I'm not here...

...but you can find me at www.thethinchef.com.

Turkish-Style Beef + Eggplant Sandwiches

For the second week in a row, we got some beautiful lavender-skinned eggplants in our CSA box. Long and slender, they were just begging to be cooked into something delicious. I also had some ground beef in the freezer, and the two knd of came together in my mind as a nice filling for a weeknight sandwich, sort of loose-meat style.


I roasted the eggplant and browned the meat with a whole mess of garlic and some sliced onions. When the eggplant was tender and browned, I tossed it in with the meat and added a handful of fresh herbs.
I then piled it into a flatbread wrap, and dolloped on a sauce of thickened yogurt spiked with hot pepper flakes and a little lemon juice. It was, in a word, mouthwatering. We loved it and ate every. last. bite.

Turkish-Style Beef + Eggplant Sandwiches
serves 2 with leftovers for lunch

3 Japanese eggplants or 1 large eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 onion, sliced
1/2 pound ground beef
3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint or dill, or a combination of both
2 teaspoons freh lemon juice
2 flatbread sandwich wraps or pitas, warmed (or any flat, wrappable bread you like)

Yogurt Sauce
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt
Pinch red pepper flakes
Chopped dill and/or mint

Preheat oven to 450º. Toss eggplant with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a big pinch of salt; place on a large rimmed baking sheet, and roast for 12 minutes, or until eggplant is browned and soft.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic and onion, and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the beef, breaking it apart with the spatula. Toss everything to combine, and cook until beef is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.

Add eggplant to skillet, and toss. Add herbs and lemon juice, and toss to combine. Combine the yogurt, lemon juice, salt, pepper flakes, and herbs. Stir to combine.

Spoon filling into bread, dollop with yogurt sauce and serve.

{serve with oven fries for even greater success}

A Change is Gonna Come

Big announcement coming soon...

Stay tuned!

'Mater Love

I found out this weekend I was chosen to participate in Foodbuzz's 24, 24, 24 dinner for the month of August. Here's an explanation of the event from Foodbuzz.com, which is linked to last month's event:

"Showcasing posts from 24 Foodbuzz Featured Publisher bloggers, the monthly Foodbuzz 24 highlights unique meals occurring around the globe during a 24-hour period."

I submitted a menu last week and got picked. Woo! My idea was to have a farewell to tomatoes menu, since (at least in Alabama) summer 'mater season comes to an end in late August. I get $250 from Visa Signature to help me buy the ingredients, too. Fabulous.

Here's the menu...I plan on getting as much as I can from farms and other local sources. I'll keep you updated as I prepare for the meal, which will be a week from this coming Saturday (August 29).

• Tomato gin or vodka fizz
  
• Tomato, cucumber & goat feta napoleons with basil oil
  
• Chilled creamy tomato-dill soup
  
• Locally raised trout in tomato aqua pazza, topped with fresh tomato relish
• Candied cherry tomatoes on squares of dark walnut bread spread with honey-sweetened ricotta
• Matched wines

More to come...

Our Eats This Week

Keeping it pretty quick and easy this week, but I promise to have recipes for the pitas and the Spicy Tomato Shrimp...

Monday - Chipotle–Black Bean cakes (ccokbook re-test), fresh corn on the cob, squash
Tuesday - Middle Eastern–style roasted eggplant and ground beef pitas, oven fries
Wednesday - Spicy Tomato Shrimp, fresh field peas and rice
Thursday - Flatbread (cookbook) and salad

The Color Purple

{This is an edited re-post of one I wrote when this blog was in its infancy. It's appropriate for this time of year, so I wanted to share it again}

The plums in the market right now are so lush, the skin so purple it's almost black. I love the flavor dichotomy of ripe plums — the first bite of skin and fruit is tart, but as you get closer to the pit, the flesh gets sweeter. There are 2,000 varieties of plums, but only about 20 types are generally sold in the U.S., including classic purple ones, red ones, green ones and even red-flecked pluots, which are a cross-breeds of plums and apricots.

