We Cook ~ We Eat: June 2020

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a large baking sheet generously with olive oil, about 1 to 2 tablespoons. Arrange eggplant rounds in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast, without disturbing, for 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully flip each piece: the undersides should be blistery, dark and a bit puffy and should release from the pan with no effort. If they’re not, let it cook longer. Once flipped, sprinkle them with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper and return the pan to the oven for another 10 to 12 minutes or so, until the undersides match the tops.

[Alternatively, on the grill: Brush eggplant slices with oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill eggplant slices until slightly charred and tender when pierced with knife, about 5 to 7 minutes per side.]

Meanwhile, mix your ricotta, capers, onion, tomatoes, mint, vinegar and remaining 4 teaspoons olive oil in a small bowl. Taste for seasoning; ricotta salata tends to be quite salty so I don’t find that this dish needs more than a pinch of salt, if that. Add more vinegar, if desired. Add freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

When the eggplant discs are done, arrange them on a serving platter. Scoop a spoonful of the salad over each round. Eat immediately.

Hummus heaped with tomatoes and cucumbers

This is more of an idea then a recipe - please take a look at the pictures and see what I mean.

Ingredients

4 large pitas, toasted, cut into wedges

2 cups prepared hummus (your favorite recipe or your favorite brand)

Olive oil

1 1/2 cups (8 ounces or 225 grams) cherry tomatoes, chopped small, plus more to taste

8 ounces (225 grams) small cucumbers, washed, unpeeled, chopped small

1/4 medium red onion, chopped small

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sumac and/or za’atar (optional)

1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley, or a mix of parsley, mint, and chives, plus more for garnish

Method

The key thing is that you want to chop everything very small; it should be scoopable.

Spread hummus on a large plate with the back of a spoon, creating swirls and cavities. Drizzle it lightly with olive oil, just to freshen it up.

Mix tomatoes, cucumbers, onion, lemon, about 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, plus salt and pepper to taste in a bowl. If you have sumac, add about 1/4 teaspoon. Stir in herbs. Heap salad on hummus, arrange pita wedges all around. Finish with additional za’atar, sumac, and/or fresh herbs.

Sticky Sesame Chicken Wings

Source

Sticky Sesame Chicken Wings

Yield: Makes 4 main-course servings

Ingredients

1 large garlic clove

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons mild honey

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

Pinch of cayenne

3 lb chicken wingettes or chicken wings (see cooks' note, below)

1 1/2 tablespoons sesame seeds, lightly toasted

1 scallion (green part only), finely chopped

Method

Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large shallow baking pan (17 by 12 inches) with foil and lightly oil foil.

Mince garlic and mash to a paste with salt using a large heavy knife. Transfer garlic paste to a large bowl and stir in soy sauce, hoisin, honey, oil, and cayenne. Add wingettes to sauce, stirring to coat.

Arrange wingettes in 1 layer in baking pan and roast, turning over once, until cooked through, about 35 minutes. Transfer wingettes to a large serving bowl and toss with sesame seeds and scallion.

Cooks' note:

If using chicken wings instead of wingettes, cut off and discard tips from chicken wings with kitchen shears or a large heavy knife, then halve wings at joint.

Cheese Puffs

Source

Cheddar Cheese Puffs

Yield: Makes about 2 dozen

Ingredients

1 stick butter (8 Tbsp or 4 ounces)

1 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup all purpose flour

4 large eggs

1 cup (4 ounces) grated sharp cheddar cheese

2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme (or rosemary)

Freshly ground pepper

Method

Heat oven to 425°F.

In a medium sized saucepan, add the water, butter, and salt, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Add the flour and stir: Reduce the heat to medium and add the flour all at once. Stir rapidly. The mixture will form a dough ball that will pull away from the sides of the pan.

Let cool a couple minutes, then add eggs, one at a time: Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for a couple of minutes. Stir so that the dough cools more evenly. You want the dough to be warm, just not so hot that when you start adding eggs they cook as they hit the dough.

Add the eggs one at a time, stirring after each addition until the eggs are incorporated into the dough.

Stir in the grated cheese, thyme, and a few grinds of pepper.

Spoon out small balls (about a heaping tablespoon) of the dough onto a silicone or parchment lined baking sheet, with at least an inch separating the spoonfuls.

Place in oven and cook for 10 minutes at 425°F. Lower heat to 350°F and cook for another 15-20 minutes, until puffed up and lightly golden.

Onion Tart with Mustard and Fennel

Source

Onion Tart with Mustard and Fennel

Makes 8 (hors d'oeuvre) servings

Ingredients

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (a 1/4-ounce package)

1/2 cup warm water (105-115°F)

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 large egg

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, divided

2 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided

2 teaspoons fennel seeds

3 pound yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Method

Stir together yeast and warm water in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. (If mixture doesn't foam, start over with new yeast.)

Put 1 1/2 cups flour in a medium bowl, then make a well in center of flour and add yeast mixture to well. Stir together egg, 1 tablespoon oil, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt with a fork. Add egg mixture to yeast mixture and mix with a wooden spoon or your fingertips, gradually incorporating flour, until a soft dough forms. Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead, working in additional flour (up to 1/4 cup) as necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Transfer dough to an oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a draft-free place at warm room temperature until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

While dough rises, heat remaining 1/3 cup oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then sauté fennel seeds until a shade darker, about 30 seconds. Stir in onions, remaining teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover onions directly with a round of parchment paper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are very tender and golden brown, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle.

Knead dough gently on a floured surface with floured hands to deflate. Pat out dough on a large heavy baking sheet (preferably blue steel) into a 15- by 12-inch rectangle, turning up or crimping edge, then brush mustard evenly over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edge. Spread onions evenly over mustard, then sprinkle evenly with cheese.

Bake tart until crust is golden brown, 30 to 35 minutes. Cut into 2-inch squares or diamonds and serve warm or at room temperature.

Cooks' note:

Onion mixture can be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.