Throughout the summer I love to eat salads.  When the fall rolls around we tend to leave the salad in the previous season and opt for heartier dishes.  However, the autumnal harvest can yield wonderful salad ingredients.  Apples, squash, pears, and beets pair beautifully in salads.  At the farmer’s market I found an abundance of squash.  I love the nutty, earthy, sweet flavors associated with squash.  It’s so versatile and comforting and I opted to pair its deep flavors with bright pomegranate.  I also thought the colors would look so vibrant together, reflecting fall foliage.  This salad is a joy to look at as well as eat.

I roasted the acorn squash so it would caramelize and soften like butter.  I added Manchego cheese so that its mellow and slightly salty flavor would complement the squash and also allow the pomegranate flavor to stand out.   I wanted to add Marcona almonds as well, but didn’t have them on hand so I  used plain old toasted blanched slivered almonds.  The Harissa vinagrette is simple and delicious and adds a piquancy to the overall smooth taste to the salad.  Harissa should be available in your grocery store, if not try a speciality store.

Winter Salad with Acorn Squash, Pomegranate, Manchego, Almonds and a Harissa Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Ingredients

5 ounces of baby arugula/baby spinach blend (or any greens you prefer)

1 small acorn squash

1/2 pomegranate, use as much as you want depending on the fruit’s size (reserve juice)

2 ounces Manchego cheese shaved with a vegetable peeler

1/4 cup toasted almonds (Marcona or slivered)

Salt

Pepper

Olive Oil

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Cut the squash into 3-4 inch wedges.  Be very careful and use a sharp knife when cutting the squash because it is quite firm.  Toss it with salt, pepper, and olive oil and roast it in the oven for 45 minutes or until tender.  Cool slightly and remove the outer peel.  Next assemble the salad by plating the greens and lay the squash on top, sprinkle on pomegranate, cheese and almonds.  Add a some salt and pepper to taste.  Toss with vinaigrette.

Harissa Vinagrette:

Ingredients

1 clove garlic

1/4-1/2 teaspoon harissa paste (it’s spicy, so use your discretion)

4 tablespoons pomegranate juice that was reserved from the fresh pomegrante

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup olive oil

salt to taste

Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender then slowly steam in the olive oil until emulsified.  Toss with salad.

I am not a big fan of turkey but I am a big fan of how it brings everyone together at one table to enjoy food, wine and the beginning of the holiday season. I am always trying to find new ways to bring my turkey to new heights. I am really excited about my new creation. Via the use of harissa (my beloved paste of chile, tomato, caraway, cumin, coriander and garlic) www.surfas.com to buy a tube) this cranberry sauce goes from the usual sweet/tart sauce to an exotic but familiar taste of another country. When I took a bite I got that up front familiar sweet/sour cranberry flavor but then my mouth was filled with the deepest flavor of toasted cumin, earthy, aromatic caraway, a touch of chile and then the cleansing finish of fresh mint. None of the spices stole the show but all worked together to create one new flavor. The sauce tasted like something that must have taken hours but it was so simple to do. Enjoy!

N. African Cranberry Sauce
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tablespoon harissa puree
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons mint, fresh, finely chopped
1 tablespoon honey
Instructions
Rinse the cranberries and toss any that are shriveled or don’t look nice.

In a medium size pot combine the cranberries, water, sugar, harissa and cumin. Bring to a boil, turn to low and cover. Cook for 30 minutes or until the berries fall apart and you have a slightly chunky, saucy consistency.

Stir in the chopped mint and the salt.

Taste the sauce. If you like it sweeter add the honey. If you like it with more heat you can add more harissa. This sauce will keep nicely for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Recipe Notes
You can use canned or frozen cranberries. If the sauce is too liquid simmer until you have a saucy consistency.

Harissa can be found on-line or in most ethnic food stores. It comes in a tube or a small can. It is a wonderfully flavorful condiment of N. Africa usually made up of tomato, chiles, caraway, coriander, cumin and garlic. It can vary in ingredients and level of heat so taste it before you start cooking.

Uses:
Serve hot with turkey. You can puree it in a food processor if you want it very saucy and smooth.

Use it as a spread on turkey sandwiches.

Use it with cream cheese on crackers or thinly toasted bread.

It is tasty cold or hot.

Serves: 8. Preparation Time is 05 minutes. Cooking Time is 30 minutes.

Key Flavor Factors:
1. Cover the pot and turn to low once it comes to a boil. This way you trap the heat and steam and the berries will burst and create a sauce without losing the liquid to evaporation.
2. Play with the harissa and honey quantities to find the balance you enjoy. I like adding a little more harissa for the heat.
3. Use a large spoon to smash the berries occasionally while it is simmering.

