Dateline: July 27, 2021 Grilled Chicken Thighs, Broccolini and Bean Salad

It was a lovely day, not too hot, not to windy, a perfect day for eating on the deck.  So grilling time!

I raided the freezer and found some skin on chicken thighs that I marinaded in a mix of spicy things, such as Calabrian Chilis, some vinegar, and some mexican hot sauce.

The bean salad was just a can each of chick peas and black beans along with chopped onion, red bell peppers, red finger pepper, garlic scapes, and perhaps a jalapeno.  Mix together, generously season with salt and pepper and dress with vinegar and olive oil.  Delish!

 

Dateline: March 7, 2021 Sheet pan #7 Merguez over Vegetables

We had a zoom that could run a little long, so I had to put dinner on the table easily and something that would cook while we talked....Sheet Pan!

I took the homemade merguez out of the freezer and chopped up some random clean out the veg draw veggies.  I created a paste to mix in the veggies by using preserved lemon, garlic, smoked paprika and olive oil.  Mashed it up good and slathered it all over the tray.  I placed the sausages on top along with some canned tomatoes and put it in the oven.  After 1/2 hour, I added to drained and rinsed cans of chickpeas, turned the sausages over and put it back into the oven for another 1/2 hour.

Seasoning Paste

5 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 preserved lemon, finely chopped

2 - 3 t smoked paprika

olive oil

black pepper to taste

1.   Mix the garlic, lemon, paprika, and pepper together and chop some more to incorporate the flavors.  Add enough oil to make it somewhat spreadable and slather all in and around the veggies before adding the sausages.

chick peas and another 1/2 hr

ready for the oven

I finished off the dish with a sprinkling of chopped parsley... like a little black dress and pearls.

I have really fallen in love with adding tomatoes to the sheet pan dinners.  They get kind of jammy and the flavor is really intensified.

Dateline: March 1, 2021 Sheet Pan #5 - Empty the Fridge and Cover it in Bacon

 I had a ton of vegetation that needed to be used up, rutabagas, brussel sprouts, carrots, celery, broccoli, onions, garlic, collards, kale, and bacon.

Everybody got chopped and mixed with a spice mix from Penzey's called Florida, which was mostly salt, pepper, garlic, oregano, and a touch of sugar.  I layered the spicing as I placed the veggies in the roasting pan.  I ended up shaking a 14 oz can of diced tomatoes over top, and a can of cannelloni beans.  As I contemplated the product, I realized that what it needed was bacon, so 4 slices were laid on top and into the oven it went.

When it was done, my test was were the rutabagas soft, out it came, and only then was it apparent that there was a TON of it.....

I thought it was a bit bland, but Bill really liked it.  I felt that I had been really wagging the spice lately, so this was a welcome switch up.

Dateline: February 23, 2021 Vegetarian Couscous Redux

I had been jonesing for that couscous dish again.  I had in mind some tweaks, and so, I did it.  The original recipe is a Melissa Clark Creamy chickpeas and pearl couscous .  This version used collards, tuscan kale, chickpeas, cannelloni beans, roasted red peppers, sun dried tomatoes, plum tomatoes, canned tomatoes, preserved lemon, garlic, shallot, red wine, balsamic vinegar, chicken stock, and of course, pearl couscous.

I started as Ms. Clark suggests, pre-roasting the tomatoes, shallots, wine, vinegar in a 450° F oven.  While that was going on, I chopped the collards and kale, preserved lemon, roasted peppers, sun dried tomatoes, and heated the stock.  I then added in the couscous, greens, beans, lemon, peppers and tomatoes and the boiling stock.  Mixed well, covered with foil and back into the oven it went for about 20 minutes.

The feta got drained and chopped in the meantime and after the 20 or so minutes, it got added into the casserole and mixed in.  Foil was removed and it was back into the oven for a final cook.  I went a few minutes longer than suggested because there was a bit more soupiness as I didn't drain canned tomatoes and used more couscous than called for.  Final dusting of cilantro and dinner was done.  This was still delicious.

