Mandelbread

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 1 Comment

Mandelbread2

Mandelbread or “almond bread” is the Jewish version of Italian biscotti. Like biscotti, mandelbrot is twice-baked, but unlike biscotti, mandelbrot is more cakey. When well-made, I enjoy both. When my sister and I were in our teens, our mother would buy mandelbrot from a bakery in a traditionally Jewish suburb of Chicago. Since we lived in the city, this wasn’t a trip that she often made so when she would buy mandelbrot, it would be boxed up, tied with string and stocked in our freezer. My sister and I thought we were very clever and had figured out a way to somehow wiggle our fingers into the box without removing the string, while we grabbed a yummy slice. We got so good at this trick that we kept going back for more and more. Unfortunately, when my mother went to actually serve the mandelbrot, the box was magically empty! Try these with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk or sweet wine. Get creative and use pistachios and dried cherries instead of almonds and chocolate. Just be sure to make enough! These keep for a very long time in a cookie tin.

Mandelbread from The Book of Jewish Food by Claudia Roden and tweaked by me

Yield: About 4 dozen

Ingredients

3 large eggs

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 cup Canola oil

Grated zest of one large navel orange (or lemon if you prefer)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon espresso powder (optional)

3.75 cups of unbleached all-purpose flour

Generous 1/2 cup whole raw almonds, toasted for about 12 minutes in a 350 degree F oven and allowed to cool

Generous 1/2 cup mini bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1 large egg yolk mixed with 2 teaspoons of cream or non-dairy milk (I like vanilla soy but any creamy non-dairy milk will do)

Granulated or course-grained sugar for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. In a standing mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened. Add  the oil, zest and vanilla and beat until well mixed.

     

  3. Using a whisk or fork, mix together the flour, baking powder, espresso powder (if used) and salt. Slowly beat the mixture into the eggs, scraping the bowl as necessary. Then add in the cooled almonds and chocolate morsels and mix through by hand. With lightly oiled hands, shape the dough into 2 long slim logs with slightly flattened tops and place the on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat or parchment paper. They should be several inches apart since they will spread some. Brush each log well with the egg yolk mixture and sprinkle with the additional sugar. I have also used a mixture of cinnamon and sugar at times.

     

  4. Bake for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow the cakes to cool for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, raise the temperature of the oven  to 400 degrees F. Once the logs have cooled enough to easily handle them, slice each log on an angle into 1-inch pieces. I used a long, serrated bread knife for this. Lay the pieces down flat back onto the parchment or Silpat. They will no longer spread so they can be pretty close together.Mandelbread5
  5. Return the baking sheet to the 400 degree F. oven and bake for about 10 minutes more or until lightly browned. There is no need to turn the slices over. Cool completely and enjoy them right away or store them in a tin if you have will-power.Mandelbread4       Mandelbread

 

Lisa’s Au Gratin Potatoes

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Au Gratin Potatoes

Chicago has been experiencing bitter cold for the last couple of weeks. But that hasn’t stopped my husband and me from taking long walks. If you know how to dress properly, it can be rather invigorating and I’ll take it over the heavy snow that hit the East coast of the United States last week. The extreme cold, however, does make things very dry despite the use of humidifiers and lotions, so during this weather I allow my cooking to be a bit heavier on fats. This recipe (really more of a guideline than a hard and fast recipe) is pure comfort food. It’s fairly pliable, adapting well to personal tastes and ingredients on hand. Next time I might add some chopped chives and skip the prosciutto. Here is my version.

Lisa’s Au Gratin Potatoes

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

5-7 medium Yukon Gold potatoes

3-4 ounces prosciutto, cut into large dice and crisped in a frying pan (You can use bacon, if you prefer. This is what I had on hand and it’s also less fatty than bacon.)

8 ounces extra sharp cheddar, grated

1/4 cup grated Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese

About 3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1.75 cups of skim milk (You can use whole if you prefer or part skim and part half & half)

2 large eggs

2-3 Tablespoons butter (I used garlic butter because I had Amish garlic butter that we received as a gift from Frances’ parents.)

