Roasted Eggplant with Harissa Sauce, Feta and Mint / Печен Патладжан по Марокански

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It’s the end of the summer, and the farmers markets near me are full of wonderful produce. There are so many vegetables to choose from and so much to be excited about, and often I find myself torn deciding what to cook this week. Zucchini! Potatoes! Tomatoes! Cucumbers! Peeeeepppppeeeers! Eggplant!!!!!

I’m not sure if you feel the same, but I often find myself with the dilemma of how much I love eating eggplant, but I don’t always like to cook it. It usually takes me a long time to cook an eggplant, and it’s one of those vegetables that you have to pair with something else because the eggplant on its own is not really that fulfilling. My usual go-to recipe for eggplant is either diced and sautéed for pasta, or pan-fried and smothered with homemade marinara sauce and lots of parsley. So, for today’s recipe I wanted to challenge myself to be creative, and do something different with the lovely eggplant.

And this brings me to my inspiration for the recipe – the amazing Harissa! For a long time I have been drooling over the fingerling potatoes at Tilia restaurant in Minneapolis, as they are served with a wonderful harissa sauce that’s nothing I had tasted before. Most store-bought harissa sauces have a pronounced heat and punch, and Tilia’s harissa is full of roasted peppers flavor, cumin, but without the strong, overpowering heat that blocks the other flavors. For many years I have been on a shortcut route by buying harissa sauces from ethnic stores and online, with the hope that at least one of them will be close to Tilia’s – but no success. So, frustrated and determined I finally decided to pull up my sleeves, put my apron on and attempt to recreate the flavors as I experienced them of what Tilia’s harissa sauce tastes like. 

So here I am, super excited to report that (I believe) I successfully nailed my dreamy harissa sauce! Yay!!! It blends roasted red peppers, tomato paste, lots of cumin, a touch of sweetness for balance, and the wonderful harissa spice blend from my new friends at Spice Your Life, who are as passionate about spices as I am about cooking and eating. I discovered Spice Your Life shop in Minneapolis by accident, and I was so fascinated by their story and how their love and passion for spices, combined with many years living and working in the middle-east had inspired them to bring that abundance to Minneapolis. I found kindred spirit in the founders, and we had many passionate conversions about food and its healing power, spices and recipes. ***This is not an ad for Spice Your Life. It is a genuine appreciation and reflection of people who love what they do, and who are so authentic in their expression of how they share their passion, and knowledge with their community. 

This recipe, with it's blend of spices and ingredients, transports me to the middle-east where spices are abundant and have the power to transform a simple vegetable to an explosion of aromas and flavors. Freshly ground cumin, hot and sweet peppers, eggplant, feta cheese, mint parsley, and a creamy roasted garlic yogurt sauce. Eating that dish makes me feel like I am enjoying a lunch at a tiny, plastic cloth-lined table at one of those colorful, busy spice markets in Morocco or Turkey. It is so full of exotic spices and flavors, and makes me want to buy a ticket to travel far, far east for a while and be immersed in unknown cultures. 

I hope that my rumbling and passion for harissa sauce made you a bit curious about what Iggy is excited about. So now...close your eyes, and imagine yourself being at my kitchen, sitting on my tiny table, sipping a glass of wine, chatting with me as you are being immersed in the wonderful aromas and flavors coming from my stove as I cook us lunch. Fragrant cumin, sweet roasted garlic, olive oil roasted eggplant, and fresh mint and parsley. 

Roasted Eggplant with Harissa Sauce, Feta and Mint / Печен Патладжан по Марокански

Serves 4 (generously) or 6-8 (as a side dish)

Ingredients:

Roasted Eggplant

• 2 eggplants cut in half lengthwise
• Olive or Sunflower oil for roasting
• Salt and pepper

Harissa Sauce

• 1 jar (12oz) roasted red peppers, drained
• 1 tbsp tomato paste 
• 2 tbsp Spice Your Life (or a brand of your choice) Harissa Spice Blend
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 1 1/2 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt

Roasted Garlic Sauce

• 1 large garlic head
• 1 cup plain, full fat, Greek or Icelandic yogurt
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

Toppings

• 2oz-3oz mild feta cheese (Israeli or French)
• Handful of fresh parley leaves
• Handful of fresh mint leaves

Directions:

Roasted Eggplant 

Preheat oven to 400F. 

Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Prepare the garlic for the yogurt sauce: Peel and discard the papery outer layers of the whole garlic bulb, leaving intact the skins of the individual cloves of garlic. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/4 to a 1/2 inch from the top of cloves, exposing the individual cloves of garlic. Place the garlic on a piece of aluminum foil, drizzle a couple teaspoons of olive oil over the exposed head, and wrap the garlic the foil. Place in the baking sheet.