Dateline: February 16, 2021 Chorizo, Rice, and Black Beans

I needed to clear up some space in the freezer, so out came the homemade chorizo and then I had to figure out what to do with it.

As I didn't think about dinner until late afternoon, I pulled out the instant pot and decided to make some kind of stew-ish thing.  

Ingredients

1 lb chorizo, hopefully, homemade, broken into chunks

2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes, undrained

2 14 oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped 

1 c basmati rice

1 c water

2 T chili powder

1 t cumin powder

1 T smoked paprika

1 t mexican oregano

saffron threads, optional

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced with extra T of the sauce

1 chopped red finger pepper

salt and pepper to taste

Method

1.  Heat Instant Pot and briefly saute the sausage to render some of its fat.  If the sausage was lean, which mine was, there is no need to drain out the fat.  Otherwise, remove as much fat as you can.  Add in onions, garlic, finger pepper, and a bit of salt and pepper.  Stir to combine and cook until onions are translucent.

2.  Add in chipotle peppers and extra sauce, canned tomatoes, beans, chili powder, paprika, cumin, saffron, oregano, and option saffron, if using.  Stir to combine.  

3.  Adjust Instant Pot to pressure cook on high for 20 minutes.  Allow to reduce pressure naturally for 5-8 minutes, then quick release.  Taste for seasoning.  Add rice and water and close the lid and adjust time for another 5 minutes of high pressure.  Allow to release naturally.  If you get a burn message, add more water and stir well.  The rice should absorb almost all of the liquid in the pot.

This was almost like a jambalaya, which was fitting as it was Fat Tuesday!

This was very spicy and addictive at that!  We both were blowing our noses but kept reaching for more.... the power of spice.  If your chorizo is not very spicy, add some more chipotle peppers to build the heat!

Dateline: January 27, 2021 Vegetarian/Vegan Indian Night: Chana Masala, Sambar, Vegetable Masala

I runneth over with cauliflower and cabbage these days, so I must make something with them that will be tasty and satisfying, and of course, spicy.  I also decided that I didn't want meat tonight.  I can hear Bill saying, "What did you do with Clarissa?" 

All of these recipes come from Vegetarian Indian Cooking with Your Instant Pot by Manali Singh.

Sambar

For the sambar, I will use as many veggies as I can squeeze into it, certainly using up the cabbage, celery, carrots, etc.   

Chana Masala

For the vegetable masala, I used the recipe on the back of the Shan Vegetable Masala package.

Here is the Sambar....it turned out really nice, a very comforting soupy/stewy consistency and a nicely spiced taste.  Not quite what I loved about India, but pretty darn close.

Vegetable Masala

500 g mixed vegetables, I used mostly cauliflower, cabbage, and parsnips, chopped in large pieces

2 T oil

1 large red onion, sliced through the root

2 T garlic/ginger paste

2 tomatoes, pureed

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes

3-4 T masala powder

1 c water or stock

Method

1.  Heat instant pot on saute and add oil when hot.  Add onion slices and jalapeno peppers, saute until onions lose raw smell.

2.  Add garlic/ginger paste and stir to combine.  Add spice powder and stir to combine.  Add pureed tomatoes and the can of the tomatoes.  Stir to combine.  Add vegetables and stir to coat with spices.  Add water and stir to combine.  

3.  Close lid, and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes.  Use quick release and stir and adjust spices, if necessary.

Here are the 2 curries, chana masala on the left, why is it so dark?  I used green chickpeas, which as far as I can guess, are under ripe chickpeas.  They take a little longer to cook, but do not have as much of the, err, after effects of eating beans.  On the right is the vegetable masala.  I used too much water in my version so it was too soupy for my taste.  The flavor was quite good.  I added 2 cups of water, plus there was also the juice from the can of tomatoes, and it was just too much.  I keep thinking that it might burn if I don't add more water.....you need a minimum of 1 cup of water in the pot for it to come to pressure, the ingredients also will supply water/juice as they cook....I've got to learn that lesson!

