Majadra

I know what you must be thinking... two posts in two days! Stop the presses! It is somewhat exciting. My little boy is starting to go to bed earlier and earlier. Tonight, he was in bed asleep by 7:30. To top it all off, my husband is out of town on business. My time is my own this evening. It doesn't happen that often these days, so I figured I'd make the most of it.

I celebrated by making another of those sandwiches I've been so fond of lately and then made a big old pot of this delicious dish. It may not be much to look at, but, boy, does it have some flavor! Majadra is of Lebanese origin and has rice, lentils, and caramelized onions. It also has a hint of spice and is absolutely delightful. You can serve it as a side dish or a main dish. I like to fill a bowl full to the brim and eat it with a spoon. It's very tasty. The best part is that it makes a decent amount and it tastes just as good reheated the rest of the week. It makes a perfect leftover lunch.

The other nice thing about it is that it's pretty simple to make. While it's not fast, it takes about an hour to complete it, the actual prep work is minimal and involves slicing an onion. That's it! Really! Okay, you also have to slice open a lemon for a little bit of juice, but, who's keeping track?

You start by putting the lentils on to simmer and caramelizing the onions. These two tasks take about the same amount of time, about half an hour. When the onions are starting to develop some really nice color, throw in a small stick of cinnamon. If you don't have a stick, you can also add just a dash of ground, but the stick adds more of an aromatic component to the dish rather than a flavor you taste with your tongue.

Once the lentils are tender and the onions are caramelized, you add the Batsmati rice to the onions to toast slightly. Then you add the drained lentils, boiling water, and cumin; cover it; and cook for twenty more minutes. After twenty minutes, you open the pot and fluff the rice. Spritz a couple teaspoons of fresh lemon juice over and add salt to taste (I think I added between 1/2 and 1 teaspoons).

Majadra
Yield: 6-8 servings

1 large onion, halved and sliced thinly
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup green lentils
water to cover lentils by 1-2 inches
1  2" cinnamon stick
1 1/4 cup Batsmati rice
2 cups hot water
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
salt to taste

Heat a large pot and the oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are very golden, about 30 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed to keep them from burning. At the same time, put the lentils in a sauce pan and cover with water so that it is one to two inches above the top of the lentils. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer to cook for 25-30 minutes. The lentils should be tender about the time the onions are done. If the lentils are done before the onions, simply turn off the heat and let them sit. Drain the lentils once the onions are done.

When the onions are about 5 minutes away from being done, add the cinnamon stick and stir. Once the onions are nicely golden, add the rice and toast, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes. Add the lentils, the cumin, and the water. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce to a very gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. After twenty minutes, turn off the heat. Let sit 5 minutes. Remove the cover, add the lemon juice and salt and fluff gently with a fork.

Thai Style Curry

Despite the fact that I have never been a big fan of curry dishes, I am, in fact, a huge fan of this particular dish. It's got some heat, but isn't overwhelming. It's got a lot of flavors that all complement each other, and I love the combination of peas and cauliflower.

I adapted this dish from a Cook's Illustrated recipe. There's was a vegetarian dish, which is quite tasty. When I want a one pot meal, however, I usually like a little meat in there to give it more substance. While I enjoy eating vegetarian meals, I often find I'm back in the kitchen within a few hours looking for some more grub.

This dish is pretty straight forward to make. If you prepare all of your ingredients first, you can be done lickety split. If you really want to make this a quick fix dish, lightly pre-steam the cauliflower in a Ziplock steamer bag before adding to the dish. The most time consuming part of making this dish is waiting for the cauliflower to cook.

In the picture above, I used green curry paste. I've made this recipe with both the green and the red curry. I don't personally discern a difference in the flavor, but there is a difference in the appearance. Using red curry paste gives the sauce a pink hue. For aesthetic reasons only, I prefer using the green curry as it helps to preserve the stark contrast of white and green in this dish, which I find very appealing. Served over rice, this dish is heaven in a bowl.

Thai Style Curry

Yield: 4 servings

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

4 TBS fish sauce

1 tsp lime zest

4 tsp fresh squeezed lime juice

1 TBS brown sugar

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1 tsp garlic, grated with a Microplane

1 TBS ginger, grated with a Microplane

1 TBS Thai-style red or green curry paste

2 cups (or one can) coconut milk

1 TBS vegetable oil

12 oz diced chicken breast

1 10-oz package of steamable snow or sugar snap peas

1 head cauliflower cut into bit sized florets (about 4 cups)

steamed rice, for serving

Mix together the first eight ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside. Steam the peas in the microwave. To speed the cooking process, you may also lightly steam the cauliflower in a Ziplock steamer bag. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and let it heat until it shimmers. Add the chicken so that it is as spread out as possible. Cook, turning as needed, to brown all sides. Reduce heat, if necessary. Add the cauliflower and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the sauce, stir to mix, and cover, cooking until the cauliflower reaches your preferred level of doneness (anywhere from a few minutes to 15, depending on your tastes). Add the steamed peas at the last minute, stirring to distribute. Serve over white rice.

