Cornmeal Crusted Eggplant and Roasted Tomato Lasagne

These past few weeks I've really been reminded of what an important support system colleagues can be, especially as they offer encouragement over professional hurdles.  Work has pushed me to a breaking point recently, as I strive to make my progressive (and, sometimes, radical) vision of education a reality at the institutional level.  (The kids, however, are amazing and continue to blow me away every day by their ideas.  This week, they've been tackling solutions to the issue of gross income inequality in the U.S. after learning how it caused collapse of the Roman Republic.) 

One colleague, Jim, brought me lunch the other day - some homemade eggplant and asparagus lasagna that was cheesy and delicious.  I was inspired to try out a recipe makeover that adapted such a good comfort food for those on a low-cal, gluten-free, paleo, or vegetarian diet.  

Perhaps significantly less cheesy, this version of lasagna is super rustic - almost like a combination of bruschetta and lasagna.  It doesn't use traditional tomato sauce, but roasted tomatoes layered between crusty pieces of baked eggplant.  It's very light on the cheese, but there's definitely enough for richness without becoming greasy.  I thought it offered a nice combination of crusty eggplant, chunky tomato, and creamy ricotta.  More rustic fall dishes to come later this week!

Asian Eggs Benedict

ASIAN EGGS BENEDICT 
W/ CHILI TOFU, GRILLED EGGPLANT, & SESAME SPINACH

This is the longest stretch between two posts in a while, and for good reason.  Garrett and I have been real jet-setters recently, and that's not about to stop for the next few months.  Between our family, friend, and work obligations we've enjoyed one another's presence for roughly ten hours in the last ten days (which usually would only happen when I'm abroad).  Its been busy around here, to say the least.  So since the roasted rosemary tomatoes, I haven't cooked once.

We actually were in the same city last Thursday (Chicago) and went with some friends to be entertained by Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert's Good vs. Evil tour.  I became a big Bourdain fan after reading Kitchen Confidential, followed by all his other books, about seven years ago.  Of course, I love the food/travel thing he had going with No Reservations.  Lately, I've been really enjoying his new series, Parts Unknown (which is, essentially, a bigger-budget No Reservations).  This might seem strange to say about a former crack head, but Bourdain has actually been a pretty big influence on my life, in particular my travel philosophy.  If you check out my "about" page, you'll note that I have a pretty positive take on humanity because travel exposes you to the best of human hospitality.  Bourdain is big on hospitality and what he calls "The Grandma Rule" (always eat "grandma's" food and tell her you love it, she cooked if for you).  Also, back in 2006 I was moved by the ending scene of the China episode of No Reservations: Season 2 when Bourdain contemplates how a country should be judged by how its poorest, rather than how its wealthiest, live.  Bravo.

So Good vs. Evil...I give it mixed reviews.  Garrett and I went to see Bourdain talk on his own about four years ago, and he was much funnier then.  Ripert was cute.  As a whole, pretty schtick-y: Ripert ripped on Bourdain for not being a real cook, Bourdain ripped on Ripert for being a stuffy Frenchmen, they both ripped on other celebrity chefs.  Nonetheless, a few good stories were told and I was happy to hear the more serious conversations about how Ripert runs his kitchen ethically and how both participate in organizations to distribute food to the food insecure. 

On that note, I was feeling pretty guilty that Garrett did grocery shopping last Sunday and I haven't been home myself all week to eat any of that food.  I had to start cooking.  Having regretted not ordering the eggs benedict at Mother's Day brunch this morning (opted for the least healthy salad in the world, instead), I needed to get my benedict fix.  I concocted something Asian-inspired that mimicked the layers of bread, meat, veggies, and egg and I declare it a success.  Just look at that liquid gold...

moroccan stuffed eggplant

MOROCCAN STUFFED EGGPLANT

Whoo hoo!  It's finally springtime in Chicago.  How do I know?  Obviously because it snowed Saturday morning and was 70 degrees and sunny Sunday.

Given this about-face, I feel its appropriate to share some springtime resolutions in hopes that making them public on the world wide interweb will hold me accountable.  First, I'm going to lose the winter weight, 10 lbs (gulp).  I have been aware of that fact for months, but even now just typing it for you all to read is making that number very real.  WAIT, I have excuses:

1. You.  I've sort of done more blogging than working out lately.  100% more blogging than working out, to be mathematically precise.  Or, 1:0 ratio of blogging to working out, if you prefer.
2. Okay this one is better - I've acquired a geriatric hip.  Last summer I exploded my calf muscle a little playing soccer and my entire right side has been out of wack since.  It has become a serious problem.

So, I suppose in addition to starting a exercise regimen I need to get down to seeing a doctor.   Given my hip couldn't take 1.5 miles of running yesterday, maybe I should reverse that order.

So how does this all relate to Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant?  Gosh, I don't know...but I'll make something up.  I will lose 10 lbs prior to July 22nd, when I get on a plane to Marrakech. Better yet, eating this recipe is a good way to start that journey, so go make it and coach me on. 

