Holiday Feasting - wild and tame

Merry Christmas!  Happy Hanukkah!  I was so happy to be able to prepare this feast for family yesterday.  The moose and the deer were wild hunted meats, which you can substitute beef, elk, bison, etc.  The rabbit came from Zinn Farms, at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market. 

Please Note:  The St. Norbert's Farmer's Market will reopen on January 11th for biweekly markets until Spring. 

Rabbit Pappardelle

2 + tbs olive oil
1 Rabbit (how to joint it found here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C4Ku71A6rA)
4 strips of bacon, chopped
1 red onion or two large shallots, sliced
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 ribs celery, with leaves, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 head garlic, peeled and sliced cloves
2 rosemary sprigs, chopped
1 tbs crumbled sage leaves
1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms
2 tbs good tomato paste
2/3 cup white or rosé wine
2 cups chicken or rabbit stock
fresh pasta
2 tbs Dijon Mustard
zest of one orange
1/3 cup heavy cream
grated parmesan
season, to tastes

In a large pan, heat oil and brown the rabbit pieces, then set aside. I transferred the ingredients to simmer in a tagine.

Add chopped bacon, onion or shallots, carrots, garlic, celery, mushrooms and herbs to the pan and cook until soft, about 10 minutes.  Add the tomato paste, and then the wine and stock.

Return the rabbit to the pan and let simmer for up to an hour, or until the rabbit is very tender.  I transferred the ingredients to a tagine. 

Remove the rabbit pieces from the pan and carefully shred the meat from the bones.  Watch for very small bones.  Return the meat to the sauce. 

Simmer for a while and add the cream, orange zest,  and mustard.  More stock if too dry.  Season and ad cooked pasta.  Toss and plate, topping with grated parmesan, and flat leafed parsley.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Kalbi Moose Brisket (Instant Pot recipe)

 
1 Moose Brisket (can substitute beef or bison)
1 tbs good sesame oil
2 chopped green onions
1/4 cup Mirin
2-6 cups Kalbi sauce (Store bought or recipe here:  https://www.koreanbapsang.com/la-galbi-gui-grilled-la-style-short-ribs/)

Place all ingredients in an Instant Pot and set to Meat 50 minutes.  Close and seal.  Let stay warm for as long as needed.  Remove from liquid and slice.  Enjoy with excellent kimchi, such as from Ferment For You.

Seared Deer (can use elk or beef, or bison tenderloin)

3-4 tenderloin medallions
Dijon Mustard
Duq'qah
Olive Oil
salt, to taste

Coat tenderloin with a thin layer of Dijon Mustard and then coat in Duq'qah spice blend.  Season and drizzle olive oil over steaks.  Set aside in the fridge for a while.

Remove from fridge.  Heat pan to medium high heat.  Add olive oil and then sear the steaks on each side for one minute.  Remove the meat from the heat and let the meat rest.  Thinly slice the steaks, plate, and drizzle with olive oil.

Enjoy!

Healthy and comfy - Chicken Cacciatore updated

I recently made Chicken Cacciatore, for guests, a menu item that I haven't made in years.  I had to remind myself how to make it and I found a recipe by Alex Guarneschelli that looked adaptable.  You can use any chicken pieces but I used chicken thighs for this recipe.  I also skinned the pieces but left the bone in, for better flavour.  Wildfire Farms has wonderful chicken and is available at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market. 

 The market is open every Saturday until Christmas, from 10AM - 2PM. 

Chicken Cacciatore
(portion 2 thighs per person)

1 pkg chicken thighs, bone in, skin on, but remove skins
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-2 tins chopped tomatoes
4-6 roughly chopped yellow peppers (or red or orange.  Green would give a very different flavour)
1-2 sprigs rosemary, chopped
3-6 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
salt and pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1-2 tsp oregano
1/2 cup white wine
olive oil
optional: 1 tbs brown sugar, to reduce tomato acids, 1-2 tsp chilies( I used Allepo chilies as they are quite mild but hotter chilies would also work),

Set oven to 350ºF.

Skin chicken thighs and season with salt and pepper and optional chilies.  Set aside in the fridge.

For the sauce, sauté the onions in olive oil.  When the onions have softened, add the chopped peppers and garlic.  Then the rosemary and thyme.  When the peppers have softened, add the tomatoes and remaining seasonings.  Add the white wine and let simmer. 

