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roasted eggplant rollatini

July 28, 2013
the main event, the underwear diet
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3 Tbsp olive oil
1 eggplant, sliced 1/4 inch thick lengthwise
kosher salt and black pepper
1 15-oz container part-skim ricotta cheese
1 10-oz box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
zest of 1 lemon

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Evenly coat a baking sheet with half of the olive oil.
3. Lay the eggplant slices on the baking sheet and drizzle with the remaining oil.
4. Season with salt and pepper and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until tender and the slices can easily be rolled.
5. While the eggplant is roasting, make the filling: combine the spinach with the ricotta cheese. Add the lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.
6. To assemble, place a tablespoon of the filling at the thicker end of the cooked slice of eggplant. Roll the eggplant and plate, seam side down.
7. Serve with red pepper sauce (recipe to follow).

photo (32)

raw corn, romaine and radish salad

July 18, 2013
the main event, the underwear diet
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photo (28)1 romaine heart, rough chop
8 radishes
2 corn cobs
1/2 bunch cilantro, rough chop
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
4 scallions, thinly sliced on a bias
juice of 2 large limes
1/3 cup olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
1 avocado, thinly sliced or medium dice

1. Place the chopped romaine in a large bowl.
2. Using a mandoline, julienne the radishes and add to the bowl.
3. Stand the corn upright and cut off the kernels with a knife. Add kernels to the bowl.
4. Add the cilantro, tomatoes and scallions to the bowl.
5. Squeeze lime juice over the salad, drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
6. Gently toss and garnish the top of the salad with avocado.

Enjoy this fresh, vegan salad with, well, ribs, of course! It’s the perfect foil to the slow-cooked meat.

photo (27) photo (26)

ribs in the oven

July 16, 2013
the main event
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1 batch dry rub
1 rack spareribs
Barbecue sauce, optional

1. Cover both sides of the spareribs with the dry rub.
2. Massage the rub into the meat.
3. Wrap or place in a covered container and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
4. Bring the rack of ribs to room temperature.
5. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
6. Wrap the ribs in heavy duty aluminum foil. Add about 1 cup of water to the foil and then seal, creating a tent around the meat.
7. Bake for 3-3 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender and falls off the bone when poked.
8. Remove from the oven and turn on the broiler.
9. Optional: Open the foil to expose the meat and slather the top with barbecue sauce. Broil for 5-7 minutes (or more, if desired) to caramelize the sauce and crisp the edges.
10. Remove the ribs and serve with more barbecue sauce, if using.

The ribs, in all their naked glory:

photo (24)

Tomorrow I’ll show you how to make the sweet chipotle bbq sauce.

marinated tofu with carrot slaw and pickled red onions

July 2, 2013
the main event, the underwear diet
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Okay, so, I really wanted to make this a vegan entree. BUT, the slaw just begged for a touch of mayonnaise. BEGGED! Either way, this is a fabulously easy vegetarian dinner that can be made vegan very simply with vegan mayonnaise. All it requires is a bit of prep work the night before.

photo (13)

juice 2 limes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 10-oz package tofu, drained
1 red onion, finely sliced
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1 lb carrots, peeled
1 jalapeño, de-seeded and minced
1 1/2 Tbsp mayonnaise
2 Tbsp cilantro, roughly chopped

1. Whisk together the lime juice, soy sauce and sesame oil.
2. Slice the block of tofu lengthwise into 4 pieces and place into the lime and soy marinade.
3. Cover and marinate overnight.
4. Combine the sliced onions with the vinegar. Stir, cover and marinate overnight.
5. Shred the carrots using a grater or food processor, or julienne using a mandoline.
6. Combine the carrots with the jalapeño, mayonnaise and cilantro.
7. Add a few teaspoons of the lime and soy marinade to the carrot mixture, to taste. Cover and refrigerate.
8. The next day, plate the carrot slaw, top with pickled red onions and a slice of tofu, cut in half on a diagonal.

pan con tomate

June 30, 2013
the main event, the underwear diet
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2 tomatoes
3 Tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
Baguette, sliced (traditional or whole wheat)
1/2 clove garlic

1. Cut tomatoes in half.
2. Gently squeeze the tomatoes to remove most of the seeds.
3. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the cut side of the tomato into a bowl. You will be left with most of the skin in your hand (discard).
4. Add olive oil to the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Toast baguette slices and, while warm, rub with the cut side of the garlic.
6. Top each slice with the grated tomato mixture.

pan con tomate