Tarta Pascualina

I tell you, that dinner club we've been participating has prompted some interesting stuff! Our theme last month was Argentine cuisine and I was tasked with coming up with a side dish. I looked and looked. I became a little frustrated because Argentine food appears to be an amalgamation of many different cultures: Italian, Spanish, and Arabic influences are prominent. I wanted to try something that seemed a little more authentic. I'm not sure how authentic this dish really is, but it sure is a stunning knock out! I originally served it as a side dish, but to be honest, it's filling enough to be a wonderful vegetarian main course. That's how I served it last night.

According to Rebecca of "From Argentina with Love," Tarta Pascualina, or Eastertime Tart, was brought to Argentina by the Italian in the 16th century. I figured 500 years in one culture was enough time to consider it "authentic." And I immediately loved the idea of a pie with whole eggs baked in it! When this thing is sliced, it is so gorgeous. The first time I made it, I made it exactly as Rebecca wrote the recipe. Last night I made some adjustments. While I liked it the first go around (I used all kale), I really liked it last night. I am not a huge fan of strong tasting greens, so I prefer to use all spinach, but you can use whatever mixture of greens appeals to you. I have posted my version of this recipe below.

The first step is to prepare the filling. Mix the cheeses, garlic, nutmeg, salt, pepper, cornstarch, and milk together in a bowl. Add your greens. If you use frozen greens, thaw them completely and then squeeze them to get the excess moisture out. If you use fresh greens, steam them until wilted through, cool, squeeze, and then chop into small pieces. After adding the greens, make sure to mix thoroughly. If you don't mix it really well, you can end up with large globs of cheese that mess with the great texture of the cooked filling.

This tart is made in a 9-inch spring form pan. Prepare a batch of pie crust (or use store bought) and line the bottom of the tart. Gently lay the crust into the pan so that it reaches all the way down into the "corners." Try not to stretch or press the dough down or it will become too thin or tear. Spoon the filling into the shell and even it out across the top. Then gently press open 6-7 holes in the filling. Last night, without thinking, I put an egg in the middle as well, which I think was a mistake, as I think it messes with the cut presentation of the slices.

Crack a raw egg into each hole you made. Note that this picture is from the first time I made it when I did not put an egg in the middle. Try to ensure that the hole is big enough to contain the whole egg. If it runs over, stick your finger into the hole and gently enlarge it until the egg white falls back into the hole.

Place the top crust on making sure that it lays flat across the filling. Seal the edges and flute however you prefer. Make an egg yolk wash (one yolk and 1 TBS water) and brush it on the crust to help with browning. Bake in a 375° F oven for approximately one hour. Now, this is important! Be sure to bake with your spring form pan sitting on a sheet pan. I forgot to do that the first time and there was leakage of grease from the crust onto the bottom of my oven... oh the smoke! You only make that mistake once! Bake until the tart is golden and a thermometer stuck in the middle reads 160° F. If you pull it out below this temperature, there's a good chance your eggs will not be hard baked yet.

Remove from the oven and let it cool in the spring form pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the fluting to ensure it isn't stuck to the pan before releasing the band. Remove the spring form band and let it cool another 10 minutes before slicing and serving. It serves well hot or at room temperature.

The trickiest part of this whole deal is trying to be sure you slice right down the middle of an egg for the best presentation! It seems like once you get your bearings with the first slice, it's fairly easy to get it right. Isn't that pretty? The combination of the cheesiness and the flaky crust along with the creamy spinach and that hard boiled egg surprise makes this one a true delight.

Tarta Pascualina

Yield: 6-8 servings

Adapted from the blog From Argentina with Love

One recipe for a double pie crust (or store bought)

18-20 ounces of greens, frozen or fresh (spinach, kale, chard, or a mixture)

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic, grated

dash nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1 TBS cornstarch

2 TBS milk

6-7 eggs

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Prepare the greens: if using frozen, let them thaw completely and squeeze the excess water out. If using fresh, steam them until they are completely wilted. Cool and then squeeze the excess water out. Chop into small pieces.