In a saucepan, bring a drizzle of olive oil to medium high heat.  Brown chicken thighs.  Place sauce in a baking dish and arrange the chicken thighs on top of the sauce.  Bake for up to an hour, uncovered. 

Serve with rice, pasta, or roasted potatoes.  Arugula salad would make a nice side dish.

Enjoy!

Easy comfort food from Morocco and Turkey, using tagines!

Yesterday, I presented these two dishes at D.A.Niels Kitchenware, to highlight cooking with tagines.  Both are quite simple to prepare, once you have the mise en place ready.  In the Turkish Eggplant and Lentil stew, the recipe without a tagine suggests to cook for 1 1/2 hours.  In the tagine, the stew was ready in less than 30 minutes.

 

Moroccan Beef Tagine (can use lamb)

2 lb beef roast, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 tbs ras el hanout
1-2 tbs olive oil
1-2 tbs butter
good pinch saffron
2 large tomatoes, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 green peppers, seeded and diced
1/2 - 1 cup prunes
2-3 tbs honey
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup red wine
salt, to taste

Slowly sauté onions on medium-low heat with olive oil until they begin to caramelize. Stir in Ras el Hanout spice blend. Turn up heat to medium-high and add butter and saffron. Brown meat well on all sides and add tomatoes and other vegetables. Add broth, prunes and honey. Add red wine and salt and let simmer for 1-2 hours, depending on using the tajine and toughness of the meat. Meat should melt in your mouth when done.

Serve with flat breads, rice, couscous or bulgur.

Enjoy!

Eggplant and Lentil Stew with Pomegranate Molasses
(Adaptation from a Paula Wolfert recipe)

1 1/2-pound long, narrow eggplant
Salt
1/2 cup lentils
Water
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 tsp Turkish Baharat
2 long green chiles, such as Anaheims—stemmed, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses

Peel three strips length-wise into the eggplants. Slice, score, and cut into three pieces shorter.

Cook the lentils in a small saucepan, simmering for about 15 minutes. Drain.

Add olive oil to the tagine and prepare the vegetables by combining the onion, garlic, tomatoes, spices, and salt.

Spread half of the mixture into the tagine and top with half of the eggplant. Cover with half of the lentils, then repeat, ending with the vegetables on top. Pour the remaining olive oil around the mixture and drizzle with the pomegranate molasses.

Bring the stew to simmering in the tagine, and cook over low heat, covered, until the eggplant is tender, up to an hour. May need to add a bit of water.

Serve hot, cold or warm.


Enjoy!
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Rose Harissa! Divinely delicious.

I recently received a beautiful gift with dried, edible roses as part of it.  I have found that I have been using the dried roses in so many ways, it is worth it to secure a source.  Rachel Thoo is a most amazing source with her beautiful website with fantastic instructional videos on fermentation, gardening, cooking, etc.  Homemade with Rachel is an invaluable resource. 

http://www.homemadewithrachel.ca/

In the interim, if you can't find edible roses easily, try the teas section in an Asian grocery store. 
 
Rose Harissa

3-5 red peppers, halved and seeded
4-8 (make it as spicy or as mild as you like) chilies
5-7 garlic cloves
4+ tbs olive oil, with extra for topping jar
4-8 tbs dried or fresh edible rose petals (http://www.homemadewithrachel.ca/)

1 tsp sea salt, to tastes
up to 1/2 tsp rose or orange blossom water (I found that the orange blossom water was a milder flavour that matched better)

 Preheat oven to 250ºF (120ºC).

Place peppers and chilies cut side down on a lined baking sheet with the garlic cloves and a good drizzle of olive oil.  Roast for about an hour.  The peppers should not be blackened, just softer.  Remove from the oven and let cool. 

Place all ingredients in a food processor and purée.  

In a medium saucepan, heat some olive oil and add the puréed mixture.  Cook until the moisture has evaporated, stirring. 

Place harissa in a clean, sterile jar, with room to top with olive oil.  Refrigerate and enjoy on pasta, steaks, toast, dips, etc, for at least a month.

Holiday treats - Chocolate Pecan Pie Gluten Free!

We spent Thanksgiving at my brother's and brought dessert.  I've attempted chocolate pecan pie once before and I don't know why only the once. Likely, I don't have corn syrup on hand that often.  What makes this Gluten-free is having the wonderful Piccola Cucina tart and pie shells on hand.  They are a wonderful and versatile product, made here in Winnipeg. 

