Eggplant Pomegranate Dip

I get really excited when I'm describing my food to people. And maybe that's weird. I'm enthusiastic enough, in fact, that a newbie at the office called me out on the excited tone in my description of leftovers at lunch. And if you know me well, you know there's nothing I love more than someone asking me what I'm cooking.

But these waxing descriptions aren't about bragging for me, it's about taking time to celebrate things that are beautiful and good. The ho-hum of everyday is filled with so many functional conversations, so there is something refreshing about pontificating for a moment on the humble paper plate filled with my own personal expression of passion, color and outrageous flavor.

I think that's just it... it's personal for me. Ask me about what I'm cooking and it's probably a good window into my life on any given day. Perhaps I reveal too much, but you can rest assured, if I'm cooking, I'm happy and maybe that's why I get so geeked about leftovers. Now,  if I'm eating my 4th day in a row of Jimmy John's delivery with a Diet Coke... steer clear.

But let's focus on what's good in the world and that's good leftovers. This recipe I picked up from Plenty, by Yottam Ottolenghi, was one of the better bits of leftovers I've had in awhile. Enjoy as a dip or in a salad. The tart pop of pomegranate is restaurant-caliber flavor and worthy of tracking down pomegranate molasses for.

Eggplant Pomegranate Dip
1 large eggplant or 2 small eggplants
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 garlic glove, minced
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Salt and pepper
1 cup seedless cucumber, chopped (optional, but good if you want to make more substantial)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional, but good if you want to make more substantial)
Pomegranate seeds
Olive oil

Heat oven broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with foil and pierce the eggplants all over with a fork. Broil eggplants, turn occasionally for 1 hour. They should be burnt and black on the outside.

Cool eggplants until you can handle them, then slice in half and scoop out the flesh. Roughly chop and place in colander for 30 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine drained eggplant with tahini, water, pomegranate molasses, lemon juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in cucumber and tomato, if you choose.

Garnish with pomegranate seeds and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with flatbread or crackers and enjoy.

Recipe inspired by Yottam Ottolenghi's PLENTY -- a simply fantastic cookbook. 

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

There is such thing as the best tortilla chips.... and damn Chicago, you better not take the best for granted. El Ranchero chips -- loving known as the green bag chips -- are legitimately on the short list of things I miss about Chicago. Yes the friends and world-class restaurants were great, but the damn tortilla chips were the tops.

Another Chicago expat friend of mine was kind enough to pick up a bag for me and you can't possibly enjoy such a scarce resource with gross jarred salsa. It was only appropriate to make a great salsa inspired by one of Chicago's best chefs, Rick Bayless. Mexico One Plate at a Time on WTTW was always one of my winter guilty pleasures.

Tomatillos are readily available in grocery stores and make for a nice departure from the typical tomato stuff. The green color is gorg too.

Homemade salsa is really easy when you make it in the food processor. Totally worth 5 minutes of effort when you compare with the quality of most jarred salsas.

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
1lb tomatillos, husks removed
2 jalapenos, stemmed, seeds removed and chopped
1/4 cup water
Salt, to taste
1/2 white onion, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

Heat broiler to high. Halve tomatillos and place cut side down on baking sheet. Broil for 4 to 5 minutes until slightly blackened. Use tongs to flip over tomatillos and broil for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Add roasted tomatillos, jalapenos and water to food processor and buzz until smooth. Taste and add salt, tasting until just right.

Rinse onions under cold water before adding to salsa with cilantro. Serve and enjoy with the world's best tortilla chips (or whatever you can find).

Whipped Pumpkin Goat Cheese

Remember yesterday when I was all like, "when did pumpkin steal apple's fall thunder?" Well now I'm part of the problem. Pumpkin madness continues!

My family has caught the whipped feta fever and now insist that I bring it to nearly every gathering. It had gotten out of hand, so I thought I'd try a autumnal variation. It certainly delivers on easy and who doesn't love goat cheese? I'm pretty sure it was born to marry pumpkin, because the sweet and tangy play are a beautiful pair.

This ended up being a celebration of all things Trader Joe's. It happens... particularly in the cheese case. And I hit the JACKPOT with their seasonal pumpkin, cranberry crackers. They're gingerbready and amazing. Get them or live with a life of pumpkin regret.

