Imam Bayildi (The swooning cleric)

My version of a traditional Turkish dish: stuffed eggplant... Mine is slightly healthier because I bake instead of deep fry and cut the oil in half. Also eggplant is apparently my absolute fav.

Cook time: 1+ hour
Inactive time: 30 min

Ingredients

• 3 small-ish eggplants 
• 2-3 medium white/yellow onions, chopped 
• 6 large garlic cloves, diced finely
• 2 cans of chopped tomatoes (you could chop and peel your own, but the canned ones come with tomato juice, which makes for a richer taste than using water)
• 1/4 cup of olive oil (must be olive oil, don't skimp here-- I already reduced the amount of olive oil by half)
• Parsley - dry (1 tablespoon) or fresh (1/4 cup chopped)
• Dill - pinch
• Nutmeg - pinch
• Sugar - 1 teaspoon
• Lemon zest from half a lemon
• Fresh lemon juice - 1-2 teaspoons (add slowly and taste)
• Salt - 2-3 teaspoons
• Pepper - 1-2 teaspoons

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 450*F or 225*C
2. Cut the eggplants in half length-wise; leave the stems on for aesthetic purposes. Being careful not to pierce the skin, cut some lines into the eggplant flesh to help it cook evenly. 
3. Rub the skin with a little olive oil. Put on a baking sheet. 
4. Bake for 20 minutes. 
5. While the eggplant is baking, heat the 1/4 of olive oil to medium. 
6. Saute the onions for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and then.
7. Sprinkle the sugar over the onions and stir about. Cook another 5 minutes, stirring. 
8. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, another 3 minutes. 
9. Turn the heat up to high and add the tomatoes with the juice from the cans. If you chopped your own tomatoes, add 1/4 cup water. The tomato and onion mixture should be at a high simmer / low boil. 
10. Add half of the parsley, add the salt, add the dill, add the pepper. 
11. Continue cooking the stuffing until the water evaporates and the oil separates out along the edges and it starts to look caramelized. Stir occasionally.  It will keep cooking on medium high for about 30 minutes
12. Remove the eggplant from the oven. Let cool. Sprinkle the tops with the bit of nutmeg. 
13. Reduce the heat in the oven to 400*F or 200*C.
14. Cut out the center of the eggplant and dice it up, keeping the skins intact and enough flesh around the edges to make sure the eggplant keeps its shape. 
15. Throw the eggplant flesh in with the simmering stuffing and mix around.
16. After the stuffing is all caramelized, remove from heat. 
17. Add the lemon juice and lemon zest to the sauce. Do a taste test here and adjust seasonings as needed. 
18. Fill in the empty eggplants with the stuffing, being careful to make sure the presentation will look good. 
19. Bake for 30 minutes. The skins of the eggplant should be blackened and crinkly, and the top of the stuffing should be a tiny bit crispy. 
20. Let cool to room temperature (this can keep for several hours or overnight). 
21. Enjoy!

Casado de Carne de Res Encebollado

Casado de Res Encebollado

(Photo stolen from the internet...I'll replace it as soon as I make this dish :D)

One of my favorite Costa Rican dishes is called a casado, which means a married man, and it is a very standard everyday lunch fare. I have heard two explanations for this name; the first is that it's what working (married men) have for lunch every day. The second is that just like for married men at night, you get the same thing every day.

There are lots of different things you can put on the plate but the standards are rice, beans, some sort of salad, and usually some meat. I also love to put fried fresh cheese and bananas or plantains. I hardly ever make all of this at once, but it's a nice meal if it is. 

Rice

I usually try to imitate the fairly dry rice that Costa Rican's make - putting in a little less water and making sure to rinse the rice beforehand.

When it's done, toss in some salt and a little bit of finely chopped red pepper and cilantro.

Beans

You can use black beans or red beans. Both are used in Costa Rica but red beans reign in Nicaragua. Cut up a little bit of onion and sauté before adding the beans. If you can get ahold of some Salsa Lizano  add some of that for a very authentic Costa Rican taste.

Beef and Onion (Carne de Res Encebollado)

Cook the beef in a frying pan with some oil, salt and pepper. Cut large rings of onion and cut them in half (into crescents) and add those in (thus the "encebollado").

Plátanos Maduros o Banano Frito (Fried Ripe Plantain or Banana) and Fried Fresh Cheese

If you haven't yet tried this you definitely should! Cut the banana or ripe (yellow, not green, although there are other fun things to do with that) plantain into diagonal pieces about a quarter inch thick (like you would for your cereal). Don't make them super thin because then they will fall apart.

I haven't really found an equivalent for the fresh white cheese that my host mom uses but you can use halumi or some Mexican queso frescos or queso blancos. Cut quarter inch slices.

