Chilled Tomato-Yogurt Soup in a Baked Eggplant Bowl

Today, I decided to play around with textures! I wanted that to drive my dish and to come up with something that would be fun and original to eat. So I sat down at my desk with pen and paper and something pretty amazing came out of it. Though I usually focus on the mix of flavors in a plate, blending textures can also add great depth to a dish.

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Red Pepper-Baked Egg with Mushrooms and Tomato Rice

 

Have you ever had a sudden realization that rocked your (culinary) world? Like a kitchen revelation? That “Eureka effect” or “Aha! moment”?

Healthy Tuna Cakes with Baked Sweet Potato Fries

I recently had a revelation: Tuna Cakes! But before I dig into the recipe, let me tell you a bit about the background to this culinary adventure. Growing up, I went to camp in Maine every summer. I loved it! Not only for the camp itself, but also for the Maine lobster. After my last summer, my dad came to pick me up and we drove from Boston to NY, stopping by Cape Cod for a few days.

A Midwinter Night’s Baked Sweet Potato

Ahhh baked sweet potatoes… So simple, yet so satisfying. I don’t know why I like them so much. But there’s just something comforting about them. Sure, when I think about “comfort food”, they aren’t the first thing rushing through my mind. I tend to immediately picture a steaming bowl of mac n’ cheese, or lasagna. But they definitely come as a close runner-up. Our heater broke because of the cold last night and I couldn’t think of anything else to warm me up. This dish was just prime comfort food with ingredients that I had on-hand. Additionally, it turned out to be a great way to use some left-over beans and onions. The dressing made it all come together nicely. It added this great sweet and savory taste to the dish. All in all, this one’s a keeper if you’re looking for some warmth on a cold winter’s night. Bon appétit!

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Prep time: 35-40 min 

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato
• 1/2 cup cooked black beans (rinsed and drained)
• 1/2 avocado (mashed)
• 1/4 yellow onion (chopped)
• olive oil

Peanut-Honey Mustard dressing:

• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp water
• 1/4 tsp honey
• salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prick the sweet potato with a fork. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until you can pierce through the flesh easily with a fork.
2. Once the sweet potato is in the oven, make the peanut-honey mustard dressing by mixing all the ingredients together until the mix is homogenous.
3. Also meanwhile, sauté the onions with olive oil, on high heat, in a small pot for about 5 minutes. Add a splash of water and let it evaporate to further soften the onions. Add the black beans and cook for about 5 more minutes on medium heat.
4. Once the sweet potato is done, cut it in half with a knife, but not all the way, and spread both sides apart. Stuff with the black beans and onions, and top with the mashed avocado. Drizzle with the sweet and savory dressing and enjoy while it’s hot!

TIP: you can substitute lentils or chickpeas for the black beans and you can also sprinkle with cheese for extra comfort food!