I love to cut them into chunks and mix them with cantaloupe, fresh lime juice, mint and a touch of sugar. The combination of the flavors and textures of the different plums made for a lovely mix. The smaller, green ones are tart and firm, while the darker ones are sweet and softer. The melon added another layer of flavor, while the lime and mint added some depth. You could certainly sub out the cantaloupe for honeydew, and add in some peaches, blueberries or any other summery fruit you think would work well. This keeps well in the fridge — it's just as good (if not better) the second day—if it lasts that long.

Plum and Melon Salad
makes about 2 1/2 cups
1 or 2 medium purple plums, pitted and cubed
1 small green plum, pitted and cubed
1 medium red plum, pitted and cubed
1 pluot, pitted and cubed
1/4 t0 1/2 cantaloupe, peeled and cubed
Juice of one small lime
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint

Combine everything in a large bowl, toss to coat fruit in juice and sugar. Cover and refrigerate at least 1/2 hour. Stir before serving. Keeps up to four days, refrigerated.

The Runaround

My week has felt pretty crazy so far, and it's only Tuesday! Of course I determine how well a week is going by the meals I cook and eat...

The past 2 days have been strange. First, Jason hurt his ankle playing basketball early Monday morning, so he's been needing extra help and hasn't been able to do everything he normally is able to. (He is a superman husband, I tell you. He is so helpful when he's not down to 1 good foot.) Anyway, when I came home from work yesterday, I made dinner, and then tested two recipes, did a huge load of all the dirty dishes, then cleaned the kitchen. Even though it was all fun (for the most part), I was on my feet in the kitchen from 5:30 pm until almost 10.

This morning, I woke up 10 minutes after I am supposed to be at work. Lovely. So I scrambled around and rushed out the door. I had deadlines galore at work, scarfed down Subway for lunch, then ran home to take Jason to the doctor for x-rays. (His ankle had gotten more swollen since yesterday, but it's not broken—just sprained, thank goodness.) By the time we got home at almost 6:45, we were famished, so I hastily threw together some veggies and squeezed in one cookbook test. Ran errands after dinner, and am just sitting down with a glass of wine to decompress.

I tell you this to let you know that food hasn't been at the forefront of my mind. But I have been saving pictures of these tacos we had a while ago, because I didn't really have much of a recipe for them. But they're a perfect thing to share during a busy week, because they require little effort for a delicious payoff.

Remove the skin from a rotisserie chicken, then shred the meat. (I shred the white meat and save the dark for other things, but you can mix if you like.) Throw it in a skillet slicked with vegetable oil, and toss around until warm.

In a saucepan, warm up a can of drained black beans. Add some cumin and a grated clove of garlic, if you feel like it. With a potato masher, mash the beans until they're smooth with a few chunks.

Wrap a stack of corn tortillas in a damp paper towel, then pop in the microwave for 30 seconds or so. Leave them in the microwave until you're ready for them.

Shred some lettuce. If you're feeling ambitious and tomatoes are in season, dice a tomato and 1/4 of a sweet onion. Add minced cilantro and a glug of olive oil. Season with salt.

Pile everything on the warmed tortillas, and garnish with sour cream, if desired.

Quick and Easy Lemon-Dill Green Beans

This isn't exactly a recipe, but this is how I throw together a quick, and delicious side dish.

Place the freshest green beans you can find in a deep skillet with a lid. Add about 3 to 4 tablespoons water, depending on the thickness of the beans. Use more water for thicker beans, less for skinnier ones. Drizzle with about 2 teaspoons olive oil, and sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Toss.

Cover, and turn heat to high. Let beans steam for about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the beans. When they are just barely tender, uncover skillet. Keep heat on high, and let water evaporate while the beans pick up a little bit of color from the oil, tossing constantly.

When the water is gone, turn off the heat. Add the zest of 1 lemon and a lot of dill (like, a quarter cup. Or more.) Sprinkle with extra salt and fresh pepper, and taste. Add a bit more oil or even a pat of butter for good measure. Serve.

