Dafina - Moroccan Shabbat Stew - For Dan

September 14, 2015 marked the 3rd anniversary of the passing of my brother Daniel.  Daniel loved his family and loved cooking for his family and friends.  That's why he started Haggis and the Herring.

Every year I have been posting one recipe to honour him.  

I was recently in Toronto for a family wedding.  My sister'n'law Brianne was getting married.  During one of the post wedding celebration meals, her husbands aunt made a Moroccan dish that I had not had in a long time.  Dafina is a Moroccan stew made on the Sabbath because the cooking is started before shabbat begins, and finishes after it ends, so your meal is ready to be eaten.

This is what it takes to make some Dafina

This was a staple dish my dads mother (Mama) made every Saturday for lunch.  The whole family, all the aunts and cousins would cram into my grandparents 2 bedroom apartment around a string of tables and just enjoy everyones company.

Lets get this thing boiling!

After Mama passed away my Auntie Debbie and Uncle Gerry took over hosting shabbat lunch, and my aunt took over the tradition of making Dafina for the family.  I asked my aunt for her recipe, because I wanted to try it out.  In true form, like someone that cooks from the heart, she gave me a rough cut of the recipe, with no measurements of spices or ingredients, just guided by love of the food.  You know when its right.

Ready to eat!

So in true family fashion, I made up Dafina and invited my mother'n'law and father'n'law over to share the meal.  I was so happy to be able to make this meal for family like my grandmother would.  Made me proud, because I don't tap into my Moroccan heritage all that much, especially when it comes to cooking.  I'm glad they enjoyed it too!

This is how you can make this traditional meal (Roughly speaking of course since I guessed on some of the measurements):

Ingredients:

• Large piece of chuck steak (I used stewing beef)
• Potato and Yams/Sweet Potato peeled (Enough for at least one piece for each person of each kind)
• Eggs (Enough for at least one person)
• Large can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
• One large spanish onion
• 3-4 Cinnamon sticks (depending on how much you are making
• About 1 tbsp Garlic powder
• About 1 tbsp Paprika
• About 1 1bsp Tumeric
• Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Season meat with garlic powder, paprika and tumeric and let sit with dry rub while you peel the potato and take skin off the onion.  If you don't think 1 tbsp of each is enough, just mess around and add more or less.  The meat shouldn't be drenched in it, just nicely seasoned.
2. In a large oven safe pot, layer the following:
• seasoned meat on the bottom
• Potato (both kinds)
• Onion
• Eggs (gently to not crack)
• Can of chickpeas drained
• Cinnamon sticks
3. Fill pot with water to cover ingredients in pot
4. Boil for 1 hour (In a traditional sense, you would do this before shabbat starts)
5. You can now either:
• Place in oven at 225 all night until morning and then place back on stove top and put on low until you are ready to eat or;
• Place in a slow cooker on low all night until you are ready to eat the next day

Serve with a baguette to dip and suck up all the sauce!

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Swiss Chard and Cheddar Soup

NOTE: This post was scheduled by Daniel Saraga of Haggis and Herring before he suddenly passed away.  We have decided to ensure his scheduled posts continue.  Daniel's wife Meredith posted her eulogy.  Please read more about our wonderful Daniel.

September cooled down right away, just the way I like it. I dislike hot-and-sticky August. Cool nights, warm soup, some hearty bread and a beer. That's my idea of a September dinner.

Earlier that week, I read Chaya's Swiss Chard Soup recipe and it inspired me. I knew I had to make my own version. You can read Chaya's post if you'd like to learn more about Swiss chard.

Well, I've made my first soup of the season, and according to Meredith, I've set the bar high. The cheese in the soup really complimented the beer. We nearly finished the entire pot ourselves - with barely enough left over for lunch the following day.

