Recipe Review: Moroccan Roasted Veggies

This recipe is why I was so excited to find Spice & All. They had halloumi! I copied this recipe from the Weight Watchers recipe review board years ago. I made it once but had to substitute queso fresco for the halloumi. It was delicious with the substitution but I always wondered how would it be with the halloumi. Well question answered, it is still delicious! This recipe is full of delicious roasted vegetables, warm spices and bright lime flavor. Resist the urge to add salt. The lime, olives and halloumi seasons the vegetables just right. Don't worry if halloumi is not available in your area. Any non-melting, crumbly, salty cheese will work. Try queso fresco or feta. Leftovers re-heat well in the microwave. They are not bad as a cold salad either. I have also pureed some of the veggies in my homemade hummus; substituting lime juice for lemon. This is a great use of summer vegetables and Spice & All market.

Moroccan Roasted Veggies with Halloumi Cheese
Makes 8 servings

Ingredients

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper  
2 tsp ground cumin  
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste  
2 medium fresh limes  
2 Tbsp olive oil  
2 bell peppers, chopped large  
2 small zucchini, chopped  
1 small eggplant, chopped  
1 cup uncooked red onion, cut into wedges  
2 cloves garlic, sliced  
7 oz Halloumi cheese, chopped  
2 oz kalamata olives, quartered 

Directions 

Preheat the oven to 400. Mix together the cayenne, cumin, tomato paste, juice of 1 lime and oil. Place the peppers, zucchini, eggplant, onion and garlic in a large roasting pan and drizzle with the tomato mix. Put the squeezed lime halves into the tin. Roast for 20-25 minutes until the veg is golden and tender. Add the halloumi and olives and cook for a further 10 minutes until the halloumi is golden. Squeeze over the juice from the other lime just before serving. 

Notes: I found the recipe on a Weight Watchers recipe review board. When I research it's origin, I found the possible original source of Tesco Real Food.

Linking to:
Stone Cottage Adventures: Tuesdays with a Twist
Carole's Chatter: Food on Fridays - Vegetarian & Vegan

Grilled Caponata Salad

I love Caponata! I usually make one of Rachael Ray's recipes. The recipe is for a pasta bake but I never make the pasta. I just make the Caponata. It is delicious with grilled chicken or as a snack. I love the sweet and sour flavor combination of the olives and raisins. It goes so well with eggplant and tomatoes. This week I decided to try making it on the grill. I used the large eggplant I got at Ed Lester Farms. I wanted to serve it as a pretty plated salad so I made a dressing too. I saw on the Chew that ketchup makes a great emulsifier for salad dressings. I knew that would be perfect for this salad, it would boost both the tomato flavor and the sweetness of the salad. It works really well. The dressing was thick and did not separate for hours and hours. I grilled the eggplant in large planks to serve as the bed of the salad. I used grapes instead of raisins. This may be my favorite part. I love the sweet grilled grapes with the olives and capers. I also used celery leaves instead of grilling celery. It adds a freshness at the end with the parsley. It was a delicious and beautiful salad. I can't wait to try it out as a starter for guests. It was so much faster than sauteing all the veggies in a pot. This salad would work well as a stacked salad too. You could slice the eggplant into rounds putting a layer of veggies between the grilled rounds. Or just chop the eggplant and mix with all the other ingredients and serve as a chopped salad. I have to admit the salad is not as pretty after it has been refrigerated but it still taste delicious. I suggest setting any leftover on the counter to bring to room temperature. I liked it better that way. I hope you will try it. This salad is definitely not boring each fork full is interesting in it's own way.

Grilled Caponata Salad

Serves 8

Ingredients

1 large eggplant, sliced into 8 - 1/2” planks

1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut in half

1 Anaheim pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut in half

1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced in 1/2” rounds

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 bunch red grapes on the stem

Olive oil

Kosher salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste

1/2 cup green olives, sliced

1/2 cup kalamata olives, sliced

2 Tbsp capers

1/3 cup celery leaves, chopped

1/3 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup Caponata Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Directions

Preheat grill to medium-high heat (10 min).

