Ratatouille and Goat Cheese Salad with Pesto Vinaigrette

This is an old Gourmet recipe and it's a great one if you like ratatouille. And it's made into a salad type of recipe and the textures work wonderfully.

If you don't have pastry rings just use a can to mold and push out the ingredients. It's a bit messy, but it still works. Or you can use individual ramekins and then just turn them over really fast:)

If you prefer you can just roast all the vegetables in the oven at around 375 degrees, for about half an hour. Then just follow the recipe as is.

If you want, you can add or omit vegetables according to what you have on hand, the dish comes out different but it's still great. And healthy too:)

RATATOUILLE AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD WITH PESTO VINAIGRETTE
In this recipe a 3- by 1 1/2-inch stainless-steel pastry ring is called for. It is available at some specialty cookware shops.

Ingredients:
For pesto vinaigrette:
3/4 cup packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 tablespoon minced shallot
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon pine nuts, toasted golden
1 1/2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

For ratatouille:
1 long narrow Japanese eggplant
1 small zucchini
1 small yellow squash
1 small red bell pepper
1 small green bell pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped fine
1 medium vine-ripened tomato, seeded and puréed (about 1/2 cup)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves

12 ounces soft mild goat cheese at room temperature
8 ounces mesclun (mixed baby greens)

Garnish:
red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:
Make vinaigrette:
In a blender or small food processor blend all vinaigrette ingredients with salt and pepper to taste until smooth. Vinaigrette may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.

Bring vinaigrette to room temperature before using on salads.

Make ratatouille:
Cut eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, and bell peppers into 1/4-inch dice.

In a large heavy skillet cook eggplant in 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until tender and transfer to a bowl. In skillet cook zucchini, yellow squash, and onion with salt and pepper to taste in 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes, and transfer to bowl. Cook bell peppers in remaining teaspoon oil in same manner and transfer to bowl. Stir in tomato purée, garlic, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste and cool ratatouille completely.

Preheat oven to 375°F. and cut a large sheet of parchment paper into eight 5- to 6- inch squares.

On a work surface put a 3-inch metal pastry ring (at least 1 1/2 high) in middle of 1 parchment square and fill it with 1/3 cup ratatouille, pressing evenly and tightly into bottom.

Cut goat cheese into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece to form a 3-inch disk.

Top ratatouille in ring with goat cheese disk, pressing lightly at edges to cover ratatouille completely. Transfer round on parchment square to a large baking sheet and remove ring. Make 7 more rounds in same manner with remaining parchment squares, ratatouille, and goat cheese. Bake rounds in middle of oven 8 to 10 minutes, or until heated through.

While rounds are baking, in a large bowl toss mesclun with 1/4 cup vinaigrette and divide among 8 plates.

With a spatula transfer a round to center of each salad.

Drizzle each salad with about 1 teaspoon vinaigrette and garnish with tomatoes.

Bring vinaigrette to room temperature before using on salads.

Makes 8 Servings.

Persian Rice with Tadiq

Persian rice is a very distinctive rice and has a wonderful taste. I don't remember where I got the recipe from, but I use it as often as I can.

Any long grain white rice will work, such as Basmati or Jasmine. I use Jasmine. Don't use converted rice, such as uncle Ben's etc, it just will kill the dish:) And make sure you wash and soak it in water. You shouldn't skip this step.

What's special about the Persian rice is the "tadiq", which is the crust that develops at the bottom of the pan. Tadiq should be a golden color, never scorched or dark brown. The reputation of Iranian cooks rests on the quality of their tadiq, or golden crust.

The rice will need to steam for some time, try not to check it too often. Every time you take the top off you are letting go of the steam, which can dry the rice and you might end up burning the tadiq.

Don't substitute butter with margarine, you definitely need butter with this recipe.

Another variation to this recipe is by using thinly sliced potatoes. Heat the butter and some olive oil in the pan, place the thinly sliced potatoes (peeled) to cover the bottom of the pan, then place the boiled drained rice on top. Press down firmly, then follow the recipe.

This recipe might take a couple of times until you get comfortable with it, but hang in there. It will definitely be worth it:)

PERSIAN RICE

Ingredients:
2 cups long grain white rice
2 tablespoons cup melted butter
4 cups lightly salted water
1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Directions:
Place rice in a large bowl and fill with lukewarm water. Stir rice and pour off cloudy water; repeat four times. Cover rice with clean, cold water and allow to soak for 15 minutes.

