Chicken With Eggplant

Chicken With Eggplant

After two weeks of absolutely frigid temperatures and a cyclone bomb of snow I was stir crazy from too many hours indoors. With ice on the ground and wind chills of 5 degrees, it was time to cook a warming, comforting meal. I didn't have much in the way of provisions but managed to put this dish together with what was on hand. Beginning with a recipe from Pierre Franey (on New York Times Cooking) I improvised what turned out to be a delicious chicken stew. The dish will taste even better the next day, so make enough for leftovers. The name may not be inspiring but Chicken With Eggplant tastes wonderful.

4 bone-in chicken thighs

salt and pepper

1 tbl. olive oil

1 large eggplant, cut in medium sized cubes

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

small can diced tomatoes, with juice

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 cup chicken broth

1 bay leaf

1 tsp. thyme

salt and pepper

sprinkle hot pepper flakes

1/4 cup raisins, optional

Add salt and pepper to both sides of chicken. Heat oil in dutch oven and brown chicken for 5 minutes on each side. Remove chicken to a plate.

Add eggplant, onions, garlic to the dutch oven and stir for 1 minute. Add tomatoes with juice, stir. Add red wine vinegar and chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Add bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper, hot pepper flakes. Return chicken to dutch oven and turn chicken pieces into the sauce.

Cover closely and cook 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are soft. Stir a few times during cooking.

I served the stew with steamed brown basmati rice and a side salad of sliced avocado and little yellow tomatoes. Other vegetables can replace the eggplant or be added to it (eg. zucchini, peppers, mushrooms). 

Serves 4

Quick Pickled Ginger

This ginger is much better than what you buy in a jar and made without preservatives. It stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The recipe appeared in the New York Times in the Wednesday Food section.

1 three inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced very thin
1 red radish, sliced (or 1 slice red beet), optional, for color
1 tsp. salt
1 tbl. sugar
3 tbl. rice vinegar

Put all ingredients in a small jar.  Make sure the ginger is submerged. Leave at room temperature for 1 hour. Discard the radish or beet, if using.

Yields about 2 ounces

Cod with Sesame and Ginger

This dish takes little time to prepare but is tasty and elegant. Serve it with your own pickled ginger (recipe follows). I have been going a little nutty (or seedy) with black sesame seeds.  I find away to sprinkle them on top of nearly everything. They look beautiful and add a lovely little crunch. Do get some. They are available in my supermarket with the Asian foods.

4 cod fillets about 6 oz. each (or substitute halibut or other firm white fish)
salt and pepper
1 tsp. finely grated ginger
1 tsp. roasted sesame oil
1 tsp. black sesame seeds
3 or 4 scallions, sliced thin
Pickled ginger to accompany

Season fillets lightly with salt and pepper. Combine ginger and sesame oil in a small bowl and rub the mixture on the fillets. Place the fish in one layer in a baking dish and tightly cover with foil. Let the fish marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the fish on the top rack for 10 minutes.  Remove the foil and check to see if the fish is done. Return to the oven for a few more minutes, if needed.

Transfer the fish to plates or a serving platter.  Sprinkle with sesame seeds and scallions and garnish with a few slices of pickled ginger.

NOTE: This recipe appeared in the New York Times Wednesday Food Section. They recommend serving the fish with spinach with ginger and garlic.  I served the fish with brown rice and a salad. If possible, make the pickled ginger.  It does not take long and perks up the meal.

Yoga Cookies

I found Yoga Cookies in Chloe's Kitchen, a vegan cookbook by Chloe Coscarelli. The recipe uses genuine ingredients, not strange substitutes, so the cookies taste good in a healthy sort of way. With walnuts, coconut and chocolate chips as major ingredients, what could be bad?

11/2 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup agave or maple syrup
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened (or sweetened) shredded coconut
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (dairy free for vegan)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk oil, agave and vanilla. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and whisk until combined.  Using a large spoon or spatula, fold in the oats, coconut, raisins, walnuts and chocolate chips.  Scoop about 1 1/2 tbl. of cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet and flatten the dough with the palm of your hand.  Continue making about 32 cookies in this way.