2 Tablespoons Panko bread crumbs

Hungarian Paprika

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously butter an oval or rectangular pan with 2-inch sides. I like my heavy Le Creuset oval gratin pan, but a glass pan will work as well. The pan should be big enough to fit the all of the ingredients. If you are making this for a crowd, you will need a bigger pan.
  2. In a large pot, cover the potatoes with 2-3 inches of water. Bring it to a boil and simmer for 8 minutes. Remove the potatoes after 8 minutes and run under cold water to stop the cooking. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice them about 1/4 inch thick. (I leave on the skins unless the skin starts to come off. In that case, just peel that extra skin away.) 
  3. Line the buttered pan with the potato slices, over-lapping them slightly. After you have one layer of potatoes, take half of the crisped prosciutto and scatter it across the top of the potatoes. Do the same with half of the cheese mixture. Repeat this entire process with one more layer.
  4. Mix the eggs with the milk and add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Whisk to mix well. Pour the mixture over the potatoes. Sprinkle the top with the Panko bread crumbs and the paprika. Dot the top with more butter. Au Gratin Potatoes3
  5. Place the pan, uncovered in the oven and bake for about an hour. This can be made ahead and loosely covered. When you are ready to serve, uncover the pan and place it in a 350 degree F oven for about 10-15 minutes. Ovens vary but you want the top looking browned and crispy and the potatoes to be tender. Au Gratin Potatoes2

 

 

 

Tahini Cookies

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Tahini cookie1

I saw this recipe on the Bon Appetit website and thought they looked like just my kind of cookie – not too complicated and not filled with all kinds of junk. The result is a lovely,  cookie that is rich without being cloying and sweet without making your teeth ache. The tahini lends a subtle nutty flavor. The texture goes from a fragile morsel that melts in your mouth when just barely warm to slightly chewy when fully cooled. The real danger in these cookies is that they take no time to prep and bake, so as long as you have the shelf-stable ingredients on hand, you can have these cookies baked and cool enough to eat in about 40 minutes. Can you say instant gratification? Until the cookies are completely cool and have sat out for an hour or so, they remain very fragile. But oh, so delicious! If you plan on transporting them somewhere, you must wait for them to firm up. On the other hand, if you plan on serving them at home, try them when they are still slightly warm. These cookies will hold up well for several days if stored in an airtight container.

Please DO NOT use a butter substitute for this recipe. Sorry vegans, but it just won’t be the same.

Tahini Cookies from Mamaleh’s, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Yield: About 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 Tablespoons honey or agave syrup

3/4 cup tahini (I like Soom brand)

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds (I used a combination of black and white sesame seeds)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F with the rack on the middle shelf. Line two large cookie sheet pans with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter, sugar and honey until fluffy. Beat in the tahini and then add in the dry ingredients, beating slowly so the flour doesn’t fly all over the place. The resulting dough will be quite soft and very slightly sticky.
  3. Place the sesame seeds in a shallow bowl. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of dough and roll the dough into a ball. Don’t worry about perfection! Carefully roll the top of the dough ball in the sesame seeds and gently lift the dough onto the parchment with the seeds facing up. The dough is very soft so it may smush a bit. Don’t fret. All will be well! The cookies should be about 2-inches apart.
  4. Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. Remove the pan to a rack to cool and repeat with the second pan. Some people like to do two pans at once, rotating them half-way. That never seems to work well for me since I have a crummy oven, but if you want to go for it be my guest. Allow the cookies to cool. They will firm up if allowed to cool completely but are delicious when still slightly warm and pretty soft. But these cookies are not made for keeping – they are made for eating – RIGHT NOW!IMG_4407IMG_4409IMG_4406

 

Roasted Chicken with Clementines and Arak

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 2 Comments

Roasted chicken with clementines4 (2)

