Grilled Ratatouille

Looking at the recipes I've published during the last month or so, I realized that since fixing my barbecue, I've been grilling quite frequently. In a previous life, I barbecued Moroccan sausages 12-months a year. As long as I had a beer in my hand and I was bundled up, I was good. I might restart that tradition.

Ever since I saw the movie Ratatouille, I've wanted to try making my own version of the vegetable stew. I even found a couple of recipes that follow the signature dish from the movie. The presentation is just as beautiful in real life as it was on screen, however, it was a little too much for me. I wanted something more rustic (read: less complicated preparation).

When I saw Alea's grilled ratatouille, I thought I had found what I was looking for as a starting point, but I didn't realize what I was getting myself into. I took Alea's idea of grilling the vegetables before the finer chopping, chose my own vegetables and quantities (similar to hers), and added some tomato sauce as well.

Where things went south for me was in the cleaning department (I like one-pot dishes): I used more bowls than I thought I would for the prep (with all of the vegetables soaking in oil); chopping the vegetables after grilling, but before adding them to the pot with sauce also got messy. Really messy. I'll make sure to take appropriate measures next time and avoid a much bigger cleanup job than I had originally anticipated.

Taste-wise, it was a huge hit. Everyone loved it. I'll definitely be making it again.

A couple days later, for the benefit of the movie-going crowd, I served the leftover ratatouille over linguini (har, har).

Grilled Ratatouille

2 yellow zucchini, sliced into 1cm rounds
2 green zucchini, sliced into 1cm rounds
1 purple eggplant, sliced into 1cm rounds
2 sweet onions, peeled and sliced in half
2 red peppers, seeded and sliced in half
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and sliced in half
8 roma tomatoes, sliced in half
1/2 kilo portobella mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 pint tomato sauce
1/2 cup red basil, chopped
salt

1. Preheat the grill.
2. Brush or toss vegetables with olive oil.
3. Grill the zucchini, eggplant and onions for 10-15 minutes (turning to grill all sides).
4. Grill the peppers, tomatoes and mushrooms for 6-10 minutes (turning to grill all sides).
5. In a dutch oven, heat a small amount of olive oil on medium and add garlic. Stir for 1 minute.
6. Add tomato sauce and simmer on low.
7. Meanwhile, chop grilled vegetables and add them to tomato sauce.

Serve with sliced baguette.

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Rickard's Blonde Hot Chicken Roti

Beer Libre!

A couple weeks ago, I was contacted by my friends at Rickard's with a new set of recipes that really inspired. As regular readers know, I enjoy cooking with beer, and I've already made mustard, soup, and stew with various beers. The recipes are for a new beer, Rickard's Blonde, not yet available in Ontario. Rickard's Blonde is  a great-tasting pilsner. The bonus for us was the sample that would soon arrive in the mail.

When the package arrived by courier, I got a laugh out of the note that arrived in the box.

Clearly an attempt to slow you down from immediately cracking open (and likely spraying yourself with) a well-shaken can that spent the better part of a day bouncing around in a courier van!

In the package of recipes, one stuck out - it was a grilled chicken sandwich in an interesting marinade. I decided to modify the marinade to turn it into a a Caribbean chicken roti with potatoes. The original marinade recipe called for Scotch bonnet peppers. Unfortunately, the local grocery didn't have any in stock, so I used two jalapeno peppers.

The result was an awesome tasty chicken roti with potatoes in a thick sauce. There was just enough heat with the flavour that you felt the warmth for a short while after finishing the meal. Perfect.

Rickard's Blonde Hot Chicken Roti

• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 medium onion
• 1-2 chili peppers (Scotch bonnet, habanero or jalapeno), stem and seeds removed
• 1 cup Rickard's Blonde beer
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp garam masala or ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1/2 kilo chicken thighs or breast (boneless, skinless) diced
• roti for serving

1. Boil potatoes in salted water for 5 minutes and drain.
2. Combine garlic, onion, pepper, beer, water, salt, brown sugar, thyme, garam masala, nutmeg and turmeric and puree using an immersion blender.
3. Heat oil on medium in a deep pan and brown chicken for 3 minutes. Add potatoes and sauce mixture, cover and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to medium and let simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve on roti. Makes 4 servings.

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Shakshuka (Israeli Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce)

During Passover, my family tends to eat lots of eggs. Mostly because eggs are in just about everything during Passover. But this particular meal wasn't inspired by that. Instead, it was inspired by a tweet I made earlier that week.

I'd been wanting to make Shakshuka for months, but I never had an incentive. And things were busy. When the tweet went out, Meredith saw it and hinted that I should consider it for dinner that week, and the wheels started turning.

As a Passover dish, it's excellent (well, if you serve it with matza instead of pita, slightly less excellent), as it's tasty and full of protein. I'd say that it's one of those dishes that could easily be served as breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

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Shakshuka (Israeli Eggs Poached in Spicy Tomato Sauce)

by Daniel Saraga June 15, 2011

Shahshuka is an excellent lunch or dinner, served with warm pita and Israeli salads.

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil3 jalapeno peppers stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped1 onion, chopped5 garlic cloves, minced1 tsp ground cumin1 tbsp paprika1 can diced tomatoes5 eggs1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled1 tbsp parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat oil in a deep pan over medium-high heat. 2. Add peppers and onions and stir occasionally for six minutes. Onions should be soft and slightly browned. 3. Add garlic, cumin, and paprika, stirring frequently for 2 minutes.4. Add diced tomatoes and liquid, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 5. Reduce to medium-low, stir and make five wells in the thick sauce. 6. Crack eggs over wells, cover and cook for about five minutes, until yolks have set.7. Baste the eggs with tomato sauce using a small spoon and sprinkle feta and parsley.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 35 mins Yield: 3-4 servings

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Salsa Verde

Meredith and I missed eating the top tier of our wedding cake on our first anniversary because we were busy in Alberta getting ready for my brother's wedding. Fortunately, my mother-in-law over-did the preserving and the cake was perfectly kept.

