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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For my brother Dan - My Beef Wellington Experience

Today mark's the second anniversary of my brother's sudden passing.  The only way I can think of continuing honouring him is to try and love cooking half as much as he did.  Last year in honour of his Haggis and Herring blog I made Haggis and Herring.  This year, I decided to take on a Beef Wellington.  But for those that don't know me, I write a gluten free living blog at www.glutenfreeedmonton.com, so the slight twist was to make this a gluten free recipe.

Dan, I miss you with all my heart!

The idea of a Beef Wellington all started with the release of Pillsbury's gluten free pastry dough.  The first thing that came to my head wasn't pie (because I'm not a baker), but Beef Wellington!  Why Beef Wellington?  Because Chef Gordon Ramsay has it as a staple on the Hell's Kitchen menu.  What a great challenge.  Try and make a Beef Wellington good enough that Gordon Ramsay won't be screaming at you telling you its RAW and throwing it down like it's garbage.

So task #1.  Find a recipe.  I opened up my Food Network App, search wellington, and spotted a recipe that looked good to me by Tyler Florence (recipe shared below).

Task #2, search out the ingredients.  The only unique ingredients was the tenderloin cut (filet mignon) and procuitto (yes the tenderloin was wrapped in yummyness).

Knowing that I needed to do this right and go to a butcher, I went to Ben's Meat for the tenderloin.  I knew the meat was going to be expensive for 3lbs, and $60 later I was about to work with the most expensive cut of meat I have ever worked with.  And to be honest, that was a good price for that meat.

task #4 tackle this bad boy of a recipe.  I spent the better part of a morning prepping the meat and the insides of the wellington.  I knew it wasn't going to be easy, so I even called in reinforcements when it came to working with the gluten free pastry.

So what was the end results?  A slight mess!  It actually tasted amazing, and the meat was perfect.  But there are two things I didn't do well that could have made this dish perfect.

As you can see the crust kind of fell apart

First thing, I didn't roll the tenderloin tight enough.  I found it a challenge to wrap the tenderloin with the prosciutto and mushroom stuffing really right with the seran wrap.  I knew it wasn't perfectly tight, but I thought it was pretty good.  If you try this recipe, make sure you wrap it really tight.  There should be no give so when you put the tenderloin in the fridge, it will do a better job at holding its shape before wrapping it with the pastry.

Second thing I messed up on, was cutting the vents in the pastry.  I could not have wrapped this damn thing, without the help of my pastry loving mother'n'law.  I just had no idea what I was doing.  We then cut the vents, but I think we needed to cut the vents deeper, or cut more of them.  This particular recipe had a mushroom stuffing and mushroom contains lots of water.  So, although the top stayed crispy (and damn that Pillsbury makes a good gluten free pastry crust), the bottom got really soggy because the moisture couldn't escape to well.

So here is the recipe:

The Ultimate Beef Wellington - From Tyler Florence

For the Duxelles:

• 3 pints (1 1/2 pounds) white  button mushrooms
• 2 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
• 2 tablespoons  unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

To make the Duxelles: Add mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and thyme to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.  Add butter and olive oil to a large saute pan and set over medium heat. Add the shallot and mushroom mixture and saute for 8 to 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.

For the Beef:

• 1 (3-pound) center cut  beef tenderloin ( filet mignon), trimmed
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 12 thin slices prosciutto
• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves only
• 2 tablespoons  Dijon mustard
• Flour, for rolling out puff pastry
• 1 pound  puff pastry, thawed if using frozen
• 2 large  eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse  sea salt
• Minced  chives, for garnish
• Green Peppercorn Sauce, recipe follows
• Roasted  Fingerling Potatoes
• Warm Wilted Winter Greens, recipe follows

