Raw Tacos

Raw Tacos

About two weeks ago, I stumbled across this recipe for raw tacos on a cooking blog I follow.  The recipe was intriguing and the photos looked delicious.  Unfortunately, I had started a "detox" program and was not allowed to have soy, one of the ingredients used in the recipe, so I wasn't able to try it.  But I couldn't get the thought of raw tacos out of my mind and since the program I'm following allowed me to add soy back in this week, I decided to give them a try.  Oh my!  They were every bit as good as Sarah said they would be!  The recipe comes from her blog, My New Roots.  If you head over to her blog, you should wander around a bit.  She has so many delicious things to make!

Since this recipe was so unusual and new to me, I didn't change much of anything.  I spiced up the walnut mixture a bit with some Indian chili powder and I substituted Liquid Aminos for the nama shoyu (raw soy sauce) since soy sauce has gluten in it and I'm currently off gluten.  If you aren't a pure raw foodist and you don't mind gluten, feel free to substitute regular soy sauce.  So then, here is how I made these delicious tacos.

Salsa
1 cup chopped cherry or grape tomatoes (I used grape)
1/2 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper, finely chopped
4 green onions, minced
1/4 c cilantro, chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 t honey
1 T extra virgin olive oil
pinch of sea salt

1.  Whisk the garlic, lime juice, honey, olive oil, and salt in a medium bowl.
2.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Let sit for about 1/2 hour to blend flavors.

While the salsa is "melding" make the following:


Walnut Mixture
1 c. walnuts
1 T Liquid Aminos
1/2 t Indian chili powder
1 t cumin
1 t extra virgin olive oil

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until combined and crumbly.  Be careful not to over-process or you'll end up with paste.

Cashew Sour Cream
1/2 c raw cashews (you can get these at a health food shop.  In Fort Wayne, you can get them at the Three Rivers Food Co-op)
juice of 1/2 small lemon
1 t apple cider vinegar
6 T water

Put all ingredients except water in a blender.  Blend on the highest speed until well blended.  Add the water one tablespoon at a time until creamy.  If you want a thinner sauce, add more water.

Other Taco Ingredients
romaine lettuce, leaf lettuce, or cabbage leaves (I used romaine and they were tasty but a bit small)
avocado
lime wedges
chopped cilantro

To assemble the tacos, take a lettuce leaf and lay it flat.  Place a couple tablespoons of walnut mixture down the middle.  Top with cashew cream, avocado, salsa and cilantro.  Squeeze a bit of lime.  Eat.  Repeat.

Yum-O!!

Tacos with walnut mix and cashew cream

Cooking with Pomegranates

Lentil kofte with Pomegranate and cilantro salad

I suppose they've been selling pomegranates in my neighborhood stores for quite some time, but I just never paid them much attention.  They seemed like too much work.  But while reading the book Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor, I became enamored with this enchanting fruit and began reading more about them, their history and significance in the ancient world right up to the present time. I'm embarrassed that it has taken me so long to appreciate their importance and their charming contribution to the world of culinary delights!

The pomegranate has a rich history, stretching all the way back into the ancient world, that is heavy with tradition and superstition.  The leathery globe filled with ruby-red seeds is believed to have originated in Persia and is mentioned in many sacred texts.  It plays a significant role in mythology and in many of the world's religions. 

As I began experimenting with recipes that call for pomegranates, I became very excited about a recipe I found in 660 Curries (a book I've mentioned several times before.)  The recipe was simple to make but involved a lot of steps in order to prepare all the different elements.

Layers of spicy potato, tart date sauce, hot chili sauce, pomegranate seeds and peanuts on flatbread

The original recipe called for all the various elements to be sandwiched between two toasted bun halves, but I thought it sounded way to pretty to cover up with a sandwich bun, so I layered everything on a square of flatbread.  It turned out delicious, with each mouthful delivering a spicy, salty, sweet, tart, soft and crunchy dance.  I decided it's way too involved to post here but if you want to give it a try, it's the recipe for spiced potato and pomegranate sandwiches on page 105.

Today, I made a much simpler recipe that I found in a book called Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume, a collection of recipes from the eastern Mediterranean.  This recipe for red lentil kofte with pomegranate and cilantro salad was very tasty and quick to make!

Pomegranate seeds and lemon come together in a bright tasting salad

Ingredients for the kofte:
2 T olive oil
1 large red onion, finely chopped
1 T cumin
1 T Za'atar
1 t sweet paprika
1/2 c red lentils (toor dal)
1 T Pomegranate molasses
2/3 c finely ground bulgur
1 T finely chopped cilantro
1 T tomato paste

Method:
1.  Heat olive oil over medium high heat and saute onion till soft.  Stir in cumin, za'atar, and paprika and cook for 2 more minutes.

2.  Stir in the lentils, pomegranate molasses and 1 1/2 c water.  Bring to a gentle boil, then cover and simmer on low for about 8 minutes or until lentils are soft.

