Recipe: Smoky baba ghanouj (eggplant dip)

Some years ago, I did a bit of traveling in the Middle East and fell in love with the proper preparation of baba ghanouj.  I'd always been a fan, but never knew that what I had been enjoying was simply an eggplant dip - I had not tried the real deal.  It seems simple, but the biggest difference is that a proper baba ghanouj needs to have a certain smokiness about it as it usually begins with the whole eggplants being roasted in an old school oven, charcoal grill, or over a wood fire.  The difference turns a side dish into a meal - really, I would go into a restaurant and just order baba ghanouj and pita bread and I was good.  As a lot of the old-world methods of cooking are less available in Vancouver (pizza shops even need a special permit for wood ovens), I've adapted this recipe a bit to the equipment readily available, but arriving at the same destination.  If you can cook the eggplant old-school, do it!  Just remember to prick the eggplant with a fork well before roasting.  The onion nicely rounds out the flavour being sweated off, but if you like extra smokiness, slice it up and smoke it along with the eggplant.

You will need:

2                      large eggplants

1/2                   red onion

4 cloves           garlic

60ml / 1/4C     tahini

30ml / 2Tbs     lemon juice (or more to taste)

pinch                cumin

pinch                smoked paprika

as needed         olive oil 

as needed         black sesame seeds

as needed         kalonji (onion seed)

to taste             kosher salt

to taste             cracked black pepper

Method:

 - load up a smoker with wood chips and get it smoky

 - if you have a barbeque, set it on low - or set the oven to 325F / 163C

 - slice the eggplants into thick slices, brush with olive oil, and smoke for 30 minutes

 - if you have a barbeque, transfer the slices to the grill and cook soft - or roast in the oven

 - let the eggplants cool and remove the skin - optional - I don't mind it, but some do

 - mince the garlic and dice the onion small

 - sweat the onion and garlic in olive oil on low heat

 - when the onion and garlic start to colour, add a pinch of cumin and sweat a little more

 - in a food processor, blend the onion, garlic and tahini

 - roughly chop the eggplant and add it in

 - use the lemon juice and olive oil to taste 

 - if the taste is good, but it's too thick, add a little water

 - season with salt and black pepper

 - when serving, drizzle olive oil over it, and garnish with paprika, kalonji and black sesame

Recipe: Yogurt poppyseed dressing

Summer isn't often a time you are thinking of creamy salad dressings, but the yogurt and orange in this one makes it so refreshing.  It emulsifies nicely, but stays very light and works well on delicate greens.

You will need:

500ml / 2C                     Greek style yogurt

30ml / 2Tbs                    cream

60ml / 1/4C                    rice vinegar

60ml / 1/4C                    honey

60ml / 1/4C                    concentrated orange juice

5ml / 1tsp                       poppyseeds 

to taste                            kosher salt

as needed                       water

Method:

 - whisk the yogurt, cream and honey together

 - whisk in the vinegar and orange juice

 - add the poppyseeds

 - add water if you want a thinner dressing

 - season with kosher salt

 - use as needed

Recipe: Gomae dressing

When I go out for sushi, I love to get a side order of spinach gomae.  The slightly spicy mix of sesame and soy hits me just right, and my regular spot is generous with the dressing, so I also use it to dip my sushi.  Now that I have a recipe, I make it and use it however I please - despite the fact there is no oil in it, it works really well as a light salad dressing.  Remember to give it a good shake or stir before using it as the solids tend to collect at the bottom of the container.

You will need:

250ml / 1C                       mirin

250ml / 1C                       sake

250ml / 1C                       soy sauce

200ml / 6.8fl oz                sesame seeds

60ml / 1/4C                      wasabi

1 "knuckle"                      fresh ginger

Method:

 - put the mirin and sake in a pot, heat it, ignite it and burn off the alcohol, then cool

 - toast the sesame seeds, then cool

 - blend the sesame seeds fine in a blender

 - grate the ginger on a Microplane

 - put the wasabi, ginger, and sesame seeds in a bowl, then use the soy sauce and a whisk to make a paste

 - gradually whisk in the mirin and sake

 - use as needed

Recipe: Buttermilk lime coleslaw dressing

the finished dressing

Picnic season brings coleslaw.  It can be as simple as shredded cabbage, or get things like apples, nuts and dried fruit involved.  Whatever your mix, this dressing is really delicious and not too thick and heavy.  Heck, I'll even use this on a regular salad.