I doubled this recipe. 

Chocolate Pecan Pie
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup butter (I like Notre Dame Butter)
1 tbs cold water
2 tsp corn starch
1/2 cup dark chocolate callets (chips, Fair Trade)
3 eggs (I love Nature's Farm Eggs)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp bourbon
1 1/4 cup pecan halves
Piccola Cucina pie or tart shells

Preheat oven to 350ºF (175ºC).

In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter, chocolate, water, and cornstarch. Bring to a full boil, stirring, and remove from heat.  

 In a large bowl, beat eggs until frothy. Gradually beat in cooked syrup mixture. Stir in salt, vanilla, and pecans. Pour into pie shell. 

Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until filling is set.  

Enjoy!

Back to School. Lunches?!? Muffins

My 9 year old has a self-imposed limited diet.  I have to pack as much into what she will eat as possible.  Therefore, Banana Squash Muffins.  This recipe is quite adaptable to whatever you might have on hand.  Grated peeled apples work nicely as well.

Banana Squash Muffins
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2 banana, mashed (or one, as you like)
1-2 cups cooked mashed squash (any variety, including zucchini)
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 cups flour (often more, for a thick batter)
2 cups dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 ºF.  Prepare muffin tins with papers.

Mix butter, sugar, eggs, bananas, and squash, until smooth.  Slowly add baking powder, milk, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon.  Add flour and then the chocolate.  Add flour if needed.

Fill muffin tins.  Bake.  For mini muffins, bake for 15-17 minutes.  For larger muffins, bake for 20 -22 minutes, depending on you oven.

Cool and store in containers.  Keep refrigerated after a day.

Enjoy!

Cilantro!

Love it or hate it, it isn't really up to you.  Cilantro reaches the taste buds in such a manner that people who think it tastes of soap, have a physically differently shaped taste bud than those who love the herb.  Now that makes me think what else they may be tasting differently.

It is a workhorse herb, ubiquitous in some cuisines.  I have been embracing it because of the wonderful abundance of cilantro in my CSA.  No complaints. 

For health benefits, Cilantro is considered to be an antioxidant, lower sodium intake, an excellent source of fibre, magnesium, manganese, some protein, and iron. Cilantro has 11 essential oils, and 6 types of acid, including Vitamin C.  Cilantro is used as an anti-inflammatory, to lower cholesterol, help with skin problems, regulates blood pressure, bone health, good for living with diabetes diets, and has antihistamine properties, which also means to stay out of the sun.

The following recipes are very cilantro forward, and are Thai, Moroccan, and others, to illustrate the herb's versatility. 

1. Moroccan
Chermoula

1 head garlic, peeled (or 3-5 large cloves)
¼ tsp cayenne
1 heaping tbs cumin
½ bunch parsley
1 whole bunch cilantro
juice of one lemon
2 tbs vinegar
1 generous tbs olive oil
salt, to taste

Blend all of the ingredients together.  Use as a garnish, to marinate fish or chicken, sauté vegetables such as carrots or eggplant.  Mix with yoghurt for a salad dressing.

2. Thai
Gai Yang
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch cilantro, including stalks (part of my CSA from Heart Acres Farm)
3 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbs fish sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbs chopped lemongrass (optional)
chicken pieces (I used chicken thighs, available at Wildfire Farms at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)
ground chilies (optional)

Blend all ingredients, except for the chicken, and pour over the chicken to marinate for a few hours.  Grill until done.  Enjoy! 

3. Canadian
Lobster Tails with Cilantro Chipotle Cream (easy!)

6 Nova Scotia Medium (5-6 oz.) lobster tails
drizzle olive oil
1/2 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
1/2 cup yoghurt
1 bunch cilantro leaves, finely chopped
juice of one lime
1/4 (+/-) tsp chipotle flakes or ground dried chipotle
pinch sugar
pinch sea salt

Mix cream, yoghurt, cilantro, lime, chipotle, sugar and salt.  Chill.

Cut lobster tails open on the soft side of the shell. Drizzle olive oil over tails. Heat BBQ to a high heat. Grill lobster tails until shell becomes quite red all over. Remove from heat. Now you can either pull lobster meat from shell and serve with Cilantro chipotle cream or serve immediately with cream over or on the side.

Enjoy!

