Italian, Anglo-Greek and Mexican fare

Vegetable Timbale

A timbale is a sort of "deep dish" quiche. If it's a really deep dish, say 8" or more -- and features a pastry crust overall -- the Italians call it a "timpano". Both names refer to a drum, describing (more or less) the container. In the old country, the recipe for a timpano was often a family secret, and contained assorted meats and sausages, vegetables, pasta, rice, and spices. This version is a simpler, vegetarian, no crust version.

8 oz Carrots, shredded

10 oz pkg Broccoli crowns

10 oz pkg Cauliflower crowns

1 Onion, diced

1 Zucchini, sliced into rounds

3/4 cup shredded Cheese

1 cup Half & Half

1/3 cup Breadcrumbs

7 Eggs, beaten

1/4 tsp Sage

1/4 tsp Black Pepper

1/4 tsp Cumin

1 Tbsp Oregano

In a 10" springform pan sprayed with non-stick, begin layering the vegetables. I started with the carrots, then the cauliflower, about half the onion, the broccoli, and the rest of the onion. On top I added the rounds of zucchini.   Top with the cheese and breadcrumbs (I used panko).

Mix together the eggs, half & half and spices, stirring well to combine. Pour the egg mixture over the top of everything. Place the springform pan on a baking sheet and put it in a pre-heated 400F oven for 1 hour. Allow to set for at least 20 minutes before slicing to serve.

Split Peas with Honeyed Eggplant

Sounds strange, doesn't it?  This is a sort of Anglo-Greek dish inspired by something I saw on the internet. The internet version had you cutting the eggplant into cubes and cooking it nearly into mush.  We both agree you want the eggplant to have some "tooth" -- don't overcook it.  The slight saltiness of the split peas counters the sweetness of the honey. Very tasty. This one went on Sally's "make it again" list.

for the Pease Porridge:

1 cup Green Split Peas

1/4 cup diced onion

1 large clove garlic

2 cups Chicken Broth

2 cups water

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for the eggplant:

1 large or two small Eggplant

1/2 tsp Cavender's tm Greek seasoning

Olive oil from drizzling

Honey for drizzling

Cook the split peas, onion and garlic in the broth/water, about 20 minutes or until tender. Drain for at least half an hour to remove as much liquid as you can. Reserve. In England this would be called Pease Porridge -- as in the nursery rhyme "Pease porridge in the pot, nine days old."  

Slice the eggplant into 3/4" thick rounds, drizzle with olive oil and dust with the Greek seasoning. Actually I used a great extra-virgin avocado oil that I'd been given. Broil eggplant for about 5 minutes per side until nice and golden but not mushy. Meanwhile, re-heat the Pease Porridge in the microwave.

Plate the eggplant and drizzle with a bit of your favorite varietal honey. I used Avocado Flower honey from a local beekeeper. Top the eggplant with a nice layer of Pease Porridge.

   Even with the honey, this is a good candidate for Sally's 400 calorie or less dinner.

Chiles en Nogada

A classic dish from the Puebla region of Mexico. An interestingly different, and tasty, variation on Chiles Rellano (stuffed chiles).   This just goes to show you that not everything in Mexico is hot or hotter!    Nogada is the Spanish word for Walnut.

You can use Cubanelles, Anchos, Anaheims or New Mexico chiles depending on what's available and what you like, heat-wise.  I would not do this with ordinary green bell peppers though, it would be too sweet.

Makes 4 stuffed Cubanelle size peppers, two servings.

for the stuffing:

1 cup chopped, cooked Pork Roast

4 Cubanelle chiles 

1/2 cup diced Onion

1/4 cup Raisins

1/4 cup Dried Cranberries or Craisins

1/2 Red Bell Pepper, diced

1/4 cup Green Chile Tomatillo Sauce

1/ Tbsp Cumin

 1/2 cup Water

1-2 Tbsp Masa Harina for thickening

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for the Nogada:

Mexican Crema

1/4 cup Walnuts

Simmer the stuffing ingredients, except for the masa, for 15-20 minutes on medium-low, to marry the flavors.  Add a tablespoon or so of masa and stir to thicken.  Reserve.

While the stuffing is simmering, prepare the chiles.  Cut of the stem and and remove the veins and seeds.  If you're in a hurry, just microwave the peppers until soft.  For the best flavor, broil the pepper for a few minutes on each side, until they start to char.  

To make the nogada, grind the walnuts, but only enough so you have some dust and some chunks.  Combine with the crema and stir.  Don't add so many nuts that the nogada is stiff.

Stuff the cooked peppers with the meat/fruit mix.  Plate the stuffed peppers and top with a couple spoonfuls of the nogada crema.

Pickle Update

Well the pickles were a success.  The brine recipe is just right -- not too salty, not too sweet.  The Moringa pods pickled nicely, but you still don't want to use pods thicker than a pencil.  I'm going to strip a bunch of small pods and make a jar of  Moringa pickles.   Yum.