You will need:

250ml / 1C                         mayonnaise
125ml / 1/2C                      buttermilk
60ml / 1/4C                        lime juice
60ml / 1/4C                        sour cream
60ml / 1/4C                        sugar
7.5ml / 1.5tsp                     kosher salt
3.75ml / 3/4tsp                   coarse ground black pepper
3.75ml / 3/4tsp                   garlic powder
2.5ml / 1/2tsp                     dill

fully dressed slaw

Method:

 - whisk together the mayonnaise and sour cream
 - whisk in the sugar, salt, pepper, garlic and dill
 - whisk in the buttermilk and lime juice
 - check seasoning
 - use as needed with coleslaw

Recipe: Mayonnaise

Let's take a moment to cover one of the most essential basic recipes.  Yes it's basic, but like I said, it's also essential.  If you can't make mayonnaise, you won't be able to make a Caesar dressing or any other of a wide variety of emulsified egg dressings.  Even Hollandaise works in almost the same way - the idea that egg yolks have the ability to hold a certain amount of fat in an emulsion (actually, a large egg yolk can hold 200ml / 7oz of oil).  Once you get a feel for how much fat a yolk can handle, you can just about throw the recipe out the window and get crazy.  For precisely that reason, this recipe is intentionally as plain Jane, basic and no monkey business as I can make it - no garlic, no strange oils, fancy vinegars, herbs or seasonings - all that you can do yourself once you start to have fun with it.  This recipe is scaled down to one yolk for simplicity and you will have to whisk it by hand at this size - scale it up a few times and you can use a blender or mixer to make things easier.  Once you've got this down, the substitutions are endless (see my recipes for brown butter mayonnaise and pancetta mayonnaise) - learn to handle the emulsion first, then go nuts.

Some tips:

 - have all your ingredients a room temperature - it makes for easier emulsion

 - add the majority of your seasoning to the beaten yolks, then they disperse easier as the oil is added

 - gradually adding the oil is very important - just do it

 - watch the mayonnaise as you make it - if the fat starts to separate, it's split and you need to stop

 - if the emulsion gets too thick, it will split, add a bit of the vinegar or even a tiny bit of water to loosen it

 - if it splits, whisk up a new egg yolk and add the split mayonnaise the same as you added the oil the first time

You will need:

1                                 egg yolk

1.25ml /  1/4tsp          dry mustard

10ml / 2tsp                 white wine vinegar

200ml / 7oz                vegetable oil

to taste                        lemon juice

to taste                        kosher salt

to taste                        white pepper

as needed                   water (room temperature)

Method:

 - have all ingredients at room temperaure

 - separate the egg and whisk the yolk until light and pale

 - add the mustard, a pinch of salt and a pinch of pepper and whisk

 - add a little of the vinegar and whisk

 - very slowly, start adding the oil, making sure the emulsion holds continuously

 - continue adding the oil, occasionally alternating with more of the vinegar

 - once all the oil and vinegar are added, season with lemon juice, salt and pepper

 - adjust the consistency with more liquid if needed

 - store in the fridge until use

 -

Recipe: Red pepper and chipotle aoli

This tasty aoli has a nice combination of sweetness, spice and smokiness to it, making it super versatile.  Use it with crab cakes, spread it on a sandwich, dip vegetables or chips, even use it as a dressing for a pasta salad.  For recipes like this I often use just the sauce from the chipotles - it has all the heat and flavour of the chiles, but it spares you the messy task of opening up the chiles to seed them and purée them.

