Get Cooking: 150 Simple Recipes to Get You Started in the Kitchen (28 page)

7.
Carefully transfer the coated eggplant slices (as many as will fit in a single layer) to the hot pan. Cook, undisturbed, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom.

8.
Use a metal spatula to carefully loosen each piece, keeping its coating intact (you don’t want to lose any of it to the pan). Flip it over, and cook on the second side for 4 to 5 minutes, until the coating is evenly golden all over and the eggplant is fork-tender. (You might need to drizzle in additional olive oil as you go, if the pan seems dry or the coating starts sticking to the pan.)

9.
Transfer the cooked slices to the rack in the baking tray, and put the tray in the oven to keep them warm while you repeat the cooking process with the remaining slices. Serve as soon as possible.

GET CREATIVE

• Make this vegan by using ½ cup plain soy milk in place of the eggs and water.
  
• Add up to 1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning (or a combination of dried thyme, basil, and oregano) to the panko for extra flavor.
  
• Add up to ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese to the panko to make the crust crisper and more flavorful.
  
• Scatter some grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheese over the cooked cutlets, and melt briefly under the broiler (or in the toaster oven, on the broil setting). Serve with marinara sauce for an easy eggplant Parmesan effect.
  
• Serve on a plate or a toasted soft roll with pesto (store-bought or homemade—see Chapter 8: Party Snacks) or mayo mixed with a bit of pesto. You can also add a dollop of tomato sauce for color and flavor contrast.
  

black bean burgers

Makes 4 burgers

N
o, not the Texas-style bean burger, which is a beef burger smothered in refried beans, tortilla chips, and Cheez Whiz. This is a literal bean burger made from actual beans. Far from tasting like bland hippie food from the ’70s, these are full of assertive flavor, creamy on the inside and wonderfully crisp on the outside. The batter is quite soft, so you’ll need to form the patties directly in the pan, using a spoon to keep things neat and intact. To save on cleanup, use the same skillet for sautéing the onions and cooking the burgers.

These patties freeze and reheat well
after
they’ve been cooked. Once you’ve cooked them, let them cool and then freeze them in a heavyweight resealable plastic bag. Reheat them in the microwave or in a small skillet over low heat.

1.
Place a large (10-to 12-inch) heavy skillet over medium heat. After about a minute, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Add the onion, and cook in the center of the pan, stirring often, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the onion softens. Set aside to cool slightly.

2.
Set a colander in the sink and pour in the beans; give them a quick rinse and allow them to drain thoroughly. Transfer the drained beans to a medium-large bowl, and use a potato masher or fork to mash them as smooth as possible. Stir in the beaten egg, breadcrumbs, cumin, garlic, salt, and pepper. Scrape in the cooled onion, and mix until thoroughly combined.

3.
Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel, and then return the skillet to medium heat. After about a minute, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil
and swirl to coat the pan. Use a large spoon to scoop 4 equal mounds of the bean mixture into the hot pan, and then, with the back of the spoon, flatten and push each one into a patty about ½-inch thick and 3½ inches in diameter. Cook, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom.

4.
Use a metal spatula to carefully loosen each burger and flip it over, adding a little more oil if the pan seems dry. (If the burger falls apart as you turn it, don’t worry. Just push it back into shape and keep cooking.) Cook on the second side for about 3 minutes, or until the undersides are nicely browned. Serve immediately.

portobello faux burgers

Makes 4 “burgers”

P
ortobello mushrooms are about as meaty as the vegetable kingdom gets, and their shape, size, texture, and flavor make them a perfect natural burger alternative. These are cooked under the broiler, making them super-easy. Just keep an eye on them as they broil, so the tops don’t burn. The secret of their greatness is all in the marinade—a bold mixture of balsamic vinegar, garlic, and olive oil. You might think that, like a sponge, the mushrooms would plump up as they absorb it, but surprisingly, the salt drains out some of their moisture, causing them to shrink and firm up a bit as they take on more and more flavor. An hour of marinating is a must, but the longer the better. I once let them soak for an entire week, and they were amazingly flavorful. So if you like, you can marinate a batch and cook one or two mushrooms at a time over the course of a few meals, leaving the uncooked ones to bathe in the marinade.

