Eggplant and tofu in sambal oelek

 Ingredients:

-2 chinese egglpants

-1/2 block of firm tofu

-3 large cloves of garlic

-1 small finger of ginger

-1/3 cup sambal oelek

-1/2 veg bouillon cube

-olive oil

-ground coriander and salt to taste

Preheat oven to 400. Cut eggplants in half, and then quarter each piece radially so they are the shape of pickle spears. Score the flesh of each piece without breaking the skin. Heat a deep cast iron pan over medium high heat and add a generous amount of oil. add the eggplant to the pan, stirring to coat each side of each piece in oil. Salt the eggplant and sprinkle generously with coriander. Mince the ginger and roughly chop the garlic. Once the eggplant begins to soften, clear a corner of the pan, add some more oil to it, and add the ginger. Cook until golden (about 1 minute) and add garlic. Still the garlic and ginger to mix with the eggplant. Add half of the sambal oelek. If the pan starts to look dry or anything is at risk of burning, add a bit of water to the pan. Cut the tofu into small cubes, and add to the pan, clearing space so that the tofu touches the pan. Add the remaining sambal oelek. Then add a half cup of water along with the half bouillon and cook until the bouillon is fully dissolved and the water has begun to combine with the sambal and thicken. Turn off stove and put pan in hot oven. Check regularly, but it should be done in 10-15 minutes.

Cauliflower/Leek/Potato soup

 Ingredients:

-2 large leeks
-1 head of cauliflower
-1/2 (or 1 small) russet potato
-3 tbsp butter
-2 tbsp olive oil
-8 cups better than bouillon garlic broth
-2/3 cup milk
-Dried thyme
-Dried tarragon
-Salt and black pepper to taste

Trim, wash, and chop the leeks into thin rounds. Separate the cauliflower into large florets. Peel and cube the potato. Heat butter and olive oil in Dutch oven (or large pot). When butter has melted, add leeks and saute until soft. Add cauliflower and potato and continue to saute over medium heat. After about ten minutes, add the broth and cover. Let it simmer for 45 minutes, or until the cauliflower is falling apart and potato is completely soft. Turn off heat. Blend with immersion blender until smooth. Add milk and continue to blend. Add seasonings and continue to blend. 

Spicy Potato and Black Bean Cakes

 Ingredients:

-Potatoes (2 large? 3?)
-1 habanero pepper
-2 shallots
-Ground cumin
-Ground coriander

-Garlic powder
-Salt
-Za'atar
-Cilantro
-Panko bread crumbs
-Olive oil

Peel and dice potatoes. Put them in a pot and fill with enough water to cover. Boil until they are soft. Meanwhile, finely chop the shallots, and finely dice the habanero. Add some olive oil to a pan and saute the shallot over medium high heat. As the shallot softens, add the habanero. Season generously with cumin, coriander, garlic, za'atar, and salt. Drain the potatoes and put them in a large mixing bowl. Mash the potatoes. Rinse the beans and add them to the potatoes and mash both together. Add the shallot/habanero mixture and continue to combine. Take a large bunch of cilantro and coarsely chop it. Add it to the mixture. Add some additional olive oil and a generous amount of panko crumbs. Mix everything together. Form the mixture into small patties (about the size of a slider). Add more oil to the pan in which the shallots were cooked. Place the patties in the pan and fry them, flipping halfway through, until they are crisp and browned on both sides.

Pan-Seared Scallops

Pan-Seared Scallops

Ingredients:

1 lb sea scallops

1 tbsp butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp red cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

Combine all spices in a small bowl. Roll the sides of each scallop in the mixture, leaving the flat top and bottom clear. In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter with oil. Add scallops in one layer, and cook over medium high heat until they begin to turn white and opaque on the bottom (about 2-3 minutes). Flip them and cook on the other side. DO NOT OVERCOOK. Scallops should have just turned opaque and still be tender to a fork.

Blackened Catfish

Blackened Catfish

Ingredients:

6 small fillets of catfish or tilapia

lots of butter

1.5 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp white pepper

1 tsp red cayenne pepper

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

Combine all spices in a bowl.  All measurements are heaping spoonsfull. Rinse fillets and lay them out on a plate or other flat surface. Liberally sprinkle one side with spice mix. Gently rub the mix in. Flip fillets and season the other side the same way. When all fillets are ready, Melt about 3 tbsp butter in a large cast-iron skillet. Turn on the vent fan high because it will get smoky. Add fillets to the skillet (as many as will fit in one layer). Liberally continue to add butter as necessary. When the bottom has begun to turn black, flip the fish and cook other side. Once fish appears fully cooked and easily flakes, remove from pan and add next fillets, if applicable, constantly adding more butter as it dries.

Couscous with Crispy Tofu

Couscous with Crispy Tofu

Ingredients:

1 cup (uncooked) couscous

1 package cubed super-firm tofu

1 large onion (diced)

3 white mushrooms (thinly sliced)

1 large handful spinach leaves, or other green

1/2 lemon

olive oil

salt to (liberal) taste

In a medium pot, set 1.5 cups of water to boil with 1 tbsp olive oil. Drain the tofu, and set it on a cutting board, plate, or other flat surface. Sprinkle LIBERALLY with salt. Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a wide, flat, frying pan or skillet.  Add tofu to the skillet in one flat layer. Allow tofu to fry, unstirred, until it begins to turn golden-brown on the bottom. Then, to the best of your ability, flip the tofu pieces.  They will not all perfectly flip over, and you will have to flip them as a group. Allow them to brown on the other side. Meanwhile, when the water is boiling, add the couscous, cover, and remove from heat.  When tofu has become small, golden, and crispy, set aside in a small bowl. In the same frying pan, saute onion and mushroom. Slice the lemon extremely thin and, being careful to remove all seeds, add the lemon slices to the onion and mushroom. When the onion is translucent and mushrooms have given off their liquid, fluff couscous, and add the onions/mushrooms/lemon to it, stirring to combine.  Add about a teaspoon of salt to the mixture, and combine.  Add the tofu and the spinach and stir. Spinach should wilt from the remaining heat, but if necessary, turn the burner back on low. 

Stuffed Peppers

Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

6 colorful bell peppers (make sure they can stand upright without falling over)

1 lb orzo

1 block of feta

freshly grated parmigiano reggiano 

freshly grated pecorino romano

1 bunch fresh parsley

ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Cook orzo according to package directions. Meanwhile, carefully slice the top off of each pepper like a jack-o-lantern, and remove stem and seeds. Set a large pot of water to boil. Finely chop parsley. When the water is boiling, add the peppers, and use a large spoon to make sure they are entirely submerged. Boil peppers for five minutes, the remove from water with a slotted spoon and carefully drain water from the insides of the peppers. Set peppers upright in a glass baking dish.  Combine the cooked orzo with the crumbled feta, parsley, black pepper, and cheeses (while reserving about a half cup of romano). Stir well, and with a narrow spoon, fill the peppers with the orzo mixture, being mindful to pack it very densely. Sprinkle the remaining romano cheese over the top of each pepper to make a little crown. Bake for 30-45 minutes until cheese is crispy, but not burnt.