Turkish Stewed Peas

Well, I'm going to confess; I made this in the winter with frozen peas and saved it for now. In a funny sort of way there are lots of things that can be made in the winter but late spring and early summer are difficult. I'm also a little ahead of things here; the peas are starting to form but are not yet ready to pick. Soon, though! And I think things are a tad later than usual this year. 

 

Snow peas will be ready before shell peas, and they would work well in this recipe. I do see snow peas used in Turkish cooking regularly, so there's that. It's hard to come up with recipes for snow peas that are better than steaming them and serving with a dab of butter, but this is lovely and would make a nice change.

 

Serve this with rice or pita; it will also go well with any kind of simply grilled fish, chicken or meat. It would also be delicious with poached eggs. 

 

2 to 4 servings

30 minutes prep time 

NOT including shelling the peas

 

 

1 medium onion

1/4 to 1/3 orange or yellow bell pepper

1 clove of garlic 

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 bay leaf

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon rubbed mint

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or to taste)

1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes

2 cups shelled peas

Peel and finely dice the onion. Wash, trim, and dice the pepper into pieces just a little larger than the peas. Peel and mince the garlic. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and add the onion, pepper, and bay leaf. Cook gently for about 5 minutes until softened and reduced in volume. 

Add the minced garlic and remaining seasonings and mix in well. Let it cook for a minute, then mix in the crushed tomatoes. Simmer for a further 5 to 10 minutes until thickened.

Add the peas and be sure they are all down in the liquid. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, until the peas are tender. (If using frozen peas, note that 4 minutes will likely be enough, and the same goes for snow peas.) 

Serve at once. 

Last year at this time I made Circassian Chicken.

Hariyali Chicken Kebabs

These were so yummy! We had no trouble (do we ever?) eating them all ourselves, with rice and peas on the side. If you were serving other Indian dishes with them, though, they would go further. Also they would go further if you are not the complete piggies that we are. You could cut the recipe in half but I suspect you could easily keep half in the fridge for cooking the next day. 

I liked the touch of red pepper, but it's not particularly traditional. Next time I might broil the peppers a bit before threading them on the skewers; they stayed pretty crisp even when the chicken was cooked.

 

2 to 4 servings

20 minutes to prepare chicken and marinade

2 to 24 hours to marinate

15 minutes to cook

 

 

4 to 6 cloves (1 head) garlic

2" piece of ginger

1/2 teaspoon cumin seed

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 to 1 teaspoon hot red chile powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1/4 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves

2 tablespoons very thick yogurt

the juice of 1/2 large lemon

   OR 1 large lime

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

2 or 3 (600 grams; 1.5 pounds) skinless, boneless chicken breasts 

1/2 large red or orange bell pepper OPTIONAL

Peel and slice the garlic, and put it in the bowl of blender with the ginger, also peeled and sliced. Add the spices and salt. 

Wash and dry the cilantro and mint. Trim the stems off the cilantro, chop it coarsely, and add it. The mint leaves should be picked off the stems and the stems discarded, except for the tender tips. Add the yogurt and purée the mixture, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Scrape as much of it out as you can into the container in which you are going to marinate the chicken. 

Add the lemon juice to the blender and process to wash down the sides. Pour it into the rest of the marinade and add the oil. Mix well. 

Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. Add them to the marinade and turn them to coat them in it. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours to overnight. 

If using bamboo skewers, soak them for at least 30 minutes first; several hours is better so I try to remember to start soaking them as the chicken begins to marinate. Thread the chicken on the skewers, keeping as much marinade on them as possible. If you like, put bite-sized pieces of red or orange bell pepper in between each piece of chicken. Lay them on a broiler pan and spoon half the remaining marinade evenly over them.

 

Broil for 5 to 6 minutes per side (2 sides) until cooked through. When you turn them over, spoon the remaining marinade over them before broiling again. Serve at once with rice or naan, and the vegetable dishes of your choice. 

 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Pizza Crackers. 

Cucumber, Feta & Herb Salad

It's still greenhouse cukes, of course. We're only just planting ours today. Mint, parsley and cilantro are all up and useable by now, however. I didn't use any cilantro here, but you could. Other optional additions: a few chives and/or radishes now, melon or watermelon later in the season.

 

4 servings

20 minutes prep time

 

 

Make the Dressing:

the juice of 1/2 lemon

3 tablespoons olive oil

a pinch of salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper

 

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl or jam jar. 

Make the Salad:

2 or 3 small greenhouse cucumbers

100 grams (4 ounces) feta cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

2 or 3 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (optional)

 

Wash, trim, and chop the cucumbers. Crumble the feta and mix it into them. Wash, dry, and chop the mint and parsley.  

Toss the salad with the dressing. This can be done up to an hour ahead to allow the flavours to blend, then sprinkle the salad with pumpkin seeds just before serving it. 

Last year at this time I made Potage Argenteil - Asparagus Soup.

Rhubarb Chutney

This has been a very strange year for weather, so pretty much normal, then. Normal for now, anyway. As a result of the combination of mostly rather cool days interspersed with the occasional heat-wave level stinker, my rhubarb plants have only just reached a sufficient height to pick from them, but already they wanted to send up flowering stalks, which generally signals the end of rhubarb season. I pulled the flowering stalks out and put them in the compost and generally intend to pretend that never happened. 

 

The actual rhubarb I picked was not the most tender, but it is generally useable and tastes good. Once it got simmered into this tasty melange it was just fine. 

I'm sure there are a lot of things you can serve this chutney with, but I know that I will probably eat about 90% of it with good sharp Cheddar and crackers. 

