Szechwan Eggplant Stir Fry

When I'm fixing food primarily for myself, there are those dishes that I make that really only I, vegetarians, vegans, and other veggie-happy folks like.  Basically, when given the choice, I often decide to prepare foods that are primarily vegetable based like stir fry dishes, roasted vegetables, salads, etc.  I don't normally cook these dishes out of a "stay healthy craze" (although such dishes do have their benefits!), but more out of what I crave on a regular basis.  As I mention in many of my posts--I LOVE vegetables.  I think they're the most flavorful, delicious, nutritionally packed dishes. Further, if prepared properly, vegetables can be fixed in a plethora of ways that don't seem like you're "eating your vegetables" the way mom once demanded!

Tonight, I made a dish in this category: Szechwan Eggplant Stir Fry courtesy of Tyler Florence over at Food Network (you can find the original recipe here).  Many of my friends know Tyler Florence as one of my several TV boyfriends (I can't help myself! His fast-paced/"this is so easy!"/"I like butter and cream" style of cooking really gets me excited about the cooking process).  Plus, I know that if I make something by Tyler Florence (just like if I make something by Elise Bauer) it's going to be a hit every time.  As usual, this recipe has several changes--I used regular onions instead of green onions, less oil and more water than directed, traditional eggplant rather than Japanese eggplant, and a combination of chili flakes instead of a red chili.  Depending on your speed of cooking, this can be a pretty quick recipe to make, but I really took my sweet time getting the eggplant prepared just right, so it can take longer.  Whichever way you make this dish--either Tyler's or my own--it's guaranteed to be clearly delicious!

Szechwan Eggplant Stir Fry
When preparing this dish, make sure to cook the eggplant all the way through.  Eggplant is a funny vegetable in that we hardly ever eat it raw because it tastes..well...not disgusting, but somewhat impalatable.  So, when pan-frying your purple friend, make sure that the eggplant pieces are tender on each side, not crispy or stiff.  This way, you'll have a juicier main ingredient that's guaranteed to absorb and contribute to the sauce it's prepared with.

* 1 medium sized eggplant, ripe & cut into 1inch diagonal pieces
* 3 tablespoons peanut oil
* 1 tablespoon soybean oil
* kosher salt and cracked pepper, to taste
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 3 large garlic cloves, minced or pressed
* 1/2-1 tablespoon red chili flakes
* 1-2 tablespoons of ginger, or one 1-inch piece of fresh ginger peeled and minced
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
* 3 tablespoons soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon corn starch
* 1 tablespoon sesame seeds to garnish, optional

1.) First, prepare the eggplant.  Wash and halve your eggplant making sure to fully remove the top stem.  Halve both halves of the eggplant (you'll have four medium sized eggplant pieces).  For me, this cutting process seems very logical given what Tyler Florence suggests you do in the original recipe--since I'm working with a regular medium-to-large eggplant and not 4-5 Japanese eggplants, then separating the eggplant into quadrants gives us a similar size and preparational effect.
2.) Once you have your quadrants, cut the quadrants into strips at a diagonal; then, cut diagonal strips into 1 inch pieces.
3.) Add oil to large saucepan and heat up on medium heat.  Once you begin to see smoke/steam rising from the pan, add a layer of eggplant.  Salt and pepper eggplant to taste and flip strips to cook both sides.  Tyler Florence suggests cooking until eggplant is "sticky" at about three minutes.  However, depending on the heat of the stove, the size of the pieces, your crisp-to-soggy eggplant preference, etc., it's really going to depend how long you cook these pieces.  For me, my 1 inch diagonal pieces (at a medium-to-small thickness) took closer to 5-10 minutes depending on the heat.  The best way to determine when to pull your pieces is when they've one, been cooked for a few minutes on both sides and two, are tender on both sides.  You can decide how much longer to cook them from there.
4.) Once the layer of eggplant is cooked, place on a separate dish and cook another layer of eggplant in the same manner until all of the vegetable is prepared.  This may take around 20-30 minutes depending on your cooking speed and other variants.  Also, note about the oil here: as with many of Tyler Florence's recipes, he suggests additions of butter, oil, cream, etc. according to your preference.  Here, he suggests that you continue to "add oil as needed."  Unfortuntely, this instruction can be a dangerous tip nutritionally and flavorwise. The way I see it, I want to eat my vegetables, but I don't want them to slide down covered in oil right? What's the point? Most Americans will probably follow this instruction and douse the pan with oil every five minutes.  If you're unlike these people, or want a healthier way of preparing this dish, then add water to the pan in the same way you'd add oil.  Every time you add water, you can also add a tablespoon or two of oil.  Again, personal preference here!
5.) Now that the eggplant is cooked, prepare the sauce.  Go ahead and mix the soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, corn starch, and brown sugar in a small mixing bowl.  Mix to integrate and so that the sugar and the corn starch are fully dissolved.
6.) Add chopped onion, minced/pressed garlic, and ginger, to the hot pan you cooked the eggplant in.  Cook for one minute or until "aromatic."  Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and cook for a couple more minutes.  Add the brown sauce you prepared to this mixture and cook for one minute.
7.) Now, add the prepared eggplant to this sauce and cook for 1 minute.
8.) Remove from heat and serve over rice or pasta.  Enjoy!


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Cucumber Salad

I don't think I can ever really communicate to someone how much I love vegetables.  I love them, I crave them.  If vegetables were a man, well...wait, that's an awful analogy! Let's just say I'd sprinkle him with dill just like this recipe for a cucumber salad.

A simple cucumber salad is beyond easy to make, and a fabulous crowd pleaser.  Most people are not like me and they don't like their vegetables.  But put a clean, crisp summer salad in front of them (even in the cold of winter) and they'll definitely try it.  If seasoned correctly--with a combination of kitchen herbs like dill, basil, or rosemary--you'll have a chic mixture fit for an appetizer, hor devour, or snack.


Cucumber Salad
Like many of my recipes, the original version of this recipe comes from Elise Bauer over at Simply Recipes.  However, I have added several other seasonings and upped the number of ingredients and cucumbers.  It makes for a fresh, flavorful take on the original cucumber salad.  Very tasty!

*3-4 medium-large English cucumbers, peeled and cut into circular slices
*2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
*3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
*1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
*salt and pepper to taste

1.) Peel and cut cucumbers.  If you're one of those people who like to eat cucumbers with the skins on, please don't for this recipe.  Depending on the time of year, or crop the cucumbers grew in, it's highly possible you'll do the recipe damage by keeping the skins.  Why? Well, as many people know, cucumber skins (especially English cucumber skins) can be just plain bitter.  While preparing this recipe, I tasted a small end piece from one of the cucumbers and almost couldn't eat it! It was so bitter!
2.)  Once you have chopped the cucumbers into circular slices, halve the slices.
3.) Add dill, vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Mix to integrate by tossing with hands.
4.) Salt and pepper to taste, and chill for several hours before serving.  Enjoy!


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Fusilli with Asparagus, Ricotta, and Parmesan

When my Uncle Doug came to visit this week, I wanted to make something that was both delicious and quick in preparation (Uncle Doug rolled in at 12:30, and I had gotten up at 9:00 and still needed to go to the store! Oy!).  Thus, I made a dish that was guaranteed to be tasty to everyone--pasta.  Not just pasta, richly flavored pasta with a homemade sauce made from ricotta cheese, Parmesan, asparagus, and spices.

This recipe, like many of my favorites, comes from Elise Bauer over at Simply Recipes and can be found here.  I've made several adjustments to the recipe (the spice combination, pasta suggestion, etc. have all been adjusted according to my palette). Otherwise, the core recipe remains pretty much the same.  Uncle Doug liked the recipe ("very much"), which is a big deal given that he doesn't consider himself a pasta man!

Fusilli with Asparagus, Ricotta, and Parmesan
The below recipe originally calls for penne pasta.  Although I am a big fan of penne, I have discovered that fusilli often offers a certainly preparational edge over penne in the final product.  Unlike penne (a short, tube-like pasta), fusilli is the "swirly" pasta we often see at picnics and creates a natural grip on the sauce around it.  Essentially, fusilli holds tight to cheeses and sauces (they get stuck in its endless swirls), whereas penne often slips through sauces. 

Ingredients
* salt, for the water
* 1 1/4 pound thick asparagus, woody ends trimmed
* 1 lb penne, or fusilli pasta
* 2-3 cloves garlic, pressed, or chopped finely
* 15 oz ricotta cheese (about 1.86 cups)
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* 2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
* Several dashes of Nutmeg

