This is an easy light appetizer or side dish. All the vegetables get a squirt of oil and you roast them off till they are done. The sauce whips up in a jiffy and if you want to be fancy it’s a snap to crisp up a few basil leaves in the oven. Just squirt some basil leaves soon both sides and in around 6 minutes they will turn crisp. I do note that my recipe makes too much dressing. You can use the extra dressing for a salad, vegetable dip or a sandwich spread. Also my idea of portion size may differ from your idea of portion size. I used 6 baby eggplants. It made 12 small pieces. I think as a side dish it is around 4 portions but as an appetizer most people would only eat 1- 2 pieces so I’m guessing maybe 8 servings as an appetizer.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

6 baby eggplants (or a few more) – cut in 1/2 and score the cut surface

12 mini bell peppers (mine were extra tiny…you might need less) – remove stem, core and seeds – cut in slices

2 shallots sliced thin – (mine were very small shallots)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil – this is a guess on how much olive oil got squirted on the vegetables

1/2 lemon – just the juice (this is to squirt over the eggplants

12 anchovy’s (or one for each eggplant half)

1/4 cup basil leaves (optional a few extra leaves to crisp up in the oven)

2 small garlic cloves – ground to paste or microplane

1 egg yolk

1/4 lemon – just the fresh squeezed juice

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon dijon mustard (I used Amora Brand)

fresh crushed sea salt to taste

fresh crushed black pepper to taste

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F

Scored halved eggplants go on a baking sheet. They get squirted with lemon juice and olive oil and go on a middle rack in the oven till done (you want them to look charred) Timing will differ….they should be done in 45 minutes or up to 60 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

The bell pepper strips and the sliced shallots go on baking sheets too. They also get squirted with olive oil and go in the oven till done. You want them slightly charred. Timing may differ. Mine were done in around 30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.

While everything is cooking whip up the aioli. Put the olive oil, garlic, dijon and egg yolk in a cup and use your stick blender and blend till emulsified. Add basil leaves and lemon juice and blend again. I didn’t think the dressing needed any salt and pepper but I used Amora Brand dijon that taste different from other brands. Add pepper if you think it needs it…remember the anchovy that you are adding is salty.

Assemble eggplants. Each one gets a pinch of pepper strips, a pinch of shallots. Then they get an anchovy and a squirt of aioli and the optional basil leaf.

Tasty and light

I was looking for something different to do with shishito peppers. I came across Food and Wine Magizine’s Ten Best Shishito Recipes and the Michael Voltaggio Recipe was the most different and caught my eye. I had almost everything I needed. I didn’t have mixed greens to mix in but I used a few sprouts instead. These peppers came out really interesting and good tasting. The tofu mustard is also surprisingly good. This recipe makes more bonito sand than you will use. I put my leftover sand in the freezer so I could use it again.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

1/4 cup flour

1/3 cup almond flour

5 grams bonito flakes

1 Tablespoon sugar

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter

salt

6 oz extra-firm silken tofu (my tofu was just silken)

1 1/2 Tablespoons dijon mustard

1/4 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon grapeseed or canola oil (I never use grapeseed oil because any food that is cooked in it is harmful to dogs)

6 oz shishito peppers

2 cups baby mustard greens or mixed baby greens

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Blend the flour, almond flour, bonito flakes, sugar till fine. Add butter and blend till mixture resembles sand. Spread out mixture on parchment lined baking sheet for 20 minutes stirring it up 2 or 3 times. Let cool and break up any lumps. Season with salt to taste.

Make tofu mustard. Blend the tofu with the mustard till smooth. Add salt to taste and set to the side.

Fry up the peppers. Heat up a large skillet (preferably cast iron) till very high and add the 1/4 cup of oil. Add the peppers stir them some and cook till blistered around 2-3 minutes. Transfer peppers to paper towel lined pan and season with salt.

In a large bowl mix up the greens with the remaining oil and add salt to taste.

Plate up!

Spoon a tablespoon of tofu mustard on each plate. Top with peppers. Sprinkle on the bonito sand. Top with mixed greens and serve!

Delicious! Something really different!

A Special THANKS to Food and Wine Magazine and chef Micheal Voltaggio for this Awesome Recipe!

To make this recipe you need to have left over beef fat from something like a brisket that you saved. Or you can make it with butter instead. I made the recipe with very lean ground beef that was ground at home. Before I threw it in the oven I thought the beef mixture looked dry so I added a 1/2 cup of water. Depending on the meat you might not need to add the water. Anyway It came out amazing. My idea of serving size might differ from your idea of serving size. This makes 4 servings to me.

Ingredients for around 4 servings

2 Tablespoons oil

1 large sweet onion – diced

2 carrots – peeled and diced

1 hot pepper – small dice – (I used a guero chili that is also known as a Mexican Yellow)

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 garlic cloves – ground to paste for microplane

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup corn kernels

1/2 cup peas

1 pound ground beef

fresh ground sea salt to taste

fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 cup beef stock

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons hoot sauce (I used Frank’s Red Hot)

2 teaspoons dried thyme (fresh would be better)

4 oz leeks – cleaned and trimmed – sliced extra thin on mandolin

1 1/2 lbs poatoes – cleaned, peeled, quartered

4 oz beef fat

1 Tablespoon sea salt (this is for boiling the potatoes)

1 egg – beaten

non stick spray

water – if the meat mixture looks dry add up to 1/2 cup water

Directions

Set oven to 400 degrees F.

Spray a casserole dish with non stick spray and set it to the side.

Get a pot on medium high heat with the oil. When oil is hot add the carrots, onions, hot pepper, black pepper and salt. Cover and stir occasionally. Vegetables should be soft in about 5 minutes. Shut off heat. Add the garlic, corn, peas. Transfer to a big bowl and put to the side. Fry up the beef on medium high. (I used the same pot…..) So I wouldn’t crowd the pot I shaped the meat like 4 burgers so I could brown them easy and then I broke the burgers up. Brown the meat. Put a small amount of salt and pepper on them. Add the beef stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire, hot sauce and thyme. Stir occasionally and let liquid reduce a little. Throw the leeks in at the end. You can combine this mixture with the vegetable mixture you have on the side.

While you are cooking you can make the potatoes. Add potatoes to a pot and cover well with water and salt on medium high heat. Your potatoes will be done in 15-20 minutes. Drain potatoes and hand mash with beef fat. Get it mashed and smooth and then add the beaten egg and mix well.

Assemble.

Put the beef vegetable mixture in the sprayed casserole dish. Top with potatoes.

Put in the pre heated oven till bubbly hot. (about 25 minutes)

ENJOY!