Lamb & Eggplant Shepherd's Pie

Lamb & Eggplant Shepherd’s Pie
From Bon Appetit
This is not my usual, quick supper. It's the kind of thing you do on a day you'll be around. It's not difficult, just time consuming. The end result is well worth the effort though.

Prep time: 1 hour
Stove top cooking time: 2-2½ hours
Baking time: 45 minutes
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:
Filling:
1 large eggplant (1.5lb/680g), unpeeled & cut into ¾ -1” pieces
Coarse kosher or sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil (BA says 7 tbsp divided, but I just used a little at a time as I felt it needed through the recipe)
2lb/1kg boneless lamb cut into 1” cubes
All purpose flour (just enough to dredge the lamb)
2 large onions, chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 tin (28oz/796ml) diced tomatoes in juice
3 cups beef broth
8 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp dried oregano
Topping:
2.5 lb/1kg russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1” cubes
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled
¾ cup milk
1 ¼ cups (5-6 oz/140-170g) kasseri cheese (BA suggests Provolone as a substitute and it tasted delicious), coarsely grated
Sweet Paprika (smoked would be delicious too) to sprinkle over the potatoes before baking.

Directions:
Preparing the filling: (about 30-40 minutes)
1. Place cut up eggplant on a large rimmed cookie sheet and sprinkle with coarse salt. Leave for about 1 hour, tossing occasionally. Rinse well and pat very dry.

2. Heat some olive oil in a large, heavy bottom large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the eggplant and sauté until tender, adding a little more oil if needed, but sparingly…remember that eggplant is like a sponge and will absorb everything you give it. (about 12-15 minutes). Transfer to a medium bowl.

3. Add more oil to the same pot and sear the lamb on all sides in batches. Over crowding will just give you boiled meat and the juices will escape, leaving dry lamb. Remove lamb as it’s browned and set aside in a large bowl. (about 15 minutes – the meat should be well browned and crusty on the outside, but still quite raw inside).

4. In the same pot (with all the lamb removed), add a little more oil and the onions. Toss, cover and lower the heat to medium-low until the onions are tender and translucent (about 10-15 minutes). The bottom of the pot should be very dark brown by this time, don’t worry. Add the wine, increase the heat to high and boil until the wine evaporates, scraping the bottom of the pan (about 5 minutes).

5. Add the tomatoes with their juice, the broth, garlic and oregano and bring to a boil. Add the lamb and any juices in the bowl. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour and then uncover and continue to simmer until the lamb is very tender and the gravy thickens (about 45 minutes longer - Note: I found it very soupy, so I added a slurry of 1 tbsp cornstarch to 1-2 tbsp water to dissolve the cornstarch).

6. Stir in the eggplant, add some salt & pepper if you like. Transfer to a large baking dish (BA suggests glass, I used my ceramic lasagna pan. Note: they say 13”x9”x2”, but that really filled to the top without the topping, so I suggest either a larger pan or at the very least set the pan in a large rimmed baking sheet lined with foil for easy cleanup. This step can be made up to 3 days in advance.)

Preparing the topping: (about 30-40 minutes)
1.Cook the potatoes in salted water in a large pot until tender. I actually boiled the garlic with the potatoes and then mashed them to “season” the butter and oil, giving it a more mellow, but still garlicky flavor and aroma. Drain well and return to pot to eliminate any extra moisture.

2. Melt butter with the oil and add the mashed garlic in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the milk and bring to a simmer. Add the heated milk mixture to the potatoes and mash until smooth. Stir in the cheese and season with some salt & pepper.

3. Drop the potato mixture over the filling by heaping tablespoonfuls, covering the filling completely. Note: this was when mine started to overflow and I had to ladle out some of the sauce. Sprinkle lightly with paprika.

Final Baking: (about 45 minutes)
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C

2. Bake until the filling is heated through (only really important if you’ve made the filling much earlier) and the topping is golden (about 45 minutes).

