Tunisian Menu Recipe 4: Braised Short Ribs

Let me just say this.  If you make only one of the recipes in this menu make this! I'm a sucker for braised meat - ever since I discovered Julia Child and the secrets of French cooking.  The tenderness of the meat and the melding of the flavors just doesn't happen in any other type of cooking.  Like all braised meat, this is great for entertaining because it is better made a day ahead (but don't hesitate to eat it the day you make it).  If you do make it ahead, you can defat it before putting it in a 350 oven to reheat. 

You are going to love the way your kitchen smells when you are making this! 

4-1/2 to 5 pounds beef short ribs with bone (less without bone)
3 TBL vegetable oil
salt and pepper
1 cup medium-diced carrots
1 cup medium-diced onions
1 cup coarsely chopped figs
1 TBL finely chopped fresh ginger
1 TBL finely chopped garlic
2 to 3 whole star anise
2 whole cinnamon sticks
1 cup dry red wine
 cup canned rushed tomatoes
1 cup low salt chicken broth
1/4 cup low salt soy sauce
1-2 tbs chopped fresh parsley1-2 TBL thinly chopped fresh mint

Position the oven rack in the center and pre-heat to 325 degrees. 
In an 8 quart dutch oven heat 2 TBL of oil over medium heat. Dry the ribs with paper towels then season with 2 tsp salt and  tsp pepper. Brown the ribs in the oil (only cook as many ribs as fit in one layer in the bottom of the pan) brown on all sides. Pour off all but a thin layer of fat from the pan. Add the remaining 1TBL oil, carrots ad onions to the pan. Add 1/2 tsp salt. Cook, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan until carrots and onions are soft and lightly browned.  Add the chopped dried figs, ginger, garlic, star anise, and cinnamon stick and cook, stirring until well distributed and fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour 1/2 cup of red wine into pot and cook, stirring in any remaining browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Reduce the wine to about 2 TBL. Transfer the ribs and any accumulated juices into the pot. Pour the tomatoes, chicken broth, soy sauce, remaining 1/2 cup of red wine and 1 cup of water over the ribs and using tongs, arrange the ribs with as evenly as possible to no more than two layers of ribs deep. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover, and put the pot in the oven. Cook, turning the ribs with tongs every 40 minutes (if they are not completely covered with liquid) until they are fork tender about 2-3/4 hours.  
Note: the meat may fall off most bones about midway through cooking; this does not mean that the ribs are fully tender. 

Thanks to Susie Middleton and Fine Cooking for this Recipe!

Tunisian Menu Recipe 3: Couscous with Citrus and Almonds

I love couscous. It goes with everything and provides a nice change from rice or pasta. You can change the flavor and the ingredients depending on what you have in the house. For example, this recipe from Eva Katz calls for orange but I substituted lemon because that's what I had. 

This recipe serves 4 - 6

Couscous with Citrus and Almonds

2 TBL olive oil
1/2 cup medium onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic finely, chopped
2 TBL finely minced fresh ginger
1 cup fresh orange juice or 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1 TBL unsalted butter
1-1/2 cup couscous (I used the larger kind)
1 tsp kosher salt; more to taste
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
zest from 1 orange OR 1 lemon (to match the juice you use)
freshly ground black pepper

In a medium saucepan that has a lid, heat the oil,.  Add the onion and cook stirring often until it is soft but not yet turning brown.  Add the garlic and ginger and cook about 2 more minutes. Add the juice and simmer until the liquid is almost evaporated - don't let it brown. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, add butter, couscous, and salt. Stir to combine. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Stir in almonds, herbs, and zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Tomorrow....Braised short ribs!
 

Tunisian Menu Recipe 2:Veggies with Harissa & Lemon Garlic Yogurt Sauce

My leftovers for lunch that were the inspiration for this series of posts

Kate, 
So now that you have made the harissa, you are going to want to use it.  I'm just learning how but I love it on eggs and veggies, especially cauliflower and carrots. The inspiration for this recipe is from the July/August edibleSEATTLE magazine and calls for grilling carrots.  I found grilling makes the carrots prettier but if you are in a hurry and or you live someplace where you aren't allowed to grill (like you do), roasting or broiling at a high temperature in your oven works just fine...and I think cauliflower is awesome - or how about a mixture of cauliflower and carrots...just cook them on separate baking sheets so that the cauliflower doesn't get over cooked.


