Spaghetti with Spicy Eggplant Marinara

Having recently signed up for the 2010 Philadelphia Marathon, I can look forward to the three months of early morning runs, chafed nipples, and blood blisters on my toes that comes with readying my body for the 26.2 mile race.  The one good that comes from marathon training--aside from looser-fitting clothes--is that it brings on a constant craving for carbohydrates.  With beer and sweets being somewhat off-limits, I turn to pasta to get my carb fix, so be prepared for many pasta recipes the next few months.

To kick off my training, I made a spicy marinara containing slices of fried eggplant and served it over a plateful of spaghetti.  Don't be intimidated by the fried eggplant; eggplant is one of the easiest foods to fry and creates minimal mess.  Just be sure to leave at least 30 minutes to salt the eggplant so that it releases all of its excess water.  Aside from that step, this dish is quick to prepare, and while I'm still looking for a super food to heal my blood blisters, it at least got me through my run the following morning.

Spaghetti with Spicy Eggplant Marinara
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 large globe eggplant
• 1 tbsp kosher salt
• Canola oil, for frying the eggplant
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28 oz. can peeled tomatoes with their juice, crushed by hand 
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp hot red pepper flakes
• 1 lb spaghetti
• grated Pecorino Romano cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Slice off each end of the eggplant.  Slice it into 1/4-inch thick pieces.
2. Place the eggplant slices in a colander and toss with 1 tbsp salt.  Let the eggplant sit for at least 30 minutes.
3. Rinse the eggplant and pat it dry with paper towels.
4. Pour enough canola oil into a saute pan to come 2 inches up the sides.  Heat the oil to 350F.  
5. Working in batches, add the eggplant to the pan without crowding or overlapping.  Fry until the eggplant begins is golden on one side, 2 to 3 minutes.  Flip the eggplant slices and fry until the other side is golden brown, another 2 to 3 minutes.  Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggplant to a plate lined with paper towels.  Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices.
6. Heat the olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.
7. Add the garlic to the pan and stir until it turns golden, about 2 minutes.
8. Add the tomatoes, parsley and pepper flakes to the pan and bring the mixture to a simmer.  Season it with salt.  Let the sauce simmer until it thickens to a desired consistency and the oil separates, about 30 minutes.  With about 10 minutes left, begin boiling the pasta as per the instructions on the package.
9. Chop the eggplant slices into quarter-size pieces.  Add them to the sauce and continue to simmer for another 3 minutes.  Taste the sauce for salt and add more red pepper flakes if desired.
10. Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.  Serve the pasta immediately,  topped with grated Pecorino Romano cheese. 

Braised Leek and Bacon Tart

This tart definitely ranks among the best dishes I have ever cooked. The tart recipe, along with the braised leeks that went into it, is from Molly Stevens' All About Braising. Having never made a pie crust before, I was worried how well the shell would hold up, but Stevens' instructions worked perfectly. Due to my own clumsiness, it was not the best looking crust, but it was just as flaky and flavorful as any I've had. While I used leftover braised leeks from one of Stevens' recipes, any cooked leeks should work just as well.

Braised Leek and Bacon Tart
from Molly Stevens' All About Braising


For the shell:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 6 1/2 tbsp butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 3 to 4 tbsp cold water
• 1/2 tsp salt
  

For the filling:

• 4 braised leeks, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 tbsp braising liquid from the leeks
  
• 3 slick slices bacon, minced and sautéed until slightly crispy
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup creme fraiche
• 2/3 cups half and half
  