To prepare the beef: Tie the tenderloin in 4 places so it holds its cylindrical shape while cooking. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper and sear all over, including the ends, in a hot, heavy-based skillet lightly coated with olive oil - about 2 to 3 minutes. Meanwhile set out your prosciutto on a sheet of plastic wrap (plastic needs to be about a foot and a half in length so you can wrap and tie the roast up in it) on top of your cutting board. Shingle the prosciutto so it forms a rectangle that is big enough to encompass the entire filet of beef. Using a rubber spatula cover evenly with a thin layer of duxelles. Season the surface of the duxelles with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves. When the beef is seared, remove from heat, cut off twine and smear lightly all over with Dijon mustard. Allow to cool slightly, then roll up in the duxelles covered prosciutto using the plastic wrap to tie it up nice and tight. Tuck in the ends of the prosciutto as you roll to completely encompass the beef. Roll it up tightly in plastic wrap and twist the ends to seal it completely and hold it in a nice log shape. Set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to ensure it maintains its shape.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the puff pastry out to about a 1/4-inch thickness. Depending on the size of your sheets you may have to overlap 2 sheets and press them together. Remove beef from refrigerator and cut off plastic.  Set the beef in the center of the pastry and fold over the longer sides, brushing with egg wash to seal. Trim ends if necessary then brush with egg wash and fold over to completely seal the beef - saving ends to use as a decoration on top if desired. Top with coarse sea salt. Place the beef seam side down on a baking sheet.



Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash then make a couple of slits in the top of the pastry using the tip of a paring knife - this creates vents that will allow the steam to escape when cooking. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until pastry is golden brown and beef registers 125 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and rest before cutting into thick slices. Garnish with minced chives, and serve with Green Peppercorn Sauce, Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, and Warm Wilted Winter Greens.



Green Peppercorn Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 3 sprigs fresh  thyme, leaves only
• 1 cup brandy
• 1 box  beef stock
• 2 cups  cream
• 2 tablespoons grainy mustard
• 1/2 cup green  peppercorns in  brine, drained, brine reserved

Add olive oil to pan after removing beef. Add shallots, garlic, and thyme; saute for 1 to 2 minutes, then, off heat, add brandy and flambe using a long kitchen match. After flame dies down, return to the heat, add stock and reduce by about half. Strain out solids, then add 2 cups cream and mustard. Reduce by half again, then shut off heat and add green peppercorns.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and place a baking sheet inside to heat.

Roasted Fingerling Potatoes with Fresh  Herbs and Garlic:

• 2 pints fingerling potatoes
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 to 3 sprigs fresh sage
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 6 cloves garlic, left unpeeled
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus for  sheet pan
• Salt and pepper

Add potatoes, rosemary, sage, thyme, and garlic to a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Remove sheet pan from oven, lightly coat with olive oil, and pour potatoes onto pan. Place potatoes in oven and reduce heat to 425 degrees F. Roast for 20 minutes, or until crispy on outside and tender on inside. Recipes by the Haggis and the Herring: tasty world recipes tested in our kitchen
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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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Cucumber Dill Dressing

During cucumber season in July, everything cucumber was on sale. I made some batches of my microwave sweet pickles and tried to look for something new as well.

Meredith wanted me to change the salad dressing up for a bit - getting bored with some of my standards), and Judee's Cucumber Dill Dressing recipe was perfect timing. I didn't stumble across Judee's recipe by accident - I follow her blog through my news reader so I get her most recent updates, along with my other favourite food bloggers, including Food Floozie, Hungry Jenny, Gluten Free Edmonton, Maroc Mama and many others.

Anyway, Judee's recipes are always great - never too complicated, and this was no exception. A simple combination of ingredients for an excellent flavour. I ended up using dried dill instead of fresh, and I added a little salt and pepper (optional in her recipe). This dressing was perfect for a small lunch salad - with lots of leftover dressing for the next couple of days.

Cucumber Dill Dressing

1/4 cup cucumber, peeled and diced
5-7 fresh mint leaves
1 tsp (generous), dried dill
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 cup Greek yoghurt
pinch salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1. Combine all ingredients using an immersion blender.

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Mama's Pastel (Moroccan Shepherd's Pie)

My aunt sent me another of my grandmother's recipes in earlier June, for a Moroccan shepherd's pie called pastel. This is another dish that I haven't eaten in roughly 12 years - since my grandmother passed away.

Many of the measurements weren't exact, so I did need to use mu judgement along the way, and I think I'm getting better at guessing these type of things. It turned out exactly as I remember it - crispy on the outside and yummy inside.