Rub eggplant, pepper halves, onion, tomatoes and grapes with olive oil. Season eggplant, pepper halves, onion and tomatoes with salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes. Place tomatoes on skewers. Place everything on the grill, grill about 5 minutes a side until tender. Remove each vegetable to a platter when they are done. Remove grapes from stem and tomatoes from skewers add to a medium bowl. Chop peppers and onions add to tomatoes and grapes. Add olives, capers, celery leaves, parsley and vinaigrette, stir to combine. To serve, place a slice of eggplant in the center of a salad plate. Drizzle with a little of the vinaigrette and top with a couple of heaping spoons of the vegetable mixture. Garnish with more celery and parsley leaves.

Caponata Vinaigrette

Makes approx. 1/2 cup

Ingredients

3 oz olive oil

1 oz Balsamic vinegar

1 anchovy, mashed into a paste

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp honey

1 Tbsp ketchup

1 tsp parsley, chopped

1 tsp basil, chopped

1/2 tsp oregano, chopped

Salt, black pepper and red pepper flakes, to taste

Directions

Mix vinaigrette ingredients in a small mason jar. Secure with lid and shake until emulsified. Store remaining dressing in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen: Show Me Your Plaid Mondays
Call Me PMc: Marvelous Mondays Link Party
Jam Hands: Recipe Sharing Monday
Anyonita's Nibbles: Tasty Tuesdays
Love Bakes Good Cakes: All My Bloggy Friends
Memories by the Mile: Tuesday Trivia-Ohio and Link Party
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin Wednesday
Miz Helen's Country Cottage: Full Plate Thursday
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday - Eggplant
My Pinterventures: Summer Salads Party

2 Reviews: Miso Glazed Eggplant and Cheap Korean Beef

When I was at Ed Lester Farms I picked up two types of eggplant. One was a large traditional, dark purple eggplant. I planned to use it for caponata. But they also had small light purple eggplants that were labeled Chinese eggplant. I bought two of those too. I planned to make a dish dear sister has being asking me to make. Sister and all her friends love the Natsu Yaki at Sake Sushi. It is broiled eggplant with miso sauce. I decided to use the grill. I did not want to heat up the house with the broiler. I used a recipe called Miso Glazed Grilled Japanese Eggplant from Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction. It was delicious; it was tender, creamy and savory. Sister thought the glaze could have been a little more caramelized but the flavor was just like the restaurant version. I guess we will have to try the broiler when the temperature comes down a bit. But I think the balance of miso, mirin and sugar was just right. Great recipe!

I decided to make Cheap Korean Beef for our entrée. I found the recipe on Pinterest and have made it several times. We can all thank Elizabeth at Lizzy Writes for this recipe. It is so good; spicy, sweet and so very easy. I love the Asian barbecue flavor. I imagine this may be the first time Japanese Eggplant and Korean Beef have appeared on the same plate. I hope I haven’t broken some sort of rule but I can tell you it was really good together. I followed Elizabeth’s recipe using 3/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes and 3/8 cup brown sugar. It was perfect for our taste but she says in her recipe you can adjust these ingredients to your liking. So spicy good! I can’t say enough about this recipe. You can whip up this recipe so fast. It is already becoming a regular menu item for me. You should really try this one.

Grilled Vegetables

Oh Boy! I am so behind blogging. I have been cooking just not writing. Today I am going to catch up. You have been warned.

Last week my sister and I had burgers on the brain. We decided to put her grill to work again and grill vegetables with a side of burgers. These vegetables are so easy and go with almost everything. They are great hot, cold or room temperature. Great added to homemade hummus or soup. So I always make a lot, I fill the grill from one side to the other. The secret ingredient is a Italian Dressing and Seasoning Mix. I found this recipe as a copycat recipe for Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix. I did not like it as a salad dressing. It was not quite as good as the original. But I love it as a dry seasoning for vegetables. I hope you will too.

Grilled Vegetables

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1 eggplant, sliced into 1/2” rounds

2 red onions, sliced into 1/2” rounds

2 red bell pepper, quartered

2 portabella mushrooms

2 small zucchini, sliced in half length wise

2 small yellow squash, sliced in half length wise

Olive oil

Italian Dressing and Seasoning Mix

Directions

Preheat grill to medium-high.

