Friday

Eggplant curry (recipe in the comments)
Basmati rice
Steamed broccoli with lemon

Mint M & Ms (Uh-oh, these could become a habit)
Hot cocoa
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I bought The Moosewood Cookbook (source for tonight's curry) and Enchanted Broccoli Forest (the sequel) when I first went off board as a sophomore in college. These were some of the first books M and I cooked out of and, while they are often too heavy for our taste now, they have a very special place in my heart. These are the recipes of two very young cooks, struggling to make good food and a good relationship. Well, both seem to have worked. It's a miracle.

Eggplant curry is one of the stand-by recipes that has stood the test of time. We first made this in 1997 - 10 years ago. We've altered the recipe very little and still love it. It helps that we're eggplant fanatics and that we love Indian food. This recipe convinced us that we could do pretty authentic Indian at home. For those of you worried about protein, the sesame seeds and eggplant contribute a lot, but this is excellent with a bit of well browned tofu tossed in.

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate (easy to make, but long to cook)
Chopping: Onion, eggplant, cilantro
Time: 45 minutes
Make ahead: Saves like a dream.

Reaction
J: "Did you notice it's vegan? I bet you didn't."
M: "Eggplant = YUM."

Monday

Barbecue-style lentils with eggplant (recipe in the comments)
Rice
Mixed greens with fresh garlic dressing

Shortbread dipped in dark chocolate
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This is an unusual combination of flavors. We love eggplant, and it's a favorite of Ts, so this ranks highly as a unique way to use it. We often have this without rice, but serving a grain (white or brown rice, pasta of some sort, polenta) stretches the meal a bit further. With rice this serves two with a meal for T and a lunch for one of us adults. You can use canned lentils (which I didn't know were made until I saw this recipe, but it works equally well with 1 cup dry brown lentils cooked in 3 cups of water (add lentils and remaining liquid).

Prep Notes
Difficulty: Moderate
Chopping: Eggplant cubed, onion sliced, tomato cubed, oregano and parsley chopped
Time: 50 minutes
Make ahead: It saves ok, but is best fresh.

Reaction
J: "I didn't know you could barbecue lentils."
M: "Yee Haw."