Carrots (and/or Cauliflower)with Harissa & Lemon Garlic Yogurt 
serves 4 about 30 minutes to make

1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
zest and juice of  1/2 lemon 
1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped
salt
6 large organic carrots; quartered and cut into about 4 inch lengths
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon harissa

In a small bowl mix together the  yogurt, lemon zest, juice, garlic and salt to taste. Set aside.

In a bowl toss the carrots with the olive oil and season with salt.
Place the carrots on a baking sheet and roast in a 450 degree oven until tender crisp and starting to brown- about 10 minutes, turn the carrots at least once during cooking.

Transfer carrots to a bowl and mix in the harissa until the carrots are coated. Serve warm with the yogurt sauce on the side.  

 

Tunisia Menu Item 1: Harissa

Kate, 

Yesterday I had leftovers for lunch: short ribs, lemon couscous, roasted carrots, and flat bread. I wish I had taken a picture when the table was set and the serving dishes were piled high..but I didn't. Instead, while sitting at work enjoying this meal for the second time in two days I thought to snap this photo. 

LUNCH!

All the food was North African in origin, mostly from Tunisia. I can't describe the flavors: a sweet, savory, spicy, fruity combination that made the house smell amazing!

Since I enjoyed this meal so much I thought I would share the recipes for the entire menu with you over my next few posts. 

The first thing is the Harissa. It's THE condiment of Tunisia. You might be able to buy this but we (actually your father with help from your eldest while she was visiting last month) made this recipe by Deborah Madison.  This recipe is pretty mild but, as I understand it, this stuff can be pretty hot.  I read that Tunisian husbands believe their wives no longer love them when the food (flavored by Harissa) begins tasting bland.  Hum.  Don't think I'll comment on that! 

Use Harissa on scrambled eggs (oh my!) or some feta cheese, or mix it into roasted veggies (more on that in another post).  Your going to love it! Directions for making it in a food processor or by hand follow (I vote for the food processor!)

Our homemade Harissa on the embarrassingly crowded top shelf of our refrigerator

 Harissa

12 dried red new Mexican chiles

3 guajillo chiles 

4 plump garlic cloves coarsely chopped

salt

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1 1/2 tsp coriander seeds

1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1 Tbl olive oil plus extra for storing

cayenne - optional

Wipe off the chiles with a damp cloth, break off the stems, shake out as many seeds as possible and pull out any large veins. WEAR GLOVES! Discard any gray or yellowed areas of the skin because they might taste moldy. Tear the chiles into pieces, put in bowl and cover with boiling water and let stand for at least 30 minutes. Remove from bowl (save the water) and snip into smaller pieces with scissors. 

In a food processor grind the chilies with the garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, caraway, coriander, cumin, and oil until a smooth paste forms. Add a little of the chile soaking water to loosen the mixture.  If you want more heat add cayenne to taste. 

You can also do this by hand with a mortar and pestle but it will take some work!  Make a paste by pounding the garlic and salt together, add the non chile ingredients and mix until you have a paste. Then add the chile that you snipped into small pieces with scissors and pound until the paste is as smooth as you can get it. 

Pack into a clean jar and cover the surface with more oil and refrigerate.  

Heat Wave Cooking

I wish I'd been able to spend more time with Duane while I was in town. Trips always go by too quickly, and somehow are over right when you're just getting into things. I definitely agree about Katie being a fabulous hostess- any visit to their house became an Event with themes and costumes and adventures in The Indian Room. In fact, it was at their house that I first decided zucchini may not be so bad... She melted cheese on top.

As for now, it's been hot- too hot to cook everyday. I still insist upon having a home cooked meal on the table (almost) every night, and much to the dismay of my poor husband, I do not consider microwaved nachos a meal. Midnight snack, maybe, but not dinner. (Especially when the tortilla chips are topped with St. Andre's brie and a dill pickle. Yeah. It's an uphill battle.) So what's a girl to do?

It's freezer time! Yes, I have jumped on the "freezer cooking" bandwagon. What's not to love- I've got a freezer full of convenient food, but it's all homemade and I know exactly what's in every single thing. I tweak it to my family's tastes and I can portion it into whatever sizes I want, from a big bag of pancakes (individually frozen between layers of waxed paper before being tossed in a Ziplock) ready to be heated up and slathered with peanut butter right before school, to homemade chili with roasted Anaheim peppers and both sausage and ground steak, because that's just how we roll. And all those organic eggs I bought for 99 cents a dozen? Quiche! (I just forgot to make sure I'd stocked up on foil bakeware before I got started. Oops!)

