Cheever Sauce

It was dark by 5:30 last night and according to the new notification screen on my iPhone, (time to upgrade to iOS5 people) it’s going to snow tomorrow. Since it looks like we are getting dangerously close to winter, what better way to hold onto these fleeting fall days than to bake a light, delicious, and a little summery? cake. 

Apparently yogurt cakes are a French thing. And we allllll know the only other acceptable alternative to a girl from Connecticut pretending to be a New Yorker, is a CT girl pretending to be a New Yorker pretending to be a Parisian ;) . Yogurt cakes are my kind of thing because they’re one of those rare baking gems that don’t require complicated measuring. The math is based on the volume of your yogurt cups, to which you add an equal amount of sugar, a double amount of flour, a little less than one of oil, two eggs, and some leavener and flavors like a little vanilla, citrus zest, or rum (Thanks Smitten Kitchen for the fun fact). I decided to go the lemon route and top it off with the blueberries and raspberries I had in the fridge. 

The best thing about this cake is it’s flavorful and fluffy yet not too sweet. I also found that the more days that went by, the better it tasted. However it was gone sooner than I hoped since I gave half a way to a friend and the leftovers regrettably served as my breakfast for the next couple days. 

Onward for the recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Lime Yogurt Cake with Blackberry Sauce

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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I eat yogurt and berries a lot. It’s a great, healthy breakfast but I am sure, we can all admit it gets a little boring. So I decided to jazz up this morning staple - parfait style.

In a mug or glass layer Fage 0% yogurt, granola, berries, drizzle layer with honey. Repeat. 

The best part about a layered dish like this is, is when you scoop down there are more goodies at the bottom. This keeps all the flavoring consistent which makes for a more satisfying yogurt/berries/granola mashup experience. Another plus you ask? It’s pretty and makes you feel all fancy and refined, like you should be eating it, wrapped in a plush white bathrobe on your hotel balcony in St. Tropez…rather than on your NYC fire escape right above the garbage men picking up last nights trash… (sigh). 

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