Swiss Chard and Cheddar Soup

2 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 tsp minced garlic
2 carrots, chopped
4 cups chopped Swiss chard, cleaned and chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
3-4 cups vegetable broth
1 can mixed chickpeas and kidney beans, drained
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup shredded old Cheddar cheese

1. Heat oil in a deep pot on medium and fry onions for 3-5 minutes.
2. Add garlic and carrots and continue fry for another 3-5 minutes.
3. Add Swiss chard and stir for 2-4 minutes, until wilted.
4. Add broth, beans, thyme, salt, oregano, and pepper, stir, cover and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to medium and let simmer, covered for 30-40 minutes.
6. Remove 1 cup of vegetables into a separate container and and using an immersion blender, puree.
7. Add pureed vegetables back to pot, stir in cheese, and serve.

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Secret Recipe Club: Felafel

It's time for the September edition of Secret Recipe Club, where a group of dedicated food bloggers try out each others recipes. This month, I was assigned Corina of Searching for Spice. Corina blogs to keep a record of the new things she tries. I immediately decided to try out her felafel recipe, just because I've been itching to make felafel for a very long time.

I've only made felafel once before, and it was a big mess (but tasted excellent). I modeled it after felafel I ate in the Old City of Jerusalem, where the felafel was served in a very large flatbread called lavash (the resulting wrap was about a foot long), and served with a varaiety of salads (hummus, baba ghannouj, beets, Moroccan carrots) and french fries. It was (and continues to be) the best felafel sandwich I've ever had.

This round of felafel wasn't going to be quite as elaborate. In addition to me substituting 1 tbsp dried parsley for the fresh parsley (or cilantro), we weren't going to make the different salads or serve it in that particular bread, but we were going to serve it in a tortilla wrap with lettuce, vegetables, dressing and fries. It got great reviews at the table and we'll definitely be making it again!

Felafel

1 can chickpeas, drained
2 tsp pureed garlic
1/4 cup parsley or cilantro, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chilli powder
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 small onion, roughly chopped
1-2 tbsp water (optional)
1/2 cup flour (for rolling)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (for frying)

1. Place chickpeas, garlic, parsley, cumin, coriander, chili powder, flour, onion and water in a food processor and puree on high.
   Note: you may need to stop the mixer a few times to scrape the sides with a spatula until it really gets going into a workable paste. If you're really having trouble, add a tablespoon of water and keep going (you don't want the mixture to be too loose).
2. Roll into 1-1/2 inch balls, roll balls in flour, flatten slightly on top and set aside for 30 minutes on a sheet of floured waxed paper.
3. Heat oil on medium-high to high and fry felafels for 3 minutes on each side, turning gently with a spatula. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb some of the oil, and serve.

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Chickpea Stew

At the end of a week where we ate a lot of meat, I was happy to cook a meal that was vegetable-heavy and easy to prepare.

I had recently read a couple of vegetarian recipes involving chickpeas and this was the result of combining bits and pieces from each. I went easy on the spices, so the stew was pretty mild. I think you could easily double the garlic, chili powder, cumin and cayenne to get a more powerful flavour, but the vegetables themselves were still flavourful when topped with rice.

Jeremy rooted through his bowl and cleaned out all of the chickpeas. He seems to enjoy just about anything as long as it's accompanied by some sort of sauce or other flavouring. Lucky me.

Chickpea Stew

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup diced yellow onion (about 1 medium)
1 cup diced carrot (about 1 large)
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups potatoes, cubed
1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp salt (if tomatoes are unsalted)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup vegetable broth

3-5 servings rice, prepared

1. Heat oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. 
2. Add onions and garlic and saute for 2-3 minutes. 
3. Add carrots and continue to saute for an additional 4-5 minutes.
4. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to medium and let simmer for 20 minutes.
6. Top with rice. 

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Moroccan Sausage and Chickpeas

When I saw Food Floozie's chickpeas with chorizo, I knew that I had to make my own version of the dish. I had Moroccan sausages in the freezer, so I was pretty much ready to go. This version wasn't going to be vegetarian or using pork. I don't associate the flavour of pork with Moroccan cuisine - probably because most Moroccans I've met are either Jewish or Muslim.

