Roasted Eggplant Salad

Remember how I told you that I didn’t know how to cook eggplant? Well, I’ve been practicing a lot since then. I thought I’d share some of the tips I’ve discovered along the way you with, and an easy recipe! 

How to roast perfect eggplant: 

• Whether dicing or slicing, make each piece the same size. This will ensure everything is done cooking at the same time! 

• Use plenty of oil. Don’t skimp. Eggplant is like a sponge and will soak it up plenty of oil, but that makes it get crispy in the outside. Use a Silpat (affiliate link) to keep the eggplant from sticking to your pans. Parchment works too.

• Since you’ll be using plenty, use an oil with a taste you enjoy. While it’s not a high heat oil, we like the flavor of olive oil roasted eggplant more than others. Experiment with an oil that tastes good to you! (I also like avocado oil.)

• Season with salt, pepper, and garlic before you roast. (Or harissa. Harissa is amazing.)

• Cook with a high heat: when in doubt, I go to 450°F for eggplant, but if you’re looking to char your eggplant (like, for a smokey baba ganoush) you’ll want to use your grill.

• Have patience. Wait until the eggplant is super soft when you bite into it. Set a timer, leave the kitchen, and do something else. No foamy eggplant, ok?! 

• Top it with a sauce or something fresh. A drizzle of yogurt and a scoop of tomato-cucumber salad is great, but this roasted eggplant salad calls for a creamy tahini sauce.

Now, on to why I love this recipe! 

Put on some classical music and thrown on your apron. Cooking this salad makes me feel like Ottlenghi, and you will too if you're in the right mindset. 

While eggplant is a summer crop, I like it best when it’s been roasted in the oven for sometime, making it something I prefer to cook when it's a bit cooler. Biting into a forkful of cold romaine lettuce on a snowy day? No thanks! We can do better, and in this case, better is roasted. This roasted eggplant salad is exactly the kind of thing I want to make for lunch when there’s a chill in the air.

Topped with parsley, pomegranate, and a creamy tahini sauce, it’s also vibrant with wintery colors: red, green, and soft white. It goes great with the side of roasted chicken, quinoa, or hummus… buuuut we eat this as a whole meal, split between two people. 

Roasted Eggplant Salad

Published December 7, 2017 by Caitlin Sherwood

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Serves: 2 as a main course, 4 as a side   |    Total Time: 45-50 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 2 medium eggplants (Italian variety) 
• 2 large shallots 
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil (or cooking oil of choice)
• Sprinkle of salt
• Sprinkle of garlic powder
• 1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley 
• 1/4 cup pomegranate perils 
• 1/3 cup toasted pinenuts 

For the Tahini Sauce:
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons tahini
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 
• 1/16 teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Slice eggplants into 1/2 inch thick rounds, and arrange in an even layer on a baking sheet (or two). Slice shallots into wedges, and add to baking sheet. Brush everything with olive oil, and then sprinkle with salt and garlic powder. Place in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, until eggplant is golden and cooked through. TIP: You can add the pinenuts in the last 3-5 minutes to get them nice and toasted if they are not already. Watch them closely to avoid burning.
2. While the eggplant is cooking, make the tahini sauce: combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir until smooth, seasoning with salt to taste.
3. Assembly: use a spatula to transfer cooked eggplant and shallots to a serving platter. Sprinkle with parsley, pomegranate, and pinenuts. Then, drizzle with tahini sauce. Serve warm.

Three Herb Roasted Chicken

Hello and happy 2017! We got back home yesterday and boy does it feel good--I'm sure many of you are home from traveling too, and understand the feeling. I made this chicken recipe before we left, but it's so homey that it seems like a good one to post as a welcome home. 

We spent the last week in Nevada, exploring the Red Rocks Canyon Conservation Area. Like I told you last week, I'm pretty accustomed to unconventional Christmas holidays, and this one was no exception. We rented a vacation home with a group of friends and spent the majority of the time exploring the narrow slot canyons and rocky plateaus of the park via foot and rope--hiking and climbing toward each new view. 

Such a lovely adventure today! We still have five more days of this and I'm soaking it up. . . . #getoutside #playoutside #climbing #adventure #redrocks

A photo posted by Caitlin Sherwood (@forageddish) on Dec 26, 2016 at 5:01pm PST

It was nothing short of refreshing: a breath of fresh air and plenty of time in the sun. We stayed out until dusk most evenings, watching the sun dip below the mountainous horizon. We kept ourselves busy with the outdoors! Cooking was second to adventure, which is probably for the best as our rental had an ill-equipped kitchen: for dinner I'd dig through cabinets, make do with odd sized pots and pans, and stir using whatever utensils we could find.  

How nice it is to return the plates and spoons you know! Feeling comfy and cozy at home. ❤️ How about you? 

Three Herb Roasted Chicken

Paleo, Primal, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    |   

Chicken always tastes better when its roasted whole.

Serves: 6   |    Total Time: 50 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 Whole Chicken
• 4 cloves + 1 bulb garlic
• 1 lemon
• 1 sweet onion
• 1 package poultry herbs
• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 whole chicken
• Salt & pepper
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

Directions:

1. Preheat over to 350°F. Mince the 4 cloves or garlic and place in small mixing bowl. Pull leaves from half of the springs of herbs, and place in bowl with garlic. Add 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir in honey, and zest the lemon into the bowl.
2. Prep chicken: Season cavity with salt & pepper. Gently slide hands under skin of chicken so as to separate the skin from the meat (this is a bit gross but pays off! The flavor makes it into the meat instead of just the skin). Then, spread the herb/garlic mixture under the skin, trying to get it into all of the nooks and crannies of the chicken.
3. Cut the lemon and the onion into wedges.
4. Slice the build of garlic in half the horizontal way. You will end up with one larger piece that is held together by the roots and a bunch of smaller half cloves.
5. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with half of the onion and lemon wedges, the smaller garlic pieces, and several sprigs of herbs. Place chicken on pan. Surround chicken with remaining onions, larger garlic piece, lemons, and herbs. Season top with salt & pepper. Drizzle enter pan with avocado oil.
6. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and juices run clear.

Balsamic Butter Braised Onions

It rained. When the rain cleared it was really just a tease— the next wave of clouds would roll over the mountain tops and into the valley and the rain would start again. The second storm was drearier than the first and we took cover in our cars and tents, waiting hopefully for the skies to clear. 

After a summer of salads and gazpachos and cheese plates, this weather gave me cause to crave warmth: soup, stew, roasted veggies, tea. Hearty dishes that warm you in one bite were on my mind.  

These braised onions go well with a side of steak, or a roasted chicken breast. They taste good folded into eggs, and pair perfectly with a rainy day. What goes in the oven as crispy and sharp comes out melted and buttery; rich and satisfying.  

When the pitter patter on our windows started to slow, it left thoughts of warmth behind. Wet socks and cold fingers were begging for a plate of something steaming.  

Balsamic Butter Braised Onions

Paleo, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free    |   Caitlin Sherwood    |   

Onions transform into an ingredient to be remembered when braised!

Serves: 4   |    Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients:

• 1 onion
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 small clove garlic
• Salt & Pepper
• 2 springs rosemary

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Half the onion, and remove it’s papery skin. Slice the onion into wedges.
2. Lay the onion wedges in a single layer in a baking dish.
3. Mince garlic. Place butter, garlic, and balsamic vinegar in a small sauce pan and heat over low heat until butter is melted. Stir, and then drizzle mixture over onions.
4. Sprinkle onions with rosemary, salt, & pepper. Place in over and bake for 30 minutes, or until onions are softened through and are beginning to brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.