4, Mexican
Green Herb Salsa (served with omlettes)

Paired with Chateau des Charmes Brut - Canada
Ingredients

* 1/4c blanched almonds, toasted
* 1 small garlic clove
* 1c fresh parsley leaves
* 1/2c fresh cilantro leaves
* 1/2c fresh basil leaves
* 2/3c extra -virgin olive oil
* 1/8 tsp red-pepper flakes
* coarse salt and ground black pepper
* 2tsp white-wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar

How to make it

* Using chef's knife(or food processor)finely chop almonds, garlic and herbs. Stir (or blend) in oil and red-pepper flakes. Season with salt and pepper.
* To store, refrigerate up to 1 day. Stir in vinegar just before serving.
* Great variations: Feel free to include any type of soft green herb, such a s oregano, chives, mint. You can also substitute pistachios, walnuts or pine nuts for the almonds.

Easy Thai Grilled Chicken - Gai Yang - with lovely fresh herbs

Herbs are coming in fast and fabulous at this time.  This easy to prepare Grilled Thai Chicken recipe uses some wonderful and healthful herbs, such as fresh coriander (stem included), and lemongrass, which can grow beautifully here as well.

I will be presenting cooking with herbs at the next Farmer's Festival at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market on Wednesday, August 14th, between 11AM and 4PM.

I used frozen chopped lemongrass, as that is what I had on hand and it is an easy way to store your own grown lemongrass.

Gai Yang
3 cloves garlic
1 bunch cilantro, including stalks (part of my CSA from Heart Acres Farm)
3 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs pepper
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbs fish sauce
2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbs chopped lemongrass (optional)
chicken pieces (I used chicken thighs, available at Wildfire Farms at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)
ground chilies (optional)

Blend all ingredients, except for the chicken, and pour over the chicken to marinate for a few hours.  Grill until done.  Enjoy!

Shown with rice pilaf and Turkish Köpegoglü.

Seasonal soup - Beet Borscht, using the market produce

The produce is coming in fast and fabulously!  Today, I decided that I would actually make beet borscht again.  Back story, because recipe blogs are filled with back stories, I didn't grow up with the beet borscht variety of borscht.  I grew up with Russian Borscht, which is cabbage forward, not beet.  We always had it served hot, whereas many people enjoy the beet borscht cold.  Short back story.

(Early in the cooking process)

Beet Borscht, ala Turque

2 bunches beets, grated roots and finely chopped leaves and stems
1 bunch dark curly kale, stems ripped out, leaves finely chopped
1 yellow onion, medium dice
olive oil, to sauté
2-3 tbs Turkish Baharat (optional)
4-8 cups stock (I used Rabbit and Chicken Stocks.  Beef is traditional, vegetarian is wonderful)
water, as needed
salt and pepper, to taste
1 bunch fresh dill, chopped
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup good tomato paste

(Options:  add crumbled dried porcini or bolets mushrooms)

In a large stock pot, heat oil and add onions.  Cook at medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent.  Add the Turkish Baharat and sauté until spices are softened.  Add vegetables and remaining ingredients.  Add water to desired consistency.  Bring to a boil and let simmer on lower heat until the vegetables are very soft.

Enjoy hot or cold, with sour cream and/or a hard boiled egg.

Beef Cheeks! Wildfire Farms makes it so easy.

Beef cheeks are so wonderful and tender when slowly cooked or done in the Instant Pot.  These, I made slowly in the oven, on a bed of sliced onion, half of an orange, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, good tomato paste, red wine, and a bit of water.  I coated the beef cheeks with grainy mustard, and cooked covered, at 300ºF for 3 hours.  I cooked them with the lid off, for one more hour.  We then pulled the meat apart with forks and combined with the sauce with the orange and bay leaves removed.

If you are preparing these in the Instant Pot, set the meat setting to 30-40 minutes. 

Beef cheeks, and other great cuts of meat, are available at Wildfire Farms at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.

I served these pulled beef cheeks on top of latkes, with a dollop of sour cream, and a drizzle of hot sauce.

Made in Manitoba - Grilling in season

 I've been away from blogging for a little while.  Not that I don't wish to share recipes.  Just busy with other things. 

Spring is bringing forth great treats for the grill.  These are all locally available ingredients from the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market.  The asparagus and spring onions are particularly sweet at this time.  The chicken is available soon at Wildfire Farms, and you can get fantastic pizza dough, if you don't wish to make your own, from Old Church Bakery.  The spices you can enjoy from me, and the organic asparagus and spring onions were from Fertile Farms. 