Mama's Pastel (Moroccan Shepherd's Pie)

1/2 kilo ground beef
1/2 cup water
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp salt (for meat)
1/4 tsp pepper (for meat)
10 potatoes, boiled in salted water and drained (reserve 1/2 cup liquid)
1 tsp turmeric
salt, to taste (for potatoes)
1/4 tsp pepper (for potatoes)
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
1 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs, boiled, peeled and sliced
1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)

1. In a deep pan on medium heat, add beef, water and start to brown the beef, using a potato masher to break up beef. Add the lemon as soon as the meat starts to break up.
2. Drain excess liquid and discard lemon, and add nutmeg, salt and pepper and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
4. Combine the 1/2 cup of potato water and turmeric and mash the potatoes using the 1/2 cup of liquid. Separate into two portions.
5. Grease the inside of a large casserole dish, (8" x 13") using the olive oil and gently spread half of the potatoes evenly across the bottom.
6. Spoon the meat over the first layer and gently spread, trying not to compress the layer of potato underneath.
7. Place the egg slices evenly over the meat.
8. Lightly spread the remaining potato mixture over the meat and eggs and make a pattern (or just lines) using a fork.
9. Brush the egg wash over the top layer of potatoes and bake for 45-60 minutes, until top starts to turn golden brown.

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Chicken Tikka Pie

A Friday in May ended up being a long day. By the afternoon, I was ready to get the heck out of the office and get moving on dinner. My original plan was to make a chicken dish using some leftover white wine, however, my friend Hungry Jenny changed my mind.

Jenny had published a porky tikka pie for her regular Friday Pie Day feature, and I loved the idea. It's just what we needed for dinner. Of course, I wanted chicken (since it's Friday), and I had a couple of ideas for minor changes to make it my own, but really, it's Jenny all the way.

My mini Corningware set isn't nearly as nice as Jenny's proper ceramic English pie plates, but they still held together, and it tasted great. I'm so glad I tried it out, and I'm sure I'll be making it again (if I'm not trying yet another of her pies.

Chicken Tikka Pie

1/2 kilo chicken, bonless, skinless, cubed
2 tbsp garam masala
2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp minced garlic
2+2 tbsp olive oil
2 large tomatoes, cubed (around 500g)
2 cups mushrooms, sliced (around 150g)
1 medium onion, diced (around 100g)
2 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp sliced almonds
1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
4 medium potatoes (around 750g), peeled, chopped and boiled
2 tsp turmeric
1/2 cup milk
(4 small ceramic pie plates)

1. In a large bowl, combine the garam masala, paprika, ginger, garlic and 2 tbsp oil, and whisk together using a form. Add the chicken, mix well and leave for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees
3. In a large pan on medium heat, add the remaining oil. Brown chicken in oil for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the tomatoes, mushrooms and onion, and stir.
5. Add the ketchup and almonds and let simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Transfer mixture into four individual pie dishes.
6. Add the turmeric and milk to potatoes and mash together. Spoon potato mixture evenly atop each pie dish and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the potato begins to brown on top.

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Red Onion Sauce

I wanted to try something new for a family barbecue, but we didn't have very much time to do anything very different. Back in May, I saw a recipe on CES for a red onion sauce popular on hotdogs in New York City, so I ran with that (with a few changes of course). The sauce isn't made of onions, it's a red sauce with onions in it. Or, more accurately, onions covered in a reddish sauce.

The resulting sauce was very flavourful, and the cayenne added a good zing to it.

Red Onion Sauce

2 tbsp oil
2 onions, chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp cayenne
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, heat oil and on medium heat and saute onions until translucent.
2. Add garam masala and chili powder and stir for one minute.
3. Add remaining ingredients, stir, and let simmer, stirring frequently for 10-15 minutes, until mixture thickens.
4. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.
5. Serve at room temperature.

Note: this mixutre isn't a pickle like relish, so it must be refrigerated and eaten within 2-3 days.

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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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Miffy's Baked Beans

This large casserole dish was maybe two-thirds of the batch.
This particular batch didn't use beer, however, it tastes
even better with the beer.

When my mother-in-law told me that she had made baked beans from scratch, Meredith and I were excited to try it. We were equally disappointed to find that they were already gone.

