15. Feta and Olives with balsamic garlic sauce / 16. Caramelized onions with curry

I carmelized some onions, at the end adding a pinch of curry and cayenne, some cumin, both whole and ground.

I ate this meal with kalamata and Spanish olives and feta marinated with olive oil, garlic, and balsamic vinegar.

I had sauteed the finely chopped garlic briefly in the olive oil, to make the garlic milder and to make the oil absorb the flavor more.

The same dressing went on some sauteed spinach. I also made a simple omelet with eggs and cheese, and fried some slices of baked potato left over from the night before last. Accompanied by coffee, as you can see. I was cooking for 45 minutes, mostly because the onions took that long to carmelize properly. That allowed me to think about what else I was making. The omelet was fine, but the real star of the meal was the feta and balsamic.

13. Curried carrots and potatoes in the oven

I cut washed and peeled some carrots, then halved some new potatoes, covering them with a curry butter with chopped ginger: cumin seeds, ground cumin, curry powder, chopped ginger, and cayenne, mixed with melted butter, about a T. Then I baked it in the oven for 35 minutes. The theory was that the spices would be absorbed into the vegetables.

The carrots were delicious. The potatoes needed extra butter on the table.

11. Grilled asparagus tomato feta salad

Grill some asparagus spears. Lay them in a spoke-like pattern over slices of tomato on a place. Top with crumbled feta cheese. Dress with a vinaigrette of olive oil, red-wine vinegar, basil, a little salt and pepper.

Prepare this a few ahead of time to allow for marination.

[Update: it was good, except that the tomatoes themselves were not in season and were kind of lifeless. For once my food looked better than it tasted.]

9. Asparagus on the grill pan / 10. Baby spinach with garlic and soy sauce

I like to take asparagus spears, as thin as possible, and cut off some of the bottoms. I brush on some olive oil and then sprinkle with dry basil, thyme, ground black pepper, salt etc... then I heat my grill pan to high and lay them across so they get grill marks. They cook rapidly so I watch over them and remove with tongs. (The oil will smoke a bit so keep the fan on.) This is easy and delicious, almost tapa-like.

***

I often brown a clove or two of chopped garlic in a skillet, then add the raw spinach, which will cook rapidly. When it is done I just put a bit of soy sauce in it and serve immediately. Both these vegetable dishes are quick and easy. Much better than boiled asparagus or steamed spinach.