Heat an oil such as sunflower or canola in a frying pan over high heat, and once it is hot add the cheese slices and banana or plantain. Sprinkle a little bit of salt on top of the banana/plantain. My 11 year-old brother who is an expert at these claims it brings out the sweetness and I agree.

Once the bananas/plantains are caramelized on the bottom, flip over. The cheese should also start to brown and smell delicious before flipping. Cook that side and then take them off of the heat.

The bananas/plantains are delicious with natilla which is like supper fatty thick delicious sour cream, but they're probably ok with sour cream too if you can't find natilla.

Cabbage Salad

This salad comes on the side of EVERYTHING in Costa Rica. It's great with patacones or taquitos.

Cut the cabbage in half and cut extremely thin slices down the exposed side of one half. This should create very fine strips. Toss with lime juice, a pinch of salt, and finely chopped tomato and cilantro.

Alternatives

Sometimes this is served with tuna noodle salad on the side. I don't like canned tuna personally, but if you do, knock yourself out.

I frequently make res encebollado with gallo pinto and scrambled eggs:

Beans to rice (as prepared above) in a frying pan with olive oil and onions until the ratio looks about even. Spoon some of the dark bean juice into the mixture to give it a nice color. Make scrambled eggs to eat on the side or mixed in. I also like to eat this with hot sauce.

Now you just need an Impereal. Enjoy!

Healthy snack: roasted chickpeas

Easy, nutritious, snack food

Spicy, crunchy chickpeas

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 can of chickpeas
• Olive oil (1-2 tablespoons)
• Salt
• Spices (You could put basically anything on here, but this is my favorite blend. Even just plain salt makes this work as a substitute for potato chips or popcorn)
• Paprika (1-3 teaspoons)
• Chili powder (1 teaspoon)
• Cumin (1 teaspoon)
• Black pepper (1 teaspoon)
• Salt (2-3 teaspoons)

Instructions

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Pat dry. Don't worry about the skins, you can ignore them. 
2. Preheat oven to 400*F or 200*C
3. Combine the olive oil and spices in a small bowl. Mix well. 
4. Put the chickpeas on a cookie sheet (can cover in tin foil for easy cleanup). Toss with the olive oil and spice blend until well coated. 
5. Bake for 20 minutes, remove from oven. Shake the pan so the chickpeas are mixed up again.
6. Return to oven and bake another 15 minutes. Stay close to the oven and check on them with 5 minutes to go to make sure they aren't burning. Any skins that came off in the baking process might get a tad burned
7. Remove the ones that look done (small). Return the rest to the oven and bake another 5-10 minutes, repeat if needed

Rice and beans

Rebecca: can you please add your favorite rice and beans recipe?

Ingredients:

• 1 cup uncooked rice
• 1 can beans (black beans are best, then pinto, then red kidney)
• 1/2 can chopped tomatoes (or tomato paste)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 large white onion
• 1/2 poblano chile
• Olive oil (enough to cover the bottom of the saute pan -- you need a bunch because it spreads the flavor)
• 2 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable broth to make it vegan)
• 2 heaping teaspoons of cumin
• 2 teaspoons of paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon of chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of tumeric (mainly for coloring)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• A touch of lime juice if it needs a kick at the end

Steps

1. Chop the onions (not too fine). Saute in the olive oil for about 5 minutes on medium heat.
2. Chop the garlic and poblano chile. Add to the onions, cook 3 minutes. 
3. Add the rice. Stir around so it's coated by the oil.
4. Add the tomato paste, stir around so it's evenly distributed. Cook 2 minutes.
5. Add the chicken broth and beans. Add the spices. 
6. Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes

Baked eggplants!

I LOVE eggplants!

Easy, healthy-ish roasted eggplants...

Approximate active time: 20 min
Approximate inactive cooking time: 20 min

Ingredients

• Eggplant (medium)
• Tomato (2 medium or one large)
• Onion (1/2 a medium sweet white onion)
• Garlic (3 large cloves)
• Bacon!!! [[leave off for a vegan meal]] (2 slices)
• Olive Oil (enough to cook the eggplants in)
• Thyme
• Basil
• Salt

Instructions

1. Slice the eggplant into 1 inch thick slices. Cover with salt and wrap in paper towels for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour. This draws out the water or something... You could omit this step if you were pressed for time
2. Preheat oven to 325* F or 180* C
3. Cook the bacon halfway (it'll get baked, so you don't need to cook it a ton). When it's done cooking, crumble/cut into little bits and set aside.
4. While the bacon is cooking, slice the tomatoes (enough to cover each eggplant slice), slice the garlic into large slivers (not too thin or it will burn during the baking), slice the onions.
5. Saute the eggplants for ~3 minutes a side in olive oil. The olive oil should sizzle when you flick a tiny drop of water onto it. Most of the oil will get soaked up into the eggplant.
6. Coat the bottom of a cookie sheet or glass tray in a thin layer of oil (so things don't burn).
7. Put the eggplants on the tray with a bit of space between each.
8. Layer the tomato, garlic, and bacon bits on top of the eggplants. Arrange the onions around the eggplants on the tray.
9. Put a pinch of basil, a pinch of thyme, and a pinch of salt on each eggplant slice.
10. Bake for ~20 minutes. Check on it every now and then to make sure nothing is burning 