Fortunately, it didn't take much pleading for her to make a batch for us. The beans arrived - slow cooker and all - and there was much more than expected. But we didn't complain - more for us. We're big fans. Sausage and beans, potatoes and beans, beans on toast, beans and Kraft Dinner. Not that we usually eat these meals consecutively.

I've never made baked beans from scratch myself. My slow cooker just isn't big enough, and the bowl doesn't remove for easy cleaning. Still, I was very reluctant to part with it because it was a gift from my (now deceased) grandparents.

A couple months later, I stumbled upon a large slow cooker for $10 at a garage sale and I I finally got the recipe from my mother-in-law (the beans pictured in the photo are hers).

The recipe is mostly based on a Chatelaine recipe. I read the reviews and they were mixed. I suspect that several readers cooked the beans on high and quickly dissolved most of the liquid in the cooker. Unfortunate for them, but great for me. The beans we feasted upon tasted great.

Miffy's Baked Beans

1 onion, finely chopped
4 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 cup molasses
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp red-chili flakes
2 cups dry navy beans, rinsed
3 1/3 cups water or 2 cups water + 1 bottle of beer

1. Combine onion with bacon, molasses, ketchup, Dijon, salt and chili flakes in the slow cooker and stir gently until thoroughly mixed.
2. Stir in beans, water (and beer) until combined.
3. Cover and cook on low until beans are tender, about 10 hours.

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Meatballs in Amaretto Barbecue Sauce

It all started out with a Guinness barbecue sauce recipe I saw, however, the recipe called for far too much sugar. That got me thinking that I wanted to make meatballs with some kind of barbecue sauce. The researching started.

I eventually found a recipe for Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce and went from there. I know that Dr. Pepper tastes like amaretto, and I figured meatballs in amaretto sauce sounds classier. I adjusted several ingredients, found some ingredients that were lower sodium (ketchup, Worcestershire sauce) and generally used less salt, and added an ounce of amaretto liqueur for extra flavour.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to make the meatballs from scratch. If I did, I probably would've added some of the sauce into the meatball mixture as well.

The sauce was excellent. We had a bit left over so I bottled some up for a couple of people.

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Meatballs in Amaretto Barbecue Sauce

by Daniel Saraga May-4-2012

The sauce is a tasty change for meatballs. Serve it with mashed potatoes for a warming meal.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 1 tsp (rounded) garlic puree
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 small bottle (412ml) Dr. Pepper
• 1 oz Disaronno liqueur
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1.5 kilos (3 lbs) meatballs, cooked (we used 2 lbs and kept the extra sauce aside)

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter on medium and saute the onion and garlic for 10 minutes.2. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.3. Reduce to medium and let simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring every few minutes until thick.4. Let the sauce cool slightly and puree using an immersion blender.5. Let simmer on low for another 5-10 and pour over meatballs.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Yield: 6 servings

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Colcannon (potatoes, cabbage, leeks and kale)

Another St. Patrick's Day has passed and this year I tried another new recipe.

St. Patrick's Day is special for us because it was my late brother-in-law's birthday. He passed away from a skiing accident a week before he turned 15. We always have a nice meal with friends and family and toast Jeremy on St. Patrick's Day. He would've been 35 this year. Our son Jeremy is named after him.

This year, dinner was Irish onion soup, corned beef, Yorkshire pudding and colcannon. Colcannon is a mashed-potato dish with cabbage, leeks and (sometimes) kale. I thought the leeks was also a neat nod to Meredith's grandmother who was born in Wales. I've never actually cooked with kale, so I thought it would be an interesting adventure.

I understand that kale can sometimes be bitter, however, I was hoping that cooking it really well in butter with salt and pepper would fix that, and it did.

From all of the recipes that I looked at to cobble this together, one in particular caught my attention in the method department so I borrowed from it. Just because of the quantities of vegetables, I split the frying into two batches, one for the kale, and one for the cabbage. I think it would've been messier if everything was in the pan at once.

The final result turned out great. I attribute the results to the butter, not-too-high fry temperature and the good company.

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Colcannon (potatoes, cabbage, leeks and kale)

by Daniel Saraga April-13-2012

This colcannon recipe is a combination of a few different recipes and methods that I read about.