For many years I led a program that brought Catholic School High School teachers to Israel to give them an opportunity to see the country outside of the very narrow focus that was available to them in the news. The hope was that it would give a more balanced and broader perspective to present to their students. I was fortunate enough to have kept up with some of the teachers even after I had retired. My husband and I hosted one of the teachers along with her husband for dinner last week and as food was always a highlight of the trip, I decided to make a Middle Eastern meal. I had homemade hummus, “burnt” eggplant with garlic, lemon and pomegranate seeds, kohlrabi salad, pita and this roasted chicken served with basmati rice. The chicken essentially is a sheet-pan meal, which is prepped the night before and then cooked an hour before serving. It comes from Jerusalem, A Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi that was given to me as a gift by my niece. I made a few changes, mostly in proportions, but the biggest change was in the temperature that I used to cook the dish. Ottolenghi suggests cooking everything at 475 degrees F. but I found that was much too high and would have resulted in burnt skin and under-done chicken. I cooked mine at 400 degrees F. The other major change I made was that I did not cook my chicken in the sauce. I poured the marinating liquid into a saucepan and cooked it separately on the stove. It was much less messy than trying to pour off the hot sauce later to reduce and I knew that the chicken would be moist enough from the marinade that it didn’t need to cook in the liquid, which also allowed my skin to become truly crispy, which I like. The recipe can be made with Arak, Ouzo or Pernod, all of which have an anise base. Arak would be used in Israel, but I had Ouzo on hand and used that successfully. This dish definite qualifies as comfort food and can easily be increased for a crowd. Left-overs warmed in a 250 degree F oven were wonderful so don’t worry if this makes more than you need immediately.

Roasted Chicken with Clementines and Arak

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

3/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon Arak, Ouzo or Pernod

1/2 cup of EVOO

6 Tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

6 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/4 cup Dijon or whole grain mustard

6 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

3 large fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 8 wedges each

6 chicken thighs, bone-in with skin

4 chicken breasts, bone-in with skin

8 small clementines with the peel, cut horizontally into thick slices (usually 3 slices per clementine)

2 Tablespoons thyme leaves

1 Tablespoon fennel seeds

1 Tablespoon Kosher salt and 1.5 teaspoons Aleppo pepper or to taste

Directions

  1. Mix together the first 6 ingredients. Add the salt and Aleppo pepper and whisk to combine. Using 2 sets of doubled freezer bags (no clean-up!) divide the chicken between the bags. (You can use a glass or stainless bowl if you prefer.) Divide the fennel bulbs and clementine slices between the bags. Pour half of the marinating mixture into each bag. Using your hand, carefully mix everything through, trying not to smush the clementines or break up the fennel wedges. Alternatively you can carefully seal the bags and holding it over the sink, gently massage everything in the bag. Place the sealed bags standing up in the fridge. Ideally this is done the night before, but it can be done a few hours before if that is all the time you have.
  2. When you are ready to cook the chicken, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. and raise the oven rack to the next to top space. I used two pans and two ovens to make this much chicken but you can use one oven rotating the pans as needed.
  3. I covered two sheet pans with heavy duty foil (again – no clean-up!) I liked that these pans weren’t super deep which allowed everything to get really good color and a crispy skin on the chicken.
  4. I carefully opened a corner of the freezer bags and poured the marinating liquid into a small saucepan. I then places the chicken pieces, skin side up on the pans and placed the fennel wedges and clementines around the chicken, but not covering the chicken. I roasted everything for about 45 minutes or until the skin was crackling and everything had great color. This is one time when you really want to eat the skin!Roasted chicken with clementines
  5. While the chicken was cooking, I brought the marinating liquid to a boil, uncovered. I boiled the liquid down by about half and set it aside until I was ready to serve. when the chicken was ready, I brought the sauce to a simmer and spooned it over the top after plating. Roasted chicken with clementines6

