Vinaigrette (oil and vinegar salad dressing)

My vinaigrette tends to be a bit on the strong side, so if you don't like anything but ranch dressing on your salads, you probably want to avoid this. On the other hand, you can also adjust the amount of vinegar and mustard to your tastes.

You need:

Red wine vinegar
Olive oil
Dijon mustard
Garlic, minced
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

• I start with a small plastic container with a lid.
• Put one clove of minced garlic inside
• Add one teaspoon of strong dijon mustard [I like this stuff]
• I tend to add equal parts vinegar and olive oil, but you could add more oil to mellow it out
• Add salt and pepper to taste
• Put the lid on, and shake vigorously to combine

Baba Ghanouj (eggplant spread)

This and the next couple of posts are from a Middle Eastern food party I threw a while back. This is tasty spread on sandwiches or served with pita bread wedges or pita chips, and is easy to make. The next time you're considering making hummus, consider making this instead. I believe I found the recipe at epicurious.com.

You need:

2 1-pound eggplants, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste) [I've been able to find this at local supermarkets, but you may have to check the specialty foods section, or even a specialty foods store]
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, chopped

To make it:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously oil rimmed baking sheet. Place eggplant halves, cut side down, on sheet. Roast until eggplant is very soft, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Using spoon, scoop out pulp from eggplant into strainer set over bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, allowing excess liquid to drain from eggplant.

Transfer eggplant pulp to food processor. Add 1/4 cup oil, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic; process until almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl.

(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

Pasta with goat cheese and sundried tomatoes

This is another recipe that I made up, though it was inspired by a recipe in a great cookbook called While the Pasta Cooks.

You need:

1 lb. pasta, I like fusilli for this recipe

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/3 of a jar of pine nuts, toasted

Half of a jar of sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

1 small package (about 5 oz.) fresh goat cheese, crumbled

Put all ingredients except for the pasta in a large bowl. Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain the pasta, add it to the bowl with the other ingredients, and toss until the cheese has melted and coated the pasta.

You can also add defrosted frozen peas or broccoli to this if you want a full meal in a bowl. Alternately, serve a salad of tossed baby greens on the side with Italian dressing or homemade vinaigrette.