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. 

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.

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.

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.

Edamame Salad

Even though we eat a fair bit of frozen vegetables around here in the winter, I tend to give them short shrift on the blog. So this week I am going to put the spot-light on them for a bit of a change. 

 

Ontario frozen edamame can be hard to find, but check your local health food store - they may have them. Mixed with cabbage and greenhouse peppers and lettuce (you could throw in a cucumber too if you like) they make a great substantial salad. 

 

I've always tried not to put sugar in vegetable and salad recipes, but maybe my tahini was unusually strong/bitter; I really felt it needed a little smoothing out. It's up to you - maybe taste the dressing before you add it.  

I assume this is the main body of the meal; it would go further as a side salad but it seems like a main dish to me with all those edamame in it. Maybe add the entire lettuce if using it as a side salad.

 

2 to 4 servings

30 minutes prep time

 

 

Make the Dressing:

1" piece ginger root 

1 tablespoon tahini

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons apple cider OR rice vinegar

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

black or chile pepper to taste

 

Peel and grate the ginger finely into a small mixing bowl or jam jar. Mix in the tahini and soy sauce, then mix in the remaining ingredients, stirring well after each addition. 

Make the Salad:

2 cups frozen edamame, thawed

1/3 red, yellow, or orange greenhouse bell pepper

1 or 2 green onions

1 medium carrot

1 cup finely shredded Savoy cabbage

1/2 to 1 head greenhouse lettuce

 

Cook the edamame in boiling water for 3 minutes then drain them very well. 

 

Meanwhile, dice the pepper. Wash, trim, and finely chop the onions. Peel and grate the carrot. Wash, drain, and shred the cabbage. Wash, dry, and chop the lettuce fairly finely. Mix all these in a salad bowl. 

 

When the edamame are done, drain them and rinse them in cold water until cool. Drain well. 

 

Toss the edamame into the salad with the dressing and serve.

 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Braised Tau Pok & Cabbage.

Fennel & Peppers

A super, super simple and tasty vegetable side dish, if a bit late for me to be posting it. I've still got a big bowl of peppers in various degrees of ripeness sitting on the kitchen counter, but the peppers are definitely winding down, and local fennel is just plain hard to find at any season, although hopefully there is still some around from not too far afield. 

 

This goes with any kind of animal protein, but I think it is particularly nice with beef, and if the beef is in the form of steak, so much the better. For a vegetarian take, and I can see it going really well with something like macaroni and cheese.

 

2 to 4 servings

20 minutes prep time

1 medium bulb fennel

1 medium onion

1 medium red pepper

1 tablespoon mild vegetable OR olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

a few flakes of crushed red chile, if desired 

the juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons finely chopped fennel fronds

Wash and trim the fennel, putting aside a few of the finest, brightest green fronds for the garnish, but discarding the tough base and stems. Slice the remaining bulb into slivers. Peel and sliver the onion similarly. Wash, core and deseed, and cut the pepper into thin slices, then cut them in roughly the same length as the fennel and onion pieces. 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onion and pepper pieces, and sauté them for a few minutes until the soften and begin to wilt. Season with the salt, pepper, and chile if desired. Add the fennel and continue cooking and stirring the vegetables for a few minutes more until they are all done to your liking. Add the lemon juice just a minute or so before you remove the vegetables from the stove, and mix it in well.

Turn them out at once into a serving dish and sprinkle them with the finely chopped fresh green fronds - this adds a great deal to the flavour of the vegetables, so be sure to chop them finely for easy mixing in, and sprinkle them broadly so everyone gets some of them. Serve at once. 

Last year at this time I made Celery Salad with Dates, Almonds, & Parmesan.

Italian Tuna-Stuffed Peppers

This Italian dish is usually served at room temperature, as an antipasto, but it is also delicious hot as a main course. You could throw some other things into it, if you liked. Anchovies are a common addition, believe it or not. Good quality Italian tuna must not be quite as salty as what I buy at Costco, although to be fair, once the other ingredients were in it was not as salty as I feared it would be, and it could have absorbed an anchovy or two, especially if it was served as an appetizer. Capers or chopped olives could be used instead - just a few of them. 

I made a double recipe, and with three of us eating it, there was enough left over for another generous serving. The exact quantity of peppers is hard to pin down - it will depend very much on their size and configuration. Use tiny ones for an appetizer and larger ones for a main dish. If you use large peppers such as Red Shepherd, use smaller specimens of them  - they can get large enough that just one could swallow up an entire batch of the filling. 