Lamb Meatballs with Cauliflower

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 2 Comments

Lamb Meatballs3

I came across this recipe on the Food52 website and it caught my eye. Lamb is my favorite meat and we eat a lot of it in our house.  Don’t get put-off by the seemingly long list of ingredients. This recipe came together fairly quickly although I did make some modifications from the original. I also added some Basmati rice to make what I considered a satisfying meal. If you prefer to simply serve it with a good pita or naan that would also work. Clean-up was minimal since the lamb and cauliflower cook on the same pan, lined with aluminum foil. And, if like me, you do a lot of Middle Eastern and Indian cooking, you should have the spices, tahini and pomegranate molasses on hand. The tahini-yogurt sauce makes more than you will need, but it is wonderful with any grilled or roasted meat or vegetables and thinned further can be used as a salad dressing.

Lamb Meatballs with Cauliflower by Emily C and modified by me

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For lamb meatballs

1.5 pounds ground lamb

1 teaspoon each: Aleppo pepper, ground cumin, fennel seed, Kosher salt

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1.5 Tablespoons Greek Yogurt (2% or full-fat only please)

2 teaspoons garlic cloves, minced or crushed

3-4 Tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro

Olive oil or Grapeseed oil for greasing the pan

For cauliflower

1 large head of cauliflower (about 2.5 pounds), cut or broken into small florets

About 3 Tablespoons EVOO

2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses (available online and in Middle Eastern grocery stores)

1 teaspoon Kosher salt or more to taste

1.5 teaspoons ground cumin

For Tahini-Yogurt Sauce

1/2 cup tahini

3 Tablespoons Greek yogurt (2% or full-fat)

Juice of 2 lemons

1 Tablespoon pomegranate molasses

Kosher salt and Aleppo pepper to taste

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

Tap water for thinning the sauce (How much you use will depend on the tahini that you are using and your own personal taste as to how thin you like your sauce. Start with about 1/2 cup. The sauce will also thicken a bit over time so if you make this ahead, you may add more water before serving.)

2 Tablespoons of pomegranate arils (that’s the good stuff!)

1/4 chopped flat-leaf parsley or cilantro for serving

Directions

  1. Heat broiler and place rack towards the top of your oven. If you don’t have a broiler, you can heat your oven to 425 degrees F. and it should still be fine. Line a large rimmed pan with heavy duty aluminum foil – unless you love doing dishes! Drizzle the foil with the oil.
  2. In a large glass or stainless steel bowl (I always use these when dealing with raw meat.) combine all of the ingredients for the lamb meatballs with the exception of the oil. Use your hands to combine everything. Then shape the meatballs, using about 2 Tablespoons of mixture at a time. Place the meatballs on the greased pan. Gently roll the balls to lightly coat with the oil. Broil the meatballs, turning once, until they are browned and cooked through. This will depend on the temperature you use and the individuality of your oven. They should take about 10 minutes. Mine took a bit longer.
  3. While the meatballs are cooking, toss the cauliflower with the flavorings and oil and set aside.
  4. Remove the cooked meatballs to a platter that has cooked, hot Basmati rice on it (if using). Cover the platter with foil to keep hot while you cook the cauliflower.
  5. Pour the cauliflower in a single layer onto the same pan, in the juices left behind from the lamb meatballs. Return to the broiler and cook for between 6-10 minutes, or until the cauliflower is tender and has begun to brown. Lamb meatballs2
  6. While the cauliflower cooks (although this can easily be made ahead and refrigerated) mix together the ingredients for the tahini yogurt sauce. Be sure to stir the tahini well before adding anything else to it. I find a wire whisk works best. Tahini yogurt sauce
  7. When the cauliflower is cooked, add it to the platter with lamb meatballs and rice. Sprinkle the parsley or cilantro and the pomegranate arils on top and serve the sauce on the side.

