Easy Recipes

As someone who allots about 15 minutes to shower, dress, and get out the door most mornings, its possible I underestimate the importance of physical appearance. We should care about inner beauty, right? Not the creative hairstyles resulting from my shower-then-apply-bike-helmet morning ritual. Similarly, food should be eaten because its delicious, right? Not because its pretty or artfully fussed-over. Right?

Well, kind of. When it comes to food, sure, were after delicious. But aesthetics are actually a kind of delicious, too. A counterpoint of colors, careful placement of items on the plate — all of these can shape your whole experience. Im not talking about 80s-style fussy towers of food, or sauces applied with squeeze bottles in the home kitchen. Im just talking about taking the smallest of moments to highlight something about the food itself, about the ingredients and occasion and wonder of it all. Im talking about this salad.


This combination is classic Ottolenghi, just a few simple ingredients that come together in deliciously unexpected ways. And also: so gorgeous! Eggplant is roasted until butter-soft, then topped with a bright yellow saffron yogurt, fragrant green basil leaves, pine nuts, and pomegranates that provide a punchy little pop of tart flavor (as well as garnet-bright color). Its surprising, perfectly balanced, and easy. And beautiful.

Just as the fiery fall palette of leaves makes you take a deep breath in awe of the seasons, this gorgeous plate of late-fall produce captures a bit of that on a smaller scale. Sure, its just a salad of fall vegetables, a bit of yogurt and nuts. But — as this presentation makes clear — that, in and of itself, can be beautifully amazing.


Roasted Eggplant with Saffron Yogurt

Both the eggplant and saffron yogurt can be prepared in advance, making this a perfect make-ahead dinner party dish. I tripled the amount of eggplants and salad elements and doubled the yogurt, and fed a Rosh Hashanah dinner party of 18 people with a bit of leftovers. You can also substitute a saffron tahini sauce for the yogurt sauce (as we did for one platter) for any dairy-free/vegan guests.

adapted from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook
serves ~4-5, or more as part of a larger spread

2-3 good-sized Italian eggplants, unpeeled
olive oil for brushing
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
1 handful of pomegranate seeds (maybe 1/3 of a pomegranate, depending upon size)
1 handful of basil leaves

Saffron Yogurt:
1 pinch saffron, infused in a few spoonfuls of hot water for a few minutes
2/3 cup Greek yogurt
1-2 garlic cloves, crushed
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

To cook the eggplants: Preheat your oven to 425° Farenheit. Cut the eggplants into 1/2-inch thick rounds, brush each side with oil, and place in a single layer on a baking tray (you may need to do this in a few batches). Sprinkle with salt, and bake until they soften and brown on the bottom, ~7-10 minutes. Flip over, sprinkle with salt again, and return to the oven until the second side is browned and the eggplant is butter-soft. Transfer to a container and cool (if you dont use a ton of oil, the eggplant may dry out a wee bit on the edges, but if you transfer them to a covered glass container while still warm, theyll soften up beautifully). Let cool, and, if desired, refrigerate up to three days.

To make the saffron yogurt: Whisk together all ingredients until smooth, and adjust seasonings to taste (I was initially wondering whether olive oil was necessary, but it does a lovely job of rounding out the flavors). This can also be made up to three days in advance.

To assemble the salad: If you made the eggplant in advance, allow to warm to room temperature. Lay the eggplant slices on individual plates (or, ideally, a nice dramatic platter). Drizzle generously with the saffron yogurt, then sprinkle the pine nuts, pomegranate seeds, and basil leaves. Serve.

From my humble corner of the kitchen world, Im not quite sure what to make of the molecular gastronomy thats happening at top restaurants. While I chop vegetables and simmer marmalade, chefs at fancypants venues are rendering ingredients unrecognizable. Im still in awe of things like slightly savory ice creams (I literally started giggling the one time I tasted a pink peppercorn sundae), and cant imagine vegetables turned into squishy bubbles, peanut butter and jelly rendered into powder, or air and smoke considered legitimate ingredients. Its all far beyond me these days. The closest I come is turning a drink into a popsicle.

