The Globe and Mail - 02.11.2019

SPICYMISO-ROASTED TOMATOESAND

EGGPLANT

INGREDIENTS (SERVES 4 TO 6 AS A SIDE DISH)

1 medium eggplant, cut into 1-inch- by-3-inch (2.5-cm-by-7.5-cm) wedges 4 medium tomatoes, cut into 6 wedges each 1 medium yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch (6-mm) slices 3 tablespoons melted extra-virgin coconut oil or olive oil 2 tablespoons unpasteurized sweet white miso 2 tablespoons mirin (or substitute 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup) 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 large garlic clove, grated or pressed 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes ½ teaspoon ground turmeric ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste ¾ cup cooked chickpeas, well drained Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or ci- lantro leaves for garnish Thick coconut or whole-milk yogurt for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and put the eggplant, tomatoes and onion on it. Combine the oil, miso, mirin, lemon juice, garlic, coriander, red chili pepper flakes, turmeric and salt in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Pour over the vegetables and toss until evenly coated. Spread the vegetables out on the pan; they should almost be in a single layer, with just a few overlapping. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables are browned on the bottom. Remove the vegetables from the oven and turn them over as best you can; you may end up just stirring them, as they will be juicy. Roast for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the vegetables are completely soft and browned in spots. Scatter the chickpeas over the vegetables, sprinkle with a little more salt, and return to the oven for 5 more minutes to warm the chickpeas through. Transfer the vegetables to a serving platter and top with the herbs. Serve warm or at room temperature, with yogurt on the side. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

P6| PURSUITS OTHEGLOBEANDMAIL | SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2019

With the busy holiday season just around the corner, cocktail parties are a fun way to host a large group of people. But, if you’re like me, you dread the thought of making dozens of fiddly, time-consuming hors d’oeuvres that disappear in a flash or buying the ready- made, which are adequate but boring. The good news is, preparing party food doesn’t have to be exhausting. Here are my suggestions for a hassle-free soirée. If you have space, set out the food in multiple loca- tions. This allows people to circulate and puts an end to the crowd around the kitchen door waiting for the next batch of nibbles to appear. Try to avoid using toothpicks, which are awkward to dispose of. Instead, put out small plates and napkins, as well as forks if necessary. You can rent glasses and plates cheaply if you are willing to pick them up and nothing needs to be washed afterward. When it comes to the food itself, not everything has to be homemade. Combining quality store-bought ingredients with a few little things you’ve made yourself can mean a lot less stress. Food stations are a fun way for guests to create their own nibbles. These are three of my tried-and-true hors d’oeuvres stations. Smoked salmon station: Buy the best smoked salmon you can afford. One side, about 2 1/2 pounds, serves 20 people. Set out bowls of chopped red onions, sour cream, cream cheese or dill mayonnaise to garnish. Buy or make little blinis or potato pancakes or serve a thinly

sliced grainy or whole wheat bread. Don’t use these little pumpernickel squares – they have so much flavour that it overpowers the salmon. Mexican taco station: This is colourful, tasty, and best of all, most of the components can be store-bought. Set out bowls with guacamole, a bean dip, shredded cheddar cheese, radishes, sour cream and lime wedges. Look for a good salsa and enhance its flavour by adding some of your own chopped tomatoes. Grill and shred either flank steak, chicken or pork. Serve cold or reheat in an oven- proof serving dish, in a 250 F oven for 20 minutes. Warm (or don’t) soft corn or flour tortillas and let everyone make their own. To complement, make a house cocktail

sangria or margaritas, perhaps – and serve in jugs.
The Italian station: Arrange prosciutto or thinly sliced
Italian salami on a platter and surround it with halved,
dried figs that have been simmered in equal parts Marsa-
la (or other sweet wine) and water until softened (or use
fresh figs). Buy puff pastry straws and serve alongside.
Place a large hunk of Parmigiano Reggiano on another
platter and put a little bottle of good-quality balsamic
vinegar beside it. Parmigiana and balsamic are a magical
mix. Slice some ciabatta and you have an instant feast.
–LUCYWAVERMAN

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Needsomeadviceaboutkitchenlifeandentertaining? [email protected].

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W

hole food cooking – eating foods in their nat- ural state, or as close to it as possible – is healthy and simple and, when done right, delicious. “If you start with good ingredients you can make something great if you just don’t mess with it too much,” says Amy Chaplin, a New York-based chef. Her previous cookbook,At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen, won a James Beard award, but Chaplin says many readers told her the book was too com- plicated. Accessibility and versatility thus became the priorities for the recipes included in her new

book, published this fall,Whole Food Cooking Every Day. Her recipe for spicy miso-roasted tomatoes and eggplant is a great example of the simple, but tasty delicious recipes she was going for. The one-pan dish is full of flavour and boasts plenty of protein thanks to chickpeas. Most importantly, it is as tasty as it is easy to prepare, Chaplin says. “That’s really the key to eating well every day,” she says. “You can’t cook an elaborate meal every night. Nobody has the time any more.” –DAVEMcGINN

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Fromappetizerstoentrées,chefAmyChaplin isachampionofkeepingthingssimpleinthekitchen

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The Globe and Mail - 02.11.2019

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