until the bottom is golden.
6. Move the pan to the top rack of the oven and bake for 7-10 minutes, until the top is golden and the middle is fully cooked. Insert a toothpick to check for runny egg.
7. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Variations:

• Pears, Gorgonzola, shallots
• jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, red peppers, cilantro, cheddar cheese
• shallot, goat cheese, broccoli, mushrooms
• spinach, tomato, fresh mozzarella
• gruyere, bacon, spinach, onion
• leeks, potatoes, muenster cheese
• and many, many more!

  

Baked Stuffed Eggplant

This week, I was in North Carolina for work. I stayed in the coastal plains of NC, in an all-American town. By all-American, I mean the only things to eat were carbs and packaged food, and the most popular restaurants were Wendy's, Popeye's, Arby's, and other restaurants whose names are people. Get the drift? Needless to say, I was thrilled to touch down on the runway in the nation's capital, my mouth watering at the thought of cooking up some freakin' vegetables for dinner.

I was going to blog about cookies tonight, but the sheer thought of butter and sugar makes me shudder with memories of my daily intake earlier this week. (Though, to NC's credit, it's not every day that a waffle costs $2.65, a side of grits sets you back 35 cents (!), and breakfast for two with tip comes to 8 bucks.) In short, I can't think about sweet stuff right now, so I'll tell you instead about the stuffed eggplants I made this past Sunday.

Ahh, eggplants. They really are quite the controversial vegetable. No one seems to mind melanzane alla parmigiana, where the innocent little slices are fried to a nearly unidentifyable crisp, smothered with sauce and cheese, and baked into a casserole; however, unadulterated, aubergines are a vegetable that some people love to hate.

I have promised friends that I'll blog about a healthier version of eggplant parm sometime soon; for now, here's a great, easy fix for the eggplant sitting in your fridge. It's easy, healthy, and quite tasty to boot. Need I say more?

Baked Stuffed Eggplant makes 2 servings

• 1 eggplant, halved
• 1/4 cup diced onion
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes
• 2 cups spinach, arugula, or other green, chopped
• handful kalamata or greek olives, pitted and halved
• 2 Tbsp. capers (optional)
• several button mushrooms, rinsed and quartered (I used about 5 small ones)
• 1/2 cup or more crumbled feta cheese
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp. oregano
• fresh parsley, optional
• olive oil
• parmigiano reggiano

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a sharp knife, slice into the eggplant meat along the outer rim of each eggplant half, about 1/2 an inch from the skin.
3. Slice the meat of each half (still intact) into strips, then cubes; carefully slice each cube out of the skin, leaving a 1/2-inch thick cushion of meat on each eggplant skin.
4. In a large pan over medium-high heat, sweat garlic and onion with plenty of salt.
5. Add mushrooms and sundried tomatoes; cook about 4 minutes, til mushrooms are sweating and mixture is fragrant.
6. Add eggplant; saute another 2 minutes.
7. Add spinach, olives, capers, herbs, and pepper; toss around the pan until spinach begins to wilt.
8. squeeze lemon into pan; remove pan from heat.



9. Transfer mixture to eggplant shells, dividing evenly between each half.



10. Top with crumbled feta cheese, and grate some parmigiano overtop.
11. Bake at 350 until shells are tender,about 25 minutes.
12. Serve hot or warm.