Whipped Pumpkin Goat Cheese
1 log goat cheese, softened
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
Salt and pepper

Combine goat cheese, whipped cream cheese, pumpkin, salt and pepper in a food processor. While processor runs, stream in olive oil until smooth.

Serve with crackers and dried cranberries. Enjoy.

Simple Secrets: Watermelon Feta Bites

Sometimes you need an easy party dish. And sometimes you want to look fancy. These don't have to be mutually exclusive. Here's an idea.... skewer cubes of watermelon and feta, garnish with a mint leaf.

Boom. Fancytown.

Sweet, juicy watermelon pairs beautifully with dry, salty feta; with mint perfectly punctuating the flavors.

Such jazzy little soldiers all in a row.

Whipped Feta with Roasted Red Peppers

This girls loves a cheese plate. Like, eat-the-whole-thing-without-realizing-and-then-be-too-full-for-dinner, loves a cheese plate. Something about sitting around with a glass of wine and good conversation before a meal is oh so pleasing. In college, when we were too poor for anything but the hot dogs sold until the EL train (true story), my roommate and I used to go out to my Aunt and Uncle's house and spend hours devouring their expertly selected cheese and antipasti. Heaven for food-loving 19-year-olds.

But here's the thing about cheese plate... everyone always seems to do the same thing. Yes, I love a triple-cream brie or a smoked gouda, but some times you gotta mix it up! This whipped feta is the perfect remedy for cheese plate boredom. The roasted red peppers bring some flair and the cheese....so damn easy. 

The ingredients are straightforward and easy to find. Crumbled feta, whipped cream cheese, lemon juice, red pepper and of course, olive oil, salt and pepper. 

Food processors are pretty much man's greatest invention. Or at least the greatest invention for time-crunched and/or lazy cooks like myself. Yeah cars and life-saving medical devices are pretty swank, but come on, easy chopping and mixing up in here!

I mean, it 30 seconds it turns simple ingredients into this amazing, creamy goodness.

So the red peppers are easy too... you basically just burn the shit out of them. Seriously. Char their skin until it peels off. Boom.

Serve on a pretty board with cracker of your liking or freshly slice baguette. A spread of cheese and bite of pepper on top. Break the chains of cheese plate monotony. Onward food soldiers!

Whipped Feta with Roasted Red Pepper
2 red peppers
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup whipped cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

Heat oven broiler to high. Coat red peppers with 1 tablespoon olive oil and place on a cookie sheet. Place directly under broiler and turn every few minutes, until all sides are charred and black. Times will vary by oven. Once cooked, remove peppers from cookie sheet and immediately place in a plastic freezer bag and seal. Allow peppers to cool in bag before peeling away blackened skins. Slice peppers, discarding seeds and stems.

In a food processor, combine feta and cream cheese. Slowly stream in olive oil until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with crackers or sliced baguette. Cheese and peppers can easily be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated separately. Enjoy!

Garlic Cheddar Cheese Straws

So we've been picnic-ing a lot lately. I mean a lot! St. Louis has a full schedule of free concerts at parks throughout the summer and we've been taking full advantage. Let me tell you,there are some hardcore picnic-ers at these events -- think full catered spreads, stemless wine glasses and this table everywhere. After our first outing, I figured I'd get in on this!

Picnic foods can be a little bit tricky -- they need to be portable, they need to stand up to hot/humid weather, they need to be easy to eat (often without utensils) and they need to be made ahead of time. For my first big picnic affair with friends, I decided to start simple and keep it classic with garlic cheddar cheese straws.

The soft crunch of these guys keeps you coming back for more and these were real crowdpleasers amongst our friends. I opted for garlic cheddar this time, but the possibilities are endless. I'd love to do "everything bagel" style or something with loads of fresh herbs.

*Thank your Husband for breaking them in half to pack them. Remind yourself to buy a longer plastic container for such things. 

Puff pastry makes for a quick preparation. I try to keep a box in the freezer for unexpected occasions when I need a quick appetizer.

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Just a bit of light rolling out for this recipe, but the dimensions don't need to be exact.

A quick brush of beaten egg serves as the "glue" for your cheese and seasonings.

Use the tip of a sharp knife to slice 1/2 inch strips and then carefully twist. Some cheese is going to fall out... it's just going to happen. You're going to be alright.

Bake for just a few minutes until golden and the cheese is melt-y.