Smashed Lentils

Smashed Lentils

This is an extremely cheap and extremely nutritious recipe from my days in Costa Rica... If you're wondering, it tastes great on day two after being carried unrefrigerated for 8 hours through the jungle

Ingredients

800 grams of dry lentils (if you use non-dry lentils you may want to reduce the liquid a little)
2 cans of coconut milk
3 cans of chicken broth*
3 cans of water (be prepared to add more water later depending on texture)**
3 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups of coarsely chopped carrots
2 pinches of red pepper flakes/chili flakes (add more for more kick)
2 generous dashes of paprika
3 tablespoons of ground cumin (you might end up adding more of this depending on how fresh and flavorful your cumin is)
2 tablespoons of salt (variable depending on how much you like salt, but I use a lot in this recipe)
pepper to taste at end

Instructions

1. Put everything in a big pot. Bring it to a boil. Simmer for around 30 minutes until the lentils and carrots have swollen and softened.
2. Put ~3/4 of the soupy concoction into a blender. Blend until it has a constant consistency. Pour the blended bit back into the big pot. Stir it around and do a taste test (this is the time to add spices if it seems bland. I usually throw in more salt, cumin, and paprika here).
3. Simmer for another 20-30 minutes until it seems ready. The consistency should be like a thick stew. The color may look a little strange if you use brown lentils but it tastes good

Variations

*Use vegetable broth or water instead of chicken broth for a vegan meal. If you're using just water, increase the salt a little
**Add less liquid for something more like mashed potatoes in consistency
**Add more liquid for something more like soup in consistency

Leak Meatballs, Spinach and Date Salad, and Barberry Fava Bean Fritata

My parents and sister abandoned me to go to Greece, so I decided to eat really really well while they were away to make up for it.

These recipes are from the Jerusalem Cookbook, which is amazing!!

Baby Spinach Salad with Dates and Almonds:

Put 1 tbsp vinegar, 1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced, and 100g pitted and quartered dates in a small bowl. Add a pinch of salt and mix well. Leave for 20 minutes. Drain residual vinegar and discard.

Fry pita and 1/2 cup coarsely chopped almonds for 4 to 6 minutes in 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp olive oil. Remove from heat and mix in 2 tsp sumac, 1/2 tsp chile flakes and 1/4 tsp salt. Let cool.

Toss spinach leaves with pita mix. Add dates and red onion, 1 tbsp olive oil, 2tbsp lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.

Lemony Leek Meatballs:

Cut 6 large leeks into 3/4 inch slices and steam for about 20 minutes until completely soft. Drain and leave to cool, then squeeze out residual water with tea towel. Process in a food processor, pulsing a few times until well chopped but not mushy. 

Place in a large mixing bowl with 9oz / 250 grams of ground beef, 1 cup of bread crumbs, 2 eggs, 1 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper. Form into flat patties and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or not, I didn't).

Heat oil over medium heat in a pan with a lid. Sear the patties on both sides until golden brown. Pour enough chicken stock to almost cover the patties (3/4-1 1/4 cup). Add 1/3 cup lemon juice and 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, cover and summer for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and cook until all liquid has evaporated. 

Serve warm with a dollop of greek yogurt and a sprinkle of parsley.

Fava Bean Fritata:

Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C. Boil 500g fresh/frozen fava beans and simmer for 1 minute then drain and "refresh" with cold water. Set aside.

Pour 5 tbsp hot water over 5 tbsp dried barberries and leave for 10 minutes then drain.

Bring 3 tbsp heavy cream and 1/4 tsp saffron threads and 2 tbsp cold water to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and set aside for 30 min.

Heat 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat in a frying pan that can go in the oven and that has a lid. Add 2 medium onions, chopped, and cook for 4 minutes. Add 4 cloves of garlic and cook 2 minutes. Stir in fava beans and set aside. 

Beat 7 eggs until frothy. Add 1 tbsp flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, the saffron cream, 1 cup chopped dill and 1/2 cup chopped mint. Add 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper and whisk well. Stir in barberries and fava bean mix.

Add some more olive oil to pan and heat in oven for 10 minutes. Pour egg mix into hot pan, cover with lid, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove lid and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes until the eggs are just set. Remove from oven and let rest for another 5 minutes. Invert and set on a platter.