Ive always been a big fan of lassis, the yogurt drink enjoyed at Indian restaurants. Usually theyre featured flavored with mango, and occasionally show up salted instead of sweetened (which can lead to disappointing mistakes, unless you favor a savory beverage). But my favorite is the plain sweet lassi. As someone who always picked vanilla ice cream over strawberry, thats probably no surprise. But the sweet lassi is far from plain. Its got tang from yogurt, a bit of sugar to sweeten, and rosewater to lend a lovely perfume (beware overdoing it, or it might be a bit too much like perfume). I also like to mix in a bit of cardamom, though its still sweet and refreshing without. I know its pretty humble, but on days like these it feels like the perfect bit of kitchen magic.

Lassi (Rosewater Yogurt) Popsicles

I freeze my popsicles in these nifty molds I bought with some cooking store credit, but you can use anything: paper cups, a loaf pan (slice after freezing), or, adorably, shot glasses. If you dont have handled molds, you can pick up popsicle sticks at a grocery or craft store. In a pinch: chopsticks! You can also substitute buttermilk for both the yogurt and milk, for a nice variation.

2 cups yogurt (low-fat yields an icier pop, full-fat is creamier)
1/2 cup milk
6 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp rosewater
1/4 tsp cardamom (optional)

Whisk together all of the ingredients. Let sit a minute, and then whisk again until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into your desired posicle mold, and freeze until firm (usually overnight). Enjoy.

Sometimes it takes a summer heat wave to remember how delicious the simplest things can be. A cold gin and tonic. Lying in the backyard looking up at the stars. A bowl of vanilla ice cream with fresh blackberries. Poached eggs and garlicky yogurt.

I know, I know. On the surface, a meal of eggs and yogurt sounds kind of basic, unexciting (if not downright unappleaing). But in truth, its phenomenal. The yogurt is tangy and savory, a perfect pillow for a runny poached egg. Topped with a drizzle of red pepper-infused oil and scooped up with some crusty bread, its pretty near perfect.

This classic Turkish combination takes many forms — sometimes theres dried mint or sage leaves, or melted butter substitutes for the olive oil. Ill scoop it up with some toasted flatbread, a baguette, or the random ends of Russian rye from the freezer. Its quick enough for a quick weeknight supper, or too-hot-to-cook summer afternoon. As with any pared-down recipe, it helps to start with quality ingredients. But with the right building blocks (flavorful chiles, farm-fresh eggs and good bread), and the right Turkish inspiration, simplicity can be oh so delicious.


Çılbır (Poached Eggs on Garlicky Yogurt)

adapted from several traditional recipes
serves 2

garlicky yogurt:
3/4 cup plain yogurt
1 garlic clove, pressed
salt

seasoned oil:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon flavorful-but-not-hot red pepper (Aleppo or Marash are particularly nice), or a hefty pinch smoked paprika

4 eggs

crusty bread for eating

optional additions:
chopped fresh tomatoes
a handful of olives
steamed or sauteed greens

To make the yogurt sauce: In a bowl, mix together the yogurt, garlic, and salt to taste. Set aside.

To make the seasoned oil: Pour the olive oil and pepper in a saucepan, and gently heat over a medium-low flame until the oil just warms and takes on color from the pepper (you dont want to overheat and darken things). Turn off and let sit.

Poach the eggs — there are numerous tutorials on this, but Im fond of slipping a cracked egg into a whirlpool of barely-simmering water with a splash of vinegar, and simmering until just barely set.

To assemble: Lay down a bed of the garlicky yogurt on a plate, and ladle two poached eggs on top. Add whatever additions you favor, then top with a sprinkling of salt and a good amount of the seasoned oil. Serve with crusty bread for dipping.