Carrot-Ginger Soup with Greek Yogurt Dollop and Pimento-Harissa Drizzle and Grilled Shrimp

I have always loved carrots. The crunch, the sweetness, the color – definitely one of the best vegetables out there. Like most suburban kids, I grew up with a handful of the ‘baby’ version in my X-Men lunch box every weekday, but it wasn’t until I tried the farmer’s market variety that I really appreciated them – misshapen, dirty, and topped with an unnecessary amount of greens. Once you get them trimmed and cleaned up though, they’re much sweeter and earthier than the lunch box variety. I’ve been on a big ginger kick lately, which is a great counter to carrots. Voila, soup!

I like making soups creamy without using cream. To pull off this oxymoronic feat, I use leeks (but you could also use potatoes). It’s healthier, the flavors are clearer, and you don’t have to remember to buy cream at the store (or, really, you don’t have to judge just how spoiled the half-finished carton in your fridge happens to be). I do like having some element of clean, refreshing, cool dairy so I like to add a dollop to veggie puree soups. Creme fraiche is the classic one to use, but sour cream will do. I like using fat-free Greek yogurt – I buy it in large quantities for eating with granola and dried fruit, so I always seem to have some around.

Once I have the soup and the dollop, I like to take things one step further and add a drizzle. Yes – soups can have sauces, too! I like using them to balance the flavors in the soup – if it’s a sweet soup, I add a spicy drizzle. If it’s a tart soup, I add a sweet drizzle. It’s also a good way to let people customize how a soup tastes. We all have that one friend that can eat a dozen jalapeños without blinking, and we all have that one friend that can’t look at a picture of a jalapeño without cringing. Instead of making one soup that tries to please everyone, let people add the right amount of spice for themselves!

In this case, carrot soup tends to be pretty sweet, so I wanted to add some heat to it. I had a pimento left over from something else I had made earlier in the week, so that was definitely going to be part of this drizzle. I’ve also been itching to find some good uses for harissa, which is a North African chili paste. It has a deep, spicy, almost mysterious taste that adds a lot of depth (and heat) to anything it touches. Pimento and harissa would be too hot on their own, so I added a red bell pepper to round out the pepper taste with a little bit of sweetness, and adding some char by throwing the peppers on the grill would add to the smokiness of the harissa. All of this added up to a great sauce – also perfect for glazing shrimp to throw on the grill!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. carrots, trimmed and cleaned and chopped
• 2 leeks, washed and chopped (discard the green parts)
• 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
• 2 T. butter
• 2 T. olive oil
• 1 T. ginger
• 2 c. chicken stock
• 1 pimento, cut in half and seeded
• 1 red bell pepper, cut in half and seeded
• 1 t. harissa
• 2 skewers’ worth of shrimp
• 2 pinches of rosemary
• Salt & pepper to taste

Recipe:

• Heat up 1 T. butter and 1 T. olive oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. I like to use both kinds of fat because the olive oil keeps the butter from burning, and the combination is smoother than either on their own. Once it’s hot, add the ginger and stir for a minute, careful not to let the ginger burn. Then, add one of the chopped shallots and stir every now and then until they’re translucent.
• Add the chopped carrots and leeks (white parts only) to the saucepan. Add enough chicken stock to cover everything. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low, letting it simmer
• In a separate, smaller saucepan, add the other tablespoons of butter and olive oil and melt them over high heat. Add the shallot and reduce the heat to low
• Heat up a grill or grill pan on high heat. Throw the seeded, halved peppers on the grill skin-side down. Let them cook until they’re a little charred – somewhat burnt, but still recognizable. At that point, take them off the grill and add them to the small saucepan
• Add just enough water to the small saucepan to cover the peppers. Add in the harissa and stir until dissolved. Bring the mixture to a boil and let half of the water boil off. Use an immersion blender (or food processor or blender) to puree the peppers, and the drizzle / shrimp glaze is done!
• Rinse off your immersion blender and turn your focus to the carrot / leek saucepan. Use the blender to start to puree the veggies. It will be pretty thick, so gradually add more chicken stock to the mix and keep pureeing as you go. Use an extra cup of chicken stock if you like your soup a little thinner. Add salt and pepper to taste, and  the soup is done!
• Put half of the drizzle / glaze in a small bowl and add the shrimp to it, making sure each one is coated. Spear them on skewers and throw them on a hot grill, turning after a minute or so depending on the size of the shrimp. When you’re done cooking them, put them on a plate and cover with foil so they don’t get cold
• Put the soup in bowls, add dollops of greek yogurt, add the drizzle, and finish with some chopped rosemary. Serve with the shrimp, and enjoy!