You could omit the cheese if you don't want it. If you do use it, it should be a somewhat mild and lower salt cheese - aged cheeses tend to have a lot, and I think would be a bit too much with the tuna. I used Friulano, which I really like - it has all the delightful boingy qualities of mozzarella, with a more interesting flavour. I also threw in a few leftover potatoes to fill up the gaps around the peppers; if you want to add potatoes to your pan they should be at least par-cooked to be done in the same amount of time as the peppers.

 

2 to 3 servings

1 hour 15 minutes - 45 minutes prep time

 

 

Prepare the Peppers:

6 to 8 small apple peppers (such as Doe Hill)

OR 3 or 4 medium sized peppers (such as Bell or Cubanelle)

OR 2 larger peppers (such as Red Shepherd) 

Wash the peppers. Cut a slit lengthwise in each pepper, then down and around the stem. Remove the stem and any seeds, etc, from the core of the pepper, leaving a hollow shell. Be careful not to break them. 

Broil them under the broiler until slightly softened and blackened in spots. Turn to broil them evenly. Set them aside to cool while you make the filling, and turn the oven to 375°F.

Make the Filling:

1 tin (133+ g drained) chunk or solid tuna

1 slice stale bread

1 medium egg

1 small tomato (about 3 to 4 tablespoons chopped)

2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 

the finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon

freshly ground black pepper to taste

75 grams (3 ounces) Friulano, mozzarella, ricotta or similar mild cheese

1 tablespoon olive oil

 

Drain the tuna and put it in a small mixing bowl. Cut or tear the bread into coarse crumbs, and add them to the tuna. Break in the egg. Peel (if you like) and dice the tomato, and add it to the bowl. Wash, dry and mince the parsley, and add it. Season with pepper, and mix well. If the mixture does not seem moist, you may need to add a little water - just a spoonful. It should be moist, but not wet, and hold its shape. 

 

Grate or finely dice the cheese, and mix 2/3 of it into the stuffing. Divide the stuffing amongst the peppers, and lay them in a shallow baking pan that will hold them fairly snugly, and which has been greased with the olive oil. Divide the remaining cheese over the peppers, and cover the pan, with foil if it hasn't got a lid. Bake for 30 minutes at 375°F for 30 minutes, then remove the lid (or foil) and bake for a further 15 minutes. These can be served hot or at room temperature, as a main dish or, if you have stuffed a number of smaller peppers, as an antipasto or appetizer.  

Last year at this time I made Cauliflower and Pepper Sauté.

Stewed Chickpeas & Eggplant

We're cleaning up the garden and gleaning the last few eggplants, peppers, and tomatoes. Hence this dish. Not too much to say about it; it's a tasty dish of chickpeas stewed with vegetables. It takes some time but is not too heavy on the work requirements. Serve it with some rice or bread as a meal in itself, or a little salad on the side would add some greenery and crunch. 

 

3 to 4 servings

1 hour 30 minutes plus - 45 minutes prep time

NOT including cooking the chick peas

 

3 cups cooked chick peas

500 grams (2 medium; 1 pound) eggplant 

1 medium onion

1 medium red OR green pepper

3 to 4 cloves of garlic

500 grams (4 medium; 1 pound) tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon red chile flakes

the juice of 1/2 lemon

2 to 3 tablespoons minced parsley

Cook the chick peas - you will need about 1 1/2 cups raw - by soaking them for several hours to overnight, then changing the water and simmering them for 1 to 2 hours until tender. I've been cooking them in the instant pot for 8 minutes, but I soak them in boiling (to start) water for only a couple of hours - 5 or 6 minutes will likely be enough if you soak them overnight. This can be done up to a day ahead.

 

Put a pot of water on to boil. 

Wash, trim, and chop the eggplant into bite-sized pieces. (You could peel it first if you like.) Peel and chop the onion. Wash, trim, core, and chop the pepper. Peel and mince the garlic.

Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for 1 minute, then transfer them to a bowl of cold water. When cool enough to handle, peel and chop them. 

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

 

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a shallow 2-quart pan that can go from stove-tip to the oven, over medium-high heat. Fry the eggplant until softened and lightly browned all over, turning as needed to cook all sides. Transfer them out of the pan for the moment. 

Add the remaining oil to the pan, and add the onion and pepper. Cook, stirring regularly, until softened and lightly browned. Add the garlic and spices, and stir in until fragrant; about another minute. Add the tomatoes and mix in well. Remove the pan from the heat. 