Shrimp & Seasoned Sausage Pot Pie

Shrimp & Seasoned Sausage Pot Pie
Adapted from Bon Appetit

Hands on time: 15-20 minutes
Stove top cooking time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 15 minutes for pastry tops, 5-7 minutes just before serving
Serves 4

Ingredients:
½ package frozen puff pastry, thawed (obviously you could make your own if you want)
½ cup heavy whipping cream – please don’t stint and try with milk or light cream
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp butter
3 large leeks, white & pale green parts only, cut in half length-wise, rinsed well, patted dry & thinly sliced
½ lb cooked sausages cut into ½” cubes (I used local Lunenburg lamb sausages, grilled first; Bon Appetit recommends smoked Andouille for a Cajun flavor)
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine (BA recommends dry vermouth)
2 cups fish broth or bottled clam juice
½ tsp dried thyme leaves
1 large red skinned potato, peeled and cut into cubes no more than ½” (otherwise they will take too long to cook and too much of the broth will evaporate)
1.5 lb/ 680g jumbo shrimp, deveined, peeled and cut 1” chunks (2-3 per shrimp)

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C

2. Pastry tops can even be prepared a day in advance. Roll out the thawed pastry to a 12” square and cut into 5½” rounds (actually they should just fit on the top of whatever individual baking dishes you are going to serve the pot pies in). Place on parchment lined baking sheet and bake until golden – about 15 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet or a rack. Note: if you are making these ahead, wrap airtight and store at room temperature.

Preparing the filling: (about 30-40 minutes)
3. Whisk the flour and heavy cream in a small bowl and set aside.

4. In a large skillet set over medium heat, melt the butter and add the leeks. Sauté until tender (about 10 minutes). Add the cooked sausages and garlic and sauté for another 4 minutes or so. Add the wine or vermouth and simmer until the liquid evaporates (3-4 minutes). Add the fish broth and thyme. Bring to a simmer, add the potato pieces and cook until tender (5-10 minutes). Add cream mixture to the skillet and stir until well blended and the sauce thickens (about 3 minutes). Reduce the heat to low and add shrimp. Simmer until the shrimp are opaque and just beginning to turn pink (about 3 minutes). Season with salt and pepper and divide into individual baking dishes. (BA suggests 1¼ cups each).

Final Baking before serving:
5. Use a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil (easy clean up if there are spills). Place the filled baking dishes on the sheet and top each with a round of prepared pastry. Bake until the filling bubbles (about 5-7 minutes)

Hoisin Roast Chicken

Hoisin Roast Chicken
From The New American Cooking

This dish gives "roast chicken" a whole new meaning

Prep time: 5 minutes
Roasting time: 90 minutes or until juices run clear

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 chicken (4 ½ lb/2kg)
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ - ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 large cloves garlic, mashed
2 tbsp fresh cilantro/coriander leaves, chopped
3-4 tbsp hoisin sauce (I think I added a little more during the roasting)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C

2. Prepare the chicken – remove all excess fat and pin feathers and rinse under cold water. Pat dry.

3. Season the chicken inside and out with salt & pepper. Rub the chicken & cavity with half the mashed garlic and add the rest of the garlic and all the cilantro in the cavity.

4. Smear the hoisin sauce all over the chicken, truss (actually I just tie the drumstick ends together. The ends of the wings are just tucked under) and place on a rack in a roasting pan just large enough for the chicken (my rack was too big, so I just placed the chicken directly in the pan – worked fine)

5. Roast, breast side up for 45 minutes – it will be a gorgeous mahogany color. I used a pastry brush and added a little more hoisin and some olive oil to baste once. Turn the chicken breast down and continue to roast for another 30 minutes, basting once or twice. Turn the chicken breast side up for the last few minutes. Check for doneness (poke to see if juices run clear, or…much more accurate measure…use an oven meat thermometer placed in the thickest part of the breast but do NOT touch bone. It should read 175°F/80°C

4. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminum foil for 10 minutes before carving and serving.

An excellent side is greens (baby bok choy, spinach, …) stir fried with some garlic and oyster sauce. Garlicky Rice would be yummy too.