1.
In a small bowl, or in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the vinegar, oil, garlic, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper; whisk or shake to combine.

2.
Carefully (so as not to tear the mushroom caps) pull off and discard the mushroom stems. Place the mushroom caps in a large flat dish (a medium-sized baking pan will work well) with their tops facing up. Pour about a tablespoon of the marinade over each top to cover them. Turn the mushrooms over and divide the rest of the marinade evenly among them. Let the mushrooms sit at room temperature for at least an hour, or cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

3.
Shortly before serving time, preheat the boiler.

4.
Lift the mushrooms out of their marinating dish (leave the marinade behind) and without turning them over, transfer them to a foil-lined ovenproof dish or rimmed baking tray. Broil for 5 to 8 minutes, or until the mushrooms are heated through and the tops are nicely browned. (You don’t need to flip them.) Serve right away.

GET CREATIVE

• About halfway through the broiling process, sprinkle the tops with a little grated mozzarella and/or Parmesan cheese, and then continue broiling until the cheese melts and turns a light golden brown.
  
• Instead of broiling, you can cook the mushrooms in the microwave. This will take only about 1 minute. The flavor will be less toasty and intense, and the texture will be moist, but they’ll still be very good.
  
• You can serve these just like burgers—on toasted buns or soft rolls with lettuce, tomato, and the classic toppings.
  
• Leftover broiled mushrooms make a great room-temperature sandwich for tomorrow’s bag lunch.
  
• Top with a thick slice of red onion, also broiled or seared quickly on both sides in a little olive oil in a skillet over very high heat.
  

spice-crusted tofu cutlets

Makes 4 cutlets

U
nlike packaged tofu burgers, which are often a mysterious mélange of beige ingredients, these cutlets are slabs of pure tofu, coated heavily with spice and cooked in the Cajun “blackened” way by searing them in a hot pan with no oil. The result is a terrific contrast between a smoky, crisp flavorful outer surface and a creamy pure interior. (Note that they won’t actually turn black, but more of a deep, dark golden brown.) I like to make this with a spice mix called
za’atar,
which is a Middle Eastern blend. You can make your own or buy it ready-made at some specialty foods stores and supermarkets. You can also use a store-bought Cajun spice blend, or work up your own secret mix, using the
za-atar
recipe below as a starting point.

I always simmer firm tofu before cooking with it. This firms up its proteins and cooks out excess water (similar to pressing it under weights overnight, as many recipes suggest, but quicker—and I like the texture better this way).

za-atar spice mix

1.
Put a medium-large pot of water to boil over high heat, and place a colander in the sink. When the water boils, turn the heat to low and add the 4 slices of tofu. Simmer for 10 minutes. Then gently slip the tofu into the colander to drain, being careful not to break the slices.

2.
Meanwhile, combine the spice mix ingredients in a small bowl. Pour the mix into a pie pan and spread it out.

3.
Turn on the stove fan and/or open the kitchen window (this process can create a fair amount of smoke). Place a large (10-to 12-inch) heavy skillet over medium heat and wait for about a minute.

4.
While the pan is heating, carefully place one of the tofu slices in the spice mix, patting it down
to coat one side; then sprinkle the mix on top and pat it on with your fingers to coat the surface evenly. Transfer the slice to a plate and repeat with the other 3 slices. Some of the coating may fall off; try to sprinkle as much of it as you can back onto the tofu, using up all of the mixture.

5.
Gently transfer the tofu slices to the hot pan, and let them cook, undisturbed, for about 2 minutes, or until they are golden underneath.

6.
Use a thin-bladed metal spatula to carefully loosen each cutlet and gently flip it over. Cook on the second side for 2 minutes, or until the undersides are nicely browned. (If some of the spice mix falls off, scoop it up with the spatula and put it back on. Most of it will stick. You can also push some of the fallen spice mix onto the sides of the tofu slices.)