She also brought two excellent salsas she made from fresh tomatillos she picked at a local farm. In fact, I think she brought the entire farm with her! Along with the salsa was a large bag of pears and apples she had picked with Jacob, and a few other things I'm pretty sure she just shoved into the fridge hoping I wouldn't notice.

With Rosh Hashanah just two days away, I have no idea how we're going to eat all of this. However, I did recently see a great recipe for poached eggs in salsa. I guess I have some work to do!

Salsa Verde

• 1 quart tomatillos
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 purple onion, peeled and sliced crosswise in thirds
• 3 serrano peppers
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
• 1/2 fresh juice of a lime

1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse. 
3. Place tomatillos, garlic, onion and serrano peppers on a baking sheet and broil until the tomatillos are soft, leaking juice, and have just begun to blacken. 
4. Place roasted vegetables and olive oil into a food processor and puree. 
5. Remove mixture to a bowl, add lime and cilantro, and stir. 

Note: salsa freezes well and last for three days in the fridge.

Variation using with red jalapeno peppers instead of serrano peppers

1. After broiling, set aside jalapeno peppers. Cut them in half, discard the seeds and do not add the peppers to the food processor (yet).
2. Puree the remaining vegetables. 
3. Add the jalapenos to the salsa and pulse until the jalapenos are small red flecks.
4. Remove mixture to a bowl, add lime and cilantro, and stir.

Original recipe from Hutchinson Farms

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Deer Beer Pumpkinhead Chili (Venison, Pumpkin and Lager Chili)

In early October, I was speaking to a colleague about the upcoming hunting season. Not wabbit season, or duck season...

but deer season.

Oh deer!

My colleague usually takes his deer to a butcher before bringing it home for packaging and he still had some left in his freezer from last year.

Well, I was glad to take some off his hands to free up some freezer space and shortly after, I was presented with a couple venison steaks and some burger (ground). I immediately went to work looking for what to do with the meat. I didn't want to do something plain, and I wanted something that would best reflect the fall season.

I found a few chili recipes that interested me. One of them had pumpkin, ale and some sweet potatoes. I decided to use that concept as a starting point for what I made. The result was a very large pot of tasty chili.

Deer Beer Pumpkinhead Chili

1+2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 kilo ground venison
2 onions, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
8 cloves garlic, finely minced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
1 bottle of Rickard's Red beer
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 can (5-6 oz) tomato paste
3 cups chicken or beef stock (I used chicken)
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can romano beans

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat in a deep pot and brown venison, remove and set aside.
2. Add 2 tbsp oil, onion and potato to pan and saute for 8 minutes until onions are translucent.
3. Add garlic and stir for one minute.
4. Add beer to degalze pan and reduce for about ten minutes.
5. Add jalapeno peppers, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, pumpkin, salt and tomato paste, stir and let simmer for 1 minute.
6. Add venison, stock, tomatoes and beans and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce to medium-low and let simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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African Chicken in Peanut Sauce

Served on a combination of white and black rice. It was
news to me that black rice turns the white rice purple
if you cook them together. 

• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 3/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 kilos chicken pieces (with or without skin)

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 1 red pepper seeded and finely diced
• 1 green pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 1 carrot, finely diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
• 4 cups chicken broth or stock
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 small tomato, seeded and diced
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp minced fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro

1. Combine salt, pepper, 2 tsp minced garlic, onion powder, cayenne and oil, rub onto chicken and let marinate for 2-3 hours in fridge or overnight.
2. In a dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp oil, brown chicken in batches and set aside.
3. Add onions, bell peppers, carrot, garlic, and jalapeno and fry for five minutes, gently scraping the bottom of the ban with a wooden spatula.
4. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to medium and let simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered.
6. Add peanut butter, tomato paste, tomato, thyme, ginger, coconut milk and pepper and stir for two minutes.
7. Add back chicken and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep sauce from sticking and turning chicken after 15 minutes.
8. Stir in cilantro and serve with rice.

Based on African Chicken in Peanut Sauce by John Spottiswood

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Jalapeno Bread and Butter Pickles

The sweet pickles from a few weeks back were such a success, I wanted to try some more pickle recipes using the same method (I found an interesting method of making pickles in the microwave at The Colors of Indian Cooking).

My favourite type of pickles (aside from the obvious dill in brine) are bread and butter pickles. While looking for a recipe that I could easily adapt, I also found a recipe for bread and butter style pickled jalapeno peppers at Simply Recipes. I opted to scale the recipe down a bit because I didn't have enough jars.

When the peppers colled, I tasted one and it's not bad. Not super-hot and the pickling gave it a nice tang.

Jalapeno Bread and Butter Pickles

• 1/2 lb jalapeno peppers, sliced vertically and seeded
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/8 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 1 star anise
• 1 cardamom pod, bruised
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 whole cloves

1. Place peppers and onion in a large microwave-safe dish. In a separate bowl, whisk remaining ingredients together and pour on top of cucumber and onion mixture.
2. Microwave on high for two minutes.
3. Stir, and microwave on high for an additional minute.
4. Empty bowl into sterilized 500ml mason jar and let cool before refrigerating.

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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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