Line a 9-inch spring form pan with the bottom crust, gently placing flat across the bottom and up the sides. Mix together the cheeses, garlic, nutmeg, salt, pepper, cornstarch, and milk. Add the greens and mix very thoroughly. Place the filling into the tart shell and gently pat it flat. Using a spoon or your fingers, make 6-7 holes in the filling about an inch from the edge of the tart. Make sure the wells are large enough to completely contain a raw egg. Crack a raw egg into each hole. If it spills over a little, simply stick your finger in and gently make the hole larger. Place the top crust over the filling and ensure that it sits flat on it. Seal the edges, crimp, brush with egg yolk wash, and make a couple of slits to let steam escape. Place the spring form pan on a baking sheet and bake for about an hour, until the pie is golden and the temperature in the center reads 160° F.

Let the tart cool in the spring form pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the crust to loosen it and then release the spring form mold. Let the tart cool another 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Serves well hot or at room temperature.

Greek Rice

Every now and again I try a recipe that I think looks intriguing but that ends up not being that great. I'd had my eye on a stuffed squid recipe for some time. It ended up looking pretty, just as nice as the picture in the recipe book:


However, there was something about the texture of the squid (fairly rubbery) that was an unappealing contrast to the texture of the rice filling. When cooking squid, the rule is typically cook it really fast or really long; anything in between is a recipe for dining on rubber bands. Unfortunately, to obtain a safe internal temperature on the eggs in the stuffing, I think it ended up crossing the "tender" boundary... if you can ever really call squid tender.

What was a pleasant surprise was how delicious the filling was. There was more filling than was needed to fill the squid I had, so I decided to saute it up with some added scrambled egg. What a delightful combination of flavors! The contrast of the sweet currents, the tangy lemon, and the nutty edge from the pine nuts was fabulous... and beautiful! While I can't recommend the squid application, I can whole-heartedly recommend this rice dish.

You need pre-cooked rice for this dish. Either use left over rice or cook some ahead of time. You need 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice. I advise toasting the pine nuts first. Nuts just have so much better flavor when they're toasted.


Greek Rice
Yield: 4 side servings

2 TBS olive oil
2 scallions, diced
1 1/2 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts
1/4 cup currents
2 TBS minced fresh parsley
2 tsp lemon zest
3 eggs, divided

Mix the scallions, rice, pine nuts, currents, parsley, and zest with one of the eggs that has been slightly beaten in a bowl and set aside. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Scramble the two remaining eggs in the skillet. When the eggs are almost cooked through, add the remaining ingredients and saute, stirring regularly, until the rice is heated through.

Pita Bread

I must say, sometimes, even I am surprised by how something I always thought would be challenging to make is, in fact, quite easy. Take pita bread, for instance. I'm not sure why I thought they would have to be challenging; I guess I figured that pocket in the middle couldn't just show up like magic. But you know what? It does!

To be honest, this may be one of the quickest, easiest breads I've ever made (and I have made quite a few). The only draw back, if you can call it that, is that you do need to get out the rolling pin and dirty up the counter flattening these things out, but I think that it's worth it.

I really enjoy pita for all kinds of applications. My favorite is cut into wedges and dipped into hummus. In the picture above, I have stuffed it with fresh spinach, tomatoes, and hummus. They're also great for hot sandwiches. I love a nice seasoned patty of meat, especially if it's lamb with a little Greek inspired seasoning.

You start the pitas by mixing the ingredients together. The first time I made these, I mixed them in my stand mixer. However, the amount of dough is so small, that I found them just as quick to mix by hand, and then I didn't have to dirty up my mixer. Truth be told, you could mix the whole thing on the counter (make a well in the flour for the wet ingredients and then mix). The dough comes together nicely. It never quite loses its tackiness, but it will become smooth and workable, provided you don't knead at a snail's pace (the longer you hand is in contact with it at each go, the more chance it has of sticking). After mixing, knead the dough until it comes together nicely and is elastic. Please note that it is not a huge amount of dough; I don't exactly have the largest hands around.

Let the dough rise until doubled in an oiled and covered bowl. It took mine about an hour in a 72 degree house. Knock down the dough and flatten it out on a lightly floured counter top. Cut the dough into six even sized pieces and pull the dough around, almost like you are turning them inside out, and pinch the edges together to form a nice, smooth ball. Dampen a flour sack towel and place over the six dough balls to let them rest ten minutes. Resting allows you to roll them out without the gluten fighting you every step of the way.

