Chickpea and zucchini kofta

Both this recipe and the following one come from Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume.  I am glad I made both.  They complimented each other nicely.  TAHINI, LEMON AND SUMAC SAUCE:  Mix 3 tbsp tahini, 1 tsp ground cumin, juice of 2 small lemons.  Add a little water, slowly, and stir until it becomes the texture of thick cream.  Add 2 minced garlic cloves and stir.  Mix 2 tbsp olive oil with 1/2 tsp sumac.  Drizzle over tahini mixture.  Sprinkle 1 tsp black sesame seeds over the top.  (I used regular seeds)

Another dip, not pretty, but tasty.  This is an adaptation from the above mention cookbook due to the ingredients on hand.  YOGURT AND FETA DIP:  Mix 2 oz feta with 1/2 - 3/4 cup yogurt (Greek would be best).  Add 2 minced garlic cloves and a little dried oregano.  Season with pepper.  Sprinkle with 2 tbsp chopped toasted almonds, 1/2 tsp sweet paprika and 1 tbsp olive oil.

The original recipe for the kofta comes from the same book, but I didn't have most of the ingredients for the recipe.  So, this is what I made instead.  I liked it.  I will probably make a version of it again.  ZUCCHINI AND CHICKPEA KOFTA: Grate 1 onion and 1 zucchini.  Heat 3 tbsp olive oil.  Add zucchini and onion.  Saute about 3 minutes.  Add 1 1/2 cups (or so) of cooked chickpeas.  Stir.  Season with 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp hot paprika, 1/2 tsp sweet paprika and salt and pepper.  Add 3 cups of water.  Stir.  Add 1/3 cup cracked wheat.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer hard until all the fluid is absorbed and the wheat is tender.  Put in food processor and chop a few times.  Let cool.  Make into balls, dredge in flour and cook in a couple of tbsp olive oil.  When browned, put in a hot pan in the oven at 350 degrees.  (The original recipe called for fine bulgar, not cracked wheat)  I served all this with toasted pita, chopped tomatos and cucumber, chicken cooked earlier in the week tossed with olive oil and sumac and roasted cauliflower with cumin.

Sunday night supper club: Hanukkah

Kurt and Laura's cookies and donuts.  The cookie recipe comes from Saveur.  The donut recipe will come later.  (Sorry Kurt, I can't find the sheet you gave me!)

Josie's Pastrami on rye with pickles.

Connie's Sweet Lokshen Kugel:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cover 1 cup raisins with hot water to plump.  Boil 16 oz egg noodles til tender.  Drain and return noodles to pot.  In a food processor, mix together 6 large eggs, 1 # sour cream, 1 cup cottage cheese, 1 cup cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup melted butter, 1/4 tsp salt.  Pour egg mixture over cooked noodles and stir well.  Drain and pat dry the raisins.  Stir into noodles.  Spray a baking dish with cooking oil.  Put noodle mixture into dish.  Combine 1 cup crushed corn flakes, 1/2 stick butter, 6 T sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.  Cook noodles 30 minutes.  Then put on the corn flake mixture and cook another 30 minutes.  Let rest 20 minutes.

Pam also made a sweet kugel.  Her recipe can be found here:   http://www.cyber-kitchen.com/rfcj/KUGELS/Noodle_Kugel_with_Currants_and_Apple_-_dairy.html

Sam's homemade pastrami.  WOW!

Arty table shot.

Wilson's Latkes.  They also made a brisket.

Speake's Kugel:  Grate 2 pounds potato.  Salt lightly and let drain.  Cook 2 cups chopped onion and 1 tbsp chopped shallot in 1/4 cup chicken fat for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Add pepper and potatoes.  Let cool a few minutes.  Add 4 beaten eggs.  Heat 1/4 cup chicken fat in a cast iron skillet.  Put potato mixture in and back 50 minutes at 400 degrees.  Before serving, brush with a little margarine or chicken fat and broil til crispy.  (5 minutes and it was almost burnt)

Werth's bagels and lox

Dri's amazing challah bread.

ANDY

Jennifer's Salmon Spread recipe can be found here:  http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/smoked_salmon_spread.html

 

 

Matt making the latkes.

