Eden Grinshpan shares 3 vibrant recipes from her new cookbook 'Tahini Baby'
Chef Eden Grinshpan is bringing bold flavors, fresh greens and a whole lot of fun to your table.
The Eden Eats creator joined "Good Morning America" and "GMA3" on Tuesday to share veg-forward, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean-inspired recipes from her new cookbook, "Tahini Baby: Bright, Everyday Recipes That Happen to Be Vegetarian."
She showed us how to whip up dishes like eggplant schnitzel, za'atar asparagus, and strawberry rhubarb -- just a taste of what's inside her book.
"Tahini Baby" offers a variety of recipes from noshes and breakfasts to standout sides and flavorful condiments that make everyday meals easier, tastier and anything but boring.
Scroll down to check them out.
Za'atar Asparagus with Walnut-date Freekeh and Tahini Vinaigrette
"I wanted to show the sultry, moody side of asparagus, which we normally think of as bright, fresh, and perky -- just like its spring veg siblings," Grinshpan writes in her cookbook. "But when you season asparagus with earthy za'atar and roast it until it's almost charred, it officially enters its emo era. I keep things from going too far to the dark side by layering the asparagus over a freekeh salad flecked with nuts, dates and preserved lemons and drizzled with a creamy tahini vinaigrette."
She continues, "When topped with a jammy egg, it becomes the ideal breakfast or lunch. The tahini vinaigrette is also a rockstar on its own, whether you're drizzling it over a simple salad or roasted veg dishes."
Ingredients
For the za'atar asparagus:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons Za'atar (page 25), plus more for serving
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 bunch asparagus, tough ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces on the bias
For the tahini vinaigrette:
1/4 cup tahini
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
1/2 medium garlic clove, grated
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For assembly:
2 cups cooked freekeh (see notes from Grinshpan)
1/3 cup raw walnuts, lightly toasted in a dry pan until fragrant and crushed
3 medjool dates, pitted and finely chopped
1 tablespoon rinsed and finely chopped rind of Preserved Lemons (page 67)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large eggs, cooked to jammy (see page 214), peeled and halved (see notes from Grinshpan)
Flaky sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 450 F.
2. Make the asparagus: In a small bowl, stir together the olive oil, za'atar and salt.
3. Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet and drizzle with the za'atar oil. Toss to coat well, and roast for about 15 minutes, until lightly charred.
4. While the asparagus roasts, make the vinaigrette: In a medium bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, a couple cracks of pepper and 1/4 cup water. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
5. Assemble: In a large bowl, combine the freekeh with the walnuts, dates, preserved lemon, olive oil and salt. Toss to mix well.
6. Heap the freekeh on a serving plate and place the roasted asparagus on top or alongside. Top with the eggs and drizzle everything with the vinaigrette. Finish with a sprinkle of flaky salt and a couple cracks of pepper and serve.
Notes from Grinshpan: If you like to meal prep, I highly recommend prepping the freekeh, jammy eggs, and vinaigrette ahead of time and storing them separately in the fridge for up to 5 days, which means you can throw this dish together in minutes. You could sub bulgur, quinoa or wild rice for the freekeh.
Eggplant Schnitzel with Spiced Harissa Tomato Sauce and Garlicky Tahini
"This preparation felt almost too obvious because the Italians kind of got there first (hey, eggplant Parm), but the idea of schnitzel-frying soft, sweet eggplant was just too good to pass up," Grinshpan writes. "So I gave it a Middle Eastern glow-up with harissa-spiced tomato sauce and way too much (yet never enough) garlicky tahini. It brings it, and it brings it so good."
Ingredients
2 medium eggplants, ends trimmed, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Kosher salt to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 cup refined avocado or grapeseed oil
Spiced Harissa Tomato Sauce (page 270), for serving
Garlicky Tahini (page 59), for serving
Fresh basil leaves, for serving
Directions
1. Arrange the eggplant slices in a single layer on a paper towel-lined cutting board or baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Let the eggplant sit for 20 minutes, then pat dry with a clean towel.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium shallow bowl, stir together the flour and cornstarch and season well with salt and pepper. In another medium bowl, beat the eggs and season with salt and pepper. And on a large plate, add the panko and season well with salt and pepper.
