Goan Shrimp and Spinach

Why not treat myself on a solo Friday night in? Large, succulent shrimp, a deep, zest curry, and lightly sauteed spinach rounded out a fabulous dinner for one (not to mention a few glasses of wine).

I was feeling a bit adventurous to go beyond my standard solo dinner of a buddha bowl of sorts. But I didn't want to go too adventurous to where I would spend my whole night in the kitchen. So when I ran across this recipe in my Food & Wine magazine, I was intrigued as I already had most of the ingredients and with a "total time" of 20 minutes to prepare, I was sold.

This isn't your normal curry in the sense that it is not a "saucy" dish per se. Curry actually doesn't have to be! The definition (or A definition) of curry is "a food, dish, or sauce in Indian cooking that is seasoned with a mixture of spices." So here you go - a dish that is seasoned with a mixture of spices. Curry.

What I loved about this recipe was the beautiful incorporation of tang, heat and sweetness. You've got coconut, coriander, cumin, chile and brown sugar as the "spice base" for the dish. Using whole spices really helps to take the depth of flavor to another level. And always, ALWAYS, toast your spices if preparing a curry. Your tastebuds will thank you.

The toasted spices go into the blender with water, tamarind (hello TANG), garlic and ginger. The result is a beautiful paste that serves as the base for the dish.

If you are ever amazed at the complexity of flavors in Indian cuisine, it is because they have really figured it out when it comes to blending spices and flavors, and marrying them in such a way that no single ingredient overpowers the dish. Instead, they work together in beautiful harmony.

The curry base is then added to sauteed onions that have been "heated" by the jalapenos (to be discarded, unless you are a true Indian and able to take on a ridiculous heat index).

Finish it up with a quick cook of the shrimp (less is more) and spinach and you've got a fabulous dish with complex flavors, without the complex cooking process. Easy enough for a weeknight meal - enjoyable enough for a solo Friday night.

Goan Shrimp and Spinach

Peas with Sorrel and Mustard from "Plenty More"

Peas are totally underrated.

Most people revert to memories of their childhood days when they think of peas. For me, they usually found their way to the convenient shelf underneath the table - my "not so secret" hiding spot for the food that I didn't want to eat off of my plate.

True story.

The adverse reaction to peas is often due to the common use of frozen peas, cooked simply with some butter, salt and pepper, and then put on a plate - hopefully with mashed potatoes so the peas don't slide around too much! And while this is quite a delicious combination, I can see how it could get monotonous.

It's time to give peas a makeover! Fresh or frozen, this recipe from Plenty More (of course) adds a new dimension to the often overlooked vegetable.

Mustard three ways and a unique herb, sorrel, bring peas to another level.

Speaking of sorrel - what the heck is that anyway?

I had no clue. But I went looking for it at Whole Foods! I found it in the simple plastic herb pack, coupled with more familiar herbs such as basil, thyme and rosemary. As this recipe called for a decent amount of sorrel, I had to buy two packs.

When I brought it home - I was expecting something akin to a bold spinach - just by judging the look of the leaves. That hypothesis on flavor was incorrect! Sorrel surprised me with its "sour" acidic taste with a hint of lemon. It is not something you want to eat a whole bowl of but I can see why Ottolenghi decided to let it shine amongst the soft and nearly sweet peas. Then you hit it with some mustard and yogurt - both with an odd contrast of sharp and smooth and you've got a complex (but simple to prepare) pea side dish.

Peas with Sorrel and Mustard
Plenty More p. 70
serves four

Ingredients:

Steamed Eggplant with Sesame and Green Onion from "Plenty More"

My latest attempt from Plenty More was a simple side dish that highlights an ingredient that rarely takes center stage in my side dish repertoire: Eggplant. Typically, this ingredient is reserved for main dish staples such as Eggplant Parmesan or as a part of a vegetable medley in Asian curry dishes.

The thing that I love and hate about eggplant is that it soaks us so much liquid that it achieves a fantastic tenderness and takes on the flavor profile of whatever it is cooking in. The "hate" comes in when that "soaking up" effect is primarily driven by oil. These suckers can be deceptively unhealthy when they act as an oil sponge - but that's also what helps them achieve their silky, tender texture.

So how does one cook eggplant in a way that minimizes fat and retains moisture? I suppose Ottolenghi would know a thing or two about "healthy" eggplant techniques. Sure enough, he had a brilliantly simple technique that I had never tried before - but it makes perfect sense.

