Baba ghanouj that's always a hit

Since most of you have been putting your grills to good use in this splendid summer season, why not try a little hors d'oeuvre that's perfect for a party, AND appeals to even the most carniverous of guests?

This baba ghanouj is smoky, creamy, and addictive. It's easy to make, and it makes awesome leftovers. 

You'll need:

• 2 large (one pound each) eggplants (ensure they're firm, without dents)
• 1/4 cup olive oil or more 
• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 3/4 tsp. zatar plus more for sprinkling at the end 
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. paprika 
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper to taste

 
Preheat the grill, then turn to low heat. 

Cut eggplant in half lengthwise, and give the halves a nice coat of olive oil on both sides. 

Grill the eggplant first on the cut side, then flip to the skin side - it will take about 20-25 minutes total. It's ok if the outside burns - the important part is for the inside to cook through. 

Remove from grill and place on a cookie sheet to gradually come to room temperature (it will finish cooking). Don't rush this step. Scoop out the delicious insides of the eggplant and put it in the bowl of a food processor. You'll see some liquid coming off the eggplant - include this as it's important for consistency and flavor.

Add the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, zatar, cumin, paprika and cayenne. Whiz for a bit, adding the olive oil gradually until it's a creamy consistency. It shouldn't be stiff - if it is, you can add a couple tablespoons of cold water. Taste, then adjust seasoning and add salt and pepper. Blend a final time. If possible, let it sit in the fridge in a sealed container for a few hours, or even overnight.

Serve in a bowl (drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkled with zatar and paprika) alongside pita wedges, carrots, peppers and cucumber. Hint: use a small-ish bowl and put out a small batch at a time so it stays super-fresh. 

Leftovers? Take a half round of pita, add a few tablespoons of baba ghanouj, then pile in cucumbers, peppers and sprouts. It's an amazing sandwich! 

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On the go beauty shot: fruit, dairy, fiber and vitamin E

I needed to pack a snack which could be respectably consumed around a bunch of people who eat super-healthy. 

Try filling your little container with this deliciousness:

Plain yogurt
Strawberries
Almonds
Basil
Agave nectar 

Refrigerate or even stick in the freezer for a few minutes until you're ready to enjoy. It's like eating a decadent dessert, guilt-free!

Oh, and I looked respectable too. 

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Pineapple coconut chicken curry with basil

It was time to get back into the kitchen. We've been chaotic playing catch-up with projects and people, so I insisted on dinner made at Cocina Candelaria. Here's my modified version of a super-easy weeknight chicken dish.

Pineapple Coconut Chicken Curry

1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 1/2 tsp. of your favorite curry powder blend 
1/2 tsp. of salt (I used a flaked sea salt)
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips 
1/2 of a large ripe pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces
1 large serrano chile, minced
1 can coconut milk
1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar
About 6 large basil leaves, torn 

To make:

Put chicken, curry powder and salt in a large ziplock bag and smoosh around to marinate. Overnight is best, though you can just leave it on the counter for a bit to come up to temperature and let the flavor begin to sink in.

Heat large pan to medium-high and add your oil of choice. I used this lovely coconut oil since it's so popular and it fit thematically anyway.

Saute chicken until it caramelizes, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Turn heat to medium and cook it for another 3 minutes. Remove and put in covered dish. 

Now turn the heat back up and saute red pepper, pineapple and serrano. You'll know when it's done because the pineapple will begin to caramelize and it will all smell great.

Add chicken and its juices back to pan. Add coconut milk and brown sugar; stir gently. Let it bubble. If needed, add cornstarch-water mix to thicken.

 

Serve over brown rice, with fresh basil torn over the top. YUM!!

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The I-don't-have-time-for-this leftover soup

Soup du jour

I probably make soup three times a year. It's not really Greg's thing, for whatever reason. He doesn't even like tomato soup with grilled cheese! That's just inhuman if you ask me. 

Half inspired by Corey's leftover ham soup recipe and half inspired by whatever I had on hand, I threw together my version in the slow cooker and it turned out great. Even though I make soup three times a year, and consume ham once a year. Oh, and the ham was in a Food Saver bag in the freezer labeled "Christmas 2011." Yep, we love that Food Saver.

