Similar to French ratatouille, Samfaina is a Catalonian vegetable relish that is long-cooked to a marmalade-like consistency. It is wonderful on fish, eggs, potatoes, or even toast. The key to its success is to dice the vegetables into small pieces. It will keep, covered, for several days in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
1 medium eggplant, peeled and diced very small
Coarse salt (kosher or sea)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 medium onions, peeled and very finely diced
4 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 red bell peppers (or one red and one green), peeled, seeded and sliced in thin strips or diced very small
1 medium zucchini, peeled and very finely diced
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped, or a 14-ounce can, drained
Directions
Step 1
Lay the eggplant pieces on two layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. After 30 minutes, squeeze out the liquid and pat dry.
Step 2
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in an earthenware casserole over a flame tamer or in a Dutch oven. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until they soften, about 8 minutes.
Step 3
Add a generous pinch of salt and the garlic, and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the remaining olive oil along with the eggplant, bell peppers, zucchini, and black pepper. Turn the heat to low, stir, then cover and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Step 4
Stir in the tomatoes, season with salt, cover again, and cook over low heat until the mixture has reduced to a thick relish, 2 to 3 more hours, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings. Before serving, allow the relish to sit for at least 1 hour, or better yet, refrigerate overnight.
Serves 6 — Recipe adapted from the New York Times, October 10, 2010
Peppered Tuna Steaks with Olive Oil, Tomato, and Mozzarella Salad Recipe, Spotlight on Vinegar, How to Choose Fish with Less Mercury, Benefits of Vitamin D and Functional Training
Is spring in the air where you are? For me, spring means it’s time to fire up the grill. And there’s no quicker way to put together a meal than with seafood, especially a toothsome tuna steak. I love the double dip of protein in this recipe (yes, there’s protein in mozzarella!), and what a delicious way to enjoy the Mediterranean-style diet.
If you don’t live near the coast and are nervous about buying fish, you’re not alone. When fish is behind a counter, it’s hard to check for yourself to be sure that it doesn’t have a fishy smell and that it feels firm to the touch. I find it’s so important to make friends with your local fishmonger so that you’ll always be steered toward the freshest varieties. But there’s also another option—buying fish that’s been flash-frozen at sea. This process makes fresh fish immune to the changes in temperature that can affect it during transport. Allow the fish to defrost in your fridge—not on the counter—on the day you’re using it.
Peppered Tuna Steaks with Olive Oil, Tomato, and Mozzarella Salad
This recipe brings together a main and a side, each one very simple to prepare. For a heartier meal, couscous makes a great addition—you can even cook it ahead of time and fold it into the salad.
Ingredients
4 center-cut tuna steaks, each about 1 inch thick and 6 to 8 ounces
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Coarsely cracked or ground black pepper
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or more to taste
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup pitted, brine-cured olives, such as red and/or green Cerignola, coarsely chopped
2 cups red and yellow grape tomatoes, halved lengthwise
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained and diced
6 large leaves fresh basil, chopped, plus extra sprigs for garnish
Lemon wedges for serving
Directions
Step 1
Trim any skin or dark spots from the tuna steaks, then lightly oil both sides and generously season with the pepper. Put the vinegar in a medium bowl and whisk in the remaining olive oil. Stir in the garlic, olives, tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. Set aside.
Step 2
Set up your grill for direct grilling and preheat to medium-high. Arrange the tuna steaks on the grill grate and grill, turning once, until the steaks are marked on the outside and the desired degree of doneness is reached, such as 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Indoors, you can use a grill pan or contact grill, or even a cast iron skillet to sear the steaks. Transfer the steaks to plates and divide the salad between them. Garnish with fresh sprigs of basil. Serve with lemon wedges for squeezing.
Yields 4 generous servings.
Healthy Ingredient Spotlight
Vinegar
Once you’ve stepped up to the finest fresh-pressed extra virgin olive oil, it’s time to enhance your dressings and marinades with the right vinegars. It can be frustrating to start making a recipe that calls for a type of vinegar that’s not in your pantry! Here are the basics of a comprehensive vinegar collection. Since it’s very hard for vinegar to go bad before you can use it up, it makes sense to put these essentials on your next shopping list:
Apple cider vinegar. Touted for its health benefits, it’s a good basic vinegar to use in place of distilled white vinegar.
Balsamic vinegar. True balsamic vinegar comes from the Modena or Reggio Emilia region in Italy. It’s rich and sweet and can be reduced by boiling to make a great syrup for fresh berries.
