New Year, New Foods, New Ideas

Well, it's been a few weeks since I wrote last.  But, hey!  The Holidays are busy and stressful for everyone. 

Hasselback Eggplant

There was this eggplant...see.  And I needed to cook it....see.  And it was hasseling me...  So.

Well, sorta hasselback, anyway.  I sliced lengthwise instead of across, but it's the same idea.
I made a 'from fresh' batch of diced tomatoes, onion and spices.  Sliced the eggplant and nestled it in a bed of the tomatoes.

Then I pried the slices open and spooned in some of the tomato goodies.  Baked everything for about 30 minutes, then topped with cheese and baked again until everything was melted and yummy.

Maybe next time I'll slice cross-wise.

Maple-Chili Roasted Butternut
Sugar and spice; it's really nice!  Not too much of either, just "interestingly flavored".  Can be a side dish or a vegetarian main course with a starch like rice or quinoa on the side.

1 Butternut Squash
1/2-3/4 tsp Chili Powder
2-3 Tbsp Chili Powder -- I used Garam Masala
1-2 Tbsp grated fresh Ginger
1/4 cup Sugar-Free Maple Syrup (or the real thing if you're not diet conscious)
Little finger of fresh Ginger, grated

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.

Peel & cube the butternut.   Toss the squash with the maple syrup and ginger and dust with the chili powder.   Place in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tender.

Mince Pies

Mince pies are a UK holiday treat.  Little two-bite morsels of slightly sweetened crust and tablespoon or so of  "mincemeat". I made these for our annual watching of A Child's Christmas In Wales (the Denholm Elliot version).  

This year I tried something different and very handy -- concentrated mincemeat!  

It was less than 1/3 the cost of that giant jar that mostly never gets used.  And in future, I know I can reconstitute about 1/4 of the 'brick' to make a batch of mince pies, and store the rest in the freezer, suitably wrapped.

I made up a batch of my No-Fail Tart Crust, and cut a dozen  bottoms and tops from it:

1-3/4 cup AP flour

1 stick unsalted Butter

1/2tsp Salt

2 Egg Yolks

3 Tbsp Ice Water

In your food processor, take the flour, salt and butter for a spin until the mixture looks like fine crumbs (takes 10-20 seconds of pulsing). Don't overdo it!

In a small bowl whisk together the water and the yolks. With the processor running, add the yolk mixture and stop spinning as soon as the dough comes together in a ball – about 5 seconds!

Roll the dough out between sheets of waxed paper.

I put the bottoms in my pan, added a tablespoon or so of mincemeat, then pressed on the tops and pierced them to let steam out.  Into the oven for 15-20 minutes at 400F until GB&D.  Let them cool, then gently remove from the pan.

Egg Pan
I'm not often a fan of uni-tasker kitchen gadgets, but this gift I got from Sally's daughter Holly, is just about perfect!  Doing breakfasts for our AirBnb guests, I make a lot of sunnyside fried eggs for various dishes.  I usually haul out the electric skillet and some egg rings.  But this is so much easier!

Spices & Spice Blends
I thought you might be interested in the spices and spice blends that I use most often in cooking for home and for our AirBnb guests.  This is sort of my "gotta have" spice rack:

Spices

Black Peppercorns

White Pepper

Sea Salt

Paprika -- Hungarian -- sweet, smoky, and hot varieties
Garam Masala
Amchur Powder

Assorted Indian Spice blends for eggplant, chickpeas, etc.
Cumin -- powdered or seed 

Rosemary

Oregano

Sage
Coriander

Marjoram
Thyme

Mushroom powders
Nutmeg Nuts (not ground)
Cinnamon --sticks and ground

Blends

Cavender's Greek Seasoning
Italian Seasoning

Healthy Solutions salt-free Cajun Seafood
Healthy Solutions salt-free Taco 

Tony Cachere's Cajun Seasoning
Badia brand Sazon Tropical Orange seasoning
Everything But The Bagel Seasoning

Other Things

Orange Extract

Vegemite
Lizano sauce
Salsa Verde

Salsa Rojo

Soy Sauce

Liquid Smoke
Vinegars - balsamic, white wine, apple cider, etc.
Panko