Grilled Turkish Chicken on Pide (Serves 2-4 people)

4 Boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 tbs Turkish Baharat*
3-4 shallots, grated or one small onion grated
2 tsp lime juice
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/4 tsp paprika (can used smoked)
pinch salt and pepper

Combine Turkish Baharat, grated shallots, lime juice, olive oil, paprika and salt and pepper in a bowl. Place chicken thighs in the bowl and cover completely with the marinade. Place in fridge and let marinate for 6 hours. Grill 4 minutes a side on a very hot BBQ grill.

 Turkish Pizza Dough
1 tbs dried yeast
3/4 tsp sugar
2 tbs warm water
2/3 + cup Greek style yoghurt
1/4 cup olive oil
10 ounces bread flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
olive oil

Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water and set aside in a warm place for about 10 minutes until frothy. In another small bowl, whisk the yoghurt and olive oil.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast and yoghurt mixtures. Use your fingers to work in the flour and form a smooth ball. Transfer to mixer and knead with a dough hook on low speed for 10 - 15 minutes until very smooth and shiny. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel and let rise for 2 hours or doubled in size.

Enjoy!

Turkish Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shoulder Chops with Carrots with Tomato Saffron Bulgur Pilaf

Lamb Shoulder Chops take a bit longer to cook than Lamb Loin Chops, but the results are equally delicious.  This easy to prepare recipe uses some great Mediterranean ingredients, such as Turkish Baharat and Aleppo pepper (optional), and pomegranate molasses. 

The wonderful Manitoba Lamb is from Gerry Oliver's Spirit Sands Farm.  I make the Turkish Baharat and it is available at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market, D. A. Niels, Old Church Bakery, and coming soon to Pollock's Hardware Co-op.

Turkish Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shoulder Chops

 Lamb Shoulder Chops, one per person
Turkish Baharat, enough to coat each chop
1/2 tsp Aleppo pepper (optional)

Set aside and chill for at least 30 minutes.

1 red onion, sliced
1/2 cup pomegranate molasses (I use Sera Brand, available at Millad's Supermarket on Notre Dame)
1 cup homemade stock (I used lamb stock but chicken is an option)
2-3 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks.
olive oil
salt and pepper

Brown the seasoned lamb chops in a roasting pan with some olive oil.  Remove from pan and add the sliced onions.  When they have softened, add the carrots, pomegranate molasses, and stock and cook down on medium heat for about 20 minutes.  Return lamb chops to the roasting pan, season, and simmer for 8-10 minutes.

Serve with Bulgur

 Tomato Saffron Bulgur Pilaf

Bulgur is a 2:1 cooking ratio.  For this recipe, I used 1 cup Bulgur and 2 cups water (or stock)
1 small red onion, chopped
olive oil
good pinch saffron
1 cup bulgur
1/4 cup currants
1/4 cup slivered almonds
2 tbs good tomato paste (available at Millad's Supermarket)
salt, to taste
2 cups water

In a saucepan, cook chopped onion in olive oil until soft.  Add Saffron and then bulgur, currants and almonds.  Add the tomato paste and stir well.  Add the water and bring to a boil.  Season and cover on a low simmer for 20 minutes. 

Enjoy!  For Gluten Free options, try rice or quinoa pilaf.

Korean Cold mustard sauce noodles with seared Scallops and Wild Caught Tuna

This is a wonderful standby for an easy meal.  You can enjoy the noodles without the seared seafood, but the Gimli Fish products are wonderful, inexpensive, Fair Trade, and slavery-free.  Wholesome and delicious and something that is craved in Winter or in Summer.

I use Korean Udon noodles for this recipe, but Soba noodles are also wonderful.

Korean Cold Mustard Noodles

For the sauce:
1-2 tbs Dijon Mustard
1-2 tbs Grainy Mustard
1 tbs grated ginger
1-2 tbs good soy sauce
1 tsp good sesame oil
1 tsp white sugar
1 tbs Mirin
splash of vinegar
1-2 green onions, chopped
Optional:  good drizzle chili oil

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until emulsified, or come together.

Add desired amount of noodles and top with seared Wild Caught Ahi Tuna, Scallops, shrimp, etc.  Pictured here coated with a Furakoka rice topping. 

