Blue Cayenne

Fig Tart

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Crust
• 1 1/4 C. unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 C. cornmeal
• 1/4 t. sea salt
• 1/4 t. freshly-ground black pepper
• 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter (cold, cut into 1/2-inch cubes)
• 1/4 to 1/3 C. ice water
For the Fig Filling
• 1 pound mission figs (sliced into quarters)
• 1/4 pound gorgonzola or goat cheese or a combination (mashed)
• 2 t. fresh oregano leaves (plus a sprig for the garnish)
• 2 T. honey (plus more for garnish)
• 2 T. olive oil
• Cracked black pepper
• 1 egg and a bit of water for egg wash

Instructions

1. Make the tart crust. Add flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse once or twice until the ingredients are mixed. Add the butter cubes and pulse until the butter cubes are the size of large peas. Sprinkle ice water into the mixture one tablespoon at a time, pulsing with each water addition. When large clumps of dough form and the dough holds together, transfer the dough from the processor bowl to a lightly-floured surface. Shape the dough into a ball and then into a 6-inch wide disk. Refrigerate the disk for at least 30 minutes before you roll it into a crust.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and place the rack on the lower third of the oven. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone mat.
3. Prepare the filling while your dough chills and the oven heats. Slice figs into quarters. Chop oregano. Put honey, olive oil, and pepper into a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
4. Spread flour on your working surface. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and roll it out into a 12-14 inch wide and 1/8-1/4 inch thick round. As you are rolling the dough, turn it and flip it being sure to keep the surface on which you are rolling the dough well floured so that your dough won't stick. If you are preparing this on a hot day and your dough gets too warm and soft, put it into the refrigerator for a few minutes and then resume rolling. When you have rolled the dough into the correct size, roll it around your rolling pin and transfer the dough to the prepared parchment-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate the dough for about 10-15 minutes before proceeding.
5. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and spread (or sprinkle) cheese evenly across the bottom of the crust. Arrange the fig quarters in concentric circles on top of the cheese, leaving a 1 1/2 inch border empty all around the crust. (The number of figs you will use will, of course, vary depending upon the size of the figs. You may have more fig quarters than you can use on the tart.) Sprinkle the chopped oregano leaves across the top of the tart. Drizzle the olive oil and honey mixture over the top of the tart. Brush the edges of the tart dough with the egg wash. Fold the border of the crust up around the figs. Leave the center open. Bake in a 400 degree F. oven for 40-45 minutes until the crust is a light golden brown. Check the tart several times while cooking it to see if the crust is browning evenly. (Use a spatula to lift up the edges of the tart to inspect its bottom for browning.)
6. When your tart is properly baked, remove it from the oven. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for about 15 minutes. Drizzle more honey over the top of the tart before serving. Garnish with a sprig of fresh oregano.
7. (Cook's Note: The tart can be reheated in a 350 degree F. oven for about 5 minutes to re-crisp the crust.)

Nutrition

Calories

2731 cal

Fat

65 g

Carbs

482 g

Protein

61 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Eggplant, Tomato and Chickpea Bake: Musaqa’a