Roasted Star Anise Carrots

Roasted Star Anise Carrots
From Chef Michael Smith’s Chef at Home (peeking out from behind a slice of rolled lamb)

Serves 2
Prep time: 5 minutes
Roasting time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
3 large carrots, peeled and cut on the diagonal (each piece about 1½-2 ”)
1 tbsp olive oil
1 star anise, finely ground (Chef Michael & I used a coffee grinder – only do that if yours is easy to clean) Note: my grinder didn’t do a fine enough job, so I used a fine sieve (tea strainer) and the back of a heavy knife – my own version of a mortar & pestle
Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F/180°C

2. Toss everything together in a mixing bowl and then place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (easy cleanup). Make sure the carrots lie flat in one layer.

3. Roast for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally until the carrots have caramelized and are tender but not mushy.

This is a fantastic side with any roasted chicken, fish or meat dish.

Persian Saffron Spiced Pasta with Split Peas

Persian Saffron-spiced Yellow Split Pea Pasta Sauce
From Healthy Cooking for the Jewish HomeRich and mellow, not your usual meat sauce

Hands on time: 20 minutes
Total cooking time: 1 hour
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 cup yellow split peas, sorted and rinsed
3 cups water
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
6oz/170g ground lamb or beef
1 small eggplant (about ¾ lb/340g), not peeled, but diced into small cubes
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp saffron threads or ½ tsp turmeric
1 can (19oz/540ml) diced tomatoes with juice
2 tbsp tomato paste
¼ cup water
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
Your favorite pasta

Directions:
1. Cook the split peas in a large saucepan in 3 cups of water. Once it comes to a boil, lower heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until the peas are just tender. You might need to add a little more water – the split peas should always be covered with water. Note: I drained the split peas once they were cooked and left them covered in their pot.

2. In the meantime, heat the oil in a Dutch oven or very deep skillet (I prefer the Dutch oven, mostly because I’m a messy cook). Add the onions and sauté over medium heat until soft (about 5-7 minutes). You don’t want them brown. Crumble the ground meat into the pot and continue to sauté until the lamb is no longer pink, stirring occasionally. Add the eggplant, salt and pepper and mix well. Cover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally until the eggplant begins to soften (about 5-6 minutes). Add the cinnamon, saffron and tomatoes. Mix, cover and cook over low heat for 15 minutes.

3. Mix the tomato paste with ¼ cup water and add to the meat sauce. Fold in the split peas and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until all the flavors meld. You can thin with a little water if it’s too thick for you. Personally I love my meat sauces so thick, a spoon could stand upright without being held. Add some lemon juice, taste for seasonings.

4. In the meantime, boil salted water in another large pot for the pasta. Five - eight minutes before serving, cook the pasta until just tender (check the box/package). Drain and place in a large serving dish. Top with sauce and sprinkle with some freshly chopped parsley.

Serve with a simple green salad with lots of herbs and a little oil & lemon juice - adds some tang to the very rich sauce

Yemenite Lentil Soup with Noodles & Tomatoes

Yemenite Lentil Soup with Noodles & Tomatoes
From Faye Levy's Healthy Cooking for the Jewish Home

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 35-40 minutes
Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1½ cups red lentils, picked over for little stones, rinsed & drained
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
4-5 cups water or vegetable broth
1 can (19oz/540ml) tomatoes (I bought the kind already diced, and didn’t drain as the recipe suggests – tasted delicious anyway)
1 tsp ground cumin
¼ - ½ tsp turmeric
3oz/85g thin pasta like vermicelli or spaghettini, broken into 3”-4” lengths (about a cup)
Freshly ground black or cayenne pepper

Directions:
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan (I used my Dutch oven) and sauté the onions over medium low heat until they are golden (about 7-8 minutes). Remove half the onions and set aside.

2. Add the lentils and liquid to the remaining onions in the pot and bring it to a boil. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Puree the tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Add the tomatoes, cumin & turmeric to the pot and simmer for another 15 minutes or until the red lentils are very soft.

4. In the meantime, boil salted water for the pasta. Five minutes before serving, cook the pasta until just tender. Drain and add to the soup pot along with the remaining onions.

Add black or cayenne pepper and serve hot.

