grilled, grilled and chilled

Yesterday brought refreshingly cool weather and with it, I think, a reminder that summer isn't sticking around forever. I don't know how else to explain why Sunday night dinner was so grill-centric. I also think that the impending change of season explains why my dad and I impulsively went ingredient-shopping at our town's farmers' market--for the first time ever. Among our purchases: two pristine white eggplants, one gorgeous heirloom bell pepper (very regrettably not pictured), and a pint of the suh-weetest cherry tomatoes.

The grillfest began with an eggplant salad recipe that I clipped from the NYT probably a year or two ago. Because we bought them before deciding how to use them, and because it never occurred to me that I might not have the proper amount for the recipe, the eggplant-to-everything-else ratio may have been a little off. (In other words, the salad ended up being very oniony and very yogurty. Neither was such a bad thing, but the eggplant was a little lost.)

Next up: grilled chicken with honey and cumin, aka yet more proof that Mark Bittman is a master of simple, delicious and creative food.

And with all that time spent before the grill, we wanted something cool and easy to balance things out. Tabbouleh out of a box fit the bill--and I know, homemade wouldn't have been very difficult, but there was a baseball game keeping me from spending my whole afternoon and evening in the kitchen.

Below, the recipes!

eggplant, post-grilling but pre-everything else

Grilled eggplant salad with yogurt
From Mark Bittman
Time: About 40 minutes
Serves 4

1 lb. eggplants, preferably small light purple ones
1 medium onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 c. plain whole milk yogurt
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch cayenne or Aleppo pepper or other mild ground chili powder
1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley or mint

1. Start a charcoal grill or wood fire or preheat a gas grill or broiler; rack should be no more than 4 inches from heat source. Cut eggplants in half lengthwise up to stem, but do not cut through. Spread about 2/3 of onion and garlic between eggplant halves, and press two sides back together.

2. Grill eggplants, turning once or twice, until they are blackened and collapsed, 10 to 15 minutes. Do not worry if skin burns a bit. Meanwhile, mix remaining onion and garlic with yogurt; season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne.

3. When cooked, let eggplants cool a bit, then peel off skins and let cool further. Roughly chop eggplants, then mix with yogurt dressing. Serve at room temperature or chill if you like; in either case, garnish with parsley or mint.




Grilled chicken cutlets with honey and cumin
Adapted from How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman
Time: 20 minutes, plus time to preheat grill
Serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (2 whole breasts, split), 1 to 1 1/2 lbs., rinsed and patted dry with paper towels
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. honey
1 Tbsp. freshly squeezed orange juice
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Start a charcoal grill or wood fire or preheat a gas grill or broiler; rack should be no more than 4 inches from heat source. If necessary, you can pound chicken pieces lightly between two sheets of waxed paper so that they are of uniform thickness.

2. Rub chicken with oil. Combine honey, orange juice, cumin, garlic, salt and pepper.

3. Grill or broil the chicken very quickly (it should take no more than 3 or 4 minutes per side), brushing once or twice through cooking with the honey-cumin mixture. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Note: MB includes this as a variation to another recipe, and in the variation it's unclear whether the chicken should be brushed with honey-cumin mixture prior to hitting the grill. I decided not to brush it until it was already cooking, worrying that the honey might burn. It was absolutely delicious done this way, but I'm still not sure if this was how Mark had intended it.

emergency muffins

On my morning walk I was struck with the urge and inspiration to bake, partly because we're experiencing a temporary break in the insanely hot and humid weather and partly because I have a good friend coming over this afternoon whom I'd like to offer some sort of nibble. Carrots left over from last week's soba noodle salad were calling to me, so I thought I'd try my hand at carrot muffins, using my favorite banana bread recipe as a template and screwing around with different parts of it.

As I brainstormed and worked, I realized that this recipe lends itself to all sorts of additions and subsititutions--different grains, fruits, veggies and spices could all work well--which, if you ask me, makes it perfect for throwing together at the last minute for houseguests, a pot luck, anything. Regardless of what you do or do not have in your pantry, there's probably some combination you could use with this recipe and still have something yummy in almost no time.

ALSO. The original recipe contains butter and eggs, but it still comes out great with vegan substitutions. So no matter who shows up on your doorstep (or their dietary preferences), you're golden with this one!

