Fried Chicken, Caribbean Style
The direction say that mixing the chicken up for marinating is mess and boy is it!!!
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 2 hours, largely unattended
8 chicken thighs (I used boneless chicken breast)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon curry powder
1/2 ground all spice ( I did not have any do I used 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon clove)
2 Tablespoon minced garlic (so I have to admit I read this wrong and put ginger in, after see the mistake I added garlic too.)
1 Scotch bonnet seeded, and minced, or cayenne to taste (I used cayenne)
1 egg
1 cup flour
Corn oil for deep frying
Lemon or lime wedges for serving
1. Toss the chicken in a bowl with salt, pepper, curry, allspice, garlic, chile, 2 tablespoons water, and the egg. When thoroughly combined, blend in the flour, using your hands. The mixture will be a mess! Keep mixing until most of the flour is blended with the other ingredients and coat the chicken-ti will never be perfect, so don't spend too much time on it. Refrigerate for at least an hour and up to a day.
2. When you're ready to cook, put about 2 inches of oil in a skillet or large deep saucepan and turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil reaches about 325 degrees- a pinch of flour will sizzle-you can begin to fry chicken. Dredge each piece in any flour that remains in the bottom of the bowl and gently place in the oil. Do not crowd; cook in batches if necessary (this chicken will stay hot for a good 15-20 minutes). Fry, turning 3-4 minutes, until nicely browned all over, about 20 minutes. At that point the piece will be done but if you want to make sure, make a small slit in each piece and check for blood.
3. Serve hot, warm, at room temperature, or cold with lemon or lime wedges.
Rate:
Veronica:
Jason:
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Lamb Shanks with Lentils
We have had a small piece of leg of lamb in the freezer and I thought we should use it before it got freezer burn. I LOVE lamb shanks....I think they might be my favorite thing to eat!!! I am always on the look out for a good lamb shank. So I bought three lamb shanks and used the piece of leg and tried this recipe.
Lamb Shanks with Lentils
(France)
Makes: 4 servings
Time: At least 2 hours, largely unattended
3/4 pound dried lentils, rinsed and picked over
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped (I used a large leek)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 bottle dry red wine
4 lamb shanks
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a roasting pan or flameproof casserole and stir; bring to a boil on top pf the stove, then nestle the lamb shanks among the lentils, cover the pan (aluminum foil will do), and put in the oven. Lower the heat to 350 degrees and cook, undisturbed, for about an hour.
2. Uncover and stir the lentils gently; season with salt and pepper. Re-cover and cook for about 1 hour more, until the lentils are very tender and the lamb begins to pull away from the bone; if at any point the mixture threatens to dry out, add more wine or water. And don't worry about overcooking the lentils; just make sure the lamb is done. When the lamb is tender, uncover the pan, raise the heat to 400 degrees, and cook for another 15 minutes or so, just to brown the top a bit. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve or cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating.
Rating:
Veronica:
Jason:
Lamb Shanks with Lentils
(France)
Makes: 4 servings
Time: At least 2 hours, largely unattended
3/4 pound dried lentils, rinsed and picked over
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped (I used a large leek)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 bay leaves
1 bottle dry red wine
4 lamb shanks
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the first 7 ingredients in a roasting pan or flameproof casserole and stir; bring to a boil on top pf the stove, then nestle the lamb shanks among the lentils, cover the pan (aluminum foil will do), and put in the oven. Lower the heat to 350 degrees and cook, undisturbed, for about an hour.
2. Uncover and stir the lentils gently; season with salt and pepper. Re-cover and cook for about 1 hour more, until the lentils are very tender and the lamb begins to pull away from the bone; if at any point the mixture threatens to dry out, add more wine or water. And don't worry about overcooking the lentils; just make sure the lamb is done. When the lamb is tender, uncover the pan, raise the heat to 400 degrees, and cook for another 15 minutes or so, just to brown the top a bit. Taste, adjust the seasoning, and serve or cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day before reheating.
Rating:
Veronica:
Jason:
Friday, August 28, 2009
Braised Ribs (roast) with Spicy Adobo
The other week Jason (who LOVES spicy food) made some pimenton. So now we have a 32 oz. jar of pimenton and I was wondering how in the world we were going to use it all. I looked and saw this recipe.
Braised Ribs with Spicy Adobo
(Caribbean)
Makes: 4 servings
Time: At least 1 1/2 hours
3-4 pounds spareribs, more or less, separated into individual ribs (I used a roast)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered (I chopped it since Jason like it that way)
2 teaspoons fresh oregano or marjoram leaves
1 tablespoon pimenton
2 cups chopped tomatoes with their liquid (canned are fine)
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1. Place a large deep skillet with a lid over medium-high heat and add the ribs, (roast). Cook, turning as necessary and sprinkling with salt and pepper, until they are well browned, at least 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Turn the heat under the pan to medium and add garlic, onion, oregano, more salt and pepper, and pimenton. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is well softened, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the ribs, cover, and put the pan in the oven.
