Garlic and basil pattypan squash stir-fry

There is nothing simpler than this delicious pattypan squash stir-fry! Fresh seasonal ingredients and literally 12 minutes from cutting board to belly.

Try it and let me know how you liked it!



INGREDIENTS (2 people as main vegetarian dish, 4 people as small side):
- 2 lbs assorted summer squash (I used a mix of pattypan squash and round zucchini)
- 1 handful of fresh basil leaves
- 1 large garlic clove
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste


RECIPE:
- dice the squash into bite-sized cubes, crush the garlic clove and chop the basil leaves

- in a large pan, infuse the olive oil with the garlic clove and a basil bloom (if you have one on hand, otherwise just a few strips of chopped basil will do) over very low heat, then remove the golden garlic and either reserve for service or discard

- saute the diced squash in the infused olive oil over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, then add salt and pepper to taste as well as the basil leaves and cook over medium heat for another 5 minutes, or until the squash is cooked to your liking (I like mine quite al dente)

- serve hot, room temperature or cold as a main vegan dish, along with some rice or quinoa, as a side to grilled pork, chicken, tuna or swordfish (that's how I ate mine). The leftovers are delicious as a cold salad with a splash of balsamic vinegar, or just as a snack on toast!
- Enjoy!

Garlic, ginger and cilantro oil

This delicious flavored oil is amazing on top of salads (to die for on an Asian-inspired cabbage slaw), to marinate chicken or pork as well as a finishing oil over grilled shrimp and scallops.

Try it, you'll love it!

INGREDIENTS:
- a bunch of fresh cilantro
- 1 inch of fresh ginger
- a few cloves of garlic
- extra virgin olive oil


RECIPE:
- peel, slice and bruise the ginger and garlic and chop the cilantro

- put all the ingredients in a glass bottle and cover with olive oil until everything is submerged



- store in the fridge and marinate for 1 week before using
Note: this oil will keep for 3-4 weeks in the fridge

Dead simple grilled eggplants: and I'm back in the game!

I know, I know, I know... I've been MIA for almost 6 months... I apologize.

I have now moved from Amsterdam to Boston, and after a couple of months, I finally got to cooking again. Things are not quite the way I want them though, as most of my utensils and appliances are still in Europe.

But it wasn't enough to keep me away from the stove any longer.

I am back with a vengeance, and I hereby present you with: ta-da! My dead simple grilled eggplants. You can seriously do this with your eyes closed, it's that simple!

First, gather a few ingredients:

- fresh basil and mint

- a lemon, zest and juice

- a clove of garlic

- eggplants (three eggplants lasted me a whole week!)

- extra virgin olive oil

- coarse salt (fleur de sel is better, but I didn't have any)

- freshly ground black pepper

Here goes:

- slice eggplants (1/4 inch slices are good), and brush them with a little olive oil

- grill them on a hot griddle pan until they are marked, nice and brown. Be careful not to burn them, but make sure they are cooked all the way through! Nothing less appealing than undercooked eggplant...

- while they are cooking, zest and juice one lemon. you can also take care of chopping the garlic clove very fine. I use a microplane to grate it, but chopping will give you a chunkier garlic. I only use the microplane because I just bought it ;)

- when the eggplants are cooked, place them in a serving plate, and drizzle with lemon juice, zest, garlic and olive oil

- as a finishing touch, sprinkle with salt, pepper and chopped herbs

Voila!