Category Archives: Recipes

PIckled Green Chillies

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  • 2 cups of chopped fresh green chillies
  • 1 cup rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2-3 thin slices of ginger

Put your chopped chillies into a bowl and cover them with boiling water for 10 minutes.

Soak in boiling water for 10 minutes

Place your sliced ginger on the bottom of your pickling jar. Strain the chillies and then pop them on top of the ginger in the pickling jar.

The sliced ginger is totally optional too.

In a bowl/jug, mix the vinegar, salt and sugar. Pour this over your chillies. You may need to top this up with more vinegar if the amount doesn’t quite cover the top of the chillies.

Leave the chillies overnight in the fridge and they’ll be ready for eating the next day. They will lose the vibrant green colour but that’s normal. They keep for ages in the fridge.

Rigatoni with Spicy Tomato-Vodka Sauce

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  • 2  cloves garlic, minced

  • 3/4  teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; more to taste

  • 2  tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 1  28 ounce can diced tomatoes

  • 3  tablespoons vodka

  • 1/2  cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

  • 1/4  cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • 3  tablespoons heavy cream

  • 1/2  teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1/2  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 3/4  pound rigatoni (about 4 cups)

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the garlic and red pepper flakes in the oil until they’re fragrant and sizzle steadily for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and their juices and the vodka, and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to a steady simmer, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and cook to intensify the flavors and reduce the sauce slightly (by about one-quarter), 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Puree the tomatoes using a hand blender or a regular blender. If you used a regular blender to puree, return the sauce to the saucepan. Stir in 1/4 cup of the Parmigiano, the parsley, cream, salt and pepper, and more red pepper flakes if you like. Simmer to incorporate the cream and reduce the sauce slightly, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and keep warm.

4. Meanwhile, cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, until it’s just tender to the tooth, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well and return the pasta to its pot. Add the sauce, set the pot over medium heat, and cook, stirring, to let the pasta absorb some of the sauce, 1 minute. Serve immediately with a sprinkled with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmigiano.

Eggplant Bharta

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  • 1 large eggplant
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • 1 tablespoon curry powder
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 fresh jalapeno chile pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 bunch cilantro, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).

Place eggplant on a medium baking sheet. Bake 20 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until tender. Remove from heat, cool, peel, and chop.

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Mix in cumin seeds and onion. Cook and stir until onion is tender.

Mix ginger garlic paste, curry powder, and tomato into the saucepan, and cook about 1 minute. Stir in yogurt. Mix in eggplant and jalapeno pepper, and season with salt. Cover, and cook 10 minutes over high heat. Remove cover, reduce heat to low, and continue cooking about 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

Date Spice Loaf

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2 cups coarsely chopped dates (10 ounces pitted)
1/3 cup orange liqueur such as Cointreau or Triple Sec
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick or 2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon grated orange zest (2 oranges)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (3 oranges)
3/4 cup (3 ounces) coarsely chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bottom of an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pan.

Combine the dates and orange liqueur in a small bowl and set aside for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for one minute. Scrape down the bowl. With the mixer on low, add the egg, vanilla, and orange zest. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt. With the mixer still on low, add the flour mixture alternately with the orange juice to the creamed mixture, beating only until combined. By hand, stir in the dates with their liquid, and the pecans.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Caramelized Shallots

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6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 pounds fresh shallots, peeled, with roots intact
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons good red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof* saute pan, add the shallots and sugar, and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the shallots start to brown. Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper and toss well.

Place the saute pan in the oven and roast for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the shallots, until they are tender. Season, to taste, sprinkle with parsley, and serve hot.

Kale Chips

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1 bunch (about 6 ounces) kale (I used Lacinato or “Dinosaur” Kale but I understand that the curlier stuff works, too, possibly even better)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt, to taste

Preheat oven to 300°F. Rinse and dry the kale, then remove the stems and tough center ribs. Cut into large pieces, toss with olive oil in a bowl then sprinkle with salt. Arrange leaves in a single layer on a large baking sheet (I needed two because mine are tiny; I also lined mine with parchment for easy clean-up but there’s no reason that you must). Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp. Place baking sheet on a rack to cool.

Kale-Dusted Popcorn If you’re making the chips with the intention to grind them up for popcorn, I’d use less oil — perhaps half — so they grind without the “powder” clumping. I ground a handful of my chips (about half) in a mortar and pestle (well, actually the “pestle” was MIA so I used the handle of an OXO reamer, not that anyone asked) and sprinkled it over popcorn (1/4 cup popcorn kernels I’d cooked in a covered pot with 1 1/2 tablespoons oil over medium heat, shaking it about with potholders frequently). I seasoned the popcorn with salt.