I had originally thought about using some Merguez (lamb) sausage, but I had found the "Moroccan" sausage in the freezer. The Moroccan sausage isn't one of my favourites, but it holds a special place for me as it's the sausage my grandfather and father make at family events. The (kosher) butcher who makes them packs them with a significant amount of fat, so they practically swim in the pan, or, result in two-foot-high flames on your grill. Good times.

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Moroccan Sausage and Chickpeas

by Daniel Saraga May-25-2012

A tasty combination of sausage, chickpeas and cous cous

Ingredients

• 1 tsp oil
• 1 lb Moroccan sausages
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 3 small onions, chopped
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 large (28oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp paprkia
• half lemon, juiced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• to taste pepper
• 6-7 servings cous cous

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Brown sausages for 3-5 minutes and break them into chunks using the sharp end of a spatula.2. Add the garlic and onions and continue to saute for 5-10 minutes, until onions are soft.3. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.4. Turn heat down to medium and let simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed.5. Serve with cous cous.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins Yield: 6-7 servings

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Hummus with Meat (hummus bi-lahm)

Whenever my brother-in-law comes to town, we frequently end up eating middle-Eastern food, and his most recent trip was no exception.

The very first time I met him, I had just returned from Israel determined to duplicate the amazing felafel I had near the Western wall. It was served wrapped in a huge piece of thin, round flatbread, contained every salad imaginable (eggplant salad, hummus, moroccan carrots, beet salad, etc., etc.) and it had French fries in it. It was unbelievable. Our apartment smelled like felafel for a week after all of the deep-frying.

The next time, we took him to our favourite Israeli-Mediterranean restaurant, Me Va Me, where Meredith and I had one of our first few dates. On that date, Meredith and I shared a large salad plate (with various Mediterranean salads) and had a couple of pints - more than enough for two people. After finishing, Meredith asked me "why doesn't all baba ghannouj taste like that?" to which I answered, "It does. You just haven't been eating baba ghannouj. You've been eating generic grocery store fake baba ghannouj. If it was real, it wouldn't have mayonnaise in it!" She hasn't eaten the fake stuff since.

Me Va Me's Shawarama is also top notch, as is their felafel, an inexpensive add-on to a salad plate if you're not going to indulge in shawarama or their excellent grilled fish.

Anyway, for this most recent visit, it was actually a coincidence that I was making this particular dish, as I didn't know he was coming at the time. We weren't expecting to see him until Thanksgiving. I had just been reading about different ways to serve hummus when I came across a few article that mentioned serving it with meat, and I realized that I could have a complete meal quite quickly.

One of my tricks when working with ground meat is to use a potato masher in the pan to evenly break-apart the meat.

Hummus with Meat (hummus bi-lahm)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground sumac
500g ground chicken, beef, or lamb
salt and pepper, to taste
1 batch of hummus, already prepared
2-3 tbsp raisins
toasted pine nuts (not pictured above)
1 tomato, sliced chopped

1. Heat oil in pan on medium and saute the onion until translucent.
2. Add the cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, cumin garam masala and sumac, and stir for 1 minute.
3. Add the ground chicken, using a potato masher to gently break up any large pieces as the meat cooks.
4. When the chicken is nearly done, but some liquid still remains at the bottom of the pan, stir in the raisins.
5. Continue to stir until chicken is done and most of the liquid has evaporated.
6. To serve, spread the hummus on a broad platter or shallow bowl. Top with the chicken mixture and garnish with sliced tomatoes and toasted pine nuts.

Serve with warm pita.

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Curried Hummus (Curry in a Hurry)

When I saw a curried hummus recipe at Bitter Sweet, Bitter Sweet's recipe was a basic hummus mixed with a Madras curry powder. I have my own hummus recipe and I've made a Madras curry before, so it should be quite easy. I knew I had to make my own version. I guess it's called curry in a hurry because it's simple and quick.

The result was great. Meredith loved it and we ate it on pita with some felafel. Tasty.