One of the things I am finding is that as I reduce the amount of sugar that I put into things, the amount of spices must also go down, or they will be out of balance.

 

5 x 100 ml

1 hour 30 minutes - 1 hour prep time 

 

4 cups diced rhubarb

2 cups diced onion

1/4 cup peeled slivered fresh ginger

2 cups raisins

2 cups vinegar, apple cider or white

1/2 cup Sucanat OR dark brown sugar OR coconut sugar

1 teaspoon pickling salt

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

 

Wash and trim the rhubarb, and cut it into short pieces. Put it in a canning kettle. Peel and chop the onions, and add them. Peel and slice the ginger thinly across the grain, then into thin slivers and add them.

 

Add the raisins, vinegar, and sweetener of your choice. 

 

Grind the pepper and allspice with the salt, then add them to the kettle along with the rest of the spices. Turn the heat on and bring the mixture up to a simmer, then simmer for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring regularly, until the rhubarb has completely disintegrated and the mixture has thickened. It will be fairly thin at the start as the rhubarb begins to break up, but it will be quite thick by the end and will need more frequent stirring the thicker it gets.

As soon as the chutney has been started, place 5 or 6 canning jars in the canner (along with a half-sized jar or 2, just in case) and cover them with water to cover them by about 1". Cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 10 minutes. This will take about 45  minutes, conveniently enough. Add a ladle and funnel to sterilize as well.

While the chutney cooks and the jars sterilize, prepare the lids and rings. They need go go into boiling water to cover them for 1 minute (or according to manufacturers instructions) once you are ready to bottle the chutney. 

Remove the sterilized jars from the canner with a jar lifter, draining them well and place them on a heat-proof board. Use the sterilized funnel and ladle to fill the jars with the chutney. Wipe the rims of the jars clean with a bit of paper towel dipped in boiling water and seal with the prepared lids and rings. Return them to the canner full of boiling water and boil for 10 minutes before removing them. Let cool and check that they have sealed properly. 

Jars should last for up to 1 year, unopened, when kept in a cool, dark spot. Refrigerate once opened. Use it to give a little verve to cheese, baked chicken or fish, samosas, or whatever else you can think of. 

Last year at this time I made Lentils with Sorrel & Poached Eggs.

Asparagus Caponata

This is a more local take on one of my all-time favourite dips; artichoke caponata. Well, not really caponata because mine never had capers in it (nobody here likes them much). 

 

I made this a couple of times; the texture without the lemon juice was better but the flavour was better with it. The take-away is that you should dry the asparagus thoroughly, even pressing it a little, to get as much excess moisture out of the dip as you can. Not tried; a couple of mushrooms cleaned and tossed in might help blot things up. Or add more juice. I don't know. Worth trying, though.

 

8 servings

20 minutes prep time

 

 

450 grams (1 pound) fresh asparagus

1/4 cup finely minced fresh chives

125 grams (4 ounces) Parmesan cheese

plenty of coarse, freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 to 4 tablespoons mayonnaise (light is fine) 

 

Wash and trim the asparagus. Cut off the tips, and cut the rest into inch-long pieces. Put the pieces into boiling water and boil for one minute. Add the tips and boil for a further 3 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse in cold water until cool. Drain very well - blot them with a tea towel until quite dry. 

Wash, trim, and mince the chives. Put them in a food processor with the grated Parmesan, the pepper, and the mayonnaise. Whiz briefly, then add the asparagus - pick out a few of the tips first to use as a garnish, if you like - and whiz briefly again. Scrape down the sides, and give the mixture a final whiz. The results should be chopped, but still retaining some texture. Transfer the caponata to a serving dish and garnish with the reserved asparagus tips. 

Last year at this time I made Roman Tomatoes.

Tortilla de Grelos y Jamon

Tortillas in Spain are almost always eggs and potatoes, with or without onion (and they will fight about it). I frequently see assurances that tortillas can be made with other fillings, but actual examples are very rare on the ground. 

This take is Basque in origin, and makes a very nice change. I find green vegetables a little short in supply in official Spanish cuisine, but given the number of little gardens clustering every small village, people must eat 'em. Any kind of spring green such as turnip greens or raab, or arugula maybe, could be used here. Spinach is probably most readily available here, but something a little more robust would be the best. Good Spanish ham is also ideal but hard to get. Good Canadian ham will work okay, but it too is hard to get these days - so much of it is soaked in brine and gelatine. Don't bother with that. Use a good bacon if you have to (also not soaked in brine... good luck).

2 to 4 servings

30 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

 

 

1 green onion OR shallot

300 grams (10 ounces) turnip greens OR spinach

150 grams dry ham or cooked bacon bits

6 large chicken eggs

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

 

Wash, trim, and chop the onion or shallot. Wash, trim, and chop the greens or spinach. Put them in a mixing bowl. Chop the ham and add it, or if using bacon, chop it and fry it until crisp but not browned. Drain the pieces of excess fat and add them. 

 

Break in the eggs, mixing them in one at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

 

Heat the oil (or you could use the bacon fat if you have it; but use it in a clean pan to avoid sticking) over medium heat in a large skillet. Once the pan is hot, spread the egg mixture evenly in it.  

As it sets, you can lift it up and tilt the pan to allow raw egg to flow underneath. When it is about half cooked - the top will still be not set - carefully flip it out onto a plate by placing the plate over the pan then turning them both over. Slide the tortilla back into the pan, and pour any raw egg remaining on the plate around the edges. Cook until the tortilla is set, but not dry. 

