My Own Recipe

Note:
I was putting together and posting this challenge all the way from the Mexico while having one of the best vacations ever. I was battling internet speed badly while doing this so tried to trim content of this post to maximize chances of posting it at all.


Intro
Surprise - this time DK host gave us a pleasure and fun to be creative and invent our own recipe for specific list of ingredients. I could not ask for more fun - must be, in my previous life I was some kind of alchemist?! "Mystery box" of given ingredients consisted of:
List 1: Parsnips, Eggplant (aubergine), Cauliflower
List 2: Balsamic Vinegar, Goat Cheese, Chipotle peppers
List 3: Maple Syrup, Instant Coffee, Bananas


Discoveries Along the Way
I really like sauce I made for this dish. I carefully stirred together all condiment-type ingredients (note, all are the dark ones!) - coffee, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and ground chipotle pepper. Yes, I stirred carefully because I didn't want to disturb dark chocolaty color depth of mix by emulsifying sauce. Speaking of coffee, first, I dissolved 1/3 teaspoon of instant coffee in 2 tablespoons of hot water and then added other ingredients. To add richness and speckled pattern to the sauce I added 2 tablespoons of light olive oil (flavorless). In this sauce, I like the fact that I could taste / smell each ingredient and at the same time they were married together perfectly creating sweet & spicy lake around my eggplant rolls and risotto (see picture below).

Risotto & Eggplant On-A-Lake

Risotto:

1 small onion, diced

2 small parsnips, peeled and finely diced

1 banana, peeled and thinly sliced
3 cups cauliflower, split in small florets
2 cups of rice
4+2 tbs olive oil
1 cup white wine
4+ cups chicken stock
parsley (optional)


Eggplant rolls:
3oz goat cheese
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium size eggplants, sliced along 1/4" thick
olive oil for frying


Magie Noire sauce:
1/2 tsp instant coffee
3 tbs hot water
1 tbs maple syrup (real one)
1 tbs thick balsamic vinegar
1 tsp ground chipotle pepper

Risotto:

- On a medium heat, cook onion, parsnips and cauliflower for about 5 minutes, add banana and rice and cook stirring for 3 minutes.

- Add wine and let it cook 5 minutes, stirring couple times during this time.

- Add chicken broth by small portions and continue cooking, stirring often until rice is no longer hard, soft but not mushy in a creamy sauce. Add salt and pepper. Take off heat and add finely minced parsley (optional).



Eggplant rolls:

- Cook eggplant slices on a frying pan, in a couple tbs of olive oil, on a medium-low heat. Eggplant will absorb oil quickly but cooked on a low heat, they will not burn. Let them cook until soft and golden brown. Flip and cook on another side.

- Cool all pieces and let them to cool down a little bit.

- Meanwhile, stir goat cheese with garlic and salt.

- Spread cheese mix on a 1/3 part of eggplant, wider edge. Roll in up toward the narrow edge.

- With a sharp knife, cut each roll in three to get small "stumps".



Magie Noire sauce:

- In a small glass dish, dissolve coffee in a hot water.

- Add maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, chipotle pepper and a pinch of salt.

Assembling:

- on a rectangular dish, pile up risotto in a long strip imitating lake shore.

- place "stumps" of eggplant rolls in a random order by risotto "shore".

- carefully pour Magie Noire (lake waters) around eggplants.

- Done. Eat slowly making sure you get tiny amount of black sauce with each bite of "shore" or "stump". Enjoy it!

Blog-checking lines: Our April 2012 Daring Cooks hosts were David & Karen from Twenty-Fingered Cooking. They presented us with a very daring and unique challenge of forming our own recipes by using a set list of ingredients!