1.) Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add one tablespoon of oil to prevent the fusilli pasta from sticking, and feel free to add plenty of salt to the water.  Although salt is certainly not a cornerstone to a healthy diet (and can be nutritionally harmful in excess), the Italians believe that pasta water should taste like the consistency of seawater.  This technique gives pasta incredible flavor, and really adds to the body of a dish.
2.) Once water has come to a boil, add the asparagus and boil for 4-5 minutes.  Make sure to have an ice bath ready (I used a colander filled with ice), and when the asparagus is done, remove from water using tongs, and place on ice bath to stop the cooking process.  Reserve 1/4 cup asparagus water for the sauce.
3.) Bring water back to a boil and add pasta.  Cook for 8-10 minutes, or until pasta is "al dente" or "to the tooth" or "to the bite" in Italian. Essentially, the pasta should be firm to the bite, but not too soft that it is soggy or loses its structure when prepared in a dish.  Strain pasta and reserve 1 cup water (you may need this for the final sauce).
4.) While the pasta is cooking, crush 1-2 cloves of garlic and wipe down your prep bowl with it.  Measure out 15oz of ricotta cheese (1.86 cups, or about 1/2 of a standard 32 ounce container) and add to bowl.  Add olive oil, 1/2 of Parmesan, a crushed clove of garlic, salt and pepper to taste, and several dashes of nutmeg;  mix up sauce.  Continue to taste sauce until it has the right spice to it.  I can never really suggest the perfect amount of salt or pepper here because it really does depend on the person.  Additionally, you may wish to add other kitchen spices like Italian seasoning, oregano, basil, rosemary, etc. to the dish, so feel free to experiment with your seasonings.
5.) Add cooked pasta and mix with sauce to integrate.  If you feel the sauce is too clumpy, you can use some of your reserved pasta/asparagus water and smooth it out.  However, you don't have to add this water, it's merely a suggestion.  Continue to taste for flavoring (ricotta is a naturally bland cheese, so figuring out your favorite seasoning combination here is really what can make the dish your own (not to mention tastier!)). 
6.) Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese on top of the pasta as a garnish and enjoy!

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Omelettes, the Right Way

Due to a series of fortunate disasters, I found myself at the mercy of two amazing people/friends last night on my drive back from North and South Carolina.  Lydia Dorsey and Jeramey Jones are fabulous people and very good in the disaster solving business.  Not only did they put me up at Jeramey's awesome new house, but they also saved my butt in what was a rather retched, but human catastrophe.

Disasters aside, Lydia made these DELICIOUS (and I dare say, clearly delicious) "Truedrivers" to take the edge off of my nerves and lull me into a baby-like sleep akin to a greyhound racing and passing out after a major spaz attack.  These "Truedrivers" certainly settled my nerves and are a combination of orange juice and vodka (what would be a regular screw driver) with red fruit juice produced by the makers of True Blood.  Lydia is a huge fan of True Blood (as am I) and pointed out that the products match the beverage bottles used on the actual show.  You can find them here at HBO's website.  They are truly fascinating and make for delicious bevarages.

However, this post is not about Truedrivers, but rather their hangover cure in the form of a tasty omelette.  As many of us know, omelettes can be made from a combination of eggs, cheese, and any other ingredients one likes after being pan-fried, and cooked thoroughly.The below recipe is a little unique because it calls for pesto.  Pesto in an omelette?! Absurd! Actually...not so much.  The ingredients in pesto are pretty ingenious--olive oil, basil, parmessan, and pine nuts.  Who wouldn't want to flavor a simple egg dish with this combination? In the words of Lydia "Yes."  Also in the words of Lydia, "this is the best omelette I've ever eaten!!!"  I was so proud.  I almost said something silly about it being "clearly delicious...."

Omelettes
The key to any good omelette is to COOK THE FILLING FIRST and add the eggs second.  I cannot stress this tip enough for it makes all the difference in the cooking time, process, and final outcome.  Before I knew much about cooking, I would always cook the beaten eggs in the pan first, add the ingredients, and wait until the eggs were cooked long enough to fold over the omelette.  Sadly, many people also use this technique and it just doesn't work right.  Not only are the filling ingredients never fully cooked, but seldom is the egg casing structurally sound enough for folding and flipping.  Thus, cook/saute the ingredients (minus the cheese) first for several minutes and then pour the egg mixture on top of this as the directions below suggest.  Your omelette will be structurally sound and more attractive!


* 2 eggs, but more can be added for volume or preference
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* salt and pepper, to taste
* 1 tablespoon italian seasoning, or oregano/thyme mixture
* 1-2 tablespoons pesto, optional
* 2 tablespoons chopped turkey, optional
* 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped finely or pressed
* 1-2 tablespoons chopped onions
* 1 handful of spinach
* 1/4 cup cheese, any kind
* any other filling ingredient (i.e., bacon, sausage, tomatoes, etc.) or seasoning (i.e., Tony's Cajun Seasoning, basil, rosemary, etc.).