Bake for 12-14 minutes until the edges of the cookies are golden.

Makes about 32 1 inch cookies

Note: These cookies make a wonderful treat with little effort. Ms. Coscarelli advises that the dough can be prepared in advance and refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month

Dal Take 2- Chicken Lentil Soup

The Bangladeshi Red Lentils I made a few days ago (see previous post) were a hit but the amount made serves 4-5 people and there were only two of us at the table. With lots leftover the next day I had to be creative. Soup is often the answer and that idea worked beautifully.  I had to thin the lentils to make them more soupy so I heated two cups of chicken broth in a saucepan (used 2 of those dry packets) and added chopped celery and carrots to the boiling broth. The lentils went into the saucepan next.  When all was heated I added more of the leftover roast chicken and some cooked rice and simmered all. The result was a delicious, warming chicken lentil soup. 

I toasted whole grain bread slices to go with the soup and made a mixed green salad. The simple meal of repurposed leftovers was a terrific quick winter supper.

Bangladeshi Red Lentils

I love all of Madhur Jaffrey's cookbooks. The one I am reading now is At Home with Madhur Jaffrey: Simple, Delectable Dishes from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. In her chapter on Dal, Ms. Jaffrey explains that Indians eat dal every day in some form. There are many different kinds, made with lentils, a variety of dried beans, chickpeas or split peas. They are all very appealing to me.  So last night I tried Bangladeshi Red Lentils because I had all the ingredients, red lentils cook quickly and the recipe was simple. The results were delicious. I served it with leftover roast chicken, rice and veggies. We each had a small bowl of dal to spoon over the reheated leftovers. Voila, an Indian twist to plain, old roast chicken. Halved avocados with a bit of dressing served as salad.

1 cup red lentils, washed and drained
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1 medium onion, half finely chopped and half cut into fine rings
3/4 tsp. salt
3 tbl. olive oi or canola oil or ghee (clarified butter)
2 cloves garlic, cut into thin slices
2 dried hot chilies, each broken in half

Put the red lentils, 3 1/2 cups water, turmeric and the chopped onions into a medium saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Cover partially, turn heat to low and cook 45 minutes or until the lentils are very tender. Add the salt and mix in.

Pour the oil into a small frying pan set over medium heat. When hot, put in the sliced onions and stir a few times.  Add the garlic and chilis. Stir and fry until the onions and garlic have turned a rich golden-red color. Pour the contents of the frying pan into the pot with the dal. Stir to mix.

Serves 4-5

Roast Chicken with Sumac, Za'atar and Lemon

I took Ottolenghi: The Cookbook out of the library and was fascinated by the exotic Middle Eastern recipes and spices. Determined to learn more, I bought sumac and za'atar from D'Vine Taste, a wonderful Middle Eastern food shop in my Park Slope neighborhood. The first recipe I tried was a hit. Rosalie, Stan, Alice and Bill came over that night and we all  thought this dish was wonderful. I made a few changes from the original and served rice and a salad with the chicken.

8 chicken thighs
1large red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 tbl. olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. sumac
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1cup chicken stock or water
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
2 tbl. za'atar
4 tbl. chopped parsley

In a large bowl, mix the chicken with the onions,garlic, olive oil, spices, lemon, stock or water, salt and pepper.  Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Transfer the chicken, and its marinade to a baking dish large enough to hold the chicken pieces lying flat and not touching.  Chicken should be skin side up.  Sprinkle the za'atar over the chicken and onions and put the dish in the oven.  Roast for about 45 minutes, until the chicken is colored and just cooked through.

Transfer the hot chicken and onions to a serving plate and finish with the chopped parsley.

Serves 4

Notes: The original recipe calls for 1 large organic or free-range chicken, divided into quarters. Also, when the chicken is roasting you melt butter in a pan and add pine nuts cooking until the nuts turn golden. Drain the nuts on a paper towel and add them to the chicken when it is done along with a drizzle of olive oil. To my taste, the spices add plenty of flavor and the nuts and extra oil are not needed.