3.  Stir in the bulgur.  Combine well, remove from heat and let cool.

4.  Stir in cilantro and tomato paste.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the salad


Ingredients for salad:
seeds from 1 pomegranate
1/2 c finely chopped cilantro
grated zest and juice from one small lemon
3 T olive oil

Method:
Combine all ingredients together and mix well.

To Serve:
Remove lentil mixture from refrigerator and form into small patties, pressing a dent into the center of each.  Arrange on a plate and spoon some salad into the center of each.

Lentil koftes with Pomegranate salad

Japchae - Korean noodle dish

I miss the days when my best friend was a young mother from Korea.   She was a flutist and her two young daughters took piano lessons from me.  In addition to music, we quickly found that we had another passion in common:  FOOD!  Maria was an amazing cook!  Our families would get together often for potluck meals and fellowship.  Maria was skilled in the kitchen and introduced my family to bibimbop, dumplings, and other delicious Korean dishes.  Since Maria and her family moved away, I've missed her friendship and her cooking  with a longing that is almost palpable.

I hope to try my hand at bibimbop some day soon.  Although it doesn't seem hard, it involves a lot of individual steps that appear to be very time consuming.  In the meantime, I decided to dip my toe in the pool with this much easier recipe for Japchae, a dish made with starchy sweet potato noodles.  The noodles are readily available in any Asian market carrying Korean ingredients as this is a very popular dish in Korea.  I love the chewy texture of these noodles!


Ingredients:
1 lb Dangmyeon (sweet potato noodles)
1 T canola oil
5 dried shiitake mushrooms - soaked in hot water until soft, then squeezed dry and sliced thin
3 carrots, julienned
8 oz spinach
1 medium onion, cut in half and sliced in medium-thin slices
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 green onions, chopped in one inch pieces
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 T sugar
1 T sesame oil
1 T sesame seeds, toasted


Method:
1.  Soak noodles in very hot water for about 15 minutes.  Drain.  Cut into 3 inch pieces and set aside.

2.  Place spinach in large bowl and cover with boiling water.  Let wilt then drain and squeeze dry.

3.  Mix soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl and set aside.

4.  Heat oil in large wok over medium-high heat.  Add mushrooms, carrots, onions, garlic, and green onions.  Stir-fry for about three minutes.

5.  Add noodles and soy sauce mixture.  Continue stir-frying, adding more oil if noodles stick to pan.

6.  Mix in the spinach and sesame seeds.

Note:  I like things spicy so I tossed in some red pepper flakes before adding the vegetables.  Many recipes also call for an egg, fried as an omelet and then sliced thin for garnish.

Sabudana Vada (potato, peanut, and tapioca fritters) with coconut-sesame dipping sauce

Sabudana vada with coconut-sesame dipping sauce

Lately, I have been so busy cooking that I haven't had time to post!  This ridiculous flurry of activity started several weeks ago when I decided I wanted Ethiopian food.  I spent a weekend making a batch of niter kibbeh and another of berbere.  That same weekend I also made a huge jar of ginger/garlic paste, a jar of coconut chutney, and a wet spice blend for making green curry.

The next week, I found myself up to my eyebrows in Indian adventures.  I made a batch of paneer and a batch of milk solids.  I roasted and mixed up a variety of spice blends, including Madras curry powder, sambhar masala and a Punjabi garam masala.

Some things turned out quite undesirable, like the injera I made to go with my Ethiopian wats.  Ugh!  Not sure where I went wrong with such a simple recipe, but something was very not right!  But other things turned out amazingly good, like the tapioca, potato, and peanut fritters with coconut-sesame dipping sauce.

I more or less followed Ragahavan Iyer's recipe in his wonderful book, 660 Curries.  Here's what he says to do, with just a few changes:

Ingredients:
3/4 cup pearl tapioca (rinsed, soaked for 20 minutes, drained)
1 cup dry-roasted peanuts
1/2 cup tightly packed cilantro
10 (or more!) hot chilies (such as Thai or cayenne)
6 large cloves garlic
2 thick slices fresh ginger (1/2 inch)
1 pound russet potatoes, boiled and coarsely mashed (I mashed mine by squishing them through my fingers!)
1 - 2 teaspoons kosher salt (depending on whether or not your peanuts are already salted)
Canola oil for frying


Method:
1.  Grind peanuts in food processor by pulsing until coarsely chopped.  Dump in large mixing bowl.

2.  Combine cilantro, chilies, garlic, and ginger in processor and mince.  Add to peanuts.

3.  Add drained tapioca and mashed potatoes to mixing bowl and mix well.  This will look and feel doughy.  You can knead it like you would bread until the ingredients are well blended.

4.  Grease or wet your palms and pull off about 2 T dough.  Roll into a ball and then flatten into a disc.  Continue until all the dough is used up.