Alabama Locavores

Our CSA box was full to the brim with the most gorgeous produce yet! I am so excited to get these beauties on our cutting board, in our pans, and into our awaiting mouths and bellies. Behold, the loveliness that is the early August harvest...






Here's how we'll enjoy them this week...

Sunday - Brunch: Eggs with Cajun salsa, fried okra, and corn cakes
Dinner: Cavatelli con Vongole et Spinaci (cookbook test)
Monday - Asian-Style Veggie Night: grilled baby eggplant with miso dressing, Broccoli with Puri Puri Sauce (cookbook test), Black Eyed Peas with Ginger Soy Sauce (cookbook test)
Tuesday - Beef Brewat Rolls (cookbook test), cucumber salad
Wednesday - Chicken curry with CSA veg, rice
Thursday - Black-Bean Chipotle Cakes (cookbook re-test), millet, CSA veg

{beautiful fresh soybeans, perfect for an afternoon snack!}

Sopa!

Sopa Azteca is essentially a tomato-chicken broth you ladle over fried tortillas and avocado chunks. I tested a version of this Mexican classic the other night for the cookbook I'm helping with. Though I can't share the exact recipe here, there are a multitude of recipes to be found online, and I'm sure they're all pretty delicious.

Because the tomatoes here are SO good right now, and because we had tons from our CSA box, I used them in the version I made, but I assume it would be {almost} as good with canned tomatoes. I fried the corn tortillas and diced a beautiful avocado...those two garnishes make the soup what it is.


And although it wasn't in the recipe, I added one whole breast of chicken to the soup, and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Once cooked, I shredded the meat and added it back into the soup, making it a filling dinner.


I highly recommed making this soon. This recipe looks good, or just Google around until you find one that sounds good to you!

Sweet Home Alabama

One of my favorite parts of living in the deep south is the selection of what we call Meat-and-Threes—essentially cafeterias serving up homestyle Southern food. A typical plate consists of a meat, such as pot roast, fried catfish, or fried chicken, and three veggies, such as slow-cooked green beans, collards, macaroni and cheese (while not actually a vegetable, it's considered one here), and my favorite, fried okra.

When I was little, we often ate at Picadilly Cafeteria, and I always—and I mean always—ordered fried okra as a side dish. Even the mediocre frozen kind (which is what you most often find) is good to me.

So when our CSA box had a bag of fresh okra, I knew what I had to do. I looked and looked for a recipe and found lots of fancy varieties, but in the end, I decided to go simple. Buttermilk and hot sauce, a dredge of cornmeal, and that's it. Even Jason, who's never liked fried okra, had a handful and enjoyed it. It was okra at its finest. Hot, crisp, and delightful.

{soaking in buttermilk & hot sauce}

Failproof Fried Okra
serves 2, but can easily be doubled

1/2 pound fresh okra, stems removed and sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup buttermilk
Tobasco or Frank's Red Hot (or similar)
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup cornmeal
Fine-grain salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Place okra in a bowl, and cover with buttermilk and hot sauce. Stir to combine and coat fully. Let sit for 20 minutes while the oil heats. Pour oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy, high-sided pot to a depth of 1 inch, and heat over medium-high.

Put the cornmeal in a shallow bowl, and add a big pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Set aside. Remove okra from buttermilk mixture, shaking off excess. Dredge half of okra in cornmeal mixture.

Sprinkle a pinch of cornmeal mixture into the oil. If it bubbles quickly, it's ready. Carefully place the breaded okra in the hot oil, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown. If the breading browns very quickly, turn the heat down.

Drain on a plate lined with paper towels; repeat with second half of okra. Serve hot.

Like a Bunny

I'm posting a quick menu today because I'm busy running around getting everything ready to be the food stylist for a magazine shoot tomorrow! I'm very excited, if not just a little bit nervous...it will be my first time styling something that will actually be published.