Garlic Cheddar Cheese Straws
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed (but still cold)
Flour, for dusting
1 egg, beaten
1 cup aged white cheddar, shredded
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a floured surface, lightly roll out puff pastry until it measures approximately 10x12 inches. Brush surface of pasty with beaten egg and sprinkle on garlic powder, salt, pepper and cheese. Gently press cheese into pastry.

Gently cut dough into strips and twist, taking care to keep cheese on dough. Place twists onto a parchment or Silpat lined baking sheet and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until golden. Cool straws completely before storing in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker and Shutterbean

Simple Secret: Roasted Garlic

One of the many perks of being married is not having to worry about your breath. No, I'm haven't let myself completely go. I still shave my legs and close the bathroom door...ahh romance. Back to the breath, there is a rational explanation here. The reality is, when you're married you're usually eating the same at-home meals. Heretofore (I've been doing a lot of contracts at work) you have the same nasty-ass breath as the dude you're making out with. Boom. Married. Awesome.

So when you're totally down with bad breath, you can enjoy the pleasures of roasted garlic. Melty, soft and hot with flavor it is heaven on warm bread. Hea.Ven. Annnnnd it's about the easiest thing to make when guests are coming over. Put it on an antipasto platter, ohmygahhhhh. Spread on cooked pizza dough, my life is complete.

So yeah, I really like roasted garlic. My husband will have bad breath for the rest of his life. Deal.

Simple Secret: Roasted Garlic
1 head garlic

Preheat oven to 400. Slice off the top of a head of garlic using a very sharp knife. Wrap in aluminum foil and bake in oven for about 30-40 minutes. Serve hot and use a cheese knife to spread.

Moroccan Eggplant Red Pepper Dip

When it comes to throwing a dinner party, people seem to have some weird belief that you need to impress people with fancy schmancy new things. For me, I love when people make things that are close to their hearts -- be it a family recipe or a dish with a story behind it. As a host, it makes me feel special to share that with people I love and tell the story that goes with a dish. I think guests appreciate a genuine experience, especially a genuinely TASTY one.

I recently had some friends and family over for an evening in and shared recipes I learned on a trip to Morocco. The menu included:

• Moroccan Eggplant Red Pepper Dip
• Chicken Tagine with Apricots
• Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Herbes de Provence Glaze

Not only did the menu draw on some of my favorite travel memories, but it was functional for a party. The dip was simple, the chicken took some time and the cake could be made ahead of time. Good to balance out some tougher, more time consuming challenges -- like tagine -- with an easy and quick dip like this.

Turmeric, cumin and ginger are the real stars of this dip. Sure, lots of places have eggplant dips, but these spices give an extra special flavor.

One watch-out... the turmeric can leave yellow marks on porous surfaces -- like certain plastics or cutting boards. The smell and flavor are gone on my food processor blade, but can't figure out how to remove the color. Any one have a suggestion? I think I may soak in some bleachy water. I'll keep you guys posted.

Moroccan Eggplant Red Pepper Dip
1 large eggplant, cubed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ginger
3 tablespoons water
3 roasted red peppers, chopped (if using canned, be sure to drain)
4 whole grain pitas

Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add eggplant and saute for 5-7 minutes, or until completely softened. Add spices and red pepper; stir until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons and cover immediately. Simmer for 4-5 minutes more.

Allow eggplant to cool slightly and then spoon into food processor. Pulse until smooth and remove to a serving dish. Serve with warm pitas.

Cranberry Salsa

It's a little awkward when someone to asks you to bring an appetizer to Thanksgiving. You don't want to bring anything remotely heavy, but a veggie plate somehow feels inappropriate. Not to mention it needs to complement the dinner.

Whether your hosting or a guest, this cranberry salsa is a perfect fit. Enjoy with your favorite tortilla or pita chips. And it is KILLER on leftover turkey, so be sure to save some for yourself.

Fresh, gorgeous cranberries are the star. Added bonus, you're actually hitting your fruit groups for the day (as opposed to the soft cheese and pie groups you'll hit up the rest of the day).

And let your food processor do all the work here. Seriously a five minute appetizer, does it get any easier?

Cranberry Salsa
10 oz fresh cranberries
1/2 red onion, cut into chunks
1 bunch cilantro, removed from stems and roughly chopped
8oz can crushed pineapple, drained
2 jalapenos, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 a green pepper, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in food processor and pulse until mixed. Can be prepared a day in advance. Serve with tortilla and pita chips.