Kale Salad

Kale Salad

As Henry says, "Brooklyn is the kale capitol of the world". Well, we live in Brooklyn and kale is a big topic of conversation so it was only a matter of time before I served kale salad at a family gathering.  And it was a big hit, at least for the kale lovers and even for those who are unsure about it. The kale haters stood firm and didn't touch the stuff.

If you are willing to give it a try, this recipe is a fine way to begin. It is adapted from a recipe in Self Magazine (December 2012 edition) and can be made in advance.

Juice of 1 lemon
1 shallot, chopped
1 tsp. honey
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
2 bunches kale, stems removed, leaves shredded or finely chopped
2 tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup sliced almonds
2 oz. Parmesan, crumbled (optional)

In a bowl, whisk juice, shallot, honey, salt and pepper flakes.  Add kale, toss well and massage kale leaves for about 30 seconds. Let sit 20 minutes. Mix in oil. Refrigerate for up to 1 day or serve immediately.

In a dry pan, toast almonds over medium heat, tossing constantly, until color deepens, 1 0r 2 minutes. Add almonds and optional parmesan to kale.  Serve.

Notes: Original recipe calls for adding 8 dates, pitted and chopped.  That didn't appeal to me but you might want to try it.  When I toast almonds, it is usually in the toaster oven.  This might taste good with sliced apples, pears or Asian pears. It is a basic recipe that you can easily fool around with.

Farro and Butternut Squash Stew

I have long wanted to try farro since I love whole grains. After seeing this recipe in The Southern Italian Farmer's Table, I decided to give it a try. My local farmer's market has a vendor who sells a variety of whole grains.  I bought some farro and made this dish, which we have been enjoying for the last few days.  My version has more veggies, is less tomatoey and chunkier than the original.

1 cup farro
Kosher salt
2 tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium butternut squash, peels, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 plum tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley
4 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp. chopped rosemary
1 15 oz. can chickpeas or cannellini beans, drained
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for serving

Soak the farro in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain the farro, rinse and then drain again.  Put the farro into a large pot, add 8 cups water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 tbl. salt, reduce heat to maintain simmer, and cook until the farro is tender (about 20 minutes). Drain the farro and set aside.

Heat the oil in the same pot over medium heat.  Add the onion, carrot, celery, butternut squash and a pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until the veggies begin to soften, 5-7 minutes.  Add the parsley, vegetable broth and rosemary.  Continue cooking until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes more.  Add the farro to the vegetables along with the chickpeas and cook for about 10 minutes more, until all the ingredients have melded.  Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with grated cheese, if desired.

Serves 6

Notes: Leftover stew tastes even better the next few days. The original recipe calls for 1 28-oz. can crushed tomatoes but I thought that would be too tomatoey. I substituted the plum tomatoes and vegetable broth for the canned tomatoes.

If you want to fool around with the spices you can transform the dish into a Middle Eastern or Indian stew. Try cumin, curry powder or whatever other spices you fancy.

Cabbage and Corn Slaw

I've waited way too long to post this one. We're at the tail end of the fresh corn season but there is still a chance you can grab a few ears from the farmer's market. If you are successful, try this slaw. It was a big hit  at a recent family get together.

1 small cabbage or 1/2 of a large one, shredded
4 ears fresh corn, kernels cut from the cobs
2 medium carrots, grated
6 scallions, thinly sliced (or equivalent amount of sweet onion
1 two inch piece fresh ginger, minced
1/3 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tbl. fresh lime juice
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Combine the cabbage, corn, carrots, scallions and ginger in a large bowl.  In a small bowl, whisk the rice vinegar, vegetable oil and lime juice.  Coat the vegetables with the dressing. Use just enough dressing to lightly coat.  Add the cilantro and toss. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 8 as a side dish

NOTES: This recipe is adapted from one in Bon Appetit

Black Bean, Avocado and Grilled Corn Salad

In case you missed the fresh corn season, you can still enjoy this salad which makes the best of frozen corn. I took a big bowl of it to a picnic at my grandson's school and the parents (and even some kids) ate it happily. 

