BORSCHT

Adapted from the SFC and Food Wishes

Ingredients:

Leftover brisket, cut into 1/4" x 3/4" pieces
Leftover onion-apple gravy
4 T leftover beef tallow, or butter, divided

Group 1:
3 large beets, peeled and cut into 3/8" cubes
3 bay leaves
3 sprigs thyme
3 yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4" cubes

Group 2:
4 carrots, diced
1 leek, dark and light parts cut in 1/4" slices, separated
4 stalks celery, cut in 1/4" slices

1/4 head red cabbage, cut into 1/4" x 1/2" pieces

Toppings:
Dill
Sour cream
Dark bread


Methodology:

Add 4 c water to the onion-apple gravy in a large soup-pot.  Add the bay leaves, thyme and beets and bring to simmer, cooking until the beets are firm-tender.  Add the potato and continue simmering until the vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, saute the dark leek slices in 2 T tallow in a large lidded skillet until softened (cover with a lid for the first few minutes), then add 2 more T tallow and the carrots, leek and celery.  Saute uncovered, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are tender.

Add the group 2 veg, sliced brisket, and red cabbage to the group 1 pot.  Simmer for a few minutes, and serve topped with sour cream and dill.

This soup is also delicious served atop the leftover mashed potatoes from the previous night's brisket meal.

SOBA NOODLES WITH SESAME SEEDS

 Adapted from Nigella Lawson

Serves 2

Ingredients:

30g sesame seeds

2T soy sauce

2t rice vinegar

2t honey

2t sesame oil

2 scallions, sliced thinly on the diagonal

100g soba noodles (cooked and blanched according to package instructions)

Methodology:

Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over high heat, tossing frequently, until they turn golden brown, and start making popping sounds.

Mix the vinegar, soy sauce, honey and sesame oil, until the honey is dissolved.  Add the scallions, sesame seeds, and the cool, drained noodles.  Mix thoroughly, and let stand for half an hour, to allow the noodles to absorb some of the dressing.  

ROSEMARY and BALSAMIC PORK TENDERLOIN

Recipe adapted from Natasha's Kitchen and the Food Network

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin
2 T balsamic vinegar, divided
1 T fresh rosemary, minced
1 t fresh sage or thyme, minced (optional)
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 t salt
black pepper, freshly ground
1 t olive oil, plus more to oil pan


Methodology:

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Remove the silver skin from the loin, using a small, sharp knife.

Oil the roasting pan and lay down the tenderloin.  Rub it with 1 T vinegar, and evenly distribute the herbs, garlic, salt and pepper over the surface of the loin.  Pour over the remaining oil and roll the loin in it.

Roast the loin for 20 minutes, turning after 10 minutes, and pouring over the second T of vinegar.  Continue roasting until the meat reaches an internal temperature of 145°F.  Remove from the oven and rest for 10 minutes.  Serve

BHINDI MASALA with DRY BUTTER CHICKEN and RICE

Bhindi Masala adapted from Cook with Manali

Ingredients:

2 1/2 T oil, divided
500g okra, rinsed, patted dry and chopped into 1/2" - 3/4" rounds

1 t cumin seeds
1 red onion, chopped
1" ginger, peeled and minced
1 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c water

1 1/2 t coriander, ground
1/2 t turmeric, ground
1 t amchur (dried mango powder, which I omit since I don't have it)
1/8 t cayenne pepper
1 t salt

To garnish:
garam masala
julienned ginger
cilantro, chopped


Methodology:

Heat 1 T oil over medium heat in a large skillet.  Once hot, fry the okra for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Turn heat to low and continue to cook for 5 minutes.  Transfer okra to a bowl and set aside.  The okra can be prepared in advance up to this point.

(If cooking the Dry Butter Chicken, use the skillet for that now)

Heat the remaining 1 1/2 T oil in the same skillet over medium heat.  Once hot, add the cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds.

Add the onion and fry, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until soft.

Add the ginger and jalapeño and cook for another minute.

Add the tomatoes and water and cook for 4 minutes, until they're soft and mushy.

Turn the heat to low, add the spices and return the okra to the pan.  Cook for another 5 minutes, adding more water if it looks too dry.

Top with garnish and serve with naan or rice.