Anyway, there's lots of prep work to be done. I promise to share as much as I can when it's over (it's going in the Nov/Dec issue of TeaTime, where I am Associate Editor) and when the issue is out, I'll be sure to share more!

In the meantime, here's our weekly menu...still testing recipes for the Disney cookbook, so that's a majority of our meals.

Sunday - Burgers, fried okra, summer squash, and sliced cucumber
Monday - Chicken paillards, couscous, Lemon-Dill Broad Beans
Tuesday - Northern Bean Soup (cookbook), green salad
Wednesday - Pasta with CSA Summer Squash and Tomatoes
Thursday - Escolar with Vegetables (cookbook)
Friday - Robusto Flat Bread with Romesco Sauce (cookbook)
Saturday - Cavatelli con Vongole et Spinaci (cookbook)

Food is Pretty

Because I can't share the recipes of things I've been making, I wanted to show you some of the beeeyoootiful produce we've been getting from our CSA box.


I know not everyone gets weak in the knees when they see perfect, golf-ball-sized onions, golden corn, and green-tipped zephyr squash that weep when you slice it...

but I do.

Back in the Saddle

Wow, what a crazy 2 weeks it's been since I last wrote. To begin with, I dropped a gigantic bamboo cutting board on my left big toe on the Tuesday before last, causing almost a week's worth of a gauze-wrapped foot, hobbling on crutches, doctors visits, and a small amount of painkillers. Needless to say, I spent very little time in the kitchen. In fact, I only made one meal the whole week! It actually worked out well that our kitchen was in shambles until the following Sunday, because I wouldn't have been able to stand in front of the stove anyway.

Then I left for London, and had a whirlwind week of incredible service, delicious food, and lovely company. I stayed at the Ritz London (not the Ritz-Carlton...no relation) as part of a press trip sponsored by the hotel, and it was one of the most fabulous weeks I've ever had.

So now that I'm back, our kitchen looks wonderful, and everything is all put away—it's time to get cooking again. I've posted a fairly similar menu to the one I last did, because I wasn't able to make any of it while I was out of commission. As I mentioned before, I'm testing recipes for an upcoming cookbook, so those recipes will make up many of our meals the next few weeks.

Sunday - Veggie night: Tomato & Onion Salad with Mustard Basil Vinaigrette (cookbook), watermelon-feta salad (cookbook), sauteed squash, peppers, and onions from our CSA box
Monday - Chana Punjabi, brown rice, green salad with Coconut-Buttermilk Dressing (cookbook)
Tuesday - Simple grilled shrimp with grilled lemons, sauteed eggplant from CSA
Wednesday - Black-Bean Chipotle Cakes with Brown Rice (cookbook), TBD veggies from CSA
Thursday - Sopa Azteca (cookbook), TBD salad from our CSA box goodies

I'll post some before/after pics of the kitchen later! Have a great week.

Even though we're kitchenless, I'm still planning a few meals for the week. Oh, and I forgot to mention...I'll also be absent from blogland next weekend and the following week—I'm off to London for a work trip (!!!) so posting will be sparse until I'm home on July 24.

I'm currently testing recipes for a to-be-published cookbook {not mine, unfortnately!}, so I can't give recipes for a lot of the things I'll be making...but I'll still share what they are so you can see the fun things we're having.

Monday - Tonight we'll be eating from paper bowls, so I'll grab takeout soup from Whole Foods, and throw together a quick tomato salad with Mustard-Dill Vinaigrette (a cookbook recipe)
Tuesday - Black-Bean Chiptole Cakes with Brown Rice (cookbook test)
Wednesday - Chana Punjabi, brown rice, green salad with Coconut-Buttermilk Dressing (cookbook test)
Thursday - Sopa Azteca (cookbook test), TBD salad from our CSA box goodies
Friday - Robusto Flatbread with Romesco Sauce (cookbook test), TBD salad or side from our CSA box

Brief Hiatus

Our kitchen is in shambles, which is actually a good thing. Let me explain. When we moved in to our little rental cottage, we noticed the cabinets kind of stunk. No matter, we thought. We'll just let them air out, and all will be well.