Curried Hummus (Curry in a Hurry)

Spice mixture:

1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger powder

Remaining ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup tehina
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
water

1. In a small container, combine all ingredients for the spice mixture and shake until thoroughly mixed. Set 1/2 tsp aside for garnish.
2. Reserve 1-2 tbsp chickpeas for garnish.
3. Combine remaining chickpeas, spices, olive oil, tehina and lemon juice all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Add water to reach desired consistency if necessary.
4. Garnish with remaining chickpeas, a splash of olive oil and curry powder.

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Vegetable Soup (Gypsy Soup)

This flavorful vegetarian soup is gluten-free and uses
Mediterranean spices for a unique, but not overwhelming flavor.

Week after week of reading Monday posts at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I'm reminded of one of my first cookbooks - Moosewood. I don't use it often at all, but every time I see one of the recipes, it's a little push to pull out my own copy.

My very first copy was literally that - a photocopy I had made from a friend's version (the original 1977 edition, I might add). I vowed that when I could afford to buy my own copy, I would. And I eventually did. The second edition (c. 1992) is a little different. still hand-drawn, but the recipes are a bit healthier. Less heavy creams, cheeses and butter, and more yogurt and olive oil (or no oil at all).

One of the things I noticed the very first time I opened the book is that some of the methods are very labour intensive. You're hard-pressed to find a recipe that takes less than an hour. The very first recipe I made (Russian cabbage borscht) took me quite a while as I had a cabbage as big as a basketball and a stockpot to make a double batch.

On this particular day, I decided to make my own version of the Gypsy soup. I say my own version for two reasons: because Katzen's own notes lists a plethora of substitutes for vegetables, and; there's no way I'm blanching, peeling and seeding tomatoes by hand. I will, however, use a small bottle of my mom's home-made tomato sauce instead.

Vegetable Soup (Gypsy Soup)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 celery stalk, minced
• 2 cups peeled, diced carrots
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp basil
• dash cinnamon
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 bell pepper (green or red), diced
• 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

1. In a dutch oven, heat oil on medium. Add onions, garlic, celery and carrots and saute for 5 minutes. 
2. Add salt and saute for an additional five minutes. 
3. Add paprika, turmeric, basil, cinnamon, cayenne, bay leaf and water. cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add tomato sauce, peppers and chickpeas. cover and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
5. Remove bay leaf before serving.

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Linked to Cast Party Wednesdays

Baked Pakoras

Welcome to my paroka pity party.

Browsing the food blogs I read one Friday evening I read what I considered a revelation: you don't need to deep-fry pakoras. Kathy Gori says so, and she knows her stuff.

I was so excited to try the recipe the following Sunday. I had mushrooms available and some broccoli that Jacob didn't eat from the week before so I didn't even need to buy anything. Score.

The recipe looks easy, and it's yet another good application for the chickpea flour I have. The final result isn't deep-fried pakoras, but it satisfies your pakoras cravings. Let's be honest: you can't beat deep-frind.

I did have some problems with the recipe: the batter stuck to the pan (but I used a non-stick cookie sheet with cooking spray - I should've used oil and tinfoil). I'll probably make the batter thicker next time (there'll be a next time) and use some other vegetables (probably cauliflower, as Kathy did).

I also burnt them a bit, although I think it has something to do with the temperature in the oven and the thin batter. So they didn't look great either.

But in the end, they tasted okay, and really, it was nothing some chutney didn't fix.

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Baked Parokas

by Daniel Saraga June-3-2011

These parokas are a tasty way to use vegetables.

Ingredients

• 1/2 kilo mushrooms, washed
• 1-2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup chickpea flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 3/4 cup water

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 500-degrees.2. In a large bowl mix together chickpea flour, salt, coriander, turmeric, chili powder, garam masala and water. (Note: Kathy says that the batter should be as thick as pancake batter. Add water or flour as necessary.)3. Dip mushrooms into batter, one at a time, and place them onto a greased or non-stick cookie sheet.4. Bake mushrooms for 8-9 minutes, turn, and bake again for another 9-10 minutes.

