I always feel better when I cook something good for myself. It is like I am reminding myself “you are worth it,” which is so empowering and lovely to do for/say to oneself. I have similar feelings when I do yoga or read a novel, being nice to yourself is…well nice! And essential.
After eating way too many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (not that there is anything wrong with pb & j, but it has gotten a little out of hand lately!) I decided I needed to make myself a really nice lunch. There is something wonderful about lunch, it does not hold a lot of the pretension that dinner does, it is not the end of the day so I am not too tired, and as I cook I simultaneously think about projects or things happening that day spurring me on to get them done. It is definitely one of my favorite meals.
I first ate this at my friends Chelsea and Matt’s. Matt had made Mediterranean Eggplant over Israeli Couscous the night before. Me being me, I was scoping out their fridge the next afternoon looking for a small snack. It was incredible and I have not stopped thinking about it since, and this was at least three months back!
I have also been fascinated with the vanilla bean and all its versatile uses both savory and sweet. (A friend told me of a soup he made with cherry tomatoes and vanilla bean which I have been dying to make.) So I also made a Vanilla Spelt Bread. It is not sweet, but extremely aromatic, the vanilla permeating the house as it bakes along with that great smell of fresh baked bread. It was really one of the best olfactory experiences I’ve had in a while! It can be paired with a good curry or this Mediterranean eggplant dish because it is not sweet and the vanilla is a great compliment to the spices used in either of these (and many others!) dishes. However, it can be made sweet by spreading a little butter and honey on top while still warm; that is what I did and it was incredible!
Bon Appetit!
Mediterranean Eggplant
2 medium eggplants, approx. 4 cups cut into quarters
1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes, or 4 cups fresh tomatoes seeded and peeled
6-7 garlic cloves
3 tblspns olive oil
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon oregano
1 lemon squeezed
1/2 – 1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 bunch Italian parsley
Saute the garlic and olive oil. Add the eggplant and tomatoes. Stir until combined. Add the spices, lemon, and parsley, simmer for about 30-40 mins until eggplant is tender and juicy. Serve on top of Israeli couscous (something about the Israeli couscous makes it even better! I love the shape of it).
(if you look closely, you can see the tiny flecks of vanilla bean in the bread, yum!)
Vanilla Spelt bread
makes 1 loaf
2 teaspoons fresh yeast
1 teaspoon honey
1.5 cups lukewarm water
4 cups white spelt flour
1 heaped teaspoon salt
1 vanilla bean
Dissolve the yeast and honey in half a cup of water and leave until it begins to froth. Add 3 and a half cups of flour, the rest of the water, the salt, split open the vanilla bean and extract the tiny black specs from its inside with your thumb and knead to a dough. Leave to rest for 10 minutes then continue kneading, adding more flour or water as required to make a soft silky dough. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to double in size, approximately 1 hour. Punch down, form into a loaf and cover again with a damp tea towel and leave for half an hour. Preheat the oven with a baking stone to 445°F.
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until the loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Leave to cool for at least 20 minutes.