Thai Style Chicken Legs

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5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro (or flat-leaf parsley if you are cilantro-averse)
1/4 cup Asian fish sauce*
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons hoisin sauce (I accidentally doubled this and can only advise you do the same)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black or white pepper
8 whole chicken legs, split, or 8 drumsticks and 8 thighs (about 5 pounds total)
Thai sweet chili sauce, for serving

Combine the garlic, cilantro, fish sauce, vegetable oil, hoisin sauce, coriander, kosher salt and pepper in a blender until smooth. Arrange the pieces of chicken in a large, shallow glass or ceramic dish. Pour the marinade over the chicken and turn to coat the pieces thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.

To roast the chicken: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cover baking dish with a lid or foil and roast chicken for about 25 minutes. If the sauce begins to char, sprinkle a few tablespoons water into the dish. Remove the lid or foil and bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the meat is cooked through.**

To grill the chicken: [Lacking a grill, I did not test this method but I will be happy to if you invite me over tonight, okay?] Light a grill. If using a gas grill, turn off the center burners; if using a charcoal grill, once the coals are covered with a light ash, push them to opposite sides, forming a well in the middle. Set a disposable drip pan in the center. Cook chicken on the hot grate above, skin side down, with the cover down for about 40 minutes. The skin should be crisp and the meat should be cooked through.**

** To ensure your chicken is “cooked through”: Lacking x-ray vision and decades of chicken-cooking practice, I’m a big fan of using a thermometer to ensure that my meat is properly cooked. A thermometer inserted into the thigh/leg joint should register 180 to 185 degrees if you’re following Proper Chicken Cooking Protocol, or 170 to 175 degrees, if you’re me, and have very specific chicken-cooking preferences despite what food safety experts advise. I like to live on the edge, obviously. Another classic, though less precise way, to see if chicken is cooked through is to pierce it with a knife. If the juices that run out are clear, your chicken should be just right.

Sourdough Bread

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STARTER

Take out 1 cup, put in 1 cup (1/2 cup water, ½ cup flour)

STEP 1

1 cup starter

1 cup water

1 cup flour

mix and leave overnight

STEP 2

Mix step 1 with equal parts water (= 2 cups)

3 cups flour per cup of water

salt

oil (1 tbsp)

mix and leave until evening. Knead if desired.

STEP 3

Pour into pan or shape. Bake 450 for 40 minutes

Spicy Pecans

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  • 2 tbsp. butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp. salt
  • ¼ tsp. garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp. ground ginger
  • ¼ tsp. ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp. hot or smoked hot paprika
  • 1 tbsp. chili powder
  • 2 cups pecan halves
  • honey (to taste) – start with 2 tbsp.

Start with measurements above and keep tasting and adjusting the dressing until you like the flavor. When they come out of the oven you can let them cool for a while; they should be slightly sticky when you serve them.

This is a great recipe because you can keep tasting the dressing and get the exact flavor you want before dressing the pecans. Also, if you find they are not sticky enough or need more flavour then you can just make more dressing and toss them again.

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  2. In a medium bowl, mix butter, Worcestershire, all spices and honey, or very gently heat all in a saucepan. Toss the pecans with the dressing.

  3. Spread coated pecans on a medium baking sheet and cook 30 minutes in the preheated oven, stirring approximately every 10 minutes.

Lamb Chops with Pistachio Tapenade

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1/2 cup pistachios, shelled and toasted
1/2 cup pitted green olives
2 tablespoons capers
1 clove garlic, smashed
1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano leaves (nixed because mine had gone bad)
2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley leaves
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested
1 (8-rib) rack of lamb or 6 lamb chops
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper*

To make the pistachio tapenade: In a food processor combine the pistachios, olives, capers, garlic, herbs and puree. While the machine is running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until the mixture becomes a paste. Add the zest and pulse 1 more time, drizzling in more oil if necessary. Reserve until ready to use.

If using a rack of ribs: Remove 2 rib bones from the 8 rib rack to make it a 6-rib rack. Counting from either end, remove the 2nd and 7th bones; this will create 6 even chops that are thicker than a normal lamb chop. Cut 6 even chops.

Cook your chops: Season your six lamb chops generously on either side with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Allow them to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before cooking.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Coat a large saute pan generously with olive oil and bring to medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the lamb chops and cook for about 2 minutes on each side to brown. If the pan begins to smoke, lower the heat. The chops should be beautifully caramelized on both sides. Remove the chops to a sheet pan and schmear generously with the pistachio tapenade. Place in preheated oven and cook another 4 to 5 minutes for medium rare. Remove chops from oven and let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.