3 tbls. olive oil (divided)

1 8-oz. package frozen corn kernels, defrosted

2 15-oz. cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 medium carrot, diced

1 red pepper, thinly sliced

6 green onions, thinly sliced (or equivalent amount sweet onion)

2 avocados, peeled, pits removed and cut into small chunks

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

4 tbl. fresh lime juice

2 tsps. grated lime peel

1/2 tsp. ground cumin

In medium skillet, heat 1 tbl. olive oil.  Add corn kernels and over high heat, toss the kernels until they are brown in spots (about 6 minutes).  Place the corn in a large bowl.  Add the black beans, carrot, red pepper, green onions, avocado and cilantro.  

Whisk lime juice, lime peel, cumin and remaining 2 tbl. oil in small bowl. Mix into salad. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 8

Notes: Sliced radishes and/or diced jicama would be great additions. The contrast between the soft beans and avocado and the crisp veggies is terrific.

For best results use Eden Organic black beans. 

Chicken Roasted with Ginger and Cilantro

Here is another recipe I adapted from At Home with Maddhur Jaffrey.  Since I love the combination of ginger and cilantro I knew this would be delicious.  I also shortened the cooking time by using boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken legs on the bone, which Ms. Jaffrey recommends. This dish is extremely easy and quick to prepare.  It is good hot or at room temperature.

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 tsp. garam masala
1 tsp. finely grated peeled fresh ginger
2 tbl. plain yogurt
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (no coarse stems)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Lay the chicken pieces in a single layer in a baking dish.  Sprinkle the salt, pepper, cayenne and garam masala evenly on both sides and pat in.  Rub the ginger, yogurt and cilantro all over the pieces.  Place the baking dish in the center of the oven and bake 25-30 minutes.

Note: If you don't have garam masala yet, go out and buy some. It is packed with flavor and takes up almost no space. Share any extra with a good friend.

Summer vegetable melange

Last night I retrieved the farmers market vegetables that were in the fridge and put together this beautiful melange. How can you go wrong with baby zucchini, tomatoes and corn on the cob?



1 tbl. olive oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, finely minced
8 baby zucchini, sliced lengthwise
1 large beefsteak tomato, cut into small chunks
2 ears corn, kernels sliced from the cob
salt and pepper to taste
basil leaves, sliced into strips

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.  Add cumin seeds, cook for 1 minute, add onion and cook for 2 more minutes.  Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add tomato, lower heat and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the sliced zucchini to the skillet and cook until fairly tender and beginning to color. Add the corn and salt and pepper to taste.  Stir all ingredients, cook for 1 minute more. Sprinkle with basil leaves and serve hot or at room temperature.

Serves 4

Note: I didn't know if the cumin seed and basil would work together but they tasted great.  I served the vegetables with chicken roasted with ginger and cilantro (see next post).

Roasted Bluefish Fillets with Tomatoes

I bought two bluefish fillets at the farmer's market.  When I got home I checked out Mark Bittman's Fish cookbook to come up with some ideas. I chose this very straightforward preparation. It was simple and tasty.

4 medium size fresh, ripe tomatoes. sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup minced scallions, green and white parts
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 lbs. bluefish in 1 or 2 fillets, skin off

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Layer about two thirds of the tomatoes on the bottom of a nonstick or lightly oiled baking dish, and sprinkle with half the scallions, most of the olive oil, half the herbs, and some salt and pepper.  Top with the bluefish and the remaining ingredients except the parsley.

Roast, uncovered, until the bluefish is done ( it will be white throughout) and the tomatoes have liquified, about 15 minutes.  Serve immediately with the sauce spooned over the fish and sprinkled with the remaining parsley.

Serves 4

Notes: Mr. Bittman suggests two alternatives which sound delicious:
Bluefish roasted on a bed of well-seasoned cooked greens
Bluefish with cilantro and lime

Summery Salad Nicoise

Vittorio, our friend from Italy was coming for dinner on Monday and would stay overnight.  I was working on Monday and wondered if I had the time to get a satisfying dinner on the table.  But it was horribly hot, in the 90s, and the thought of leaving our air conditioned place to go back outside to a restaurant, wasn't appealing.  With a little advance planning I came up with my version of a Salad Nicoise.  It was a hit- cool, tasty and perfect for a scorching day.