Tofu Ricotta Eggplant Rolls

TOFU "RICOTTA" 

EGGPLANT ROLLS 

W/ SPINACH PESTO & MARINARA

In celebration of Pulaski Day yesterday, I tossed around the idea of trying out homemade pierogies, but decided I was dumplinged out after all that bao last week.  Besides, Garrett's response to that idea was excitement, but followed by "What should we serve along with it...other brown things?"  So he rained on my Polish parade and I committed myself to patronizing Podhalanka next Friday, instead.  

While my paternal background is Polish (some shtetl in Russian-occupied Poland, to be exact), Garrett is half Italian-America, so I went that route instead.  I do feel like I've been going for lots of Italian and tofu lately, so why not combine them?  I was inspired by this vegan eggplant "rollatini," but I dropped both the vegan and the "rollatini" (the former because I bought my favorite cheese* this week and the latter because that's the worst made up Italian word, ever).  If you want to keep it as healthy as possible and/or vegan, by all means leave out the cheese.

Besides adding a bit of cheese love to the dish (but not so much as to compromise the value of the tofu substitute for real ricotta), I also made the filling more of a tofu ricotta with spinach-basil pesto.   I was eating it by the spoonful and was glad it made plenty to still fill all my eggplant slices.  Use a pre-made marinara sauce if you want, or make my simple go-to recipe from the zucchini spaghetti and meatballs post.

Brown Rice Spinach Arancini

BROWN RICE SPINACH ARANCINI W/ ROASTED VEGETABLES & RUSTIC MARINARA

Last weekend I was invited out to a group dinner at an Italian "cafe and deli" called Gio's on the near south side and now I want to move across the street.

I wound up in the Bridgeport neighborhood twice over the weekend and remembered that there are wonderful neighborhoods in Chicago where people just live.  And probably do so beyond their twenties.  They are filled with modest homes that probably house modest and good people, rather than refurbished warehouse lofts in a neighborhood that makes one's identity complete.  Gio's fits in very well with that setting.  I'm pretty sure at one point the restaurant was just a small convenience store that specialized in Italian foodstuffs, but they've cleared away the center aisles for some checkered tablecloths.  The shelves full of canned sardines and pizzelles still flank the sides of the place so you feel like you're eating in a convenience store (in an awesome way).  The glass deli counter is still the back with their specials posted on a whiteboard above it. 

Go to Gio's.  The food was as awesome as the space, waitresses, and other diners who you can tell have been stopping in for years.  Try lots of appetizers like the grilled calamari and octopus, but especially the arancini.

It just so happens that I had lots of leftover brown rice from the Korean Tofu Rice Bowls, so I wanted to try an arancini recipe with some modifications.  Traditionally, arancini uses risotto and lots of parmesan and is deep-fried to give it that satisfying crunchy/creamy combo, so this is a slightly lighter version that was more like a rice patty.  I stuffed mine with spinach, but you could certainly use cooked ground pork, beef, or Italian sausage.

Turkey Kefta & Baba Ghanoush

TURKEY KEFTA KABOB & BABA GHANOUSH

 
This may be the longest lag between posts on the blog, so a few updates are in order:

1. I have now been rejected from foodgawker seven, count them, seven times.  
2. Friday night I returned to Kuma's Corner after two-years of avoiding three-hour waits.  See the Lentil Turkey Burger post for my raving review of Kuma's, the "best burger in Chicago."  Well, I'm sorry to report that despite a much shorter one-hour wait, Kuma's has lost its luster.  They no longer serve the calamari - for reasons I couldn't get out of the waitress because she literally walked away seeing the pain in my eyes - and the burger was much more bland than I remember.  I'm not really surprised, that's how it goes in Chicago on the restaurant scene.  
3. Since the Kuma's disappointment was made worse by the fact that I missed out on my weekly trip to Sultan's Market, tonight I made a healthier version of kefta and baba ghanoush.  Conveniently, I had ground turkey and eggplant left from last week's shopping cylce so it all came together nicely.  I am happy to report that Sultan's is still the best falafel in Chicago.

By no means should making the following middle eastern meal replace actually going to Sultan's if you live anywhere near the Chicagoland area.  It was a real challenge to replicate kefta kabobs with lean meat, because nothing really replaces the flavor of lamb.  I read that dark meat ground turkey can suffice, but I used extra lean ground turkey.  The addition of dairy, breadcrumbs, and egg kept them from drying out too much, but they weren't as rich as the real deal.  Comparisons aside, this was a very good, light dinner after a weekend of gluttonous consumption.  

Ethiopian Stuffed Eggplant

After I made this recipe for "Ethiopian Sweet Potato and Lentils," I began to apply the base ingredients to many different combinations by replacing the sweet potato with whatever vegetables I had.  So tonight I made it with eggplant and zucchini and decided to use it as a filling to stuff the eggplant shells.