Rub all vegetables with a little olive oil. Season with Italian Dressing and Seasoning Mix. Place vegetables on the grill, start with mushrooms they will take the longest. Grill for 6 to 10 minutes, flipping once. Cooking time will vary depending on your grill. Some vegetables will cook a little faster than others. I keep a serving bowl handy and place vegetables in the bowl as they cook.

Italian Dressing and Seasoning Mix

Adapted from Copycat Good Season’s Recipe

Ingredients

1 Tbsp Garlic salt

1 Tbsp Onion powder

1 Tbsp Sugar

2 Tbsp Oregano

1 tsp Pepper

1/4 tsp Thyme

1 tsp Basil

1 Tbsp Parsley

1/4 tsp Celery salt

2 Tbsp Salt

Directions

Combine all ingredients well. Store in a pint mason jar. This seasoning can be used to season vegetables or as a salad dressing.

For Salad Dressing:

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2/3 cup oil

2 Tbsp water

2 Tbsp Italian Dressing and Seasoning Mix

Combine all ingredients and shake well.

Linking to:
Mondays with Countrified Hicks

Moussaka Soup

The first time I heard about Moussaka was a scene in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Toula was getting teased as a young girl for bringing Moussaka for her lunch. I had to try it after hearing it mentioned in the movie. I love Moussaka! It is ... like a Greek lasagna? Without pasta and loaded with eggplant and at my Greek restaurant zucchini and potato too. It also has a fluffy, creamy, cheesy topping that is so different. Try it if you haven't, it is delicious.

Well a few days ago I got the idea to adapt my Spicy Beef Vegetable Soup into a soup with Greek flavors. Moussaka has beef and vegetables and seemed the perfect candidate to turn into a soup. This soup is loaded with roasted veggies and Greek flavor. I substituted roasted eggplant, zucchini, squash and red bell pepper for the mixed veggies. I also for went the pasta sauce for can tomatoes I could spice with Greek flavors. The spices are what make this so different. Usually cinnamon, allspice and cloves are used for baking. Here they are what makes the soup reminiscent of Moussaka. Without them this soup would be more Italian than Greek. The topping is also a important touch; it is the perfect creamy, cheesy garnish for this soup. Maybe Toula could have avoided the teasing if she could have said she just had soup for lunch.

Again my dear sister is keeping my blog stylish.
Thanks for the new place mats Sis!

Moussaka Soup

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 zucchini, chopped

1 yellow squash, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Olive oil cooking spray

1 lb lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

Salt, to taste

Black pepper, to taste

Red pepper flakes, to taste

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp basil

1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes

1 medium potato, chopped

4 cups beef broth

1 Tbsp brown sugar

Topping:

1 Tbsp light butter

1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1 cup skim milk

2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese(plus more for garnish)

1/4 tsp salt

1/16 tsp nutmeg

Preparation

Preheat oven to 425º. In a large bowl combine the eggplant, zucchini, squash, red bell pepper and olive oil. Toss to coat vegetables with oil. Transfer to a large baking pan coated with cooking spray. Season with salt, black pepper and a little red pepper flake. Bake for 20 minutes.

Heat a large pot(at least 3-1/2 quarts) over medium-high heat. Add beef and cook over medium high heat until brown. Add chopped onion and garlic; continue to cook until translucent. Season with salt, black and red pepper. Add other spices; ground allspice, through basil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in tomatoes, potato, roasted vegetables, beef broth and brown sugar; bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly with a whisk until well blended. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 5 minutes or until thickened, stirring frequently. Stir in cheese, salt and nutmeg. Remove from heat, and cool slightly.

Serve in individual soup bowls; top with a drizzle of topping and additional Parmesan cheese.

Nutrition Facts: Per Serving; Calories 335, Carbohydrates 32g, Fat 12g. Protein 27g, Calcium 17g, Fiber 7g. 8 WW Points +

Linking to:
Ms. enPlace: See Ya in the Gumbo
Buns In My Oven: What's Cookin Wednesday
Mondays with Countrified Hicks Blog Hop 
My Mixing Spoon: Random Recipe Roundup Linkie Party
Carole's Chatter: Food on Friday - Eggplant
Love Bakes Good Cakes: The Ultimate Soup Recipe List Linky
The Tumbleweed Contessa: Cinnamon Saturday Dishes
Food of the World Greece
Kahakai Kitchen: Souper Sundays