So now when I don't feel like cooking or it's too hot to have my kitchen turned into a sauna (or in this weather, a steam room), I just pull something out and heat it up. Tonight was super simple because I was running late getting home from work. I just pulled out a bag of chili and made chili dogs, threw together a compound butter for some corn on the cob, and sliced up a watermelon.

Here's my super simple chili recipe:

1 lb ground beef, preferably sirloin 
1 lb sausage (I like to find one with a bit of spice to it, a Cajun or Andouille), casings removed
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Anaheim chiles, roasted, skins and seeds removed, and diced
1 large can of tomatoes, either diced or crushed
1-2 cans of kidney or pinto beans, rinsed and drained
salt, pepper
seasonings to taste (cumin, cayenne. I usually start with 1 tsp each and adjust accordingly)

1. In a large pot, brown the onion with the sirloin and sausage. Drain off the fat. 

2. Add the garlic, chiles, and tomatoes and bring to a simmer.

3. Add the beans and season to taste. 

I love this recipe for it's versatility- it's so easy to substitute whatever I have. You can use hotter peppers (jalapeno, or for the truly brave, habanero. Just don't rub your eyes!) or substitute ground beef. Double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd or to freeze for later. Eat it with tortilla chips and a big dollop of sour cream,  or turn it into chili dogs. I usually make my big batch very mild for the picky eaters in my house and add the real spice to individual servings. And even though you can substitute ground beef, I really prefer the sirloin/ sausage mix. The sirloin is leaner than most hamburger so it balances out the additional fat from the sausage, while the sausage adds extra complexity and is a simple way to add seasonings. (Along that line of thinking, choose your sausage carefully. Obviously breakfast sausage is out, but I find Italian sausage doesn't quite work either.)

Chili-lime Butter

2 sticks salted butter, soft but not melted
juice and zest from one lime (my lime was fairly dry- you may only need half the juice)
1 tsp chili powder (today I used ancho chile powder for it's mild heat and smoky flavor, but if you want a bit more kick, use cayenne.)

1. Mix 'em up. It's that simple. Use a fork, a pastry cutter, the back of a spoon, or whatever seems to work best for you. Make it a cohesive mass- the more you mix, the better your butter will be. Taste it to be sure the flavors are balanced.

This will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge. Just make sure it's wrapped tightly.

Besides topping the ubiquitous summertime corn on the cob, you can use this butter on a toasted piece of bread for a turkey sandwich, or spread it on a biscuit to eat with corn chowder. And you can switch up the flavors however you want; compound butters are one of the easiest ways to add extra pizazz to a dish. Just mix in whatever seasonings you have that will complement your dish, from spices to finely minced fresh herbs. (A dill and lemon butter is excellent atop grilled fish.) Get creative and use whatever you have on hand!


Kate

'Til Death Do Us Part - Melon Pasta Salad

Sunday, "Grandpa" Duane came over for dinner.  It's a rare meal that we spend alone with Duane, so on Sunday, after church we stopped by and picked him up for dinner with  us. 

Do you realize Duane will be 90 in January? He is doing so wonderfully.  Ok, so he doesn't hear so well, and is a bit unstable on his feet, and his hands don't work quite as well as they once did...but his mind is so bright,he is so very funny, and he knows what is going on in the world.  He amazes me!

After we finished the dinner - which by the way was really yummy and took just over 30 minutes to make- we talked a bit about this and that.  He told stories about his brother, and I saw his eye gloss over as he talked about Katie.  He so sweetly said that when they were first married she couldn't boil water but she became a wonderful cook who was able to put together lovely meals, and was a great hostess...like me. Such a compliment coming from a man who enjoys good food, served well and loved how his wife did it all.

Somewhere in the conversation, he turned the subject to Katie's death.  At first what he had to say was a bit macabre...something about still having Katie's ashes at home, in the kitchen...and when he dies he wants his ashes mixed together with hers so they can be buried together, forever. There was a glistening in the corner of his eyes as he looked back over the past 60  years and ahead, into eternity, all at once. 