3. Dredge the dried eggplant slices through the flour mixture and tap off any excess. Coat the eggplant in the egg, letting any excess drip off. Finish with a coating of panko, making sure to really press it into the eggplant.
4. Line a large plate with paper towels.
5. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil shimmers, add enough eggplant slices to fit comfortably in a single layer without crowding the pan. Fry until the first side is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and repeat on the second side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the eggplant to the prepared plate and immediately sprinkle with salt. Repeat with the remaining eggplant slices.
6. Serve the eggplant with the tomato sauce, tahini, and basil.
For the spiced harissa tomato sauce
Ingredients
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed with a mortar in a pestle
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/3 cup Fast 'n' Fresh Harissa (page 33)
3 cups cherry tomatoes
Handful of fresh basil leaves, plus small leaves for garnish
Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet with a fitted lid over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, reduce the heat to medium-low, add the shallots, and season with the salt and a couple cracks of pepper. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are translucent and lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, fennel, and coriander and cook just until the garlic begins to turn lightly golden and the spices are fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Stir in the harissa and cook until it deepens in color, about 2 minutes. It may separate, but it will come back together as the tomatoes cook. Add the tomatoes and 1/4 cup of water, stir to combine, and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes are broken down and saucy, about 20 minutes. You can use the back of your spoon to encourage them to melt.
Notes from Grinshpan: Because this makes a big batch, I've also included two variations -- herbed and chile'd, and harissa'd -- so you can change up the flavor.
For the garlicky tahini
The condiment to end all condiments
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups tahini
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 garlic clove, grated
1 1/4 cups ice water
Directions
1. In a high-speed blender, combine the tahini, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Add 1 cup of the ice water and blend until smooth. To loosen the sauce, add more ice water as desired.
2. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Strawberry Rhubarb Rose Tahini Crumble
"My biggest reason for including a crumble in this book is that I want to remind everyone that it's the perfect dessert," Grinshpan writes. "It requires very little beyond stirring together a handful of ingredients (which you could do in advance); you can use any fruit you have on hand (preferably seasonal, especially if you are like me and have no self-control at the market and buy more than you can eat every single time); and after it's done its thing in the oven, you have this bubbling, jammy dream."
"For this version, we're using the classic spring/summer combo of strawberries and rhubarb and taming any tartness with the subtlest hint of rose. (I promise we're not going for potpourri here.) And because we're adding tahini to the topping, you get this crispy, buttery, cookie-like crumble that you could actually just bake off as cookies instead. If that is not perfection, I really don't know what is."
Ingredients
For the strawberry rhubarb rose filling:
1 1/4 pounds fresh rhubarb, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/4 pounds fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Juice of 1 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons rose water or orange blossom water (optional; see notes from Grinshpan)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
For the tahini crumble topping:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sesame seeds, toasted in a dry pan until fragrant
6 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup tahini
For serving:
Vanilla ice cream or Labaneh (page 42)
Directions
1. Make the filling: In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, granulated sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, rose water (if using), vanilla and salt. Stir well to coat the fruit and set aside to macerate while you make the crumble topping.
2. Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Make the topping: In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sesame seeds, brown sugar, oats and salt. Add the melted butter and tahini and stir until clumps form.
4. Transfer the fruit and all the juices into an 8-by-10-inch baking dish (see notes from Grinshpan) and set it on top of the prepared baking sheet. Crumble the topping over the fruit in large chunks. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. If the topping begins to burn before the crumble is ready, cover the baking dish with foil.
5. To serve: Allow the crumble to cool for 1 hour before serving with ice cream or dollops of labaneh. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for 3 to 5 days; reheat in the oven at 350 F for a few minutes before eating.
Notes from Grinshpan: Rose or orange blossom water does add something special here, but if you don't have any handy, don't let that stand in the way of making this crumble. You could also bake this in a 9-inch square or round baking dish.
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