cook the book: ottolenghi's soba noodles with eggplant & mango

Hi there.  It’s been a while!  Life has been busy and interesting lately, and it hasn’t left much time or capacity for blogging.  When I last updated you, I was gearing up a fun Spring weekend.  My sister was going to be making a brief stop in DC en route to Charlottesville for Foxfield, and I was Spotifying my face off in preparation for Sweetlife.  But as we know, sometimes life makes other plans.  Bollie’s eight-hour stopover turned into a forty-eight hour one.  This was no choice of hers (or mine) – but 103.7 degrees, two doctors, three prescriptions, and one emergency room trip later, it was clear the only place she was going was my bed.  Mercifully, she is fine now, and even though we both missed out on our other plans, we enjoyed spending some lazy, uninterrupted time together - a rare treat these days.  (Okay, so I think I liked it more than she did.  And I also secretly loved getting to nurse her back to health.)

After my weekend nursing shift was done, I had a particularly hellacious week of work.  And on Friday, just when I thought I was in the clear, I was on the brink of a (literal) technical disaster.  That morning, my trusty seven-year-old Dell Laptop finally died.  Not a surprise, but frustrating nonetheless.  I thought I had lost a lot of music and pictures from the last time I backed it up, but with some tech savvy, a lot of finagling, and a little bit of luck, I was able to get what I needed, so no love lost.

All of six hours after The Fossil went to Tech Heaven, my iPad fell off the couch, hit my hardwood floor on its funny bone, and shattered.  In utter disbelief, I headed to Apple, where I shared my Genius bar appointment with a sockless, 70-year-old Georgetowner with iPhone issues, and who was also quite taken with our Genius.  His blue-blazer’ed elbow repeatedly nudged my bare forearm, and with a grin and a wink, would ask me, “Isn’t it just so nice to deal with somebody who knows what they’re talking about?”  (Note:  I hate being touched.  Get out of my personal space.)  But I smiled and nodded as I waited for the Genius to finish formatting my replacement, only to charge me some ridiculous sum of money for an outdated model and twenty minutes worth of labor, the latter of which was actually shared with Grandpa Wink-Nudge.  As I was leaving, the Genius said, “May the Fourth be with you.”  Icing on the cake.  

Leaving the store, I did what any other mature adult does when she feels defeated.  I called my mother.  And what did she say?  “You better be careful driving home.”

When it rains, it pours.  (And five minutes later, it did.)

I arrived home feeling tired, clumsy, and a little bit broken.  As I changed out of my wet clothes and collapsed onto the sofa, my apartment’s sweet office manager called to let me know they were about to close, and would I like for him to drop off my present?

Why yes, I would, thank you.  This “present” was a cookbook that I ordered from Amazon.  After months of reading about Yotam Ottolenghi’s Plenty, I finally bought myself a copy.  I instantly fell in love with the vibrant recipes and stunning photography.  Ottolenghi owns and operates the eponymous London gourmet deli, similar to Balducci’s or Dean and Deluca.  His business model, centered around grab-and-go fare that is casual, healthy, and interesting, lends itself well to an at-home cookbook.  The food is delicious, but simple at that - you won’t find too many long, involved, technically-difficult items.  Plenty is a collection of impeccably-curated recipes centered around real foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy.  It is a vegetarian cookbook written by a carnivore – meant for those who love veggies, but perhaps are a little weirded out by tofu and seitan, and are not willing to forgo meat and fish entirely.  (It is probably not the best choice for vegans - Ottolenghi loves dairy products.)  Interesting ingredient combinations, heavy-handed helpings of fresh herbs, and a Mediterranean/Middle-Eastern focus make Plenty a must-have for anyone who digs unique flavor combinations and isn’t afraid to push the envelope a little.  And, the clearly obsessive-compulsive methodology makes this perfectionist very happy.

In the five days I’ve had Plenty, I’ve made three recipes from it, including this one for soba noodles with eggplant and mango.  Randomly enough, I had all of the ingredients for this recipe on hand on the Day of Disaster, which was the only reason why I chose to make it for dinner that night.  However, it was so good I ended up making it again on Monday.  I know it seems like nothing really goes together, but it really does work!  And it will pick you up from a bad day - guaranteed.

A couple of notes:

• This recipe is vegan, vegetarian, and if made with 100% soba noodles, gluten-free.
• The recipe is very good if eaten immediately, excellent if mixed together and allowed to chill for about an hour, and pretty great still the next day.  However, the mango and eggplant in the "next-day" batch do lose some of their vibrancy, so it may be even better to add those ingredients to the mix right before serving, if you plan on eating it over a couple of days. 
• I fried the eggplant as directed (in a lot of oil) the first time I made it.  The second time, for a healthier version, I tried roasting it in the oven at 450, using only a couple of tablespoons of oil.  To be frank, it's not nearly as good, so I'd recommend frying it.  There's virtually no fat elsewhere in the recipe, so don't sweat it too much.
• The original recipe calls for sunflower oil, but that's a fancy ingredient I don't have, so I used good old canola.  Don't use olive oil - it would probably impart too much flavor on the eggplant.  And what a shame to waste olive oil on something like this, anyway.
• The second time I made it, I used all cilantro instead of cilantro and basil.  All cilantro worked just great; I didn't miss the basil too much.
• I often find that the flavor of raw onions is too potent for me, but these onions are bearable since they get tossed in the dressing.  If yours are particularly strong, you can soak them in water.

Soba noodles with eggplant and mango
Adapted, just barely, from Ottolenghi's Plenty
Serves 6

1/2 cup rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 fresh red chile, finely chopped
1-2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
1 cup canola oil
2 eggplants, cut into 3/4-inch dice
9 ounces soba noodles
2 large ripe mangoes, diced
1 1/2 cups basil leaves, chopped (or Thai basil, but use less)
2 1/2 cups cilantro leaves, chopped
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced

1.  In a small saucepan gently warm the vinegar, sugar and salt for up to 1 minute, just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and add the garlic, chile and sesame oil.  Allow to cool, then add the lime zest and juice.
2.  Heat up the sunflower oil in a large pan and shallow-fry the eggplant in three or four batches. Once golden brown remove to a colander, sprinkle liberally with salt and leave there to drain.
3.  Cook the noodles in boiling salted water, stirring occasionally. They should take 5 to 8 minutes to become tender but still al dente.  Drain and rinse well under running cold water.  Leave to drain again.
4.  In a mixing bowl toss the noodles with the dressing, mango, eggplant, onion, and herbs.  Serve immediately or allow the flavors to mingle for an hour or so.
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eggplant & lentil stew with pomegranate

The instructor at my crunchy hot yoga studio (not to be confused with the hot yoga studio that feels like a Lululemon advertisement or the torture chamber Bikram yoga studio) said something very interesting the other day.  We were in a difficult pose, and she asked us to try to smile.  With all my weight in my non-dominant leg, the rest of my body contorted all pretzel-like, and my eyes blinking to deflect the salty sweat dripping from my brow, smiling was not on my to-do list.  In fact, it almost seemed unnatural to signal pleasure when I was really in pain.  But, because I am a good student and I try to follow directions, I obliged.  Once I turned my lips up, I sunk deeper into the posture and it almost became easier.  Everyone else must have seen similar results, because the instructor said, "See?  Go through life smiling, and life will smile back." 

But you know, yogis are happy people, all Zen-like and peaceful, so this incident, in and of itself, isn't all that earth-shattering.  But a few days later, I found myself struck with the same message....at church, of all places.  The message of the homily was something along the lines of "Catholics just love suffering.  And we're really good at it.  In fact, we think we're doing something wrong if we're not suffering.  But why do we suffer?  What does it prove?  I challenge you to be bad at suffering."

Interesting, right?  The yogis and the Jesuits are on the same page about something.  Who would have thought?

Honestly, that doesn't have anything to do with this soup, but I've been thinking about that message a lot this week, so I thought I'd share it with you all.  The past few days, I've encountered a slew of first-world problems - all petty things, but things that frustrate me nonetheless.  A parking ticket, stemming from my own inability to properly key a meter code into the pay-by-phone app.  Missing the train and having to wait eight minutes for the next because it's tourist season and they block the Metro escalators.  The water pressure completely failing during my shower, leaving me shivering under a slow stream of water.  Every CVS in town being out of Allegra-D.  In every circumstance, instead of a letting out a long string of profanity, I've tried to remember the whole "smile through your day" thing, and it might actually be starting to work.  Or maybe I've just given myself extra time on my commute, double-checked my typing on my iPhone, remembered not to shower while running the dishwasher, and finally gotten my hands on allergy medicine.

So, if you need something to make you smile, make this stew.  It is a delicious, satisfying soup that will make your insides happy!  Tomatoes and eggplant contain staggering amounts of lycopene, which aid in fighting depression.  And lentils (my favorite legume, obviously) are so, so incredibly good for you.  Seriously.  I can't even begin to tell you.  Just google it.  This stew is a great meatless dish for anyone who observes meatless Fridays of Lent (or, for your next "Meatless Monday").  I am not even sure I'd call it a "stew" - it is light and it can be eaten warm or cold.  So make it. 

