Bittman’s spicy and savory vegetarian recipes

1. Peel the eggplant if the skin is thick or the eggplant is less than perfectly firm. Cut it into 1/2-inch-thick slices and salt it if you like.

2. When you're ready to cook, heat the oven to 350 F. Put about 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet and turn the heat to medium. When the oil is hot (a pinch of flour will sizzle), dredge the eggplant slices, one at a time, in the flour, shaking off the excess. Put in the pan, but do not crowd; you will have to cook in batches. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until nicely browned, then drain on paper towels. Add some pepper to the slices as they cook, as well as some salt if you did not salt the eggplant. Add more oil to the skillet as needed.

3. Lightly oil a baking dish, then spoon a little of the tomato sauce into it. Top with a layer of eggplant, then a thin layer of each of the cheeses, and finally a few basil leaves. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up, reserving some of the basil for garnish. End with a sprinkling of Parmesan.

4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the dish is bubbling hot. Mince the remaining basil and sprinkle over the top. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Eggplant Layered with Vegetables. More in the style of Eastern European dishes: Steps 1 and 2 remain the same. When you remove the eggplant from the oil, sauté 1 carrot, peeled and diced; 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and diced; 20 cloves garlic, peeled; 2 stalks celery, trimmed and chopped; and 1 large onion, diced — all until fairly soft, about 10 minutes. In Step 3, omit the cheese and basil, and layer the eggplant and tomato sauce with the cooked vegetables and a liberal amount of chopped parsley. Bake as above.

1. Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease a large rimless baking sheet or line it with a piece of parchment.

2. Put the oil in a deep skillet and turn the heat to medium-high. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 or 3 minutes; add the garlic, stirring constantly, and cook for another minute more. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and stir in the chile powder and the tomato paste. Cook and stir until fragrant, less than a minute, then stir in the wine, stock, or water and the squash. Just bring the mixture to a boil, give it a good stir, then remove the pan from the heat.

3. Roll the piecrust into a circle at least 12 inches in diameter. It’s OK if it’s not perfectly round. Use the rolling pin to transfer it to the baking sheet. Stir the squash mixture again; taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, and carefully spread it on top of the crust, leaving about 3 inches free all the way around the edge. Fold the sides up over the filling. You should have a big circle open in the top.

4. Bake the galette until the crust is nicely browned and the insides are bubbly, 35 to 45 minutes. Cool a bit before slicing, or serve at room temperature.

1. Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the container of a food processor and pulse once or twice. Add the butter and turn on the machine; process until the butter and flour are blended and the mixture looks like cornmeal, about 10 seconds.

2. Put the mixture in a bowl and add 3 tablespoons ice water; mix with your hands until you can form the dough into a ball, adding another tablespoon or two of ice water if necessary (if you overdo it and the mixture becomes sodden, add a little more flour). Form into a ball, wrap in plastic, and freeze for 10 minutes or refrigerate for at least 30 minutes). (You can refrigerate for up to a couple of days, freeze for up to a couple of weeks.)

3. Sprinkle a clean countertop with flour, put the dough on it, and sprinkle the top with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll with light pressure, from the center out. If the dough is hard, let it rest for a few minutes. If the dough is sticky, add a little flour (if it continues to become sticky, and it’s taking you more than a few minutes to roll it out, refrigerate or freeze again). Roll, adding flour and rotating and turning the dough as needed; use ragged edges of dough to repair any tears, adding a drop of water while you press the patch into place.

4. When the diameter of the dough is about 2 inches greater than that of your pie plate, move the dough into the pie plate by draping it over the rolling pin and moving it into the plate. Press the dough firmly into the plate all over. Refrigerate for about an hour before filling (if you’re in a hurry, freeze for a half hour or so).

5. Trim the excess dough to about 1/2 inch all around, then tuck it under itself around the edge of the plate. Decorate the edges with a fork or your fingers. Freeze the dough for 10 minutes (or refrigerate it for 30 minutes).

6. When you're ready to bake, either fill it or prick it all over with a fork for Pre-Baking.

Savory piecrust. What you want for savory quiches, tarts, and so forth; any of the other variations can be made savory by omitting the sugar: Omit the sugar. Proceed with the recipe.

Wheat piecrust. Adding whole-wheat flour gives the crust a more intricate, slightly nutty flavor and a deeper, golden brown color; there's some sacrifice in texture, but it's a worthwhile tradeoff: Substitute 1/2 cup whole-wheat for 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour. A bit more ice water may be necessary. Proceed with the recipe.

Oat piecrust. Oats give this crust great texture: Substitute just over a 1/2 cup rolled oats (not instant) for 1/4 cup of the all-purpose flour. Pulse the oats in a food processor for a few seconds until they are partially ground (mostly flour, but with some roughly chopped pieces). Proceed with the recipe.