I cooked the green beans and potatoes the day before and bought a jar of good quality tuna and a can of anchovies to have on hand. I should have also made a few hard boiled eggs but forgot to do that.  With good bread and chilled white wine we had a fine meal.

1 lb. green beans or haricot verts, trimmed
1 lb. potatoes, sliced
4 scallions, white parts finely chopped
vinaigrette dressing
1 jar tuna in olive oil from Italy or Spain, drained
1 can anchovies, drained
4 hardboiled eggs, halved
1 tsp. capers
cherry tomatoes or beefsteak tomato cut into chunks

Cook the green beans and potatoes in separate pots of boiling water. When the beans are bright green and still have a bit of a snap, drain and rinse with cool water.  When the potatoes are tender but not falling apart, drain.  Dry the veggies off and while still warm combine them in a bowl.  Add the scallions and toss with vinaigrette dressing.

Put the dressed vegetables on a platter.  Add chunks of tuna, the anchovies and the halved eggs on top of the veggies.  Sprinkle with capers and put cherry tomatoes or tomato chunks around the edge of the platter.

Serves 4

Masala Tilefish

I came home from the farmer's market today laden with veggies, strawberries and tilefish. For dinner tonight I prepared Masala Tilefish using the recipe in At Home with Madhur Jaffrey.  Ms. Jaffrey, whose cookbooks I love, uses salmon but almost any firm fish will work. The mustard topping keeps the fish tender and juicy and the flavor is wonderful. 

I served brown basmati rice mixed with wild rice and a saute of sliced beets, fava beans and snap peas. The vegetable combo was tasty, weird and based on my market finds.  Choose any veggie that you wish.

1/8 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/8 tsp. ground coriander

1/8 tsp. ground turmeric

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 lb. tilefish fillet

2 tbl. Dijon mustard

1 tbl. olive or canola oil

2 tsp. lemon juice

2 tbl. finely chopped cilantro

Rub the salt, cumin, coriander, turmeric and cayenne all over the fish.  Cover and refrigerate 1-4 hours.

Heat the broiler.

Mix the mustard, oil and lemon juice in a small bowl.  Add the cilantro.  Rub this all over the fish and place under the broiler, about 5 inches from the heat.  When the top has browned lightly, about 4 minutes, turn the oven to "bake".  Set the temperature at 350 degrees.  Bake about 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. 

Note: I did not include salt in the fish rub. To my taste, the mustard topping has plenty of salt in it.

Garlic and Pepper Chicken

I've rediscovered a cookbook that was sitting on my shelf untouched for several years. I'm now into Healthy South Indian Cooking by Alamelu Vairavan and Patricia Marquardt.  This chicken recipe lists many ingredients.  Don't be put off-include what you have.  If you get into Indian cooking you will buy the basic spices and have them on hand. I made a few minor changes in the recipe.

The chicken is beautifully tender and tasty. It would go perfectly with a simple rice dish and almost any type of vegetable.  The cookbook authors recommend Green Beans Poriyal. I will include that recipe in another post.

2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 tbl. canola or corn oil
4-5 small pieces cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf, crumbled
2 dried red chili peppers
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
1 tsp. urand dal
1/2 c. chopped onion
10 garlic cloves, cut in half
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tbl. minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tsps. ground black pepper
salt to taste
1 tsp. curry powder, more if desired
3/4 tsp. cayenne powder
1/4 c. chopped fresh coriander

Cut the chicken into medium size pieces.  Rinse, drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat.  When oil is hot add cinnamon sticks, bay leaf and red chili peppers.  Add cumin, fennel seeds and urad dal.  Add onion and garlic and saute for a few minutes.  Stir in turmeric powder.

Add chicken and ginger to skillet.  Cook, covered, over low heat until the chicken is partially cooked.  Add black pepper, salt, curry powder and cayenne powder together with the coriander.  Stir well to coat the chicken with the spices.  Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of warm water, adding 1/4 cup at as time.  Stir and cook chicken, covered, over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes.

