Simply Eggplant ( Aubergine )

 

 This is one of the simplest and tastiest ways to enjoy eggplant. If you  have any leftover (which I seldom do - no matter how much I make) you can make eggplant sandwiches from it the next day.

First, choose your eggplant for its looks. Unlike some other veggies, Eggplant really should be beautiful to taste their best. If they have bruised spots, or are generally ugly, odds are they also won't taste as good. You want beautiful, shiny, almost-black, plump eggplants.

The traditional method of preparing eggplant is to "sweat" the eggplant for about 1/2 hour by slicing it and salting it to let the salt draw out the juices. You then rinse (or pat) away the salt, and pat it dry. This method both reduces bitter taste and reduces how much oil the eggplant absorbs. I find that the very large American eggplant  ( also known as Aubergine ) are bred to be non-bitter - so here in the US, I skip this step and am quite happy that way - but, it's up to you!

First, I slice the eggplant about 1/2" thick ( 2 1/2 cm ) and place it on a cookie sheet. I like to line my cookie sheets with non-stick foil, but that's just a personal preference. If you're more "green" than me, more power to ya! : )

Then, oil the eggplant. Some people like very rich eggplant with lots of oil. If you're one of those, dip each eggplant slice in olive oil. Others like medium oil. If you're one of those, then brush each slice with an oil dipped pastry brush, or even rub a little oil on with your fingers. If you like minimal oil, use a fill-your-own oil sprayer, and spray some oil on to the slices. (Pre-filled oil sprayers in aerosol cans have a chemical propellant that I find damages the flavour of some foods.) I do not recommend omitting all oil in this recipe - I've tried it and was dissatisfied with the results.

Whichever method you choose, be sure to do both sides!

Put the oven shelf at the highest notch in your oven, and slide in the tray of eggplant slices. Turn on the broiler and broil the tops till golden brown. Turn, and broil the other side.

Sprinkle with Salt or Garlic Salt & Serve.

These slices are very good with Tahini Dip.

For Eggplant Sandwiches, Use Crusty bread & tomato slices and lettuce along with your favorite spread (olive spread, tahini, hummus, etc).

Tip for dining with Omnivores: These eggplant slices pair very well with Greek Yogurt. They also make a good side dish to serve with Lamb.

The simplest of salads

Try this sometime (if you haven't already) - go into any all-American restaurant and tell them you're eating a vegan diet today. Ask what they have that you can eat.

There's a 90% chance that the very well-intentioned response will be, "We have salad." With a generous, delighted smile of a server who honestly thinks that's all a vegan could ever possibly want to eat.

I could understand that if I was 98-pounds-soaking-wet. But really - I don't live on salads!

All too often, to add insult to injury, I find that the so-called "salads" on the menu are covered in strips of meat, cheese and egg : (

Well, as I like to joke - Just because I eat a vegan diet, does not mean I'm a bunny!

Like many Midwesterners, I think of a green, leafy salad as a side-dish, not a meal.

And, I seldom want one of those fashionable salads with a sugary sweet dressing, a slick of oil poured across the top, or with fruit syrup flavors. Just a nice, healthy, refreshing accompaniment to my main dish.

So, with that in mind, here's how I've been eating my every day side-salads lately:

Super Simple Salad
A bed of Greens (Sliced Romaine Hearts or Mixed Baby Greens are my favorites)
Diced Tomatoes, Cucumbers, and/or Bell Peppers
Some nice Green, Kalamata, or Oil-cured Olives
1 to 2 Tablespoons of Lemon Juice drizzled over the top
A generous sprinkle of Garlic Salt
Oregano sprinkled over the top

It's a lovely-tasting, every day sort of salad. No sugar, no oil, no fruit, no meat. Just nice, delicious salad : )

Fresh, Homemade Bread - Every Day!

A homemade loaf from my oven, baked by this method

.A few years back, I stumbled upon a GREAT bread cookbook, and a great blog to go with it. Being a frugal person, I checked the book out from the library the first time I used it. It was so amazing that I have since bought SEVERAL copies of it, and I regularly visit the authors' blog.

Really, once you have tried their the method - which they share on their Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day website - a few times, you might do what I did - donate your bread machine!

Personally, I'm not sure why other bread-book authors are out there. These guys have done it!

These recipes allow me to have homemade yeast bread on the table at virtually every meal, with almost no work. Boule, Foccacia, Naan, Pita, Pizza - it's all fresh from MY kitchen. And, it costs about 40cents/pound : )

I have control over all the ingredients - nothing yucky in my bread that I don't want there!

And, they have great recipes for Gluten Free Bread & Pizza Crusts, Whole Wheat Bread (I frequently make that one, too) and lots of other yummy stuff. Like Cinnamon Rolls : )

I use a slightly different baking method. The authors of the book & website allow their bread to rise on a board, then transfer it onto a preheated pizza stone. I prefer to use a perforated, non-stick pizza pan for rising & baking - no preheating of the pan is necessary, and there's no risk of a clumsy cook dumping a loaf of dough on the bottom of the oven ; ) Best of all, it still turns out a delicious, artisan loaf.

The perfect container to mix and store the dough? A brand new plastic shoe box from the Dollar Store! 

Check out their blog - and seriously consider buying one or more of their books!

Here's the link to their wonderful recipe & method:

Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day 

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