Ah, the history of a dish.

This Caribbean Curry was the first intentionally vegetarian recipe I ever created. I came up with it about 5 years ago to woo and impress my almost-boyfriend-at-the-time. He was a fairly strict vegan while I was still eating whatever I could afford and could be found within the confines of my fridge. Like so many works of art, this curry was inspired by love. Dante had his Beatrice, F. Scott had his Zelda, Garfield had his Lasagna, and I had my Vegan.

I can’t remember why exactly I decided on Caribbean Curry, a dish I had never eaten and wasn’t even certain existed. To this day I’m still not sure that a dish like this is even served in the Caribbean, but there should be. Honey-flavored sweet potatoes, hearty collards ribbons, chewy tofu and a sauce that evokes a spice island slathered in suntan lotion, I knew I was on to something with this vegan stuff and started cooking that way near exclusively.

And the Vegan? I’m happy to report that this Caribbean Curry is guaranteed to make the one you’re wooing stick around for at least 2 years. After that you’re on your own.

Serves: 6
Time: 45 minutes

Caribbean Curry

1 inch fresh ginger, minced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
peanut oil
2 bunches of collard greens, de-ribbed and cut into ribbons
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 cans of coconut milk
2 Tbsp tomato paste
juice of 1 lime
2 1/2 tsp garam masala (curry powder could be substituted for a different flavor)
1/4 tsp ground coriander
16 oz extra-firm tofu, cubed

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I believe strongly in leftovers.  Oh, you can disagree with me, but I AM RIGHT.  True, food is best straight from the stove (or better yet, straight from your garden) but when something is good, it’s more than nice to eat it twice.  It may be out slightly of fashion to brown bag lunch it, but I’ve never been afraid of looking like a dork.  I still carry my Alvin and Chipmunks lunchbox and even enjoy bookkeeping.  Really, all those numbers checking and balancing - how glorious! Just kidding about the lunchbox, though — I lost that one back in grade school and believe me, if there’s one thing you want to ignore at the school’s Lost and Found it’s a plastic lunchbox with weeks-old food still inside.

Back to leftovers:
 
For those of you who had New Years Resolutions to
1) save money and/or 2) loose weight/eat healthier/feel better, leftovers is the way to do it.  Buy fresh ingredients.  Make your own food.  At home.  Make more than you can eat in one sitting.  Bring it to work.  It’s going to be healthier and cost much less than what you get around the office.  And for those minute-pinchers out there, leftovers give you the added bonus of less time spent running out to grab something and more time to enjoy eating and doing your bookkeeping.
 
ps: these burgers are also great on a bun with the usual fixins
pps: there are so many good veggies in this I’m contributing it to Sweetnicks’ ARF/5-A-Day
 
Serves: 4 - 5
Time: 45 minutes

Eggplant Burgers Simmered in a Tomato, Mushroom, and Wine Sauce

Eggplant Burgers

1 medium eggplant
2 carrots
2/3 cup oatmeal
1 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp oregano
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese (optional)
salt and pepper
olive oil for frying

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Someone (alright already, it was Laurie Colwin) once said that real men don’t eat bitter greens. By now I think we’ve all heard that real men don’t eat quiche, but bitter greens is a new one to me. I hadn’t any previous evidence for or against this statement, so to test this theory I invited self-described “real man” Zeljko (seen here in the mirror looking frighteningly like Balki Bartokomous) to dinner. He was quite enthusiastic about the dish, twirling the spaghetti directly into his mouth with gusto and panache.

When I asked him how he liked the bitter greens he said, “These? They’re not so bitter.” But he also admitted that most guys who call themselves “real men” probably wouldn’t consider him to be included in that category. Back to square one.

Please let me know your own findings on this matter. If correct, this premise could make an excellent dating barometer and I’m telling you straight, gentle readers, that a dating barometer in Brooklyn is handier than a big stick in Mypos.
A big stick to herd sheep, see?

From my point of view, anyway, hearty bitter greens are a perfect mid-winter pick-me-up when springy green freshness is still a few inches below ground. And these velvety astringent greens are a perfect polygamous marriage with a toothsome pasta, sweet chewy raisins, and toasted pine nuts. Real or fake, most men are sure to be pleased by this cravable dish. And if you sense hesitancy, reference Popeye and his whole spinach/man thing, and note the splooshes of wine. That’ll have ‘em doing the Dance of Joy.

Hat tip to Nex0s for the recipe idea!

Serves: 2
Time: 20 minutes

Spaghetti with Bitter Greens, Pine Nuts and Golden Raisins

½ pound of spaghetti
2/3 cup of golden raisins
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 head of bitter greens like escarole, chard, chicory. I used escarole.
¼ cup of white wine
salt, pepper, more olive oil to taste
parmesan cheese, optional

Put a big pot of salted water on to boil for the spaghetti and put the golden raisins in a bowl of hot water to soak for a while to plump up.

While the water is heating and raisins are plumping, add a few tablespoons of olive oil to a skillet and with the heat on medium sauté the pine nuts for about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté together with the pine nuts until everything is golden brown – less than 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn the garlic or pine nuts.

Wash the greens thoroughly, cut off any stemy bits and chop the leaves into halves or thirds.

Add the prepared greens to the sauté pan and cook. Drain the raisins and add those too. At the same time the greens start cooking you can add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook for about 7 minutes or until done but with some bite left to it.

Once the escarole has wilted add the white wine and a generous amount of salt and pepper.

Drain the pasta well and toss with the greens mixture. Adjust the seasonings and add another pour of olive oil, of desired.

Serve with a dish of grated parmesan cheese, if you’d like.

A big kiss and hearty thank you to my oldest sister, The EnvironmentalSis, for these awesome plates.  So cool!