Dateline: January 13, 2021 Moroccan Chicken Tagine

I was in Kalustyan's and saw this packet of Tagine spice.  Brilliant, I thought, I have whole chicken legs at home that need to be cooked.

The recipe on the back of the package was simple and it turned out fantastic.

Ingredients

4 whole chicken legs, or assortment of dark meat chicken parts, with or without skin

2 onions, sliced

3 cloves of garlic, sliced

1 c pitted green olives, I used pitted castelvetrano  olives

Olive oil

2 T tagine spice mix

saffron, optional, just a sprinkle of threads

juice 1/2 lemon

2 small preserved lemons, chopped

2 T chopped coriander

Salt to taste

1 cup chicken broth

1 14 oz can of beans, I used pinto

Method

1.  Heat tagine or large casserole on stove, add 2-3 T olive oil and saute onions and garlic until soft.  

2.  Sprinkle over the onions and garlic 2 T of spice mix, saffron threads, lemon juice, and preserved lemons.  Mix together.  

3.  Add chicken parts to the pan and spread green olives over them, pour in the chicken broth and cover with lid.  Simmer until chicken is cooked and tender.

4.  If you used skin on chicken, then after it is cooked, put under the broiler for about 5-8 minutes until skin is browned and crisped up.

 

Dateline: December 20, 2020 Slow Cooker Lamb Shoulder with Beans

In browsing through several different recipes for braised lamb, I decided to make an amalgam of several of them plus my own twists.

Ingredients

2 lbs lamb shoulder, either rolled, or in a single piece with or without bone

1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped

3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped

1 large onion, chopped

Gravy Master (optional)

1/2 c white wine

1 tin anchovies

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

1 14 oz can chopped tomatoes

1 - 2 pints of good stock, preferably homemade

1/2 lb dried small white beans, pea or navy beans work well

1/2 preserved lemon, chopped

1 t ground cumin

1 t smoked paprika

Method

1.  Baste the lamb with Gravy Master and season with black pepper only.  Sear well on all sides.  If you use the instant pot, set it to saute, medium heat.

2.  Remove meat after searing, and deglaze the pan with the white wine.  Add onions, carrots, celery, anchovies, and garlic to the liquid.  Stir to combine.  Reduce liquid by at least half.  Cancel and set instant pot on slow cook mode for 5-6 hours

3.  Rinse the dried beans and add to the pan and place the seared lamb on top of the beans.  Add the stock to the pan, to a level that covers the beans by 2 inches.  Add the preserved lemon.  As the meat cooks, taste the broth and if needed add some salt.  It is very likely you will not need any, especially as the preserved lemon is also salty.

4.  Add the can of tomatoes and gently mix things together, sprinkle in the cumin and paprika.  Cover and allow to cook until the lamb is easily pierced by a fork.  

5.  Remove lamb from the pot.  Using a slotted spoon skim out veggies and place into a sauce strainer or colander over a large bowl.  Try to remove as much of the fat as possible along with the veggies, but leave the beans in the pot.  Defat the liquid, reserving the veggies.  In a deep narrow container, place the veggies and the defatted broth from the pot.  Using an immersion blender, blitz the contents of the container to emulsify the veggies, and pour the contents back into the pot.

6.  Remove any strings or netting from the lamb.  Cut the lamb into chunks, removing as much of the fat as possible.  If the meat is very tender, it will shred rather than cut, that's fine, just remove the fat from the shreds.

7.  Add the lamb back into the sauce and cover until dinner is ready.  Serve with either rice or couscous.

Nota Bene:  After 4.6 hours, my lamb was not very tender, so I used pressure cook for 10 minutes with 15 minutes natural release and quick release the balance.  The lamb cooked in the slow cooker for another hour or so.  The preserved lemon added so much to the dish.  If you do not have preserved lemons on hand, you can use orange peel from any thin skinned orange fruits, such as mandarin, tangerine, etc.  The lemon added a heady aroma and a delightful citrus back to the earthiness of the lamb.