Once they have rested, prepare two 11x17 inch pans or one 3/4 sheet pan (only recently becoming available at restaurant supply stores, this size pan is great because it is the largest pan you can fit in a home oven) with parchment. Roll the dough balls out on a lightly floured counter until they are about the size of your hand or about six inches in diameter.


Place the dough rounds onto the lined sheet and cover loosely with the damp towel again and let them rise for about half an hour. In the meantime, start your oven to preheating. It takes my oven a long time to preheat to 500 degrees! When the oven is heated and the pita rounds are just slightly puffy, place them into the oven and then watch the magic happen. A nice, hot oven is required if you want the pitas to puff properly. Also, if you feel they have dried out too much before going in the oven, you can spritz them with a little water. If they are too dried out, they won't be able to puff as well.

Bake pitas until they are puffed and just starting to think about turning a little golden. I will warn you, there is a fine line between undercooked and overcooked pitas, so be sure that you are watching them carefully. It took mine about 7-10 minutes to bake. Remove from the oven and set the pan on a rack to cool. As they cool, most will start to deflate, but if they don't before you want to store them, gently press the air out of them. I typically have one pita per batch that doesn't puff as well as the others. Makes it hard to use as a pocket, but it still tastes great!

Pitas store in an airtight bag for 3-4 days or they can be frozen for up to six months. They taste best if they are just slightly warmed before serving so they become soft and supple again.

Pita Bread
Yield: 6 pita rounds

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp table salt
1 tsp instant yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water
1 TBS extra virgin olive oil

Mix all ingredients together and knead until a supple dough forms. Dough should still be tacky but not sticky. If it is too sticky, knead in a little flour. Form into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise until double, about one hour.

Knock down the dough, press into a flat rectangle to facilitate cutting it into six even dough pieces. Form each piece into a ball by pinching the dough around to the bottom, forming a smooth surface. Cover the six balls with a slightly damp flour sack towel (or paper towels). Let dough rest, covered, for about ten minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

Prepare two 11x17 sheet pans with parchment. Roll out each dough ball until it is nice and thin and about six inches in diameter. Mine were about 3/8 of an inch thick. Place rounds on the parchment, cover with the damp towel and let them rise for about half an hour. In the meantime, preheat your oven to 500 degrees F.

When the oven is preheated and the dough has risen slightly, place the pitas into the oven. Bake 7-10 minutes or until nicely puffed and just starting the turn color. Remove from the oven and cool completely before storing in an air tight container.

Moo Shu Pork

I really love this dish. One of the things I've found about figuring out how to make my favorite ethnic dishes at home is that when I go out to eat I can now broaden my horizons instead of feeling compelled to order the same thing time after time. Now I can make my favorites at home and fulfill that craving before I go out. Since I learned how to make chicken tikka masala at home, for instance, I have since learned that I also enjoy vindaloo and dal, among others.

Moo shu pork is one of those classic Chinese dishes that I always figured was too complex to make at home, but as we saw yesterday, those little pancakes are not nearly as hard to make as one might think! The filling is actually quite simple and straight-forward. While I initially made this dish using a recipe out of a magazine, I was so disappointed in the flavor that I decide to start over from scratch. The resulting sauce was the right mix to get the taste I wanted... and there are only five ingredients! Multiply the ingredient amounts by whatever amount you want. The amounts listed below should cover enough vegetables to easily serve 3-4 people. The sauce goes much farther than you might think and I've found that you really don't want too much sauce in this dish. The last consideration is to be sure not to overcook the vegetables, which can happen fairly quickly. You still want the cabbage to have some bite to it.

Speaking of cabbage... so I sliced up a bunch of cabbage and grated a bunch of carrot to make the majority of my vegetable mix. I also sliced up some onion fairly thinly, sliced green onions, and some mushrooms. In this first attempt, you can see that I was using plain old mushrooms. They worked out fairly well, but later I realized I had a more traditional ingredient in my pantry and went with it instead.

Here is that more traditional ingredient. Again, regular mushrooms work just fine... or you could leave them out entirely. The filling ingredients are really flexible - use what appeals to you! (In fact, you can easily make this a vegetarian meal by leaving out the pork.) These dried black fungus strips, though are a cinch to use. I placed small handful in a bowl of warm water for about ten minutes to rehydrate them. Then I rinsed them well under running water in a small colander. They were then ready to use.

Along with the vegetables is a decent quantity of minced garlic and ginger. Yum!