Mix in the cooked chick peas and eggplant, adding a little of the cooking water if the tomatoes don't look like they will be juicy enough. There should be just enough liquid to keep the chick peas from drying out as they bake, and you can add more as they cook if necessary, so err a bit on the side of caution. Add the lemon juice. 

Bake the chick peas for 45 minutes to an hour, until moist and saucy, avoiding both soupiness and dryness. Stir several times and check the liquid level as they cook. Garnish with a little chopped parsley and serve. 

Last year at this time I made Melanzane alla Pizzaiolla.

Hawawshi - Stuffed Pitas

Apparently this dish, which is sort of the Egyptian version of fast food hamburgers, was invented in the 1970s by a butcher named Hawawshi, who sold them in Cairo from a cart. 

 

It's a simple mixture of spiced meat with some vegetables, stuffed into pita bread halves (in Egypt they use a slightly thicker but similar bread called baladi; if you can get it you should use that) and baked or grilled until the meat is cooked. 

 

Many recipes call for wrapping the mixture in a homemade bread dough, but it's at least as common just to use pre-made bread. I was perfectly happy with whole wheat pitas. I've made these a couple of times, once right on the parchment and once on a rack to keep them out of the oil that exudes as they bake. It helped, but didn't make as much difference as I expected, so if you don't have one, don't worry. Some people call for cooking these in a panini grill. I haven't tried that, but I plan to. Also, you can fill these and freeze them for later. Thaw in the fridge before cooking. 

 

Keep the vegetables as dry and well-drained as you can to keep the hawawshis from getting soggy. Be sure when you are filling them to get the meat spread right to the edges, and in a thin, even layer. For this reason, cut and open all the pitas before you start filling - it will be hard to get them open properly otherwise.   

 

4 servings

50 minutes - 20 minutes prep time 

 

1 small onion

1/4 large red or orange pepper

1 medium plum (paste) tomato

1 or 2 cloves of garlic

1/4 cup chopped parsley 

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh chopped mint OR 1 teaspoon rubbed dry mint

3/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon cumin seed

1/2 teaspoon coriander seed

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 to 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (to taste)

400 grams (14 ounces) ground beef OR lamb OR blend

2 large OR 3 medium pita breads

a little olive oil 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. If you have a rack you can put over it, it's a good idea to keep the hawawshi off the paper.

 

Peel and chop the onion finely, and put it in a mixing bowl (along with everything else, up to the pita bread). Wash, trim, and chop the pepper finely. Chop the tomato finely, and salt it - set it aside to drain. It should be quite dry when added to the bowl. Wash and dry the herbs, and chop them finely. Grind the cumin and coriander seeds and add them with all the other herbs.

Add the beef or beef and lamb mixture, and mix well by hand.

Cut the pita in half and gently be sure they are completely open. Fill each half with a proportionate quantity of the filling, pressing it right up to the edges in a thin, even layer. Brush each filled half pita lightly with olive oil and lay it gently on the rack (or parchment paper, if you haven't got one). 

Once they are all filled and on the tray in a single layer, bake them for 15 minutes at 400°F. Turn them over and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp and browned. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

Last year at this time I made Cauliflower Fritters.

Cebada con Pollo

Everybody knows Arroz con Pollo, but as I point out to the edge (?) of tedium, I need to avoid too much arroz. Barley is a much healthier choice, and fortunately it goes with chicken just as well as rice. It does make it slower to cook, but not really any harder. 

 

This was one of the dishes my parents learned to make when we lived in Mexico when I was very young, and it has remained a favourite with everyone ever since, and has also become much more widely known. 

You can make this all winter - it's a great winter dish - with greenhouse peppers, pickled Jalapeños, and canned tomatoes but there is no doubt it is particularly nice at this time of year when all those things can be had fresh from the garden.

 

Cook the Barley:

1 cup barley

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups water

 

Put these into the rice cooker and cook. This can be done up to a day in advance. 

 

Finish the Dish:

450 grams (1 pound) red peppers

3 small red onions

1 to 3 Jalapeño peppers

3 or 4 cloves of garlic

1 kg (2 pounds) chicken pieces

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

2 cups crushed or chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned)

1 cup water OR chicken stock

 

 Wash, core, and dice the peppers. Peel and chop or sliver the onions. Wearing gloves, wash, core, and dice the Jalapeños. Peel and mince the garlic. Blot the chicken dry with a bit of paper towel. 

