Recipe #13: Black-Eyed Bean Stew with Lamb Sausage

This stew is perfect for a cool evening.  It does take a bit of prep-work but the flavors are bold and it's very filling.

As a side note, I am always frustrated by bean soup recipes because they always require that the beans be soaked overnight - and I'm not much of a recipe planner so this rarely works for me.  I've realized since beginning this experiment that I'm going to have to be more prepared.  So, if you're wanting to cook this, start the night before.  Get those beans out, cover them in plenty of cold water and let them soak.

Black-Eyed Bean Stew with Lamb Sausage
(Printable Version)
Serves 4-6

• 1 cup dried black-eyed beans, soaked in cold water overnight
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced along the grain
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped and bruised
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 5-6 thin spiced lamb sausages
• 1 cup white wine 
• 2 14 oz cans of peeled tomatoes
• chopped parsley
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

Drain the beans and place in a pan with plenty of cold water.  Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute before reducing heat to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for about 25-30 minutes.  Drain, rinse well under cold water and remove any loose skins.

In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil and add the onion, garlic, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and fennel seeds.

Saute until onions and garlic are soft and aromatic.  Meanwhile remove the sausage from its casings.  Once onions and shallots are soft, add the sausage and saute until cooked through.

Add the beans and stir through.

Next pour in the wine.

And add the tomatoes along with any juices in the can.

Allow mixture to come to a simmer and then reduce heat to maintain simmer but not allow a full boil.  Cook for 25 minutes or until beans are completely cooked through.  You may have to top up the liquid with water several times during cooking so keep an eye on it.  Once done, taste for seasoning and if necessary add some salt and pepper.

Serve in bowls topped with chopped parsley.  It's also a nice touch to add a dollop of sour creme or creme fraiche.

©2009 Rebecca Manor

Recipe #11: Garlic-scented Lentils

This is so yummy!  Great autumn dish that is nutritious and full of flavor.  Today I'm posting the recipe for the lentils and tomorrow I'll also post the recipe for the chicken that you see in the picture.

Garlic-scented Lentils with Carrots
(Printable Version)

• 1 cup green lentils
• extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, slice in half and then sliced across the grain
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, bruised and roughly chopped
• 1½ tsp coriander seeds
• handful of fresh sage leaves
• 1½ cups chicken broth
• sage leaves to garnish

Bring several cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pot.  Once boiling, add the lentils and cook for 10 minutes.  Drain and rinse well with cold water.  In another pot, heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan and add the onions, garlic, sage and coriander seeds.

Once the onions have begun to soften, add the carrots.  Cook for about 2-3 minutes and add the lentils. 

Pour in chicken broth.  If necessary add enough water so that the lentils and carrots are covered in liquid.  Cook at a gentle simmer for about 20 minutes until the liquid is absorbed.  You want to maintain a gentle simmer because you don't want the carrots to break apart and the lentils to turn mushy.  The dish is done with the lentils are fully cooked and the carrots still have a little bite.  Garnish with fresh sage.  If desired, serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe #9: Gypsy Salad

This salad is so fresh, healthy, and flavorful.  I think that traditional recipes only have green peppers and I've added a few other things so I'm not sure how authentic this is but it's yummy.

Gypsy Salad
(Printable Version)
Serves 4-6

• 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 each yellow, red, and green bell peppers, thinly sliced
• 2-4 chillies - I like using a mix of hot red, medium orange, and mild green
• 2 tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1/3-1/2 block feta
• 1 lemon, juiced
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt
• freshly ground pepper

After thinly slicing the onions, spread on a plate and salt.

Let weep while you slice the peppers, about 10 minutes.  Rinse the onions, pat dry and mix with the peppers.

Finely chop the hot peppers.  I used a mix to temper the spice.  The red chili was really hot, the yellow medium and the green was mild.

Mix together all vegetables and parsley and garlic.

Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.  Salt and pepper to taste.  You probably will not need to add a lot of salt as the feta is usually pretty salty.  Crumble the feta over salad and serve.

