It’s very rare that I’ll make a salad without avocado, so naturally it’s ended up in this delicious roasted eggplant recipe with the aromatic spices of cumin and smoked paprika. 

I was craving the sweet spiciness of an Indian curry but didn’t want the heaviness of a stew so I took two of my favorite curry flavorings and used them as a coating for roasted eggplants. Cumin and smoked paprika have such rich flavors that I didn’t want to dilute with too many other ingredients. The spicy cubes of eggplant pair perfectly with the silky, mild flavor of avocado on a bed of peppery arugula.

A simple sesame and lemon juice dressing brings out the smoky paprika even more. I’ve used this simple oil and acid combination for years as a salad dressing and vegetable dip because it resembles the exotic richness of tahini but takes about thirty seconds to make. I can almost guarantee that you’ll be swapping out your simple balsamic vinegar and olive oil dressing and replacing it with lemon juice and sesame oil in no time at all.

Roasted Eggplant Recipe with Arugula and Avocado Salad 

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 medium-sized eggplant yielding 2 cups of small cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
4 cups baby arugula
1 avocado
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice 

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Chop the eggplant into small ½ inch cubes and toss with the salt in a small bowl and set aside for 20 minutes.

Make the dressing by whisking together the sesame oil and lemon juice. Add a pinch of salt to taste.

Spread the eggplant cubes out on a paper towel-lined plate and squeeze out some of the liquid. Return the cubes to the bowl and add the olive oil, cumin and paprika. Toss until mixed very well and spread the cubes out on a single layer of a baking sheet. Cook for 20 minutes.

Slice the avocado into chunks and add to a large bowl along with the arugula. Sprinkle the cooked eggplant on top and toss with the sesame lemon dressing.

Related on Eco Salon

Grilled Eggplant Salad Recipe 

Arugula Salad Vegan Pizza Recipe 

Eggplant Zucchini Lasagna Recipe 

Photo credits: Ally Jane Grossan

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All that flavor…all that fat.

Cool Ranch Doritos remind me of those days I’d peer into the bag, desperate to find the chip with thickest layer of spices. It was a game with a sensationally savory reward. Little did I know the nature of the gift – or so I thought it was – that I was really giving my body.

One serving, or 12 chips, of Cool Ranch Doritos contains 150 calories, nearly half –8 grams – which come from fat. It also has 180 milligrams of sodium, 18 grams of carbohydrates, and only 2 grams of dietary fiber.

The bottom line is that with ingredients such as sodium acetate, artificial color, sodium, caseinate, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, monosodium glutamate (MSG), and maltodextrin, not only are you stuffing yourself with 16 grams of empty carbs but also you are ingesting a lot of nothing “real.” Some of these synthetic ingredients are just downright dangerous. Doritos contain MSG, which is a flavor enhancer that can trigger headaches, sweating, facial pressure or tightness, a rapid or fluttering heartbeat, chest pain, nausea, and weakness.

The following recipe starts from scratch, using simple ingredients that pack a serious flavor punch. With the right combination of spices and a few minutes to spare, you’ve got yourself a bottomless bowl of your favorite chips. Enjoy!

Homemade Spicy Cool-Ranch Doritos

Servings vary

Ingredients:

1 large potato or 2 small potatoes (white or sweet)

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Slice the potatoes into thin strips, just thick enough so they are not transparent.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine all the spices and mix.

Add the sliced potatoes to the spice bowl and toss until all sides of each potato slice are evenly covered.

On a greased baking sheet place potato slices side by side, each with its own place so that they bake evenly and to a crisp. Drizzle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil and place in a 400 degree Fahrenheit oven for approximately 40 minutes or until the potatoes have crisped, but not burned.

Enjoy!

Aylin Erman currently resides in Istanbul and is creator of plant-based recipe website GlowKitchen.

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Giving up some love for the legumes.

It may be silly to suggest cooking dried legumes when you can get them ready to eat in a can. But I still insist that there are so many benefits to cooking them yourself that it’s worth every step. And it’s pretty easy to do. You can also cook large quantities at a time and store smaller portions in your freezer.

Legumes like lentils or beans work all year round in different ways. Cold in salads and warm as a side to eggs, beets or with any green vegetable. Chickpeas are wonderful as a starter together with toasted almonds. Green lentils with beets, feta and parsley create a simple and delicious salad alone or together with baked vegetables or meat. Hummus or any other dip (see below) are perfect treats and easy to whip up with any fresh produce that the summer can provide.

I always cook my legumes together with some herbs, vegetables and salt (see simple version below). Sometimes I add bones or small pieces of meat when cooking the legumes. It gives a specific flavor but it’s far from necessary. Cooking time depends on what type of legumes you have, for example cooking lentils is far quicker than chickpeas. It also depends what you are planning to do. If you are making hummus you may want to cook the chickpeas until they are almost mushy but for a salad they should just be soft.

Some legumes such as most beans and chickpeas you will need to soak for at least 8-10 hours (but longer is better). Change the water a couple of times to keep them fresh (it can smell really bad). Lentils, split peas and mung beans do not need soaking.

The lentil dip below can be served together with fresh vegetables such as raw carrots, cucumber and celery. Slightly cooked cauliflower and broccoli also work well. You can also use the dip as a spread on freshly baked bread and crackers. Enjoy!

Lentil Dip
(Plenty of dip)

One cup dried french lentils (almost 2 cups cooked)
1-2 bay leaves
A sprig of sage
½ onion (and/or other vegetable scraps such as carrot, celery or fresh fennel)
About one tablespoon of salt

For the dip
About 2 cups cooked lentils (as above)
One shallot
Chili (more or less depending on how spicy you want it)
2-3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoon coriander*
2 teaspoons cumin*
One teaspoon fennel*
Reserved lentil liquid
Juice from a ½ lime

Seasoning
Smoked paprika powder (e.g. bittersweet Pimentón de la Vera)
Sea salt
Some olive oil
Cilantro

First step is to cook the lentils. Rinse the lentils and cook them gently together with about two cups water, bay leaves, sage, salt and onion (etc) until soft (about 15-20 min). You may need to add a little more water. It’s important that you don’t cook the lentils dry and there should be about a cup of tasty liquid left when the lentils are done. When done reserve the liquid as it will be used later. Let the lentils cool and remove all bits and pieces of the sage, bay leaves, onions etc.

Chop the shallot into tiny pieces. Saute on very low heat until it starts to caramelize. Raise the temperature a little and add chili together with the spices. Stir everything together and add the lentils to the pan. Poor some of the water over and let cook for just a little bit. (You could stop the cooking here and just enjoy the lentils as a side to eggs, meat or vegetables).

Let the lentils cool a little before blending together with garlic in a food processor. Add lime juice plus some of the reserved lentil liquid to create a smooth texture. Season with flakes of sea salt and smoked paprika powder. Lastly add as much cilantro as you wish. Just before serving add a splash of olive oil on top.

* I prefer to toast whole coriander, fennel and cumin in a skillet at high heat. When they start to “pop” remove them immediately from the pan into a mortar and pestle. Grind until fine. The flavor will be richer.

Illustration by Johanna Kindvall

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