Options:

• Use a root vegetable other than carrots, like celery root or turnip
• Use different hot peppers, like serrano or habanero
• Use fish or chicken instead of shrimp
• Grill some red peppers or onions instead of or in addition to the meat

The Basics – Leeks:

• Leeks are part of the same family of vegetables as onions and garlic. So, they have a similar sort of taste, but much milder
• A great thing about leeks is that you can use the whole plantYou can sautee or braise the greens much like you would with any leafy green, e.g., spinach, kale, or chard
• The white part (the bulb) doesn’t have much flavor but it does have a soft texture, which makes it perfect for thickening soups and sauces. Just chop up the bulb and throw the pieces in some chicken stock and simmer for 10-15 minutes, puree, and you can a great base a lot of different soups or sauces – with the subtle savory/sweet onion-y flavor and without the saturated fat of cream
• Leeks tend to have a lot of sand and/or dirt in them between the leaves, so make sure you thoroughly wash yours before using them

Petite spécialité de famille pour 6 à 8 personnes

Ingrédients

• 500 g viande d’agneau
• 150 g de chiir (graines d’orge)
• 50 g de persil
• 50 g de céleri
• 150 g de pois chiches (trempés)
• 4 cuillerées à soupe d’huile d’olive
• 1 cuillère à soupe de concentré de tomate
• 1/2 cuillère à soupe d’harissa
• 1/2 piment rouge
• poivre noir
• citron
• ail haché

Préparation

Dans une marmite faire revenir l’oignon, la viande coupée en petits morceau et les pois chiches avec l’huile d’olive. Ajouter la tomate concentrée diluée dans un bol d’eau.

Assaisonner et laisse à petit feu durant 10 min. Entre temps nettoyer le chiir dans plusieurs eau, et ajouter dans la marmite. Ajouter deux litres d’eau et laisser cuir à feu moyen durant 2 heures mais il faut surveiller et mélanger de temps en temps pour que les graines ne collent pas à la marmites.

Nettoyer le céleri et le persil. Vous avez le choix entre les laisser entier ou les couper à petit dès.

30 min avant l’arret de la cuisson ajouter le céleri, une cuil. à soupe d’ail, le persil, l’harissa (pas trop sinon cela risque de bruler la gorge) et le piment rouge. Laisser mijoter et à la fin arrêter la cuisson.

Servir aussitôt chaud et arroser avec peu de jus de citron.

Retrouvez nos autres recettes en cliquant sur cette image

]]> http://wendyusuallywanders.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/new-toy-from-ingrid/ Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:41:32 +0000 WendyUsuallyWanders http://wendyusuallywanders.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/new-toy-from-ingrid/

Today I got a little box in the mail Ingrid sent me a digital thermometer. After what I just went through, I realize the importance of having one around. At the ER I told the nurse I did not think I had a fever, but it was 100.7. Now that I am taking antibiotics, I’ve been at 97 degrees. I have such a hard time being average! Snicker….

Just in case I’m not hot enough, Ingrid also sent a tube of harissa. I think she reads my mind! Once I had been lusting after a tube of tomato paste. I told no one. Ingrid sent one. This time I was thinking of making my own harissa and had copied a recipe from one of my groups. Now I don’t need to make any….I got some! Thank you Ingrid

For those of you with no clue what harissa is, here is one recipe. It’s REALLY funny because I was going to use some of the tube of tomato paste to make this There are 8 harissa recipes on that group….

North African Spiced Red Chile Sauce – Harissa (from a Yahoo group called Jam in Condiments)

5 red jalapeno chile peppers — roughly chopped
1 cup canned plum tomatoes
3 garlic cloves — crushed
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot curry powder
1 teaspoon ground caraway
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 dash vinegar
1 pinch coarse salt

Put all the ingredients except the vinegar and salt in a blender and blitz to a smooth, thickish paste.

Transfer to a bowl and add the vinegar and salt.

Makes 1 1/2 cups.

This spiced red chile sauce is found throughout the Maghreb, especially Tunisia and Morocco. In Algeria it is also known as dersa. It is served alongside almost everything savory – from tagines to grilled fish, or just simply as a dip in which to immerse chunks of crusty bread. Although there are some good varieties of ready-made harissa now available, there are just as many that are poorly made, so its always better to make your own. It lasts for up to 1 month in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer.

To book a day off work just to indulge in a sandwich from a local retailer has to be justified. Thankfully, this was one of those times. The Hungry Planet is one of the special finds that come far too rarely. In fact, we had not even heard about it until a fan of the Sandwich Club invited us to explore the delights of the Hungry Planet menu.

On entering we are greeted with an open cooler displaying all sorts of organic delights that divides our route into two as we make our way to the counter situated at the back of the shop. Organic products and a vegetarian menu are the theme of this place with a focus on locally sourced produce. The menu is impressively extensive for a shop only serving vegetarian food and even though the Sandwich Clubbers are not vegetarians this did not make our job of choosing a sandwich any easier.

Instantly the service is friendly and welcoming, a lovely chap (called Chris) ran us through the menu. Seen as its cold outside, and 50% of the Clubbers are feeling slightly hung over, two toasties (cheese/onion/harissa* & goats cheese/onion/harissa both on wholemeal organic bread), a slice of banana and walnut cake and a smoothie are the order of the day.

Seats are taken, and despite the brain freeze, the smoothie is fresh, cold, and very refreshing.