5.  Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil over medium-high heat and fry fritters until golden and crispy on both sides.

6.  Drain on paper towels.


Ingredients for the sauce:
1 T Canola oil
1/4 c shredded, unsweetened flaked coconut
1 T white sesame seeds
1/2 c dry-roasted peanuts
2 T chopped cilantro
1 t kosher salt
1 medium tomato, cored and coarsely chopped
4 hot green chilies (more or less to taste)

Method:
1.  Heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add coconut and sesame seeds and fry, stirring frequently, until fragrant and golden.

2.  Transfer to a blender and add 1 c water plus all the remaining ingredients.  Puree until smooth and blended, scraping down sides of blender when necessary.

3.  Transfer sauce to a small pot and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer gently for a minute or so.

To serve, you can place a couple of fritters on a plate and spoon some sauce over.  Or you can place the sauce in a small bowl and dip the fritters.  The sauce is got warm or at room temperature.

Chilies, cilantro, garlic, and ginger

Minced herb and spices

Tapioca, peanut and herb mince, mashed potatoes

The dough

The patties before frying

Fritters with dipping sauce

Indian Spiced Green Beans

Green Beans with Stewed split peas and potatoes and collard paratha

My sister planted a ginormous garden this year and I'm reaping the wonderful benefits.  Last week she gave me several bags of produce from her garden and today I turned them into an Indian vegetarian meal.

Flaky Collard Paratha

  The collards I blanched and processed
   into a dough I used to make paratha.

Raiti with fresh cucumber and tomato

The sweet, juicy tomato and crisp cucumber got chopped up and added to a tangy raita.












The green beans I fried in ghee with cumin and mustard seeds and then stewed them in a bit of water.  This recipe is so simple and quick that it qualifies as an Emmi.

This recipe comes from Yamuna Devi.  She has written one of the most comprehensive cookbooks on Indian Vegetarian Cuisine that I've ever seen!  The book is called Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking and no collection on Indian cooking can be considered complete without it.  If you don't own it, what are you waiting for?

Ingredients:

• 1 lb green beans, cut in 1 inch pieces
• 4 T ghee or light oil
• 2 t black mustard seeds
• 1 t cumin seeds
• 1/4 t crushed red pepper (more or less to taste)
• 1/2 c water
• 1 t corriander
• 1 t kosher salt
• 1 t sugar

Method:

1. Heat the ghee or oil over medium high heat.  Toss in the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and red pepper.  The cumin seeds will turn dark reddish brown and the mustard seeds will turn gray and pop.  
2. When the mustard seeds are done popping, add in the green beans and fry for about 3 minutes, stirring to coat with the seasoned ghee
3. Add the water.  Lower heat to medium low.  Cover and cook until crisp tender (about 10 - 12 minutes.)
4. Uncover and stir in corriander, salt, and sugar.  Raise heat and cook until water evaporates.

Indian Spiced Green Beans

To finish out my meal, I made stewed split peas and potatoes.  If you are interested in that recipe, click here.

Beef Enchiladas: Fast, Easy and Delicious!

Last night I made some enchiladas that were so delicious, I woke up thinking about them this morning!  I found the recipe in Cook's Illustrated.  The recipe looked so easy and delicious, that I didn't feel I needed to change a thing.  The only substitution I made was using a flat iron steak instead of a top blade.  The reason for this was because after calling around to three local butchers, I wasn't able to find top blade like the recipe called for.  I decided to go with a flat iron steak and it was so tender and delicious that I won't even bother to change cuts, even if I can find top blade in the future.

Ingredients:

3 large cloves garlic, minced
3 T chili powder
2 t ground coriander
2 t ground cumin
1 t sugar
1 1/4 lb flat iron steak
1 T canola oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.)
1/2 cup water
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapenos
12 corn tortillas (6-inch)

Method:

1.  Combine garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in  a small bowl.  Pat meat dry, sprinkle with salt.  Heat oil in large pan and brown meat on both sides.  Remove meat.  Over medium heat, saute onions until soft and golden.  Stir in spice mixture and cook for 1 minute.  Add tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil.  Return meat to pot, cover, and simmer until meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

2.  Remove meat and strain sauce over a medium bowl.  Shred meat and mix with the solids strained from the sauce, 1 cup cheese, cilantro, and jalapenos.

3.  Spread some sauce in the bottom of a large baking dish.  Soften tortillas by heating in a microwave, 6 at a time, for about 45 seconds.  Place about 1/3 cup meat mixture across a tortilla and roll up tightly.  Place, seam side down, in prepared pan.  Repeat with remaining tortillas and meat.  Pour remaining sauce over top of enchiladas and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

4.  Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 for about 20 minutes.  Remove tin foil and continue baking for about 5 more minutes.

The meat and sauce can be made several days ahead of time making this a great recipe for easy entertaining!  Just roll the enchiladas and place in oven shortly before your guests arrive.