 

Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet or stove-top safe casserole. Brown the chicken pieces well, then transfer them to a plate. If there is excess fat left in the pan, drain if off until there is just enough to sauté the vegetables. 

Sauté the peppers and onions until softened and partially cooked. Add the Jalapeños and garlic and cook for another minute or two. Then, add the tomatoes and water or stock. Mix well. Add the barley and mix it in well, then nestle the chicken pieces into it, so they are mostly submerged but the top layer of skin stays out to get crispy. 

Transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 50 minutes to an hour, until the chicken is done. Let rest for 5 or 10 minutes, then serve. 

Last year at this time I made Chicken 65.

Stewed Fish with Zucchini

I've made this three times in the last couple of weeks. The first time I had no intention of posting it - it was so plain and basic. But I enjoyed it a lot, and wanted to make it again, so I decided to make it and post it. Unfortunately, that effort turned out to be on one of the days we had a tornado warning, and while we did not have a tornado, it was so dark that I could not get a good picture. 

So here it is, the lucky third time. It's getting late enough that the zucchini are coming to an end, but hopefully there are still a few around. You can use whatever kind of white fish you like, really. I've been serving it over some drained whole grain ramen noodles and really enjoying the combination, but rice or quinoa would also be an excellent choice. I have been seasoning it very lightly - all the veggies are fresh from the garden and so good just as they are, and I don't want to overwhelm the fish. You could certainly season it up a bit, though, if you like. Italian seasonings? Curry powder? Something else?

 

2 servings

30 minutes - 20 minutes prep time

 

 

2 medium (225 grams; 1/2 pound) tomatoes 

2 medium (400 grams; scant pound) zucchini

1 small onion

1/2 red or orange pepper

2 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

1 bay leaf

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 fillets of whitefish OR 4 perch fillets (about 450 grams; 1 pound)

 

Put a small pot of water on to boil which will just cover the tomatoes. When it boils, add them and blanch for 1 minute. Transfer them to the sink and run cold water on them until cool. Peel them, chop them, and set them aside. 

 

Meanwhile, wash, trim, and dice the zucchini fairly finely. Peel and chop the onion. Wash, trim, and chop the pepper. Peel and mince the garlic. 

 

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the zucchini, onion, and pepper, with the bay leaf, and cook until softened, reduced in volume, and lightly browned; between 5 and 10 minutes. Stir regularly. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Add the garlic and cook it in for a minute or two, then add the tomatoes. Mix in well. If the mixture seems too dry, add a few spoonfuls of water or tomato juice. 

 

Lay the fish fillets over the top of the vegetables and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat if it seems to be bubbling a bit too madly. Cook for 7 to 9 minutes, until the fish is done. Serve with rice, noodles, or quinoa. 

Last year at this time I made Cream of Cauliflower Soup.

Cheesy Poblano Soup

This is a very traditional soup, in poblano growing areas. Ontario is not a traditional poblano growing area, but things change. They certainly can be grown here, and every so often you luck out and find some at the grocery. Or else you grow them yourself, which is what we did. They are a really delicious chile, with a distinctive flavour and ideally just a flicker of heat to make them even more interesting. 

 

I have to say we have run into some difficulties growing them. The first attempt involved seeds purchased from OSC, and the strain they sold had plainly been selected for blandness. We were very disappointed in them. This years variety, for which we sourced seeds in the USA, went to the other extreme - the peppers are surprisingly hot. I didn't mind and enjoyed the soup a lot anyway, but Mr. Ferdzy and my mother would have liked them to be a little more as they should have been. 

 

You should probably taste your chiles once they have been roasted. If you think they are not hot enough, add a little pickled Jalapeño brine to the soup. If they seem too hot, I suspect the best plan is to replace some of them with some other, milder, green pepper - maybe some Cubanelles.

 

4 servings

30 minutes to prep the chiles

45 minutes to make the soup

 

500 grams (1 pound) fresh poblano chiles

1 medium onion

1 stalk of celery

3 to 4 cloves of garlic

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin seed

1 teaspoon rubbed oregano

2 tablespoons barley or other flour

OR 1/4 cup cooked rice 

2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

3 cups unsalted chicken OR vegetable stock

the juice of 1 small lime

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1/2 cup diced or grated Monterey Jack or similar cheese

 

Turn the broiler on to preheat for a few minutes while you wash the peppers. Broil them until the skin blisters and darkens, then turn them until they are evenly broiled all over. Allow them to cool enough to handle, then peel off the skins and discard them. Remove and discard the stems and seeds as well. Chop the peppers roughly. 