 

 

Punjabi Chana Dal

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Punjabi chana1 (2)

According to Wikipedia: Cultural appropriation is a concept in sociology, dealing with the adoption of the elements of one culture by members of another culture.[1] Cultural appropriation, often framed as cultural misappropriation, is sometimes portrayed as harmful and is claimed to be a violation of the collective intellectual property rights of the originating culture. This is a hot-button issue these days, particularly on college campuses. While I generally try to stay away from terribly controversial topics in this blog, I want to say that especially where food is concerned, this is complete bollocks. If I were limited to cooking and eating foods which were theoretically only within my cultural competency, I would likely die of boredom or worse. So I say “guilty as charged” that when it comes to food – and jewelry – I practice cultural appropriation and am proud of it.

This dish is a wonderful example of a basically humble food (the chickpea) that is elevated to an incredibly flavorful and satisfying dish. It is eaten as a snack by itself or with Basmati rice as part of a meal. If you are vegetarian, just add a vegetable dish and if you are an omnivore, it is wonderful with grilled meats or chicken. It can be garnished with a dollop of yogurt or eaten as is. This dish is not vegan because traditionally it is made with ghee (clarified butter), which is how I make it, however, if you wished to keep it vegan, using a neutral-flavored vegetable oil should work. It can be made ahead and gently reheated when you are ready to serve it.

Punjabi Chana Dal from the Flavors of India by Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff and tweaked by me   

Yield: 6 servings, although if I’m eating it the recipe only serves 3!

Ingredients

1 cup whole dried chana (chickpeas or garbanzo beans) The chana is a little smaller and softer than the garbanzo, but either would work.

1.5 teaspoons Kosher salt

2 Tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)

1/2 cup peeled onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger (I use the stuff in a jar)

1/4 teaspoon each: garam masala, ground turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or more to taste (optional)

Juice of one lemon or more, to taste

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro (optional garnish)

Directions

  1. Soak the chana overnight in 3 cups of water.
  2. When the chana has finished soaking, drain and rinse them. Place 4 cups of water in a 4 quart pot and bring to a boil, adding 1 teaspoon of the salt. When the water has come to a full boil, add the drained chana. Allow the water to return to the boil. Then lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot and cook the chana for 45 minutes.
  3. Drain the chana into a colander over a bowl. You will be using some of the reserved liquid later.
  4. Place the ghee in a large frying pan with a lid over low heat. Add the onions, garlic and ginger and stir until the onions just begin to brown. Then add your spices and the additional 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir through for about 1 minute. Now add the well-drained chana and mix through the spices and onion mixture. Saute for 7 minutes. The smell will drive you crazy – it is sooooooooooooo good.
  5. Now add 1.5 cups of the reserved chana cooking liquid. Stir through. Raise the temperature to high to bring the mixture to a full boil. Cook uncovered for 2 minutes.  Punjabi chana4 
  6. Now cover the pan, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes. Most of the cooking liquid should have been absorbed and the chana are tender but not mushy. [I have never had to add more liquid or cook the chana for longer, but depending on the chickpeas that you used it could take a bit longer to cook. If necessary, add a few more tablespoons of the reserved liquid and cook for another 10 minutes to get the chana to the right consistency.]  Punjabi chana8
  7. Add the fresh lemon juice and enjoy.Punjabi chana5

Amish Apple Pie

~ lisaandfrancescook ~ 3 Comments

Amish Apple Pie

Since I have never been able to replicate my mother’s deep-dish apple pie to my satisfaction, I keep trying to find a recipe that will take its place. I made this pie for Thanksgiving along with my Bourbon Pecan Pie. It was a hit with everyone, although it still won’t fill the void of my mother’s pie for me….

NOTE: A few of the changes that I am mentioning here are not reflected in the photo but are what I would do when making this pie again. I have also given the non-vegan version of ingredients as well.

Amish Apple Pie from Cooking from Quilt Country by Marcia Adams and adapted by me

Yield: 10-12 servings

Ingredients

For the Streusel

1/2 cup all-purpose, unbleached flour

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 Tablespoons granulated sugar

1 rounded teaspoon ground cinnamon

a pinch of Kosher salt

8 Tablespoons cold unsalted buttery vegan sticks (I’ll be honest – nothing truly is a substitute for butter, in my opinion, but if you want this to be vegan…) 

1/2 cup old-fashioned rolled oats OR 1/2 cup coarsely chopped English walnuts

For the Pie 

1 unbaked 10-inch pie shell, chilled (I used my go-to double crust vegan Crisco pie crust recipe.)