No photos, sorry, it was brown, with flecks of white beans floating around in a dark brown sauce.  Not much to see, but it tasted wonderful.  Bill gave it 2 thumbs up, mostly because an animal died for his meal.

Dateline: December 17, 2020 Greens and Beans

I had a fridge full of greens, collards, tuscan kale, and chard.  So I created a quick dish using the instant pot.

Ingredients

Collards

Tuscan kale

Swiss chard

Or any other leafy greens you have or like so that you have approximately 2.5 - 3 lbs all together

3 cloves garlic, smashed and chopped

1 onion, cut in half thru the root end and then sliced into half moons

1 leek, cleaned and sliced

1 jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, diced 

1 c white wine or stock of your choice

2 cans beans of your choice, drained and rinsed, (I used pinto beans)

2 oz salt pork or bacon

1 preserved lemon

black pepper to taste

Method

1.  Dice up the salt pork or bacon and add to the heated instant pot on saute low temp.  Render as much fat as you can or want.

2.  After fat has rendered, add onions, leeks, and jalapeno to the instant pot.  Saute until softened, add the smashed and chopped garlic.  Be sure to get up any of the brown bits on the bottom of the pot.  Add the wine or stock to help in this endeavor.

3.  Chop up the preserved lemon and add to the pot.  Stir and add greens.  This amount of greens will fill a 6 qt pot.  Have no fear, stir it around as best you can, lid the pot and hit cancel.  Now choose pressure cook for 5 minutes.  Close the top.  When finished, quick release the pressure.  Hit cancel.

4.  Add the beans and stir to combine.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  Add black pepper if jalapeno is not that hot.  If more liquid is needed, add another glug of wine or stock.  Put pot on warm setting until you are ready for dinner.

As Bill and I were sitting down to eat, I noticed that he wasn't too thrilled, he said that given all the green, he was not sure he would be happy.  Turns out, he did like it.  Would have preferred some animal died, but he ate 2 bowls worth!

It occurred to me that beans, greens, and garlic are part of my top five things that I love.   Once again, I am sure that in a previous life I was Tuscan!

The preserved lemon added so much to the dish.  A brightness, and depth of flavor that if it were not included, the dish would be sorely lacking in flavor.  I did not add any salt as the lemon and salt pork provided all that was necessary.

This could certainly be made on the stove top, but the timing would be different, the greens would never cook in 5 minutes, more like 15-20, depending on how you like your greens!

Dateline: December 7, 2020 Beans, Greens, and Other Things

I was really jonesing for some beans.  I know, that is a very weird thing to be longing for, but I can't help it.  I think I was Tuscan in a former life.  

I had a left over rotisserie chicken, but didn't want to deprive Bill of his brekkies.  So I went sort of vegetarian.  I did use some of the brodo that I made over the weekend.

I chopped up a leek, the half of onion from the other night, a handful of collard leaves, a couple of bok choy, garlic, and 2 cans of cannellini beans.  I separated the leaves from the stems with the collards, and sliced into ribbons and halved those along the rib line, then I also separated the leaves from the stems of the bok choy, and sliced the leaves in ribbons and chunked up the stems for crunch in the "stew".  I chopped 3 cloves of garlic roughly.

Into a large shallow lidded casserole I sauted the leeks and onions until softened, added the garlic and salt and pepper.  After a few more minutes, I threw in the stems and more salt and pepper along with some herbes de Provence.  Here is where the stupid thing happened, I know you were waiting for this!  I grabbed a bottle of open wine from the counter, never looking, assuming it was the open white... but no, it was the open red.  Glug glug glug into the casserole, no going back now!  I got the brodo out of the fridge and added 3 cups.  Lidded the pan, and let it go for a bit.  I dumped the greens and the 2 cans of drained and rinsed beans in, mixed it all up and tasted for seasoning.  All was good.  I let it go until the collards turned dark green and that was dinner.

The look of disappointment on Bill's face, was, well, priceless.  He would eat it, but stated, "I want animals to die for my plate."  Turns out, the concoction was quite good.  We each were going back to the dish for more.