Carrot date oat muffins
Adapted from this recipe on the back of the King Arthur Flour package
Time: 15 min prep and 20-25 min baking
Yield: 12 muffins

1/2 c. mashed ripe banana (vegan) or butter (not)
1/2 c. brown sugar, light or dark
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 c. shredded, grated or finely chopped carrot
1/4 c. maple syrup (vegan) or honey (not), or to taste (the dates added their own sweetness to the mix, so in the future I will use less sweetener)
1 c. unsweetened applesauce (vegan) or 2 large eggs (not)
2 c. 100% whole wheat flour
1/3 c. rolled oats
3 dates, pitted and chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners, or grease pan with canola oil (vegan) or butter (not).

2. In a large bowl, beat together banana/butter, sugar, vanilla, baking soda, and salt. Add carrot, maple syrup/honey, and applesauce/eggs, beating until smooth. Add flour to wet mixture, stirring until smooth.

3. In a small bowl, combine oats and dates. Toss briefly to dust dates with oats, breaking up any clumps of dates. Add to batter, and stir well until incorporated.

4. Scoop batter into prepared pan (about 1/4 c. batter per muffin cup). Bake 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Some possible interesting additions/substitutions (should total 1/4 to 3/4 cup):
-shredded or flaked coconut
-chopped walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds or other nuts
-sesame, sunflower or pumpkin seeds
-cooked rice, wheatberries, barley or other grains
-cinnamon, nutmeg or allspice
-chocolate chips (if making vegan, use dairy-free chocolate)
-wheat germ, wheat bran, oat bran, spelt flakes
-raisins, dried apricots, prunes, dried blueberries or other dried fruits
-orange or lemon zest

spicy, sweet, slurpy salad

In case you haven't noticed, it's hot as hell. On Sunday I heard the TV weatherman speak the phrase "heat wave" for the first time this summer, and boy, has Mother Nature delivered. This means that, no matter how much I am craving banana chocolate chip muffins (a lot) or how restorative a bowl of hot soup would feel (still fighting the vestiges of last week's cold), my sweat glands and I are firmly opposed to actual cooking.

So imagine my glee when I found a clutch of salad recipes from a back issue of Women's Health, all refreshing and packed with a variety of tasty things crying out to be eaten, in my collection of clipped recipes I want to try. ("Collection" is a fancy word for a tattered blue Trapper Keeper folder I used for English 163, "Distinguished Writers/New Voices" with Anne Greene. Go Wes!) This one, which my cooking buddy Julia and I decided on, is surprisingly filling and full of really interesting elements I wouldn't think to put together: white miso, orange juice, mint, sesame oil. To be fair, water was indeed boiled for the soba, but while it cooked I was able to stay far away from the stove. Not a violation of the No Cooking During a Heatwave rule that I invented at the beginning of this post.


Sesame soba noodle salad
Time: 20 mins prep, 6-8 mins cooking, 30 mins chilling
Adapted from Women's Health magazine (issue unknown!)

1 package soba noodles (appx. 8 oz.)
1 c. frozen shelled edamame
(we threw in some frozen corn, too, but didn't measure it!)
1 1/2 c. shredded carrots
1 1/2 c. sliced scallion
1/2 c. chopped fresh mint
1 c. diced red, orange or yellow bell pepper
1 large orange, for zest and juice
2 Tbsp. white miso
3 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

1. Add to a large saucepan enough water to cook the entire package of soba. (The original recipe says to fill a 6-quart saucepan with agua; I ignored this and just guessed.) Bring to a boil, add soba, frozen edamame and frozen corn. Cook 6 minutes, test a noodle, and continue to cook if it still has a bite in the middle. You want the soba to be soft throughout.

2. Meanwhile, in a small or medium bowl with high sides, zest and juice the orange. Whisk in miso, oil, soy sauce and red pepper flakes until smooth.

3. When done, remove soba, edamame and corn to a colander and rinse very well in cold water. Set aside to drain.

4. Combine carrots, scallion, mint and bell pepper in a large bowl, then add drained soba and toss gently. Pour dressing over salad and toss gently a second time.

5. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve cold or at room temperature.

black bean tacos and the world's most refreshing salad

Last night, Julia and I had what I think may have been our tastiest cooking adventure yet. After our Monday morning swim, we rooted through my recipe box and found two awesome-sounding recipes that I'd never made before. The first, for black bean tacos, was an adaptation from a Bon Appetit recipe published in one of the local papers, and though it sounded a little crazy to both of us (I was suspicious of the feta, and Julia seemed a little uncertain at first about the cabbage), we ran with it. I can't articulate how I feel about it any other way except to say that it was really flippin' good. We paired the tacos with a salad of watermelon, cucumber and jicama, using a recipe I found in an issue of Gourmet a few years ago. I had never bought or cooked with jicama before (a little tough to peel, but otherwise fine!), and it was Julia's first time eating it (she liked it!).

Everything was refreshing, full of flavor, well balanced, and very healthy. Plus, it was a snap to prepare the two dishes at once, since neither was very complex and they shared some ingredients. I was tempted to sip something tequila-y with all of it, especially after seeing Mark Bittman's agua fresca recipe earlier in the day, but I knew that doing so would make this morning's run extra challenging so I stayed booze-free.

Bonus: I had the good sense while I was in Philly to swing by Sue's, the amazing produce market on South 18th Street to see if they had any of the ingredients I needed. I bought the scallions and all the herbs for only $3.50! A steal! And I got smallish quantities of basil and mint, rather than the big bunches I find the supermarket that go bad before I can use them up.

Black bean tacos with feta and cabbage slaw
Adapted from Bon Appetit (February 2009)
Serves 5

15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. olive oil
2 c. coleslaw mix
2 scallions, chopped
1/3 c. chopped fresh cilantro
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot sauce
5 white corn, yellow corn, or flour tortillas (we used whole wheat flour tortillas)
1/3 c. crumbled feta

1. In a small saucepan or microwaveable bowl, combine beans, cumin and salt. Use a fork to partially mash beans. Set aside.

2. In medium bowl, combine lime juice and oil. Add cabbage, scallions and cilantro. Toss, season to taste with black pepper and hot sauce, and toss again. Set aside.

3. On stovetop over low heat (or in microwave) gently warm bean mixture. Warm tortillas in a dry pan, oven or microwave, just enough so that they are pliable. Divide bean mixture among the tortillas and spread in an even layer over each tortilla.

NOTE: The original recipe outlines how to make crispy tacos, and though we didn't go that route, it does sound quite good: Divide bean mixture evenly among tortillas, and spread beans evenly over top of each tortilla. Heat 3 tsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortillas (working in batches if necessary) bean-side up, and cook for 1 minute. Fold in half, then continue to heat about 1 minute per side, or until golden brown.

4. Fill each taco with some of the cabbage mixture and a sprinkling of feta.

great green goodies

Watermelon, cucumber and jicama salad
From Gourmet (July 2004)
Serves 6

4 c. cubed seeded watermelon (from a 3-lb. piece, rind discarded)
2 c. cubed peeled jicama (1 lb.)
2 c. cubed English cucumber (1 1/2 lb.)
1/2 c. fresh lime juice
1/4 c. chopped fresh mint
1/4 c. chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 c. chopped fresh basil
1 tsp. salt

Toss together all ingredients in a large bowl and serve immediately.

OR: You can combine watermelon and vegetables 6 hours ahead and store, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Likewise, you can chop and combine the herbs 6 hours ahead and store, covered, in the fridge until serving time.

a second glimpse of veggie heaven

As promised in yesterday's post, we made good use of the offerings of my dad's co-worker's garden for last night's dinner. Though it wasn't a meatless meal, there were a lot of vegetables invited to the party. The main event was sausage and pepper sandwiches, which we made with sweet Italian turkey sausage (grilled) and a bevy of onions and Italian frying peppers (sliced and sauteed, and pictured). I was especially excited about the peppers, because I've had a years-long half-assed interest in trying them since I worked at a farm stand during high school and college. I love their fierce green color, and their scent gives me the impression that they'd be spicy to eat, but I've never cared enough to actually purchase and cook some. They weren't spicy at all, which was a bit of a disappointment. But they were good!