Ingredients

• 8 small-medium potatoes, washed and quartered
• 1 bunch (3-4) leeks
• 1+1+1 tbsp (or more) butter
• 1 cup kale, vein removed and chopped
• to taste salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp water
• 1/4 cabbage (small), chopped
• 1/4 cup milk or cream
• 1 green onion, chopped
• 1/4 tsp dried dill

Instructions

1. Boil potatoes for 30 minutes and set aside.2. Discard most of the leek greens and slice leeks into 1/4-inch crescents.3. In a deep pan, Heat one tbsp butter medium-low add half of the leeks. Saute until leeks are soft.4. Add kale and 1 tbsp butter and saute for another minute.5. Add salt, pepper and 2 tbsp water, cover and reduce heat to low.6. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring once, until kale is soft.7. Set leek and kale mixture aside in a separate bowl. Return pat to medium-low heat, add butter and remaining leeks to the pan.8. Saute leeks for one minute and add cabbage. Saute cabbage and leeks for five minutes.9. Add salt and pepper, lower heat and let simmer for 10-15 minutes (turning cabbage once) until cabbage is soft and slightly browned (add water if necessary).10. Mash potatoes and add milk or cream.11. Gently fold in leek and kale mixture, then fold in leek and cabbage mixture.12. Garnish with green onion and dill before serving.

Details

Prep time: 30 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 30 mins Yield: 8 servings

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Cornie's Home Made Chicken

The story of Cornie's is an old one for us. On our first cruise, Meredith and I ended up hanging around a beach in St. Maarten for much of the day sitting in beach loungers, reading, drinking beer and eating chicken.

Cornie's was a little shack with a patio near where we rented our loungers and beach umbrella. The initial attraction was the two-for-$3 bottles of beer, but lunch was a pleasant surprise.

At the counter, there was a large pot of chicken slowly cooking on a burner. We were told it'd be ready by lunch time and lunch was great. There was something in it that reminded me of my grandmother's Saturday afternoon chicken dish, and I liked how it tasted - so I asked for the recipe. I didn't get much out of it aside from some ingredients (no quantities) and a general order of what to add when scratched on a piece of paper.

Knowing that I'd eventually lose that paper (and I did - I have no idea where it went), I typed out the instructions and emailed it to myself. Once a year or so I'd look at it and say to myself "I should really give this a try soon." It wasn't until this March that when deciding what to make for supper, I gave Meredith the option of me giving Cornie's chicken dish a try (as an experiment), or another of my standards.

Meredith chose Cornie's chicken and when I left work that day, I picked up the ingredients and got to work. I think the real trick to this is to let it cook for a long time, to let the flavours blend, the chicken fall to pieces, and the sauce to thicken. I don't claim to have nailed the quantities of ingredients on the first try, but it's good enough and tasted great. I've been avoiding excess amounts of sodium so I used no-salt canned tomatoes, low-sodium soy sauce and low-sodium ketchup. Either way, with those products as part of the process, there's likely no need to add any extra salt.

Our friend who joined us for dinner that day pointed out that the recipe was a variation of a frickazee.

Meredith thought that there was a little too much lime in the mix, so I'll actually discard the lime after the marinating next time, instead of letting the lime pieces cook in the stew (I've reflected that in the instructions as well).

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Cornie's Home Made Chicken

by Daniel Saraga April-6-2012

This chicken recipe is from a small eatery in St. Maarten.

Ingredients

• 1 kilo chicken legs or thighs
• 1 lime, quartered
• 1 tbsp vinegar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 celery ribs, chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 can tomatoes, diced
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced

Instructions

1. Place the chicken in a large ziplock bag and squeeze juice from lime quarters into bag. Add squeezed lime and vinegar, close and shake bag to coat chicken.2. In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, soy sauce, onion powder and garlic powder, and add to the bag of chicken, shaking to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight if possible.3. In a dutch oven, heat oil on medium.4. Add onions and celery and fry for 3-5 minutes.5. Add garlic and fry for another minute.6. Add tomatoes, potatoes and chicken (discard the lime pieces) and bring to a boil.7. Reduce to medium-low and let simmer for at least 60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce should be thick and chicken should be falling off the bone when done.
Note: always check the label for gluten-free labelling on prepared sauces (e.g., ketchup and soy sauce).