Start the 4 cups water and salt boiling in large stock pot or dutch oven. Add rice to boiling water, boil about 10 minutes or until rice is about half cooked. Drain rice in colander, reserve.

In stock pot or dutch oven, pour about 1/4 cup melted butter on bottom, tilt to cover 2 inches up sides.

Pour the half-cooked rice into the pot, try to make a nice mound in the middle, and avoid the sides as much as possible. This allows the rice to expand in the dish.

With the end of a wooden spoon, make holes in the mound of rice (5 or 6 places) evenly around.

Pour the remaining melted butter onto the rice, and drizzle 1/4 Cup of the extra water into the holes you made.

Wrap a kitchen towel around underside of pan lid, making sure it is secured on top and away from heat. Steam rice about 40-45 minutes over a very low heat or until the bottom is "golden" crusty.

Remove pan from heat and place bottom inch in cold water for 5 minutes to loosen crust. Uncover pan, place a flat plate on top and invert pan. Ideally, golden crust should come out in one piece. If it does not, use a spatula to lift crust from bottom of pan; place on rice.

Makes about 4 servings.

Turkish Milk Pudding with Rosewater - Su Muhallebisi

Here is another wonderful dessert recipe using milk. This one is sold at specialty shops and it's impossible to describe it, but it's very easy to make, so give it a try:)

You can skip the rosewater and serve it with ice cream, because it's a different pudding. It's actually thick enough where you need to cut it into squares rather than serve it in a cup. Or you can pour into a cup and add the additional ingredients, but make sure that you don't fill the cup too much. About an inch thickness is really enough for this pudding because of it's consistency.

Salep Ice cream is served along with the rose water in Turkey, but id you skip the rosewater you can try it with any ice cream, including sorbets, it's really really good.

You can use mastic in this recipe which gives it a really distinctive taste. Just use a pestle and use about 4 small pieces of mastic. You should end up with about a teaspoon of powder consistency which you can add to the milk mixture you are cooking. This would be called 'sakizli muhallebi' and it's another wonderful taste.

You can also use a little bit of cinnamon on top while serving. Or some pistachio.

This is a very versatile recipe that you can add ingredients to make it a richer taste. Enjoy:)

TURKISH MILK PUDDING WITH ROSEWATER - SU MUHALLEBI

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons cornflour
3 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons rosewater
Powdered sugar (Confectioners Sugar)

Directions:
Mix the cornflour and sugar into the cold milk and cook, stirring, over a moderate heat until it thickens.

Cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Rinse out a shallow dish or individual bowls and, while they are still wet, pour the mixture in to a depth of less than an inch (1.5cm).

Leave to cool, then chill.

Serve cut into squares or turn the bowls out onto individual dessert plates.

Sprinkle each serving generously with rosewater and spoon on the powdered sugar.

Baked Turkish Rice Pudding - Firin Sutlac

This is one recipe that you can use the milk left over after making kaymak. It's a favorite and one of my mother's recipes. It's origins are from the Ottoman times and today you can find it at every Turkish pastry shop.

It does take some time to prepare, but it's really easy. And I don't know anybody that has tried it and not liked it.

You don't have to bake or broil it. You can just simply serve it as is. To me it's better when it's broiled. To get a crunchier top you'll be adding an egg yolk as you can see below. You can skip the egg if you don't have it handy, but I strongly suggest you use it.

You can serve it hot or chilled. My preference is chilled. Add some pistachios to the top and Enjoy...:)

BAKED TURKISH RICE PUDDING - FIRIN SUTLAC

Ingredients:
1 lt (32 oz.) milk
1/2 cup white rice, short grain or 'pudding' rice
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup corn flour or corn starch
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg yolk.

Directions:
Soak rice for about 30 minutes. Drain and rinse it. Transfer to a pan and cover with water. Simmer until all water is absorbed.

When water is absorbed add milk, sugar and vanilla. Cook gently for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Dissolve corn starch in some water and add slowly to the mixture. Keep cooking until bubbles form on the surface. The consistency should be thicker than pouring consistency, but not solid. Which should take about 1 more minute.

Pour into ovenproof ramekins.

Beat one egg yolk and add 1-2 tablespoons of the milk mixture. Mix well and spread it to the tops of the puddings and broil, or bake until tops are browned.