In Spain, this would be served at room temperature, cut into slices - in a sandwich, maybe - or cubes to be eaten as tapas, but you can eat it right away as you would any other omelette if you prefer.

 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Spinach & Mushroom Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing.

German Cheese & Radish Salad

There are a lot of versions of this simple but substantial German salad; here's mine. You can eat it as-is, but I think it is most often eaten piled on a good sturdy slice of rye bread as it's almost as close to being a sandwich filling as it is to being a salad. I'd be happy to put it in a wrap with a leaf or 2 of lettuce and call it lunch, certainly. But one of my favourite things in the summer if I can round up a few eaters, is to have a salad buffet with a variety of salads, and this would make an excellent candidate for that. Also nice with a bowl of soup on the side.

 

4 servings

15 minutes prep time

 

 

Make the Dressing:

1/2 teaspoon honey 

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

2 teaspoons dill pickle brine OR apple cider vinegar

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Mix the honey and mustard in a small jam jar or bowl. Mix in the mayonnaise, then the brine or vinegar. Season with salt and pepper, keeping in mind that other ingredients in this salad are salted - it's better to under-salt, and have to pass salt at the table than to overdo it here.

 

Make the Salad:

1 1/3 cups slivered radishes

2/3 cups slivered Gruyere, Emmentaler, Gouda or similar cheese

1 slice dill pickle

2 tablespoons minced chives OR green onion

3 tablespoons minced parsley

 

Wash, trim, and sliver the radishes. Cut the cheese into similar sized and shaped pieces. Dice the dill pickle fairly finely, and wash, dry, and mince the herbs. 

 

Mix everything together and toss with the dressing. Serve with buttered rye bread.

Last year at this time I made Baked Trout with Creamy Leek & Dill Sauce.

Stuffed Tau Pok

Last time I was in a civilized place - and apparently my definition of "civilized place" is "has a Chinese/Asian grocery store" - I stocked up on tau pok. It freezes extremely well, and I freely admit it is my favourite form of tofu. In spite of consisting of deep fried chunks, it is really not greasy and the resulting chewy/airy texture is terrific. If you think you don't much like tofu and it is the texture that puts you off, this is a good way to try it again and see.

There are a number of traditional recipes for stuffing and steaming tau pok. My take on it combines things from 2 popular versions, mostly as a matter of expedience; other than the tau pok itself these are all ingredients I can get around here. 

I found the oyster sauce added a necessary punch of saltiness to these - in spite of the fish sauce, they were not really salty in themselves. If you don't have any oyster sauce, add a bit more fish sauce or double the salt in the filling.

 

16 to 20 pieces

1 hour - 20 minutes prep time

assumes puffs are steamed in 2 batches

250 grams (1/2 pound) ground pork OR chicken

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon arrowroot OR corn starch

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

2/3 to 1 cup finely chopped green onion OR chives

2 teaspoons mild vegetable oil to oil dish

1 package (185 grams; 6.5 ounces) fried tofu puffs (tau pok)

about 1/2 cup chicken stock

oyster sauce

cilantro 

Put the ground meat in a bowl with the fish sauce, salt, pepper, and arrowroot. Peel and grate the ginger, and add it. Wash, dry, trim, and chop the green onions or chives very finely and add them. Mix everything very well. 

Set up your steamer; it should hold the stuffed tofu in a dish. Mine would only hold half at a time so I set up 2 dishes to go into it. Lightly oil the dish or dishes, and turn the heat on under the steamer. If you are doing it in two rounds, be sure there is plenty of water in it, or that you can add boiling water to top it up if needed. 

Meanwhile, stuff some tofu. Cut a slit in one side (top) of each puff and put in a bit of the filling You can stuff in more than you might think and I found it useful to score off the bowl of filling to make sure it was being more-or-less evenly divided. There were 18 puffs in my package, but they are plainly hand-cut and varied a bit in size so quantity may not be exact either. Arrange them in the oiled dish(es) in a single layer, stuffing up. Place them in the steamer and pour a little chicken stock on them; just enough for them to be sitting in about 1/4" of it. Steam for 20 minutes. If you have a rack or similar thing that can go under the plate to be steamed, and which has handles to allow it to lift the plate out, that is very helpful.

If you have a second dish, check the water level, and steam it for 20 minutes with a little chicken stock in the same way. 

These will be very hot when they come out, and the spongy tofu holds some of the broth to burst out and burn you when bitten, so let them sit for a full 10 minutes before serving. Garnish them with a drizzle of oyster sauce and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro, if you like. 

Last year at this time I made Sorrel Soup.

Migas with Beans & Greens

I've found myself poking around at Portuguese recipes quite a bit the last few months. It started with a (continuing) interest in Spanish recipes, and not surprisingly there is some degree of overlap. Portuguese cuisine is a bit different though, and it has some really delicious dishes. 

 

For one thing, my impression is that Portuguese bread and pastry baking is the better of the two. This dish would usually be made with corn bread - mostly wheat, in spite of the name, but with enough corn flour in it to turn it golden and give it a marvellous flavour. Alas, while you can find it at Portuguese bakeries in larger cities there is none around here. Where you find good bread, you also find recipes to use up the stale leftover bits. 

 

This is usually made with black-eyed peas, but navy beans make a good substitute. Despite the simple technique and very short list of ingredients, we thought this was really delicious. For our bread crumbs, I used two ciabatta type rolls and they were fine, although I do regret that corn bread. 