 

This can be done up to a day ahead, in which case keep them in the fridge in a covered container. 

 

Peel and dice the onion. Wash, trim, and chop the celery. Peel and mince the garlic. 

 

Grind the cumin seed with the salt and mix with the minced garlic, oregano and flour or rice; set aside.

 

Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and celery, and cook for about 10 minutes,  until softened and reduced, and lightly browned in spots. A couple minutes before they are done, add the garlic and seasonings and mix in well. 

Mix in the prepared chiles, and cook for another few minutes. Add the chicken stock and simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring regularly. 

Transfer the soup to a blender or food processor. Add the lime juice and cilantro, and blend until smooth. 

Return the soup to the pot and add most of the grated cheese. Gently heat the soup until the cheese is melted and the soup is steaming hot, but do not let it boil. Serve at once, garnished with the last of the cheese and a little more chopped cilantro if you like. 

Last year at this time I made Chick Peas with Ham & Spinach.

Indian Railway Omelettes

Somebody described this in a Guardian food column, and it sounded so good. When I searched for it, up came a number of versions. This one has it elaborately folded into 4 slices of light toast, like a cross between a club sandwich, a toasted Western, and origami. A toasted Eastern, maybe, and all the better for the extra flavours. People generally do seem to eat them in a sandwich, perhaps with sliced tomato or cheese, perhaps with Green Chutney, although honestly, ketchup gets mentioned much more often.

 

I did my usual (now) thing and put in a little potato starch for better holding and folding, but you don't have to. Most versions seem pretty unspiced for an Indian dish, just calling for salt and pepper, but a little cumin and turmeric will liven it up if you feel deprived. Some versions just put the raw vegetables straight into the eggs, but a few minutes spent softening them up beforehand will definitely improve it. Really, it's a pretty straightforward omelette but the combination of onions, chiles, and cilantro is delightful. I wouldn't pass up on the tomato either, but make sure it's a fairly dry one (or use the juice in place of the water) AND chop it very finely, or it won't set properly.

 

2 omelettes

30 minutes prep time

 

Prepare the Vegetables:

1 small onion OR 2 shallots

1 small hot green chile

1/4 yellow or red sweet pepper

1 small tomato (optional)

1 clove of garlic

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 teaspoons mild vegetable oil

 

Peel and chop the onion or shallots. Wash, trim, de-seed, and mince the chile and sweet pepper. Core and chop the tomato, and drain it well if watery. Peel and mince the garlic. Wash, dry, trim, and chop the cilantro. 

 

Heat the oil in a flat griddle or skillet over medium heat. Add the onion (shallots) and peppers. Cook until softened and slightly browned; several minutes. Add the garlic and mix it in, then add the tomato. Cook until the tomato is just softened, then stir in the cilantro. Transfer the vegetables into the bowl of whisked eggs, and mix them in. Wipe the skillet with a piece of paper towel to clean off any remaining bits. 

Make the Omelettes:

3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon potato starch (optional)

4 large eggs

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, ground (optional)

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric (optional)

1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil

While the vegetables are cooking, whisk the water and potato starch in a small mixing bowl. Break in the eggs, whisking after each one goes in. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, and turmeric. 

Heat half the oil in the cleaned skillet, and pour in half the egg mixture with the vegetables mixed in. Cook until mostly set, then fold it in half. Press gently to work any uncooked egg to the edge of it to finish cooking. Transfer it to a plate. Wipe the skillet again, add the remaining oil, and repeat with the remaining egg and vegetable mixture. Serve at once. 

Last year at this time I made Peperoni con la Mollica.

Zucchini Stuffed with Ratatouille & Feta

It's not zucchini season without some stuffed zucchini! It's not zucchini season without some ratatouille... so this, I suppose, was deliciously inevitable. 

This is a little more fiddly than just making ratatouille, but not by too much. Mostly it's blanching the zucchini. I've taken to doing this whenever I stuff zucchini, because it makes them cook so much better. They are easier to carve out, too.

 

You could use leftover ratatouille for this, making it a little different from the first time around, and a more elegant presentation than leftovers usually get.

If I had been on the ball (I was not on the ball; what else is new?) I would have put some parboiled potatoes coated in oil in the empty spaces in my pan and roasted them with the zucchini. Next time! We had these with steamed brown rice and hot tomato sauce poured over them. 

I'm assuming people will eat both halves of a zucchini, but this would also make an attractive appetizer course in a multi-course meal in which case one half per person would be plenty.