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour 10 mins Total time: 1 hour 25 mins Yield: 4-5 servings

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Mustard and Garlic Roasted Potatoes

The last few months were very busy for us, and cooking and baking new things didn't happen very often, if at all. In the middle of February, we had to catch up so we wouldn't run out of new recipes to share with everyone.

Fortunately, a cold snap hit and we had a good reason to stay indoors and make comforting food. At the end of that weekend, pretty stuffed with the weekend's leftovers for lunch, we decided to make a light dinner with some roasted potatoes.

I decided to wing it and throw a recipe together from scratch, and it worked quite well. The potatoes were nice and crispy on the outside and fluffy potato goodness on the inside.

Mustard and Garlic Roasted Potatoes

by Daniel Saraga March-23-2012

The potatoes are nice and crispy on the outside and fluffy potato goodness on the inside.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 kilos potatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400-degrees.2. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes.3. Transfer potatoes into a large bowl with the remaining ingredients and toss until well coated.4. Spread the potatoes out on a large baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 45-60 minutes, turning potatoes every 15-20 minutes.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Yield: 4-6 servings

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Secret Recipe Club: Mango Chicken Curry

It's time again for The Secret Recipe Club (SRC) again, hosted by Suzanne from The Bugs on my Windshield. Because SRC's reveal date is Monday, there won't be a Friday recipe this week.

This month I was assigned Angela's Kitchen. Angela's blog caters to the gluten- and dairy-free crowd. While some people might groan thinking: great, there won't be anything interesting here, I already knew better. My sister-in-law keeps a gluten-free diet and she and my brother blog about their gluten-free experiences in Western Canada. So back to Angela - I immediately knew there was going to be lots to choose from and I was right. What most people don't realize is that there is a ton of cuisine that is both naturally gluten- and dairy-free. So it wasn't about making something with gluten and dairy substitutes, but finding the cuisine that matches the dietary needs of the audience.

In the end, I chose to make her Chicken Mango Curry. Many curries are naturally gluten-free and many Eastern curries use coconut milk instead of cream - voila. No substitutes, just something that works for everyone.

For this particular recipe, I made some slight changes in process and substitutions to match Meredith's dietary needs (she doesn't like green beans) and my cooking style, and there was no need to freeze it for later (the leftovers were eaten the next day for lunch), however, it still keeps the spirit of Angela's original creation.

When we sat down to eat, Meredith said that it reminded her of the curries her mom used to make because of the sweetness of the mango, coconut milk, and raisins. Jeremy couldn't get enough of the zucchini so he shovelled his little bowl down as well. This is definitely a curry we'll be making again.

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Mango Chicken Curry

by Daniel Saraga March-12-2012

Meredith said that this curry reminded her of the curries her mom used to make because of the sweetness of the mango, coconut milk, and raisins. Adapted from Angela's Kitchen.

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 kilo chicken thighs, boneless, skinless, cut into 1" pieces
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 1 tbsp (rounded) garlic, minced
• dash salt
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cups zucchini, chopped into 1-inch pieces
• 2 tbsp curry powder
• 1 mango, peeled and diced
• 2 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 1 mango (yes, another mango), peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup golden raisins
• 3/4 cup coconut milk

Instructions

1. In a Dutch oven heat olive oil over medium-high heat and brown chicken for 3-5 minutes. Remove from pan to a bowl.2. Add onions, garlic, ginger and salt to pan and cook for around ten minutes, stirring occasionally.3. Add peppers and zucchini and continue to cook for 5-10 minutes, until peppers begin to soften.4. Add back chicken, curry powder, 1 mango, vinegar and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium and allow to simmer, uncovered for 25 minutes.5. Add remaining mango, raisins, and coconut milk. Stir and let simmer for 5 to 10 minutes and serve with rice.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Yield: 3 servings

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Peanut Salad Dressing

I forgot to take a photo of the salad before we ate,
however, we used the dressing as a dip as well.

A short while ago was National Peanut Butter Day.

While my son decided to have a fluffernutter sandwich for dinner (that's marshmallow fluff and peanut butter for the un-initiated), we decided to use the peanut butter elsewhere in our meal.