You may not think so, since I forgot to take a picture of it, but the eggs are a very important part of this dish. Get your pan nice and warm, add a little oil or butter, and gently scramble the eggs. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Turn the heat in your pan up to high, add a small amount of oil and cook the pork strips until just done. Remove them from the pan and set aside with the eggs. Let the pan heat back up and saute the vegetables in a little bit more oil. Make sure the pan is hot before adding the vegetables. Remember, over-cooking is to be avoided here at all costs! Stir regularly to cook the vegetables evenly. When the vegetables have little bit of color and are just slightly tender, turn off the heat and add the sauce. Stir to distribute the sauce and then add the egg. Lightly toss and then serve wrapped up in Chinese Pancakes. I like to use a little plum sauce with mine.

To wrap them up, place a small pile of filling in the middle of the pancake. Be careful not to use too much filling or you will never be able to wrap it up neatly.

Wrap like you might wrap a burrito. Fold one side over and then wrap the ends in. Lastly, roll over to close. Serve immediately.

Moo Shu Pork
Yield: filling for 8-12 pancakes

3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4-8 ounces thinly sliced pork tenderloin

4-6 cups of shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrot
1/2 cup finely sliced onion
1/2 cup sliced green onion (green parts, too)
1/4 cup dried black fungus strips, soaked and rinsed
1 TBS minced garlic
1 TBS minced ginger

1 TBS Hoisin sauce
1 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp rice wine (not vinegar)
1 tsp brown sugar
2-3 drops toasted sesame oil

Shred the vegetables but try to keep them from getting too fine. Toss the vegetables together to evenly distribute the ingredients. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl or cup; set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a little bit of oil. Cook the eggs until they are gently scrambled. Remove from the pan and set aside. Turn up the heat to high, add a little more oil - if needed - and cook cook the pork just until it's done. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add another dollop of oil and let the pan heat back up. When the pan is nice and hot, add the vegetables and stir regularly to help them cook evenly. When the vegetables are just slightly browned and slightly softened, remove them from the heat and add the sauce. Toss to coat and then add the egg and pork. Gently stir to mix. Serve wrapped in Chinese Pancakes with plum sauce, if desired.

Chinese Pancakes

I decided earlier this week to try something new. I had a recipe from a magazine for Moo Shu pork, which is one of my favorite dishes. Unfortunately, as I got started chopping and shredding the vegetables, it suddenly dawned on me that you just can't have Moo Shu pork without Chinese pancakes! So, I went online and got a general recipe and gave it a try. What a neat process. I think it is very similar to how tortillas are made, but these pancakes are much thinner and require an additional step. Today I'll post how to make the pancakes and then I will post the recipe for the filling tomorrow.

The term pancakes is really a misnomer here; they are really more like a flat bread. Yeast is not involved, but the initial dough preparation is just like making bread. Mix the flour, sugar, and salt together and then add the boiling water. Either stir by hand or use a stand mixer with a dough hook. Use plenty of flour to knead until the dough comes together and loses most of its stickiness. Add flour gradually while kneading until you can reach this stage. Spritz one side of a sheet of plastic wrap with cooking spray and wrap the dough up. Let it rest on the counter for about half an hour.

After letting the dough rest, cut it into two equal halves. Keep the spare half in the plastic or under a damp tea towel. Using plenty of flour on the counter, roll the dough out to about half a centimeter thick. Use a good sized biscuit cutter (I think mine was about 3-4 inches in diameter) to cut out rounds. Remove the excess dough and set aside to consolidate a roll again. Brush the tops of the rounds with sesame oil (regular, not toasted - you can use vegetable oil, too). Place two rounds together, oil sides touching. Set the rounds onto a parchment lined sheet.


Start a skillet heating on the stove over medium-high heat. Do not add any oil or grease to the pan. Meanwhile, flour the counter again and, one by one, roll the dough "sandwiches" out until they are paper thin. Place the paper-thin dough into the preheated pan and cook on each side until they are gently browned, a minute or two per side, depending on the heat of your pan.

Remove the cooked pancakes to a towel to cool slightly. Once they are cool enough to handle, carefully pull the two sides apart. Once you find the dough edges, they should come apart easily. Store the pancakes under a slightly damp towel to keep them from drying out too much before serving. They can be stacked at this point without worrying about them sticking together.

These keep well once cooled for up to four days in a plastic bag. Simply place in the microwave for a few seconds to soften them back up. Up tomorrow, how I made the filling!

Chinese Pancakes
Yield: about 16 pancakes

2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup boiling water
1 TBS sugar
dash salt

Mix flour, sugar, and salt together. Knead, adding small amounts of flour, until the dough comes together and loses its stickiness. Wrap dough up in cooking spray lined plastic wrap. Let the dough rest on the counter for thirty minutes.