Farfalle with Garlic Butter Shrimps & Pancetta

Farfalle with Garlic Butter Shrimp & Pancetta
Adapted from Delicious - Australia

Prep/Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Serves 3-4

Ingredients
1 box (10oz/300g) whole wheat Farfalle (or whatever your short favorite is)
2oz/60g unsalted butter, softened
2 large cloves garlic, minced
Juice of half lemon
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped (plus some extra for garnish)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3oz/85g pancetta, roughly chopped
1lb/500g shrimp, roughly chopped (I used large shrimp, just because that’s what I always have in my freezer. For this recipe…size really doesn’t matter. It’s all about the flavor, so choose your favorite)

Directions
1. Cook the pasta in salted water in a large Dutch oven.

2. In the meantime, mash the butter, basil, lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.

3. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet and add the pancetta. Cook until crispy over medium high heat (3-4 minutes). Remove pancetta from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Do not toss the pancetta drippings left in the skillet.

4. To the pancetta drippings, add half the garlic butter mixture. Once the butter is melted, add the shrimp and sauté until pink (usually 2-3 minutes should do the trick). Note: this step should be done when the pasta is almost done so that neither the pasta or the shrimp are overcooked.

5. Drain the pasta and add it to the shrimp. Add the pancetta and the rest of the garlic butter. Toss and serve garnished with extra basil.

This dish is very flavorful - frankly one of my all-time favorite, so I don't like to serve it with anything that might detract from it or fight for center stage. A simple salad with oil and a touch of champagne vinegar or lemon juice is all you need.

Mediterranean Inspired Pasta with Sun Dried Tomatoes & Olives and Preserved Lemons

Mediterranean Inspired Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower, Preserved Lemons, Sun dried Olives & Tomatoes
Inspired by the back cover of Fine Cooking and served here with roasted salmon

Prep time: 5 minutes (plus time to boil the water)
Roasting time: 10-15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients
½ head of cauliflower, cut into small florets
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper
9 sage leaves, finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup sun dried tomatoes (in oil), thinly sliced
¼ cup sun dried black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
¼ cup preserved lemon, rinsed well, pulp removed and coarsely chopped
Pinch of red chili pepper flakes (more if you like it really spicy)
Pasta options:
The magazine called for orecchiette but I couldn’t find any, so I bought fresh whole wheat linguine. Next time, I’d stick to any short pasta: penne, farfalle, rotini

To serve:
1 -2 tbsp fresh parsley or oregano, finely chopped (as garnish)
handful of baby arugula leaves
Coarsely grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425°F/200°C and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean up.

2. Fill a large Dutch oven with water and bring to a boil.

3. While the pasta is boiling, prepare the “sauce”. Toss the cauliflower with salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast on the prepared baking sheet for 5 minutes or so…just until the cauliflower is soft, but not really colored yet.

4. While the cauliflower is roasting, combine the sage leaves, garlic, tomatoes. Olives, red pepper flakes and preserved lemons in a small bowl. Once the cauliflower is soft, add this mixture to the baking sheet. Toss with cauliflower and continue to roast until the cauliflower is golden.

5. Boil pasta with 1 tbsp salt for time specified on package. Fresh pasta takes less than five minutes – sometimes only 2-3, dried pasta takes anywhere from 5-10. So don’t start cooking the pasta until the cauliflower mixture is almost done. You can always turn the oven off and just leave them in topped with aluminum foil if the cauliflower looks golden before the pasta is al dente.
Note: I bring the pot of water to a boil at the beginning of my prep, that way it only takes a couple of minutes on high heat to actually cook the pasta so that it all comes together at the same time.

6. Drain the pasta when it’s al dente and place in a large serving bowl (reserve ¼ cup of cooking liquid). Add the cauliflower mixture, toss with coarsely grated cheese, arugula and a touch more olive oil. Taste for seasoning and add a little more red chili pepper flakes, more parsley and either cooking liquid or drizzle of extra virgin olive oil as a garnish.

Another Pasta Frittata

Leftover Pasta Frittata

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil
Leftover pasta, this time (I used 5 Cheese Whole Wheat Tortellini in Tomato Sauce coarsely chopped)
4-5 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp crushed red chili pepper flakes
2 heaping spoonfuls of the left over sauce
1/2 cup coarsely grated hard cheese (I used Romano, but feta would be delicious too)
chopped parsley for garnish

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400F/200C.

2. Using a small oven proof saute pan over medium high heat, pour a little olive oil in the pan and add the cooked pasta just to heat it through - 2-3 minutes.

