Uncategorized Archives - Eat Simply, Eat Well

Tomato Cheddar Pie

July 14, 2016 by aplough 2 Comments

Tomato Cheddar Pie. Just look at this thing.

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Summer doesn’t get any better than this: long, light days. Clear blue skies. Mostly warm. Scattered showers to keep the dust down and the garden watered. And produce ripening almost faster than we can pick it. Down in my small garden patch, the cherry tomatoes are really starting to take off, each small orb a delightful sweet & sour mouthful. And of course, eating them fresh is always a good idea, but if you want to take them up another notch, why not pie?

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Now pie. That’s a really good idea.

This Tomato Cheddar Pie was inspired by a recipe in Fine Cooking from the Aug/Sept 2013 issue, and has been modified slightly to suit my own taste. I think you’re going to love it, especially if you have a bowl of tomatoes in your kitchen begging to be consumed right now. The base is buttermilk biscuit which creates a nice flaky layer upon which the rest of the ingredients sit. The tomato juices blend with the herbs and cheese, but thanks to a sprinkle of corn flour over the base, it doesn’t turn into a soggy mess.

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A few notes:

if you’re gluten-free, feel free to sub in your favorite gluten-free flour
if you don’t use dairy, sub in your favorite nondairy cheese and use the olive oil option instead of butter
I love the combination of chives, oregano and basil in this, but get creative – the tomatoes can take it! It’ll be delicious either way.
Serve a wedge of this with a large salad of fresh summer greens and you’ll have fans gathering around your table.
If you reheat this, I recommend doing so in the oven for best results.

Tomato Cheddar Pie

Preheat the oven 200°C/425°F.

To prepare the buttermilk crust:

1 3/4 whole wheat flour (or the gluten-free flour of your choice)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons cold butter (or 6 T olive oil, added together with the buttermilk for a vegan option)
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 3/4 teaspoon oat milk + 1 teaspoon lemon juice) + extra if the dough feels too dry
1 heaped tablespoon fine cornmeal

Combine the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add the butter to the flour mixture, and using a pastry blender or a fork, mash the butter into the flour mixture until the butter is the size of peas. Pour the buttermilk over the flour-butter mixture and stir to combine, using your hands to shape it gently. Don’t over process – you just need it to hold together. If you handle it too much, the crust will be tough.

Wet your hands so your fingers won’t stick to the dough. Press the dough into the bottom and up the sides of an oiled 10″/25 cm tart tin. Sprinkle the cornmeal over the base of the crust in an even layer.

For the filling:

20 large cherry tomatoes cut in half or 3 large tomatoes cut into slices
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 – 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, grated on the large holes of a box grater
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Sprinkle half of the chives, oregano and cheese over the bottom of the tart crust. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, to cover the bottom of the tart. Sprinkle the salt and pepper evenly over the tops of the tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle the remaining chives, oregano and cheese over the tops of the tomatoes. Place the pie into the hot oven and bake 20-25 minutes until the crust is golden brown around the edges and the tomatoes begin to brown as well.

Remove from oven and cool 10 minutes. Sprinkle the fresh basil leaves over the top, and serve.

Serves 6-8.

Eat Simply, Eat Well.

Ann

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Rhubarb & Rye Pancakes & A Love Story

May 30, 2016 by aplough 2 Comments

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Happy Anniversary to me.

10 years ago I said “yes” to the beginning of great adventure. No, it wasn’t marriage (though that came along too, later) – it was an expat assignment based in Munich, Germany. I remember flying into that beautiful city, with the airplane circling high through a cloudless May sky over blooming rapeseed fields and red rooftops. I went in with an open mind, but completely clueless – ready to see what the world on the other side of the pond had to offer and not knowing exactly what to expect.

It’s been a good ride. In celebration, here are five lessons I’ve learned over the last 10 years living in Europe.