DRY BUTTER CHICKEN
Recipe adapted from Cafe Delites

Ingredients:
2 packages of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 c plain greek yoghurt

1 T minced or grated garlic
1 T minced or grated ginger

2 t garam masala
1 t ground turmeric
1 t ground cumin
1/8 t cayenne powder
1/2 t paprika powder
1 t salt

2 T oil


Methodology:

Mix everything but the chicken together in a large bowl.  Add the chicken, covering it completely in the marinade, and let it marinate for at least an hour, but up to overnight.

(you may use the skillet from the Bhindi Masala for the following step.  Then the fond from the chicken will be used, rather than wasted)

Place a rimmed baking sheet in the oven and preheat it to 350°F.  Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 1 T oil.  Add as many thighs as will fit to the skillet, and cook for 4 minutes, then flip and cook for another 3 minutes.  Remove thighs to the baking sheet in the oven, and fry remaining thighs the same way.  Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through.


BOILED RICE
Recipe from somewhere on the internet

Add as much white long-grain rice to a pot as you'd like to cook.  Cover with cold water by 1".  Bring to a boil with the pot covered.  Crack the lid and simmer for 8 minutes.  Remove from heat, drain through a strainer and place back in the dry pot.  Cover and allow the rice to steam for 5 minutes.

SALMON HASH

Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil
3 yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/4" dice
2 shallots, diced
2 carrots, minced
2 celery stalks, minced
1/2 c frozen and thawed spinach, squeezed dry

Leftover cooked salmon
2 T sour cream (or regular cream)
2 t horseradish
1 t dijon mustard

Salt & pepper
2 T parsley, minced
Lemon wedges, for serving


 Methodology:

Heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat.  Add the potatoes, shallots, carrots and celery, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all components are cooked.  Add the spinach and heat through.  Season well.  Remove from heat.

Mix the sour cream, horseradish and mustard in a bowl.  Flake the salmon over the hash and pour over the sour cream sauce.  Toss, and allow the residual heat to cook the salmon to temperature.  Sprinkle with parsley and lemon juice, and serve.

******
Excellent topped with a couple eggs.

Add beets to make "Red Flannel Hash"

Always pass a bottle of Maggi seasoning around the table!

TACOS!

Recipes from all over the web:

Tortillas

Chipotle glaze

Chipotle mayo

Slaw

Serve tacos with lime wedges and cilantro leaves

CORN TORTILLAS

Ingredients:

2 C Masa Harina

1/2 t salt

1.5 C warm water

Methodology:

Mix all ingredients until a soft dough is formed.  It's ok if it's tacky, but if it's too wet and sticky, add a bit more masa.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for an hour.

Roll the dough into golf-ball sized pieces, and press flat between two sides of a plastic ziploc bag (cut open along the sides).

Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast each tortilla on one side for 10 seconds, and then on the other side for approx. 1 minute, or until brown spots form.  Keep warm in a pocket made of tin foil.

CHIPOTLE GLAZE

Ingredients:

2 T rice syrup or honey

1 - 2 T chopped chipotles in adobo

2 t apple cider vinegar

(optional: 1 bunch scallions, cut into 3" lengths, bulbs halved if large)

Methodology:

Mix all ingredients together in a mortar and pestle and pour over meat 15 minutes before it's done cooking.  Add scallions, and toss in glaze.  Roast at 375°F for 15 minutes, flipping and stirring so that glaze thickens on all sides.

CHIPOTLE MAYO

Ingredients:

1/4 C mayonnaise

1/8 C sour cream

1 chipotle in adobo, minced

1 T lime juice

Methodology:

Mix all ingredients until smooth.  Taste, and add salt and additional lime juice to taste.

SLAW

Ingredients:

4 C shredded cabbage

1/2 t kosher salt

1 T lime juice

2 T mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, minced (pr 1/8 t powdered garlic)

Salt and pepper, to taste

Rice syrup, optional

1 carrot, grated

2 - 3 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro stems, finely minced

1/2 - 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced, optional

Methodology:

Toss the shredded cabbage with the salt and let sit for 15 minutes, massaging occasionally.  Squeeze well to remove liquid.

Mix the lime juice, mayo, garlic, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Add the cabbage, carrot, scallion, cilantro, and jalapeño, and toss to combine.  Taste for seasoning, and add rice syrup if you feel the slaw isn't sweet enough.

BEEF BRISKET WITH MASHED POTATOES

Adapted from Food Wishes

Ingredients:

3 lb beef brisket
4 t kosher salt
2 t ground pepper

2 T butter
3 yellow onions, sliced
1 1/2 c hard apple cider
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 t kosher salt
1 T fresh rosemary, minced


Methodology:

Season the brisket and let it rest in the fridge overnight.

