Eggplant Caviar (French) with Herbs, Roasted TomatoesBy foodjoyaWhen I was growing up, Eggplant Caviar was our summer staple. We made it with sautéed or fried tomatoes and onion, raw tomatoes and onion, plenty of garlic, or mayonnaise. This version – with roasted tomatoes and herbs – is very tasty and light. Now, why French? After all, we hail from Moldova. Even though we did not know this dish as French, we call it now "Eggplant Caviar (French)" to distinguish from Baba Ghanoush. Baba Ghanoush is a heavier and smoother eggplant dish and more likely to be used as a dip. By contrast, our Eggplant Caviar (French style) is light and chunky, just like a salad. This recipe boils down to just a few steps: (1) roasting the eggplant, (2) letting the eggplant drain, (3) roasting the tomatoes, (4) mashing the eggplant and mixing in the tomatoes. Here are our tips. First, the eggplants for this recipe should be fresh (firm, without shriveling, and with crisp stems), medium in size, and oval in shape (tear-like or round eggplants will not cook uniformly). Second, the traditional method is to grill the eggplant on a gas or charcoal grill. That way you get a nice smoky flavor. But you can certainly roast in the oven instead. Regardless of how you cook your eggplants, though, you must cook them until they are not only soft, but also mushy inside. When the eggplant is ready, its skin is brown (if roasting) or dark (if grilling) and collapses, and its flesh is mushy when pressed with a fork. Finally, this salad serves 4 as a very generous side to any dish. Stuffed Portobello Vegetarian: Easy Savory DinnerBy foodjoyaStuffed portobello vegetarian caps with sundried tomatoes and white beans are a soul-satisfying, flavorful entree. I love mushrooms and cannellini beans and was happy to finding a way to incorporate both into a single recipe. I made these Stuffed Portobello caps (with Prosciutto instead of sundried tomatoes) for the first time for my husband’s birthday, and he loved them! Together with my Mom, we tried replacing the ham with sundried tomatoes, using broth, or adding pine nuts. Unless used sparingly, broth can make the stuffing too soupy (it happened to us). Pine nuts go well, but without hot peppers, and with basil or oregano instead of sage. The recipe below - Stuffed Portobello Vegetarian Caps with sundried tomatoes and cannellini beans- is our favorite.Paleo Fig Tart with Pistachio Crust, Sugar-freeBy foodjoyaWhile we don't like the pretentious "best of" proclamations, this recipe is the best way to bake a dessert with figs. This spectacular Paleo Fig tart is made with honey and fruit instead of sugar and ground pistachios and almonds instead of white flour. As a result, this scrumptious treat is as healthy and nutrient-dense as it is delicious. This dessert originates from our educated intuition. When the figs arrived this fall, we couldn't resist baking a flourless or paleo fig tart, but none of the recipes were up to snuff. And so, relying on our intuition and research, we've designed our own fig tart. Before deciding to preroast the figs, we sifted through numerous recipes and confirmed that chefs usually precook the fruit used in the tarts or clafoutis. The crust recipe was easy - it's a basic nut flour concoction. We added pistachios because they are one of our favorite nuts and go well with goat cheese and figs. We've baked the tart 12 times (and counting, so long as the figs are in season) and ruled out various modifications. For this reason, we recommend closely following this recipe. Lastly, note that this recipe is for an 8-inch tart. delicata squash paleo soup: your new favoriteBy foodjoyaThis autumn-perfect Delicata Squash Paleo Soup is my husband's favorite. Its story will make you smile. Earlier this year, my husband surprised me with a Wolf Sub Zero high-performance blender. It would make our life easier and healthier, he said, because we could eat more soup. So I gave the blender a try. This Delicata Squash Paleo Soup was an early try, and, together with the Tomato Fennel Soup, it convinced us: the high-speed blender wa a keeper! Thanks to the cauliflower and the naturally delicate flavor of the Delicata squash, this soup is creamy and just pleasantly sweet. The shallots add depth, balancing the Delicata squash. The hazelnuts intensify the depth and creaminess. Spoon after spoon, you won’t believe that the Delicata Squash Paleo Soup was made without cream or butter. When you cook our Delicata Squash Paleo Soup, you will notice that it is more like a puree, and it tastes that way best. But if you prefer thinner soups, simply add more broth. For a thicker crème, reduce the broth by 1/4. This recipe makes 4 generous cups of soup/creme. Beluga Lentil Meatballs: Make a Savory Vegetarian Dish!By foodjoyaYou will love this meatless, flourless, light and satisfying dish. You can enjoy Beluga Lentil Meatballs (meatless balls made with black lentils) as a main dish accompanied by sliced avocado, or as generous side. We picked beluga lentils (black lentils) for this recipe, because they have a robust flavor, a distinct color, and a “meaty” taste. This dish is, therefore, a perfect substitute to meat. We have carefully selected the herbs used in this recipe and recommend using mint, marjoram, and thyme. However, if you do not have these in your fridge, fresh basil and parsley will do. The best part yet is that these "meat"balls are packed with nutrients. Unlike the more ubiquitous green lentils, black lentils contain anthocyanins. That is the same flavonoid with antioxidant properties found in blueberries and blackberries. And rather than taking our word for it, peep into the Science Daily news story. Garnish your Beluga Lentil Meatballs with avocado, yogurt, chives, scallions or grated Pecorino. Either way, you are in for deliciousness! This recipe yields 18 to 20 black lentils balls (about 6 servings for an entree). Roasted Fennel + Pesto: Naturally Sweet, ElegantBy foodjoyaRoasted Fennel + Pesto made with Pistachio and Mint was born when we were searching for the foods that would complement pistachio-mint pesto. The answer appeared when we were enjoying for dinner a side of roasted fennel. When we made the Roasted Fennel + Pesto we realized that the fennel's subtle anise flavors are the perfect match for the delicate pistachio pesto. Because its flavors are rich, delicate and multifaceted, Roasted Fennel + Pesto will be the gem of your dinner table.