3. In a bowl beat the eggs and add the sauce, chili pepper and cheese. Mix well and pour over the pasta in the pan.

4 Allow to cook until the edges are set. You can help the process by gently lifting the sides of the frittata, allowing the liquid to settle at the bottom of the pan. It should still be somewhat wet on top.

5. Bake until the frittata is completely set and the top is golden. (5-10 minutes)

6. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley and some additional cheese and serve.

How simple is that?

Curried Sweet Potato Soup with Chicken & Spinach

Curried Sweet Potato Soup with Chicken & Spinach
Adapted from Ainsley Harriott's Fresh and Fabulous Meals in Minutes

Vegetarians out there...it’s perfectly delicious without the chicken and done with vegetable broth. I even have a fabulous roasted vegetable broth you can make. In fact, even though I used chicken this time, I actually made the base with the vegetable broth.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40-50 minutes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 onion, chopped
1 leek, cut in half length-wise, rinsed well, pat dry and chop
2 cloves garlic, crushed
¼ tsp red chili pepper flakes (more if you like heat – this is a rich, mellow soup, but a little after kick is great)
2 heaping tsp mild curry powder (really, you don’t want the curry to overpower the flavor of the sweet potatoes)
4 cups broth – chicken or vegetable (have some extra handy in case the soup is too thick for you)
3 medium to large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
2 large cooked chicken breasts, shredded – use a fork and scrape across the grain(obviously, vegetarians…well, I don’t really have to tell you to omit)
1 small handful of baby spinach leaves per bowl (see note in step 5), coarsely chopped
Freshly ground nutmeg
Salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat, melt the butter in the oil. Add the chopped onion and leek and cook for about 5 minutes – until they are tender but not colored. Add the garlic, chili pepper flakes and curry powder and cook for another minute or so…just until the fragrance makes you moan.

2. Raise the heat to high and add the sweet potato chunks (remember, the smaller the chunks, the quicker they’re done) and the broth and bring to a boil. Then reduce to low and half cover the pot. Simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft (anywhere from 20-40 minutes)

3. Puree the soup until smooth. You can do this in a food processor or blender, but I prefer to use my immersion blender right in the pot. Much easier on the clean up! Taste for seasonings. This is when you might want to add more broth if you find it to thick.
Note: all this can be done in advance.

4. Five to ten minutes before serving, add the shredded chicken, if using and allow to heat through.

5. Place a handful of chopped baby spinach leaves in the bottom of each bowl and ladle soup over top. The heat of the soup will wilt the spinach. Note: One thing I dislike is left over soup with slimy spinach and delicate baby spinach, slimes easily. It’s so much easier to just add a handful of fresh spinach whenever you crave a bowl.

To serve, grate some nutmeg over each bowl. It’s great with naan bread and it was equally tasty with Scandinavian Rye.

Scandinavian Light Rye

Scandinavian Light Rye Bread
Adapted from The Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook

Don't let the name fool you...the "light" just means color. The bread is dense and rich and delicious.


Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Bread machine just for kneading the dough: 1½ hours
Second rising: 40-60 minutes
Baking time: 25-30 minutes (or until bread sounds hollow when you tap it with your knuckles)
Ingredients: It’s important that the ingredients are added to the machine in the following order:
1 1/8 cup water (room temperature)
1 ½ tbsp canola oil
1 7/8 cups bread flour
1 1/8 cup rye flour
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp gluten
1 ½ tbsp caraway seeds
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tbsp bread machine yeast ( or 2 ½ tsp SAF yeast)
Coarse corn meal to sprinkle on the baking sheet

Directions:
1. Place all the ingredients in a bread maker in the order given and set to “dough”.

2. Once the dough cycle is finished, remove dough from the bread machine, shape into a loaf (this dough is quite dry, so you don’t even need to dump it onto a floured surface before shaping). Then either:
a) place it on a pizza paddle, sprinkled with coarse corn meal, close to the edge of the paddle furthest from the handle, cover
b) place the shaped dough on a prepared baking sheet (parchment paper sprinkled with corn meal. Note: if you only have rimmed baking sheets, use the underside, so the prepared loaf can just slide onto the pizza stone. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you still want to have a heated baking sheet in the oven – see step 4).

3. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise until double (about 40-60 minutes), preferably in a warm, dry place away from drafts. It’s cold and drafty in my kitchen (open plan great rooms are lovely usually, but not for finding warm places for dough to rise) so I preheat the oven to 200°F/90°C (lowest setting) and as soon as it’s at that temperature I turn the oven off, leave the door open for a minute or two, add the covered loaf , close the door and let it sit until it doubles.
REMOVE THE BREAD FROM THE OVEN after 20 minutes (the entire resting process could take place on a dry draft free surface).

4. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220°C. For really crispy crusts like breads from a bakery, place a baking stone (if you have one – I use a pizza stone) set in the middle of the oven. Allow the pizza stone to heat through – 20-30 minutes. If you don’t have a pizza stone, you only need to preheat the oven for 10-15 minutes. I would place an unrimmed baking sheet (or rimmed baking sheet upside down) in the oven. Score the top of the loaf with a serrated knife 3 times diagonally (that means just lightly cut into the top of the dough). Cuts should be no deeper than ¼” . Do this quickly and don’t worry that the loaf will still fall slightly, it will rise again in the oven.

5. To bake the bread, I just use a dough scraper to help ease the loaf onto the pizza stone in the oven without losing its shape. If you don’t have a pizza paddle, slide the loaf on the parchment directly onto the heated baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the bread sounds hollow when you knock it.

Last great tip…if you want the crust crunchy, place 1 cup of very hot water in a shallow pan in the oven somewhere not in the way of the bread rising and quickly shut the door. This step was counter intuitive for me – adding steam to make something crunchy…but it really works.

6. Once the bread is ready, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool on a rack for about 10 minutes before slicing- hard to be patient, it smells so good.

Thai-style Chicken, Shrimp & Corn Cakes

Thai-style Chicken, Shrimp & Corn Cakes with Sweet Chili Sauce
from Ainsley Harriott's Fresh and Fabulous Meals in Minutes

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes

Makes 16 pieces

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts, skinless boneless
9oz/250g raw tiger shrimp, peeled & deveined (doesn’t really matter what size as they’ll be pulsed in a food processor)
1 egg white
1 clove of garlic, minced
1-3 tbsp Thai red curry paste (just depends on how hot you like things)
2oz/50g fresh breadcrumbs (I use Panko crumbs)
1 can (7oz/195g) corn niblets, drained
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
4 green onions (spring onions), sliced
2 tbsp sunflower or canola oil
1 lime, cut in wedges to serve
Sweet Chili Sauce:
4 tbsp sweet chili sauce (I like the Thai style)
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp Asian fish sauce
2” piece cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C and line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup.

1. Roughly chop the chicken breasts and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add the shrimp, egg white, garlic and curry paste. Process until finely chopped.

2. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and add the breadcrumbs, corn, cilantro and green onions and mix well.

3. Using wet hands, shape the mixture into patties (should make 16 small ones – they’ll cook quicker).

4. To make the chili sauce: mix the 3 sauces together in a bowl and then add the cucumber (if using). Set aside.

5. Heat oil in a large skillet set over medium high heat. Add the patties a few at a time and cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown.

6. Bake the cakes for 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve with lime wedges and the sweet chili sauce .

Sicilian Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms

Sicilian Stuffed Artichoke Bottoms
From Small Bites

Makes 6-8 pieces
Prep time: 45 minutes (if you’re starting with whole artichokes, 5 minutes if you’re using frozen)
Total Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
6-8 globe artichokes (I used a bag of frozen artichoke bottoms– 14oz/400g)
Juice of 3 lemons (only need one if you're using the frozen bottoms)
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
6 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp fresh mint, chopped
1 tsp each salt & pepper
4 tbsp water
1 cup homemade breadcrumbs (I like Panko crumbs)
1 tsp grated lemon zest
3 tsp flat leaf/Italian parsley, chopped
1 tbsp small capers, rinsed
2oz/50g provolone cheese, cut into 6-8 slices
Garnish: lemon zest & arugula

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C and line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil (for easy cleanups).

