Generally, when we try a recipe and then go find the link to share it with you guys, we end up seeing reviews on the recipe site that are very similar to ours. This time, though, we've stumbled upon something that we didn't necessarily love but that's had a positive public response. So we'll let you be the judge...Today's recipe is Eggplant, Zucchini, and Tomato Tian (Cooking Light, June 2010). Part of our problem might be that we didn't realize this was intended to be a side dish! The issue itself didn't specify explicitly, but now that we see it on the web, we've realized our error.
This has all the makings of a delicious vegetarian dish: hearty vegetables, fine cheeses, savory breadcrumbs. (We substituted vegetable broth for chicken broth to make it completely veggie.) And it was easy enough to assemble, requiring 15 minutes of prep time to roast the vegetables and 1 hour of cooking time for the completed dish. We just found it to be seriously lacking in flavor.
We did use fresh oregano and thyme, but we think more seasoning would've provided us with some richer flavor. And maybe, as a side dish, the recipe plays better not taking center stage, but standing alone it was pretty lackluster.
The dish may also have benefited from the inclusion of more (and more melt-able!) cheese. For example, a shredded mozzarella layered over the vegetables may have brought the dish together a little better than the drier texture of the Parmesiano-Reggiano. Maybe even the incorporation of a little bit of tomato past to bring out richer flavors would help.
So we leave you with a challenge: Try this recipe and see what you think, either as a side or a main dish, making our recommended substitutions or finding your own. Then let us know what you think in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment