On the Side

Cajun Sweet Potatoes

These potatoes look incredibly appetizing, with their bright orange flesh, sightly blackened and dusted with the red spices.

Serves 4-5

1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoon cajun spice mix (recipe follows)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

Prepare a large rimmed baking sheet with a silicone liner, parchment paper, or aluminum foil.  Heat your oven to 450℉.

Peel the sweet potatoes and chop them into chunks about 3/4” square.  Mix the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and stir well to combine.  Add the potatoes and stir until completely coated with the mixture.  Pour the potatoes onto the sheet pan; separate the pieces so that they’re not touching.  Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes.  Take them out of the oven and flip them over with a spatula.  Bake for another 10 minutes.

They’re best served right out of the oven, so if you make them in advance and plan to reheat them, don’t add any more oil, just put them on a tray in a 375℉ oven for 10 minutes.

Cajun spice mix:

2 teaspoons paprika

2 teaspoons oregano

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne

2 teaspoons onion powder

2 teaspoons garlic powder

Mix all of the ingredients in a jar and shake well.  Store in a cool dark place.

Kimchi

Kimchi made according to the following recipe is known in Korean as mak kimchi, meaning “haphazard, slapdash, or sloppy,” which is only true if you compare the following method with the traditional kimchi recipe which incorporates fish sauce (not vegan!).  Learning authentic kimchi techniques is a worthwhile culinary adventure, but I’ve found the following recipe to make perfectly delicious kimchi, great for garnishing any number of noodle dishes. It can be eaten as soon as you make it, or you can enjoy it daily as it ferments and becomes more and more tangy.

Kimchi-makers are very creative, making this pungent condiment from various combinations of vegetables including cucumbers, red cabbage, red radish, and many more.

Ingredients:

1 large Napa cabbage (3-4 pounds)

1 cup (or more) kosher salt

6 garlic cloves

3 large carrots

2” piece ginger

1 large daikon radish (about 8” long)

1 apple or ripe pear

12 scallions, trimmed

1/3 cup gochujang paste

1 tablespoon gochugaru (Korean chile flakes)

1 tablespoon good quality soy sauce (use gluten-free tamari for gluten free kimchi)

For the Sweet Rice Porridge:

1 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons sweet rice flour

Equipment:

Very large mixing bowl

Large colander

Large jars or fermenting container

Use a long sharp knife to cut into the core of the cabbage lengthwise.  Use your hands to gently pull apart the cabbage into 2 halves. Cut away the core from each half. Slice the cabbage crosswise into pieces about 2” wide. Put the cabbage into a very large bowl.  Sprinkle the cabbage generously with salt. Use your hands or tongs to combine the leaves and salt completely.

Let the cabbage rest for about 1 hour. The cabbage will begin to release water and shrink.  Toss the cabbage again, massaging it slightly, and let it rest for another hour. It will have begun to look wilted and release water.

While the cabbage is being salted, prepare the vegetables. Slice the scallions, daikon radish, apple or pear, carrots and garlic into matchstick shapes. Finely mince the ginger.

Make the spice paste by combining the gochujang paste, gochugaru flakes, and soy sauce. Blend until smooth.

Make the sweet rice porridge by putting the water and sweet rice flour in to a saucepan over low to medium heat. Whisk constantly until the porridge is smooth and has begun to thicken. Set aside to cool.

Set a large colander in your sink. Tip the salted cabbage into the colander. It should now be about half the volume as when you started the process. Rinse the cabbage well under running water to remove all of the salt.  Let the cabbage drain. Rinse and drain again. Press out any excess water with your hands. Put the cabbage back into the large mixing bowl. Add 1 cup water and 2 tablespoons salt to the cabbage and mix again.

Add the sliced vegetables to the cabbage. Mix well (hands work great here, but please wear rubber gloves to keep your hands from burning and turning red). Add the spice paste and sweet rice porridge and mix well again. Transfer the mixture to the large jars or container you’ll use to ferment the kimchi.  Press down on the kimchi with a long spoon so it’s tightly packed and covered with liquid. Cover securely.

Leave the kimchi at room temperature for 24 hours, then store it refrigerated. It won’t have begun to ferment much, but you can actually use it at this point. After 3-4 days, the kimchi will have begun to ferment. When you open the jar or container you’ll hear a gentle “pop.” The kimchi will last about 2-12 months refrigerated and will become spicier as it develops vibrant taste as well as producing a delicious red “juice” as the vegetables ferment.

Kimchi juice can be added to a wide variety of dishes for an extra boost of umami.  It even works well in cocktails; just a few drops make a Bloody Mary come alive with flavor!

Baba Ganoush with Red Pepper Coulis

For the baba ganoush:

3 medium or 2 large eggplants

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup tahini

For the red pepper coulis:

2 large red bell peppers

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon chile flakes

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

For the Baba Ganoush:

Heat your oven to 375 F.

Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Wash  and dry the eggplants and pierce them a few times with a sharp knife or fork.  This will prevent an eggplant from bursting in the oven (which rarely happens but when it does it makes quite a mess).   Bake the eggplants for 40 minutes or until they are very deflated looking and are very soft.  Take them out of the oven and let them cool until you can comfortably handle them.

Cut them in half and place them skin side down.  With a large spoon, scrape the flesh from the eggplants.  You should have about 4-5 cups.  If there are a lot of seeds, that’s fine.  They will puree easily.  Add the eggplant flesh to a food processor with the lemon juice, smoked paprika, black pepper, and tahini.  Process until very smooth.  Taste for seasoning and adjust to your liking.

For the Red Pepper Coulis:

Heat your  broiler to a low setting.  Adjust an oven rack to the highest level closest to the broiler.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place both whole peppers on the foil.   Broil the peppers for 6 minutes.  They will blacken considerably; this is what you want to happen.  Take the baking sheet out of the broiler and turn the peppers so that the blackened side is down.  Broil the peppers for another 6 minutes or until they are completely blackened.  Take the baking sheet out of the oven and with tongs or oven mitts, wrap the edges of the foil around the peppers.  This will allow the peppers to steam and tenderize.

When the peppers are cool enough to handle, open the foil and with your hands, peel off the blackened skin and remove the seeds and stem.  Slice the peppers into strips and drain the juice from them, but don’t dry them.  Add the peppers to a small food processor or blender and add the olive oil, salt, chili flakes, and smoked paprika.  Process with a few pulses;  It’s okay to leave some chunks if desired.

Serve the baba ganoush garnished with the coulis and toasted pita chips.  Black olives are also traditional to offer as well.