Trust your gut about the people you meet. Despite my jet lag after 22 hours of traveling from Seattle to Munich, I walked energetically off the airplane, collected my (way too many) bags of luggage onto a luggage trolley, and entered the airport lobby to look for “someone name Thomas” who was to be waiting for me. There he was, navy blue v-neck sweater over a crisp white business shirt, tapping a hand-written sign with “Ann Plough” on it against the leg of his khaki pants, looking slightly bored – likely wondering how on earth he’d been stuck with picking-up-random-American-from-the-airport duty. I burst out laughing – and he did too. “I’m gonna like this guy,” I thought, and trusted him immediately. Thus began one of the most important friendships of my Germany years, as my new colleague Thomas was someone I worked closely with and with whom I traveled on many, many adventures (ahem, business trips). I’d like to shout out here too, and thank Thomas, Ines, Eva, Jonas, Sabine, Dirk, Steffi, Bernhardt & Ron – if you are reading this, thanks for making those first few months bearable as I went through the red tape of getting my residence permit; for making the rest of the 3 years in Munich some of the best of my life; and for sushi nights I still smile about.
Be thankful for a world that speaks a language you understand. As a native English speaker – I count myself among the lucky ones in one sense: as I travel the world, in no matter which country I find myself, I can count on the fact that someone there has taken the trouble to learn English. Never mind if it’s spoken perfectly or not; accented or not; I am able to communicate – not because I have made some extraordinary effort – but because they have. Whenever I think of this, I am filled with gratitude and humility – as someone who tried (and failed) to learn German; and then learned Finnish well enough to earn Finnish citizenship, I know learning a language isn’t self-evident – you have to want it and work at it. Along the same lines, I have found that learning – and using – a few words of the local language from wherever you are is very well-received. Especially to Przemek in Bratislava, Pablo in Madrid, Tarek in Casablanca, Aleksi & Alessandro in Scopello and to my dear friends in Gdansk – thank you for using your language skills to translate your local worlds for me. Unforgettable.
A smile needs no translation. From the foothills of Kilimanjaro to the streets & markets of Dubai, Hyderabad, London, Berlin, Oslo, Paris, Madrid, Palermo – everywhere you go, you’ll find people willing to make a friend, just for a moment. You’ll find people who want to live a good life; who want to build a good life for their families; to have friends; to fill connected and valued; to be accepted for who and what they are. You’ll find people, living very different lives from the one you’ve always known, and doing it happily. And if you let yourself be open to what they have to offer, and give a smile of genuine appreciation and thanks in return, you’ll find that the world outside is a whole lot friendlier than world news makes it out to be. There’s hope in humanity after all, and a single smile connects us – lets us see into the window of another person’s soul, and come away just a little better than before. And you never know – you just may make a friend.
Living abroad will change you. Yes, it will. In fact, I believe that the best way to know who you are and what you really value is to travel outside of your comfort zone and to find a way to not just to survive, but to live a good life in a new place. You’ll find that it tests you in ways you never thought were possible, and that what you receive from those you meet is far more than you can ever give. The changes are gradual, and when looking at this new canvass upon which your life is being created, you may not recognize them right away. When you return to your home city, however, you’ll notice the changes clearly against the backdrop of what used to reflect you, and you’ll see more clearly what it is you’ve kept as true to you, and what has changed. It’s all good. Change is inevitable anyway; living abroad accelerates and accentuates it. You’ll likely become a better version of yourself.
You’ll miss opportunities and you’ll gain so many more. You’ll miss a lot of important events in the lives of those you love back home. Nieces and nephews and other kids you love grow up, graduate. Friends get married, have babies. Loved ones deal with health issues and work success and failures. Beloved elders pass on. You’ll miss the spontaneous coffee dates and BBQ parties and as an American – I miss the fireworks on the Fourth of July. You’ll think, sometimes, of what’s happening without you, but mostly, you won’t. You’ll be living your life from your new address, meeting new friends, enjoying new customs, learning new skills (mushroom hunting, anyone?) – and maybe, you’ll find yourself, as I did, pursuing a new career that feels like the absolute perfect fit, but one you never would have considered had you stayed where you were. Above all, you’ll find that people are people wherever you are, and that as William James said once, “Wherever you are, it is your friends who make your world”. Here in the foreign city I’ve come home to, Helsinki, I am thankful for the many, many friends I’ve made here. Thanks to all of you for these incredible years. You know who you are.

If you, too, decide to embark on a great adventure to live abroad, one day you’ll wake up and look out your window and realize that you’ve been blessed (and probably challenged) far more than you could of hoped for.

And you’ll be so delighted – and thankful. So if you have the chance, say “yes!” and move forward boldly.

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I’ll leave you with a recipe that reflects the influences of the places I’ve traveled and my ever-expanding interest in good, healthy food. I should note that the coconut oil can be replaced with butter and the plant-based milk with cow’s milk if preferred. Rye flour is delicious here, but feel free to use your flour of choice (that is, whatever’s in your cupboard). I served this for dessert, but eat it as breakfast, lunch or dinner. You can call it local custom. I won’t judge.

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Roasted Rhubarb Compote over Rye Pancakes

For the compote:

Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.

2 cups raw rhubarb chunks
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon of coconut oil, melted
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

Combine the rhubarb, maple syrup, coconut oil and cardamom in a baking pan, stirring to make sure the ingredients are well combined. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the tops of the rhubarb begin to caramelize.

