Sweet Potato and Coconut Soup

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1 tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
1 red onion, chopped
1 tbsp. Thai red curry paste
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups coconut milk

Put the oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat.  Add the sweet potatoes and onion, partially covered with a lid, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often, until they are soft and just starting to turn golden.  Increase the heat to high, add the curry paste, and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes so that the paste cooks and becomes fragrant.  Add the stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil.  Transfer the mixture to a food processor (or use a blender stick) and whir until smooth.

OPTIONAL ADD-INSchilis
1 tsp. curry powder
hot sauce

Manicotti

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1/2 lb. ground meat (buffalo)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 (15oz.) container ricotta cheese
1.5 cups shredded mozzarella
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
12 pieces of manicotti pasta
1.5 cups marinara sauce
1 tbsp. butter, cut into pieces

Preheat oven to 350.

Heat a skillet over medium heat; add ground meat and onion, saute until brown (about 5 minutes).  Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, mix the ricotta, 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese, 1/4 cup of the parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper.  Stir in the meat mixture and set aside.

Brush 1 tsp. of the olive oil over a large baking sheet.  Bring water to a boil, and cook the manicotti noodles until softened but still firm to the bite (about 6 minutes).  Remove and let cool.

Spoon 1/2 cup of the marinara sauce over the bottom of the prepared pan.  Fill the manicotti with the cheese-meat mixture, and arrange the stuffed pasta in a single layer in the prepared dish.  Spoon the remaining sauce over the manicotti.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of mozzarella and the 1/4 cup parmesan over the manicotti.  Dot the top with the butter pieces.

Bake the manicotti uncovered until it is heated through and the sauce bubbles on the bottom of the dish (about 35 minutes).

Fennel Seed Crackers

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Fennel Seed Crackers
Makes about 2 dozen

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 ounces butter, cubed (6 tbsp.)
1 teaspoon of salt (Maldon or sea salt preferably)
2 tablespoons fennel seeds, or more to taste
Black pepper, to taste
5 to 7 tablespoons cold water (you may need more or less)

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
  2. Put all the ingredients but the water in a clean bowl. With your hands, combine until crumbs form. Add some of the water, a little at a time to form a ball. If the dough is too dry add more water, if too wet add more flour. Don’t overwork the dough or the crackers will be tough once cooked.
  3. Roll the dough on a clean, floured surface to a 1/2 centimeter thickness. Cut the dough into circles, diamonds or any shape you like and place the pieces onto the prepared tray leaving some space between each cracker.
  4. Bake for 15 to 20 until the crackers turn a slight shade of brown. Leave to cool and transfer into an airtight container.

Chicken Curry (Murgir jhol)

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INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 bay leaves
3 green cardamom pods
4 black peppercorns
4 large red onions, finely chopped
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 lb (1kg) chicken thighs
1 tbsp. ginger paste
1 tbsp. garlic paste
2 tbsp. ground coriander
2 tbsp. ground cumin
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. ground turmeric
4 tomatoes, chopped
1 2/3 cups chicken stock or water
1 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro leaves

METHOD:Heat the oil in a large pan and add the whole spices.  When they crackle, add the onions and fry over medium heat until golden brown.  Stir in the potatoes and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the salt, then add the chicken and cook for 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned.

Add the ginger and garlic pastes, the ground coriander and cumin, chili powder and turmeric.  Cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until spices begin to release their aromas.  Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes, then pour in the stock.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked.

Taste and adjust the seasoning, if required.  Serve with steamed rice, finish with the chopped cilantro.

Goat cheese

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http://food52.com/recipes/20092_homemade_goat_cheese

Makes 1 log

  • 1 gallon goat milk
  • 2 teaspoons citric acid, rounded
  • 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
  1. Mix the citric acid with 1/2 cup of water. In a heavy-bottomed, nonreactive pot, combine the goat milk and citric acid to 185 degrees over medium heat, stirring continuously.
  2. Once it reaches this temperature, turn off the heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes.
  3. Lay out a towel or several layers of cheesecloth in a bowl. Pour in the milk mixture. The curds simply resemble curdled milk at this point.
  4. Tie the ends of the towel together so it becomes a bag. Hang it on a wooden spoon and let the bag hang free. The whey should strain for at least two hours, but for best results you can leave half a day. This makes forming easier and results in a denser cheese.
  5. Before taking the cheese out of the cloth, squeeze the cloth to extract more liquid from the cheese. Transfer the cheese from the cloth to a bowl and season it with cheese salt to taste. To shape into a log, simply place on a clean smooth surface and begin to roll out gently, like a playdoh snake.