The following day:
Melt the butter in a large skillet and sweat the onions until they take on light color.  Add the garlic,  rosemary, and salt and cook 30 seconds.  Deglaze with the cider and simmer until reduced by half.

Spread half the onion mixture on the bottom of the roasting pan.  Top with the brisket, and cover the top of the brisket with the remaining onion mixture.  Cover tightly in foil.

Roast at 325°F for 1 1/2 hours, then at 250°F for 3 hours.  Check for doneness (might need another 30 minutes if the brisket is thick).

Place the brisket in a separate dish and pour the onion mixture into a bowl.  Skim off as much tallow as possible, then pour into a blender.  Blend in bursts until the gravy is smooth.

Serve over buttermilk mashed potatoes, with a grated carrot side salad.



Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes:

Adapted from Cook's Illustrated, via

2 lb yukon gold potatoes
4 T butter, melted
2 1/2 c buttermilk, room temperature
1 T minced thyme
1/2 t truffle salt
1/2 t black pepper

Boil the potatoes until tender.  Mix the remaining ingredients in a large serving bowl and rice potatoes into it; mix well.  Taste for seasoning, and serve.

KALE, SAUSAGE & CANNELLINI SOUP

Adapted from Cup of Jo (the combination), AllRecipes (sausage),  and Epicurious (the beans).

Ingredients:

Beans: (or substitute with 1 30oz and 1 15oz can cooked beans)
1 lb dry cannellini beans
2 bay leaves
1 piece of kombu
1 1/2 t salt
1 head garlic, cut in half

Sausage: (or substitute with 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage)
1 lb. ground pork
1 T red wine vinegar
1 t salt
1/2 t fennel seeds
1/4 t brown sugar
1 t black pepper
1 t dried parsley
1 t dried basil
1 t garlic powder
1 t onion powder
3/4 t paprika
pinch dried oregano
pinch dried thyme
pinch red pepper flakes

2 t olive oil
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and chopped*
1 lemon, zested and juiced
Grated parmesan cheese

4 garlic cloves


Methodology:

Beans:
Sort and rinse the beans, and bring them to boil, covered by ~2" of cold water.  Remove from heat, cover and soak for 1 hour.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to boil, then uncover and simmer, until the beans are creamy, about 1 - 1 1/2 hours, adding more water if necessary.

Sausage:
Crush the fennel seeds, salt and sugar with a mortar and pestle. Add remaining herbs and spices and mix well.  Combine all sausage ingredients in a large bowl and knead until the spices are uniformly distributed.

Brown the sausage in the olive oil, in two batches if necessary.  Add the beans, kale and enough water (6c?) and bring to boil.  Simmer for 20 minutes.  Add lemon zest and half of juice, and taste for seasoning.  Serve, topped with parmesan cheese** and fried garlic, recipe below.


*Consider replacing the kale with collard greens next time.
**Consider topping with croutons.

Fried Garlic

4 cloves garlic

1/4 c olive oil

Thinly slice the garlic vertically and gently cook in the oil until the garlic begins turning golden.  Take garlic pieces out one by one, if necessary, so all pieces are golden.

RED LENTIL CHICKEN CURRY

Adapted from Eat Your Way to Managing Diabetes
Serves 2 with leftovers for lunch

Ingredients:

1 can full-fat coconut milk
2 T curry paste (especially good with the chu chee curry paste)
1 red onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 C red lentils
2 C chicken or vegetable broth

5 makrut lime leaves, central stem removed and minced
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, sliced

To serve:
Handful of cilantro, both leaves and minced stems
Lime wedges
Fish sauce

Brown rice (see below)


Methodology:

Skim the cream off the top of the can of coconut milk and cook it in a large saucepan over medium heat with the curry paste, stirring occasionally, until it begins to split, and the oil separates from the cream.  Add in the onion and cook, stirring, until the onion softens.  Add the garlic and lentils and cook, stirring, for an additional minute.

Pour in the remaining coconut milk, as well as 1 C of the chicken broth.  Cook over low heat, stirring, until the lentils have softened, adding additional broth if necessary.

Add the lime leaves and chicken slices and submerge them in the lentil mixture, adding more broth if necessary.

Once the chicken is cooked through, serve topped with cilantro and lime juice, offering fish sauce as well to balance seasoning.


