Savory Mediterranean Wrap

So far, everything I've made with this French boule dough recipe (French bread, naan, and cinnamon rolls) has been phenomenal. But having all 6 pounds of unmade bread dough sitting patiently in my refrigerator makes me a bit anxious to start using it. Hence, my perusal for a great recipe for something filling and savory to wrap up in flatbread (read: naan). Well, I found it. Introducing sabich, a delicious and fresh Mediterranean wrap that won't break your budget. According to this recipe, Sabich is a popular sabbath food for Iraqi Jews. When they emigrated to Israel and set up a community in Ramat Gan, the sandwich came with them. And now it has arrived in my kitchen and, let me tell ya, it's around to stay.

I apologize that there is no picture of the final product. Consider it a testament to how quickly I ate this bad boy once it was made.


MINT ROASTED EGGPLANT SABICH WRAP
*The main inspiration for this dish is this recipe from Herbivoracious.com. In my typical style, I modified it to make it fit my quaint little budget.

THE GOODS

Eggplant ($1.39)
Cucumber ($1)
Red onion ($0.40)
Tomato ($0.30)
1 egg ($0.20)
1/2 a lemon ($0.20)
Garlic cloves or powder
Salt and pepper
Mint (optional. I used some from my Mom's garden, but it shouldn't cost you more than $1-2)
Boule dough (see recipe here, costs about $0.34 per serving)

The Grand Total: $3.49


THE WAY

First, premake your boule dough following this recipe. This will take about 3 hours to prepare, so make sure that if you haven't already done it you do it plenty of time in advance.

I combined several recipes to make the sabich happen. First, I used this recipe from whiteonricecouple.com to roast the eggplant, since that takes the longest. Alternatively, you can fry your eggplant by dicing it up and placing it in a sautee pan with some hot oil for about 10 minutes. This would be delicious and quick, but I decided to go the healthy route. Here is how you roast them:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the eggplant thinly and lay it on a large sheet pan (or other oven safe pan - I used a casserole dish. Chop up about 2-3 cloves of garlic and sprinkle it throughout the pan. Sprinkle with whole mint leaves, salt and pepper, and drizzle with about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Use your hands to mix it all up and distribute the oil and spices as evenly as possible.

Roast until eggplants are a light golden brown and soft (can be anywhere from 30 min – 1 hr depending on your eggplants and their thickness.) You do not need to flip them during roasting.

While your eggplants are roasting, hard boil an egg. In case you don't know how to make a perfect hard boiled egg,  this website gives you step-by-step instructions.

In the meantime, make your naan (step-by-step instructions here) by using some of your premade boule dough, stretching it out to a flat pancake, and sauteeing it for 3 minutes on each side on a hot pan with butter or oil (as always, butter is better). While you're naan is sauteeing, chop up a tomato, 1/2 a red onion, and some cucumber.

When everything is cooked and ready to go, slice up your egg, place all the veggies on your hot naan, season with salt, pepper, and some lemon juice.

Spicy Weeknight Delight

I've never made enchiladas before, but I was in an adventurous mood last night. So I picked up some low-carb tortillas from Trader Joe's (surprisingly good) and filled them with all the delicious items that A Couple Cooks recommend in their recipe "Sweet Potato, Black Bean, and Green Chile Enchiladas," with a couple modifications for cheapness's sake. I was very content when out of the oven emerged 6 steaming, spicy, filling homemade enchiladas, desperately begging for my consumption, for a mere $2.70 per serving (2 enchiladas). What can I say but, "The price is right?"

ENCHILADAS A LA CHEAP
FILLED WITH SWEET POTATO, BLACK BEAN AND GREEN CHILI 

THE GOODS

1 large sweet potato ($0.30)
1 15 oz. can black beans ($0.75)
1 cup diced green chilies, canned ($0.89)
1-2 cups of salsa ($1.99)
1 medium red onion ($0.40)
1 tablespoon chili powder (not sure, had this on hand)
4 oz. cheddar cheese, shredded ($2.49)
5 flour tortillas ($1.29)
Salt and pepper

Note: I did not use cumin (although the recipe called for 1/4 tablespoon), sour cream, or fresh cilantro. I also substituted Colby jack cheese with cheddar cheese, and salsa verde with regular chipotle salsa.

The Grand Total: $8.11 for at least 3 servings (if 1 serving is 2 enchiladas), $2.70 per serving

THE WAY

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Peel and dice the sweet potato. Place in a pot and cover with water; add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, around 12 to 15 minutes.