Duane reminded me that that love, real love, the soul giving love of your parents, and grandparents, doesn't end when "death do us part", but goes on...

I'm so glad Grandpa Duane came over for dinner. 

You can link to the recipe for  Pasta Salad with Pancetta and Ricotta Salata here.  It is from the August 2012 edition of Bon Appetit

But in case this link doesn't work, here is a reprint of the recipe. 

• 2 ounces thinly sliced pancetta (Italian bacon)
• 4 ounces orecchiette (ear-shaped pasta)
• Kosher salt
• 3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
• 2 cups 1x1x1/4" pieces peeled melon (any variety)
• 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh mint, divided
• 3 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion
• Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 ounce ricotta salata (salted dry ricotta) shaved, or rumbled feta.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Arrange pancetta in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until brown and crisp, 20–25 minutes. (Alternatively, place pancetta on folded layers of paper towels on a microwave-proof plate and microwave on high until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes.) Let pancetta stand until cool enough to handle, then break into bite-size pieces.
  Meanwhile, cook pasta in a medium pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain pasta; run under cold water to cool. Drain and set aside.
  Whisk oil and vinegar in a large bowl. Add half of pancetta, cooked pasta, melon, half of mint, scallion, and red pepper flakes. Toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle remaining pancetta and mint over. Garnish with shaved ricotta salata.
  
  

I'm so corny! Corn chowder, perfected.

I have a confession to make. I don't really like creamy soups. Chicken noodle, tortilla, and even chili are all awesome, but there's something about a thick, rich, creamy soup that is just...too much. At least, that's what I've said for about as long as I can remember. I may have to take it all back, thanks to the folks over at America's Test Kitchen. They've taken corn chowder to a whole new level- it tastes like an August afternoon. This recipe is absolutely a keeper, (which shouldn't be a surprise considering how good every single one of their recipes is. I'm not kidding- If you've never tried anything of theirs, click on the link above and decide on what's for dinner tonight.) the only change I may try will be roasting the corn before cutting it off the cob.

First, gather your ingredients. You'll need:

8 ears of corn, cleaned
3 Tbsp butter, unsalted
1 onion, finely chopped
4 slices of bacon, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/4" pieces
2 tsp minced fresh thyme
salt and pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
5 cups water
3/4 lb red potatoes (or yukon gold) cut into 1/2" pieces
1 cup half-and half
sugar
3 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped

1. First things first. Using a paring knife, remove all the kernels from the cobs. (Don't cut too deep- you only want the tender part of the kernel.) In a separate bowl, use a vegetable peeler and scrape down the cobs, getting as much of the pulp off as you can. Put the pulp into a clean, thin dishcloth. Now squeeze. Hard. Get all of those juices out of the pulp- this is what takes this chowder to a whole other lever. You should get at least 2/3 cup of corn juice. Set it aside and get rid of the now utterly depleted cobs and pulp- they have served their purpose!

2. Melt the butter. Use a Dutch oven and medium heat. Add the bacon, onion, thyme, 2 teaspoons of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Cook until the onion is softened and just starting to brown, making sure to stir often. Add in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

3. Add the water to the pot slowly, whisking the entire time to break up any clumps of flour. Bring to a boil, add the corn kernels and potatoes and return to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15-18 minutes. Remove two cups of the soup and puree in a blender until smooth. (I just used my measuring cup to scoop it out of the pot; you don't need to be super precise here.) Add the pureed soup back into the pot, add the half-and-half and return it yet again to a simmer. Remove the chowder from the heat, pour in the reserved corn juice, and season to taste using salt, pepper, and up to 1 tablespoon of sugar (although, if your corn is in season, you may not need any at all. I didn't!) Garnish with the basil, and enjoy!

Okay, so maybe a creamy soup isn't so bad. This was definitely a hit with the whole family, from my one year old Beast (she's discovered growling...the name just fits!) to my vegetable-avoidant husband. I need to go buy more corn!

The original recipe, along with the recipe commentary is here.

Kate

A Tale of Two Dinners

Veggie Polenta Stacks

For multiple reasons this carnivorous family of mine has been eating more vegetarian meals lately. I won't ever pretend that we are vegetarians and we are far removed from being vegans, we enjoy eggs, butter, ice cream, and seafood way too much!  None-the-less, I have discovered that a simple reprogramming of the grey matter does wonders for seeing the potential of a vegetarian diet. 