Thank you Wilson's for a wonderful night.  Next month will be at the Werth's.  Country to be determined.

Baked Kofta

I have been a little lax in my blogging lately.  I picked up a cookbook by Silvena Rowe at the library, Purple Citrus and Sweet Perfume.  I am very excited about this cookbook.  The baked kofta was the first thing I made, mainly because I had all the ingredients at my house.  It was a quick lunch and very delicious.

Baked Kofta: 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Soak 1 slice of bread in 1/3 cup milk.  I used wheat bread and it was fine.  Squeeze out excess milk and crumble into a bowl, along with 7 oz ground beef, 7 oz ground pork, 1 grated onion, 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley, 1 large egg, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp red chili flakes, 1/4 tsp sweet paprika, salt and pepper.  Mix and divide into 12 meatballs.  Slightly flatten them and dredge in flour.  Brown in olive oil, each side about 4 minutes.  Put in baking dish.

Sauce - Using the same pan that you cooked the kofta, add 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 large tomatoes (chopped), 2 tbsp tomatoe paste, 1 tsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp dried oregano, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.  Pour over koftas and bake for 20 minutes.

Another break...

The boys are requesting one more week of a break from Mediterranean food.  (I think this actually is a break from Greece and the Middle East). 

So this week, it's Indian food.  I have missed Indian food, so I don't mind.  Last night I made pork vindaloo in the pressure cooker with cabbage sauted with fennel seeds, cumin seeds, and sesame seeds.  I think both recipes can be found in 2011 blog.  Most of the recipes I make this week should be found there.  Sam specifically asked that I not make anything new, just my "homemade Indian food".  Be back next week.

Enchiladas with pepita sauce

The sauce is also based on a Rick Bayless recipe.

For the sauce:

Toast 1 cup pumpkin seeds.  Set aside.  In a food processor add 1/2 chopped onion, 3 garlic cloves, 2 chopped serrano peppers, 3 romaine leaves, 2 radish leaves, 12 sprigs of cilantro and the pumpkin seeds.  Process.  Add 1 1/2 cup chicken broth.  Process.  Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan.  Add mixture.  Cook 10 minutes.  Add 2 cups of chicken broth.  Cover and simmer 20 minutes.  Process again.  (At this point I didn't like the texture.  It felt like chewing on sunflower seed shells, so..)  If you like the texture, the sauce is ready.  If not, put through a sieve.  Mix a couple of tbsp sauce and mix it with a tbsp of masa harina.  Whisk back into sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes.

For the filling:  Saute 1/2 onion, 4 garlic cloves (chopped), in 1 tbsp oil.  Add 1 diced zucchini.  Cook a couple of minutes.  Add 1 tbsp cumin.  Stir.  Add a little water.  Add 4 cups spinach and cook until wilted.  Add a couple of cups of black beans.

Put a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a pan.  Roll filling into corn tortillas along with a little queso fresco.  Cover with sauce and a little more queso fresco.  Bake 15 minutes at 350.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

A break in Mexico: Chicken with poblanos, mushrooms and cream

Sam has asked for a break from the Mediterranean food, so we are now doing a week of Mexico.  Maybe a little longer, we'll see.  So far, we have made a basic white bean and pork shoulder stew and some Raytown tacos.  (Ground beef seasoned with ancho chili pepper, cumin, coriander, salt, pepper and cayenne.  Canned refried beans.  Lettuce, tomatoes and cheddar)

This recipe is based on a Rick Bayless recipe:

Roast 4 poblano peppers until charred, about 10 minutes under the broiler.  Cover with a towel for 5 minutes.  Peel and seed.  Slice into thin slices.  Heat a tbsp of oil.  Add 1 chopped onion and 4 chopped garlic cloves.  Cook about 5 minutes.  Add tsp each dried oregano and dried thyme.  Stir.  Add the chilis and heat.

Scoop about 1/3 of the peppers out and chop them.  Set aside.  Add 1/2 cup cream to the skillet.  Simmer 5 minutes.  Put in food processor.  Add another 1/2 cup cream to it and process until smooth.  Stir in 1/3 cup chopped cilantro and the poblanos that were set aside.  Season to taste.