You will need:

250ml                          roasted and  puréed red peppers

250ml                          mayonnaise

125ml                          sour cream

35ml                            adobo sauce from chipotles (see recipe for abuela's chipotle)

25ml                            honey

to taste                         coarse cracked black pepper

to taste                         kosher salt

Method:

- roast, peel and seed red peppers

- purée and measure out 250ml

- whisk in the mayo, sour cream, adobo sauce and honey

- season with cracked pepper and kosher salt

- use as needed

Recipe: Champagne and truffle vinaigrette

This will probably list among one of the more luxurious salad dressings you could make, but sometimes a special occasion calls for something a little extra.  Your budget may affect the extent you utilize the grated truffle - the dressing is very nice even without it due to the truffle oil and salt.  If you are feeling extra lush, you can use grated truffle beyond its "to taste" capacity here, but then you may want to substitute a bit more grapeseed oil for a bit of the truffle oil just to keep the flavours in balance - you still want to taste the champagne.

You will need:

300ml / 10oz                 champagne

250ml / 8.5oz (1C)        grapeseed oil

150ml / 5oz                   olive oil

150ml / 5oz                   truffle oil

88ml / 3oz                     honey

30ml / 2Tbs                   lemon juice

15ml / 1Tbs                   truffle salt

to taste                           fresh grated truffle

Method:

 - mix the oils

 - whisk in the honey

 - whisk in the champagne and lemon juice

 - whisk in the truffle salt

 - grate fresh truffle with a microplane to taste

Recipe: Peppercorn ranch dressing

Ranch dressing is one of the most popular salad dressings you can think of - people love it so much it doubles as a dip for for crudite and hot wings and even gets drizzled on pizza.  When something  is so prominent in the world of food, it's worth it to put in the effort and make it yourself.  This recipe gets a nice tang from the buttermilk, sour cream and lemon juice, a "pop" from the garlic and pepper, then rounds out with a nice blend of herbs.  One standout feature of this recipe is the inclusion of Breton crackers - it's not so much in your face, but has a subtle way of bringing everything together in harmony.

You will need:

250ml / 1C             buttermilk

250ml / 6.8oz         mayonnaise 

250ml / 5.9oz         sour cream

10                           Breton crackers

10ml / 2tsp             minced garlic

30ml / 2Tbs            lemon juice

1/8                          white onion (roughly chopped)

5ml / 1tsp                chopped parsley

5ml / 1tsp                chopped dill

5ml / 1tsp                chopped chives

10ml / 2tsp              coarse ground black pepper

to taste                    kosher salt

Method:

 - put the section of onion and put it in a blender with the garlic, crackers, lemon juice and sour cream

 - blend until completely smooth

 - add the buttermilk and mayonnaise and blend again

 - transfer to a bowl and stir in the chopped herbs

 - season with salt and a generous dose of pepper

 - store in a container and let flavours develop overnight

 - enjoy

Recipe: Red pepper caper aoli

This simple concoction makes a very nice plate garnish or dip on a seafood platter alongside or as an alternative to a cocktail sauce.  It is important to dry the capers well, then chop them very fine by hand - if you puree them, you will get a paste and it will interfere with the nice colour of the roasted peppers.

You will need:

250ml / 1C                peeled, seeded and pureed roasted red peppers
500ml / 2C                mayonnaise
30ml / 2Tbs              finely chopped capers
squeeze                     lemon juice
to taste                      kosher salt

Method:

 - puree the roasted peppers
 - mix the pepper puree into the mayonnaise well
 - drain and shop the capers fine
 - fold the capers into the mix
 - season with lemon juice and kosher salt
 - use as needed

Recipe: Salsa verde (green salsa)

We love to make salsa verde at our house, but considering the prices we have to pay sometimes for tomatillos in Vancouver, it isn't made as often as we like.  That said, when we see a good price on tomatillos, we make an occasion for it.  When you aren't familiar with it, you may get fooled into thinking that it's in some way tricky or a very particular recipe, but it's really easy and always makes your guests happy - especially your expat Latin friends - they're probably homesick for it.  Since Carla and I brought Isabella down to Mexico City this Christmas to meet the Mexican side of the family, it was no surprise that it was a matter of hours before we were making a batch of this in Abuela Luz's kitchen.  The recipe here is what we made, but hey, it's salsa, once you've done it once, go ahead and wing it.