It’s a little bit of a wait till our plates arrive but this is a good thing. Time is spent watching the world go by on the newly rejuvenated Clifton Street and investigating all the goodies Hungry Planet have on sale. Visit their website here for an overview Hungry Planet

The texture on the toasted organic bread is lovely, and the harissa gives a nice kick through the goat’s cheese. A smell of heaven turns up at the table, this is the heated up banana and walnut cake, and the sweet tooth of the Sandwich Club is definitely satisfied!

A thoroughly enjoyable experience. Take out is available but we recommend taking some time to sit in and enjoy the Hungry Planet. In the mean time befriend them here: Hungry Planet Facebook

*Harissa – is a North African hot red sauce or paste whose main ingredients are chilli peppers (often smoked or dried) and garlic. Though most closely associated with Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria, it is a standard ingredient of North African cuisine. Harissa often contains coriander, caraway, or cumin, and usually olive oil. It may also contain tomatoes. It is used both as a condiment and as an ingredient in recipes.

Rating:

Price:               3 /4

Taste:               4/4

Look:                4 /4

Service:           4/4

Originality:    3.5/4

Score: 18.5/20

Lamb Sausage Rolls

I recently read that there is a new and harder citizenship test that needs to be taken before becoming eligible to be an Australian citizen.  It is comprised of a series of 20 multiple choice questions and applicants will have 45 minutes to complete the test.  Browsing through the internet,  I am ashamed to say that if taken today, I would have failed miserably.   I don’t know what Australia’s national floral emblem is (the golden wattle)  or what year did Federation take place (1901).  Looking at the test brought back some feeling of  anxiety about the time I was applying for my Australian citizenship.

When I applied for  citizenship there was no multiple choice test but an interview.  I knew beforehand that there were certain things you needed to know which was basically the rights and responsibilities of Australian citizens.  It wasn’t that this was  so hard to memorize (I recall there were six rights and four responsibilities) but on the day of the interview, my particular interviewer seemed to be having a bad day.  I was expecting some chit chat prior to being asked the questions but his first remark was along the lines of “okay, we don’t have much time, what are the four responsibilities of being an Australian citizen”.

“Number one, I said, obey the law”

“Two, vote at all elections”

He nodded his head.

“Three, serve on a jury if called upon”

“Correct, one more” he said.

And then my mind drew a complete blank.

“Ah, uhm… “  I stammered.  I repeated the first three hoping the fourth one would miraculously come to mind but he seemed to be shaking his head from side to side as if to say “you ain’t gonna make it”.

How embarassing, I thought to myself.  I cannot FAIL this interview.

“Is it, make sausage pies?” I asked.

He burst out laughing.  “First of all, they are called either sausage rolls or  meat pies, there is no sausage pie! and second, that is not the fourth answer!”

His lightened mood put me at ease and then the answer came.

“Of course, the last one,  defend Australia should the need arise”

And that friends, is the story of how I finally made it to this wonderful country!  BUT I still think making a great sausage roll or meat pie  is one of the responsibilities expected of all Australian citizens.  So, if you are ever asked for that great  recipe – here it is!

Recipe

1/2 quantity puff pastry recipe – the puff pastry recipe can be found here.

Sausage Filling:

• 500 grams minced lamb
• 40 grams roasted pine nuts
• 30 grams sultanas or raisins
• 50 grams couscous*
• 2 teaspoons salt
• fresh pepper to taste
• 170 grams harissa (see recipe below)
• egg wash for brushing
• poppy seeds

Harissa

• 3 red peppers, grilled, skinned, seeded and chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/4 cup water

To make the harissa

1. Heat the olive oil in a large and heavy based saucepan.  Add the onions and cook a few minutes until translucent.
2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and continue to cook over low heat for  1.5  to 2 hours until it becomes like a paste.
3. If not using immediately, cover with a layer of olive oil and store in the refrigerator.
4. If using for the sausage roll recipe, see below.

To make the sausage roll  (make 8 to 10 rolls)

1. Mix together in a large bowl the lamb, pine nuts, sultanas, couscous*, harissa, salt and pepper.
2. Mix the meat using your hands for around 3 to 5 minutes until thoroughly mixed.
3. Roll out the puff pastry on a floured surface.  Each sheet of puff pastry should be around 20 cm by 20 cm but this is really all up to you and how large you want your rolls to be.
4. Divide the sausage filling and brush one end of the puff pastry with egg wash.
5. Fold the pastry over the sausage filling and press down to “seal” (you don’t want the roll opening while baking)
6. Brush with egg wash and poppy seeds.
7. Bake in a pre-heated oven (180c) for 35 to 40 minutes or until golden brown
8. Serve immediately.

*If couscous is not available, substitute two slices of white bread, edges removed and chopped finely along with one beaten egg

Yesterday was my sister’s 26th birthday. We started off the day by surprising her in her bed at 7AM with a coffee cake and a big box of chocolates, and while she was at work I planned out a birthday dinner for her. I wanted to make something with Middle Eastern influences, but really fresh flavours, so eventually settled on the idea of a vegetable moussaka. The last time I made moussaka for the family it felt like there was something missing from the tomato base, which made it a somewhat plain dish – tasty but not incredibly interesting. This time, I decided to use harissa to flavour the tomato sauce, which provided it with a much-needed kick that completely transformed the dish.

