Oven roasted aubergine/eggplant with saffron yogurt dressing

Tags

Aubergine, eggplant, middle eastern, saffron, salad

I have always loved middle eastern cuisine and ever since I went to an Ottolenghi restaurant in London, with my daughter, many years ago, I am a huge fan of his recipes. Recently, I invited our new neighbours over for dinner and decided on a middle eastern theme for the meal. I made assorted meze to start with pita then followed with a 5 hour lamb and several sides. One of the most popular, by far, was the aubergine with saffron yoghurt. It is such an easy recipe yet never fails to impress, in part, due to the amazing flavours but also, because it is visually a superb feast for the eyes with its jewel toned colours. Below is my adaptation of the recipe. The saffron sauce is great with just about anything, from fish to meat to veggies so do not hesitate to double the quantity. It will keep 3 days in the fridge – if you can resist eating it all at once.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 medium aubergines
• 1 Tsp olive oil
• 2 Tsp grilled pine nuts
• 4 Tsp fresh pomegranate seeds
• Fresh basil leaves, torn
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• Saffron yoghurt
• Pinch of saffron
• 1 Tsp hot water
• 200g / 3/4 cup Greek yoghurt
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed
• 3 Tsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tsp olive oil (optional)

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 220C / 430F
• Cut the aubergine into slices about 1 1/2 cm thick then cut each slice into 3 or 4 strips
• Place the aubergine in a large bowl, add the oil, salt and pepper and toss gently to ensure evenly coated
• Lay the pieces onto a baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes until they are a nice golden colour
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool
• While the aubergine is cooking, make the sauce/dressing
• Allow the saffron to infuse in the hot water for a few minutes
• In a bowl, combine the saffron infusion with the yogurt, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil (if using) and add salt to taste (I did not add oil nor salt)
• Whisk the sauce by hand or ideally use a hand blender until it is smooth
• Keep the sauce in the fridge until ready to use
• Place the cooled aubergine strips in a serving dish, drizzle over the saffron sauce, sprinkle with the pine nuts and pomegranate seeds
• Add the fresh basil and serve immediately

Bon Appetit!

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Pad Thai

Tags

Chicken, noodles, pad thai, shrimp, thailand, tofu

What is Pad Thai?

Pad Thai is basically a Thai noodle stir fry with a delicious sweet-sour sauce topped with peanuts. It is made with thin, flat rice noodles and includes bean sprouts, spring onions and scrambled eggs and either chicken , prawns or tofu. The sauce is what makes the dish and it includes fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and tamarind. What is tamarind you might be asking. It is THE ingredient that gives the sauce the flavour it is known for. Authentic Pad Thai is made with tamarind pulp which comes in a block the size of a bar of soap (easily available on Amazon) which is soaked in hot water before being pushed through a sieve to remove the fibers and seeds. You are then left with the paste. If you can find the tamarind puree in a jar, use that instead by all means.
Making Pad Thai is very easy but be sure to have all your ingredients measured and ready to go as you need to move quickly.
I have added peanut butter in my sauce which I think gives the dish an added creaminess and boost of yumminess.
I think this recipe tastes amazing but do not take my word for it… try it yourself and let me know what you think.

Let me tell you a bit about the history of Pad Thai. There is not a dish that screams “Thailand” more than Pad Thai. It is the national dish and eaten literally on every street corner in Thailand but would you believe that it actually did not exist before WW2?? Crazy isn’t it? But true.
Pad Thai was invented in 1938. Thailand suffered a shortage of good quality rice at this time due to the war and serious floods. Plaek Phibunsongkhram who was the PM at the time encouraged people to eat noodles instead. Noodles used only 50% of the grain so were more economical and cheaper to produce.
The government of Thailand created the dish Pad Thai to protect the rice resources. They told the public that by eating this new dish they were helping their country. Several sources say there was a competition to create a national dish using noodles and Pad Thai was the winner.
The government gave out recipes to restaurants and in mail boxes and even offered free carts to people willing to set up stalls and sell in the streets.
So let’s get on with the recipe.

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 7oz / 200g flat rice noodles
• 3 T oil (canola, peanut – not olive)
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 8oz / 250g chicken cut into very thin slices or 8oz / 250g shrimp, raw, shelled and de-veined
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 200g / 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 5 spring onions or garlic chives (¼ cup) chopped 
• 4 T dry roasted peanuts, chopped
• 2 limes
• ½ cup fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

For the sauce

• 3 T nuoc mam / nam pla fish sauce
• 1 T low sodium soy sauce
• 3 T light brown sugar
• 2 T tamarind from pulp (see directions)
• 1 T sriracha hot sauce (optional)
• 2 T peanut butter (optional)

Method:

• Cut enough of the tamarind pulp to provide 2T after the following process.   Pour ½ cup boiling water over the tamarind pulp, cover and place aside for 20 minutes.  After the 20 minutes break up the pulp in the hot water and then press the mixture through a fine meshed strainer/sieve.  Discard the solids.
• Cook noodles according to package instructions, just until tender.  Rinse under cold water
• Combine the fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, sriracha, tamarind paste and peanut butter.  Mix well and set aside.
• Heat a wok or large pan over high heat.  Add oil.
• Add the bell pepper, cook until it softens slightly
• Add garlic and chicken or shrimp.  If using shrimp they will cook very rapidly, about 1-2 minutes until just pink.  If using chicken, cook until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes
• Push the chicken/shrimp to the side of the wok
• Add the eggs and stir as they cook but do not touch too much
• Add bean sprouts, noodles and sauce. Toss well.
• Switch off the stove
• Add spring onions, peanuts and coriander
• Serve immediately with wedges of limes

Bon appetit

Salade Thaï Végétarienne

Tags

french language, salad, salade, Thai, thaii, vegetarien

Yes, a French post! This recipe already appears as a post in English Link here, but to please my french readers and followers, I have decided to add a few more French posts. Obviously most will appear together in French and English in the same post in future. Recently, I started giving cooking lessons in French for members of our local AVF, (accueil de villes francaises), and I will include all of those in the next few weeks along with an English version.

Pour 6 personnes

Ingrédients

• 3 tasses de chou chinois
• 1 tasse de germes de haricot mungo
• 1 poivron rouge ou vert , coupé en julienne
• 1 tasse de roquette au jeunes pousses d’épinards
• 1 piment rouge finement tranché et épépiné
• 1 petit concombre coupé en deux dans le sens de la longueur et tranché finement
• 1 tasse de carottes râpées (facultatif)
• 1 tasse de pois mange-tout ou haricots edamame (facultatif)
• 2 oignons verts tranchés finement
• ½ botte de basilic, menthe et coriandre haché
  

Sauce Cacahuète

• ¼ tasse beurre de cacahuètes
• 2 CS vinaigre de riz
• 4 CS jus de citron verts frais
• 3 CS d’huile
• 2 CS d’huile de sésame
• 1 CS sauce soja
• 1 CS cassonade
• 1 gousse d’ail, hachée finement
• 1 CS gingembre frais, haché finement
• 1 piment rouge finement tranché ou ¼ cc piments concassés
• ½ botte de coriandre – basilic
• déco – ¼ tasse de cacahuètes grillées
  

Préparations

• Dans un bol, à l’aide du fouet, mélanger tous les ingrédients pour la sauce.  Réservez
• Placer tous les légumes et les herbes fraîches dans un grand bol et mélanger pour combiner
• Assaisonner la salade juste avant de servir
• Saupoudrer de cacahuètes

Bon appétit