curried vegetable rice & fire roasted eggplant salad

recently i found myself planning yet another vegetarian menu for a small gathering of friends. in an effort not to be predictably boring (falling back on the usual options), i decided against the mushroom ragout, quinoa lentil salad, orzo with roasted vegetables and pesto, couscous with grilled vegetables, or the very delicious vegetarian lasagna and instead opted for a very spicy curried vegetable steamed rice (much like my spicy shrimp rice sans shrimp), a delicious grilled eggplant and tomato salad (russian style according to my dad who's recipe it is), small marinated yellow peppers stuffed with mozzarella, and a huge bib & blue salad with lots of fresh dill. dessert was chewy crunchy meringue topped with whipped crème fraîche & lots of pomegranate seeds. as usual, by the time dessert rolled around (and i'd consumed a glass of vino or two), i forgot to take pictures of the dessert. yet again. next time. as i write this i'm sitting by my window looking out at the liquid amber tree (only tree in this area that actually loses its leaves, i think)-it is quite a sight to see! a few old brownish leaves desperately clinging on to dear life among the oh-so beautiful fresh bright green leaves just coming in-and all i can think of is yipeeeee!!! spring is coming! a fresh start. a new beginning. admittedly, we're very lucky weather-wise in California-so no complaining on that front! having said that, the coming of spring still means that longer days are just around the corner. we are happily springing forward, and for that, i am grateful on this beautiful day.

for spicy persian style spiced vegetable steamed rice (4-6 good portions)

• 2-3 cups basmati rice, rinsed in water several times until the water runs clear

• 2 large ripe tomatoes (or 3-4 roma tomatoes), finely cubed

• 1 medium onion, finely cubed (or 2-3 leeks)

• 1 cup peas (frozen or fresh)

• 1 cup mushrooms cut in small cubes

• 1 cup red bell pepper cut in small cubes

• 1 cup eggplant (or zucchini) cut in small cubes

• 1/4 -1/2 cup vegetable oil (avocado)

• 3-4 tsp of my grandma's spice mixture: equal parts cinnamon, toasted cumin seeds, rose petals (gol-e-sorkh)

• 1-2 tsp finely ground saffron

• cayenne pepper (to taste for spiciness) or a jalapeño pepper, very finely chopped (remember the curry powder is typically spicy)

• 3-4 tsp good curry powder

• 1 tsp turmeric

1. in a deep (non-stick) pot, bring salted water to a boil, then add the cleaned rice and boil (rolling boil) for about 7-9 minutes until the rice looks just tender. drain the rice in a mesh colander, then run cold water over it and allow it to drain.

2. heat 2 tbs of vegetable oil in a skillet, then add onions and fry for 2-3 minutes on high heat. add the other vegetables (except tomatoes), curry powder, turmeric, cayenne, sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste and stir fry on high heat until vegetable are browned and softened (about 5-8 minutes or so). taste and adjust seasoning. set aside.

3. add 2 tbs vegetable oil, 1/2 tsp ground saffron, and 2 tbs water to bottom of the pot and heat them together briefly (1-2 minutes on high). remove from heat. start with a few large spoonfuls of rice at the bottom, followed by a thin layering of the vegetables (carefully mix it up a little with a spatula), a layering of freshly cubed tomatoes, and a sprinkle of spice mixture. keep building a pyramid with your ingredient in the same order (wider at the bottom and rounder at the top) until you have used up all the ingredients.

4. poke 2-3 holes into the rice pyramid you have created with the handle of the spatula. sprinkle the remaining saffron over the very top of the rice dome evenly. pour 2-3 tbs of vegetable oil (or melted butter) over the rice evenly (using a squirt bottle or slotted spoon helps). pour about 3-4 tbs of water into the holes you've created. close the lid tightly over a clean kitchen towel or paper towel. put the pot on the stove on high heat for about 5-7 minutes (this will help with the tah-deeg or crispy rice at the bottom). do not move away from the stove! after about 7 minutes, reduce the heat to med/low and allow the rice to steam for about 45 minutes to an hour. The rice and crispy delightful tag-deeg bottom are ready to be served!

fire roasted eggplant & tomato salad for 4-6:

• 6-7 medium to large talian eggplants

• 3 large rip tomatoes (or 4-5 roma tomatoes)

• 1 small shallot, very finely minced (or 4-5 scallions, thinly sliced)

• 1-2 tbs sherry vinegar (or red wine)

• sea salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

• red pepper flakes (optional to taste)

• 3-4 tbs good quality extra virgin olive oil

1. put the eggplants and tomatoes directly on the grill (can be done inside on a gas burner) and allow them to roast while occasionally turning when necessary until the skins are almost burned and flaky but the insides are soft and cooked through. set aside and allow them to cool off.

2. carefully remove the roasted eggplant and tomatoes from the outer skins and add to a bowl (mush the eggplants and tomatoes up with a fork creating a smooth consistency) with very finely minced shallots (1-2 tsp), olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and vinegar. taste and adjust seasoning. (add a touch of fresh lemon juice if you'd like it to taste more citrusy).

3. refrigerate for at least 30 minutes prior to serving. drizzle with olive oil. serve with oven roasted homemade rosemary crostini : thinly sliced baguette, olive oil, sea salt, chopped fresh rosemary, good parmesan cheese-in the oven at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes (keep an eye on them).

mozzarella stuffed small yellow peppers:

• about 12 marinated yellow (or red) small peppers (buy them at the store usually near the olives)

• 12 small fresh mozzarella balls (or cut a larger one to small bites)

• a small bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped

• 1 garlic clove, finely minced

• good quality extra virgin olive oil

• sea salt & red pepper flakes to taste

• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest

combine parsley, garlic, sea salt & pepper, lemon zest, and olive oil in a bowl. add mozzarella cheese, allow it to marinate for at least 1 hour, and up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. stuff the drained peppers carefully with the marinated cheese balls just before serving.