3. Cook until the ribs are tender and just about falling from the bone, an hour or more. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days; reheat gently before serving.
Braised Ribs with Spicy Adobo
(Caribbean)
Makes: 4 servings
Time: At least 1 1/2 hours
3-4 pounds spareribs, more or less, separated into individual ribs (I used a roast)
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered (I chopped it since Jason like it that way)
2 teaspoons fresh oregano or marjoram leaves
1 tablespoon pimenton
2 cups chopped tomatoes with their liquid (canned are fine)
1 tablespoon wine vinegar
1. Place a large deep skillet with a lid over medium-high heat and add the ribs, (roast). Cook, turning as necessary and sprinkling with salt and pepper, until they are well browned, at least 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Turn the heat under the pan to medium and add garlic, onion, oregano, more salt and pepper, and pimenton. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is well softened, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to soften, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the ribs, cover, and put the pan in the oven.
3. Cook until the ribs are tender and just about falling from the bone, an hour or more. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days; reheat gently before serving.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Lassi Meethi
Jason and I love Indian food and when we go out we will sometimes share a mango lassi. I saw that the Bittman book had a lassi recipe than had a mango option, so we decided to try it. I made it this morning (because the mango I bought was not looking so good). We both tried it and it is good I like it, but next time I think I might put extra mango and less cardamon.
Lassi Meethi (Sweet Yogurt Shake)
India
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 10 minutes
2 cups whole -milk yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon, or to taste
2 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
pinch of salt
1 cup ice cube
Combine all the ingredients in a blender with 1 cup cold water. Blend until smooth and serve.
Mango (of other fruit) Lassi
Add 1 cup pulp of mango, peach, or other fruit to the mix.
Rate:
Veronica 7
Jason 7.3
Lassi Meethi (Sweet Yogurt Shake)
India
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 10 minutes
2 cups whole -milk yogurt
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon, or to taste
2 tablespoon sugar, or to taste
pinch of salt
1 cup ice cube
Combine all the ingredients in a blender with 1 cup cold water. Blend until smooth and serve.
Mango (of other fruit) Lassi
Add 1 cup pulp of mango, peach, or other fruit to the mix.
Rate:
Veronica 7
Jason 7.3
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Beef Daube
We had a roast in the freezer and wanted to try something new. We had all of the ingredients for this (except for the orange, which Veronica ran out to get while I got this started)... Oh, and we had some cubed pancetta in the fridge, so I used that rather than bacon. It was pretty good... but we decided we'd probably not repeat this too regularly.
After I started cooking this, I looked online to find that there wasn't much consistency between recipes. I'm trusting Bittman on this one. Some others coated the beef in flour before cooking it (sounds like a good idea, but I don't know that this needs any thickening)... Others had you put the vegetables in in large pieces and then fish them out before serving (seems a bit wasteful to me... if you're going to cook them, why not eat them)... Others changed up the seasonings a bit.
Bittman suggests a Beef Daube with Olives and Dried Fruit as a "superior" recipe, but Veronica and I don't really dig olives and didn't have dried fruit in the house, so...
Beef Daube (France)
Makes 4 servings
Time: at least 2 hours, somewhat unattended
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound good-quality slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 pounds boneless beef chuck or brisket, cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 large onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
3 or 4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 fresh rosemary sprig or 1 teaspoon dried
2 or 3 strips orange peel
1 cup rough red wine, preferably from the south of France-something like Cahors or Cotes-du-Rhone
1 T. red wine vinegar
Stock or water as necessary
1. Put the olive oil in a Dutch oven or flameproof casserole with a lid and turn the heat to medium. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp and has given up most of its fat, about 10 minutes. REmove with a slotted spoon, add hte meat, and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, turning the cubes as they brown and sprinkling them with salt and pepper, until the meat is brown and crisp all over, at least 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and orange peel, along with some more salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and vinegar and let them bubble for a minute, hten return the meat to the pan.
3. Cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently for about an hour, then add the bacon. Re-cover and continue to cook until the meat is tender, adding a little more liquid if the mixture threatens to dry out. Depending on the meat, the dish could be done in as little as 30 minutes more or in three times as long.
4. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish and serve or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days before reheating.
Rating:
Veronica - 7 overall (10 as far as beef stews go)
Jason - 6.9
After I started cooking this, I looked online to find that there wasn't much consistency between recipes. I'm trusting Bittman on this one. Some others coated the beef in flour before cooking it (sounds like a good idea, but I don't know that this needs any thickening)... Others had you put the vegetables in in large pieces and then fish them out before serving (seems a bit wasteful to me... if you're going to cook them, why not eat them)... Others changed up the seasonings a bit.
Bittman suggests a Beef Daube with Olives and Dried Fruit as a "superior" recipe, but Veronica and I don't really dig olives and didn't have dried fruit in the house, so...