To make your own artichoke bottoms:
1. Peel outer leaves of the artichoke until you reach the pale green, soft part.
2. Slice off the stem. Using a heavy sharp knife, cut away the top ¾ of the artichoke, reserving the bottom.
3. Trim off the hard edges with a small paring knife. Use a spoon to scrape out any remaining inner choke.
4. Place the cleaned artichoke in a bowl of water with 1/3 of the lemon juice.
Note: If you’re starting with prepared artichoke bottoms, just place them in the bowl of lemon water until you’re ready for the next step.

2. Add half the chopped garlic and 3 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat and sauté the garlic until slightly golden. Drain the prepared artichoke bottoms, add to the pan and cook for 1 minute. Add the mint, a little salt and pepper, water and remaining lemon juice.

3. Reduce the heat to medium low and cover the saucepan. Cook until the artichokes can be pierced with a knife tip, but not mushy (anywhere from 3-10 minutes depending if you’re starting from frozen or raw, which take longer than the frozen). Remove to the prepared baking sheet.

4. In the meantime, combine breadcrumbs, lemon zest, parsley, capers and remaining garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper in a small bowl and set aside.

5. Putting it all together: Place a slice of cheese on each artichoke bottom and distribute the breadcrumb mixture evenly on top.

6. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and breadcrumbs are toasty.

Serve warm and garnish with lemon zest and arugula sprigs.

Quick Five Cheese Whole Wheat Tortellini with Spinach, Mushrooms & Sun Dried Olives

Quick Five Cheese Whole Wheat Tortellini with Spinach, Mushrooms & Sun Dried Olives

Prep Time: 5 minutes (plus time to boil water)
CookTime: 15 minutes
Serves 4

Ingredients:
600 g/1lb fresh whole wheat tortellini (or other fresh stuffed pasta)
Sauce:
1-2 tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, cut in half length-wise, rinsed, dried and sliced thin across
1 cup, sliced cremini mushrooms
1 tin (22oz/650ml) tomato sauce (I tried one with roasted garlic)
1tsp dried basil leaves
½ tsp red chili pepper flakes
Pinch of sugar (I always find canned tomato sauces too acidic)
½ cup wine (I only had white on hand, but either works well)
1 bag (10oz/284g) baby spinach, wilted in microwave and then chopped
½ cup sun-dried black olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
Asiago cheese, grated to serve

Directions:
1. Boil water in a large Dutch oven. The tortellini actually only take 5 minutes to cook, so wait until the sauce is tasty before adding tortellini to the pot.

2. In another large saucepan, over medium high heat, sauté the leeks in a little olive oil. You want them soft, not browned, so watch the heat. Once the leeks are translucent (3-5 minutes), add the mushrooms and sauté until browned. You might need a little more oil, but don’t get carried away, the mushrooms will absorb whatever you give them.

3. Add the tomato sauce, chili pepper flakes, dried basil, sugar and cook for 5 minutes. Add the wine and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes. You want to burn off the alcohol, but still taste the wine.

4. Add the spinach and olives to the sauce. Stir to blend. At the same time, add the tortellini to the salted boiling water and cook according to package…not more than 5 minutes.

5. Drain the tortellini and place in a large serving bowl. Top with some sauce and toss well. Sprinkle with some coarsely grated Asiago (because you can never have enough cheese) and serve.

I serve this with a simple salad. Delicioso!

Multigrain Scones

Multigrain Scones
From The Healthy Kitchen

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Baking time: 15-20 minutes

Makes 10 scones

Ingredients:
1 large egg
½ cup sugar
5 tbsp canola or grapeseed oil
¼ tsp lemon zest
½ cut oatmeal (not instant)
¼ cup wheat bran (I actually used oat bran)
1 ½ cups unbleached white flour (I used ¾ cup whole wheat, ¾ cup unbleached all purpose)
2 tbsp millet (I didn’t have any so I added 2 tbsp sunflower seeds instead)
2 tbsp poppy seeds
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional, but delicious)
½ cup dried blueberries (my addition)
½ cup milk
Zesty Lemon Topping: (I didn’t make any topping and they were very tasty plain)
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
¼ cup confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)

Directions:
1. Pre heat the oven to 375°F/190°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl whisk the egg, sugar and oil.

3. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until a thick dough is formed (mine was crumbly and dry, but don’t worry about it). Add the milk and mix well. The dough will be very firm.