The Spanish also make a lot of "Migas" (crumbs is what it means) dishes, but I have yet to see one with beans, and while cilantro seems to be quite common in Portuguese cuisine (which for some reason surprised me) it is rarely used by the Spanish. Likewise, Piri-Piri hot sauce is a popular Portuguese condiment but the Spanish rarely apply any kind of chile to their food beyond a little very mildly hot paprika.

 

2 to 4 servings

30 minutes prep time

NOT including cooking the beans and greens

 

 

1 cup dried navy beans OR black-eyed peas

4 cups chopped turnip or rutabaga greens, OR kale OR spinach OR rapini (raab)

200 grams (5 ounces) diced stale bread

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

1 small onion

3 tablespoons olive oil 

a little minced fresh cilantro or parsley (optional)

 

The beans should be cooked in advance in the usual way; cover in water and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat, cover, and soak for at least one hour. Drain, replace the water, add 1/2 teaspoon salt, and simmer until tender OR cook them in an Instant Pot for 5 to 7 minutes, with natural pressure release. 

 

The greens should also be cooked in advance; wash them very carefully and pick them over, then wash them again. Plunge them into boiling water or steam until just wilted, then rinse in cold water. Drain them again; in fact, squeeze them to remove excess liquid. Chop finely. 

 

It is possible and even reasonable to speed this dish up considerably by using tinned beans (one tin of the beans of your choice) and frozen greens - you will want about 300 grams or 10 ounces. This also makes it a good dish to make in the winter.

 

NOW, let's get started: peel and mince the garlic. Peel and chop the onion finely. Slice the bread, and crumble it into pieces about twice the size of a bean. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and let it soften and get fairly translucent, then add the bread crumbs and toss well. Cook gently for several minutes, turning regularly, until they are dry and toasted in spots all over. Add the garlic and mix it in well; give it a minute to cook. 

Add the drained beans and chopped greens. Mix in well, and let everything heat through. You may wish to add a little of the cooking water from the beans or the greens. The finished texture of the dish may range from fairly dry and crisp through moist, through almost soupy - it is a matter of taste. I prefer a drier texture, and my bread was not that stale to start with, so I did not add any but you must use your own judgement - it is that kind of dish and all the proportions are also somewhat up for grabs. 

Serve it as a meal by itself for 2 people, or serve it as a side dish with grilled meat, poultry or fish for up to 4 people. A poached or fried egg on top would also go very well.

Last year at this time I made Chicken Pozharski.

Ukrainian Egg & Green Onion Pie

Egg pies are very common in Ukrainian cuisine, often in the context of Easter and mostly made with a yeast-raised dough. This one is more like the Russian "lazy" pies I have been making for the last few years, with a baking powder batter encasing, in this case, hard boiled eggs and green onions along with some other herb if you can get it. The result is an excellent breakfast, brunch, or lunch dish that goes together very easily and doesn't take all that long to bake either. 

 

I used spelt flour, as I so usually do; it worked very well. 

 

4 to 6 servings

1 hour - 30 minutes prep time

 

Prepare the Filling:

4 large eggs

1 bunch green onions

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley OR dill

salt & freshly ground black pepper

 

Put the eggs in a pot of water to cover, and bring them to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and cover. Let them sit for 10 minutes, then place them in cold water to cool. 

 

Wash, trim, and chop the herbs. Peel the eggs, chop them coarsely, and add them. Season with salt and pepper.

Make the Pie & Bake:

1 1/4 cups whole spelt flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup thick yogurt

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon unsalted butter 

Mix the flour, salt, and baking soda, ideally right in the measuring cup. Mix the mayonnaise and yogurt in a mixing bowl, and break in the eggs and mix one at a time. 

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a 9" pie plate with the butter. 

 

Mix the flour into the wet ingredients until well blended. Spread about half the batter in the prepared pie plate, then sprinkle the eggs and herbs evenly over them. Dollop the remaining batter over the eggs and herbs until they are covered. 

 

Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until cooked through. Let rest until just warm or room temperature before serving. Keep any leftovers well wrapped in the fridge, but bring them back up to room temperature to serve. However, this is best freshly made.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Leek & Sorrel Quiche.

Pasta with Rutabaga Greens, Anchovies, Garlic & Chile

Here is a lively take on one of my favourite ways to prepare pasta: the pasta and some vegetable are cooked together then dressed with something richer and perhaps fried. In this case not fried, so much as infused into a generous but not too greasy amount of olive oil. (If your anchovies come with a certain amount of oil, by all means start with that when you measure the oil.) All the flavours are very strong, but in spite of that they get along with each other excellently. I used whole wheat pasta - I mostly do these day, on the rarish occasion I eat pasta at all - which can be a bit robust for more delicate sauces but which mingles well with all these equally robust ingredients. Use whatever pasta you like, though. 

 

Rutabaga greens are, as I've said before, the best (non)turnip greens, but turnip greens could be used, or Swiss chard, kale, or collards in their season. Rapini or broccoletto too, would be good, meaning this is a dish that can be made any time there are good, astringent greens around. Spinach? I think it's a little too refined to be ideal for this hearty dish, but it would work well enough if that's what you can get. Apply it with a little heavier hand, maybe. 

I'm saying 20 minutes, which is about the time for the water to come to a boil and then cook the pasta and greens, but if your greens are at all obstreperous about needing picking over, allow a little longer.

 

2 to 4 servings

20 minutes prep time

300 grams (10 ounces) rutabaga greens

6 to 10 cloves of garlic

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes

freshly ground black pepper to taste

25 grams (1 ounce; 1/2 small tin) anchovies

225 grams (1/2 pound) pasta

1/4 cup olive oil

 

Put a large pot of salted water on to boil for the pasta.