Details

Prep time: 10 hour Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 8-10 servings

Recipe from Kathy Gori's Colors of Indian Cooking.

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Creamy Indian Cabbage Casserole

When I was home on parental leave, I had lots of time to cook Friday dinners. I had been wanting to try some of Kathy Gori's recipes from the Colors of Indian Cooking (with my own adaptations, of course), but many of them look intimidating or more time consuming than I was willing to commit to (I still had to take care of a baby, after all!).

One particular recipe caught my eye - a cabbage dish. It was the first time I'd seen cabbage in an Indian dish and her original post was specifically about bags of pre-sliced cabbage.

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Creamy Indian Cabbage Casserole

by Daniel Saraga May-13-2011

This creamy cabbage dish is a tasty side dish to any dinner.

Ingredients

• 4 cups shredded cabbage
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup unsweetened grated coconut
• 1/4 cup chickpea flour
• 1 tsp ginger, minced
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.2. In a large bowl, combine cabbage, onion, coconut, flour, ginger, chilies, corriander and salt. Stir until evenly distributed.3. Add vegetable oil and water. Stir again and pour into an ungreased 8x12 pan.4. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and bake for 30-45 minutes, until the top is lightly browned.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 8-10 servings Inspired by the Colors of Indian Cooking A creamy cabbage dish with no dairy.

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Channa Korma Curry

Happy New Year's Potluck

Getting ready for a New Year's Day potluck, I was given the task of making a gluten-free and vegetarian meal. I've made my Channa Masala so many times recently, I didn't want to do it again. The problem was, chickpeas had to be the protein.

I then dug through my existing recipes and decided to make a variation of my Chicken Korma. I'd double the sauce and swap out the chicken for the legumes.

Channa Korma Curry

• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 tbsp garlic
• 3 tbsp ginger
• 6 cardamom pods
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 2 cup yoghurt
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cans chickpeas
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup raisins

1. Heat oil and fry the onions for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the cardamom, cinnamon, tomato sauce and yogurt and stir.
4. Add the chickpeas and bring to a boil.
5. Simmer on medium-low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Reduce to low, add lemon juice and raisins and let simmer for another 10 minutes.

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Toasted Chickpeas Snack

a selection of gluten-free goodies
including the chickpeas (centre).

Gluten-free guests

No-Frills isn't the best place to find gluten-free treats for friends. That's quite unfortunate, because I prefer shopping there and not going to more than one grocery store.

It was time for me to improvise. I quickly realized that it would've been much easier to make a gluten-free meal (a salad, main and dessert) than an assortment of gluten-free snacks (some of which I did find at No-Frills).

When going through my "must try" file, I found a recipe for toasted chickpeas with pistachios. I wasn't fond of the recipe itself, but I did like the idea, so I went to work devising my own version (minus the pistachios).

Tasted pretty good, I'm happy to say.

Toasted Chickpeas Snack

• 1 large can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp thyme zatar

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. 
2. Toss all ingredients in a bowl and then spread out on a nonstick baking sheet. 
3. Bake until chickpeas are golden and crisp.
   
   Note: stir occasionally for even toasting.

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Also shared with MLLA #30 at Priya's blog.

Chickpea-flour Pizza in Cast Iron

(originally published March 14, 2010, republished for Meatless Mondays)

Since today is about remembering (but not like the more important days of not forgetting), I thought it would be appropriate to talk about the fabled bag of chickpea flour today.

A few months ago, a colleague told me about a bag of chickpea flour she had in her pantry. Her daughter had bought it to prepare a dish – apparently it was a one-time thing. I gladly offered to take it off her hands.

About a month later, she announced that the flour had made it from the pantry to the hallway, and would eventually make it to work. A few weeks later, I suggested blocking the front door with the flour so she won't be able to leave home without picking it up.

Shortly after, the flour arrived.

The next question was "what to do with it?" It wasn't until then that it dawned on me that chickpea flour is gluten-free. I immediately thought of my brother and sister-in-law of Gluten Free Edmonton and cobbled together a recipe for a cast-iron pizza with tomatoes and onions that's fried and then broiled.

