Stuffed Baby Eggplants

On 12/08/2011 (Friday) at 3:20 pm by Benny.
Tiny Url for this recipe → http://tinyurl.com/3ha9njs

Save to RecipeBox

Details

• Prep Time:
  10 min
• Cook Time:
  20 min
• Ready Time:
  30 min

Ingredients

• 4 baby eggplants

Filling

• 1/2 pound ground beef or lamb
• one cup chopped walnuts
• one cup chopped onions
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• one cup of cherry tomatoes or chopped tomato
• the scooped out insides of the 4 eggplants
• teaspoon of cinnamon
• oilve oil and a knob of butter
• kosher salt

Bechamel Sauce

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 tablespoons AP Flour
• 1 1/2 cup whole milk use hot milk for the recipe
• one egg yolk
• pinch of grated nutmeg
• tablespoon grated sharp dry cheese
• kosher salt to taste

Directions

First you need to prepare the eggplants by cutting off the top  third of each eggplant (lengthwise) and then scooping out the seeds and as much filling as you can. Leave about 1/4″ wall all the way around and be careful not to puncture through the skin  (see photo). Once all of them are cleaned and prepped, set them aside and prepare the filling.

In a hot pan, add the olive oil, knob of butter, ground beef (or lamb), walnuts, chopped onion, garlic, tomato, cinnamon  and a pinch of kosher salt. Cook everything together for about 10-15 min until the mixture comes together and thickens. Set aside to cool slightly.

Next, prepare the bechamel sauce by starting with a roux which simply combines the butter and flour together  in a sauce pan. Using a whisk, make sure that both are mixed well together and there are no lumps. Allow this to cook for a few minutes and then begin adding the hot milk into the roux a little at a time until it is all incorporated.

Remove from the heat then add a pinch of salt, the nutmeg and grated cheese and whisk together again. Add a little of this  milk mixture into the egg yolk to temper it (bring it up to temperature), and then pour this back into the pan with the rest of the sauce.  Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens and then check again for seasoning. Once thickened, set aside but keep this mixture warm.

Take each baby eggplant and spoon in your meat filling leaving a little indentation in the middle as you can see in the photos. Place them into your baking dish and then generously pour the bechamel sauce on top of each one and bake in a 400°F oven until the bechamel sauce is bubbling and golden brown on top, about 10 minutes or so.

Benny

Grilled Lamb Kebbeh

On 19/02/2011 (Saturday) at 7:58 am by Benny.
Tiny Url for this recipe → http://tinyurl.com/65qwj5n

Save to RecipeBox

Details

• Prep Time:
  15 min
• Cook Time:
  13 min
• Ready Time:
  28 min

Ingredients

• 1 lb lamb or veal
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 onion
• 1 teaspoon each ground cumin
• 1 cup fine bulgur wheat
• kosher salt to taste
• One red pepper
• lots of mint chopped

Directions

Cut the lamb into medium-size pieces and flatten with a mallet until soft, removing any fat or gristle at the same time.

You can also buy ground lamb or grind your own to save time. Now in a food processor add one chopped onion and one red pepper and some of the bulgur wheat and blitz until it is almost paste like in my photo.

Now add it to the lamb with the butter and mix well, taste for seasoning and adjust to your taste and grill as I’ve described above.

Benny

Step by step in photos here >>

About Benny

Passion for healthy amazing food. I am on crusade to get kids eat better and people in general learning how to cook for themselves. If I here that McDonald’s is cheaper than eating homemade I will prove anyone wrong.

Roasted Red Pepper Hummus

On 02/08/2011 (Tuesday) at 10:53 pm by Benny.
Tiny Url for this recipe → http://tinyurl.com/3vb83fe

Save to RecipeBox

Details

• Prep Time:
  10 min
• Ready Time:
  10 min

Ingredients

• one can of chick peas rinsed
• 1/2 cup yogurt I like greek yugurt
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 cloves of garlic chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
• 1/2 cup tahini
• paprika, parsley and olive oil to garnish

Directions

In a food processor add the chick peas (leave a few behind for garnish), lemon juice, yogurt, chopped garlic,roasted red peppers, tahini and a pinch of salt. Now start to blitz it for about one min then check for seasoning and consistency. If it is too thick you can add a little water. Continue to blitz for another min until it is a real smooth paste.

To serve spread out on a plate  using a rubber spatula or a large spoon spin the plate to make a groove around the edges as you can see in the photo.

Now pimp it up with a few of the loose chick peas in the middle, drizzle some olive oil, parsley and add some paprika on the edges. This is just my suggestion you can add toasted pine nuts, red pepper strips, olives anything you desire to finish off your plating.

This is perfect to keep around for when unexpected guests drop by this is always a favorite.

Serve with pita bread/chips, crackers, put it on meat everything goes with the KING of all dips!

Benny

Moutabal (Roasted Eggplant Dip)

On 02/08/2011 (Tuesday) at 2:46 am by Benny.
Tiny Url for this recipe → http://tinyurl.com/3b45ffg

Save to RecipeBox

Details

• Prep Time:
  5 min
• Cook Time:
  30 min
• Ready Time:
  35 min

Ingredients

• one large egplant
• 1/2 cup tahini sesame paste
• 2 cloves of garlic
• juice of 1 1/2 lemons
• kosher salt

Garnish

• Chopped Parsley
• olive oil
• paprika

Directions

Start by cutting the eggplant in half and either get it on a hot grill skin side down or in a 400 degree oven. Grill or roast the eggplant for about 20-30 min until the skin is starting to char and the eggplant is completely soft. Now for some smoky flavor if using a grill add some soaked wood chips to create some smoke while its cooking this is the only way to get the SMOKEY flavor into the eggplant. Set aside to cool.

Take your garlic and on a cutting board give it a rough chop and add some kosher salt to it, now using the fat side of the knife scrap it against the cutting board until it becomes a paste.

Take the cooled eggplant and spoon out all the flesh into a bowl leaving the skin behind.

Now add the garlic 3/4 of the lemon juice (you can always add more  but check for taste) the tahini and a pinch of salt and mix together. You can use a food processor but I think this one is better when you mix it with a wooden spoon so it still have some texture and it also looks nicer. Check for seasoning and adjust to your liking (more salt, more lemon juice)

To serve put on a dish and run a tablespoon on the inside turning the dish to make a dent in the middle (as you can see in the photo)to finish (to pimp it up) add some olive oil in the middle , add a few shakes of paprika around the edge and finish with some chopped parsley.

Keeps for a few days in the fridge and is just a fantastic dip to have around, you never know when guests will drop by

Benny