You will need:

14                 tomatillos

2 cloves        garlic

1                   jalapeño pepper

1                   Serrano pepper

1/8                large white onion

to taste          kosher salt

Method:

 - peel and wash the tomatillos

 - smash the garlic

 - place a cast iron pan (we actually used a comal) on the stove and get it hot

 - place all the ingredients in the pan and scorch them all over

 - transfer everything to a blender and blend

 - season with salt

 - serve

Recipe: Black olive vinaigrette

This is a stunning black salad dressing with a very nice Mediterranean character to it.  You'd better be an olive lover because it involves both olives and olive oil.  I like to use it on hearty and full flavoured greens  - arugula in particular, but spinach and  young chard work really nicely too.  As you might guess, feta cheese is a nice complement both in style and flavour.

You will need:

250ml / 1C                    extra virgin olive oil

60ml / 1/4C                   fresh squeezed lemon juice

125ml / 1/2C                balsamic vinegar

5ml / 1tsp                     chopped garlic

250ml / 1C                   pitted and chopped kalamata olives (remember to measure after chopping)

5ml / 1tsp                      cracked black pepper

to taste                          honey

to taste                          kosher salt

Method:

 - chop your olives and garlic, measure them out and put in a bar blender

 - add the pepper and lemon juice and puree smooth

 - with the blender running, add the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar

 - season with kosher salt and honey and blend to incorporate

 - use as needed, then store in the fridge

Recipe: Cherry vinaigrette

This is a nice dressing making use of the summer bounty, but if you freeze some cherries, it's flavour is solid enough to take you into fall.  It goes well with good and sturdy greens - spinach, arugula, romaine (it's not just for Caesar salad).  It even goes well with some meaty appetizers like game birds or drizzled over pate or a plate of charcuterie.

You will need:

250ml / 1C             cherries (pitted and halved)

60ml / 1/4C            dark rum

30ml / 2Tbs            raspberry vinegar

30ml / 2Tbs            red wine vinegar

60ml / 1/4C            water

30ml / 2Tbs            fresh squeezed lemon juice

500ml / 2C             grapeseeed oil

to taste                    kosher salt

to taste                    black pepper

to taste                    honey

Method:

 - put the rum in a sauce pan and burn off the alcohol
 - put the rum, cherries, vinegars and lemon juice in a blender and puree smooth
 - add the water to thin it out a bit
 - with the blender running, slowly add the oil
 - season with salt, pepper, and honey, then blend to incorporate
 - store in the fridge until use

Recipe: Bacon sherry vinaigrette

This vinaigrette is not only delicious, it is very versatile in its uses.  It can be used as a light sauce for  chicken or fish dishes (great with black cod), and even makes for a great warm salad dressing with sturdier greens such as spinach or arugula.  There's no blending needed - leave it chunky.

You will need:

250ml / 1C         tyroller bacon lardons (thick cut batons)
250ml / 1C         minced red onion
15ml / 1Tbs        minced garlic
60ml / 1/4C        sherry vinegar
250ml / 1C         extra virgin olive oil
to taste               kosher salt
to taste               cracked black pepper

Method:

 - put the lardons in a pan and slowly render the fat out
 - when the bacon is nicely coloured, remove it from the pan, leaving the fat
 - add the red onion and garlic and sweat well
 - return the bacon to the pan
 - deglaze with the sherry vinegar
 - remove from the heat
 - add the olive oil
 - season with salt and pepper

Recipe: Ponzu sauce

Here's another way to put that dashi you made to good use.  Ponzu is a delicious, light and tangy dip that finds itself more than welcome with dumplings, fish, and grilled meats.  It even works great as a marinade or as a final addition to a stir-fry.  This is definitely something you can play with and find your own special formula.  If you want to spice it up, track town some togarashi, up the ginger, or slice in some bird's eye chilis.