©2009, Rebecca Manor

Recipe #8: Köfte or Turkish Meatballs

This meal was delicious!  Of course I didn't take pictures of it all put together before serving it so the "final" pictures aren't that great - but this is a fun recipe and everyone enjoyed it.  I served the meatballs in warm pittas with yoghurt sauce and Gypsy salad.  The flavor combinations were perfect - the cool salad cutting through the garlic in the yoghurt sauce and bringing out the herb flavors of the meatballs.  This was accompanied by Gypsy Salad and I'll be posting that recipe tomorrow.

Köfte or Turkish Meatballs
(Printable Version)
Adapted from Turkish Cooking  by Ghillie Bas̹an

Serves 4

• 1 cup lean ground lamb
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3 hot chillis, finely chopped
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 2 slices of day-old wheat bread, mashed into crumbs (large pieces removed)
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 small bunch fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 small bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
• oil for frying
• salt
• freshly ground pepper
• pitta bread, warmed before serving
• lemon wedges

Yoghurt Sauce

• 1 1∕2 cups plain Greek style yoghurt
• 1 clove garlic
• salt

In a bowl mix the lamb with the onion, garlic, and cinnamon.  Mix thoroughly to ensure that all the flavors blend well.  Knead with your hands and then add in the chillis, cinnamon, paprika, cumin, breadcrumbs, egg, ketchup and chopped herbs.  Mix well with your hands.  Season with salt and pepper.  Form into small meatballs, about the size of a plum.

In a large frying pan or wok, heat oil and add the meatballs and cook for 8-12 minutes.  Meatballs should be browned on all sides and cooked through.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Meanwhile, prepare the yoghurt sauce.  Smash clove of garlic and add a pinch of salt.  Smash into a fine paste.  Stir into yoghurt.

Serve the meatballs in warmed pittas, with the yoghurt sauce, and lemon wedges.  We added the forthcoming Gypsy salad to our pittas and it was perfect.

© 2009 Rebecca Manor

Recipe #7: Latkes

Today we're doing something a little different in honor of Rosh Hashanah.  Latkes are traditionally Jewish and originate in Eastern Europe and Russia.  So, while not exactly "Middle Eastern" they are at least somewhat "Eastern" and are delicious enough to include here.  My mom used to make these when I was growing up and I loved them!  They are basically potato pancakes that can be topped with a variety of toppings although the most traditional are applesauce or sour cream and green onions.  Here we're going to do both!  Now, I don't know if Latkes are traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah - I think they're more commonly served at Hanukkah, but these are good any time.

Also, coming up soon, Ashli will be doing a guest entry on how to cook Noodle Kugel - another traditional Jewish dish.

Potato Latkes

Serves 4-6

• 3 pounds of baking potatoes
• 1 onion
• 1/2 cup flour
• 4-5 eggs depending on size, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon salt
• oil for frying

Using a grater grate the potatoes and onions.  Squeeze to drain of liquid and then let sit in a colander over sink for 10-15 minutes.  Squeeze again.

In a large bowl mix the grated potatoes and onions and add flour and pour over eggs.  Add salt and mix well.

In a large frying pan heat about 1/3 inch oil and add spoonfuls of the batter.  Flatten with the back of the spoon and fry until golden on both sides.

Serve hot with the following toppings!

Greek Yoghurt Topping

• 1 cup Greek Yoghurt
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• salt

Mix the above ingredients and salt to taste.

Serve latkes hot with a dollop of yoghurt mixture.

Sweet Latkes

Serve hot with butter, applesauce and a drizzle of maple syrup.

Recipe #5: Greek Chicken and Potatoes

One of the things about beginning a cooking adventure such as this one is that you need taste-testers!  Enthusiastic taste-testers make the experience all that more interesting, fun, and fulfilling.  Thankfully my husband is pretty much game for anything (with a few exceptions...fish included) and is extremely encouraging and appreciative.  And then there's my friend Ashli who is a total cheerleader - game to try anything, ready to get her hands dirty, and loves good food.  Having someone like that along for the beginning of this is so encouraging and really adds to the whole experience.  She's right on board and has contributed a few recipes passed on to her by her cousin.  This is one of them and we've "tested" it twice and it's a winner.  Easy, healthy - it's a great dish to cook put together, put in the oven and serve straight from the cooking dish accompanied by a simple salad.  The original recipe is found here but we've gone ahead and made a few minor adjustments to it.  The first time I cooked it I did do the "whole chicken" thing and cut it into its various parts.  It's pretty easy to do this but the breast meat was a bit dry after it was roasted so the next time we cooked it I just used thighs and drumsticks.  The meat was moist, fell off the bone and was very flavorful.
If using a whole chicken you will need to cut it into its various parts.  This was a first for me:

It proved to be pretty easy and buying a whole chicken is definitely more economical.