Heat oven to 350.

Heat some oil in a cast iron pan.  Brown 2 pounds chicken parts hard.  (You can use whatever meat you want at this point).  Remove from heat.  Add 8 oz sliced mushrooms.  Cook another 5 minutes.  ( I deglazed the pan with a little white wine because the mushrooms were sticking)  Add the chicken back to the pan.  Spoon the sauce over the top.  Bake about 25 minutes or until chicken (or whatever meat you want) is done.

This sauce is really delicious.  You can make it without the meat.  I stirred some leftover sauce into a bowl of rice and beans this morning.  Perfect.

Sunday night supper club: Thailand

Thai Chicken Wings from the Speakes.  Ours were dry.  Kurt's were so much better that we mixed ours in with his. 

Kurt's delicious Thai chicken wings:  Grill chicken wings then toss with peanut sauce.  Peanut Sauce:  1 can coconut milk, 1 cup peanut butter, 1/2 lime, garlic chili paste, 1/2 cup brown sugar and salt. 

Kingsley's Pad Thai:   Saute 5 diced garlic cloves and one small diced onion in sesame oil.  Add 4 eggs, scramble.  Combine 6 tbsp fish sauce, 6 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp rice finegar, 2 tbsp red curry for spice, 1/2 lime.  Deglaze pan with liquid.  Add noodles.  Garnish with green onions and cashews.

Jennifer's

Miang Kum

 

Pam's Kitchen Sink Thai Soup:  Throw the following into a crockpot:  1 trader joe's package frozen tom am soup with wontopbs and herbs (reserving wonton for another use), 1 can coconut milk, 1 32 oz package of chicken stock, 15-18 frozen shrimp - medium (raw, deveined), 1/2 bag Hyvee frozen "Oriental" veggie mix, 1 small can water chestnuts, 1 tsp lemon zest, and 2 tbsp chopped cilantro.  Set on high for 3 hours.  Adjust for salt and sweet.  (She add 1 tbsp raw sugar and 1 tbsp salt).  Serve with lime and fresh cilantro.

Pete and Mary Beth's wonderful fish.

McGarity's boozy Thai egg nog.

Werth noodles.  They also brought a wonderful curry soup that I didn't get a picture of. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KURTY!

Connie was a lovely host and somehow I didn't get a picture of her wonderful spicy dish, but here is the recipe:  Laab from ThaiTable.com

1-2 Servings, Prep Time: 10 Minutes, Total Time: 15 Minutes

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• 5 sprigs sliced cilantro
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 sliced green onion Optional
• 1/4 tablespoon ground dried chili pepper
• 1/2 lbs ground pork
• 1-2 limes
• 1/4 thinly sliced shallots
• 3 sprigs spearmint Optional
• 1 tablespoon toasted rice

Tips and Techniques

Substitute any ground meat for ground pork.
Substitute red onion or just onion for shallot if you like.
The spearmint adds zing to the laab.
For this dish, many people use a small pot but I use my cast iron pan. I can heat it up really hot without destroying the pan. It also retains heat well and heats evenly.

Squeeze juice from 1/3 of the lime on to the ground pork. Mix well and let it marinate for just a couple of minutes until you are ready to cook it.
Heat up a pan on high until it is very hot. Add two tablespoons of water and then immediately add your marinated pork and stir. The pork will stick to the pan at first, but then the juice will come out and the meat will loosen from the bottom. Keep stirring until the pork is well done. Traditionally, the pork is undercooked, but I do not recommend undercooking pork for health reasons.
Put the pork in a bowl a large mixing bowl that will hold all the ingredients. Add fish sauce, green onion, shallot, cilantro, the rest of the lime juice, ground chili pepper and almost all of toasted rice into the bowl. Save some toasted rice to sprinkle on top for garnish. Mix well and taste. It should be a little bit hot. You should be able to taste tartness from the lime juice and the fish sauce. If you need to add more fish sauce or lime juice, don't be afraid. Getting the flavor balance right is a trial and error process.
Put the mixed ingredients in a serving bowl, garnish with spearmint and sprinkle the rest of toasted rice on top. Serve with vegetables like cabbage, green beans, lettuce and Thai basil.