Sundubu Jjigae - Easy Korean Soup!

I was inspired to make this soup, as I hadn't had it in ages, and it is such a satisfying meal.  Elatia Harris was the trigger to this endeavour though, as she posted, asking a key question to this meal, do you use kochujiang (hot pepper paste) or kochugaru (Korean pepper flake)?  I prefer to use the kochugaru, as you can control the salt better, but adding a bit of the paste won't hurt either.

Sundubu Jjigae is a versatile soup, as you can add more seafood to make it a seafood soup.  I added New Brunswick Shrimp, from Gimli Fish.  PEI Mussels are also available and would work wonderfully in the soup.

Once you have all of the ingredients ready, it is very simple to prepare.  The stock takes a 20 minutes as it is simply dried anchovies, sliced radish (daikon), and kelp.  All of these ingredients are readily available at many Asian markets.  I found the dried anchovies in the cooler section at Sun Wah.

Stock:

8 large anchovies, heads removed (they snap off easily)
2 inches of daikon, peeled and thinly sliced
6" X 6" kombu (kelp)
4 cups water

In a medium saucepan, add all ingredients and cover.  Cook at medium high for 10 minutes after it comes to a boil.  Simmer for an additional 10 minutes and strain the stock.

Soup:

1/2 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped (I used wonderful dried garlic from Berrard Farm, available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)
1 tbs oil, for cooking
1/2 cup chopped bacon or pork belly
1/2 cup chopped kimchi (Also use Cook's Creek Kimchi, available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)
2 tbs Kochugaru (red pepper flake)
1 tsp good sesame oil
2 green onions, chopped
1 square soft tofu, cubed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 egg per person (I used Nature's Farm Eggs, also available at St. Norbert's Farmer's Market)

Options:  chopped peppers, soybean sprouts, shrimp, mussels, firm white fish, pickerel

Mix the pepper flake and sesame oil together and set aside.

In a heavy pot, (clay pot will take a little longer, but is traditional), heat and add the cooking oil, onions and garlic.  Cook until soft and add the bacon or pork belly.  Cook until the pork is soft and no longer very pink.

Add the stock and kimchi and tofu, salt and sugar.  Let simmer for 5 minutes.   Drop an egg for each person, to poach, and add the green onions and top with the pepper flake with sesame oil.

Enjoy!  Usually served with rice. 

Its so easy to make great meals!

Last night I made roasted vegetables, tossed with Duq'qah (Dukkah, Dukah, etc).  Could not be easier! I filled rotis from Famena's with the roasted vegetables and added a soft fried egg from Nature's Farm.  On top, we drizzled pomegranate tahini sauce. 

Roasted Cauliflower, and other supporting cast vegetables

1 head cauliflower, trimmed and cut into small flowerets
1 onion, thickly sliced
1 zucchini, sliced rounds in half
1 orange pepper (any pepper)
Options:  Any vegetables that you have on hand to roast
1-2 tbs Duq'qah (great news!  Available on Saturday at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market Valentine's Sale!!)
salt, to tastes
olive oil, to coat the vegetables

Set oven to 375ºF.  Toss all ingredients together.  Spread out on a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper.  Roast, until softened and browned.  Enjoy as a side dish or in Rotis.  Enjoy!

Onion Bhajia with Yellow Pea Flour

I was craving a nice crispy snack and decided to make Bhujia (pakoras) and Imli (tamarind dipping sauce).  These already are gluten-free when I make them with chick pea flour, but I wanted to use our wonderful and versatile local Yellow Pea Flour, by Tamarack Farms. 

Onion Bhajia

2 cups sliced onions (yellow, red, white)
1 1/4 cup yellow pea flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
water, to make a batter
1/2 tsp grated ginger
oil, for frying
options:  chopped cilantro, chopped green onion, etc

Mix all ingredients together and adjust flour and water to make a batter that holds together.  In a pan of hot oil, spoon in mixture into portions and fry on each side for a few minutes until brown.  Remove from pan and let drain on paper towel.  Enjoy with some Imli.

Imli (tamarind dipping sauce)
1 1/2 cups water
3 heaping tbs tamarind paste
1/2 cup jaggery, or brown sugar
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp cumin

In a small saucepan, cook up all ingredients until well incorporated and shiny.  After a short while, the sauce should thicken slightly.  It will thicken a bit more when cooled.  Enjoy with Bhajia, samosas, etc.