Burmese Fried Noodles

Several months ago, I interviewed the owner of a local Burmese restaurant for an article I was writing for Examiner.  She shared with me her recipe for Burmese Fried Noodles and I have been making it ever since.  It's simple to make and so delicious.  My family loves it!  I would classify this recipe as an "Emmi" except that I believe Emily and Michelle would both complain about the amount of chopping involved!

This recipe is very versatile.  You can use any (or no) meat and any combination of vegetables that you have on hand.  (In the photo above, I used snow peas, red peppers, asparagus, bean sprouts and carrots.)  In my opinion, the four ingredients that MUST be used are garlic, oyster sauce, mushroom soy sauce, and Thai basil.  Other than that, mix it up!


Burmese Fried Noodles

Ingredients:

• 1 -2 Tablespoons oil
• 1 small onion, chopped into medium pieces
• 1 Tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 3 -4 dried red chili peppers (optional)
• 1/2 lb meat (cut into bite-sized pieces) or seafood (left-over or precooked meat can also be used)
• 2 Tablespoons Oyster sauce
• 8 ounces dried Chinese noodles prepared according to package directions and drained
• 4 - 5 cups vegetables - hard vegetables, such as carrots and broccoli should be blanched first to soften
• 3 Tablespoons Mushroom flavored soy sauce (more or less to taste)
• 2 eggs
• 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1/4 cup Thai basil

Method: 

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Toss in the onion, garlic, and chili peppers. Stir and cook until garlic begins to turn brown.

2. Add in meat and Oyster sauce. Sprinkle in sugar. Stir and cook for about one minute or until meat is cooked.

3. Stir in noodles, vegetables and soy sauce. Stir and cook for about two minutes (or longer if vegetables were not previously blanched)

  

4. Push everything to one side and crack both eggs into the empty side of the pan. Break the yolks and let cook until beginning to set. Use tongs to pick up the noodles and place over the eggs. Let them cook this way for a minute or so and then stir everything together.

  

5. Sprinkle scallions and basil over the top and serve.

Chickpeas with fenugreek greens



Methi Chana
(chickpeas with fenugreek leaves)

It's been a while since I've posted a new recipe but I have a good excuse for that;  I've been out of the country and only returned a few days ago.  I made a trip to Haiti to meet with some children I'd been asked to help find adoptive families for.  If you're interested in that project, check out the web site I put together at www.adoptingfromhaiti.weebly.com.

I was only gone for two weeks, but I've got to tell you.....  I couldn't stop dreaming about the things I was going to cook the second I got home!  I was really craving Indian food with all it's variety and spicy deliciousness.  As I wandered through my cookbooks the other night, I kept seeing this ingredient called "methi."  (Methi is the Hindi name for fenugreek leaves.)  I have never tasted it (that I know of) and was curious to give it a try.  So, yesterday I drove out to Taj Mahal Grocery and sure enough, they had fresh methi.  I bought a bunch of fresh and a bag of frozen and scuttled home to start cooking.



Methi (fenugreek) leaves

 I was in the mood for something healthy and tasty with a nice hit of heat to it so I decided to try methi chana, or chickpea gravy with fenugreek greens.  It was just exactly what I was in the mood for!  Turns out, methi has a slightly sour tang to it and the dish was bright, spicy, and delicious.

Ingredients:
1/2 t fenugreek seeds
1 t cumin seeds
2 cloves
1/2 inch cinnamon stick
1 T canola oil
2 bird or Thai chilies, chopped
1 t black mustard seeds
3 or 4 canned tomatoes, chopped
one bunch fresh methi, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 t garam masala
1/4 t asafoetida
1/4 t turmeric
1 t amchur (dry mango powder)
1 T chopped cilantro

Method:

1.  Dry roast the fenugreek seeds, cumin seed, cloves, and cinnamon until fragrant.  Let cool in pan and then grind or pound to a powder.

2.  Heat oil in pan over medium heat.  Add the mustard seeds and green chilies.  Once the mustard seeds have stopped popping (they will turn grey and pop, like popcorn) add in the chopped tomatoes.  Cook until tomatoes break down and soften, no more than a couple of minutes.

3.  Stir in the methi and the powdered spice blend.  Stir in 1/2 cup water and simmer gently until methi is cooked, about two or three minutes.

4.  Add in the chickpeas, amchur, turmeric, asafoetida, and garam masala.  Mix well and stir in 1 1/2 cups water.  Simmer until gravy comes together, about 5 minutes.

5.  Crush some of the chickpeas with a potato masher to thicken the sauce.  Add salt to taste and simmer about 5 more minutes.