Fast forward 6 months later, and they were still stinky. In fact, we realized the root of the problem was actually mildew or mold in the wood of the cabinets. Gross. We were washing our clean dishes before using them because they smelled musty—completely ridiculous. Our lovely landlord took us seriously, though, and got the reno project started. First, we unloaded everything from our cabinets and put it all on our kitchen and dining room tables. It's crazy to see how much stuff we have! (And, we just had a yard sale. Sigh.)Then our landlord's handymen Juan and Juan (a father-son duo) started ripping out the old, moldy cabinets and started installing the new ones. When the old cabinets came out, it was obvious that the 1970s, gold-swirled formica counters wouldn't survive the renovation, so they're being replaced, too {halleluiah!}. Great to get new counters, but it means the whole project is taking a bit longer than we thought it would.

We've been without a kitchen since Friday morning...and it looks like it will be Tuesday at least before we have any semblance of a working kitchen. In the meantime, we're making do with takeout and eating out, with a few snacks and cereal on paper plates. Mostly, it's the lack of sink that's the hardest to work around...our stove and fridge are in place, and they left the old counters just resting atop the new cabinets, but it's not exactly the ideal cooking situation.

So, all that to say I'll be out of pocket for a few days until we're back up and running by mid-week. See you then!

Local Love

{photo via stock.xchg, as I don't have any farm photos of my own}

We {finally} did it—we joined a CSA. I’ve been trying to support local farmers via the farmers’ markets and produce stands, but the bulk of my shopping still happens at Publix. I’m a Publix girl all the way, but when it comes to fresh fruits and veg, the selection is less than inspiring. It can also be expensive, mainly because more than half of the stuff there isn’t even grown in America, let alone in Alabama. Even the produce at the stand isn’t all locally grown. Frustrating, since I know there are beautiful farms all around Birmingham, even one right in the middle of the city.

An explanation of CSAs, from the USDA site:
Community Supported Agriculture consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production. Typically, members or “share-holders” of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer's salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm's bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production.

Here’s a link to our CSA. I’m thrilled to finally be a part of one. There are manifold benefits to eating locally harvested food: it’s environmentally friendly, since you’re lessening your dependency the mass amounts of fuel used to ship things halfway across the country (or world). It’s healthy, because you’re getting boxes filled with farm-fresh produce, eggs, milk, cheeses, and meats, many of which are organic or at the very least grown and raised as naturally as possible. It’s a great way to stimulate and support your local economy. American farmers, dare I say, offer a huge solution to the rising obesity crisis we face as a nation. By supporting these farmers, we can guarantee costs stay lower, so fruits and veggies can be more prominent in the diets of Americans.

I found ours by googling "Birmingham, AL CSA." I hope you'll look around to see what's out there in your community...I bet you'll find something, too.

P.S. While we're on the subject, can anyone spare $400 for Jason and me to attend this dinner, put on by the oh-so-gorgeous and swoon-worthy Outstanding in the Field? Anyone?

{photo via outstandinginthefield.com}

Go Fish

Sockeye Salmon was on sale at Whole Foods for just $10.99 per pound, which is fabulous, because it's usually close to $20+ per pound. So while I walked into the store thinking of shrimp, I walked out with a neatly wrapped paper package of richly red and beautifully marbled sockeye.

I'm a sucker for crisp skin on just about anything, so since the salmon had gorgeous silver-and-charcoal skin, I decided on a quick sear. The trick here is getting the salmon to room temperature, and making sure the skin is super-dry. I slid the fillets into a hot, nonstick skillet skin-side down. Then, borrowing a tip I saw on Anne Burrel's great Food Network show, I placed an oiled skillet on top of the fish to weigh it down. After it was mostly cooked, I flipped it and let it cook for only a minute or so. The result was crisp, nicely browned skin and perfectly cooked salmon.

I served the salmon over a simple mix of fluffy couscous (1 cup uncooked+1 cup broth), sauteed zucchini and green onions (2 each, chopped), and lots of chopped fresh dill (about 3 tablespoons) for a light, summery supper.