Chickpea-flour Pizza in Cast Iron

• 2/3 cup chickpea flour
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 tsp rosemary (finely chopped fresh or dried)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp minced tomato
• 1 tbsp minced onion
• 3 tbsp mozzarella
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

1. Sift the chickpea flour and salt together into a mixing bowl.
2. Slowly add 1/4 cup water, whisking constantly unit it forms a smooth paste.
3. Add the remaining water, whisk and let the batter stand for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat broiler while batter is standing.
5. Stir in rosemary when batter is ready.
6. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron pan (or nonstick oven-proof skillet). Stir the batter and pour into the pan.
7. Cook the pizza over medium heat until the bottom is golden and crisp and the top is almost set, (2 to 3 minutes). Break any large air bubbles with the tip of a knife and drizzle the remaining olive oil on top.
8. Sprinkle the tomato, onion, cheese and pepper on the pizza and put the skillet under the broiler. Broil until the pizza is golden and crisp, (2 to 5 minutes).
9. Slide the pizza onto a board, cut into wedges and serve hot.

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Steph's Chili con Carne

Visiting some friends in Waterdown, our friend Steph made what's in my opinion one of the best chilis I've ever tasted. It wasn't your everyday beans, meat, tomato paste and heat. It used a good variety of beans and Steph even threw in some chickpeas for good measure. There was a sweet, well-rounded flavour after the chili was sitting in a slow cooker for an hour or so.

Fortunately, the recipe made its way to the Haggis and the Herring for me to share with everyone.

Steph's Chili Con Carne

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 15 oz can green chilies
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1 medium jalapeño, seeded and minced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 tbsp chili powder
• 1-1/2 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tsp dried oregano
• 2-1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 can pinto beans, drained
• 1 can chickpeas, drained

1. Heat oil at medium in a large stockpot. Add ground beef, and sauté until the meat is no longer red.
2. Add green chiles, garlic, red bell pepper, jalapeño, and onion. Sauté until the onions are translucent.
3. Add chili powder, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, allspice, and cloves. Sauté for 1 minute.
4. Add tomatoes and tomato sauce, stir and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
5. Add black beans, pinto beans, and cannellini. Cook for an additional 20-30 minutes.

(recipe from Stephanie Bluhm-Cormier)
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Chickpea and Rice Pasta Salad

Photo above is a quick version that doesn't include
the "salad" ingredients listed below. 

Iron Chef: working with limited ingredients

Meredith is experimenting with liming certain foods, so we're getting creative putting together menus. Pizza and pasta appear frequenly on our menu when Jacob is around, and gluten and dairy are high on the "consume less" list. So are tomatoes and onions, two of my staple ingredients (my sister-in-law is now laughing at me, thanks).

Last week, I borrowed bits of a chickpea salad recipe from Moosewood and turned it into a pasta salad. It worked quite well and contained everything we needed in a good meal. I put the onions and tomatoes in my dish only.

Chickpea and Rice Pasta Salad

Chickpeas and dressing

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• salt
• fresh ground black pepper

Pasta

• 1 bag (approx 500g) rice pasta (penne or rotini)
• 1 tsp olive oil

Salad (optional)

• 1 cup broccoli florettes
• 1 cup cucumber, quartered and sliced
  
• 1/4 cup finely minced red onion
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
  

1. Combine the ingredients for the chickpeas and dressing and let marinate in the fridge (overnight is best). Toss mixture occasionally to allow flavours to mix.
   
2. Cook pasta following the directions on the package, then drain with cold water, toss with 1 tsp olive oil and set aside.
3. Toss the pasta, salad, chickpeas and dressing.