Eggplant: Score the flesh of the eggplant with a knife in a diamond shape, cutting deep into the flesh but not through the skin. Brush eggplant flesh with olive or sunflower oil and season generously with salt and some pepper. Place eggplant cut-side down on the lined baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes, or until the back of the eggplant looks collapsed and puckered. Let the eggplant cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Harissa Sauce 

While the eggplant is roasting, place all the Harissa sauce ingredients in a food processor (or use an immersion a blender) and puree until smooth. Taste and add salt to taste, more lemon juice if needed, or more Harissa spice if you like it spicier. Place the sauce in a jar or a container for later. Makes about 1 cup (you will have some leftovers – wonderful on smashed potatoes, breakfast eggs, or as sandwich spread).

Roasted Garlic Yogurt Sauce

Allow the garlic to cool enough so you can touch it without burning yourself. Use a small knife cut the skin slightly around each clove. Use a cocktail fork or your fingers to pull or squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins. Place all roasted garlic cloves into the food processor bowl. Add the rest of the roasted garlic sauce ingredients. Wizz until smooth. Taste and add more salt, pepper or lemon juice.

Assembly

Use dinner plates or pasta bowls if serving individually, or a large serving platter if serving as an appetizer for a group. Spread the yogurt sauce (about 3 tablespoons of the for each eggplant half) and place eggplant on top. Top each eggplant half with about 2 tablespoons of Harissa sauce, large pieces of feta, fresh parsley and mint leaves. Finish by drizzling some olive oil and light dusting of Harissa spice. 

Turkish Eggs / Яйца по Панагюрски

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Turkish Eggs (as known in the West) or Яйца по Панагюрски (as known in Bulgaria) was one of my favorite dishes growing up in Bulgaria. My mom made this dish as a treat to us, or on a lazy hot summer weekend when we were hungry and she didn’t feel like cooking a super elaborate meal. I loved Turkish Eggs as a kid. I felt like I am eating a super special dish that was meant for important occasions and somehow I got lucky because my mom made it by mistake on a casual Sunday. This dish always made me so excited for lunch! And I don’t know if it was the creaminess of the yogurt combined with the rich, lush poached eggs. Or the crunchy toast dunked in the runny yolk and the wonderful, garlic, herb yogurt. Or the salty, rich chunks of crumbled feta cheese. Or!!! My favorite – the yummy paprika infused brown butter, which made the whole dish just better. Honestly, I am not sure. Maybe it was all of these elements together. All I know is that there is something magical and special about this simple dish.  

Now, all grown up, I make this dish on a Sunday as an easy brunch side to share with my friends. I still love it as much as in my childhood and I hope that after you try it that it will become a favorite of yours too.

If you want some of my Iggy tips to make this dish even more yummier, here you go:
• My mom always topped the eggs with paprika-infused brown butter, and I do the same. I find that butter alone (not butter mixed with olive oil) is far more delicious. 
• Make the paprika-infused brown butter your own. If you like it more spicy add chili, chipotle, or ancho peppers powder. For more smokiness, add more smoked paprika.
• I use lots of herbs in this dish, and I find that herbs add a layer of unexpected deliciousness. Dill, parsley, time, oregano. They are wonderful and they smell like a summer garden. When married with the rest of the ingredients they transform the simple yogurt and egg into a decadent dish. I like them both mixed with the yogurt and as a topping at the end.
• Lets talk feta cheese. The crumbled, packaged, domestic stuff (in the United States) from the grocery store will overpower this dish (unless you absolutely love that type of pungent, salty feta). French and Israeli feta is far more mild, buttery and creamy, and it adds a layer of texture to this dish. Usually comes in a big block and you can slice it, or crumble it. A bonus is that you will have some leftovers which are so good on an open-face grilled feta sandwich with asparagus and mint :)

Photography by Eliesa Johnson
Styling + Recipe by Iglika/Sprig of Thyme

Turkish Eggs  //  Яйца по Панагюрски

Serves 1 (very hungry person), or 2-3 people as a dip or a shared appetizer

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup full-fat Icelandic or Greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup crumbled Feta (French or Israeli) 
• 1 garlic clove, smashed 
• Handful of fresh herbs mix (dill, parsley, oregano, thyme)
• 1.5 tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika (plus more for garnish)
• 2 poached eggs (if looking for instructions, I got you covered)
• 2 pieces of crusty toast
• Salt 

Directions:

1. Place the yogurt, the smashed garlic clove and the feta in a bowl. Rinse, pat dry, and roughly chop the fresh herbs. Add them to the bowl with the yogurt and mix to combine. Taste and add salt to taste. Set the bowl aside.