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 5 medium eggplants
• 1/2 C. olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 onion (finely chopped)
• 6 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 1 t. chile flakes
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 1/2 t. ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 t. tomato paste
• 2 green bell peppers (seeded and cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 1 15-oz. can of chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• 1 14-oz can chopped tomatoes
• 1 1/2 t. sugar
• 3/4 C. plus 2 T. water
• 1 C. cilantro (roughly chopped)
• 4 plum tomatoes (sliced into 1/2 inch rounds)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
2. Trim off the ends of the eggplants and, using a food peeler, peel strips of the skin off the eggplant. You want to peel alternating strips of the skin off the eggplants so that you have a stripe pattern. Cut the eggplants into 3/4-inch rounds and toss them with about 5 T. of oil, 1 t. salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Spread the oiled eggplant rounds out on a baking sheet that you have lined with parchment paper. Roast the eggplant rounds for about 30 minutes. You want the eggplant to be completely softened and lightly browned. Remove the eggplant from the oven and set aside.
3. Lower the oven temperature to 400 degrees F.
4. Heat 2 T. oil in a saucepan and saute the chopped onions for about 7 minutes until they are lightly browned and softened. Add garlic, chile flakes, cumin, cinnamon and tomato paste and stir it well. Continue to saute for 1 additional minute. Add the bell peppers, chickpeas, canned tomatoes, sugar, water, 1 1/4 t. salt and a generous grind of black pepper. Cook this mixture over medium heat for about 18 minutes. You want the bell peppers to soften. Stir 3/4 C. chopped cilantro into this mixture and remove from the heat and set aside.
5. Lightly oil a large baking sheet. Spread half of the plum tomato slices on the bottom of the baking dish and half of the roasted eggplant slices. Spread the chickpea mixture on top of the tomatoes and eggplants. Next, top the chickpea mixture with the remaining tomato and eggplant slices. Drizzle about 1 T. of olive oil over the top of the dish, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
6. After 30 minutes of baking, remove the foil and bake for an additional 20 minutes or until the sauce in the dish is bubbling and the tomatoes have totally softened.
7. Top with remaining chopped cilantro and serve warm or at room temperature. I enjoyed the dish with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a side of steamed rice to soak up the flavorful sauce.

Nutrition

Calories

23786 cal

Fat

2618 g

Carbs

171 g

Protein

36 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info

Fennel Gratin

Save Recipe

Print Recipe

Ingredients

• 4 medium fennel bulbs (topped, a thin layer of the bulb's surface peeled with a vegetable peeler, and sliced into half-inch slices)
• Salt and pepper
• 5 T. extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 t. fennel seeds (crushed)
• 3 garlic cloves (or more)
• 1/8 t. red pepper flakes
• 1/2 t. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 pound sliced mozzarella
• 2 t. rosemary leaves
• 1/4 C. dry homemade bread crumbs (from French bread or sourdough--I used sourdough)
• 1/2 C. to 3/4 C. grated Parmesan (I used 3/4 C.)
• 2 T. chopped Italian parsley for garnish (or a mixture of parsley and fennel fronds)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare a casserole dish by generously oiling it with olive oil.
2. Prepare fennel. Cut off the feathery tops of the fennel. Use a vegetable peeler to peel off a thin layer of the fennel's surface skin. Next, make a triangle cut into the bottom of the bulb and remove the core. (Removing the core will keep the fennel in your gratin tender.) Slice the prepared fennel bulb into half inch thick slices. Heat a large pot of water to boiling and boil the fennel for 5 to 7 minutes until it is tender. Remove the fennel from the boiling water and drain. Pat the fennel dry. (I used my OXO salad spinner to drain and dry the fennel slices.) Arrange the fennel in a 1 1/2 to 2 inch layer in the oiled casserole dish.
3. Combine 5 T. olive oil, the fennel seed and the garlic (smashed into a paste with a little salt), the pepper flakes and the chopped rosemary in a small bowl. Stir to combine or use a mortar and pestle to turn the mixture into a paste. (I made a paste.) Drizzle 2 T. of the mixture over the cooked fennel. Sprinkle the rosemary leaves over the fennel.
4. Cover the fennel with slices of mozzarella. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top of the mozzarella. Drizzle the remainder of the oil mixture over the gratin and top with grated Parmesan.
5. Bake (uncovered) for 25 minutes. You want the top of the gratin to be a pretty golden brown. Watch the gratin carefully toward the end of the baking period. You don't want to burn the top.
6. Cool the gratin a bit before serving. Garnish with chopped parsley or a combination of chopped parsley and chopped fennel fronds.

Nutrition

Calories

1724 cal

Fat

137 g

Carbs

42 g

Protein

103 g

Click Here For Full Nutrition, Exchanges, and My Plate Info