Meanwhile, make the pancakes:

1/4 cup rye flour
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons oat milk, almond milk, or other milk of choice
1 tablespoon coconut butter, melted
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk all the ingredients together in a small bowl

In a heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat, melt 1/4 teaspoon coconut oil into a pan and pour in 1 tablespoon of pancake batter. Use a metal spatula to spread the batter out a little. Cook until bubbles form, and then pop. Flip the pancake over and cook on the other side until golden brown. Place the cooked pancake on a plate to cool and repeat until the batter is used up.

Makes 8 small pancakes.

To serve:

2 teaspoons toasted sunflower seeds
oat cream (such as Oatly or Planti), coconut cream or full-fat dairy cream

Place a heaped spoonful of rhubarb compote on top of each pancake and drizzle your choice of cream over the top. Sprinkle with toasted sunflower seeds and serve.

Serves 2 for breakfast or 4 for dessert.

Eat Simply, Eat Well.

Ann

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Stuffed Eggplant

April 27, 2016 by aplough Leave a Comment

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, it’s no secret that I love eggplant. Once roasted, this odd purple vegetable goes from stiff and a bit rubbery to smooth and luscious, and it pairs well with tomatoes, onion, lemon and olive oil to make a superbly easy and satisfying main course.

So often vegetables are pushed to the sides of our plates, served up alongside a hunk of meat, but it’s time to of put vegetables where they belong: front and center as the main course.

You can, of course, serve this stuffed eggplant as a side dish, but I assure you, once you’ve tasted these, you’re not going to be out looking for meat! Filled with a mixture of whole wheat couscous, fresh cherry tomatoes, spring onion and cilantro, and flavored with olive oil, lemon, smoked paprika and chili – these beauties are good served warm or at room temperature – which means you can make them ahead, use the leftovers for lunch, or even freeze the extras for a delicious meal later.

The middle east has a version of stuffed eggplant which is a thing of legends: Imam biyaldi (the Imam fainted). The story goes that a young Turkish bride was given 12 large pots of the finest, most expensive olive oil for her husband. She made a stuffed eggplant dish stuffed with tomatoes, onions, garlic – and copious amounts of olive oil. Her husband loved the dish so much that he asked her to make it every single day. She did – for 12 days. On the 13th day, the stuffed eggplant was absent from the table. “Why?” asked the disappointed husband? “my dear, we are out of olive oil and I cannot make it until you purchase some more.” Upon hearing that the expensive gift had been completely used up, the Imam fainted. Imam biyaldi.

My version uses olive oil too, and flavors of the middle east, though it is not like the traditional Turkish dish. I think you’ll love this, though! The recipe can be easily scaled up or down depending on the size of the crowd you are serving, and any leftovers will be fought over the following day. I typically serve 2 eggplant halves per person; though you could also serve one half plus a salad for a lighter meal.

Stuffed Eggplant

First, prepare the eggplant:

2 medium-sized eggplants
olive oil, salt and pepper

Heat oven to 200°C/400°F.

Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise through the stem. Lay the eggplants cut-side up on a parchment-lined baking tray. Using a small paring knife, cut a cross-hatch into the cut side of the eggplant. Sprinkle each eggplant generously with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and very soft. Remove from oven.

Make the filling:

1 cup/ 2.5 dl dried, whole wheat couscous*
2 cups / 5 dl boiling water
1 package cherry tomatoes
1 small bunch of cilantro = 1 cup chopped stems & leaves; reserve the top leaves for garnish.
2 green Spring onions, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup/ 1/2 dl extra virgin olive oil
Zest and juice of one organic lemon
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon chili powder

*To make it gluten-free, use millet, cooked according to packet instructions.

Pour the couscous into a small bowl and add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the boiling water. Cover with a plate and allow it to absorb the water for 5 minutes.

Cut the cherry tomatoes into into fourths and place into a medium-sized bowl. Add the chopped cilantro, green onion, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper, olive oil, paprika, chili powder, lemon zest and lemon juice. Mix well to combine. Check the couscous to make sure it has absorbed all of the water. Fluff it lightly with a fork, then add it to the tomato mixture. Stir well to combine. Taste; adjust seasoning if necessary.

Top each eggplant half with 3/4 cup / 1.5 dl of the couscous mixture, pressing it down into the eggplant shell. I find it’s easiest to do this with my hands, but you can do this however you wish. Transfer the stuffed eggplant to individual serving plates and garnish with the remaining cilantro.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 2-4.

Eat simply, eat well,

Ann

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