In the meantime, finely chop the red onion. Drain and rinse the black beans. (If using cilantro to garnish, you could chop it at this time as well.) In a large bowl, combine the cooked sweet potato, black beans, red onion, diced green chilies, 1/2 tablespoon chili powder (and 1/4 tablespoon cumin, if you're using it). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then mix to combine.

Then, assemble the enchiladas. First, warm the tortillas for a minute in the microwave. Spread 1/2 cup of salsa at the bottom of a baking dish. Then fill each tortilla with a scoop of the filling, and a handful of cheese. Roll them up and place them seam-side down in the baking dish. When all enchiladas are in the dish, top with the remaining 1/2 cup of salsa and the remaining cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted.


Note: As a time saver, you could cook the sweet potato beforehand, and even prepare the entire filling in advance.

Cinnamon Rolls for All

I promised more recipes using the boule dough from the Mother Earth News recipe. So far, so good: I've used it to make a French boule (round, baguette-like loaf), naan, and now... cinnamon rolls. I've never made cinnamon rolls before, and I had no idea they would be this easy to make. On a rainy afternoon when my roommates and I decided to watch 3 movies in a row, they made the perfect coffee table decoration, until 5 minutes later when they made a great, warm stomach coating. How multi-purpose, right?! Whatever you want them for, I highly recommend them.

STICKY CARAMEL CINNAMON ROLLS

THE GOODS

1 1/2 pounds pre-mixed boule dough

Topping
6 tablespoons unsalted butter ($1.49 or less for 2 sticks)
1/2 teaspoon salt (you should have this on stock)
1/2 cup brown sugar ($1.99)
Optional (which I didn't use): 30 pecan halves

Filling
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (see above)
1/4 cup cinnamon
Pinch of ground black pepper
Optional (which I didn't use): 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

The Grand Total: $3.48 plus the cost of the boule dough (see recipe in previous post)

THE WAY

Cream together the butter, salt and brown sugar. Spread evenly in a 9-inch cake pan. Scatter the pecan halves over the mixture and set aside.

Dust the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a cantaloupe-sized piece. Dust the piece with flour and shape it into a ball following the method in Step 5 of The Master Recipe (above).
With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch thick rectangle. Add only enough flour to prevent it from sticking.

Cream together the butter, sugar and spices for the filling. Spread evenly over the dough and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Roll the dough into a log. If it’s too soft to cut, chill for 20 minutes.
With a serrated knife, cut the log into 8 pieces and arrange over the pecans, with the “swirled” edge facing up. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest and rise 1 hour (or 40 minutes if you’re using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).

5 minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake about 40 minutes, or until golden brown and set in center. While still hot, run a knife around the pan to release the rolls, and invert immediately onto a serving dish.
 

After School Special

One of my favorite meals is tomato soup with grilled cheese. Nothing takes me back to elementary school like the creaminess of the soup contrasted with the sharp melty cheese and toasty bread.... It makes my insides smile.

The best I've ever had is the one at Doughboys' Bakery in Los Angeles. I decided I wanted to try to achieve the happy sensation that they sell me in my very own kitchen. Although I wasn't going to get that fatty or fancy (I think they use cabbage and cream to sweeten it up), I figured tomato soup would be an easy, cheap dish to make for myself that would remind me of home. So I tested out a new recipe using only 6 ingredients that are staples in my kitchen: tomatoes, chicken broth, basil, onion, red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese. The results were great for a soup with no cream, and even better the next day for a warm lunch, which is a major bonus in my book.


DELICIOUS (BUT HEALTHY) TOMATO BASIL SOUP



THE GOODS

1 can of diced tomatoes ($0.79)
1/2 of a yellow onion ($0.40)
Handful of basil, about 8 leaves ($1)
2 teaspoons of chicken or vegetable buillon ($3.49 for a huge container)
1 cup-ish of parmesan cheese ($1.99)
About 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
About 2 tablespoons of olive oil

The Grand Total: $7.47 for about 3 servings, or about $2.55 per serving

THE WAY

Chop up the onion. Place the olive oil in a medium to large pot over medium heat. Sautee the onions for 5-10 minutes, until they become translucent but not brown. Now, add the canned tomatoes and cook for about 10-15 minutes. Tear up the basil and stir it in. Add the chicken stock (which you make by adding the 2 cups of hot water with 2 teaspoons of chicken buillon).




Cook for 10-20 minutes, then puree in a blender.












Pour the blended soup back in the pot, adding the parmesan cheese, stirring, and cooking for 10 more minutes or so. Top with parmesan cheese and serve with toast.

Not Your Average Bite of Cake

It was office potluck time again, and I wanted to bring something fun and nibbly that involved chocolate (and didn't break the bank). My final decision left my coworkers, my Halloween visitors, and my roommates begging for more. Introducing.... the Halloween funfetti cake truffle: enrobed in chocolate, encrusted in candy corn, and bejeweled with sprinkles. 

And with a little creativity, they can be morphed to suit all of your holiday needs. Think: dried cranberry toppings with orange-colored cake inside for Thanksgiving, crushed candy cane topping with white chocolate coating and red velvet cake for Christmas, blue-dyed cake with white chocolate coating and silver sprinkles for Hannukah... you name it!

Readers, please comment with any ideas you have about different toppings or combinations! Let me know if you try any of them and how they turn out.

CHOCOLATE COVERED CAKE TRUFFLES (w/ candy corn)

To give credit where credit is due, I was inspired by this recipe from the Velveteen Baker.

THE GOODS

Canned frosting or do-it-yourself ($1.79)

Funfetti cake mix ($1.79)

Canola oil ($3.29)

3 eggs ($0.80)

Semi-sweet chocolate chips, or whatever your fancy ($1.99)

Candy corn, or your topping of choice ($1)

The Grand Total: $10.66 for about 4 dozen cake truffles, or about $0.22 per truffle

THE WAY

Make the funfetti cake following the directions on the box. Or, use your own favorite cake recipe if you have more time, energy, and creativity juices. When the cake is done, let it cool for about 10 minutes. 

Now, for the fun part. Crumble the cake into a large bowl. Mix in 2 cups of frosting so that the mixture becomes dough-y.

Form the mixture into small balls by rolling them in your hands. I made mine about 2 inches in diameter. Place them on wax or parchment paper on a cookie sheet and stick them in the freezer for about 30 minutes to 1 hour. You want them to be solid but not completely frozen. (Mine are an ugly, brainy color because I mixed white funfetti cake with orange frosting.)


Chop up your candy corn or other candy topping. Then, melt your bag of chocolate chips in a saucepan over low low low heat, stirring constantly. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of canola/vegetable oil to make it melt smoother. One or two at a time, take your cake balls out of the freezer and, using a spoon (or a dipping fork - for candy makers with a slightly bigger budget), drop the ball into the melted chocolate and scoop it out and onto the wax/parchment paper. Let it dry for about a minute, then press the candy corn pieces on top. Repeat until all the truffles are made and beautiful. Then refrigerate until you're ready to serve them.

Naan-Profit?

When I bared the secret of the magical bread recipe a few days ago, I promised to follow with other ideas about how to use the dough. Well, here's the first and the easiest way to use it: make naan, Indian flatbread. While it's not exactly the consistency of the typical naan you buy at an Indian restaurant, it's so fulfilling to have warm flatbread right off the griddle.... "Potatoes, potahtos," I say.

If you already have the French boule dough made and on store (for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or as long as you want it the freezer), you can have fresh naan in 6 minutes flat. Pun intended.

AIN'T NAAN LIKE IT

This one got a little crisp, but I kind of like it like that.

THE GOODS

Boule dough (see recipe here)
Butter (about 1/2-1 tablespoon, depending how much naan you want to make)
An appetite

The Grand Total: Next to nothing if you've already made your boule dough. If you haven't, see recipe.


THE WAY


Pull off a handful of dough. I used a piece that was about the size of a large orange. Dust with flour if it's still very wet. Place it on a floured surface and cover it with parchment or wax paper. Roll it out with a rolling pin until it's about 1/4 inch thick.  If you don't have all that stuff, you can just slowly pull it apart by running your hands around the edges in a circle as if it's pizza dough.

Place about 1/2 - 1 tablespoon of butter on a pan over medium-low heat. Put the naan dough on the pan and cover the pan. Let the dough cook for 3 minutes. 






After 3 minutes, flip the naan and cover again. Let it sit for 3 more minutes, then put it on your plate and let the feast begin.

If you're feeling creative, you can also try these other ideas, or create your own:

HER ROYAL EGGSELENCY

After the first 3 minutes, flip the naan and then crack an egg on the second side. Cover and cook as usual.