I-don't-have-time-for-this Hammy Kale Soup

You'll need:

• 2 cups diced cooked leftover ham
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 medium potatoes (your fave kind), peeled if you like and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 large or 8-9 baby carrots, sliced into about 1/8" slices
• 5 or 6 big leaves of curly kale, cut into narrow ribbons
• About 5 cups of good chicken or veggie stock 
• 1 1/2 tsp. Herbes de Provence
• 1/2 to 1 tsp. pink Himalayan salt 
• A few grinds of pepper

Kale and carrots? I'm in!

To make:
Heat large frying pan to medium, add a glug of olive oil and add the ham. It needs to start to carmelize, about 8 minutes. Add onion and garlic, and saute for about 5 minutes to soften the onions.

Dump mixture in the slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients, stir gently. 

Cook on high for four hours or low for six or seven hours. 

And that's it!
  

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Life Alive: clean eating

I was very happy to spend some quality time recently with my sister in Boston. It's been ages since I visited, and she made it a point to show me a number of new restaurants, buildings, renovations and more. On the agenda was a great 'urban oasis and organic cafe' called Life Alive. 

The way they put it, 'A delicious meal ... is the starting point for nurturing the body and soul.'  And they're onto something. Sure, there are other organic places around, but this one has such great decor, an inviting vibe, and a line out the door and around the corner. 

We intentionally went for a late lunch to avoid the crazy time. The only downside of this is that they'll maybe be out of a special topping (avocado in this case).

I tried The Goddess (foreground in the photo), with ginger nama shoyu sauce over carrots, beets, broccoli, kale, tofu and brown rice. Melissa had The Adventurer, with sesame ginger nama sauce over corn, beets, broccoli, kale, cheddar, sprouted legumes, tamari almonds, quinoa and brown rice. 

Both were absolutely DEELISH, crunchy and totally satisfying. I mean, serious flavor. Balance that out with the Love Alive smoothie with blueberry, strawberry, banana, date and chia-almond milk, and it's hard to beat.   

If you're getting ready for a cleanse, are a serious juicer, raw eater, health nut or just someone who wants to feel better, this is the place. Too bad they only have locations in Massachusetts! I'll have to campaign to get Life Alive into Houston.  

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A day for the souk

"Isss no problem, no problem. Madame, please, you come see this. No, come. You like!"

This is the typical hawker line in the souks in 'old Dubai' - aka The Creek. Here is where they try to move as much money as possible from your pocket into theirs.

A souk is the Arab term for open-air market or bazaar. At The Creek, which is the oldest part of Dubai and the location for the city's port, you are immediately lost in a maze of winding, jumbled alleyways and streets overflowing with musky smells of frankincense, myrrh and sandalwood, mixed with pungent spices that permeate your senses - the cardamom pods, cinnamon bark, curry mixes, paprika, cloves, peppercorns, ginger, garlic and more.

The souks here are famous for three main categories of goods: gold, textiles and spices. Sure, there are the odd plastic floatie things for poolside fun, and the pots big enough to cook a stew for 500 people, but generally they stick with the ancient trading items. I've never seen so much gold in my life. Oh. My. Goodness. It was pretty amazing to see shop after shop with gorgeous pieces in the windows, many individual pieces far outweighing my entire gold inventory.

The textiles are mostly cloth from India to Italy, with every vendor trying to sell you the same scarves and shawls. The spices were the most special to me, not just because of my love of food, but how interesting they looked! I mean, black limes, really? Wow.

The shops are all run by men, and each one competes for your attention. It's a nonstop vocal assault as you take less than five steps before they grab you, and they promise you the best goods you'll get in Dubai if you just follow them.

"Watches, t-shirts, shoes, handbags - Rolex, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vitton, Fendi, Chanel, you come, come, come with me!"

You enter a small building, climb up a narrow staircase and land in a diminutive yet packed 'showroom' featuring all the designer knock-offs. 