Brown rice:
From Martha Stewart

2 C long-grain brown rice*
2 1/2 C water
1/2 t salt

Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to the boil.  Turn heat down as low as possible and steam, covered with tin foil and a tight-fitting lid, for 30 minutes.  Let sit for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork and serve.

*For short-grain rice, use 1 1/2 C water per cup of dry rice, so 3 C water for this recipe.

POTATO CURRY

Aloo hin From Maxi's Mo Mo and Bo Bo's Kitchen cookbook

Ingredients:

4 large yukon gold potatoes
4 medium or 3 large yellow onions, cut into 1/4" slices
1 block firm tofu, cut into 1/2" cubes
2 cups water
1/2 t turmeric
1 t paprika
1 t salt and sugar

2 scallions, sliced thinly

Yogurt and Naan to serve


Methodology:

Boil whole potatoes until a knife slides in with no resistance (start checking after 15 minutes).  Peel and chop into 1" cubes.  Return potato cubes to pot.

Add the tofu and onion to the pot, together with the turmeric, paprika, salt, sugar and water.  Cook at high heat until the water has almost completely evaporated.

Mix in the scallions.  Dollop with yogurt and serve with naan.

WHOLE CHICKEN SOUP

Parts of the recipe from this nytimes recipe. 

It's best to start this the day prior to serving it. 

Ingredients:

For the broth:

1 whole chicken, 3-4 lbs, broken down into pieces

2 carrots, cut into chunks

1 large yellow onion, cut into quarters

3 celery stalks, cut into chunks

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1" ginger, peeled and smashed

12 sprigs parsley

2 sprigs thyme

8 peppercorns

1 star anise

2 bay leaves

For the soup:

1 large carrot, cut into small dice

1/2 celeriac, cut into small dice

1 yukon gold potato, cut into small dice

Chicken from the whole chicken, chopped

Dill, finely chopped

Chives, finely chopped

Methodology:

Place all the broth ingredients in a large pot and cover by 1" with water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to gently simmer for 1.5-2 hours. 

Using tongs, remove the chicken pieces from the pot and cool on a baking sheet.  Using two forks, tease the chicken meat from the skin and bones.  Place the meat in the refrigerator.  Return the bones and skin to the pot and continue to simmer, reducing, for another half hour.  Strain the broth and cool, then refrigerate it.  Discard the solids.

---- The next day ----

Skim the chicken fat from the top of the chilled broth and store for another use.

Pour the chicken broth into a pot and bring to a simmer.  Add the carrot, celeriac and potato, and simmer until they're cooked, about 15 minutes.  Add as much chopped chicken as you want (I don't usually use all the meat) and heat until warm. 

Serve over spaezle, sprinkled with dill, chives and freshly ground black pepper.

CHILI WITH BAKED POTATOES

Cobbled together from these two recipes: 
Beef Chili
Three Bean Chili

Ingredients:

3 T. olive oil
2 onions, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced

2 lbs. ground beef, or ground turkey

Spices:
2 T. chili powder (urfa is good)
1 T. dried oregano
1 T. smoked paprika
1 T. ground coriander seeds

1 28-oz can of chunky tomato sauce, fire roasted
3 1/2 c. water
1 T. better than bouillon, beef var.
1/2 c. pinto beans
1/2 c. black beans
1/2 c. kidney beans
2 bell peppers, diced

1 T soy sauce

2 T. apple cider vinegar

Salt & pepper
Cheddar cheese
Sour cream
Chives


Methodology:

Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a large, heated soup-pot.  Add the onions and stir over medium heat until the onions are translucent, 5-10 minutes.  Add the carrots and garlic, and cook 2 minutes, stirring.

Add the ground beef to the pot and cook until no longer pink, stirring and breaking up the meat with a large spoon.  Add the spices and cook for another minute.

Add the tomatoes, water, bouillon, beans, peppers, and soy sauce, and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until beans are softened, about 3 hours.  Check water level occasionally, adding more water to taste.

Once beans are soft, add vinegar.  Correct seasoning and serve with cornbread, or over split baked potatoes.  Top with grated cheddar cheese, sour cream and chives.



BAKED POTATOES

Ingredients:

Russet potatoes
olive oil
Salt & pepper


Methodology:

Scrub and dry the potatoes.  Prick all over with a fork.  Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Place on a foil-covered baking sheet in a 425°F oven for 1 hour, then check for doneness by piercing with a knife.

Split and cover with chili.