 

3 to 4 servings

2 hours - 1 hour 15 minutes prep time

 

 

Blanch the Vegetables:

3 large (500 grams; 1 pound EACH) zucchini

OR 4 medium (300 grams; 10 ounces EACH ) zucchini

2 or 3 medium tomatoes 

Put a large pot of water on to boil. Wash the zucchini and cut them in half from stem end to blossom end. Cut around each half zucchini about 1/2" from the side, at an angle, to allow the flesh to be loosened and scraped out leaving a 1/2" shell. At this point, it's to allow the water to penetrate and cook them evenly. 

 

When the water boils, add the prepared zucchini halves to it and boil them for 6 minutes. Lift them out and immediately drain them well and rinse them in cold water to stop them from cooking any further. 

 

Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, until the skins crack. Rinse them in cold water until they can be handled, then peel them and discard the skins. 

Make the Ratatouille:

1 medium onion

1 small yellow or red pepper

1 medium (300 grams; 10 ounce) eggplant

2 or 3 cloves of garlic

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon rubbed basil OR 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh basil

1 teaspoon rubbed oregano

225 grams (1/2 pound) feta cheese

1/3 cup fine bread crumbs

1/3 cup grated Parmesan 

2 cups hot tomato sauce (optional)

Peel and chop the onion. Wash, de-seed, and chop the pepper. Wash and trim the eggplant, and cut it into bite-sized chunks. Peel and mince the garlic. 

Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion and pepper until softened, stirring regularly, then add the eggplant. Drizzle over the remaining oil, mix well, and cook for about 10 or 15 minutes until the eggplant is quite soft and slightly browned in spots. Mix in the garlic and cook for a minute more.

Meanwhile, scrape out the centres from the zucchini, leaving the 1/2" shell. Chop the scraped out flesh. Chop the peeled tomatoes. Add them both to the eggplant, etc, and mix in well. Cook for a further 20 minutes to half an hour, until the mixture is moist but not watery. Stir regularly to prevent sticking. 

When the ratatouille is close to ready, preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly oil a shallow baking pan that will hold the prepared zucchini shells snugly in a single layer. 

Crumble the feta cheese and mix it into the ratatouille. Divide it equally amongst the prepared zucchini halves. Bake for 30 minutes at 375°F

 

Increase the heat to 400°F.  Mix the bread crumbs with the Parmesan and sprinkle it evenly over the top of the stuffed zucchini. Return them to the oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes, until well browned. Serve with hot tomato sauce, if liked.

Last year at this time I made Acelgas Guisadas - Spanish Stewed Swiss Chard.

Confetti Potato Salad

Here's a nice straightforward potato salad, but the addition of lots of other vegetables makes it prettier and more interesting than most. And dilutes those potatoes; not the best thing for me to eat.

 

I made this for a picnic, and it was lovely to dish it out of a cooler in the trunk of the car, and then sit and admire a lovely lake view while we ate. 

6 to 8 servings 

45 minutes prep time

Make the Dressing:

1/2 cup mayonnaise (light is fine)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

the juice of 1 large lemon

Put the mayonnaise in a small mixing bowl or jam jar. Mix in the mustard, salt, and pepper. Slowly mix in the lemon juice, keeping the texture of the dressing smooth and free of lumps. 

Make the Salad:

900 grams (2 pounds) potatoes

3 cups diced green beans

1 cup (2 medium stalks) celery

1 cup (1 medium) diced or grated carrot

1/2 cup diced red, orange, or yellow pepper

1/2 cup diced onion

1/4 cup minced parsley

Put the potatoes in a pot with water to cover them well, and boil for 20 minutes, or until just tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and cool completely. Peel them, cut them into dice, and put them in a mixing bowl. 

While the potatoes cook, wash, trim, and cut the beans into dice. Add them to the potatoes when they have about 6 minutes to cook; they should be drained, rinsed, and added to the mixing bowl with the potatoes. 

Wash, trim, and dice the celery. Peel and dice or grate the carrot. Trim, de-seed, and dice the pepper. Peel and dice the onion. Wash, dry, and mince the parsley. Add these all to the salad. Toss with the dressing and keep chilled until serving time. 

Last year at this time I made Batter Pizza with Squash Blossoms.

Eggplant Caponata

Caponata is a traditional Sicilian eggplant dish, and apparently sufficiently precise in the ingredients called for that any variations can usually be traced to a particular location. However, since I am nowhere near Sicily, as usual I don't much care about that, and put in all the features that sounded good to me. 