6.  Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

I know most of my readers won't try this because the ingredient list seems daunting and unfamiliar.  But if you live in Fort Wayne, a trip to Taj Mahal Grocery will get you everything you need.  If you don't live in Fort Wayne, perhaps your town has its own Indian grocery store?  Check it out because this is a simple, healthy, delicious, and inexpensive dish to make!

fenugreek seeds

stirring the methi into the pan

crushing the chickpeas

Introducing the Emmi

Asian beef and noodles


My daughter has a couple of friends who I recently invited over for an international potluck.  They confessed to me that they had gone to my web site to find a recipe to cook and bring to the gathering, but that all my recipes looked too complicated.  I was stunned!!  I will admit that there are several rather involved recipes on my site, but I also have many, many simple and easy to prepare recipes.  Don't I??

I guess it's possible that because I so love to cook and have been doing it for years, what seems simple to me might be a bit involved for the occasional cook.  So, I am going to make an effort to regularly post recipes that any inexperienced cook can make (as long as they have a taste for adventure) with just a smidgen of effort.  I'm going to call these recipes Emmi Recipes (and they will be tagged as such) in honor of Emily and Michelle, my daughter's culinarily-challenged friends.

The first recipe in this collection is Asian beef and noodles.  You have to be willing to purchase a few ingredients that you probably don't normally keep in your kitchen.  If you are willing to do this one small thing, then this recipe will go together quickly and easily and the pay-off is delicious!

One of the unusual ingredients is Udon noodles.  Many grocery stores carry these now in their Asian section.  These small, individual serving packets of fresh noodles come with a seasoning packet for making soup.  They look like this:

Another unusual ingredient is Asian chili paste.  This stuff is really good and lasts forever in the refrigerator so you should keep some around anyway.  This can also be purchased in the Asian aisle of most supermarkets.  It looks like this:

The last unusual ingredient is bok choy.  Buy baby bok choy, if you can find it.  Many supermarkets, such as Meijer's, carry this.  But if you live in a city that has an Asian grocery store (and Emily and Michelle do!) you should go there.  It's going to be fresher since they have a much quicker rate of turn-over and the price is considerably cheaper! 

bag of baby bok choy from Saigon

With one quick trip to the Asian market, you can buy all the things you need for this recipe except the meat.

So then.... here is the recipe.

Ingredients:
2 T oil (such as canola or peanut)
2 lb chuck or English roast, cut into small chunks (1 1/2 inch pieces)
4 green onions, sliced
8 cloves garlic, mashed
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/4 c plus 2 T soy sauce
2 t ginger powder
1 T Asian chili paste
2 packages Udon noodles
4 cups bok choy, sliced (if using large bok choy, cut into 1 inch pieces)
1/2 cup minced cilantro (or more, to taste)

Method:
1.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Sear the meat with the onions and garlic. You may need to do this in batches if your pan isn't large enough.  In this case, add the onions and garlic with the final batch.  To sear properly, the meat should not be crowded in the pan.

2.  Transfer the meat, onions, and garlic to a crockpot and add the broth, water, soy sauce, ginger, and chili paste.  Stir well to combine.  Cover and cook on LOW for 7 hours or on HIGH for 3 hours.  (you can also do this on the stove top by combining everything in a soup pot, bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer.  Let simmer, covered, until the meat is tender.  Maybe about 1 1/2 hours)

3.  Add the noodles (noodles only, throw the flavoring packets away) and stir to combine.  Then add the bok choy, stir, and continue cooking for about 15 minutes or until tender.

4.  Before serving, stir in cilantro.

(Note:  feel free to add a third package of noodles if you like less broth and more noodles!)

If you try this recipe, please leave a comment.  I would like to know if it turns out as easy and delicious for others as it does for me!

Easy and Delicious!!

Fish Tea

Does that title sound disgusting to you?  It sounded very unappetizing to me when I first saw it on a menu in Jamaica last year.  But our Jamaican companion insisted it was delicious, so Eddy and I gave it a try.  All I can say is, YUMMY!

Fish tea is a traditional Jamaican dish.  It's not really a tea, but rather an aromatic, deliciously spicy soup.  We enjoyed it so much, that the next day we went back to the very same place and ordered the very same thing! 

Last week, Eddy came up to me and announced, "I'm in the mood for fish tea."  Well, it was 10:00 at night and there wasn't much I could do about it then, but the next day I searched online for a recipe.  Most of the recipes I could find online were for a clear broth with fish.  What we had enjoyed in Jamaica was a hearty soup filled with root vegetables, called ground provisions in Jamaica. 

I decided to improvise a recipe of my own and it turned out great.  I bought most of the ingredients at Saigon grocery store on Calhoun St. where they sell whole red snapper (frozen and cleaned) at a very good price.  I spent $33 but ended up with a big pot of soup that fed us for several days.




Here's how I made my Jamaican Fish Tea.....

