Baba ghannouj

I tried to make baba ghannouj several years ago using a recipe, and concluded that it was a hassle. Today, I decided to try it entirely by feel and concluded that the recipe I'd tried was stupid. Baba is really easy. I wish I'd had this epiphany before.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 eggplant
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp tahini
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
  
• 1/2 jalapeño (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Slice the eggplant the long way into 3/4" slices. (Do not peel.)
2. Arrange the slices on a broiler pan and broil on high for 10 minutes per side.
3. Transfer all the eggplant and all other ingredients to the food processor.
4. Process until desired consistency has been reached. Adjust seasonings if desired.

Serves two; recipe scales easily.

Dill potato salad

This is an update on the spicy mustard potato salad, and I think this time I got it where I want to be. The sauce on these is a lively shade of spring green, so garnish with red onion rings and whole dill.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-4 lbs red potatoes
• 1/2 medium red onion, finely diced
• 3/4 cup coarsely ground mustard
• 1/2 cup spicy brown mustard
• 1 bunch dill, stems removed (divided use)
• 1 shallot, peeled
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil the potatoes, skin-on, until tender but not too soft, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.
   
2. Cut the potatoes into 3/4" cubes and place in a mixing bowl with the onions. Set aside.
   
3. Put the mustards, oil, vinegar, shallot and half the dill into a food processor. Puree until quite smooth.
4. A little at a time, gently mix the dressing into the potatoes, tasting as you go, until the desired intensity is reached.
5. Transfer to a serving dish, garnishing with the remainder of the dill.

Best if served at room temperature.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

Pure as the driven snow; thick, zesty and delicious. And it takes about 15 seconds to prepare.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 shallots, peeled
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
  
• 1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:

Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth, about 10 seconds. Serve on any green salad.

Spicy Mustard Potato Salad

I am still tweaking this recipe to get it where I want it to be, but it's already pretty good. Feedback is certainly welcome as I attempt to create a zingy, spicy, German-style potato salad. The intense, warm zest of the whole-grain mustard is the dominant flavor, with the brown mustard mainly serving to coat the potato pieces, so that no part of the salad is left untouched by the mustard.

Note that whole-grain mustard (with the mustardseeds intact) requires much more volume for the same amount of flavor and coverage. If you're using anything else, make much less dressing.

If prepared without bacon, this dish can be kosher parve. (For those at my family hannukah party now reading this--don't worry, the version I served was parve!)

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 oz. bacon --OR-- 3 tbsp. olive oil
  
• 3-4 lbs. red potatoes
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 2/3 cup whole-grain mustard
  
• 1/4 cup spicy brown mustard (such as Goulden's)
• 1 tbsp. ground mustardseed
• 1/3 cup cider vinegar
• 1 bunch of fresh dill, finely chopped
  
• 1 tbsp. freshly grated horseradish

DIRECTIONS:

1. Boil enough water to cover potatoes. Add potatoes to boiling water and allow to cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender.
2. Meanwhile, if you are using bacon, cook the bacon in a griddle until somewhat crispy. Set aside, reserving the grease.
3. Once the potatoes are done cooking, cut them into 3/4" cubes.
4. Combine mustards, horseradish, vinegar and oil or grease in a bowl and combine well. Do not puree.
   
5. Put potatoes in a bowl. Crumble the bacon onto the potatoes, along with half the dill. Add the onions and dressing and gently combine.
6. Garnish with remaining dill.
   

Serve warm.

Red Bean and Walnut Salad

Don't be fooled: the only similarity this has with the recipe below is the basic ingredients. Aside from that, it has much more in common with hummus: the flavor, the heartiness, the incredible ease of making it. The walnuts play a similar role to tahini, but of course have a very different flavor. With much more texture than hummus, this is also more of a salad than a dip. Served with an eggplant course, it would also make a good vegan or vegetarian dinner.

(This recipe is based on a similar recipe called "Red Beans with Walnut Sauce" from the Russian cookbook Please to the Table.)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 lb. dry red beans
• 8 oz. walnuts, chopped
• 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse and cook the beans. You can either do this the conventional way (soak overnight, boil for 2 hours, let sit for an hour) or the lazy way: throw them in a slow cooker with 3 quarts of water and let it cook on low for 8-12 hours. Drain the beans and put in a bowl.
2. Mash the beans slightly, then mix in all other ingredients.

Beet salad with lentils

There's one thing you can say about the combination of beets and lentils: When you feel the beet, you can't stop the pulse! Pulse, get it? Yeah, didn't think so.

Anyways: this is a very refreshing and filling vegetarian (and vegan!) dish which can happily serve as a main course. The lentils give it a nutty texture and provide a great deal of protein and fiber, and the potatoes provide enough body to make it into a meal. Since potatoes cook faster than beets, you could experiment with cutting up the beets before cooking. (I happen to like the difference.)

My first try at this used dried green peas and new potatoes. I found that both of these lacked sufficient firmness when cooked to make a satisfying salad. So the version I'm putting below contains the substitutions I plan to make for the next time I do it. As always, feedback is welcome.

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 lbs. loose red beets (about six large beets)
• 1 lb. russet potatoes
• 1 lb. dried green lentils (green holds its shape the best)
• Fresh dill, finely chopped
• Balsamic vinegar
• Olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Prepare your beets and potatoes by peeling them and, if you wish, cutting the beets in half so that they'll be softer by the time the potatoes are done.
   
2. Rinse and drain the lentils, then put into a pot with about 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and allow to simmer, covered, for about 30-40 minutes or until lentils are soft but not falling apart. Drain excess water and set aside.
   
3. Simultaneously boil the root vegetables, uncovered, in a separate pot; they will take a little less time than the lentils (maybe 25-30 minutes). You'll want to keep these at a rolling boil.
   
4. When the beets and potatoes are soft, cut them into 3/4" cubes.
5. Combine all vegetables with the dill, plenty of balsamic vinegar (more than you'd think--it soaks it right up), some lemon juice, a dash of olive oil, and a bit of salt.

Serve with chopped red onion, hard boiled eggs, yogurt, whatever you like. Or just eat it plain. That's what I did, accompanied by a glass of giovane that I happened to have around. The sweet, floral tones of the immature red really played nicely with the earthy sweetness of the beets and the dry starchiness of the lentils. Lovely!