A couple quick notes - I think this is a summertime dish because the recipe calls for fresh tomatoes, but I used a large can of diced tomatoes instead.  It also calls for pomegranate molasses, a common ingredient in Mediterranean, Turkish, and Middle Eastern cuisine.  Obviously, the main ingredients in pomegranate molasses are pomegranates and sugar - off-limits for this girl.  Instead, I just used a cup of 100% pure pomegranate juice, with no sugar added.  It still gives the soup a tart, sweet flavor that goes well with the acidity of the vegetables and the earthiness of the lentils.  I ate this for lunch for a straight week - it's that good.  (People often ask me what I have been eating for lunch - it's either a soup, dinner leftovers, or salad these days.)

Eggplant and lentil stew with pomegranate
Adapted from Food & Wine
Serves 4

1 medium eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds)
Salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup dry lentils
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 Anaheim chiles, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons chopped mint leaves
1 cup water
1 cup pomegranate juice (look for 100% pomegranate, no sugar added)
fresh parsley, to garnish

1. Peel the eggplant and slice lengthwise into thirds, then crosswise in one inch segments.  Sprinkle with salt and let sit 20 minutes.  
2. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, cover the lentils with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the lentils.
3. In a bowl, toss the onion with the garlic, diced tomatoes and juices, green chiles, mint, tomato paste, crushed red pepper and 2 teaspoons of salt.
4. Rinse eggplant and pat dry.  Coat the bottom of a ceramic dutch oven or stew pot with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.  Spread your ingredients in the dish in layers:  vegetable mixture-eggplant-lentils-vegetable mixture-eggplant-lentils.  Pour the water, pomegranate juice, and remaining olive oil around the side and over the vegetables.
5. Bring the stew to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook at a low simmer until the eggplant is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.



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japanese rice noodles with eggplant and edamame

Happy Pi Day!  Since I can't actually eat pie, or at least I have zero interest in trying a gluten-free, sugar-free pie, there is no pie here today.  Instead, we have Asian noodles.  Shocker, I know.  Y'all know how I love my Asian cuisine.

I'm now three weeks through my Lenten sacrifice, or just about halfway through my journey.  All in all, things are going well.  I feel great.  I don't necessarily notice a big difference from three weeks ago, but I do feel a little less "bogged down" and a little bit lighter and stronger.  (It could also just be my return to my yoga mat after a few weeks away.)  Either way, I have plenty of energy and feel happy and healthy.

Sure, I crave sweets and get FOMO over my friends eating Baked and Wired in front of me, but the things I've been craving most recently are foods I don't even eat that often.  Pancakes.  (Honestly, I don't even like pancakes that much.)  Cereal.  (Do you know how hard it is to find a gluten-free cereal that also does not contain some sort of sugar, including honey or evaporated cane juice?  Kelly did send me a recipe for a gluten-free/sugar-free breakfast granola.  I'll have to try that ASAP.)  French toast with powdered sugar and maple syrup.  You get the idea.

Then there are the things that I miss that aren't necessarily cravings, but rather, necessary food groups.  Part of the issue with my no-gluten thing is that I am not eating bread and pasta, which is not ideal for someone who runs several times a week.  I didn't think it was going to be a problem, but it has been evident on some of my long runs that I have not found a way to properly supply my body with the carbohydrates it needs.  (Pretty sure the carbs in vodka are not what my body is looking for while running.)  Around mile four or five, my body just shuts down and I need fuel.

So, to rectify the situation, I figured I needed to make some Asian noodles before my long run last weekend.  My original intention was to make something with soba (buckwheat) noodles, which, despite their name, are naturally gluten-free.  However, the 100% soba noodles were $6.39 for eight ounces, which is obscene.  That comes to almost $13/pound.  Um, sorry.  No thank you.  We're talking about noodles here, not halibut.  (Note:  if you need a lesson in food math, check out this post.)

Instead of soba, I settled on some thin, flat rice noodles, made from 100% brown rice, and therefore, gluten-free.  Because I've consumed an offensive amount of peanut butter recently, I decided to forgo the traditional pad thai route and try a sesame-mirin sauce instead.  Also, because I tend to favor vegetarian meals, I stirfried some eggplant, edamame, and red peppers in with the noodles.  You could easily do the same with chicken, beef, or tofu.