The other night it was my turn to cook so I created a meal based on what we already had in the fridge. I called the main dish Veggie Polenta Stacks and I served the stacks with sea scallops and a mixed green salad and homemade lemon vinaigrette dressing.

To make the Veggie Polenta Stacks either purchase polenta or make your own.  I made my own with veggie broth, and adding in fresh basil, red pepper flakes, some hot chili powder, and Parmesan cheese for added flavor.  I spread the cooked polenta in an even layer on a cookie sheet to cool.

I buttered 6 large individual ramekins and then I layered thinly sliced Japanese eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, salt and pepper in the ramekin topping the veggies with a layer of cooled polenta cut to size.  I baked it at 350 until the concoction was hot and the cheese was gooey. To serve I tipped the ramekins upside down on the plate and the I topped the stack with some homemade pesto.  If I do it again, I would probably use feta cheese and not use zucchini as it was too watery.

I cooked the scallops in a mixture of butter, olive oil and garlic and threw in a bit of white wine when they were almost done. The secret of good sea scallops to "press" the liquid out of the scallops for several hours or over night.  Use paper towels and a heavy plate so that they are dry. This allows them to sear and  get that gorgeous brown color when cooking while staying nice and moist inside.  If you don't do this the scallops simmer in their juices and just aren't as good.  Try this trick.  It is so worth it!

On night two my dear husband looked at me with his adorable eyes and suggested that maybe we should consider putting some steak on the barbecue. How could I resist?

We made a simple meal. Salt and pepper on some rib-eye steaks, grilled medium rare, thinly sliced and served on a bed of mixed greens that were dressed with the lemon vinaigrette I had made the  night before. Over all this a good handful of crumbled blue cheese.  Dinner was served with a glass of Cabernet.   We all started drooling and before I knew it the meal was over and we didn't think to take a picture of all the lovely red meat stacked on the green lettuce.  Awe, the memories...

Although we are attempting to increase the amount of fruits an vegetables that we eat, we are along way from being vegetarians but I'm thinking the occasional dinner of red meat won't hurt any of us!

Skip the Limp Lettuce and Pass Me the Rainbow Chard!

I was thinking about two of my sisters today (okay, one was my sister-in-law -- happy birthday, Grace!) while I was cooking dinner. Well, cooking isn't quite the right word; assembling would be a little more fitting. I made a dish that my world traveler, almost vegetarian sister first made for me several months ago. It's a dish that my world- traveler, not a vegetarian sister-in-law would love. I'm still on my summer salad kick, but this is like no other salad I've ever had. So ladies, this one's for you!

Crisp, slightly bitter chard with pungent blue cheese and bite from red onion are given body from brown rice. As written, this recipe just may be perfect (so no, I don't change every recipe!)

RAINBOW SALAD (aka Brown Rice and Rainbow Chard Salad with Blue Cheese Vinaigrette)

1 bunch rainbow chard

3 cups cooked and cooled brown rice (or quinoa, whatever you have on hand)

1 large carrot, grated

1/2 cup red onion, finely chopped

4 oz blue or gorgonzola, divided in half

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

zest and juice of one lemon (about 2 Tbsp juice and 1 tsp zest)

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 Tbsp honey

1. Clean chard very well under running water and dry thoroughly. Cut stems and leaves into 1/8-inch slices. Combine rice, chard, carrot and onion in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, crumble half of the cheese and add the oil, vinegar, lemon juice and zest, salt, pepper, and honey. Whisk vigorously to combine and begin to break down the cheese slightly. Add the dressing to the rice and vegetables and stir to incorporate.

2. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

3. Crumble remaining cheese on top and chill until ready to serve.

4. This salad is best made the day it is to be eaten so the chard stays crisp and the flavors stay bright. If you want to make it ahead, set the chard aside when combining the rest of the ingredients and add it just before serving.

If you just can't do the whole vegetarian thing, chop up a couple grilled chicken breasts to combine with everything else, but I promise you, this salad can stand on it's own. 

(Thank you, Central Market in Shoreline for this recipe and for possibly being the most amazing grocery store ever. Really, ever. And thank you, Mom, for waking me up super early to go grocery shopping when I was visiting. I mean that with surprisingly little irony.)