The result is a tasty dish with sweet and sour tang and a salty hit from the capers or olives. It looks stewed - it is stewed, really - but it is served more as a salad, or you can pile it on nice crusty bread. It's popular to serve it with tuna, to make it more of a main dish. In that case I would omit, or at least reduce, the capers or olives. Ideally, it should be good tuna packed in olive oil, but if not, drain it well and drizzle it with a little olive oil, then mix it into the caponata.

 

 6 to 8 servings

1 hour prep time - allow time for cooling

450 grams (1 pound; 2 medium) eggplant

2 stalks of celery

1 medium onion

1 small yellow or red pepper

2 or 3 medium tomatoes

1 or 2 cloves of garlic

4 tablespoons olive oil 

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons raisins

1/4 cup finely shredded fresh basil leaves

1 tablespoon capers OR 2 tablespoons chopped olives

Put a pot of water on to boil. Wash, trim, and cut the eggplant into smallish bite-sized pieces, and put them aside.Wash and trim the celery, and chop it. Peel and chop the onion. Wash, core, and chop the pepper. Put these 3 things aside as a group. Blanch the tomatoes in the boiling water for one minute, then rinse them in cold water. Peel them and chop them, keeping them separate. Peel and mince the garlic.

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-reactive skillet. Toss the eggplant in it and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until softened and slightly browned. Once it is going well, drizzle over another tablespoon of olive oil. I found it helpful to add about a quarter of a cup of water in the middle of the process to help it cook down. This will take about 10 minutes. When the eggplant is well cooked, transfer to a bowl. Wash out the pan if it is very brown and crusty. 

Heat the final tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the celery, onion, and pepper, and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until softened and reduced in volume. Again, I added a quarter cup of water to speed the process and keep things moist. While this cooks is a good time to clean and shred the basil leaves.

Add the garlic and mix it in for about a minute, then add the tomatoes and mix them in well. Let them cook in for several minutes then add the vinegar and raisins. Mix in, and cook for another couple of minutes until the raw vinegar odour is cooked off. Everything should look well-done and quite amalgamated. Transfer the caponata to a storage container. Mix in the basil and capers or olives, and let the caponata cool to room temperature. It can now be served, or keep it refrigerated until wanted and bring it back up to room temperature before serving. 

Last year at this time I made Broccoli Salad with Vaguely Thai Peanut Dressing.

Thai Basil Stir-Fried Liver

Yes, I made Mr Ferdzy a chop. 

 

I used beef liver for this, but I tend to think lamb liver is the best liver, and I see no reason why chicken livers would not work well. I tend to avoid pork liver; it is just too intense. But if you like it, you could use it. 

 

Liver is, of course, used regularly in Thai cooking; it's just fairly unlikely to show up in North American restaurants given the lack of popularity of liver in these parts. I think the strong fragrant flavour of Thai basil goes with it extremely well. Liver in general stands up well to the kind of strong flavours in this dish, being a strong flavour itself.  

This is a pretty simple and straightforward stir-fry; as usual with stir-fries, make sure all your ingredients are prepared and ready to go before you start cooking

 

2 servings

40 minutes prep time

Prepare the Sauce:
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
the juice of 1/2 lime
a pinch of sugar (optional)

Mix these in a small bowl and set them aside.

Finish the Dish:

300 grams (10 ounces) beef or lamb liver
4 shallots
1 small sweet orange or red pepper 
1 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves
3 cloves of garlic
1 or 2 small hot chiles OR dried red chile flakes to taste
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil

Cut the liver into bite-sized pieces, discarding any tough or stringy bits. Put it in a small bowl and set it aside.

Peel and sliver the shallots. Core, de-seed, and sliver the sweet pepper. Strip the basil leaves from the stems, discarding the stems. Peel and mince the garlic, with the hot chile if you are using a fresh one.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and chile (or chile flakes), and let sizzle for a minute or two until the garlic just darkens a little. Add the liver, shallots, and pepper at once. Cook, stirring regularly, until the liver and vegetables are cooked - not more than 3 or 4 minutes. Add the sauce a minute or two into the cooking process; it will be absorbed and disappear about the time the meat is done.

Stir the basil leaves into the pan and turn off the heat. Keep stirring just until they are well wilted and distributed throughout, then serve at once.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Yogurt Baked Bulgur & Vegetables. 