Ingredients:

4 lbs whole red snapper, cleaned (you can use any other fish you'd like)

10 whole black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

handful of fresh thyme sprigs
2 bottles of clam juice

6 cups root vegetables peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes (I used sweet potatoes, malanga, and yuca)

2 chayote squash, peeled and diced into 1 inch cubes

12 scallions, chopped

2 medium onions, diced
3 large cloves garlic, crushed

1 habanero pepper (more or less to taste)
juice of 1 large, juicy lime
salt to taste

Method:

1.  Make sure fish is free of scales.  Cut in half and place in large soup kettle.  Dump in the clam juice and then cover the rest of the way with water.  Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and the thyme.  Bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce to a simmer, cover pot and simmer gently for about 30 minutes.

2.  Strain the broth and return to the kettle.

3.  Add the yuca, malanga, sweet potatoes (Caribbean sweet potatoes have white flesh), chayote, scallions, onions, garlic, and habanero and bring back to a boil.  Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

4.  While the soup is simmering and once the fish has cooled enough to handle, use your fingers to remove it from the bones.  Add the fish to the pot as soon as you are done picking it from the bones and allow it to continue cooking with the vegetables.

4.  When the vegetables are tender, add the lime juice and salt to taste.

*Note: traditional Jamaican fish tea has plantains in it.  As I don't like them, I left them out.  If you like them, add them, but reduce the root vegetables appropriately. *

Suon Nuong (Vietnamese BBQ'd pork chops)

Those of us who live in Fort Wayne are lucky to have Saigon Restaurant where they serve up delicious tasting, authentic Vietnamese food at a very reasonable price.  After eating the BBQ pork rib they served me a few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to try making this dish at home.

I recently became the happy owner of an awesome cookbook called Secrets of the Red Lantern. 

This is more than just a cookbook; this is a family's story.  The author, Pauline Nguyen, is the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants to Australia.  Her parents ran a Vietnamese restaurant there and her book is filled with stories from her family's history, including photos from long ago and documents and letters, such as photocopies of their visa applications.  She also shares wonderful recipes from her family's kitchen and I found a recipe that seemed quite similar to the dish I had at Saigon.

This recipe is very easy and delicious!  I'm sure your family would be impressed with the results.  However, if you hate to cook and live in the Fort Wayne area.....  you can enjoy the same results by heading downtown for a meal at Saigon!

Ingredients:

3 lbs thin pork loin chops
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup fish sauce
1 T honey
1 T sugar
1 stalk lemon grass, chopped (white part only)
1 bunch scallions, crushed (white part only)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 cup canola oil

Method:

1.  Mix all ingredients, except for pork chops, in a bowl.

2.  Lightly pound or flatten pork chops.

3.  Place pork chops in a glass dish or one gallon size plastic bag and cover with marinade.  Marinate overnight.

4.  Remove pork chops and grill or broil until done.

How easy was that??!!!  These pork chops are traditionally served with Vietnamese dipping sauce and garnished with thinly sliced bird chilies and cilantro.  I served mine with rice, grated carrot, and thinly sliced cucumbers. 

If you'd like to make the dipping sauce, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

3 T fish sauce
3 T rice vinegar
2 T sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 bird's-eye chilies, sliced
2 T freshly squeezed lime juice

Mix all ingredients well, until sugar dissolves.

A Delicious and Easy Sambhar

I am waiting for the day when the Internet has a smell option.   If it were possible for you to smell the vadaa sambhar pictured above, I could probably get rich offering to sell you the recipe.  The day I made this sambhar,  my whole house had a warm, spicy smell that made my nose tingle and my stomach rumble!

A local bookstore is, unfortunately, going out of business and all their books are currently 50% off.  I picked up a cookbook titled 660 Curries  by Raghavan Iyer.  The same day I purchased the book, I came home, randomly opened it up and made the first two recipes that caught my eye.  This sambhar was one of them.  (Yes, my sister will ridicule me, but I had all the needed ingredients in my superbly stocked kitchen and didn't have to run out for anything!)

I will admit that Indian cooking can be a bit intimidating for the uninitiated.  They do such creative things with their food!  Especially the vegetarian cuisines.   But if you take the time to read the recipe through and understand the steps, you will see that it really isn't as hard as it would seem at first glance.  Some procedures are time consuming; such as making your own cheese or yogurt or making dumplings out of lentils.  But again, these procedures are lengthy, but EASY since most of the time required is sitting time where the cook is not active; such as soaking or fermenting.

If you want to try a delicious recipe that is almost as simple as boiling water, follow this link to my Examiner article on the Taj Mahal Grocery and Gift store and try the recipe for stewed potatoes with yellow split peas.  It is amazingly simple and amazingly delicious!  If you are feeling just a bit more adventurous, try this recipe for vadaa sambhar (lentil dumplings in a vegetable stew.) 

For the Dumplings

ingredients:

1 cup skinned split black lentils (urad dal)

1 1/2 t sea salt

Canola oil for deep frying

method:

1.  Place the dal in a medium-sized bowl.  Rinse in several changes of water until water is no longer cloudy.  Cover the dal by several inches with clean, fresh water and let soak from 1 to 4 hours.