This is a great example of a dish where I had to be really careful about reading the labels.  I originally picked up some cheaper soba noodles and decided to double-check the label to make sure they were 100% buckwheat.  Of course, they were not - only 30% soba.  If you like the taste of soba but are not gluten-free, this would be a great option.  I also had to buy the Eden Foods mirin, which doesn't have sugar or corn syrup added.  (The common Kikkoman brand does).

Anyway, this dish is great.  Salty (from the soy sauce) and sweet (from the mirin), with a variety of textures and flavors to keep your mouth guessing.  It also happens to contain the perfect mixture of carbohydrates and proteins for a 9-mile run.  This time, I didn't get tired.*

*Fine print:  I didn't get tired until mile 8.5 when we were running up the steps in Meridian Hill Park just after a steep climb up 16th Street.  At that point, I almost keeled over. #humblebrag

Japanese rice noodles with eggplant and edamame
A caramelized memoir original
Serves 4

1 medium eggplant (about 1 ½ pounds)
2 cups edamame beans (frozen is fine)
6 green onions
½ red bell pepper
1/2 cup gluten-free soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, for frying

1. Peel eggplant and chop into small dice (less than an inch). Chop red pepper and green onions, both white and green parts. Put all vegetables in large bowl with edamame.
2. In smaller bowl, mix next seven ingredients. Adjust according to taste. Pour over vegetables and cover. Let marinate 30 minutes.
3. Over medium-high heat, stirfry the vegetables in oil in a large wok, in batches, if necessary, until vegetables are soft and nicely browned. (I had to do mine in two batches, about 7 minutes per batch.) Once both batches are done, add all vegetables back to wok.
4. While cooking your last batch of veggies, bring a pot of boiling salted water to a boil and add rice noodles. Cook according to package directions but stop a couple of minutes short. Drain.
5.  Add noodles to the wok with all the vegetables, cooking an additional minute or two and adding any leftover marinade, if necessary, while tossing to coat in sauce.  Serve warm or at room temperature. Pin It Now!

quinoa and roasted vegetable stuffed eggplant: the dish that made whitney kinda sorta tolerate peppers

Quinoa and roasted vegetable stuffed eggplant, hereby known as 

the dish that made Whitney kinda sorta tolerate peppers

Last weekend, my sister Bollie came to DC before flying to Costa Rica for her Spring Break and brought me a bounty of vegetables to eat before they spoiled.  In a little brown bag were about a dozen mini bell peppers, a large zucchini, and a beautiful eggplant.  I knew immediately what I was going to make.  Stuffed eggplant.  Back this summer, before going on a vacation of my own, I had a bunch of stuff in my fridge - leftover ground turkey, couscous, roasted vegetables, and an eggplant.  Well, I stuffed the eggplant, topped it with breadcrumbs and grated parmesan, and voilà! - a light, but complete, summer supper.  Whitney, my roommate, and I both loved it.

Allow me a minute to introduce Whit, because she will be making several appearances on the blog.

Whitney and me on New Years Eve

Whitney is one of my closest friends and my official taste-tester.   We've been friends for five years and have lived together for two and a half.  Whitney likes most foods, but she has a particular affinity for white bread, bacon, peanut butter, and bananas - sometimes all at the same time.  When cooking for herself, she tends to gravitate toward meat, eggs, and pasta.  Her principle food aversions are watermelon, peas, and lima beans, but most of all, she despises all peppers.  When I first learned this, I didn't understand, because I love all peppers indiscriminately.  But, then again, I suppose I haven't shared with y'all my own dislikes.  I have very few food aversions, so in general, my top dislikes are 1) snow 2) animals and 3) bacon.  Yes, I realize all of those things give most people great pleasure....don't judge me. 

When I told Whitney I was going to make a vegetarian stuffed eggplant using Bollie's produce, she was skeptical.  Much like all of you are after reading my dislikes.  Anyway, I explained to Whitney that I would cut out the turkey and, as a protein source, substitute quinoa for the couscous.  I warned her that there were too many peppers in the stuffing for her to pick them out.  I knew exactly what she was thinking, "Maybe I should top mine with bacon bits."  The great thing about this recipe is that it can be adapted to your likes and dislikes, and can include whatever you have in your fridge or pantry. 