I prepared a salad with shredded carrot, snow peas, a few other vegetables and some sort of dried/puffed noodles and whipped together a salad dressing loosely based on one I saw at Our Best Bites. The original recipe was Thai, however, we omitted the Siracha sauce, cilantro (we didn't have any) and swapped out the lime for lemon among other changes. I still would like to try the original recipe as I imagine it tastes excellent as well.

There was quite a bit of dressing in the end, and it was pretty thick, so we ended up adding extra water compared to the original recipe, and, after using it for salad on a second day, we used the dressing as a dip for vegetables. It was excellent.

Peanut Salad Dressing


1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp honey

2 tsp garlic puree

1 tbsp ginger puree

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

1. Place all ingredients except water in a blender and puree until smooth.
2. Slowly add water as required to reach the desired consistency.

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Secret Recipe Club: Ginger Chicken

It's time again for The Secret Recipe Club (SRC), and we have a new host: Suzanne from The Bugs on my Windshield. Because SRC's reveal date is Monday, there won't be a Friday recipe this week.

This month, I've been assigned Robin from Penny Pinching Provisions who, like me, would rather make tasty, affordable meals from scratch, than buy prepared processed food. There were lots of tasty-looking recipes to review and an easy-to-scan index of recipes to search through. (Thank you, Robin!).

Since we had a dinner with friends coming up, and I tend to use friends as guinea pigs for recipes, as well as family, I decided to make a double-batch of Robin's Ginger Chicken recipe, and add a little bit of Chinese cooking wine to the recipe as well.

Ginger Chicken

1 tbsp oil
1 kilo chicken, diced
1/4 cup white cooking wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup ginger, chopped
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp mustard
1 tbsp coriander

1. In a deep pan, heat oil on medium-high and brown chicken on all sides. Set chicken aside.
2. Quickly de-glaze the pan with the cooking wine. Add broth, onion, ginger, soy sauce, molasses, garlic powder, mustard and coriander. Increase temperature to high, and let mixture boil and reduce (stirring occasionally) until onions and garlic are soft (20 minutes).
3. Add the chicken to the mixture, and reduce to medium, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through.

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Baked Aloo Kofta Curry (Baked Potato Ball Curry)

Back in January I got an email from one of my favourite Indian food bloggers - Niya. She remembered a comment I made nearly a year ago about wanting to make a potato-ball curry that didn't involve deep-frying. Well, Niya came through and created one! As soon as I saw Niya's Baked Aloo Kofta Curry, I knew I had to make it. Immediately. For dinner that very evening. With a few variations, I mostly doubled the recipe, and it tasted amazing. We took the leftovers to our neighbours who devoured it (and sent us some of their ribs as a thank-you).

Thank you so much, Niya!

Baked Aloo Kofta Curry (Baked Potato Ball Curry)

Kofta:
1 lb (500g) potatoes, boiled and mashed
2 tbsp onions, finely chopped
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
2 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 tsp salt

Curry:
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp (rounded) coriander
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup + 1 cup water
2 tbsp oil
2 onions, finely chopped
2 tbsp ginger paste
2 tbsp garlic paste
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp sour cream
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

1. For the koftas:
   Preheat oven to 375-degrees.
2. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. In a bowl, thoroughly mix all ingredients for the kofta.
4. Roll mixture into 1-inch balls and space evenly on parchment (should be 20-25 balls).
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until slightly browned and crispy, then set aside.
6. For the curry:
   Combine chili powder, cayenne, coriander, salt and 1/4 cup water in a small bowl and set aside.
7. In a deep pan, heat oil on medium-high and fry onions until translucent and browning.
8. Reduce heat to medium and add ginger and garlic. Continue to simmer for 2-3 minutes
9. Add the spice and water mixture, stirring for two minutes.
10. Add tomato paste and remaining water, stir and cover.
11. Let simmer for 10-12 minutes and then remove from heat.
12. Add sour cream and mix gently.
13. Arrange koftas in a flat oven-proof dish with a lid and pour curry on top. Garnish with cilantro.
14. Allow the curry to stand for at least one hour before serving (you can reheat in the oven) to allow the flavours to mingle.

