Dippity Do

Of my many, many vices, just about the only one I’m about to discuss on a blog my father reads is dip.

Yeah. You know: Dip. Those creamy, drippy, fatty, spread-y tasty substances served at social gatherings to help the addictive potato chips and tortilla crisps go down our gullets that much easier (which is exactly what we ALL need, isn’t it?)

From guacamole to chili con queso; from pretentious truffled-white-bean dip to proletarian Lipton Onion Dip… (And can we count chopped liver? Yes! Let’s count chopped liver!) I’ve never met a dip I couldn’t love. Which can be somewhat problematic (see “creamy” and “fatty” above). So imagine my pleasant surprise when I discovered a dip (in the first Barefoot Contessa Cookbook) that I can eat without even a dollop of guilt and can serve to just about ANYONE on the planet because it’s vegan, nut-free, gluten-free, low-fat, low-cal, high fiber, not terribly high in sodium, Halal and kosher for Passover. (Okay, that last one's not a huge concern in August, but go ahead and bookmark this, because come April you’re going to wish you remembered where you saw it.)   

But never mind how healthful it is, this dip is really, really delicious. And easy to make. And a great way to use up the peppers and eggplants that were in my CSA box this week. And it'll last for at least a week in an air-tight container in the fridge.

The original recipe calls for a tablespoon of tomato paste, but I skip it, because I hate being left with the rest of the can. So, here’s what I do:

Preheat the oven to 450.

Cut 1 large or 2 medium eggplants into 1-inch cubes.

Slice 1 red onion and 2 sweet red peppers.

Peel 2-3 garlic cloves.

Spread the veggies out on 2 cookie sheets (Don’t try to fit them all on one; everything will end up steaming instead of roasting if it's too crowded.)

Drizzle with a few Tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with a little coarse salt. Toss to coat the veggies with the oil.

Roast for 20 minutes. Stir the veggies around and roast for 10-20 minute more (checking often) until the edges of the pieces start to brown but don’t start to burn.

Let cool completely. (Be patient. Cooling the veggies before you puree them is safer, and letting the steam escape prevents the dip from becoming watery.)

If the vegetables seem oily, blot them with a piece of paper-towel, the way some folks do with pizza.

Puree (the veggies, not the Bounty) in a food processor or with a stick blender.

Add freshly ground black pepper and more salt to taste. Serve with crackers or fresh cut up veggies or wedges of toasted pita bread.     

Shakshuka Shake-Up

Last Friday, out of the blue, my husband and I were talking about a lunch we had 11 years ago at a Tel Aviv restaurant called Dr. Shakshuka.

On Saturday, my copy of a fabulous new(ish) cookbook called Plenty came from Amazon, and there on page 87 was a recipe for the Dr.’s very own shakshuka, an Israeli dish of tomatoes, peppers and onions with eggs fried on top. 

On Sunday, our friend Todd, who is in Israel with his family, uploaded a picture of his lunch to Facebook. What was he eating? Mm-hhm: Shakshuka.

So when I opened my CSA box on Tuesday and took out tomatoes, peppers and onions, I got the hint.

The Plenty Shakshuka recipe calls for a bunch of things I didn’t have on hand (saffron, fresh thyme, whole cumin seeds); a few things I had but didn’t really envision liking in this dish (Moroccan preserved lemons, sugar) and one thing I can’t serve my husband without having to look at his sad, “don’t-you-love-me-anymore?” pout (namely cilantro, which I love and he loathes). On the other hand, I had things I wanted to use up (a zucchini from last week’s CSA box; some of the za’atar my Israeli friend smuggled through customs for me a few months ago) that seemed like they’d enhance the dish.

So, with apologies to Doctor Shakshuka, here’s Ms. Kleinman's version: 

Heat ½ Cup olive oil (yes, that much) in a large skillet. Add ½ teaspoon dried cumin.

When the oil starts to bubble, add 3 large onions, cut into half-moon slices, and two garlic cloves, minced. Sautee over high heat until onions and garlic are golden, about 10 minutes.

Add 4 sweet red or yellow peppers, (or a combination of the two), cut into strips, and one zucchini, julienned. Add 1 Tablespoon za’atar, 1 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper (or a few drops of hot sauce), and cook for another 10 minutes. If you don't have za'atar, leave it out or substitute some fresh or dried thyme and/or oregano.

Add 8 smallish tomatoes, (or 4 big ones, or whatever) chopped, and cook the whole mess down until it has the consistency of a chunky pasta sauce, not a soup.  

At this point, you can proceed or wait a while.

A few minutes before you’re ready to eat, make sure the pan and the sauce are really hot, and carefully crack 8 eggs into it. (You can make little spaces for them, or cook them right on top of the veggies.) Cook over medium heat just until the whites are set.

Eat with lots of crusty bread to sop up the sauce.

Serves  4 VERY hungry people. For two, either halve the recipe, or make all of the the veggie sautee and save half of it in the fridge or freezer for another day and proceed using just 4 eggs.

B’tayavon! (that’s how Dr. Shakshua says Bon Appetit!”)

Z is for Zucchini

The avalanche has begun! Last week’s CSA box held a single zucchini. (Is one a zucchino?) This week there were three, which means next week there’ll be five or nine (depending on which algorithm Mother Nature is using), and the week after that, nine or 27 summer squash.  

Okay, I get extra points for using “algorithm” in a cooking blog.

In any case, it’s clear that if I don’t use my zucchini as quickly as they come in, I’m soon going to feel like Lucy Ricardo in the chocolate factory. 

But that’s okay. I happen to love zucchini. They’re great roasted in the oven or grilled on the barbecue, perfect on top of make-your-own pizza, and, of course, yummy baked into muffins and breads.

But the favorite zucchini recipe of all, in our house, is this easy, delicious side dish. It’s healthful (and gluten free. And vegan)… even better the day after you make it, and highly versatile. Here’s what you do:

In a large skillet over medium heat, sautee 2 medium onions, diced, in some good olive oil. (Use enough so that the squash doesn’t stick, but don’t drown it.) Cook until the onions start to caramelize.

Add 3 zucchini, diced, and about ½ a teaspoon of salt. Cook until the zucchini is cooked through and starts to brown at the edges, but don’t let it get too dark.

Taste and add more salt if needed, and toss in a handful (or two) of chopped, fresh dill, and a handful of toasted, chopped walnuts or pine nuts.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

This is delicious as a side dish, but if you pulse it a bit in the food processor, it’s also a great spread for toast or crackers – or use it to top slices of roast or grilled polenta. You can leave out the nuts and fold it into an omelet (with some soft goat cheese, if you like that and are NOT a vegan) or put it over pasta -- goat cheese, parmesan or feta optional.