Greg encouraged me to just follow a few of these shopkeepers for fun ... and it was. We never intended to buy any knockoffs, but it was great to see their "no problem" skills hard at work, talking about the first sale of the day, and how they can do a great price. They take out the oversized calculator and punch the keys, making it look like they are performing a mathematical miracle while we try not to giggle at the tactics. 

But then we found something we wanted to buy - a lovely Indian dress. And so we engaged in one of the most ancient and greatest sports of all time: haggling. Greg started his bid at 20% of the asking price. It took nearly 40 minutes to wear the guy down to the point where we knew we paid a fair price while giving the shopkeeper profit - and allowing him to pay a small commission to the "friend" who led us there.

In that time, however, I was offered the amazing opportunity to marry a man who spoke little English, except to say, "You must get me a visa to live in Texas."

Uh, no thanks. I know you can have up to four wives here, but I'm good with my one husband. He might be goofy but he's awesome. All set.

To get between some of the souks, you have to take the water taxi, which is called an abra. The abra is a simple boat used on Dubai Creek - you hop on, give the pilot one dirham, and off you go. You bob in the waves and cough a bit from the noxious exhaust, but it's GREAT. And one dirham is 27 cents, so that was quite the bargain.

Since this is a port, the other type of boat you see a lot is the dhow, a traditional wooden boat built for transport or more recently for sport racing. The dhows we saw in the port were carrying everything from fruit to fridges to Fiats. They're tres cool.

This adventure reminded me that it's important to immerse yourself in the local culture without fear. Just do it!

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Visiting a mosque in Dubai

Another first: I visited a mosque.  

The Jumeirah Mosque in Dubai is open to non-Islamic people, which is a rarity. It includes an attached cultural center offering impressive public programs. Having never been inside a mosque, I figured a tour might be interesting.

As did 75 other people. We removed our shoes, covered our heads, shuffled in, sat on the floor and listened to a British docent who's been living in Dubai for 21 years explain fundamentals of Islam. 

This mosque was completed in 1979 and holds up to 1300 people. It's government supported, so the funding is secure. Worshipers stand side by side without gaps to prevent evil from entering. There is no VIP section as all are considered equal - the dignitary and the homeless man stand together. Men and women are separated to avoid distractions. The head of the mosque, the Imam, calls everyone to prayer.  

We were told about the five pillars of Islam which are the foundation for Muslim life. Unsurprisingly, our docent emphasized the peace of the religion and repeated a few times that they have nothing to do with radicals. 

The Pillars:
Shahadah - the declaration of faith
Salat - 5x daily prayer facing Mecca, beginning before dawn and ending after sundown
Zakāt - alms-giving as an obligation to help lift up those less fortunate; the tithe is 2.5%
Sawm - fasting (ritual, repentance or ascetic); obligatory in the month of Ramadan (thinking about not eating or drinking water for 12 hours makes my head hurt!)
Hajj - the pilgrimage to Mecca (in Saudi Arabia; birthplace of Muhammad), which every able-bodied Muslim is required to do once in his/her life

Missing a prayer or fast requires the believer to make up for it, so there's a lot of mindfulness involved.  

We learned more about abayas (women's garb) and how they're not as hot as they seem, and the dishdashes men wear (that cool black band on the head was originally used to corral camels so it was highly practical). 

There is the washing ritual, a key preparation for the faith. This explains why the restrooms are constantly flooded with water. Wash hands three times, mouth three times, nose three times, face three times. Wash hands up to elbows three times, once over the hair and behind the ears. Feet and ankles, three times each. If the cycle is broken, you must start again. That's a lot of water in the desert...

At the end of the day, the basic tenets of doing good, helping others, being mindful, improving oneself and repenting for misdeeds is universal - and as a Christian I see the similarities. 

I learned a lot more than I included here, and I know my interpretation is pretty sophomoric, but it was helpful to have a glimpse into a much-aligned faith. It also reinforced to me why I'd fail in Muslim society due to my overly independent and often stubborn behavior, along with an occasional lack of discipline and good judgement. Let's just leave it at that. :-)

 




 

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