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Moroccan Dijon Chicken

I only read a couple of Moroccan cooking blogs since there aren't that many, however, I enjoy reading both immensely. Recently, one of the bloggers, Nisrine from Dinner and Dreams, announced that she was being published in the Boston Globe, so, of course, I had to read the story.

Her recipe was a spicy Moroccan chicken recipe, and it used Dijon mustard. Dijon? That's clearly French, however, the French occupied part of Morocco at one point, so it made perfect sense. Just like butter chicken (Indian/English), and chicken vindaloo (Indian/Portuguese). I'd love to read more about the history of the dish, but it wasn't available. Maybe one day I'll get around to reading more about the French in Morocco, or consult another authoritative source.

The dish itself tasted great. I made some substitutes as I didn't have any harissa on hand, or ground cloves, and I wanted things extra saucy, and it still worked.

Moroccan Dijon Chicken

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips or chunks.
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tbsp tomato paste
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 whole cloves
1 tsp dried mint
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup light cream

1. Combine chicken and mustard in a large zipper bag and let marinate in the fridge for one hour.
2. Meanwhile, in bowl, combine tomato paste, water, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, and mint, stir and set aside.
3. When chicken is ready to cook, heat oil on medium in a deep pan and fry onions for 8-10 minutes, stirring often. 
4. Add chicken and tomato-spice mixture, stir, and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to medium-low and cook for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is cooked.
6. Add cream and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes.
7. Serve with cous cous.

Based on Spicy Moroccan Chicken by Nisrine Merzouki.

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Baba's Pan-fried Burgers with Onions and Mashed Potatoes

I couldn't tell the story of my favourite dessert from my paternal grandmother, without talking about my favourite comfort food from my maternal grandmother, Baba.

From the time my grandmother retired, she would visit pretty much every weekend, and whenever I was sick. Sometimes, I'd be whisked to her place when my parents were on the way to work and I was too sick to go to school. If I was able to keep food down, more than likely, I was getting burgers with onions and mashed potatoes. It still is my favourite comfort food. I usually stayed in the kitchen when she was making it, so when I was older, it was me who made it for her.

I'm not a big fan of dishes that use so many pots and pans,
but for this, I make an exception.

The most interesting part of the dish is how she made the potatoes. My grandmother wasn't kosher, however, she didn't really mix milk with meat. Well, no milk makes making creamy potatoes very difficult. Instead, Baba whisked a raw egg and a bit of water together and added it to the potatoes. I worked pretty well, when the alternative was using some non-dairy creamer.

In November, I caught a nasy cold for the second time in six weeks, and Meredith was sick as well. It's very difficult when we're both sick. Normally, my mom would come rushing over with enough food to feed us for a week (hey, she enjoys it, so why should we fight it?). However, my parents were out of town, so we were on our own for food. The past few days had been packaged soups, toast, and soft boiled eggs. I needed something more, and I thought of my grandmother's burgers.

Baba's Pan-fried Burgers with Onions and Mashed Potatoes

6 medium russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 tsp salt
2-3 tbsp oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
500g (1 lb) lean ground beef
3 cups beef stock
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1/4 cup margarine
pepper, to taste

1. Place the potatoes in a medium pot and fill until the water is about one-inch above the potatoes. Add salt and bring to a boil. Let boil, uncovered for around 30 minutes, until potatoes are soft and break apart easily.
2. Add oil to a deep pan and heat on medium. Add onions and let simmer, stirring frequently, until onions are soft and begin to brown.
3. Divide the beef into six equal parts and form into patties about 1/2-inch thick. Heat a non-stick pan on medium and fry the patties for 2-4 minutes per side, until nicely browned.
4. Add the beef stock to the onions and heat on high until boiling.
5. While continuing to boil the broth mixture, add the patties. Let mixture boil for around 30 minutes, until broth is reduced.
6. When potatoes are ready, crack the egg into a small bowl, add 1 tbsp water and gently mix with a fork.
7. Drain the water from the potatoes, add margarine, and quickly mash roughly with a potato masher. 
8. Add egg mixture and continue to mash. Add pepper to taste.
9. Serve in a bowl by making a well in a pile of potatoes and placing a burger, onions and some broth in the middle.

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