Moussaka comes in several different forms, as varying versions of the dish are made across the Middle East. The Greek dish is often layered with potato, aubergine (or courgette), lamb mince and a tomato sauce that includes kidney beans. However, Arab versions of the dish usually don’t layer the vegetables, giving the dish more of a stew-like appearance and taste. The Greek version of moussaka is the one I went with, layering aubergines, potatoes, cheese and tomato sauce to create a more substantial dish that kept together more easily when serving.

Harissa on the other hand, is used in a wide range of Middle Eastern dishes, from Tunisian to Moroccan dishes, but also in North African cuisine. It’s basically a chilli paste flavoured with various spices to create a hot condiment or ingredient for a wide range of recipes. The chilli peppers are usually smoked and combined with garlic to create the base for harissa, after which a combination of spices or peppers, tomatoes, even rose petals are added. I used rose harissa (from the world foods section of Sainsburys) which worked brilliantly with the flavours in this dish to combine Greek influences with Moroccan and Turkish tastes.

Making moussaka is fairly easy once you’ve done it a couple of times, but there are a number of stages which means you need a whole kitchen to yourself to get it done. The moussaka is made in two parts: filling and base.

For the filling you’ll need:

• 2 large potatoes, peeled
• 5 tbsp olive oil (or soya oil)
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 2-4 tsp harissa paste
• 1 tsp dried or fresh oregano
• a pinch of ground cinnamon
• a pinch of sugar
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 x 400g can of red kidney beans (drain these and rinse gently under a cold tap)
• 2 aubergines, sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Start off by boiling the potatoes until they are tender, then drain them and slice into 5mm pieces. Separately, in a heavy based saucepan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and fry the onion and garlic gently until softened (which is usually around 5 minutes).

Add the tomatoes, harissa paste, oregano, cinnamon, sugar and tomato purée. Then bring the tomato sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat some of the remaining oil in a large frying pan and fry the aubergine slices in batches until just soft and golden-brown on both sides. Add more oil as you go along because as you’ll notice, aubergine really soaks up oil quickly.

Your aubergine slices should be coming along nicely while you simmer the sauce. Set the fried slices aside on kitchen paper as you fry each batch in a single layer.

Going back to your tomato sauce, once your 10 minutes are up, remove the cover and add the kidney beans, seasoning and parsley. Then re-cover and simmer for a further 20 minutes.

Now you can preheat your oven to 190°C and get started on making your topping. Traditionally, moussaka has a yoghurt-based topping or cheese sauce topping that has eggs whipped into it, but as Diwali started from the next day (as in today) I decided to substitute the usual topping (which I didn’t really find appealing anyway) with a basic cheese sauce, for which you’ll need:

• 20g butter
• 20g flour
• 400ml milk (full-fat is the best to use for this sauce)
• 100g cheddar cheese, grated plus extra for sprinkling and middle layers (can be up to around 250g altogether)
• 20g parmesan cheese, finely grated
• ½ tsp mustard

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over a gentle heat, adding the flour gradually and stirring well for 2 minutes to avoid lumps. Then pour the milk in gradually, beating well with a wooden spoon to a make a smooth, thin sauce. Simmer and stir until the sauce begins to thicken. Then add the mustard, stir well, the gradually add cheese to taste, stirring until fully melted. Add a little grated Parmesan (around 5-10g) to the mixture and stir well again. At this point, a pinch of nutmeg, salt and freshly ground pepper and a pinch of parsley will really brighten up the cheese sauce and bring out some delicious flavours.

Now to assemble the dish. In a large 9 inch square dish (lasagne dish will be suitable), spoon a layer of the tomato mixture, then arrange aubergine slices in a single layer, then a layer of grated cheese, topped with potato slices. Repeat and continue the layering, finishing with a layer of the aubergine slices. Pour over the topping and sprinkle with the remaining cheddar cheese, then grating the remaining Parmesan over the dish. Transfer the dish to the oven and bake for approximately an hour, or until bubbling and golden-brown on top. Remove from the oven and stand for 10 minutes before eating.

You can serve the dish with an olive, feta cheese and tomato salad if you want. Dress the salad with a good glug of extra virgin olive oil, a splash of lemon juice, freshly ground black pepper and some chopped mint. And there you have it! A delicious Middle Eastern moussaka with delicious harissa, which is not too spicy, but not too plain either. This dish is perfectly complemented by a New Zealand 2008 Sauvignon Blanc.

