Recipe Roundup: Ingredient Challenges
A recent trip to a large grocery store found empty shelves and rising prices leaving a major impression: It’s time to get creative!
Since then we have decided to shop at more of the smaller markets such as Baiz International Market, Los Reyes Carniceria, New India Bazaar, the Middle Eastern Bakery and Deli and also all of the Farmers Markets.
These markets can be viewed as an adventure of what is fresh and unique, or as a maze of different ingredients laid out in different places.
Getting outside of our routine or box and being creative and flexible is a wonderful way to approach these markets to make them fun and exciting.
Recipe Challenge – No pasta (on the shelves) Lasagna
Challenge accepted!
Simply exchange the pasta for eggplant. Young eggplant is just starting to show up at Farmers Markets and are plentiful at Baiz and even the larger grocery stores. Just treat the eggplant right and it will be delicious and will melt in your mouth.
Peel the eggplant. For a pasta substitute, the peel should be removed to make sure that the eggplant stays soft and to remove all traces of bitterness.
Drain the eggplant. Thinly slice, salt and layer eggplant slices between paper towels for 30 minutes to remove as much excess water as possible. Before cooking, remove the paper towels and pat dry one last moment.
Cook the eggplant. The best method for cooking eggplant is in a well-seasoned cast iron pan or right on the grill with no oil. Other methodologies suggest that oil is necessary to prevent sticking, but if the pan or the grill is hot and has enough seasoning, the eggplant should caramelize nicely and not get mushy.
Use the eggplant as you would pasta. Once the water has been drained and it has been seared, this lovely aubergine fruit will lend itself to a myriad of savory flavors.
We tested this technique in the Local First Arizona Community Kitchen and had so much fun, we made more for our friends and family. It’s also a great gluten free option!
Scrape your mushrooms before cooking!
Sustainability Challenge – Meat Free Mondays
Challenge accepted!
Do it for the environment or do it for the wallet. Whatever the reason, here’s how.
The prices of meats seems to have doubled and then doubled again in the past few days. This is a great time to reduce meat intake and eat more vegetables, though it may be a tough conversion for some.
Mushrooms are delicious and are rich in antioxidants and may help with immune system functions. They also tend to be a hearty and filling substitute for meat options. Here are some best practices for cooking with portabello mushrooms.
Scrape the mushroom gills. Larger portabello mushrooms can hold water and when cooked seem to be mushy. Simply use a spoon to scrape the gills out of the underside of the mushroom. (Save the gills and stems to make stock later)
Cook the mushroom on a very lightly oiled pan to prevent sticking or on a hot grill.
Mushrooms pair well with onions, garlic and herbs such as thyme and oregano.
Mushrooms other than portabello will sautee really well with just a bit of butter. Fresher mushrooms found at the Farmers’ Market usually hold less water, will shrink less and will get less mushy. Find mushrooms here!