Emma A Little Bit Extra – 100 Recipes That Serve Up Something Special by Reilly Meehan
A Little Bit Extra is the ideal cookery book to have to hand when you need to entertain, either a group of friends or a formal dinner party.
About A Little Bit Extra by Reilly Meehan
The author Reilly Meehan has chosen to share his work as a private chef on ways to elevate your cooking style with unique flavours, creating 100 recipes in a reader-friendly manner which is guaranteed to give you the confidence to produce incredible recipes with an extra special twist.
Vegetarian Recipes to Try at Home
Standout Recipes from the Book
Here are a few recipes titles taken from the book as examples:
Crab, Grilled Corn, and Butter Lettuce Salad – with fried avocado
Gruyere and Parm Cheese Puffs (Gougeres) – an impressive treat (makes 30) ideal for a drinks party, served with Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Dip.
Black Sesame Tahini Swirl Cake – with Sauteed cherries.
There are so many wonderful recipes – here is my favourite. Eggplant (aubergine) recipes can be quite bland. This recipe is anything but bland!
Coconut-peanut braised eggplant Recipe
Serves 4
Eggplant can get a bad rap, but it’s almost always user error, not the poor veggie’s fault. Why? Eggplants are particularly porous vegetables and require some special prep attention to keep them from getting too oily or slimy.
Tips for Cooking Eggplant Perfectly
For the best results with this dish, use just enough oil so the eggplant can develop a good sear. Then the sponginess of the eggplant will work to your advantage as it absorbs a rich, gingery coconut braising liquid. The bright herbs at the end offer some lightness to contrast with the velvety braise, and crunchy peanuts create another textural element. Make some white rice and drizzle the dish with chili crisp for a perfect dinner.
2 medium globe eggplants, stemmed and quartered lengthwise
Kosher salt
¼ cup neutral oil, plus more as needed
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, sliced into rings
2 (14-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons vegan green curry paste
1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon vegan sambal oelek
¼ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
½ cup chopped salted roasted peanuts
Juice of 1 or 2 limes
Chili crisp, for serving
Cooked white rice, for serving
Place the eggplant quarters onto a plate and salt them generously. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to draw out some of the moisture, then pat them dry with a paper towel.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it’s very hot and rippling. Add half the eggplant quarters, cut-side down, and cook until browned nicely on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook on the second cut side until nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining eggplant quarters.
Place the shiitakes in a large bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil and the soy sauce, and season generously with salt. Toss well to coat, then dump the shiitakes onto the prepared baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring them halfway through the cooking time, until the shiitakes are a deep rich brown and crisped through.
Add a bit more oil to the skillet as needed, then add the onion and jalapeño and cook over medium heat until they are barely softened and have become very fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, ginger, curry paste, peanut butter, sambal oelek, and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, then return the seared eggplant quarters to the skillet and use a spoon to coat them with the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the eggplant is tender and fully cooked but not falling apart and mushy, 20 to 30 minutes. The sauce should be the consistency of buttermilk—thick enough to coat everything but not so thick that it’s gloppy. If it gets too thick, add a touch of water to loosen it up.
Just before serving, sprinkle the cilantro, mint, and peanuts over the eggplant. Drizzle with the lime juice and some chili crisp, and serve with rice.
This is a perfect recipe for sharing or as a main vegetarian dish.
Coconut-peanut braised eggplant
Ingredients
- 2 medium globe eggplants stemmed and quartered lengthwise
- Kosher salt
- ¼ cup neutral oil plus more as needed
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño sliced into rings
- 2 14-ounce cans full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons vegan green curry paste
- 1 tablespoon smooth peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon vegan sambal oelek
- ¼ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves
- ½ cup chopped salted roasted peanuts
- Juice of 1 or 2 limes
- Chili crisp for serving
- Cooked white rice for serving
Instructions
- Place the eggplant quarters onto a plate and salt them generously. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to draw out some of the moisture, then pat them dry with a paper towel.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it’s very hot and rippling. Add half the eggplant quarters, cut-side down, and cook until browned nicely on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and cook on the second cut side until nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining eggplant quarters.
- Place the shiitakes in a large bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil and the soy sauce, and season generously with salt. Toss well to coat, then dump the shiitakes onto the prepared baking sheet and arrange in a single layer. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring them halfway through the cooking time, until the shiitakes are a deep rich brown and crisped through.
- Add a bit more oil to the skillet as needed, then add the onion and jalapeño and cook over medium heat until they are barely softened and have become very fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, ginger, curry paste, peanut butter, sambal oelek, and a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a simmer, then return the seared eggplant quarters to the skillet and use a spoon to coat them with the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring every 5 minutes or so, until the eggplant is tender and fully cooked but not falling apart and mushy, 20 to 30 minutes. The sauce should be the consistency of buttermilk—thick enough to coat everything but not so thick that it’s gloppy. If it gets too thick, add a touch of water to loosen it up.
- Just before serving, sprinkle the cilantro, mint, and peanuts over the eggplant. Drizzle with the lime juice and some chili crisp, and serve with rice.
Add this delightful cookbook to your own kitchen bookshelf: you will not be disappointed.
What is A Little Bit Extra cookbook about?
A Little Bit Extra by Reilly Meehan features 100 elevated recipes designed to help home cooks create impressive dishes for entertaining.
Is the coconut peanut braised eggplant recipe vegan?
Yes, this recipe is vegan-friendly and uses coconut milk, peanut butter, and fresh herbs for a rich and flavourful dish.
Is this cookbook good for beginners?
Yes, the recipes are written in a clear, accessible way, making them suitable for both beginners and experienced home cooks.
What makes this cookbook unique?
It focuses on adding a creative twist to classic dishes, helping readers elevate everyday cooking with bold flavours and presentation.
Recipe reprinted with permission from A Little Bit Extra by Reilly Meehan. Published by Union Square & Co., an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group.
Photography by Erin Scott.
Where to Buy A Little Bit Extra Cookbook
A Little Bit Extra – A 100 Recipes that Serve Up Something Special is available from Amazon and all the other usual book outlets.