CHEESE, PLEASE

After the first 3 minutes, place slivers of cheese on the second side, cover and cook as usual. So good.

Fiesta, Fiesta, Siesta, Siesta

It rained all weekend in SF, and I cooped up in my cozy living room with a warm blanket, good company, and my netflix account. This had several consequences: 1) It caused me to watch 4 movies. 2) It made me crave something warm and cozy to eat. 3) It left my hands free and antsy to fidget as I sat around and watched these movies. So... I made tamales.

To be perfectly honest, it was no easy feat. The filling was absolutely delicious before I even folded it up into the husks: it was creamy, sweet, spicy, and warm. I ate a bowlful. It was the folding it up into little bite-sized tamales that took time. But if you have time on your hands, I promise it's worth it. You can make a bunch and then freeze for up to 2 months and microwave them when you're in the mood. I now have a freezer full of 20 or more mini-tamales to warm up whenever a rainy day or a craving strikes.

And honestly, if you don't have that much time, make the corn pudding! It basically tastes like really delicious creamed corn, minus all the cream, plus a little spice. I can taste it now....

I got the recipe from this blog I love, From Argentina with Love. It's fully of adventurous stories and Argentine recipes galore. Try it out, and check out the blog. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

HUMITAS EN CHALA CON QUESO DE CABRA

(CORN PUDDING TAMALES WITH GOAT CHEESE)

THE GOODS

8 ears of fresh corn, in their husks ($4 - on special at Safeway)

1 yellow onion, chopped ($0.40)

4 roasted piquillo peppers, chopped (I used red peppers, for $1)

6 oz. soft goat cheese (I used honey goat cheese because it was cheapest, $3.50)

1/2 cup milk ($1.49)

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional - can leave out if you don't like spice)

Special equipment: cotton string, steamer basket

The Grand Total: $10.39, if it makes 8 servings, that's $1.30 per serving

THE WAY

To Roast your Peppers (I got this part from this thread on CookingLight.com)

Cut the peppers in half and clean out the seeds and innards. Place them on a baking sheet skin side up. Place the sheet in a 450-500 degree oven (you can also use the toaster oven, like I did!) set on broil. The skin will start to blacken and soften in 7-10 minutes. 

Once the skins are brownish-black, remove from the oven and immediately place the peppers in a large ziploc bag. Close and let sit for 20 minutes or so (or until the peppers have time to cool and "sweat"). Once they have cooled you will be able to peel the skins right off. What you will have left is a moist, wonderfully cooked pepper.

For the Corn Pudding

Chop the ends off of the ears of corn (you can use a scissors for the top end, and a heavy knife for the other) so that the leaves are easy to remove.  Carefully remove the leaves of the corn husk and reserve.  Remove and discard the silk.

 

Using a box grater (an important step--results will not be the same if you cut the kernels off and use a food processor) grate the ears of corn over the large holes on the grater into a bowl.  Slide a knife down the side of each cob to squeeze out any extra starchy juice.

  

 Meanwhile, combine the butter and olive oil in a medium sized non-reactive pot.  Heat over medium high heat, and add the onion, sauteing until translucent but not brown.  Add in the grated corn and its juices, stirring and heating until thickened, about 5 minutes.  

 

 Stir in the milk, and heat through.  Continue to stir until milk is absorbed and humitas mixture is thick. The consistency you're going for here is a thickened, pudding-like one.  Add salt, taste for seasoning, and stir in the piquillo peppers and the crushed red pepper.  Remove the humitas from heat, and let cool completely.

When the humitas has cooled (this may also help to thicken the pudding), start your assembly.  Put a large pot fitted with a metal colander or steamer basket on the top (see below) halfway full of water.  Heat the water to a boil.

Cut the string to fit around each tamal. I used about 2 feet per tamal, but you may want to try one out before you cut enough for all of them.

While the water is coming to a boil, assemble the tamales like this:

Place one leaf over another like a cross. Place a dollop of humitas in the middle, and top with a spoonful of goat cheese.

Carefully wrap the inside leaf around the humitas.

Fold the outside leaf around the inside leaf.

Tie up like a present with the cotton string.

When the water begins to boil, place about 6 tamales in the steamer basket and cover with the lid. Keep the water boiling and steam the tamales for 15-20 minutes, until soft and heated through.  Remove the tamales and repeat with the remaining batches.  It may be necessary to add more water and heat to a boil if you run low.

Ta-da!