French Yogurt Cake

Over the years I have seen recipes for French yogurt cake that sounded very appealing and easy to prepare. When yet another recipe appeared on Epicurious.com this month and won rave reviews, I decided to give it a try. I loved this simple cake.  It is similar to pound cake but much less dense-kind of airy. It is perfect served with fruit-sliced strawberries from the farmer's market worked beautifully.

Vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sugar
1 tbl. finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a standard (8 1/2x4 1/4 inches) loaf pan with non-stick vegetable oil spray.  Dust with flour, tap out excess.  Whisk 1 1/2 cups flour, 2 tsps. baking powder and 3/4 tsp. kosher salt in a medium bowl.  In a large bowl, using your fingers, rub 1 cup sugar with 1 tbl. finely grated lemon zest until the sugar is moist.  Add 3/4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt, 1/2 cup vegetable oil, 2 large eggs and 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract. Blend ingredients.  Fold in dry ingredients, just to blend.

Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top.  Bake until top of cake is golden brown and a tester inserted into center comes out clean (50-55 minutes).  Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert onto rack and let cool completely.

Can be made 3 days ahead and stored airtight at room temperature.

NOTES: I used butter instead of oil spray and  used the zest of a whole lemon and. to me, that was the perfect amount.  I used non-fat Greek yogurt since that was the only kind I had.  The cake was very good. It would probably be fabulous with the richer yogurt.

Fish Wrapped in Vine Leaves with Yogurt Sauce

About 10 years ago a vine appeared in my garden and wound around the fence, looking beautiful.  It disappeared when the weather turned cold but reappeared each spring.  I finally took a good look at the leaves last year and realized the visitor was a grape vine. When I saw a recipe for cooking fish wrapped in vine leaves I was determined to give it a try using my very local grape vine.  If you don't have your own grape vine, buy a jar of preserved leaves.  I do not remember the source of this recipe but I got it from a Mediterranean cookbook.  This is my first try at steaming fish.  Shmooshed yukon gold potatoes and roasted asparagus complete the meal.

Be sure to make the yogurt sauce.  It is delicious.

12 large vine leaves, fresh or preserved

4 skinless turbot fillets (7 oz. each, checked for bones)

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 sprigs fresh dill

grated zest of 1 lemon

Cook leaves in boiling water ( 30 seconds for preserved, 5 minutes for fresh leaves).  Drain, pat dry with paper towels.  

Prepare steamer saucepan partially filled with water and bring to a simmer.

Place vine leaf, shiny side down, on work surface.  Slightly overlap another leaf, shiny side down.  Finally, place a third leaf in the center.  Place a turbot fillet in middle of leaves, season with salt and pepper and top with a dill sprig and a quarter of the lemon zest.  Wrap one fish fillet in leaves and turn edges in.  Repeat with 3 other fish fillets.  Arrange the 4 parcels in a steamer.  Cover and steam gently for 10 minutes or until the fish feels firm when pressed.

Yogurt Sauce

3/4 cup yogurt

3/4 cup ground walnuts

2 tsp. finely chopped dill

1 garlic clove, minced

While the fish is steaming, combine all of the sauce ingredients in a bowl.  Serve the sauce alongside the steamed fish parcels.

Serves 4 

NOTES: I couldn't find turbot so I used flounder fillets. 

The sauce is delicious on any plain fish and many different vegetable dishes  This recipe makes more than is needed for one meal and is extremely easy to prepare.

Zucchini and Mushrooms, Indian Style

As you can tell, I love to use my Indian spices to prepare veggies.  This combination of zucchini and mushrooms tasted wonderful with the addition of a few spices.

1 tbl. vegetable oil
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 dried red chili pepper
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. garam masala
3 medium zucchini, halved and sliced
1 lb. mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (I used a combination of shitake and brown mushrooms)
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tbl. dried, unsweetened coconut, optional

Heat corn oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  When oil is hot add ginger, garlic, red pepper, mustard seeds and garam masala.  Saute about 1 minute mixing ingredients together.  Add the zucchini to the skillet and mix it with the seasonings. Cook over medium heat until almost tender, stirring a few times. Add the mushrooms and combine all the ingredients. Stir occasionally until the mushrooms are tender.
Add salt and pepper, to taste and the coconut, if using.