Beef Daube (France)
Makes 4 servings
Time: at least 2 hours, somewhat unattended
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1/2 pound good-quality slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 pounds boneless beef chuck or brisket, cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 large onions, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly smashed
3 or 4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 fresh rosemary sprig or 1 teaspoon dried
2 or 3 strips orange peel
1 cup rough red wine, preferably from the south of France-something like Cahors or Cotes-du-Rhone
1 T. red wine vinegar
Stock or water as necessary
1. Put the olive oil in a Dutch oven or flameproof casserole with a lid and turn the heat to medium. Add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is crisp and has given up most of its fat, about 10 minutes. REmove with a slotted spoon, add hte meat, and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, turning the cubes as they brown and sprinkling them with salt and pepper, until the meat is brown and crisp all over, at least 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.
2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and orange peel, along with some more salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and vinegar and let them bubble for a minute, hten return the meat to the pan.
3. Cover and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers gently for about an hour, then add the bacon. Re-cover and continue to cook until the meat is tender, adding a little more liquid if the mixture threatens to dry out. Depending on the meat, the dish could be done in as little as 30 minutes more or in three times as long.
4. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then garnish and serve or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days before reheating.
Rating:
Veronica - 7 overall (10 as far as beef stews go)
Jason - 6.9
Cabbage and Potato Soup
This past weekend Jason and I had indoor BBQ and I made myself some crispy kale. Having no idea what to do with the left over kale I turned to "the book". I found this recipe and thought I could use a few different ingredients. BOY oh BOY this is good! I used a 1/2 lb. of smoky chicken sausage instead of bacon, kale not cabbage, and two cups pork stock (homemade) and six cups beef stock (store bought). Instead of the caraway seeds I used rosemary.
Cabbage and Potato Soup
(Poland)
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 35 minutes
2 thick slices bacon, diced, optional
1 medium onion, diced
1 small head of cabbage, preferably Savory, cored and shredded
1 tablespoon caraway seeds, lightly crushed
2 medium large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
6 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup of croutons
1. cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring, occasionally, until some of the fat is rendered, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook- or cook the onion in 2 tablespoons butter or oil (I used butter) if you are not using bacon (I used chicken sausage)-stirring until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the caraway seed and potatoes and lightly brown the potatoes, about 5 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender. Thin with a bit of water or stock if the soup seems too rich. Garnish with the croutons and serve immediately.
Cabbage and Potato Soup
(Poland)
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 35 minutes
2 thick slices bacon, diced, optional
1 medium onion, diced
1 small head of cabbage, preferably Savory, cored and shredded
1 tablespoon caraway seeds, lightly crushed
2 medium large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
6 cups beef, chicken, or vegetable stock, preferably homemade
Salt and black pepper to taste
1 cup of croutons
1. cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring, occasionally, until some of the fat is rendered, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook- or cook the onion in 2 tablespoons butter or oil (I used butter) if you are not using bacon (I used chicken sausage)-stirring until onions are translucent, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the caraway seed and potatoes and lightly brown the potatoes, about 5 minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very tender. Thin with a bit of water or stock if the soup seems too rich. Garnish with the croutons and serve immediately.
Simple Fruit Soup
My mother has brought us over some strawberries and blue berries, so I bought some black berries and made this soup. I was great light and refreshing.
Simple Fruit Soup
(Central/Eastern Europe)
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes plus chilling time
1 qt. blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, huckleberries or a combination, picked over and trimmed as necessary, washed and, if necessary, sliced
½ c. sugar (plus more if needed)
1 lemon, washed and thinly sliced
1 t. ground cinnamon (plus more if needed)
1 c. yogurt or sour cream (plus more for garnish)
1. Combine the berries, sugar, lemon, cinnamon and 1 quart water in a medium saucepan, and turn the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries fall apart, 10-15 minutes.
2. Cool the mixture at least until tepid to avoid burning yourself, the puree in a blender. Taste and add more sugar or cinnamon if necessary. Chill, then stir in the yogurt. Serve cold. Garnish with more yogurt.
Rating:
Veronica 6
Jason 7.3
Simple Fruit Soup
(Central/Eastern Europe)
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes plus chilling time
1 qt. blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, huckleberries or a combination, picked over and trimmed as necessary, washed and, if necessary, sliced
½ c. sugar (plus more if needed)
1 lemon, washed and thinly sliced
1 t. ground cinnamon (plus more if needed)
1 c. yogurt or sour cream (plus more for garnish)
1. Combine the berries, sugar, lemon, cinnamon and 1 quart water in a medium saucepan, and turn the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the blueberries fall apart, 10-15 minutes.
2. Cool the mixture at least until tepid to avoid burning yourself, the puree in a blender. Taste and add more sugar or cinnamon if necessary. Chill, then stir in the yogurt. Serve cold. Garnish with more yogurt.
Rating:
Veronica 6
Jason 7.3
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