As a side to our sandwiches, I threw together this salad with the gorgeous red and yellow cherry tomatoes as the centerpiece. We didn't have enough tomatoes to make a salad large enough for everyone, so to stretch it out I added: quartered cucumber slices, torn fresh basil, some itty bitty balls of fresh mozzarella, a drizzle of olive oil, kosher salt and black pepper. Mmm! A big bowl of freshness.

And finally, here is a recipe I made over a week ago with my partner in culinary crime, Julia, that I failed to post (and photograph, as it happens). It is super simple, especially because we used canned beans, and lightly filling. In other words, exactly what you feel like making and eating on a hot and humid summer evening.

Four bean salad with vegetables
Adapted from Simply Recipes
Yield and time: A lot and a little. (Whoops, I didn't keep track of either!)

1 15-oz. can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 15-oz. can butter beans, rinsed and drained
2 celery stalks, chopped fine
1/2 red onion, chopped fine
1 c. cooked corn kernels
1 c. chopped flat leaf parsley
1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
1/3 c. granulated sugar, or to taste (I really liked that the dressing was sweet, but next time I'd prefer it a little less so)
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Combine beans, celery, onion, corn and parsley in a large bowl.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper. Add to salad, and toss to coat.

3. Serve immediately or, if you have time, let salad chill in the refrigerator for several hours so beans and veggies can absorb the flavors of the dressing. Serve cold or at room-temperature.

Julia and I cooked up a batch of wheat berries and ate them alongside the salad. But when I ate some of the leftovers later in the week, I threw the wheatberries right into the salad and much preferred it that way. I like the presence of their chewiness with the beans and crunchy veggies, and the grain gave the salad more visual interest by adding another color to the mix.

We also brainstormed some further variations on this: the addition and/or substitution of black beans; making a dressing of orange or lime juice, honey, olive oil and a little cumin, and possibly also replacing the parsley with cilantro; more and/or different vegetables, such as green or wax beans, grape tomatoes, chopped cucumber . . .

produce galore

There's no mistaking the season in my kitchen this weekend. Check out the view:


Plenty of fresh produce! It must be summer! The frying peppers and itty bitty tomatoes came from the garden of my dad's co-worker and have been reserved for tonight's dinner: turkey-sausage sandwiches with peppers and onions (a ballpark-ified, sauceless version of one of my favorite recipes) and a tomato salad. The fruit is there just because we like it.

But wait, there's more! I have been on a salad tear lately--with the weather hot and lots of yummy things in season, I've been craving fresh, crisp, cool vegetables and not much else. Which is why, when I discovered that I would be eating alone on Saturday night, I decided on a big dinner salad. If I were cooking with my family, surely someone would cry out for protein or a starch, or otherwise insist on making this a square meal. And don't get me wrong, I'm all for balanced nutrition . . . in general, most of the time. But when my tummy is growling and the growls all sound like "Veggies, please!" I know that the best thing is to simply heed the call.


Arugula, potato, green bean and walnut salad

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen's adaptation of the original from Maratha Stewart Living (August 2007)
Makes 4 small or 2 large servings

1 Tbsp. walnuts
3/4 lb. fingerling potatoes (or red skinned, if like me you can't find fingerlings), cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
3 oz. haricots verts, green beans or wax beans, trimmed and cut into two-inch segments
1 Tbsp. white wine or other mild vinegar
1 Tbsp. plain yogurt
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. walnut oil
1 1/2 oz. baby arugula (or more, if you're as hungry as I was. I used about 3 oz. for two portions.)

1. Preheat toaster oven or oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Toast walnuts on a baking sheet in oven until fragrant, just a few minutes. Let cool slightly, then chop coarsely and set aside.

2. Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer potatoes to a colander to drain and cool. Set aside.

3. Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside. Return water to a boil. Add green beans and cook until tender and bright green. [The recipe says this should take 3-4 minutes, and I laughed at this. I cooked the beans about 45-60 seconds, and they were perfect. Do what you like, my friend.] Using a slotted spoon, transfer beans to the ice-water bath to stop cooking. Drain.

4. Whisk together yogurt, mustard, salt and pepper. Add oil in a slow, steady stream while whisking, until emulsified.

5. Combine arugula, potatoes and green beans in a large bowl, add dressing and toss to coat. Sprinkle walnuts on top, and serve.