Wash and trim the greens, and chop them. Peel and mince the garlic, and put them in a small bowl with the chile flakes and pepper. Drain and mince the anchovies. 

When the water boils, add the pasta and set the timer for 1 minute longer than the recommended cooking time. When the pasta has 6 minutes left to cook, add the green, mixing them in well. 

Meanwhile, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a smallish skillet. When it is hot, mix in the garlic with the spices, and the anchovies. Allow them to sizzle gently in the oil until very fragrant, then remove from the heat and set aside. 

When the pasta and greens are cooked, drain them well and return them to the pot. Toss them with the hot seasoned oil and toss well to combine. Serve at once.

Last year at this time I made Cipollata.

Saag Paneer

I've made Saag Paneer a few times over the years with the idea that I would post it on this blog. All my attempts have been okay, but did not leave me feeling like it was the best Saag Paneer ever. I'm not sure this is either, although we found it very satisfactory. I suspect the best Saag Paneer ever contains more in the way of butter and cream. 

 

This is a dish that also tends to contain tomato; while it's not really in season at the moment, canned crushed tomatoes would be perfectly fine. However, so many of the Indian (inspired) dishes I make have tomatoes in them that I wish to have a few in my repertoire that don't have any, just to supply a little contrast. 

 

Garden spinach should be at its peak right now, but alas - the up-and-down weather we've had all spring (and through the winter too, really) was very hard on it and the mice have found it too. This may be it for our spinach this year. 

 

4 to 6 servings

1 hour prep time

Get Started:

600 grams (20 ounces) blanched spinach OR other mild, tender greens

250 grams (1/2 pound) paneer OR halloumi cheese

1 teaspoon mild vegetable oil

1 large onion

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

 

Wash the spinach or other greens very well, and chop them coarsely. Put them in a colander and pour boiling water evenly over them to wilt them thoroughly. Rinse them in cold water, drain them well and squeeze them dry. Chop them finely and set them aside. 

 

Rinse and drain the paneer, and cut it into small cubes or lozenges (small bite-sized). Heat a skillet over medium heat with the oil - just enough to put a film over it - and cook the cheese on both sides until golden brown. Transfer to a dish and set aside.

 

Peel and chop the onion. Heat the oil in the skillet, and cook the onion gently over medium heat until softened and translucent. Add it to the prepared greens. 

 

Prepare the Spices:

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin seed

2 teaspoons coriander seed

1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon hot chile powder

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger

3 or 4 cloves of garlic 

Grind the cumin and coriander with the salt, then mix them with the remaining spices in a small bowl. Peel and grate the ginger and garlic and add them. Set aside.

 

Finish the Dish:

2 teaspoons mild vegetable oil

2/3 to 3/4 cup thick yogurt  

1/2 lemon, cut in wedges (optional)

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the bowl of spices, and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Add the blanched spinach and onion and mix in well.  Begin working in the yogurt, a scoop at a time until the mixture has reached a level of creaminess that seems right to you. Once it is hot through, add the cheese and continue to simmer until it too is hot through. Serve at once, although this re-heats quite well so it could be made in advance.

Last year at this time I made Barley with Sorrel.

Turkish Shepherd's Pie Kebab

Classic meat and potatoes, the Turkish way! I see a lot of versions of this on Pinterest, with the meat portion and potato portion shaped in different ways, but the dish overall consisting of all the same parts. The dishes get different names, but really, it's these components in some configuration. 

The easiest way, and the most like a classic shepherd's pie, would be to press the meatloaf mixture into a shallow baking pan, and then when the time comes, pour on the sauce then spread the potatoes evenly over the top. I've seen that done. But this shaping the meat into individual cups to hold the potato topping is even more common, although the exact shape varies quite a bit. For some reason Turkish dishes often are made into a group of clearly delineated portions like this. Perhaps it's so that if you have a large family, you know the dish will make it all they way around the table without running out because the first people to be served take too much? Or maybe I'm over-thinking it. 

At any rate, these were cute, not hard to make, and a very satisfying take on the theme of meat and potatoes. I used lamb, which is always the proper meat to use in a shepherd's pie; otherwise it's technically a cottage pie although few people seem to stick to that convention these days.

 

4 to 8 servings

2 hours. This is going to take 2 hours, with 1 1/2 hours being prep time.

 

 

Mix the Spices:

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon allspice berries

freshly ground black pepper to taste 

1 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika

2 teaspoons rubbed dry mint

Grind the salt and allspice berries, then mix all the remaining spices with them in a small bowl.

Make the Meat Patties:

1 medium onion

1 small carrot

1 cup shredded cabbage

1/4 medium red pepper

2 cloves of garlic

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

500 grams (1 pound) ground beef OR lamb

1 large egg

 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a baking pan. 

 

Peel and finely dice the onion. Peel and grate the carrot. Wash, trim, and shred the cabbage. Deseed the pepper and dice it finely. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat the oil in a small skillet and cook the onion and carrot until softened. Mix in the little bowl of spices. Add the garlic then the cabbage, and cook, stirring until just wilted down. Transfer it all to a mixing bowl and let it cool. 

Mix in the ground meat and the egg by hand, until you have a smooth evenly blended mixture. 

Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions, and form each one into a ball. Then press in the middle and shape each ball into a shallow bowl. Place them in an oiled baking pan, that fits them snugly but in a single layer. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes (the time necessary to cook the potatoes).

Make the Potato Topping:

700 grams (1 1/2 pounds) potatoes

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/3 cup yogurt

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Wash, trim, and peel (if you like) the potatoes. Cut them into even chunks. Put them in a pot with water to cover them well, and bring to boil. Boil steadily until fork tender; 10 to 15 minutes. Drain them well and mash them with the butter, yogurt, salt, and pepper. 