4. Scoop up large spoonfuls of the dough and drop onto the baking sheet leaving about 2” of space between them (10 scones).

5. Bake for 12-15 minutes. The scones should be barely golden and dry. Remove from the oven.

6. Cool on a cake rack for 10 minutes.

If you like sweet topping….mix the lemon juice and sugar with a for until the sugar is melted. Drizzle 1 tbsp over each scone.

Lebanese Molokhai with Rice & Chicken

Lebanese Molokhai with Rice & Chicken

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total cooking time: 30 minutes (includes time to cook rice)

Serves 4

Ingredients:
Rice (1 cup rice – I like Basmati, 6 cups water for open pot cooking) makes 3 cups cooked rice
Cooked chicken, cut into chunks or shredded ( 1 cup per person – I used the meat from 2 chicken breasts)

Molokhia: you can substitute spinach but it won’t have quite the same flavor
2 cups chicken broth
1 pkg (14oz/400g) frozen minced molokhia
1 tbsp butter
5-6 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp Lebanese 7 Spices mix – allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, coriander, ginger, clove & nutmeg (or the package of molokhai suggests ground coriander)

Directions:
1. In a medium sauce pan or pot, bring the chicken broth to a boil. Add the frozen molokhia (I actually used the microwave to at least soften it enough to cut the block into four) and stir from time to time until completely defrosted and incorporated into the soup.

2. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the garlic. Cook until fragrant (2 minutes or so).

3. Stir the garlic butter into the soup, add the seasonings and stir. Cook for another 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.

To serve:
One suggestion is to serve the soup with the rice and soup on the side. Another ( Tony at Gourmet Cash & Carry) is to serve on a platter with rice on the bottom, and soup and chicken over top.

It’s very mellow and has a distinct flavor. The texture of the molokhia is slightly slimy, so for the uninitiated, I suggest pouring some over the rice rather than eating separately. But experiment and have fun.

Haitian New Year Soupe Jaune

Haitian New Year "Soupe Jaune"
From The New American Cooking

Prep time: 10 minutes
Roasting time: 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of the squash)
Cooking time: 1½ - 2 hours
Serves 8-10

Ingredients
1 butternut squash (about 3 ½ lb/1.5kg), cut in half length-wise and seeded
½ tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp cracked black pepper
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ lb/ ¾ kg beef stew cut into 1½“ cubes
1 tbsp Creole seasoning
1 large onion, chopped (about 1½ cups)
1 cabbage (3lb/2.2 kg), shredded (about 4 cups)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
3 quarts/litres chicken broth or water (I always go for broth)
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried
1 tbsp kosher salt – sounds like a lot, but really it wasn’t salty at all
1 ½ tsp cracked black pepper
¼ tsp ground allspice
8 carrots, peeled and cut into 1” rounds (about 3 cups)
2 cups farfalle - optional
¼ cup fresh parsley – flat leaf, preferred, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C and cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy cleanup. Brush the cut side with some olive oil, season with a little salt & pepper and roast (I always roast cut side down, but this recipe calls for cut side up – I think both ways are fine) until tender. Anywhere from 40-60 minutes depending on the squash. Allow it to cool for about 10 minutes or at least until it’s cool enough to handle. Scrape out the pulp and discard the skin. Set aside.

2. In the meantime, in a large bowl, toss the beef with the Creole seasoning.

3. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and sear the meat on all sides. Do not crowd the pot or the meat will just boil. Remove seared meat when done with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.

4. Sauté the cabbage and onion in the same pot, adding a little more oil and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss in the garlic and ginger and cook for another 2-3 minutes. You just want to get the aroma going, you don’t want the delicate garlic & ginger to burn.

5. Pour the broth over the onions and cabbage and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the squash, beef and thyme. Season with salt, pepper and allspice. Simmer, covered for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan.

6. Add the carrot rounds and simmer for another 30 minutes or until the carrots are just tender – not mushy.

7. If you are adding Farfalle (I didn’t this time) add it now and cook for about 10-15 minutes longer (just until the pasta is al dente).

If the soup is too thick, you can add more broth or some water.

Ladle into bowls and garnish with parsley.