(inspired by Gingery Marinated Chick Peas from The Moosewood Cookbook)
Recipes by the Haggis and the Herring: tasty world recipes tested in our kitchen

Beans and Onions with Cous-cous

I remember my friends and I spending incredibly little money on food when I was in university. At the same time, we didn't starve. Most of what we made was from scratch and many of my friends were vegetarian so McDonalds and Kraft Dinner didn't cut it. Not that Kraft Dinner wasn't vegetarian, but we also ate pretty healthy compared to your average students.

Okay, so we ate a lot of beans, but we made the best of it and there was also lots of flavour. There was one particular dish I used to make quite frequently. It was a dish that a friend of mine made and I added to. His base recipe was onions fried with kidney beans with a couple of spices. I added chickpeas, another spice and then served it over cous cous.

Beans and Onions with Cous Cous

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
• 1 can red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup cous-cous, prepared according to package directions

1. Heat oil at medium in a deep frypan.
2. Fry onions in oil until translucent (4-6 minutes).
3. Add paprika, cumin, salt and cayneee pepper and fry for another 2 minutes.
4. Add beans and tomatoes and bring to a quick boil.
5. Reduce heat to low and let simmer, covered, for 20-30 minutes.

Note: If the mixture gets too thick or begins to stick to the pan, add 1/4 cup water.
Serve mixture on top of cous-cous.

Recipes by the Haggis and the Herring: tasty world recipes tested in our kitchen.
This post also linked to Fit Foodista's blog carnival.

Chicken Tajine with Honeyed Tomatoes and Chickpeas

Another Moroccan Shabbat (sorta)

Last week was a last-minute Shabbat special.

After picking up the Craisin challah from Jeff at What A Bagel York Mills, Meredith e-mailed me the menu for the evening:

pickle tray
beans and onions with crackers
Asian salad
chicken tajine with with honeyed tomatoes and chickpeas

After looking at the original recipe for the tajine (from Bonnie Stern's Friday Night Dinners), I switched up the method a bit (I wanted a one-pot solution, instead of going from the pot to the oven) and make things a bit more to my taste.

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Chicken Tajine with Honeyed Tomatoes and Chickpeas

by Daniel Saraga June-3-2009

This recipe was adapted from Bonnie Stern's Friday Night Dinners.

Ingredients

• 1/8 tsp saffron threads
• 2 tbsp boiling water
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp smoked Spanish paprika
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 3 chicken breasts, cut in half
• 10 chicken legs
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
• 1 can tomatoes (not drained), lightly mashed with a potato masher
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 can chickpeas
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• to taste pepper
• 1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced

Instructions

1. Let the saffron steep in the boiling water and put aside.2. In a small bowl, combine salt, paprika, cumin (1 tbsp) and sprinkle over chicken.3. In a dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-heat and brown the chicken in batches for 3-5 minute per side and set chicken aside in a separate bowl.4. Reduce heat to low and add onions, garlic and ginger to the pot and cook gently for 10 minutes, scraping the solidified juices, spices and oil from the bottom of the pan.Reduce heat to low and add onions, garlic and ginger to the pot and cook gently for 10 minutes, scraping the solidified juices, spices and oil from the bottom of the pan.5. Add remaining cumin (2 tsp), cinnamon and cayenne, and cook for 30-60 seconds.6. Add saffron, tomatoes, stock, and chicken. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium.7. Let cook for 20 minutes (uncovered), add chickpeas, honey and lemon juice and cook for an additional 20 minutes.8. If the sauce isn't think enough, remove chicken and reduce sauce on medium-high for 10-15 minutes.9. Add back chicken and mix in sliced lemon and cilantro. Remove from heat and serve.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 20 mins Yield: 10 servings

Recipes by the Haggis and the Herring: tasty world recipes tested in our kitchen


Note: this post also shared with Real Food Digest Rosh Hashanah 2011

Channa Masala

Chickpea, oh you wonderful legume. I've been eating it all my life, ever since my grandmother served it with couscous, cinnamon and sugar.

When it comes to vegetarian dishes and curries, Channa Masala (chickpea curry) is one of my favourites. I mean, if you choose to use olive oil there's nothing bad in there for you. It's also my preferred dish to bring to potlucks as it's inexpensive to prepare and has a wide appeal.