Finish the Dish:

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup water

125 grams (1/4 pound) Cheddar cheese 

When the potatoes are cooked and mashed, and cool enough to handle (but still fairly hot) divide them into 8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a ball, flatten slightly, and place one on each hot, partially-cooked piece of meat. 

 

Mix the tomato sauce and water, and pour it around the meat patties.

Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the dish. Bake at 375°F for another 20 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is browned and bubbling. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Last year at this time I made Vietnamese Style Noodle Salad.

Wild Rice & Halloumi Patties

I was a bit startled to write up this post then go to last year's date and see that I had made something extremely similar then. The thing is though, I make a lot of fried patty things; usually some variation on Vegetable Patties. They provide carbohydrate, protein, and vegetable all in one dish. Sometimes I make a little salad to go with them, but usually it's just the patties, and they are lunch; quick and satisfying. 

 

Some sort of sauce is nice to finish them off. I don't make the Apple Butter Chutney much anymore, alas, as it has too much sugar, so it's usually garlic-yogurt or a mix of half and half chile-garlic sauce and mayonnaise. The yogurt is probably the best choice for these, as it was with last year's iteration. Leftovers? Not too carby for most people to put them into a bun with some sauce and a slice of tomato and lettuce leaf. If you want to reheat them, a minute or so on each side in a hot skillet is better than the microwave.

The only salt that should go in is with the wild rice; halloumi is salty and will provide ample more. I keep meaning to rinse halloumi before I use it, just to see if it could be a little less salty.

 

4 servings

1 hour to cook the wild rice plus time for it to cool

20 minutes to make and cook the patties

 

Cook the Wild Rice:

3/4 cup wild rice

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups water

Place the wild rice, salt, and water in a rice cooker, and cook. This can be done up to a day in advance. 

Make the Patties:

1 medium carrot

1 small onion

1 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

1/3 cup minced parsley OR cilantro

250 grams halloumi cheese

1/4 cup potato starch

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon rubbed savory OR thyme

2 large eggs

mild vegetable oil to fry

 

Peel and grate the carrot. Peel and finely chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Heat the oil in a small skillet and cook the carrot and onion gently over medium heat until softened, stirring regularly. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool slightly. 

 

Wash, dry, and mince the parsley or cilantro. Grate the cheese. Add both to the mixing bowl of vegetables, along with the cooked and cooled wild rice, with any clumps in it broken up. Add the potato starch, seasonings, and eggs. Mix well. The mixture will be very loose and lumpy, but don't worry. Once you get it into the pan and cooking, it will rapidly become more co-operative.

 

Heat enough oil to generously cover the bottom of a large skillet, and ladle spoonfuls of the mixture in. Spread them to form neat, 1/2" thick patties. For the first 30 seconds or so, you can push the edges inwards to form neater shapes. Then cook them over medium heat for a total of 3 minutes per side, until firm and well browned. Add a little more oil as you turn them or if making new patties, if needed to prevent sticking.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made... uh, this is embarrassing, actually... Carrot-Halloumi & Dill Fritters with Garlic Yogurt. Very much the same principle, with a slight change in ingredients. This one would also go well with Garlic Yogurt.

Lentil & Spring Greens Salad with a Spicy Tahini Dressing

Well so much for the theory that spring is on the way. It is, I guess, but so far, not so good. I did manage to scrounge a little spinach, sorrel, and mache (corn salad) from the garden just before the cold settled back in; enough for a salad with a little help from some lovely local greenhouse lettuce I've been able to get this winter.  

Greenhouse tomatoes aren't quite so good - I notice they have changed from just a year or two ago, and now stay very firm, not to say outright hard - but they taste okay, and even though I'm using them less often, they really did add to the colour and texture of this salad. I used 2 medium tomatoes and did not think them too prominent; if you are a tomato lover you could add another.

We both really liked the dressing, and I think I will be making it fairly often. It's a fairly standard tahini sauce, spiced up a little. 

If you don't want to cook the onions, it's a good idea to salt them and let them drain for 15 minutes before rinsing and draining them well. At least, the older I get the better an idea I think that is. If you are up for eating raw onion, good for you.

 

4 servings

30 minutes prep time

NOT including cooking the lentils & onions 

(15 minutes PLUS cooking and cooling time)

 

 

Cook the Lentils & Onions:

1 cup brown or green lentils 

2 1/2 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 or 2 medium onions

1 tablespoon olive oil 

Rinse the lentils and put them in a rice cooker with the water and salt. Turn on; cook. Let them cool completely before assembling the salad. This can be done up to a day in advance. 

Peel the onions and cut them into slivers. Cook them gently over medium heat in the oil until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Add them to the lentils to cool.

Make the Dressing:

1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seed

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper 

1/4 to 3/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (to taste)

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/3 cup tahini 

the juice of 1 large lemon

a little water as needed

 

Grind the cumin with the salt, and put in a small bowl with the pepper and Aleppo pepper. Peel and mince the garlic and add it. Add the olive oil and mix, then add the tahini and mix thoroughly until as smooth as you can get it. Slowly add the lemon juice, a little at a time, to make a smooth paste. It should be the consistency of thick cream; add a little water, a teaspoon at a time and mixing well after each addition, until this is achieved. 

Make the Salad:

3 to 4 cups mixed shredded salad greens 

 - lettuce, spinach, sorrel, mache etc.