You will need:

250ml / 1C                dashi
60ml / 1/4C               yuzu juice
45ml / 3Tbs               soy sauce
30ml / 2Tbs               mirin
5ml / 1tsp                  brown sugar
1 small knuckle         ginger

Method:

 - peel and grate the ginger on a Japanese-style grater or microplane
 - warm up the soy sauce, mirin and brown sugar so the sugar dissolves (the microwave is fine)
 - once hot, drop in the grated ginger
 - combine the dashi and yuzu
 - add in the warm ginger mixture
 - taste and adjust any seasonings to your preference
 - store in the fridge if not using right away
 - warm slightly when serving

Recipe: Balsamic honey and preserved lemon vinaigrette

This is a visually striking dressing (it's jet black) and goes to show that you don't have to wait until you are making a Moroccan dinner to use some of those preserved lemons you made.  Between the balsamic reduction, honey and pureed lemons, it does a great job of staying emulsified, so it can double as a plate drizzle.  Use it over a nice plate of seasonal tomatoes and sliced buffalo mozzarella and you have a beautiful platter where the dressing won't just run past the food to the bottom of the plate.  I found with the lemons there was no need for additional salt.

You will need:

500ml / 2C                balsamic vinegar

90g / 3.2oz                preserved lemons (no seeds)

440ml /  15fl oz         olive oil

160ml / 5.4fl oz         honey

Method:

 - put the balsamic in a small saucepan and reduce to 250ml / 1C, then cool

 - rinse the lemons of excess salt under cold water

 - give the lemons a rough chop, then puree in a blender with a portion of the olive oil until smooth

 - with the blender running, add the honey, balsamic reduction, and the rest of the olive oil

 - check the seasoning, and it's ready to use

Recipe: Verjus vinaigrette

verjus grapes

Verjus is the juice from unfermented and unripened wine grapes.  It is quite a bit more acidic than juice from table grapes, but that makes it all the more interesting.  It can be used in place of vinegar in multiple applications and lend the characteristics of the wine grapes to the product.  In this case, we'll use white verjus and reduce it to concentrate the flavours.  I actually used this on a fish station on a scallop dish as a "broken sauce" - aside from a great flavour, it had a nice way of marbling around the plate as the verjus and oil separated.   As a plate sauce, it is best managed with a squeeze bottle - you won't be able to emulsify it, but by shaking it up you will be able to dispense the sauce with the right proportions.

You will need:

750ml            white verjus

1                     lemon zest

6 sprigs          thyme

250ml            honey

500ml            grapeseed oil

Method:

 - place the verjus, lemon zest and thyme in a pot and set to reduce by 1/2

 - at the halfway mark, add the honey, mix well and allow to cool

 - mix with the grapeseed oil

 - transfer to a squeeze bottle and store in the fridge till use

Recipe: Caramelized onion hummus

 A nice hummus is always welcome at a party.  A while back I changed the way I did it, and got such rave reviews, I just kept doing it.  The caramelized onions add a nice sweetness and mellowness, the paprika a bit of spiciness, and the lime juice is a nice switch-up from the traditional lemon.  I also caramelize the chickpeas a bit for a richer colour, then mix in black sesame seeds and kalonji at the end for contrast.  The pictures here are from a double batch I did recently of the recipe that follows.

You will need:

1 can (540ml)         chickpeas
3                             small onions, julienne
3 - 4                        cloves garlic, minced
1/4C / 60ml            tahini
1/4C / 60ml            lime juice
2tsp / 10ml             black sesame seeds
2tsp / 10ml             kalonji
1tsp / 5ml               smoked paprika
as needed               olive oil
to taste                   kosher salt
to taste                   cracked black pepper



Method:

 - julienne the onion and slowly caramelize in a large pan with olive oil
 - drain the chickpeas and mince the garlic
 - when the onions are nice and dark, remove them and set aside
 - in the same pan, start sauteing the chickpeas
 - when the chickpeas start to colour, add the garlic
 - season with salt and pepper
 - when the chickpeas have taken on some nice colour, add the paprika
 - add back the caramelized onion
 - add a generous amount of water to the pan and loosen all the flavour from the bottom
 - let the mixture simmer about 10 minutes
 - turn off the heat and mix in the tahini
 - add everything into a blender or food processor and add in the lime juice
 - puree chunky or smooth as you like it and empty into a bowl
 - lightly toast the sesame seeds and kalonji in a dry pan
 - fold the seeds into the mixture and add any final seasoning
 - let cool before serving

Recipe: Orange honey dressing

This recipe for orange dressing is great for spring and summer - it has a sweetness and acidity that go well with strong flavoured greens such as spinach, arugula and watercress.  Done right, it should stay emulsified after blending, which is great for evenly coating a salad without the heaviness of a mayonnaise based dressing.  With very little adjustment in the seasoning, it even makes a nice, light sunny day sauce for fish.  The cooling stage at the end of the reduction is important to a good emulsification - you want to puree the dressing warm, but if it's too hot, it will separate.  The honey will help hold the emulsification, but it will work best just above room temperature.  If the finished dressing separates while cooling, it may only need another go in the blender to re-emulsify.

You will need:

1 qt / 1L         orange juice
2                    oranges, zested, segmented and seedless
1                    small onion (or 1/4 of a large)
1                    shallot
1                    clove garlic
1 C / 250ml   vegetable oil
to taste           kosher salt
to taste           honey

Method:

 - roughly chop the onion, shallot and garlic in a small sauce pot (that will hold the juice when added)
 - sweat the onion, shallot and garlic in a generous amount of oil taken from the amount in the recipe
 - when the vegetables are soft, opaque, and about to take on colour, add the juice and let reduce by half
 - zest and segment the oranges and remove any seeds
 - when the reduction is about halfway (down by a quarter), add the zest
 - when the reduction is done, add the segments, then turn off the heat and let cool somewhat
 - add the contents of the saucepot to a bar blender and puree smooth
 - while blending, drizzle in the vegetable oil (taste it - you may not even want to use it all)
 - season with salt and honey
 - cool completely and store in the fridge

Recipe: Tzatziki dip

As the weather starts to turn around, it'll be time to start thinking about barbeques and eating outside.  Tzatziki always seems to find a place somewhere - alongside some souvlaki, the healthy option on a vegetable platter, or simply the dip for pita or chips.  While it's not hard to make, there's a few things you can do to make it extra special.  First, you want a good Greek yogurt - nice and thick, and you can taste the difference.  Second, after grating the cucumber, give it a good squeeze so you aren't adding too much extra liquid (and the juice will colour the yogurt too much).  As much as I love garlic, I like tzatziki to be a cooling element on the table (so I can really spice up the meat), and I keep the garlic to a minimum or leave it out altogether - but that's strictly personal preference.  I also zest the lemons I use and put it in just because I like it lemony and it adds to the texture.  English cucumbers are a bit nicer to use just because their skin is a bit thinner than field cucumbers - I only use the skin, but I'll creatively cut the rest for a salad or vegetable platter.

You will need:

500ml / 2C       good Greek yogurt
1                       large English cucumber
1                       lemon - zest and juice
1                       clove garlic - minced
1 - 2 tsp            chopped fresh dill
to taste             salt
to taste             cracked black pepper

Method:

 - if there is some loose liquid on top of the yogurt, drain it off and set aside in case you want to loosen the dip up later
 - using a small tooth grater, grate all the skin off the cucumber - some of the flesh is ok, just not too much - if the strands are a bit long, give them a bit of a rough chop with a knife
 - squeeze any extra juice out of the cucumber and add it to the yogurt
 - use a microplane to zest the lemon and add it to the yogurt
 - juice the lemon, but set it aside for now
 - mince the garlic and add it to the yogurt
 - chop the dill, add it in and give everything a good mix
 - taste the mix, then use the lemon juice, salt and pepper to season it to your taste
 - store in the fridge for an hour or two to let all the flavours cozy up before serving