1.) Turn pan to medium and heat up olive oil.  Add onions, spinach, and any other vegetable or meat that may require a longer cooking time.  Sautee until cooked and season accordingly with the above seasonings (my combination of italian seasoning, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper, etc. is a pretty common seasoning and works nicely for most palettes). Add pesto and mix in thoroughly.
2.) Once ingredients are properly cooked, pour two beaten eggs over mixture and allow the ingredients to meld together and cook for about one minute.
3.) In the following minutes, you'll want to thinly spread the cheese (if you're using cheese) over the mixture, and any final seasoning before you fold the omelette.
4.) Once the omelette is stiff enough to be lifted and folded in the same pan, do just that.  Fold omelette in half onto itself and press down to push out any uncooked egg and cook for one minute.  Unless the egg is looking under done, this will probably be plenty of cooking time. 
5.) Transfer to a plate and enjoy!

Everyone loves omelets! Even puppy border collies with old man faces! Note: these fine folks are the fabulous Lydia and Jeramey.

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Steve's Surprisingly Perfect Grilled Cheese & Sandra's Yummy Treats

My goal with Clearly Delicious is to write detailed posts about the food that I prepare for family and friends.  I post these recipes after testing, tweaking, and perfecting meals that I want other people to try and further continue the sharing process.  However, there are those times when I cannot sit down everyday and prepare a home cooked meal.  At my house, these times are rare (because I always cook), but traveling really prevents me from accomplishing said goals.  I've been on the road for exactly 2 weeks (about to head home, yay!), but cannot seem to find enough kitchens to cook in, or enough time to post pictures and recipes.  Sigh.  This challenge will be over soon!

Until then, I thought I would post a really interesting and truly quick, but tasty recipe I received tonight after a last minute visit with one of my favorite college professors, Dr. Christine Hait.  Christine and her husband Steve were kind enough to tolerate the pleasant barging-in of me and my best friend from college, Christina.  In their gracious hostful ways, they offered us grilled cheese and tomato soup.  I bit into this grilled cheese sandwich and immediately thought, "Yummy! Butter! This is so moist!" to which idea Steve immediately said (and I paraphrase), "Now that you've taken a bite and like it, I'm going to tell you my secret trick.  It's not butter, it's mayonaise."  Can you believe that?! Mayonnaise! Apparently, putting a thin layer of mayonnaise on both sides of the toasted bread (like you would with butter in a traditional grilled cheese sandwich) leaves the bread moist, delicious, and the pan very clean.  Below is a simple breakdown of Steve's recipe transcribed by my imagination (as I did not watch him cook it).  But boy, was it clearly delicious.

Grilled Cheese a la Steve
The below recipe is a re-imagination of what I believe Steve put into his classic grilled cheese sandwich.  I will be posting more elaborate/creative/nontraditional grilled cheese recipes in the future (ones that involve pesto, tomatoes, spinach, you get the picture), but until then, just use a classic grilled cheese recipe like the one below.

2 slices of bread (any kind--white, or wheat, etc.)
2 slices of cheese (any kind--cheddar, swiss, etc.)
1 slice of ham, optional
1 tablespoon mayonnaise, spread thinly over two slices of bread

1.) Heat up skillet over medium-high heat and thinly spread mayonnaise over both slices of bread.
2.) Place one slice of bread mayonnaise side down in pan.  Layer on ingredients--cheese, pesto, spinach, tomatoes, etc., and add the top layer of bread, mayonnaise side up.
3.) Cook for 1-2 mins. and check for the browning of the bottom slice of bread.  1-2 minutes is merely a cautionary time; you really just want to keep an eye on the bread until it's golden-to-dark brown (depending on your preference).  I often turn the heat to low-medium and put a cooking lid on top of the pan to hold in the steam.  This steaming allows the cheese to melt faster (I learned this trick when I was a kid who ate grilled cheese sandwiches every weekend with my big sister.  Thanks Lise!!).
4.) After the bottom slice is brown, flip the sandwich and brown the other slice.  The important technique to remember here is that it will take a fraction of the time for the second slice of bread to brown since the pan is already heated up.
5.) Remove from pan, slice, and enjoy!!

Finally, in tribute to Dr. O'Neal's yummy treats for 4:00 o'clock coffee and treats, I'm posting a picture below of the delicious cookies, brownies, and holiday candies Dr. O'Neal prepared for Christina and I before visiting with Christine and her husband.  I don't know what the recipes are here, but I can assure you that everything was good! I kept snacking on her lady's fingers (the vanilla cookies shaped like fingers with powdered sugar all over them) and the brownie was to die for.  NOTE: brownies are from Giradelli.  Can you ever go wrong with Giradelli?!