Recipe Review from 8/24/2020

Goodness, it's taking me forever to get this posted! Several new recipes this week, only one fully written out. I strongly recommend both the Falastin and Milk Street cook books! Enjoy!

old Lake Superior fishing boat, Cornicopia, WI (2020)

The Meal Plan
Sat (L) yoga training Sun (S) pizza at Folks
Sun (L) leftover pizza Mon (S) Roasted eggplant
Mon (Bkgrp) out
Tues (Dogs to vet) leftover eggplant
Wed - Lahmajoun
Thurs (yoga) leftover lahmajoun and salads
Fri (lunch out) Zucchini salad

Lunches - sandwiches, fruit, nuts



Stuffed Eggplant with [Quinoa] and Almonds (Eating Well Aug/Sept) vegetarian
This was fairly easy to assemble and we quite liked the flavor profile. The harrisa sauce really pulled everything together. I did do a couple of significant modifications but still didn't stray too far from the recipe.

Modification #1 - I subbed quinoa for the couscous. I had it on hand and it was a bit of a protein boost.

Modification #2 - I skipped the whole "boat" bit. After the eggplant were grilled, I removed the insides and tossed everything together in a bowl and served plated with parsley and feta sprinkled on top. As lovely as a "boat" presentation is, for a weeknight meal, I wanted efficiency.

I served this with some warm naan on the side - perfect for a late summer meal, easily done on the grill,

⅔ cup water plus 1 tablespoon, divided
½ cup whole-wheat couscous (see Tip)

photo from eatingwell.com

½ teaspoon salt, divided
2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound each)
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
¼ teaspoon ground pepper
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
⅓ cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons harissa paste or 1/2 teaspoon harissa seasoning
½ cup chopped smoke-flavored almonds
½ cup chopped fresh parsley


Preheat grill to medium-high.

Combine 2/3 cup water, couscous and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from heat, cover and set aside.

Halve eggplants through the stem; brush the cut sides with 2 tablespoons oil and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Grill the eggplants, flipping once halfway, until charred and tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, mash garlic with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt on a cutting board with a fork. Combine the garlic paste, mayonnaise, harissa and the remaining 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl.

Leaving a 1/4-inch-thick wall, carefully scoop out the eggplant flesh and chop. Stir the eggplant flesh into the couscous along with almonds, parsley and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Mound the filling in the eggplant shells. Serve with the sauce.



Chunky Zucchini and Tomato Salad (Falastin cookbook) vegetarian

This was my impulse purchase cookbook from July - because it's so new, I won't copy the whole recipe out. However, I DO encourage you to check this book out from the library! A beautifully made and well organized cook book with very approachable recipes from Palestine.

It is zucchini season here in Northern Minnesota, and once again, we are inundated with zucchini. This was a refreshingly different take on a zucchini salad and it used a pound of my cherry tomatoes! Double win!

I simplified and complicated this recipe at the same time. Recipe calls for charring the vegetables on the stovetop, then baking in the oven, which will accommodate a sheet pan of zucchini and a sheet pan of tomatoes. I did this all on the grill, and had to do it in stages. But it did allow time for the tomatoes to drain while the zucchini finished cooking.

Everything is them assembled and - here's where I deviated again - I served the yogurt sauce (yogurt, lemon zest, garlic, and lemon juice) separate from the vegetables. I did this because I knew I would have leftovers and when reheating, I didn't want to be reheating the yogurt sauce. Worked splendidly. I served this with some warmed naan to soak up the delicious juices and sauce. Serves 4-6, depending if it's a main or a side. Recommended!

Lahmajoun/Armenian flatbread (Milk Stree Tuesday Nights)

This is basically pizza dough topped with seasoned ground lamb or beef, cooked on the grill or in the oven (and served with a lemon yogurt sauce and fresh parsley. Don't skip the fresh parsley! I did simplify the recipe and bought a tub of fresh pizza dough from the co-op (they make the best!) and did one pizza rather than divide into two 10" rounds. My one was probably a bit on the small side but it worked.

I really enjoyed this for it's simplicity - I did use lamb (had some in the freezer), and I admit, I didn't miss the "traditional" pizza toppings at all. We tried both plain yogurt (called for) and sour cream as an accompaniment and while both were good, yogurt was a tich better. As I noted above, we did cook this on the grill, oven would have worked fine, but I didn't want to heat up the house.

Recommended - served 2 with small amount of leftovers, which we had the next night with a side salad.