Above are the leeks and onions softening and at right, is the bok choy stems prior to the red wine mishap.

Here are the chopped bok choy stems waiting to go into the "pool"

 Likewise, to the right are the chopped leaves of the collards and bok choy cut into ribbons

Below, the finished product with the red wine disaster!  Oh, I had a few veggies left over from the rotisserie chicken and threw those in as well.

Dateline: November 13, 2020 Chickpea Stew

It is clean out the fridge night.  I found a great inspirational recipe on NYT Cooking by Melissa Clark,
Moroccan Chickpeas with Chard .  Of course, I made a few changes.  Why?  Because I didn't have a turnip, but I did have a kabocha squash.  I didn't have chard, but I had kale and a quarter head of cabbage.  I had chicken stock that I made and chickpeas and all of the spices necessary.  Oh, another trade out, I didn't have 2 T of tomato paste, so I used all I had and augmented with harissa.  I also didn't have 2 hours, so into the instant pot things went and we will see how it comes out.

This stew was excellent.  The flavor was fantastic.  It will be in the rotation!  I have been eating it once a day for several days now.  Still in love with it.  

I forgot to put in the preserved lemon and apricots...happens when you drink before eating anything.  So, I added some lemon juice.  It really made a difference.  That extra acid was perfect.  Didn't miss the apricots.

Dateline: October 29, 2020 Egyptian Kebabs and Cranberry Beans with Butternut Squash

I had to cook the kebabs.  They are a prepared product from FD and they are fabulous.  Redolent with cinnamon and spices, they do evoke our trip to Egypt.

I made the bean recipe from a couple of days ago again, except using cranberry beans and butternut squash to stand in for the escarole.  As the beans were larger than the white beans I used the other day, I opted to set the Instant Pot for 33 minutes rather than 30.  Still using the natural release.  They outcome was good, but not as slam-bang delish as with the white beans.  More than likely that was because I RAN OUT OF GARLIC...no kidding, I only had granulated.  So, that I was I used.  The squash did not provide the sweetness of the carrots in the early rendition, but did add a lovely color interest.

I used a leek for the onion and as I usually do, doctored the sauted veggies with some of the pesto I made the previous day.  

The leek sweated nicely and when it was mostly melting onto itself, I added in the thinly sliced butternut squash that didn't get added to the beans. 

As it cooked down, I realized that it would benefit from some additional flavors, so I drizzled in some of the pesto from the previous day and a touch of the calabrian pepper paste.  

I browsed through the fridge and found a couple of slices of cooked red cabbage from the other night and chopped those and dumped them in.

Here is melange that will be added to the beans after they finish cooking and are drained.  The final product did need salt, but was still quite tasty.

There was one catastrophe.  I cooked the kebabs on a plancha on the stove.  Except there was not a deep enough rim to catch the grease.  Consequently, much of the fat ran off the plancha onto the stove top.  No fire, but annoying.  Didn't effect the taste of the resulting kebabs.  

October 26, 2020 Chicken Thighs and White Beans

 I had a package of chicken thighs in the fridge and figured I should cook them.  I wanted something interesting and relatively easy.  I wanted some beans too!  I know, I know, I think I was a Tuscan in a previous life.  I Love Beans!  And not just for their music!

I was perusing the NYTCooking app, and saw a bean recipe with broccoli rabe from Melissa Clark.  I didn't have any rabe, but I did have escarole.  Bingo!  This made the best beans I have ever done in the Instant pot. Only change I made was to cook under pressure for 30 minutes and allow to release naturally.  Hands Down.  The texture was smooth and luscious, and the addition of carrots and rosemary provided some contrasting flavor and color.  It is a keeper.  The thighs were inspired by this recipe.  Bill does not like mustard, tant pis, but I decided to use my preserved lemon marinade instead of mustard.  I had red cabbage and red onions!  

This was a most satisfying meal.  We were both happy and smiling.  The beans were my fave, where Bill favored the chicken.  

Before

Silky Beans

After