På allmän begäran är tisdagens soppa en röd linssoppa med spenat. Snabb, nyttig, klimatsmart och mycket läcker. Servera den gärna med varma ostmackor som gräddats i våffel- eller smörgåsjärn. Brukar var mycket populärt bland barnen… 

Det här behövs för 4 portioner: 3 1/2 dl röda linser,200- 250 g spenat (fryst eller färsk), 1 stor gul lök, 2 vitlöksklyftor, 2 msk olivolja, 1/2 tsk malen spiskummin, 1/2 tsk malen koriander, 1 buljongtärning eller 1 msk fond, 1 liter vatten, salt, peppar eller allra helst riktigt het harissa, citron

• Gör så här: Spola av linserna. Skölj och strimla de färska gröna bladen.
• Skala lök och vitlök. Grovhacka. Fräs lätt i oljan.
• Pudra över kryddorna. Rör om och tillsätt linserna. Smula över buljongtärnginen och häll på vatten. Låt puttra under lock i 15 minuter.
• Lägg i spenaten, fryst eller färsk. Låt koka ytterligare några minuter.
• Smaka av med salt, peppar eller harissa och pressad citron.

Tisp: Istället för spenat går det utmärkt med mangold, nässlor (oj jag längtar redan till våren), grön- eller savojkål. De två senare- om de är färska- ska läggas i samtidigt med linserna.

Yams and sweet potatoes rock my world. Sugar? Check. Complex carbs, fiber and vitamins? Check. Yummy caramelization when roasting? Check. Good in sweet and savory dishes? Ohhh yes!

Google, Wikipedia, The Food Network and people are my favorite ways to learn about new ingredients, and earlier in the summer, one of my coworkers was searching for purple yams. Vegetables are usually pretty good for you, unless you turn it into a powder and then bake it into a cake like they do with these in the Philippines. Apparently these yams are being studied for potential health benefits related to menopause, so I decided to give them a try. I’m not expecting to get hot flashes for 25 years, but purple is the colour of feminism, after all, and I wanted to see how they tasted.

This recipe is very basic, but a great way to get kids and fussy adults to eat vegetables is to cut them up, drizzle them with a little oil, and roast them, because the natural sugars caramelize and taste sweeter. Kids (and some grown-ups) usually hate veggies because of their bitter tastes. Except for the little son of one of my clients who didn’t want the excitingly sweet, buttery-tasting cherry tomatoes that I brought from my garden because he said tomatoes were gross. They were in a Marvel Superheroes zip-loc bag, so he might have had some because I said I was friends with Iron Man, who says to “eat your vegetables and be good to your mother.”

These are so easy to make and I often set them in the oven to cook while I’m busy doing something else. Like blogging.

Yam Fries (this will work for any potato or starchy tuber, but purple yams look the coolest)

(a big pan that fits snugly in the oven will serve about 5 or 6 people, so adjust your ingredients accordingly)

Your vegetable of choice!

Salt!

Pepper!

Olive oil!

Dip or sauce!

Look at this beauty! Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, cut off the nubby bits and chop into about 1.5cm sticks.

Pour a little oil into a big bowl, drop a pinch of salt and pepper in, swirl the bowl, and dump all the fries into it. Toss several times until fully coated. If you need more oil, go slowly because you don't want them to get nasty and greasy.

Slide them into a pan (keep them in 1 layer) and turn over in about 20 minutes. Remove after another 20.

I was really happy to find this harissa paste at Meat The Butcher on 10th Avenue. It's from the island Djerba, from my dad's home country, Tunisia. I used some to make a spicy mayo dip. This stuff is pretty bleeping hot so use it carefully or prank someone with it. Don't tell them it was my idea.

These tasted slightly starchier, more fibrous and dense than regular yams, which release water when they bake. When I cut them, they felt rough, and interestingly, the crunchy edges that touched the pan and caramelized turned orangey gold!

Honestly the first time I’ve ever seen a hypercolour potato. This silly camera of mine skews things a little yellow because of the lighting in the kitchen, so the harissa sauce looks yellowy-orange and the yams look more orangey-brown than purple. I thought of making wasabi mayo for a fun purple-and-green alien-looking colour combination on the plate, but that resulted in me stomping around like Godzilla, roaring “where the *#$% is my wasabi paste!!! AAAAAARGH!” At least the fries killed monster hunger. The monster tantrum had to cool down but the wasabi is still missing! Sigh.

Eat well!

Kari

I was honored to be auctioned off to cook a meal for a family at my daughter’s school campout. A gourmet meal tent-side for the highest bidder. I did a first course of bruschetta with roasted wild mushrooms and sautéed cubes of sweet pumpkin (back in season!) with toasted sage. Second course was Cauliflower soup with sumac (the citrus scented, mouth-watering dried red berry used in Iranian cooking) and smoked paprika (great play of citrus “sweet” and smoky heat), a third course of seared shrimp with a chile/caraway broth, feta cheese and mint, and lastly achiote style chicken in banana leaf. For dessert, tender, golden crepes with orange liqueur and cardamom mascarpone. To avoid having you exit out of an overly long blog I am going to highlight the shrimp.

I wanted to do a harissa based sauce (big surprise) but did not have any. I decided to roast the shrimp shells with shallots, caraway seed, coriander seed, cumin seed, sun-dried tomatoes, chipotle and some garlic. I added water and made an intense broth that I then pureed and strained. I love using this technique to get a lot of flavor in a sauce or a broth but without weight. I then seared the shrimp and deglazed (make sure to take the shimp out of the pan before deglazing so you don’t boil the shimp which would make them hard) with this sauce and then sprinkled feta and mint over the top.