Preheat a skillet on medium to medium-high heat. Do not oil or grease the pan. Meanwhile, roll half the dough at a time out onto a floured board. Roll until the dough is about half a centimeter thick. Use a 3-4 inch in diameter biscuit cutter to cut out rounds of dough. Brush the top of each round with sesame oil (untoasted) or regular vegetable oil. Place two rounds, oil sides together, onto a parchment lined sheet pan.

Roll each stacked round on a generously floured board until they are paper thin. Try not to get any folds in the dough as you go, as these can make it hard to pull the pancakes apart at the end. One by one, cook the pancakes in the hot skillet. Cook each side until it starts to brown lightly, about 1-2 minutes per side, depending on the heat of your pan. Remove from the pan and let cool slightly on a paper towel. As soon as the pancakes are cool enough to handle, gently peel the two sides apart. Stack separated pancakes under a slightly dampened towel until ready to serve.

Pancakes keep in an air-tight container for up to four days. Simply give them 10 seconds or so in the microwave before serving to soften them back up.

Chorizo Eggs

Back when I worked at a Mexican restaurant in the mid-90s, I learned that I really like chorizo sausage and eggs cooked up together. The chorizo is so sassy and I just love what it does for the common scrambled egg. There was just one itsy-bitsy little problem... the stuff was always so greasy that, without fail, the end result was a wicked case of heartburn. It didn't matter which Mexican restaurant I went to; every time I would end up in misery for hours afterwards. It got to the point where the misery just wasn't worth the enjoyment.

I guess because it happened regardless of the restaurant I went to, I came to work under the assumption that the greasiness was just a part of chorizo. So, to be honest, I'm not really sure what came over me when I was at the grocery store last weekend. Perhaps it was that I hadn't had a ripping good case of heartburn for a while and was feeling nostalgic, but I decided I would try some home-cooked chorizo and eggs. While I can't say that it wasn't completely grease free (it is sausage, after all), it was nothing like what I experienced at all those restaurants. And after? Nothing! I enjoyed my breakfast and then continued on my merry way. And it was so easy and delicious. What a great change of pace from bacon, sausage, or corned beef hash (our three staple breakfast meats). This is definitely getting added to the rotation!

This was the sausage that I purchased. For my husband and me, I used one of the sausages and froze the other for later. To be honest, I think that this is a great breakfast meat; maybe because it is so flavorful, it goes a long way and makes you believe you've had more meat than you have (not a bad thing when you're married to a carnivore like my husband). Please note that the chorizo is not pre-cooked.

The other thing about this chorizo is that the casing needs to be removed. As far as I know (but I'm certainly not a chorizo expert!!), chorizo is usually used as a loose sausage. Simply heat up a skillet, remove the sausage from the casing and it throw in the pan. Let it get mostly cooked and add your scrambled eggs. For the 7.5 ounces of sausage, I used four large eggs and the proportions seemed to be perfect.

Serve immediately for the best flavor and texture. I served it with home fries for breakfast, but it's also really good as a main dish with rice and refried beans. Oh, and in case you've never had chorizo and are worried, in my experience it isn't spicy hot - and I have a very low tolerance for that kind of heat - it just has a darn good, peppy flavor!

Chicken Tikka Masala

Boy, I bet you were starting to wonder if I had bit the big one, huh? I tell you, it's kind of been feeling like I have! Whew. I even had to take a day "off" to get some much needed work done. I hate trying to teach day-by-day. I now at least know where I'm headed for the next month. But I still didn't get that stack of papers graded... again, the good news is that my husband and I still have to eat. Some nights are better than others. Tonight, despite the hubby getting home at a decent hour, I just wasn't up for cooking. In fact, I got about five minutes into trying and just had to switch gears and make nachos instead. That's my go-to gig for "I can't cook" nights.

The other evening, however, I decided to christen my new Weber charcoal grill. I love chicken tikka masala. I really enjoy a lot of other Indian dishes, but this one is my favorite. I try not to let it bother me too much that it really isn't Indian but a British adaptation. Either way, it's just darn good. It's a little more involved than some dishes because it requires marinating, grilling, and then finishing on the stove, but I think it's worth it.

You start with a tangy yogurt marinade. Mix together plain yogurt with cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, ginger, and lemon juice. Throw in your chunks of chicken breast and let sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours. By the way... if anyone knows why Blogger randomly rotates pictures when you don't want them to and can explain it to me, I would be eternally grateful.

Soak some skewers in water for twenty minutes so they don't burn up while grilling. Start the grill and, meanwhile, skewer the chunks of chicken.