Champagne vinegar. This one’s a splurge, made from the same grapes as Champagne itself, but a wonderful ingredient for lighter vinaigrettes.
Red wine vinegar. More on the pungent side, this vinegar adds acidity to dressings and vegetable salads.
Rice wine vinegar. Used in most Asian cuisines, it adds both sweet and acid notes to dishes.
Sherry vinegar. This Spanish vinegar adds depth to many recipes—it’s often used as a finishing touch instead of a squeeze of lemon.
White vinegar. This kitchen mainstay is rather sharp—I save it for pickling cukes and peppers.
Healthy Kitchen Nugget
Choosing Fish to Limit Mercury Intake
Because of growing levels of mercury in fish, it’s important to choose varieties wisely. According to the FDA, yellowfin tuna is a best bet because of its lower mercury content. Mercury is more of a concern with bigeye tuna as well as shark, swordfish, and king mackerel. Limiting potential mercury intake is especially important for pregnant women and young children. Check out all the FDA’s seafood guidelines on its website.
For Your Best Health
Benefits of Vitamin D
Taking vitamin D supplements has been in the news a lot lately because people who are even slightly insufficient (which is one step up from having a full-blown deficiency) seem to be more seriously affected by COVID-19. A recent study published in JAMA Network Open adds to the vitamin’s list of benefits. It found that people who took 2,000 IU daily over five years had a reduced risk of developing advanced cancer, especially among those of normal weight.
Fitness Flash
Functional Training
Unless you’re training for a specific event, whether a 5K or a marathon, it may be hard to create a goal that motivates you to be more active. That’s where functional training comes in. This is an exercise strategy targeted at helping you perform better at whatever activities are important to you. That could be hiking with your significant other, playing with kids or grandkids, having sharper skills if you’re in a physical profession (like firefighting), or just making it easier to go about your regular day. You set the goal, and a trainer, such as a physical therapist or fitness coach certified in exercise science and skilled in this type of training, works with you to create the road map you need to reach it.
Thick-cut bone-in rib eye steaks, sometimes called “tomahawk steaks,” are becoming common in American meat markets. One steak can weigh more than 2 pounds and can easily serve 2 to 3 people or more. They are best cooked rare to medium-rare.
Ingredients
One bone-in rib eye steak, about 2 inches thick
About 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Fleur de sel
One small brioche loaf, crusts removed, torn into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes, or to taste (optional)
4 large fresh dates, such as Medjool, pitted and spread open
One bunch baby arugula
Directions
Step 1
Heat a cast-iron griddle or large skillet over medium heat. Brush generously with olive oil. Pat the steak dry with paper towels, then sprinkle one side with fleur de sel. Arrange the steak salt side down on the hot surface. When it is seared (8 to 10 minutes), season the top of the steak with fleur de sel and flip it over to cook on the other side for another 8 minutes. Continue cooking the steak, flipping as needed, until the internal temperature reaches 125°F for medium-rare. Transfer the meat to a cutting board and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Step 2
Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan drippings and toast the brioche, turning with a spatula until lightly browned. Dot the bread with the mustard and season with salt, black pepper, and hot red pepper flakes, if using. Generously drizzle with more olive oil, then nestle the dates in the brioche, cut sides down. Scatter the arugula over the top and toss everything together with 2 wooden spoons as you would a salad. Heap the salad on a serving platter and drizzle with olive oil. Slice the meat against the grain, season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with additional olive oil. Serve with the salad.
Serves 2 to 3 — Recipe adapted from Mallmann on Fire by Francis Mallmann (Artisan, 2014)
Nearly all of us have eaten refried pinto beans. But refried cannellini beans are a revelation! And they look beautiful topped with a verdant pool of fresh-pressed olive oil.
Ingredients
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3 cups vegetable or chicken stock, preferably homemade
Coarse salt (kosher or sea) and freshly ground black pepper
Leaves from 4 sprigs fresh oregano
Directions
Step 1
In a saucepan or small pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, sauté the onion and garlic for 3 to 5 minutes, or until translucent.
Step 2
Take the pan from the heat and add the saffron. Let it infuse the oil mixture for about 5 minutes.
Step 3
Add the beans and return the pan to the heat. Add the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the broth has reduced by half.
Step 4
Off the heat, mash the beans with a wooden spoon or potato masher until nearly smooth. This can be rustic and lumpy or very smooth, depending on how you like it. To make it smooth, use a food processor. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.
Serves 6 — Recipe from Cooking Like a MasterChef by Graham Elliot (Atria Books, 2015)