A little note about quinoa:  though it is seems like a grain, quinoa is actually a seed.  It is a complete protein, meaning it contains all nine amino acids essential for human dietary needs.  It has an earthy, slightly nutty flavor, and is a nutritious superstar with its mixture of heart-healthy fats, carbohydrates, and protein.  Over the last year or so, it's become the trendy yuppie "it" ingredient of choice.  Consequently, there are varying theories of the best way to cook it.  To soak or not to soak?  Toast or not to toast?  What proportion of quinoa to liquid?  Not to be all holier-than-thou, but I've been eating quinoa for years.  My mom, as most of y'all know, grew up in Ecuador, and, as a child, I sometimes ate "weird" Ecuadorian foods prepared by my mom and Mamis, my grandmother.  Quinoa, which grows prolifically in the Andes, was one of these foods, and the star of my favorite soup growing up.  Imagine my amusement when fifteen years later, it starts selling for $6 a box at Safeway.  (Tip:  Buy it from the bulk bins at Whole Foods - it's much cheaper this way.)  The recipe for quinoa that follows the recipe is the way my mom and grandmother make it, but feel free to use any method you'd like.

Quinoa and Roasted Vegetable Stuffed Eggplant, the 40-day Vegetarian way
Serves two

For the stuffing:
1 eggplant, sliced lengthwise and hollowed out like boats
1 cup of cooked quinoa (instructions to prepare quinoa below)
10-12 mini bell peppers (if I had to guess, I'd say the equivalent of 1.5 regular sized bell peppers)
10-12 cherry tomatoes, halfed
1 medium zucchini
2-3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons feta cheese (optional)

For the topping:
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon grated parmesan
garlic salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin, to taste 

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  (Tip: preheat the oven with the roasting pan inside!  This is a tip my mom recently taught me, and it really helps prevent the eggplant from sticking to the pan.)
2.  Slice an eggplant lengthwise and spoon out approximately three-quarters of the flesh so that there is a deep, wide cavity inside each half.  You want to keep enough eggplant on the bottom and sides so that it is a sturdy vessel for your stuffing.  Dice the hollowed-out flesh into bite-sized pieces.
3.  Cut the zucchini and bell peppers into similar sized pieces, and half the cherry tomatoes.  Toss the veggies with approximately two-thirds of the olive oil, and sprinkle with garlic salt, pepper, oregano, and cumin.  Sprinkle the eggplant boats with seasoning and remaining olive oil, and place them on a separate baking sheet.  Roast the vegetables and the boats at the same time, for 25-30 minutes, or until tomatoes have blistered and vegetables are lightly browned.
4.  While the veggies are roasting, prepare the quinoa.  To yield one cup of cooked quinoa, you will need 1/2 onion, one clove garlic, a bit of butter, 1/3 cup quinoa and 1/2 cup vegetable broth, chicken broth, or water.  Finely chop the onion and mince the garlic.  Over medium-high heat, saute the onion and garlic in the butter and a few drops of olive oil until fragrant and transluscent, or about 3-5 minutes.  Of course, if you prefer, you can use all olive oil, but everything is better with a bit of butter.  Add the dried quinoa and mix together with the cooked onions, stirring constantly, for a minute.  This is called "toasting" the quinoa.  Finally, add the water or broth and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the water is absorbed.  Once water is absorbed, turn off heat and leave covered for five minutes.  Fluff with a fork.
5.  Once your veggies and quinoa have cooked, combine them, adding feta cheese if you choose.  In a small bowl, combine the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.  Spoon mixture into the eggplant "boats" and top each boat with the breadcrumb mixture.
6.  Place stuffed eggplant under the broiler for 7-10 minutes, or until topping is golden brown

Notes:  It's possible you may only use closer to 3/4 cup of quinoa depending on how hungry you are and the size of your eggplant.  When mixing with the veggies, just eyeball it and reserve any leftovers.   Be sure to mash the roasted tomatoes into the quinoa using the back of the fork.  This releases the tomato juices into the mixture.  Also, you may have a good part of the breadcrumb topping left over (I did), so either save it for later or half each portion.  

So what's the verdict?  I personally really loved this version, partially because I don't think ground turkey has that much flavor to begin with!   Also, I am proud to report that not only did Whitney eat the entire serving (sans bacon), but she actually liked it - and she admitted that she didn't miss the meat!  When I prodded her a bit on the pepper issue, she said that she didn't mind them in this recipe, even though if she made it herself, she would omit them.  So, overall, the dish was a keeper!  Whit seemed particularly enthused about the possibility of a spinach-mushroom-feta-quinoa mixture.

I am off to New York this weekend to celebrate a dear friend's birthday.  I don't know how I am going to survive a trip to NYC without pork bánh mì, my favorite sandwich (the District lacks a decent one).  Until next time, I'll leave you with some questions - What are your gastronomic likes and dislikes?  Do you have any food aversions, like Whitney hates peppers?  If you made stuffed eggplant, what would you put in it?  Leave your answers in the comments!  Until next time. Pin It Now!