2.  Drain the dal.  Place 1/2 cup water in a blender.  Add dal and puree, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until a paste is formed.  Dump paste back into medium-sized bowl.  Add 1/4 c water to blender and swirl around.  Add this water to the paste and stir it in.

3.  Pour about three inches of oil into a wok or medium-sized pan.  Heat until a drop of water dances across the surface (350 degrees on a thermometer.)  Drop the batter into the oil by large tablespoons and fry, turning occasionally, until they are golden brown all over.  Remove and drain on paper towels.  Do this in several batches being careful not to crowd the pan. 

4.  When all the batter has been fried, set the dumplings aside and make the stew.

For the Stew

ingredients:

1/4 c. oily toor or toovar dal (skinned split yellow pigeon peas)

1 T tamarind paste or concentrate

1 T sambhar masala

1 1/2 t coarse kosher or sea salt

1/2 t asafetida

1 medium-size red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 small red onion, cut into 1-inch chunks

20 fresh curry leaves

1 T canola oil

1 t black mustard seeds

2 T finely chopped cilantro

method:

1.  Place the dal in a small saucepan and rinse in several changes of water until the water is no longer cloudy.  Drain.  Add 3 cups fresh water to the pan.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 25 minutes.

2.  Meanwhile, whisk the tamarind paste with 2 cups of water in a medium saucepan.  Add the masala, salt, asafetida, bell pepper, onion and curry leaves.  Stir and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and let simmer until vegetables are fork-tender (about 15 minutes.)

3.  When the dal is done cooking, pour it into a blender and blend well.  Pour this thin broth into the stew pan with the vegetables.

4.  Heat a small skillet over high heat.  Add the oil and sprinkle in the mustard seeds.  They will pop, much like popcorn (you might want to cover the pan during this process.)  When the popping stops, scrape the seeds into the stew along with the cilantro.

To Serve

Place a couple of dumplings in a bowl and ladle some of the hot stew over.  Eat and enjoy!

Moroccan Roasted Seafood

Last night, I entertained The Amazing Matta.  Matta was an incredible host to me while I was in Athens.  She was like a mother, sister, and best friend all rolled up in to one!  She is visiting here in Fort Wayne for a few days and it was important to me that I create a meal worthy of someone with her high rank and standing.  I decided to make Moroccan roasted seafood.  Let me just say this...... if you try this recipe, after you are finished finger-licking your plate, you are going to rush to your computer and email me a thank-you letter.  It's very good; and oh, so simple!  The original recipe comes from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook.  Here is my version, with slight variations.

Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 T curry powder
1/2 t turmeric
1/4 t cinnamon
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 T Indian chili powder (or cayenne pepper)
3 T soy sauce
1 t salt

Mix together all ingredients for marinade.

Seafood and Vegetables:

2 lbs seafood (I used 1 lb sea bass, 1/2 lb salmon, 1/2 pound large shrimp (peeled and deveined) and 1/2 lb bay scallops)
1 large red onion, cut into chunks
2 medium red peppers, cut into chunks
2 medium green peppers, cut into chunks
lemon juice and cilantro for serving.

1.  place seafood in one large plastic bag and vegetables in another.  Pour half of the marinade in with the seafood and the other half in with the vegetables.
2.  Marinate for 30 minutes.
3.  Dump the seafood out on a large baking pan.  Separate the pieces as much as possible so they will roast nicely.  Roast at 450 for 15 minutes.  Remove and set aside.
4.  Roast the vegetables in the same way for 20 minutes.
5.  Combine the seafood with the vegetables, squeeze a little lemon juice over all and mix gently.
6.  Garnish with cilantro.
7.  Serve hot if desired but this is also fantastic at room temperature!

The seafood was amazing, but so was the rest of the meal.  I started of with an Indian Mulligatawny soup that is creamy and delicious with dal, coconut milk, and spices; hummus with home-made pita chips; little dishes of antipasto purchased at Fresh Market; couscous with dried cranberries and almonds; portobella mushrooms stuffed with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese; and for dessert my to-die-for coconut creme brulée .  I'll be sharing the recipes for the Mulligatawny soup and the stuffed mushrooms soon!

Moroccan Toasted Couscous Salad

I love couscous and I'm always looking for new ways to eat it.  This salad uses Israeli couscous which is a bit larger and rounder than regular couscous.  It can be hard to find but fortunately, our local co-op carries it on a regular basis. 

 

I recently returned from a trip to Istanbul and came home with bags of delicious dried figs and apricots as well as some good quality saffron threads so I decided I would blend them all together in this exciting salad.

 

The recipe calls for a long list of ingredients and although it demands a lot of chopping and slicing, there is nothing at all difficult about the technique and the result is a beautiful blend of colors and textures.  Everyone in my circle of friends loves this salad!