When the briquettes are nice and hot, throw on the skewers. You do not need to cook the chicken all the way through during this step. The purpose is to get some good flavor on that meat. You could actually, in a pinch, simply saute the chicken in a pan or broil it in the oven, but I really like the smokiness the grill imparts. I think it is crucial to the flavor of the end result.

Remove the chicken from the grill, let cool slightly, and remove from the skewers. Then, mince up some garlic and an Anaheim chili. You don't have to mince the chili. In fact, most Indian restaurants leave the pepper in larger pieces, but I'm somewhat anti-pepper, so I like my pieces small. Do whatever floats your dingy. By the way, if you like hot stuff, you can always substitute the relatively mild Anaheim with a jalapeno or other hot green pepper. You also will need a can of tomato sauce handy.

Cook the sauce ingredients together and then serve over Batsmati rice. I love those aromatic rices! Be sure to follow the rice packages directions as Batsmati rice typically takes less water than regular long-grain rices.

Chicken Tikka Masala
Yield: serves 2-3

1 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp ground cayenne
1 TBS fresh grated ginger
1 tsp salt
3 large boneless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces

1 TBS butter
1 minced clove of garlic
1 minced Anaheim chili pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp paprika
1/2 to 1 tsp salt, to taste
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
2 cups light cream

Mix together the first group of ingredients in a medium-small bowl. Stir to coat the chicken, cover, and place in the refrigerator to marinate for a few hours.

When ready to start dinner, get the grill going first. While that heats up, skewer your chicken onto pre-soaked skewers. Do not pack the skewers too tightly with meat. Grill the skewers over high heat until the meat has some good color on it. The meat does not have to be cooked all the way through. Remove from the grill and let cool until you can handle them. Remove the chicken from the skewers.

In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and then lightly saute the garlic and pepper together. Add the chicken and then the spices and tomato sauce. Stir completely. Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the cream. You could use milk, but the texture and taste are just not quite right; I'd advise against it. Cook over low heat for 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly. If the sauce is not quite as thick as you would like at this point, sprinkle a little flour through a strainer and stir in until it reaches the desired consistency. Serve over Batsmati or other aromatic rice.

Pad See Ew

I do a lot of experimenting in the kitchen. I look at recipes all the time, but I rarely cook directly from them. Fortunately, my results are usually, at a minimum, satisfactory. My experiments may not always turn out great, but they rarely are complete flops.

Except for this recipe...

My poor husband. He's such a good sport. He'll eat anything I put in front of him. He'll even "suffer" through my serving him foo-foo food occasionally when all he ever wants is guy food. You know how most guys are, don't you?

I love Pad See Ew. I order it dang near every time I go to a Thai restaurant and I was determined to learn how to make this dish at home. Trying to perfect this dish was the hardest thing I think I've ever done in the kitchen. I have never had so many flops in my life. It actually got to the point that, about a year ago, my husband very quietly and sincerely told me that he wasn't sure he could take eating another plate of homemade Pad See Ew. The poor guy.

But, for some reason, I couldn't give up. It galled me to think that I couldn't get a dish right. I searched high and low for reasons why it might be turning out so poorly. I followed recipes I found online to a T and was still disappointed. I started making it when my husband would go out of town and then throw it away in disgust.

And then one day I decided to start all over from scratch. I went to the local Oriental market and tried some new ingredients and, low and behold, I started making some passable Pad See Ew. A few more minor tweaks, and by golly, it's turned into a darn fine dish. What really changed? I now use fresh rice noodles versus dried, palm sugar instead of brown, and add rice wine and vinegar to balance the sweet.

This recipe does take some specialty ingredients. The picture below shows most of them. It does not show the bottle of rice vinegar, but that is one of the easiest to find after soy sauce. Fresh rice noodles may be the most difficult. You can use dry noodles, but I never got a satisfactory result with them. Maybe you would have better luck. The thick soy sauce is available in some Oriental markets and on Amazon. The small bowl of brown stuff is palm sugar, which has its own distinct flavor, and is also available at Oriental markets.

I love broccoli in my Pad See Ew. I also love these steaming bags a friend recently introduced me to. They're fairly cheap and so convenient, especially when you are steaming something as part of another dish. Pop the broccoli in the bag and 3 minutes later, you have perfectly steamed broccoli.

Fluffy egg is also a requirement in good Pad See Ew. I like my egg to start out a nice bright yellow color, so I cook it in the pan first before I do anything else, remove it to a dish, and then add it back in at the last minute.