1 to 3 medium greenhouse tomatoes

1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro (optional)

Wash and dry the greens, and shred or tear them up fairly small. Wash and core the tomatoes, and cut them in dice. Wash, dry, and mince the cilantro. 

Mix the onions into the lentils well, then layer them with the greens, tomatoes, and dressing on a serving platter. For best looks, finish with a sprinkle of tomatoes and a drizzle of the dressing. You may not use all the dressing; in that case put it in a little jug to be passed for anyone who would like extra. 

Last year at this time I made Coconut Beef & Cabbage Curry.

Danish Meatballs in Curry Sauce

Everybody knows Swedish Meatballs! And they're delicious, no question. But rich, very rich. You would expect the Danes - who make some wildly rich dishes themselves - to try to out-do them, but in fact this popular Danish meatball dish is fairly restrained, especially if you use ground chicken. Or turkey. I didn't list it but more because I was running out of room than because I don't think you could use it. So this is really more suitable for cooking on a regular basis, and it's also quicker and easier to make.

Just like any Canadian "curry" from the past, it calls for an apple to add a little sweetness. A touch of lemon then sharpens it up. It's usually served with rice, but potatoes or noodles would be good too. Just add a green salad or vegetable to finish your meal.

 

4 servings

45 minutes prep time

 

 

Make the Meatballs:

500 grams (1 pound) ground veal, chicken, OR pork

1 small onion 

1 large egg

3 tablespoons wheat flour OR toasted barley flour

1 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

the finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon, optional

a little milk if needed

2 or 3 tablespoons minced parsley, if possible

3 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Put the meat into a mixing bowl. Peel and mince the onion, and add it, along with the egg and all the seasonings. Mix well and form into 20 or 24 equal balls. 

Bring the broth to a boil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot. Gently add the meatballs and simmer for about 20 minutes. 

Make the Sauce:

1 small onion

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large apple

3 tablespoons wheat flour OR toasted barley flour

2 tablespoons Madras curry powder

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

the juice of 1/2 lemon OR 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Meanwhile, peel and mince the onion. Heat the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook gently. While it cooks, wash and core the apple, and cut it into dice. Add it to the onion to sauté. Stir regularly. 

When the onion and apple are softened, sprinkle the curry powder and flour over them. Mix in well and let cook for another minutes until no dry powder is visible. Season with the salt and pepper. 

Scrape them into the pot of meatballs, and mix in gently but well. Add the lemon juice. Simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes, until thickened.

Serve at once over steamed rice.

 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Spinach Tortilla Wraps. 

Roasted Parsnip Chips

As an obsessive lover of potato chips, and as a lover of parsnips, you can bet I thought these were fabulous. You need to be picky about slicing them - getting them sliced evenly but thinly is the key to having this work.

 

I did 3 very large parsnips, and that's all of them on the plate. They really shrink down a lot in cooking so that's something to keep in mind. Next time I might decide it is worth breaking out the mandolin to slice them, and do twice as many. At least.

The line between "perfectly golden-brown and crisp" and "burnt and nasty" is probably about 15 seconds, so you must also really hover at the oven door for the last 5 minutes or so of cooking.

 

per serving

40 minutes - 15 minutes prep time

 

1 large parsnip

1 to 2 teaspoons mild vegetable oil

salt & freshly ground pepper OR other seasonings to taste

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. 

Peel the parsnips and discard the skins. Using the peeler, cut the parsnips into thin but even shreds. It helps to have a good sharp vegetable peeler here. You will probably get down to a point where what is left is very hard to peel into strips; give up and keep these pieces for another dish. Alternatively, and probably better; cut the parsnips into thin but even pieces using a mandolin. I wasn't going to break out the mandolin for 3 parsnips, though. 

 

Toss the parsnip slices with just enough oil to coat them evenly, then season them to your taste and toss them again. Spread them out as evenly as possible, ideally in a single layer.

 

Roast the parsnips for 20 to 25 minutes, checking them and turning them every 5 minutes. Make sure they are spread out evenly each time. Towards the end, most likely some will be done before others; pick them out and put them on their serving plate then return the rest for more roasting. Keep a really sharp eye on them for the last few minutes of cooking - they will burn very quickly once they are done.

They will cool off fast, which is fine - these are kind of like roasted potato chips, only parsnips. However, they won't keep crisp well and should be eaten promptly. 

Last year at this time I made Pulled Pork Caribbean Style.

Garbanzos with Chicken & Peppers

Greenhouse peppers at this time of year; but keep this dish in mind for late summer and early fall as well. Really, this is something I would happily eat all year long, as long as I could get the peppers.

 

I know I usually refer to them as chick peas, but this dish is so distinctly Spanish, it's going to have to be garbanzos. I also have to say that if you have an Instant Pot, there is no reason not to be cooking beans from dried. If you really have to use canned beans, though, you will need 2 cans.  

There was none around at the moment, but a little parsley on top would have been ideal.

 

4 servings

1 hour 15 minutes - 40 minutes prep time 

NOT including cooking the chick peas

 

1 1/3 cups raw chick peas

  OR 3 1/2 cups cooked chick peas

1 medium onion

1 to 3 cloves of garlic

1/2 large red bell pepper

1/2 large orange bell pepper

1/2 large yellow bell pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 or 3 bay leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin seed

2 teaspoons sweet OR smoked Spanish paprika

freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 cups chicken stock

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

600 grams (1.5 pounds) chicken pieces

1/4 cup barley OR wheat flour

salt & pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil  

Cook the chick peas by putting them into a pot and covering them generously with water; bring to a boil, then turn it off and cover them. Let them soak for one to several hours. 