Steaming. Using indirect moisture to cook and tenderize the eggplant. Brilliant!

The oil is then used as a dressing rather than a cooking ingredient.

The result is a tender eggplant, lightly dressed with a rich, Asian-inspired concoction that is slightly sweet (from the maple syrup and mirin), a bit nutty (sesame oil), with a ting of acid (rice wine vinegar) and a whole lot of umami (soy sauce). It's decadent and light at the same time.

I used a bamboo steamer which adds a slight "bamboo" flavor. Ottolenghi simply calls for using a regular steamer or colander set over a pan of water. Either way works.

And just a side-note. The dish is served "cooled" or at room temperature. So that got me thinking about how perfect this would be to bring for a picnic or a potluck. Something unique and easy that will be sure to impress.

Enjoy this healthy method for cooking eggplant!

Steamed Eggplant with Sesame and Green Onion
Plenty More p. 40
serves four

Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggplants, topped and peeled (scant 1 1/2 lb/650 g)
• 5 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal (3/4 cup/70 g)
• 1 tbsp/10 g mixed black and white sesame seeds, toasted

Dressing:

• 2 1/2 tsp mirin
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tsp rice vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• 2 tsp peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• salt

Directions:

1. Fill a large pot (for which you have a lid) with water to a quarter of the way up the sides and bring to a boil. Place the eggplants in a steamer or a colander hovering over the water, making sure the water doesn't touch the base of the steamer. Alternately, you could use a bamboo steamer placed in a wide pot. Cover tightly, using foil to seal the edges if you need to, and steam for 30 minutes, turning the eggplants once. When the eggplants are cooked, remove the steamer from the pot and leave the eggplants to cool and drain inside the steamer. Shred the flesh by hand into long, thin strips 1/4 inch/5 mm wide, then continue to drain for another 20 minutes.

Parchment Baked Halibut with White Wine and Fennel

This is quite simply one of the easiest and most impressive dishes that I know: fish baked in parchment paper. There are fancy names for this such as "______ [insert name of fish] en papillote (French)" or "en cartoccio (Italian)" - all which really just mean cooking in a folded parcel. I ordered this at an Italian restaurant recently - Halibut en cartoccio - and spent nearly $30 on it (work dinner, so I technically did not pay). Knowing how simple it is to make this dish at home certainly did not take away from my enjoyment of the restaurant dish as it was quite fantastic. Instead, it made me even more excited to try more variations of this dish in the comfort of my own home (for a much cheaper price).

The concept of cooking fish in paper is basically to serve as a vessel for trapping juices and steaming the fish - keeping it nice and moist and infused with the flavors included in the pouch. One of my favorite flavor combinations is with fennel, lemon and white wine. Fresh flavors that delicately infuse into the fish (halibut is my preferred go-to) and work beautifully together.

It's a good idea to cook your vegetables (if using) for a bit before bundling them with the raw fish in the parchment. This just ensures that your vegetables will be cooked through when your fish is ready. Additionally, beginning the cooking process allows for the vegetables to start breaking down and releasing their own natural juices which allows for a great depth of flavor infusion.

This time, we cooked thinly sliced fennel and shallot with olive oil and seasoned simply with salt and pepper. The vegetables were then mixed with lemon zest, lemon juice and white wine. Then scattered over a raw piece of fish (halibut) and sprinkled with thinly sliced garlic and thyme. Simple and fabulous.

We used an inexpensive (around $12) bottle of wine that we picked up at the local grocery store to "steam" the fish in. Come to find out - this is a really decent Sauvignon Blanc and a good value at a low price point. We always want to cook with something that we will want to drink alongside the meal so that's why you won't find any bottles of 2 buck chuck (or an equivalent) in our kitchen. Quality ingredients = quality food. Bad wine does not lead to good food. So a $12 bottle is cheap enough that we don't feel bad using it for cooking - but we also can enjoy a glass with the end result. The Sauvignon Blanc was a great choice because it was crisp and has a tart fruitiness and hints of lemon. The brightness goes beautifully with fennel and lemon.

Roasted baby purple potatoes added the "heft" to the dish, bringing a nearly creamy and indulgent texture wrapped in a crisp and slightly salty skin. Fabulous. If you haven't tried purple potatoes - you are missing out. They are packed with more antioxidants that your standard white potato and also add a wonderful pop of color to a dish.