I can never get enough of the sweet taste of the sea that shrimp always delivers. I love that gentle pop, that firm texture that still remains tender when cooked just right. Shrimp marry with almost anything. The broth became saucy during deglazing and was slightly spicy from the chipotle chile but had the most mouth warming elegance from the lingering aftertaste of caraway. The cumin provided its classic earthy warmth and the coriander was the citrus element. The feta cheese cleansed it all with a mouth-watering pucker of fresh milk and salt and the mint was like the grand finale of flavor leaving you refreshed and ready for more! Enjoy.

Eat well, enjoy life, be happy.

It was an adventure in the kitchen tonight.

I had been anxious to use some of that harissa I’d bought at the new kitchen goodies store. And if harissa = North African, and you’re a student at all of geography, you know Spain is right across the Straits of Gibraltar, thus tortitas, a cool little rice pancake that WILL be making an appearance on my menus again. The harissa, on the other hand, combined with yogurt and nesting with a piece of skirt steak in a plastic bag in the fridge for the day, well, that’s pure Morocco, and it’s damn good. Points for harissa, although when you sear it on the grill pan, it smokes up the house and makes everybody cough and makes their eyes water and they look at you like “what is this woman cooking?”

Anyway. It was good. Although I have not yet figured out how to make skirt steak tender — the slicing-it-across-the-grain thing just doesn’t help much. But it did have an excellent taste. As did the rice thingy.

All of which, you understand, are much enhanced by a bottle of Greg Norman cabernet. After a couple of beers. And me with a board meeting tomorrow. This may not be pretty.

However. Recipes:

Skirt Steak marinated in harissa and yogurt

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds skirt steak, hangar steak or flank steak
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1/4 cup harissa (I bought mine, but there are recipes online if you want to make your own)

Blend yogurt and harissa and put in plastic bag with steak; massage to coat, and refrigerate for at least 2, and up to 12, hours. Heat a grill pan over medium high heat and film with oil; sear on both sides for 2 minutes for medium rare. Slice across the grain to serve.

Tortitas (Rice Pancakes)

These can be used in place of bread for open-faced sandwiches.

• 2 cups cooked white, long-grain rice
• 1/4 medium onion, chopped fine
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium potato, grated
• 4 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil, divided
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 3 eggs, beaten

Saute onion in 2 tbsp of oil until limp; add garlic and potato and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add rice and saute, stirring constantly, until all grains are coated in oil and begin to turn golden. Take off heat and let cool.  Beat eggs and paprika; stir into cooled rice mixture (should be cooled enough it doesn’t cook the eggs).   Heat the other two tbsp of oil in the same pan; drop rice mixture by spoonfuls and fry until golden on each side.

So, there you have it; at least I’m back in the kitchen. Got to work into these things gradually. Meanwhile, tell y’mama ‘n ‘em I’m easing back into this cooking thing.

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I am eating leftover fried rice and drinking a beer and calling that dinner. If I have the energy and desire, I may make a caprese to follow that up. Or not. Meanwhile, the dog is gnawing on one of my bras she’s dragged out of the dirty laundry basket in my bedroom. And I’m too tired to get up and take it away from her.

I am also contemplating what to do with a piece of skirt steak I just picked up at Kroger because it was in the “manager’s special” cooler for $2.03 for a pound and a half. I’ve found a recipe for marinating it in harissa and yogurt and grilling it, which I’d do on my grill pan inside because I’m not firing up the grill for just one little piece of skirt steak.  But my friend Kate is coming over tomorrow, and I feel like cooking something different. Skirt steak in harissa and yogurt is different. I’ll report.

Also at Kroger; chuck roasts, on sale in the family pack, at 1.97 a pound. Can’t beat that. Bought one package, separated them, put them in the freezer. I found a chili recipe that calls for chorizo AND shredded stew meat, which is just chuck roast cut into stew-sized pieces. It has a bajilion different kinds of peppers, some cocoa, lots of garlic and onion, a bottle of beer, and I-don’t-know-what-all else. I’ll have to hunt for it again; not sure which computer it’s on. But we’re down in the double digits of September, even though it doesn’t feel fall-ish, and I’m getting a notion for some of those fall dishes. I am also intrigued with the idea of “Delta Doc’s Garlic Beef,” which involves two whole BULBS of garlic, olive oil, soy sauce, chopped onion, beef stock and beer.  And a slow cooker.  But damn, that’s a lot of garlic.

Also in my freezer awaiting fall — a whole chicken who’s going to become Italian roast chicken one of these days; a couple of bags of duck breasts, destined for gumbo this winter; andouille sausage, awaiting a pot of red beans and rice. And some red snapper fillets. And various and assorted packages of chicken and pork chops bought in the family pack and separated out to freeze. I really need to go through there and get a handle on just what all I DO have, and get rid of some of the stuff that’s probably old enough to vote.