My poor little chicken before I'd had my way with it.  Once I removed the wings, breasts, thighs and drumsticks I put the carcass in the freezer to make stock with it at a later date.

Greek Chicken and Potatoes
(Printable Version)

• 1 whole chicken (size according to the number of people you'll be serving) or assorted thighs and drumsticks with skin still on (allow approximately 2 pieces per person)
• 10-20 mixed potatoes (red, yellow, white, the variety makes the dish really pretty)
• 10-12 garlic cloves cut in half
• 1 cup chicken broth (reduce to 1/4 - 1/2 cup of only cooking enough meet and potatoes for 2-3 people)
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 1/4 cup chopped parsley
• 2-3 tablespoons dried oregano or Italian Seasoning
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the potatoes.  Par-boil for about 5-8 minutes.  Remove and cut into wedges.  Place in large casserole dish.

If using a whole chicken, cut it into its various parts keeping the skin on.  Otherwise just place the pieces of meat in with the potatoes and season with salt and pepper.  Add the garlic clove halves, evenly distributing so they flavor the chicken and potatoes.  Pour the chicken broth on top.

Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice and oregano.  Pour mixture over chicken and potatoes.  Sprinkle with 1/2 of the chopped parsley.

Bake for about 45 minutes, spooning the liquids over the potatoes and chicken to prevent them from becoming dry.  Remove from oven when the potatoes are cooked through, the chicken is done and the skin has browned nicely.  Sprinkle with remainder of parsley and serve hot.  (DO note that the potatoes at this point are really hot and you'll need to let them cool a bit.)

Enjoy your weekend!  I will be back Monday with some Turkish köfte that I'm testing out tomorrow.   

© 2009 Rebecca Manor

Recipe #2: Savory Bulgar

Bulgur is a form of wheat that is delicious, versatile, and easy to cook.  As it is highly nutritious it makes a good substitute for rice or couscous and is commonly used in Greek, Turkish, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean cuisine.  I tried my hand at it when I made the moussaka and was so thrilled with its rich nutty flavor it may be a while before I go back to rice.

I had first tasted it at an excellent Turkish restaurant in Paris and was determined to replicate the flavor but had a lot of trouble finding a recipe I thought would go well with the rich flavors of the moussaka.  So I decided to approach it a bit like a risotto.  The flavor was great.  The nice thing about this recipe is that it can be made ahead and then just reheated with some chicken broth or white wine to re-hydrate.

Savory Bulgar Wheat 
(Printable Version)
Serves 6-8 as a side dish

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cups bulgar
• 3-4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 3-4 tablespoons tomato paste
• chopped parsley to garnish

In a large frying pan melt the butter and add the olive oil.  Add the onion and sauté until onions are translucent and tender.

Once the onions are nice and tender, add the bulgar.  At this point you're wanting to give it some time while stirring occasionally.  This allows the bulgar to get a little toasted and develop a nice golden color.  This also infuses each little piece of wheat with a nice buttery flavor.  Don't allow the bulgar to burn, give the pan a good shake to toss the wheat and allow it to cook evenly.  You may find that you need to add a little more olive oil to keep the bulgar from sticking.

                         

When it's all nice and toasty, about 10-15 minutes, begin adding the chicken stock.  Measuring out about 1/2 cup at a time stir the broth through the bulgar, allowing it to absorb the liquid.  If the bulgar is very moist and there is excess liquid, just allow to simmer until it's absorbed.  Meanwhile, stir the tomato paste into the wine so that you're not left with tomato paste lumps when you add it to the bulgar.  Pour the wine and tomato paste to the bulgar and allow to simmer until liquid is absorbed.  The tomato paste adds a nice light flavor and a pretty reddish hue.

Serve as a side dish topped with chopped parsley.  

Sorry about another picture of the moussaka - I need to get better at taking pictures once the food is all cooked.  I will get another picture of the bulgar wheat to replace this one soon.
© 2009 Rebecca Manor