2. To make the spiced brown butter: melt the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Wait for a minute or so until the butter starts to foam. Watch carefully as lightly browned specks begin to form at the bottom of the skillet. Smell the butter; it should have a nutty aroma and golden-brown color. Turn the heat off immediately (so the butter doesn’t burn) and add the red pepper flakes and smoked paprika. Swirl the pan a few times to incorporate and infuse the butter.

3. To assemble the dish: spoon the yogurt mixture in a shallow (pasta type) bowl. Use the back of a spoon to spread yogurt out into a bed for the eggs, carving ridges into the top to catch the oil. Add the poached eggs. Spoon the hot, spiced brown butter. Sprinkle some salt and smoked paprika. Add a few more dill and parsley leaves. Serve immediately with warm toast.

How to poach an egg

Fill a small saucepan with about 3 inches of water. Bring to a boil and add some salt and 1 tbsp of lemon juice, and turn the heat off. Crack an egg into a small bowl. Circle the water with a spoon to make a swirl and gently slip egg into the water, holding the bowl just above the surface of water. Repeat with the remaining egg (don’t swirl the water a second time). Cover the saucepan with a lid and let eggs sit until the whites are firm and the yolks have thickened but are not hard, about 5 minutes. Lift one of the eggs with a slotted spoon and gently press the yolk with your finger, the yolks should be just slightly firm around the edges, but not hard. If the yolks appear too soft to you, let the eggs sit in the water for another minute. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and place on a plate. Note: some recipes call for placing the poached eggs on a paper towel. I had never had success with that approach as my eggs will always stick to the paper towel, but try it and see if that works for you.

Cabbage, radish and turnip salad with spicy dressing

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Someone once said “The sun always shines – and is always beautiful”. Today the sun shined and it was exceptionally beautiful. It touched my skin so gently and warmly, it hugged my arms like a cashmere shawl in a late summer evening, and it felt like a soft loving kiss on my face. In a day like this everything feels somehow different, noting has changed and yet life around appears as seen for the first time. 

I grabbed my bag and I went on my daily trip to the store. I was about to fill my basket with the usual stuff, you know – the things we buy by habit, the ones that we grab with such certainty as if no other food existed. And I am not talking about basics like eggs, oil or flour – I am talking about the repetitive meal combinations that we end up eating every day. To me this ‘safe’ food is salad greens – the kind you can find at the American markets all year around.  I grab those so quickly when I am at the store, not even realizing that other foods are fresher and in season.

Today appeared to be no different. I was about to grab the greens when I felt the warmness and the energy of the morning sun. It made me excited and it somehow woke me up. I decided to put the salad greens down and to just walk around the fresh produce area of the store and pay attention to what else is around me. To my surprise, and right under my nose, there was a display of fresh local spring veggies and herbs. Beautiful radishes and turnips placed on display to be seen as you walk in the store, and which I had not for who knows how long. And as it often happens in life, abundance is right before our eyes, we just need to shift our focus so we can see it.

As I dropped the salad greens, I grabbed some fresh radishes and turnips. I had no idea if together they will taste any good, but I wanted to try them anyway. I left their nature to guide me on how to prepare them, rather than my habit. They were so crunchy and fresh, so I thought cabbage might go well with them. Since their taste and texture was fairly similar, I figured out a creamy avocado and a zesty and a bit more complex dressing will be a nice complement to the salad.

The end result was a refreshing and different salad. It made me feel happy and joyful about challenging myself, and it and it thought me a valuable lesson – to stop going on autopilot and to see what really is around me.

Cabbage, radish and turnip salad with spicy dressing

Ingredients:

Serves 4-6

• 1/2 medium cabbage (about 1 lb), shredded
• 1 bunch radishes (about 7-8), thinly sliced
• 1 bunch turnips (about 6-7), thinly sliced
• 1 cup arugula (optional)
• 1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced

Dressing:
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 tablespoon chopped pickled jalapeños
• 1 lime, juiced (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pepper

Directions:

1. Place all dressing ingredients in a standard or immersion blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more lime, jalapeños or seasoning if preferred. Set the dressing aside or refrigerate (up to a week) if not used right away.

2. Place the cabbage, radishes, turnips and arugula in a large bowl, add 2/3 of the dressing and mix well. Taste and add the rest of the dressing if needed. Top with the sliced avocado.

Note: Shredded (undressed) cabbage and whole trimmed radishes and turnips keep well for about a week in the refrigerator.