Pseudo Terrine

 

Some of you might know how much of a manga fan I am. Lately, I've been reading a lot of Shokugeki no Souma. In there, one of the characters makes a terrine. Since I read that, I've been thinking of making a terrine for a while.

Some issues: most terrines use meat or gelatin or eggs to hold the layers together. Due to an excess of carrots, I decided to try to make a semi-mousse out of them. I used some peanut butter and corn starch as binding agents. Unfortunately, I had to add a lot of water for the carrots to blend properly. Then I didn't have time to chill the whole thing... so it kind of flopped.

The edge is made out of steamed eggplant slices. Then I had a layer of carrot "mousse," a mix if mashed peas and potatoes, some sliced mushroom, then another layer of carrot. This was served with an herb sauce (perilla, cilantro, lemon juice, and a bit of olive oil) and a quark sauce.

Maybe next time I'll add tofu to the carrot layer... and I will chill it properly with a weight for it to hold together better.

Casserole (step-by-step)

Remember the Lazy Student Casserole? I suddenly had an urge to eat it again today, so I did.

First, I looked at what I had in the fridge. Quite a few vegetables, so I selected a few and sliced them. In my assortment: zucchini, bellpepper, mushroom, eggplant, potato, and ripped-up iceberg lettuce. I also chopped tofu into thin strands, as I didn't fell like putting cheese on top this time.

First heat up a small pot, then take it off the heat and coat the bottom and a bit of the sides with some plain oil. Then layer your ingredients, making sure the potatoes are not the bottom-most. I think most casseroles have cheese, but not this time. I opted for some cilantro over the top of everything. You can season in the middle, wherever you wish. I put some Provincial herbs, salt, pepper, and dried chili flakes.

Cook on medium-low heat 15-20 minutes until veggies are tender. I had some troubles and put the heat too high, resulting in a burned the bottom layer, but it was good nevertheless. Portion out and serve!

Stuffed Eggplant meal

September 24, 2012

I made two types of stuffed eggplants. One was stuffed with leftover Okonomiyaki veggies tossed in leftover pizza sauce that my brother left. The other was eggplant, zucchini, and tofu tossed with some tomatoes. The whole draped in a criss-crossed pattern of cheese and served with penne.

Eggplant rolls

Appetizer for 4 people

Ingredients:
- 1 eggplant
- 1 can of peeled tomatoes
- 150g shredded mozzarella cheese
- Italian seasoning
- salt/sugar to taste
- olive oil

1. Preheat oven 200°C
2. Slice the eggplant in 8 lengthwise
    Tip: Cook the eggplant in water after slicing, they'll have a nicer texture in the mouth.
3. Put the eggplant slices on an oven pan, and brush them with a little olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes.
4. Shred the peeled tomatoes. Add seasoning, salt, and sugar until the taste satisfies you.
5. Remove the eggplant from the oven. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on each slice, and roll them. Put them side by side in a deep oven dish. Cover with the tomato sauce.
6. Bake until the cheese melts and the sauce bubbles, at least 10 mins.
7. Delicately transfer the rolls to serving plates and cover with sauce. Enjoy~