For the dressing, combine

   1/2 t cumin

   1/4 t cardamom

   1/4 t cinnamon

   1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

   1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

   1 T finely minced or grated ginger 

   1 T honey

   1/4 cup olive oil

   s & p to taste

For the salad, toast for 10 minutes at 375 degrees

   1 1/2 cup Israeli couscous

Bring to a boil

   1 1/2 cup water

   1/4 t turmeric (I substituted saffron threads since I had a good supply)

Add in the toasted couscous and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Let stand for 10 minutes, then fluff and mix together with

   1 small red pepper, chopped

   1 small yellow pepper, chopped

   1/2 small red onion, chopped

   10 dried figs, thinly sliced

   10 dried apricots, thinly sliced

   1/2 cup raisins or currants

   1 cup pistachios, toasted

   1/2 cup minced cilantro

   1 1/2 T orange zest

Drizzle the dressing over and gently mix into the salad.

 

If you take this salad to a carry-in or pot-luck, be prepared to hand out the recipe.  Someone will surely ask for it!  This salad is beautiful to look at, scrumptious to eat, and good for you to boot! 

  

Noodles! Noodles! Noodles!

I was wondering what the difference is between noodles and pasta so I looked both words up in a variety of dictionaries.  In almost every case, a noodle was described as a strip of unleavened egg dough and pasta was described as a flour and egg dough made from semolina.  Really?  Can they be serious?  I find these definitions ridiculously limiting in their scope!  What about noodles made from rice, or mung beans, or cassava?  What about gluten-free pasta or pasta made from soybeans? 

What about all these noodles............

..........package after package of noodles, and almost half of them don't have any regular flour or semolina!

The other day I was in the mood for pasta, today I wanted noodles.  I'm still not sure what the difference is, but here's how I sort of think of it:  I think of pasta as being used in European dishes and noodles as being used in Asian dishes.  And I particularly love rice noodles.  They're slurpy and delicious and can be gummy or slightly chewy.

Last week I was flipping through t.v. channels and I stumbled across Martha Stewart.  I've never watched her show since I've always thought I don't like her.  "How can you not like her when you've never seen her show?" you ask.....  I don't know.  I guess I don't like her image as portrayed in the media.  She seems a bit stuffy to me.  But anyway... this was In the Kitchen With Martha Stewart, or something like that, and she had a guest on who authored one of my favorite cookbooks, Hot Sour Salty Sweet.  If you don't already own this cookbook, you need to stop reading right here and run out directly to buy it.  Or, better yet, open a second browser window and order it from amazon.com.

This guy, Jeffrey Alford, and his wife, Naomi Duguid, spent a couple of years traveling around southeast Asia eating great food and collecting recipes.  Actually, browsing through this book is sort of a love/hate thing for me.  The cookbook is amazing, but it's impossible for me to browse through the book and not feel that little green monster climbing up my back.  I wish I had been the one to eat my way through Asia and write about it!

Anyway, this book is filled with gorgeous pictures from their travels, fascinating information about the evolution of food traditions, interesting anecdotes, and wonderful recipes.  The recipe Jeffrey was showing Martha how to make was one out of his cookbook that I had already tried.  Today, it sounded like just what I was in the mood for so off I went to buy the ingredients missing from my kitchen.  I actually had all the pantry ingredients but had to buy the baby bok choy and the pork butt.

Here's my somewhat modified version of the recipe for Noodles with Greens and Gravy

1 lb wide dried rice noodles
peanut oil
1/4 c. minced garlic
1 lb thinly sliced pork butt or shoulder
2 t sugar plus a pinch
1 1/2 to 2 lb baby bok choy
2 T fermented soybean paste (mashed, if needed)
2 T soy sauce
3 T fish sauce
3 T rice vinegar
1 t pure chili powder (or to taste.  I use Indian chili powder)
2 1/2 c. chicken broth
2 T cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 c. water
chopped peanuts


Soften the rice noodles in hot water and then quickly pan fry them in a T of peanut oil.  Do this in two batches so you can press them against the wok as they cook.  Remove the noodles and set aside.

Mix together the soybean paste, soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, 2 t sugar and chili powder.

Next fry the garlic in another T of peanut oil until it starts to brown (usually, cookbooks tell you not to let garlic brown as it will turn bitter, but Alford claims that golden brown garlic is a Thai tradition and actually, it has a great flavor!) then throw in the thinly sliced pork and add a pinch of sugar.  Cook until it starts to lose it's pink color and then toss in the bok choy.  Press the bok choy against the wok and cook until it starts to wilt.

Dump in the sauce ingredients.  Stir and mix.  Add the chicken broth and bring to a quick boil.  Cover the wok and let everything steam for a minute or so.  Remove the cover and add the cornstarch slurpy.  Stir and let simmer until the sauce thickens.

To serve, place some noodles on a plate or in a large bowl and ladle the sauce over top.  Sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper and peanuts and dig in.  This dish is so good.....really!  And once you have all the ingredients assembled, it goes together quickly!