Burmese Steamed Eggplant

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This eggplant is much more than the sum of its parts. Eggplant, ground turkey, and a few aromatics steam in a pot and achieve some sort of velvety, garlicy alchemy. Adapted from my tattered copy of Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet, serve this alongside rice or flatbread and it’s *chef’s kiss.*

Ingredients:

2 dried Thai red chiles, soaked in warm water for 15 minutes to soften
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced anchovies in oil, drained
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1/4 pound ground turkey
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 pounds Asian eggplants (about 4), cut into 1/4-inch slices
1 to 2 tablespoons cilantro or mint leaves, coarsely torn

1. Drain the chiles, reserving the water. Coarsely chop them, discarding the stems, and place in a blender with the shallots, garlic, anchovies, and salt. Process to a paste (use some of the chile water if you need to). Add the tomato and blend briefly, then transfer the spice paste to a bowl and set aside.

2. Place a 4-quart heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid over high heat. Add the oil and heat, then add the turkey and brown briefly, then add the spice paste and turmeric. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the eggplant slices and stir briefly, cover tightly, and reduce the heat to low (do not add water). Cook, checking every 5 minutes or so to ensure that nothing is sticking and to give the ingredients a quick stir, for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the eggplant is very tender.

3. Serve in a shallow bowl and top with the cilantro or mint. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Spicy Tuna, Miso Eggplant, and Avocado Rice Bowls

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My local seafood market is theeee absolute best. They have everything local, and if they don’t have it, they’ll tell you how to get it. The last time I stopped at my the market, I picked up some pristine tuna and roe, and with eggplant in season, these rice bowls were a hit.

Ingredients:

8 cups cooked sushi rice, warmed
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided, plus more to taste
7 ounces sushi-grade tuna, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons masago (Japanese salt-cured smelt roe)
2 tablespoons Kewpie mayonnaise
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon chili crisp or chili oil
1 avocado
1 10-ounce Japanese eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons avocado oil
cooking spray
1/4 cup white miso

1. Prepare the rice: stir together rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl until salt is dissolved. Drizzle over rice; gently fold together. Set rice aside and keep warm.

2. Make the tuna: stir together tuna, green onions, masago, mayonnaise, soy sauce, lemon juice, chili crisp, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl, and set aside.

3. Peel and cut avocado into 1-inch cubes and lightly season with salt. Set aside.

4. Prepare the eggplant: preheat oven to 425F degrees. Toss together eggplant and oil in a medium bowl. Spread on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet coated in cooking spray. Bake until tender, about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.

5. Meanwhile, place miso and sugar in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; gently stir in roasted eggplant.

6. Assemble rice bowls: place 2 cups rice in each bowl and top evenly with tuna, avocado, and eggplant.

Hawaiian Butter Mochi

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I’ve been making this Hawaiian butter mochi since I was a teenager. Adapted from a decades-old recipe from the now-defunct (endless sob) Gourmet Magazine, it’s the best (and easiset) butter mochi I’ve had to this day. Go ahead, try it. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. 

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups (1 pound) mochiko (sweet rice flour)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 (14 oz) cans coconut milk
  • 5 eggs
  • 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350F degrees.
  2. Whisk together mochiko, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together coconut milk, eggs, butter, and vanilla in another bowl. Add coconut mixture to flour mixture, whisking until batter is combined.
  3. Pour batter into an ungreased 13- by 9-inch baking pan, smoothing top, and bake until top is golden and cake begins to pull away from sides of pan, about 1 1/2 hours. Cook cake completely in pan on a rack, about 2 hours. Cut mochi into 24 squares before serving.

Turkey Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Burritos

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Everyone needs a solid breakfast burrito recipe. This one has it all: hearty black beans, creamy avocado, savory turkey chorizo, and a generous dollop of salsa to cut through it all.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
4 ounces fresh turkey or chicken chorizo
1/4 cup finely chopped white onion, plus more for serving
1 cup drained and rinsed canned black beans
2 teaspoons finely chopped unseeded jalapeno, plus thin jalapeno slices, for serving
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, plus cilantro leaves, for serving
Salt
Pepper
6 eggs
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 2 cups), divided
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 avocado, cut into 8 wedges
Tomatillo salsa

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Add chorizo; cook, breaking up meat with a wooden spoon, until fat has rendered, about 2 minutes. Add onion; cook, stirring often, until chorizo is cooked, about 5 minutes. Stir in beans, jalapeño, and cilantro; remove from heat. Transfer mixture to a bowl; season with salt and black pepper to taste. Wipe skillet clean.

2. Whisk together eggs and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl until combined. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add eggs; cook, gently stirring with a rubber spatula, until just scrambled, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Transfer eggs to a bowl; cover with foil to keep warm. Wipe skillet clean.

3. Off heat, sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese in a 7-inch circle in skillet. Heat over medium until cheese is sizzling and almost completely melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute and 30 seconds. Heat skillet to medium-high and place 1 tortilla in skillet. Carefully sprinkle 1/2 cup cheese on tortilla. Once cheese begins to melt (about 1 minute, spread tortilla with one-fourth each of chorizo mixture, eggs, and avocado. Slide onto a plate. Let cool 1 minute; roll up burrito, leaving ends open. Wipe skillet clean. Repeat 3 times with remaining tortillas, and fillings. Cut burritos in half; serve with onion, jalapeño, cilantro, and salsa.

Kale and Artichoke-Stuffed Shells

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Remember stuffed pasta shells? To me, they’re the ultimate 90’s food: comforting, delicious, and a little kitschy. I used to make a richer version back then as a wee Yogurtsoda, but these days, I’ve updated my go-to stuffed shells to this lighter, healthier recipe adapted from Food & Wine. Trust me, you won’t even notice that these are meatless.

Ingredients:

16 uncooked jumbo pasta shells (about 6 ounces), plus more, if needed
1 1/2 cups jarred marinara sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped jarred Calabrian chiles
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
Cooking spray
1/4 cup olive oil, divided
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 medium bunches lacinato (Tuscan) kale, stemmed and chopped (about 6 cups)
1 12-ounce jar marinated quartered artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 5 ounce container garlic-and-herb spreadable cheese (such as Boursin)
4 ounces provolone cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)
Salt

1. Preheat oven to 375F degrees. Bring 3 quarts salted water to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add pasta shells; cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water; set shells aside.

2. Stir together marinara, Calabrian chiles, and fennel seeds in a medium bowl. Season with salt to taste. Spray a large glass or ceramic baking dish with cooking spray; spread sauce in an even layer in dish, and set aside.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium; swirl to coat. Add garlic; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add kale, and toss to coat. Drizzle 1/4 cup water over kale. Cover and cook until kale is tender, about 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through cook time. Add artichoke hearts; cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until warmed, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Combine beans, spreadable cheese, and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a food processor; process until smooth and creamy, about 45 seconds, stopping to scrape down sides as needed. Add bean mixture to kale mixture, and stir until combined. Season with salt to taste.

5. Spoon bean mixture evenly into cooked pasta shells (about 3 tablespoons per shell). Arrange shells on marinara mixture, and sprinkle evenly with provolone. Bake, uncovered, in preheated oven until provolone melts and sauce is bubbly, about 20 minutes. Increase oven temperature to high broil, and broil until cheese begins to brown, 1 to 3 minutes. Serve warm.