Saute the chicken (or any other meat or non-meat combination you choose) until nicely browned. Add the sauce and then the fresh rice noodles. Cut the noodles so that they end up in manageable lengths. Add the broccoli, green onion, and egg. Stir until everything is heated through and coated. Serve and enjoy! Phew! It is so good to have finally figured out this dish... goodness... it only took me three years!



Pad See Ew
Yield: 2 generous servings

2 TBS palm sugar
1 TBS thick soy sauce
1 TBS rice wine
3 TBS soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp rice wine vinegar
1/4 tsp black ground pepper

3 eggs, beaten lightly
1 TBS + 1 tsp vegetable oil, divided
1 1/2 cups chopped chicken
2 cups broccoli, cut into small florets
1/3 cup diced green onion tops
16 oz fresh rice noodles

Mix the sauce ingredients together (palm sugar through pepper). Set aside. Add 1 tsp of the oil to a hot skillet and cook the scrambled eggs. Remove and set aside. Steam the broccoli until it is just tender.

Add the remaining oil to the skillet. Add the chicken and saute until almost cooked through and browned. Add the sauce to the skillet and stir to combine. Immediately add the noodles and stir. Then add the green onions and broccoli. Stir until everything is heated through and well mixed. Serve immediately.

Kofta Challow

Yes, I know. It doesn't look like much, does it? But what you see, my friends, is one of the best dinners around. It's not the food's fault that I am still an amateur photographer who continues to find certain foods very challenging to show off. But trust me, this dish is so worth your attention.

For those of you that stop by here regularly, you've probably gotten sick of me raving on about Afghan cuisine. And - possibly - wondered if I was ever going to post this recipe. I think I've talked about it multiple times now. Well, here it is! And you should try it. Soon.

It's a pretty straight-forward dish. Kofta refers to a Middle Eastern meatball dish while the challow refers to the rice. So, what you're seeing is basically a meatball and rice dish with wonderful Middle Eastern seasoning and LOTS of onions (which is lovely because onions are so good for you!).

The meatballs contain a fair amount of onion and garlic. Therefore, you want them to be grated or processed into very small pieces otherwise your meatballs will just fall apart.

Here's what my onion/garlic mixture looked like after processing:

Mix together the remaining meatball ingredients in a bowl and then form 2" meatballs. These meatballs are pretty loose, so you'll have to be somewhat careful with them. I lined the pan with some foil so that I could get them up easily since I freeze them briefly before cooking. Chilling them before cooking helps to hold them together in the initial stages of cooking.

Look at all those onions! Yum! Saute until they are slightly browned.

Then push the onions toward the outside and start sauteing the meatballs in the middle. Again, the meatballs are quite fragile until they get cooked through a little bit, so turn them very carefully. Turn regularly to brown all sides. Once they are nicely browned, add the remaining ingredients to make the sauce. This is a good time to start the rice since the dish is about 20-30 minutes from being done.

Lastly, about 15 minutes before serving, add the cauliflower. Strictly speaking, the cauliflower is optional, but it is so wonderful with this dish that I would never consider making it without.

Kofta Challow
Yield: 2-4 servings
adapted from the recipe on Afghanistan Online

For the kofta:
1 lb ground meat (beef or lamb)
1 medium onion
2-3 garlic cloves
1 whole egg
3 tsp ground coriander
1 TBS beef bouillon granules/powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Process the onion and garlic in a food processor until finely chopped, or grate onion on a box grater. Press the onion between your hands to press out some of the water. Combine onion, garlic, and meat in a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and shape into 2" diameter meatballs. I use a #12 disher to size them. This recipe makes approximately 8 meatballs. Set meatballs onto a lined tray or plate and place in the freezer to firm up for 10-20 minutes.

For the sauce:
2-3 TBS vegetable oil
2 medium onions chopped
1 TBS tomato paste
1 TBS beef bouillon granules/powder
2 tsp paprika
3 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 cups water
Half head of cauliflower, cut into pieces

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until they are slightly browned. Push the onions to the sides and add the meatballs. Brown the meatballs on all sides. Be gentle when turning them, until they are partially cooked, they are very fragile. When the meatballs are browned on all sides, mix the remaining sauce ingredients in a separate bowl and then pour into the skillet, mixing gently. Reduce heat and simmer meatballs in sauce for 10-15 minutes uncovered. Add the cauliflower and cover, cooking until tender, about 10-15 minutes more.

For the challow:
1 cup aromatic rice (Basmati or Jasmine)
1 1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cardamom

Bring water and spices to a boil. Add rice, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve. Begin rice while meatballs are simmering uncovered.