a very green no-cook meal for your first meal in a new apartment

Yesterday we moved into our new apartment in Providence. It was a lot of work, first moving down from a second-story apartment with very narrow, steep stairs, into a third-floor apartment. Every muscle in my body is aching today... People really should just offer to help random strangers move instead of going to the gym. :) Luckily we had the help of a friend, which made things go much faster.

So anyways, we did eventually get hungry, in the middle of our afternoon/evening of unpacking and organizing. One great thing about this apartment is that it's 2-3 blocks from the grocery store, so it's really easy to run out and get something. I was going to make a warm meal, but it turns out that our gas is not turned on yet. I went and knocked on some doors in the building to make sure we were doing it right...and got to meet a super friendly man who lives downstairs. He brought up matches and confirmed what we already thought: no gas flow yet. So... it had to be a cold meal. I ran out and got a good loaf of bread, avocado, and the ingredients for a simple green salad. I threw dinner together while Michael put the table together so we could sit down and eat.

It ended up being a very green meal and was just the thing for a hot summer night. We ate the salad with olive bread from Seven Stars Bakery in Providence, with avocado slices and a sprinkling of Maldon salt. (This is one of my easy favorites.) Oh, and full disclosure: to keep things super classy I got some chicken wings from the hot bar at Whole Foods to have with our healthy dinner. :)

Green Salad with Mango and Mozzarella
salad greens
mango, diced
fresh mozzarella, torn into pieces or cubed
squeeze of lemon
dash of extra virgin olive oil
grind of fresh pepper

soba noodles with mango and eggplant and lime dressing

This recipe is - big surprise - another one of Synne's from Yottam Ottolenghi. It's one of my favorites, so many good flavors. Eggplant and mango, who would have thought?  But the colors look beautiful together, it feels light and fresh and summery with the lime-vinegar dressing.  In his cookbook Plenty Ottolenghi also writes that "this dish has become my mother's ultimate cook-to-impress fare. And she is not the only one, as I have been informed by many readers." So true!

I made this for friends who came over last night...and it was even warm enough (barely!) to sit outside. Although I know it's bad form (and risky), I often try out new recipes when cooking for friends and guests. I knew the soba noodles would work, but I tried making wild rice burgers for the first time...and that recipe needs some work. I will post it when I re-make them and make some adjustments. they were tasty, but there was something that needs some tweaking so they stay together more as burger-like patties. I'll get back to you on that.


soba noodles with mango and eggplant

1/2 cup brown rice vinegar
scant 1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1-2 garlic clove(s), peeled and crushed (depending on how much raw garlic you want)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
grated zest and juice of one lime 

1/3 cup olive oil
1 medium eggplant/aubergine cut into 1/2-inch chunks 

8 ounces / 225g dried soba noodles
1 large ripe mango, cut into small chunks (how to cut a mango)
1/4 - 1/2 medium red onion, sliced paper-thin
fresh cilantro, garnish

Dressing: combine vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan, stir until sugar dissolves. Add salt, garlic, red pepper, let cool. Add sesame oil and lime juice and zest. Set aside.

Eggplant: Saute eggplant cubes in a saucepan with some oil and a little salt. Do this over med heat so they slowly cook and start to caramelize. Stir occasionally  but you can prep onion and mango while this is happening if you keep an eye out and can multitask. :)

Noodles: Follow package directions, but warning: they cook very quickly. So be ready to watch them once the water boils again, and drain. Rise with cold water and shake off excess water.

In a big bowl: Add noodles, dressing, eggplant, mango, red onion, and cilantro. Toss together. Enjoy!

Optional: You can also add firm fried tofu to make it more of a substantial meal.

quinoa salad with black beans, mango, and more

This is a veggie-packed quinoa salad with lots of flavors. The mango and lime juice really make it fresh and add a nice sweet-sourness.

ingredients: 
2 cups cooked quinoa (1 cup uncooked - mix of red and white)
1 mango, cut into small dice (see how to cut a mango)
1/2 can black beans (rinsed, drained) or a full can if you want more black beans
1/2 bell pepper (red or yellow), small dice
3 chopped scallions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
diced jicima
5 radishes, thinly sliced

dressing: oil / vinegar (red wine, cider, or rice) / lime juice / bit of sugar / lime zest

Cook the quinoa, 1 cup quinoa to 2 cups water (simmer 15 minutes covered).
Chop all your veggies: bell pepper, scallions, jicima, radish, and mango (see instructions). Rinse beans, zest lime, add everything together in a big bowl. Let the quinoa cool slightly before mixing it with the veggies.

how to cut a mango (dice)

photo credit: the gourmand mom

First, hold the mango in your hand and try to imagine where the seed goes. The mango seed is a long, oblong disk. One side of the mango is thinner than the other. With a thin side facing you, slice off the two sides, and then the shorter sides (above). This outlines the shape of the seed. You want to get as close to the pit/seed as possible. Here (left) is a good picture.

Second, score the mango flesh with crossed lines. You can do this as fine as you want the dice to be.

Third, turn the mango out, and push the fruit up. Then use your knife to cut these dice off. 

When you're finished, you'll have a nice pile of cubed mango!