Vegetarian Moussaka

This is a dish most traditionally made with ground lamb, beef, or a combination of the two, but tonight, I made a hearty vegetarian version for a work lunch I'm cooking for this week.  Hope everyone enjoys it!

Ingredients

2 large eggplants
3 cups of kale leaves (in place of the meat)
16 ounces of feta cheese 

Herb garnish

3 tablespoons each of chopped fresh basil, flat leaf parsley, oregano, and mint.  Mix together thoroughly. 

Tomato sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 medium onion, diced
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1/3 of the herb mixture
2 cans of crushed tomatoes (San Marzanos are best)

In a small sauce pot, saute the onions and garlic over medium heat until translucent.  Then add the tomatoes, pepper and herbs.   Stir, bring to a low boil, cover the pot, turn the heat to low and simmer for an hour.

While the sauce is simmering, slice two large eggplants either into 1/4 inch circles or slices (don't bother peeling them, unless you really don't like eggplant peel).  Saute the eggplant in a pan that's coated with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle the eggplant with the tiniest bit of kosher salt, so the moisture comes out of the eggplant while cooking and it doesn't burn.  Cook over medium heat on each side for about 5 minutes.

Then cut up about 3 cups of kale into small pieces and crumble 16 ounces of feta into small chunks.

Bechamel sauce

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and then whisk in 2 tablespoons of flour.   Let this cook for about 2 minutes, whisking gently so it doesn't burn.  Then slowly whisk in 1 cup of milk, add a pinch of pepper, and a few gratings of fresh nutmeg (go easy on the nutmeg, a little goes a long way).  Continue to whisk over low heat for about 5-7 minutes until it gets thick  and then take it off the heat and let it cool and set a bit.

Now you're ready to assemble the moussaka.

Take a baking dish and line the bottom with 2 ladles full of sauce.  Then put a layer of eggplant down, and half of the kale.  Sprinkle this with 1/3 of the feta cheese and about a tablespoon of her herb mixture over the kale and then drizzle a ladle of sauce over this layer.   Using a spoon, drizzle some bechamel sauce over this layer, just enough to make sure there's a taste of it in every bite.   Repeat another layer of eggplant, kale, feta, herbs and sauces.  Cover with one more layer of eggplant, and cover the eggplant generously with sauce.   Then sprinkle another tablespoon of herbs, drizzle the top with bechamel, and sprinkle the remaining feta over the tops.

You can cover this loosely with foil and keep in the fridge for a few days before cooking, or cook right away.

Cook covered in a 350 degree oven for an hour, taking the foil off for the last 10 minutes.  Let it sit for about 5 minutes before serving, and then use a large spoon or spatula to serve.

Enjoy!

Lemon-herb chicken stew

I made this easy stew this weekend in my crock pot, but you could also do this on the stove top, using very low heat.  It was delicious, and great comfort food that was ready after I got home from a long day out with my daughters.

Ingredients

3-4 tablespoons of olive oil
6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs
2 tsps. kosher salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1 tablespoon herbs de provence
juice of 1 lemon
1 cup of dry white wine
water
1 cup of chopped carrots
3 ribs of celery
3-4 large cloves of garlic
1 large onion
1/2 cup frozen peas

In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute 1 cup of chopped carrots, 1 large onion diced, 3-4 garlic cloves, smashed and roughly chopped, and 3 ribs of celery, chopped.  Add 1 teaspoon of salt to this mixture as you cook so it softens up without browning.

Add this to your crock pot, and then saute 6 boneless/skinless chicken thighs in another 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil until they are gently browned on each side.

Then add this to the crock pot, turn up the heat under the skillet and add the wine and lemon juice.  Cook this on high until it reduces by about 1/2.    When it's reduced, add it to the crock pot as well, and then add just enough water so that it comes up to the top of all the ingredients.

Finally, add the herbs and pepper, stir gently, and cook for about 6 hours.   About 10 minutes before serving, using 2 forks or a set of tongs,  break up the chicken into chunks (it will fall apart very easily), and add the peas so they can warm through.

This can be served over noodles, mashed potatoes, rice, or anything else you'd like.   It also could double as a very thick and chunky soup if you'd rather eat it that way.

Flank steak

This is a perfect cut of meat for grilling -- it holds up to a vigorous marinade, cooks quickly,  tastes great, and is fabulous leftover the next day.

2 pounds of flank steak
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper

Mix the marinade ingredients together and coat both sides of the steak in the mixture.   Marinate the meat for anything from 1-10 hours, turning it over and around in the marinade at least a few times.

Place meat on a screaming hot grill for about 7 minutes per side.

When you take it off, cover with foil and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

Carve on a slant, against the grain, making thin slices.   Be sure to swish it around in the juices that are in the bottom of your serving platter.

Bo Ssam

Not my own recipe --one from David Chang, celebrity NYC chef.

I made this for a dinner party last weekend and it was heavenly.   The house smelled amazing from the 6 hours cooking this big old hunk of pork.   It was so easy to make, fun to eat, and the leftovers were just as good.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/magazine/the-bo-ssam-miracle.html?_r=0

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/magazine/recipe-momofuku-bo-ssam.html

Ginger-Spiced Sweet Potato Soup

This is a very kid-friendly soup because it pretty much tastes like sweet potato pie in a bowl.

Peel and chop five large sweet potatoes and put into a pot.
Add 32 ounces of chicken or vegetable broth (Swanson's low sodium will not disappoint)
Take a chunk of ginger about the size of your thumb, chop it into 2-3 pieces, and add to the water.
Quarter an orange, squeeze the juice into the pot, and add the remains of the orange to the pot as well.

Bring to a boil and simmer on low until the sweet potatoes are well cooked.

Remove the ginger pieces and orange quarters.

With either an immersion blender or a regular blender, puree the mixture thoroughly.

Then add 1 tablespoon cinnamon and a few grates of fresh nutmeg -- about 1/8 of a teaspoon at most -- you just want this to be a background note in the soup, not a dominant flavor.

Simmer gently for about 10 minutes and then taste for seasoning, including salt, and then keep it simmering until it reduces to your desired consistency.

Try serving this with grilled cheese sandwiches instead of the usual tomato soup and see how the kids like it!

Lentil Soup

1 pound of lentils (any color is fine)
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup carrots, diced
1/2 cup ham, chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
1 tbsp. kosher salt
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
water
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped spinach or escarole (optional)

In a soup pot, heat up the olive oil and add the ham, onion and garlic and salt -- saute until the onions are translucent.

Add the lentils and stir until they're coated with the oil from the onion and garlic saute.

Cover with enough water that it is about 2-3 inches over the top of the lentils and add the rest of the ingredients.   Bring this up to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer and cover for a hour.

After the hour, taste the soup and adjust the seasonings as needed.  Turn the heat up a bit and let it boil for at least 20-30 minutes so it thickens up a bit.

This keeps really well in the fridge for at least a week.