4 large apples (I used Honey Crisp, but other apples such as Granny Smith or McIntosh could also be used.)

3/4 cup granulated sugar

4 Tablespoons instant Tapioca

1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Pinch of Kosher salt

1 cup thicker non-dairy milk (I used the full-fat vanilla soy milk. If you are not going vegan, the recipe calls for heavy cream or half & half.)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

  1. Using a food processor, mix the first 5 streusel ingredients. Add the cold butter with the oats or walnuts and pulse until the mixture is crumbly. Don’t over-process. Set aside. (I used a different process which had me pulverize the oats and melt the butter, which is why my streusel looks wetter and less streusely than it should. The taste was fine, but it will be prettier if you do it the way I have instructed.)
  2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. You should have at least 4 cups.
  3. Place the apples into the chilled pie shell, arranging them to fill most gaps.
  4. In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, Tapioca, salt and cinnamon. In a glass measuring cup, add the vanilla to the non-dairy milk. Stir the liquid mixture into the dry mixture to thoroughly combine. Pour the mixture over the apples.
  5. Bake the pie for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes carefully remove the pie from the oven and working quickly, sprinkle the streusel mixture over the top, covering all of the apples. Return the pie to the oven for another 40 minutes or until the top puffs and is golden brown. Allow the pie to cool before serving. If you are not vegan, this is especially delicious with some good vanilla ice cream on top.

Holiday Coleslaw

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IMG_4211 (2)

I could make the same thing every Thanksgiving and no one in my family would complain. But I would be unhappy and bored. So each year I try to keep all of the favorites but I then add some new element. Occasionally, like this year, one of the new things fails and ends up in the garbage before it ever makes it to my holiday table. However, I also had three successes and they are foods that would be delicious anytime. This is the first of those items and with the availability of pre-shredded slaw, it is a snap to put together. I used a colorful mix of kale, Brussel sprouts, carrots and cabbage which held up beautifully so that even with some left-overs, I could enjoy it a day later. While it added that satisfying crunch and lightness to my holiday meal, this slaw would be equally good with burgers (veggie or otherwise) or grilled meat, chicken or fish.

Holiday Slaw from kitchn and tweaked by me

Yield: 10-12 servings

Ingredients

For dressing

1/3 cup EVOO

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons maple syrup

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard (I used a wonderful walnut Dijon mustard)

1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/2 of a medium red onion, finely chopped

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

For the salad

Two 14 ounce bags of mixed slaw or about 2.5 pounds of green cabbage, shredded (about 10 cups)

3/4 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

3/4 cup dried cranberries

One bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

  1. Whisk all of the dressing ingredients together. I made this the night before and refrigerated it. Make it at least 30 minutes before to allow the flavors to meld properly.
  2. Put all of the salad ingredients together in a large bowl. Toss with the dressing. This can be tossed at least two hours ahead and should be tossed at least 30 minutes before serving for optimal taste.

 

 

 

Lamb and White Bean Chili

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Lamb and white bean chili

Frances and Matthew arrived Sunday for the  Thanksgiving holiday. The weather was chilly and damp and I wanted to serve some comfort food that wouldn’t take me forever to make and also would not suffer if their flight were delayed. I came across this recipe on the New York Times website and it sounded perfect. Initially I was going to use a good canned cannellini bean, but I remembered I had some wonderful Rancho Gordo Heirloom dried beans that I could use instead. They were the giant Royal Corona Beans, an enormous, thick-skinned runner bean that cooks up to a creamy center. I had to soak them overnight and then cook them in my slow cooker for several hours, but frankly, it was worth it. However, if you are in a hurry, this recipe would still give you a good result using a quality canned bean. It might not be the prettiest dish you will ever come across, but it is the ultimate in comfort food.