Drain the chick peas and either return them to the pot and re-cover with plenty of water and a teaspoon of salt then boil them gently until tender, or cook them in the Instant Pot - I give them 8 to 10 minutes with natural release. If cooked on the stove top, they will need 1 to 2 hours.

When you are ready to start the stew, peel and chop the onion. Peel and mince the garlic. Wash, core, and chop the peppers into dice a little larger than a cooked chick pea. 

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until softened and reduced. Add the seasonings and mix in well, then the chicken stock and vinegar. Let this mixture simmer while you prepare the chicken to be added. 

Coat the chicken in the flour, into which the salt and pepper have been mixed. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, and fry the chicken on all sides until nicely browned. Add the pieces to the pot of chick peas. Use a little of the cooking broth to de-glaze the skillet, and add it back into the stew. 

Simmer for 15 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is well done and everything is thick and stewish. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve. 

Last year at this time I made Strawberry Sponge Pudding.

Belgian Endive & Cheese Tart with Walnuts

Frozen puff pastry (not to mention all the other ingredients) makes this dish rich and elegant, but it's very simple to make. A crisp green salad is all it needs to be a complete meal, and balances out the richness very well. It does well made ahead, so it would be good for entertaining, but it can't be made too far ahead, or the pastry will go soggy. It's not this recipe - that's a hazard of puff pastry generally. A couple of hours is good though.

You could also make small versions of this; it would make an excellent appetizer or hors d'oeuvre. In that case, though, I'd expect to use twice as much puff pastry as the total area covered with the filling would diminish every time you make the tarts smaller. Expect 18 (3 x 3 squares) or 32 (4 x 4 squares) little tarts. Baking time would be a few minutes less as well, so start checking them sooner. 

I dithered a bit about making this with blue cheese; if anyone ever tries that I'd love to know about it.

 

6 servings

1 hour 15 minutes - 45 minutes prep time 

plus allow some time to cool

 

 

Prepare the Belgian Endives:

4 medium (450 grams; 1 pound) Belgian endive

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon sugar

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Wash and trim the endives, and cut them in half lengthwise. 

 

Heat the butter in a skillet large enough to hold them in a single layer, and cook them over medium-high heat for 10 to 15 minutes, turning them over halfway through. Keep a lid on the skillet while they cook. As soon as they are turned over, sprinkle them with the sugar and season with salt and pepper.  

Once they are done, remove them from the heat and let them cool, at least enough to handle.

 

Make the Sauce:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 tablespoon wheat flour

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3/4 cup whole milk or light cream

125 grams (4 ounces) cheese such as

   Gruyere, Gouda, Friulano - something tangy but melty

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

a few good grates of nutmeg

1 large egg 

Heat the butter, flour, and mustard in a saucepan and mix until they form a smooth paste; let it cook for a minute or two then mix in the milk or cream, a little at a time, to form a smooth sauce. Add the cheese, grated or cut in dice. Stir to melt it, and add the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. The amount of salt to add is going to depend very much on how salty the cheese is, but in general this dish calls for shakes of the salt shaker and not any kind of spoonfuls. 

When the cheese is melted, remove the pan from the heat. Allow it to cool enough that you can beat in the egg without the egg being in danger of cooking.

 

Assemble & Bake the Tart:

225 grams (8 ounces) frozen puff pastry, thawed 

a handful of walnuts

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll out the pastry on a baking tray lined with parchment. Spread half of the cheese sauce over it, leaving an inch and a half to 2 inches all around. 

 

Slice the cooked pieces of endive, discarding the solid centres, and arrange them over the cheese sauce and pastry. Dot the remaining cheese sauce over them, and spread it out evenly.  Sprinkle with walnuts, and with the Parmesan cheese. Fold up the edges of the pastry to form low sides.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until set and nicely browned. Let cool to at least just warm, or to room temperature, before serving. 

Last year at this time I made Carrot, Halloumi, & Dill Fritters with Garlic Yogurt.

Korean Green Onion & Noodle Omelettes

We really enjoyed these but as with a lot of dishes that include a carb, protein, and vegetables and yet don't seem quite sufficient to be the entire meal, I am at a bit of a loss as to how to classify them, and what to serve them with. They might make a nice appetizer, or if you want to serve them as a main course I think a bit of salad might be a good choice to accompany them; maybe this cold spinach salad. If you are serving a crowd, they could also just be one of an ensemble of other Korean dishes.

 

12 small omelettes - 4 to 6 servings

30 minutes prep time

2 bundles (100 grams) bean thread (cellophane) noodles

2 to 4 green onions

1 small carrot

2-3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon sugar

5 large eggs

mild vegetable oil to fry

parsley to garnish

chile-garlic sauce to taste

 

Put a small pot of water on to boil, then boil the noodles for 5 minutes. Drain them well and snip or cut them into short segments. 

 

Meanwhile, wash, trim, and finely chop the green onions. Peel and grate the carrot. Mix these in a mixing bowl withe the drained noodles, and season with the soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper and sugar.  

Break in the eggs and whisk until well blended. Heat a griddle or frying pan with enough oil to cover the bottom. Ladle in the egg mixture to form small omelettes. Once the bottoms of the omelettes are set, fold them in half, and cook until done, turning them over as required. Once they are set and very lightly browned transfer them to a serving plate, and continue cooking more omelettes until they are all done. Add more oil as required. 

I put the parsley on just to give a touch of colour, but it went really well with them. Maybe next time I will put some right in. Chile-garlic sauce provided the finishing touch.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Pizza Strata.