Guacamole Salad

Well really, this is in fact a standard guacamole recipe, just chopped coarsely enough to be a salad rather than a sauce. Of course it depends on avocados, which are not exactly local, but almost everything else is straight from the garden. 

 

Naturally, if you want actual guacamole, just mash the avocados and chop everything else quite finely. Omit the olive oil 

 

And while we are on the topic of guacamole, here's a tip for cheater's guacamole: mash your avocados and then add prepared tomato salsa a very little at a time until you have a good balance. Add a little Mexican hot sauce to taste. Much better and fresher than buying prepared guacamole and hardly more work. 

 

We had the family over for a weekend visit and this was very well received. Why not; it's delicious!  

4 to 6 servings

20 minutes prep time

 

Make the Dressing:

1 tablespoon finely minced pickled Jalapeños

1 small clove of garlic, minced (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

the juice of 1 medium lime

a pinch of salt

 

Mince the pickled peppers. Peel and mince the garlic, if using. Put them in a small bowl or jam jar and add the remaining ingredients; whisk or shake together. 

 

Make the Salad:

1 small sweet onion OR 3 green onions

1/4 sweet red, yellow, or orange pepper

1/3 cup chopped cilantro

3 large firm-ripe avocados

1 medium-large ripe tomato

lettuce leaves. 

 

Peel and chop the onion (or wash, trim, and chop the green onions). Wash, trim and chop the pepper. Put these in a strainer and sprinkle with salt; let them drain for about 10 minutes. Rinse well and drain again. 

 

Wash, dry, and chop the cilantro. Put it in a mixing bowl. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. Cut the flesh in slices in one direction then again in the opposite direction to form small squares. Use a large thin spoon to scoop them from the shells, and add them to the mixing bowl. Wash, core, and chop the tomato, and add it. Add the well-drained onion and pepper. Mix well, and toss with the dressing. 

Wash and dry the lettuce leaves and arrange them in a serving bowl. Pile the salad onto them and serve at once.

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Frittata di Pane e Pomodori.

Ham & Cheese Stuffed Zucchini

I love stuffed vegetables in general, but there is something particularly appealing about stuffed zucchini. It's not just that they taste good, it's that they are absolutely the perfect shape and size (usually) for stuffing. Ham and cheese is so classic, and they work so well here with tender, mild zucchini. 

Tatume are the squash I mostly use to stuff these days, but any kind will do. As for the breadcrumbs, use whatever (slightly stale) bread you like. I tend to use a heavy German rye bread and be a bit skimpier with it than I'm calling for, but I presume most people will use something a bit lighter and fluffier.

 

4 to 8 servings

1 hour 10 minutes - 30 minutes prep time

4 short, fat zucchini of 200 grams (1/2 pound) each
1/2 cup finely diced red, orange, or yellow pepper
2 to 3 shallots
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
1 teaspoon rubbed savory
salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste
150 grams (5 ounces) grated Cheddar or Parmesan mix
2 cups finely diced stale bread cubes, crusts trimmed
150 grams (5 ounces) cooked ham, finely diced
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 large eggs

Put a large steamer on to boil. Wash the zucchini, and slice off the blossom scar. Cut them in halves lengthwise, and when the water boils, put them into it, cut sides up, and steam them for 10 minutes. Use tongs to transfer them to an oiled shallow baking dish that will hold them snugly in a single layer.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. 

Meanwhile, wash, trim, and finely dice the pepper. Peel and finely chop the shallots. Cook them in a small skillet over medium-high heat until softened and reduced; season them with the savory, salt, and pepper. Keep in mind how salty the cheese and ham will be and don't use too much salt; the pepper can be applied more heavily. When done, remove these to a mixing bowl to cool.

Grate the cheese. Add about half of it to the mixing bowl, along with the bread, trimmed of any particularly hard or brown crusts and diced. Trim any fat or gristle from the ham, dice it finely, and add to the bowl. Mix well.

When the zucchini are steamed and removed to the baking pan, take a sharpish spoon and scoop out the centres to within half an inch of the shells. Let them cool enough to handle, then chop the centres finely, removing and discarding any seeds which have started to form. Squeeze out any excess liquid from them, and add them to the bowl. Add the mayonnaise and mustard, then break in the eggs. Mix well, and let the mixture sit for 5 minutes before using to stuff the zucchini shells.

Bake the stuffed zucchini for 20 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over them, then return to the oven and bake for a further 20 minutes. Let them rest for 5 minutes before serving them. 

 

 

 

 

Last year at this time I made Feta & Goat Cheese Dip.