Perhaps a weekend project.

Perhaps not.

I rescued my bra from the dog. She’s now chewing my briefcase.

Sigh. I need another beer. You and y’mama ‘n ‘em carry on.

vom 20. September 2009

Salat mit Rote Beete, rote Zwiebel, Feigen und Roquefort, Koriander und Kümmel
Romesco-Möhren-Bohnen-Gemüse mit einer Paste aus Raz el Hanout, Harissa, Knoblauch und Ingwer, Ofenkartoffel mit Kardamon-Öl und Merguez

I once threw a dinner party where everything I served was round. I didn’t mean to, it just kinda happened. This was one of the dishes.

You’ll need:

• 500g of boneless firm fish
• 1 egg
• 2 spring onions
• 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped corriander
• 55g fresh breadcrumbs
• saffron (pinch) soaked in a little water

sauce

• 500g tomatoes
• brown onion – grated
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp harissa
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp sugar

Tess Mallos: The Food of Morocco

To cook

Cut the fish up and put in a blender with everything from the first list of ingredients. Blend into a paste. Shape the mixture into small balls and refrigerate for a few hours.

For the sauce, peel the tomatoes and blanch (or use tinned). Fry the onion and  garlic for 5 mins then add paprika, harissa and cumin. Quickly add the tomatoes, a cup of water and salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.

At this point I transfer it all to a tagine (fish and sauce) and cook in the over for 20-25 mins.

A serious pick-me up

You’ll need

• 2 x tins of tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tbsp harissa
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 brown onion
• parsley (3 tbsp chopped)
• yoghurt
• 4 eggs
• bread

To cook

Fry up the onion and garlic (in a tagine or a small frying pan) in some olive oil. At the tomatoes and harissa and simmer for 5 until it’s gone quite thick. Stir through the parsley then crack the eggs gently on top (like a fried egg) and put the lid on. They can take a little while to cook through, it’s good when the yolks are runny but make sure all whites are cooked. Serve with pita or crunchy bread and a dollop of yoghurt.

This is great…

Best pizza ever #2

You will need

• egg plant
• harissa (1/2 tsp)
• 1 clove garlic
• haloumi (a really strong one that will melt quite well). around 50-100g
• rocket (few handfuls)
• tin tomatoes x 1
• tomato paste – 2tbsp

To cook

Mix half a tin of tomatoes with the tomato paste, harissa, and crushed garlic. Thinly slice the eggplant and grill (you can add zucchini to this too). Put the tomato base, eggplant and haloumi (thinly sliced) on the pizza. Chuck in in the oven. Once cooked add the rocket. It’s unusual but delicious.

This is a great veggie tagine

You’ll need

• 275g green or brown lentils
• 2 tomatoes
• 600g jap pumpkin
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp (oops) harissa
• 1 tsp paprika
• 3 tsp tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp caster sugar
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp chopped coriander

To cook

Halve the tomatoes, deseed and grate. Discard the skin. Cut the pumpkin into small pieces. Set both aside

Heat oil and fry the onion and garlic. Stir in the spices then add the grated tomato, tomato paste, sugar and half the herbs then season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mixture to a tagine, add the pumpkin and lentils and put in the over for around 30 mins.

You will need

• 1.5kg chicken
• olive oil
• 2 brown onions
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp of harissa
• 2 tomatoes
• 1tbsp tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 100g couscous
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
• 2 tsp chopped mint
• 3 tbsp chermoula

To cook

Joint the chicken into 8 pieces. Fry the chicken for 3 minutes then reduce the heat and add the onion, cumin, paprika and harissa. Add one liter of water and bring to the boil.

Grate the tomatoes (without the seeds – scoop them out first), add to the pan along with the sugar, tomato paste, cinnamon, some salt and pepper. Simmer for 1 hour.

Remove the chicken and strip it off the bone. Return the meat to the pan along with some more water (around 500ml). Add the couscous once it has come back to the boil/ Simmer for 20 mins uncovered. Add herbs and chermoula.

Serve with some lemon

So the chermoula chickpeas actually need harissa. I think you can buy it, but I make my own. I actually think ‘Ooops, Harissa’ should be the the name of this harissa. Once you make it, you’ll see why.

Harissa

You will need:

• 125g of dried red chillies
• 1 tbsp of dried mint
• 1 tbsp of ground coriander
• 1 tbsp of ground cumin
• 1 tsp of ground caraway seeds
• 10 garlic gloves, choppes
• 125 ml of olive oil

To cook

Chop the chillies roughly and then cover with boiling water. Let them sit for an hour. Drain them and put then in the blender with all the other ingredients and blend well.

Chuck it in a jar, put in the fridge and be surprised at all the things that benefit from a little harissa!

By the way, it’s hot! I have a reputation for nearly blowing people’s heads off with this stuff (and once I woke up in the middle of the night with my hands on fire after making it!)