• 3/4 cup Gruyere cheese
• 1 tsp thyme leaves, minced
• ground nutmeg
• salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. To make the shell, combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the butter and stir to coat with flour. With a fork, press the butter pieces into the flour until the butter is in small, flour-coated bits. Add 3 tbsp of water and stir the mixture. Continue adding drops of water until the dough can hold together. With your hands, form the dough into a 2-inch thick disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or up to two days.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 13-inch circle. Drape the dough over a 10-inch tart pan. Press it into the sides and corners of the pan, pressing from the center of the crust so that the sides are slightly thicker than the base. Cut away the excess dough that falls over the sides of the pan. Refrigerate the crust for another hour.
3. Preheat the oven to 375F. Cover the crust in foil and weigh it down with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 minutes.
4. Remove the foil from the crust and continue to bake until it is golden in color, approximately 10 minutes. Remove the tart pan from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Reduce the oven heat to 350F.
5. To make the filling, whisk together the eggs and creme fraiche until they are well blended. Add the cream, thyme, nutmeg, braising liquid, salt, and pepper and stir well to combine.
6. Place the leeks in the tart shell. Top the leeks with the bacon pieces, then the cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the leeks.
7. Bake the tart until the filling is set and the top is browned, approximately 40 minutes. The tart can be served hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Something New to try with Beets

President Obama's dislike for beets will no doubt ensure that beets remain at the bottom of the vegetable popularity rankings for the next four years. Nonetheless, here is an easy dish that the few remaining beet lovers should try.

Beet Greens with Roast Beets and Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of beets with greens intact
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Meanwhile, trim greens from beet bulbs, leaving about half an inch of the stem attached to each beet, Wash greens and scrub bulbs.
2. Wrap each beet bulb in foil. Place bulbs on an oven tray and roast until tender, 45 minutes to one hour. Let beets cool.
3. Once beets have cooled, peel the skin off. Chop beet bulbs into 1/2 inch pieces.
4. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.
5. Add beat greens and saute until they begin to wilt, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Serve beet greens topped with roasted beets and goat cheese.

Ramps, Mushrooms, and Cream over Polenta

I'm still on what will surely be a short-lived vegetarian kick. However, the idea for this dish came more so from a necessity for a quick meal with minimal cleanup than a desire to make a meatless meal. The dish won't blow you away, but it does the trick when you want to make a nice spring meal with minimal effort.

Ramps, Mushrooms, and Cream over Polenta
Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp. butter
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
  
• 10 oz. button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  
• 1 bunch ramps, cleaned and trimmed, with bulbs separated from leaves
• 1/4 cup (or more) heavy cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Parmesan cheese, for serving

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium heat until butter is melted.
2. Add mushrooms and ramp bulbs. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until mushrooms have given off their liquid and liquid has reduced, about 8 minutes. By this time, mushrooms and ramp bulbs should be slightly browned.
3. Add two big splashes of cream and bring to boil.
4. Add ramp leaves and stir until leaves have wilted, about 1 minute.
5. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve over polenta with parmesan cheese.

Asparagus Risotto

Risotto is one of those dishes that I have always been wanting to add to my repertoire. It's known to be one of the more labor-intensive dishes, requiring constant stirring and fairly little room for error. And as with any labor-intensive, finicky recipe, it is a dish that is a rite of passage for all chefs; once you have successfully cooked risotto, you reach a new culinary skill level.

My first attempt at risotto was a disaster, resulting in crunchy, flavorless rice. The other night, determined both to use up the asparagus I purchased from the Greenmarket and to give risotto one more try, I came across this recipe for asparagus risotto from The Amateur Gourmet to find out if I was finally ready to take my cooking to the next level. Fortunately for my pride as a cook, my second attempt at risotto was an overwhelming success, no doubt thanks to the terrific step-by-step instructions from The Amateur Gourmet.

The asparagus stalk puree is the key to this recipe, ensuring that every bite is filled with the great flavors of the season's first asparagus and that the dish has a wonderful green hue. The dish is the perfect celebration of spring and left me with little doubt that I could easily be a vegetarian if spring lasted all year round. Despite the small number of ingredients, this dish was a struggle for me, with the rice taking twice as long to become tender and creamy as the recipe indicated; after stirring constantly for nearly 40 minutes in my hot kitchen, I had worked up quite a sweat. However, the end result was well worth the effort.