Lamb and White Bean Chili by Melissa Clark and slightly modified by me

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons EVOO

2 pounds ground lamb

Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper

3 large Poblano peppers, seeded and diced

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and chopped

1 bunch cilantro, cleaned and chopped, including the stems

8 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

2 large jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (If you want this to have more heat, do not remove the seeds.)

4 Tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground coriander

2 teaspoons ground cumin

3 Tablespoons double-strength tomato paste

1 pound of dried beans, soaked and cooked or 4 cans of cannellini beans (If you are using homemade cooked beans, reserve the liquid to use in the recipe. If you are using canned beans, rinse the beans.)

For Serving

Plain whole milk yogurt, preferably sheep’s milk

Chopped cilantro

Sev (An Indian snack made from chickpea flour. It is a very, very fine cooked noodle-like food that adds protein and also can be used as a thickener. It can be found in Indian markets or online.) Optional

Directions

  1. If you are cooking your own beans, then soak them overnight and cook them until tender.
  2. Heat 2 Tablespoons of the EVOO in a Dutch Oven or large soup pot. Add the lamb and brown it, breaking up the pieces with a fork. Season with 1 teaspoon of salt and the pepper. Transfer the cooked meat, using a slotted spoon, to a colander. Wipe out the pan.
  3. Heat the remaining 1 Tablespoon of EVOO and add the onions and Poblano peppers. Cook until the vegetables have softened – about 5-7 minutes. Add 4 Tablespoons of the chopped cilantro stems and stir. Add the chopped garlic and jalapeno peppers and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the chili powder, cumin and coriander an cook for 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until everything is very fragrant.
  4. Return the lamb to the pot. Add 5 cups of water (or reserved bean liquid, if you cooked the beans yourself) and an additional 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Simmer uncovered for 45 minutes. Add more water if the chili becomes too thick. You want this to have an almost soup-like consistency. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if necessary. (I did not need to make any adjustments.) Ladle into bowls and garnish with a dollop of yogurt. Garnish with the chopped cilantro leaves and the Sev, if using. I served this with a crusty bread, my Sunshine Kale Salad and a rich Zinfandel.

Karhi, a Yogurt Sauce

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Karhi2

This is a wonderfully fragrant heated yogurt sauce. The chickpea flour not only keeps the yogurt from curdling when heated but it adds a nutty flavor and extra nutrition, which is especially great for those following a vegetarian diet. The sauce is poured over rice or eaten with whole-grain flat-breads.  There are regional varieties and I look forward to trying them all. It is also enjoyed by meat-eaters and I served it with Lemony Ground Lamb with Mint and Red Lentils with Ginger. (See previous recipe)

Karhi, a Yogurt Sauce from At Home with Madhur Jaffrey and halved by me

Yield: About 1 quart

Ingredients

6 Tablespoons chickpea flour

1 cup plain whole milk yogurt with acidophilus

3 Tablespoons EVOO or Canola oil

3/4 teaspoon whole cumin seeds

3/4 teaspoon whole brown or yellow mustard seeds (I used brown)

1/2 teaspoon whole fennel seeds

2 dried hot red chilies

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

8 fresh curry leaves, chopped (I bought these online and keep unused leaves in my freezer, which I pull out as needed.)

3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions

  1. Put the chickpea flour in a large bowl. Very slowly add 1/2 cup of water, beating with a whisk as you do so. Keep beating until there are no more lumps.
  2. Add the yogurt and whisk until smooth. Add another 2 cups of water, gradually, whisking as you go.
  3. Pour the oil into a 3 or 4 quart pot and set over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the seeds and the chilies. As soon as the seeds begin to pop, add the turmeric and curry leaves. Stir once and add the yogurt mixture. Stir with a whisk.
  4. Add the salt. Keep stirring with a whisk until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble. Partially cover the pan, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 25 minutes.  IMG_3996