Cheever Sauce

Pushing your boundaries. Some people sky-dive, some rock climb, others will run a marathon. I cook Thai. While this may bring on some eye rolls, it’s actually a big deal for me to cook up a cuisine I’m typically not used to preparing, especially when there are so many pros doing it around the city.  

When I need to go Thai, curry always hits the spot. More times than not, I always find that the curry dish I want on the menu doesn’t have enough of the delicious ingredients I’m looking for. I always embarrass whoever I am eating with by pestering the waiter, “Can you add baby corn? And maybe some shrimp too? Oh! and pineapple, yes I’ll have some pineapple too with that.”

This dish is perfect for someone like me who wants pretty much everything, because it’s just a simple curry sauce recipe. All I had to do was steam up my favorite veggies and pour the sauce over them to enjoy my perfectly balanced Thai feast.  

Read on for the recipe adapted from Paul Jarvi’s Eat Awesome 

Everybody loves a great sandwich. A truly outstanding sandwich has just as much emphasis on the bread and a creative sauce, as the fresh and high quality ingredients that go inside. I am a sucker for sauces, especially on a sandwich, it just gives it that extra umph! we’re all looking for when we bite in between two pieces of bread. Big Macs didn’t become a hit for no reason…it’s all about the special sauce. So when I stumbled upon a recipe for an arugala and parsley aioli, I instantly knew I found the perfect companion to the roasted veggie sandwich I’ve been dying to make. 

Preparing a veggie sandwich is one of the easiest things you can do and I prefer my veggies over deli meat.  I chose some of my favorites to roast: portabella mushrooms,  red peppers, tomatoes, and eggplant. I put a little olive oil on the mushrooms, olive oil and garlic powder on the eggplant, and olive oil and rosemary on the tomatoes. I put everything on 1 baking sheet with the red peppers at 400 degrees, and watched them until I knew each was roasted properly. The mushrooms came out first, and I stuck my sheet back in to let the tomatoes, eggplant and red peppers cook a little longer. The peppers will be blistered and charred when done (Be sure to remove their skins before serving). Roast everything to your desired taste and remove from the oven. 

I spread a little of the Arugula and Parlsey Aioli on one slice of whole grain crusty bread from Balthazar, and goat cheese on the other. I topped off my veggies and added some arugala for added texture. It’s simple and delicious and packs up easy for lunch the next day. 

Read on for the recipe for Arugala and Parsley Aioli

Tonight we’re eating light folks. It’s been a long (but wonderful) holiday weekend filled with clambake dinners, seafood quiche’s, strawberry pavlovas, Bloody Mary’s and lots and lots and lots and lots of Rosé. CheeverSauce took the weekend off and the real chefs of the house (my parents) treated friends and family to a weekend of delicious food at our house in Nantucket. 

Now that I am back in the real world (whomp whomp) I had to snap back to healthy eating reality and whip up something light because my stomach is still recovering from the weekend’s feasts. At times like these, some girls often want to starve themselves for days in an effort to balance out their recent caloric intake. This is very dumb. Eat a light meal like this one so you don’t shock system into turning your metabolism into a debilitated slug. 

When I first read this recipe I saw in called for “tahini.” Tah-what? The name sounded familiar, so I assumed it would be easy to find in the grocery store. It could be in one of those spice racks right? Whelp - turns out tahini is actually a paste of ground sesame seeds. It is an ingredient used in many Middle Eastern foods, but can also be found in some Chinese, Korean, and Japanese dishes as well. I found mine in a jar next to all the peanut and almond butters.

The recipe itself was incredibly fast and easy to make and the leftovers will make a great lunch tomorrow. 

Onward onto the recipe adapted from America’s Test Kitchen latest issue

I don’t know what it is about lunch but it’s usually the hardest meal of the day for me in terms of figuring out what to eat. I know, I know - that sounds ridiculous considering I live in a city with countless deli’s, amazing bistros with their equally amazing take out menus, and food trucks galore around every corner. But for some reason all of it just blends together as same old, same old. 

I wanted to make a dish that would be easy to pack for lunch that doesn’t typically resemble what I am used to (sorry Mom - but I think the brown bagged lunches of my youth have forever turned me off from the classic turkey sandwich).

I read about this gem in a cooking magazine. It was created by Tamar Adler for her first book An Everlasting Meal: Eating with Economy and Grace and if this meal is any inclination of the direction her book is heading, I think girlfriend is onto something. 

To Make Eggplant and Tomatoes 

1. Slice two medium eggplants and transfer into a large mixing bowl, toss with olive oil and salt, and let sit for 5 minutes to absorb the oil. Lay the eggplant slices in an even layer on a tin foil covered baking sheet. 
2. Combine a pint of cherry tomatoes with a little olive oil, large spoonful of rosemary, and a dash of salt. 
3. Place the eggplant on the upper oven rack and the tomatoes on the lower rack (baking at 450 degrees)
4. Roast the eggplant until light golden and beginning to soften, about 10 min. Flip and roast until completely soft and light golden, about 10-15 minutes. Roast the tomatoes until many have collapsed around 40-45 minutes. 
5. Transfer your veggies to separate containers and let cool. 

To Make Cucumbers 

1. Combine 2 small shallots (sliced into thin rings), 4 splashes of red wine vinegar,  and a dash of salt in a small bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes to soften the shallot. Add the cucumbers (skins peeled, halved, seeds scooped out, sliced) and mix well. Season with lemon juice and salt. 

To Serve: Combine your cucumber mix with your roasted veggies and serve with a side of Greek yogurt (pour tiny spoonful of extra virgin olive oil over yogurt for extra taste). Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts. Serve with a whole wheat pita or crusty bread. 

To pack for the office - put your veggies, cucumber mix, and pita in a tupperware and your yogurt, oil, and pine nuts in a separate container. The veggies are safe to eat at room temperate but be sure to refrigerate your yogurt before eating.

Side note: I don’t typically have the energy to make a lunch like this and will most likely resort to that turkey sandwich tomorrow afternoon. 

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