Something for Everyone

As I have mentioned before, my master's thesis was a project (not a paper). I developed a healthy eating magazine for parents with young kids, and for the magazine, I created healthy but yummy recipes that would get lots of good-for-you things into kids but still taste good. (I also took all the pictures, did all the layouts, wrote all the stories...)

The recipes were a hit with my tasters (my then-14-year-old brother and friends, who are now—unbelievably—17), but just because kids would like them doesn't mean grownups won't. The thought behind this meal is that the chicken and pilaf are plain enough for kids, while the pesto adds an extra somethin-somethin for the parents. These are printed verbatim from the magazine, hence the little tips, etc.

Bon appetit!

Sunshine Bulgur Pilaf
1 cup bulgur
1 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon salt
1 diced orange bell pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon orange juice
Freshly ground black pepper
1 sliced green onion

Bring stock to a boil. Place bulgur in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling stock. Add in salt and bell pepper, stir and cover bowl with plastic wrap.

Let sit for 20 minutes or until bulgur is soft and liquid is absorbed. If necessary, drain in sieve, pressing out excess stock. Stir in olive oil, orange juice, green onion and black pepper. Fluff with a fork and serve.
Lemony Chicken Tenders
Chicken tenders are just that – tender and juicy. And they’re the perfect shape for dipping.

1 1/4 pounds of chicken tenders
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of one lemon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Place chicken in a zip-top bag. Add olive oil, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper to bag. Squeeze and shake bag to evenly distribute marinade on chicken. Place bag in refrigerator for 30 minutes to marinate.

Preheat indoor or charcoal grill to medium-high. Grill chicken tenders until they are firm and cooked through.

Parsley-Feta Pesto
This pesto is deliciously mild and is lower in fat than regular pesto. Try the leftovers as a sandwich spread or veggie dip.

1/4 cup walnuts
1/2 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese
2 tablespoons chicken broth
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Toast walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for about 6 minutes or until fragrant. In a food processor or blender, blend the all ingredients until smooth.

Four-Minute Zucchini
3 large zucchini
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil

Slice zucchini into 1/2-inch-thick half-moon slices. Meanwhile, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Place zucchini in skillet and toss in oil. Toss occasionally and cook until zucchini is bright green and golden-brown in spots. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

27 Years

I had a lovely birthday. Before I talk about the delicious gift that was waiting for me in the mail today, I have to share the rest of my day yesterday.

My sweet coworkers (who are more wonderful than I could have even asked for) surprised me with colorful gerber daisies and a banner at my desk. I had a cheeseburger for lunch from my favorite local burger spot, Baha Burger. And for dinner, we enjoyed a fabulous meal at local eatery Bettola. I started with a Campari and soda, as well as Caprese salad with locally grown heirloom tomatoes and fior di latte mozzarella. For my entree, I chose Bettola's homemade tagliatelle with pork ragu bianco, which is basically a tomato-less meat sauce. To die for...the sauce was silky and perfectly seasoned. We all shared an almond cake for dessert and a bottle of Montepulciano wine. Love!

And today, I was so excited to find a gift from one of my best friends Peyton—two amazing artisinal chocolates that she found at a museum in Boston. The company, Taza Chocolate, uses traditional Mexican stone mills to grind the chocolate, giving it an interesting, rustic texture (i.e. not waxy in the least). How cool, too, that it's completely organic, and the cacao comes from a small co-op in the Dominican Republic. I couldn't wait to break into the salted almond variety, which was heavenly. The other one, infused with guajillo chilis (pictured above), is also delicious...the spice is very subtle and only announces itself right at the end before you swallow...like a little surprise.


Salt and chili peppers might seem like totally strange things to some people to put in chocolate, but for me and my not-so-sweet tooth, it cuts the sugariness (even of dark varieties) and enhances the flavor of the chocolate itself.

Thanks, P, for such a thoughtful, tasty birthday gift!