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Channa Masala

by Daniel Saraga April-24-2009

Channa masala is a great vegetarian and gluten-free dinner that pleases everybody.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 cups onions, finely chopped
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 tbsp minced garlic
• 3 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
• 3 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (including stems)

Instructions

1. In a large pan, heat oil on medium heat for one minute.2. Add onions and cinnamon, and sauté for five to eight minutes, until onions are golden.3. Add garlic and sauté for four more minutes.4. Add ginger, tomatoes, salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala and cayenne. Cook the masala for five minutes, until the oil separates.5. Add the chickpeas and cook for 10 minutes.6. Stir in cilantro and serve.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins Yield: 6-8 servings

Recipes by the Haggis and the Herring: tasty world recipes tested in our kitchen

Chicken Curry

My first chicken curries were okay, but not the best. I always used generic curry powder and added some garam masala for a bit of sweetness.

When I started getting more adventurous in my preparation, I found a recipe in the Globe and Mail that inspired me to mix my own spices and I was off! The resulting chicken curry became one of my standards for a curry dinner on a Friday night (Friday nights being chicken night).

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Chicken Curry

by Daniel Saraga April-24-2009

This chicken curry is one of my Friday night dinner standards. It's fun to make and tastes great. It was inspired by the Vij Family Curry recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 cups onions, finely chopped
• 2 sticks cinnamon
• 1/4 cup garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp ginger, minced
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
• 2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 kilo (2 lbs) skinless chicken thighs (tastes better if it's bone-in)
• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1 cup sour cream, cream, or coconut milk
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped (including stems)

Instructions

1. In a large pan, heat oil on medium heat for one minute. Add onions and cinnamon, and sauté for five to eight minutes, until onions are golden. 2. Add garlic and sauté for four more minutes. Add ginger, tomatoes, salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala and cayenne. Cook the masala for five minutes, until the oil separates.3. Add chicken to the masala and stir thoroughly. Cook for 10 minutes, until the chicken looks cooked on the outside. 4. Add sour cream, cream or coconut milk, and stir. Increase the heat to medium-high. When curry starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring two or three times, until chicken is completely cooked. Note: poke the thighs with a knife. If the meat is still pink, cook for five more minutes. 5. Remove and discard the cinnamon sticks and add chickpeas. 6. If using bone-in chicken, cool curry for at least half an hour and transfer cooked chicken to a mixing bowl. After chicken has cooled a bit, peel meat off the bones and discard the bones. Stir the chicken back into the curry and heat medium heat until it starts to boil lightly. 7. Stir in cilantro immediately before serving.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 50 mins Total time: 1 hour 10 mins Yield: 6 servings

Recipes by the Haggis and the Herring: tasty world recipes tested in our kitchen

Hummus bi Tehina

The most frequent request I receive from friends and family is about my hummus recipe. I don't think it's because my hummus is that much better than anyone else's hummus. I think it's because everyone else doesn't realize how easy it is to make hummus, and make it well.

I actually consider it a crime when someone buys store-bought hummus. Especially if it's some generic Canadian or American brand that doesn't actually taste like hummus, and actually has something crazy in it that has no business being in hummus - like mayo.

On one of our first dates, I took Meredith to an Israeli Mediterranean restaurant where she had her first taste of real Mediterranean salads. Her reaction was something along the lines of, "Why doesn't all hummus taste like this?" To which I responded, "It does. You've just never had real hummus before!"

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Hummus bi Tehina

by Daniel Saraga April-24-2009

Hummus with tehina is a middle-Eastern and Mediterranean standard.

Ingredients

• 1 can chickpeas, drained
• 1/4 cup tehina
• 1/4 cup lemon juice (1 squeezed lemon)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Instructions

1. Put garlic in food processor and chop first. Add all remaining ingredients and mix on high.2. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: Total time: 10 mins Yield: 2-3 cups

Recipes by the Haggis and the Herring: tasty world recipes tested in our kitchen