La Cucina 2021

Welcome to the 2021 edition of La Cucina, the page where Club Read members can post new and favorite recipes, mentions and reviews of their favorite cookbooks, cooking websites and videos, restaurants, cooking appliances, fabulous creations, and anything else related to the culinary arts. Bonne cuisine!

I'm a unrepentant soup and stew addict, as I cook them all year round, especially in the dead of winter. Last month I tried a new recipe, guisado de garbanzos, or Spanish Chickpea Stew, courtesy of one of my new favorite YouTube channels, Spain on a Fork:

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 60 ml
1/2 onion
4 cloves garlic
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 red bell pepper
1 potato
2 cups canned cooked chickpeas 400 grams / 20 ounces
1 tsp sweet smoked Spanish paprika 2.30 grams
1/2 tsp dried thyme .45 grams
3 cups cold water 710 ml
1/4 tsp saffron threads .17 grams
sea salt & black pepper
handful freshly chopped parsley

Instructions:
1. Drain a 20 ounce can of cooked chickpeas into a sieve, rinse under cold running water, cut 1 large potato into 1/2 inch thick chunks, roughly dice 1/2 of a green and 1/2 of a red bell pepper, finely dice 1/2 onion and finely mince 4 cloves of garlic.

2. Heat a stock pot with a medium-high heat and add in 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, after 1 to 2 minutes add in the diced onions and minced garlic, mix with the olive oil, after 2 to 3 minutes and the onions are translucent, add in the chopped green & red bell pepper, continue to mix with the olive oil, after 5 minutes and the bell peppers are soft, add in the chopped potatoes, drained chickpeas, 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp dried thyme and season with sea salt & black pepper, gently mix together until well mixed, then add in 3 cups of cold water and 1/4 tsp saffron threads, give it a mix and bring to a boil, then place a lid on the stock pot and lower the fire to a low-medium heat.

3. After 20 to 25 minutes the potatoes should be perfectly cooked, remove the lid from pan, pierce a potato with a toothpick, if it easily goes in, the potatoes are done, remove the stock pot from the heat, transfer into shallow bowls and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, enjoy!
_______________________________________

I often double my soup and stew recipes, and I did so this time, especially since I dislike using halves of peppers, onions, etc. I essentially always use Vidalia sweet onions whenever I cook, which are easy to find here in Atlanta, as Vidalia is located in south Georgia. Most cans of chickpeas sold in supermarkets in the US are 15.5 oz, so I used three cans in this recipe. Albert used a Yukon Gold potato in his recipe, so I did so as well. Instead of six cups of water I used a quart (4 cups) of low sodium vegetable stock, plus 2 cups of water. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly. You should be able to find Badia Spanish paprika in the International Foods section of your local supermarket, at least in the US.

This is a great stew, with subtle Mediterranean flavors, which is rich, filling and both quick and easy to make (it took me less than an hour to prepare this double batch). The only thing I would do differently next time is leave out the 2 cups of water, at least at the beginning, as my finished product was more of a soup than a stew.

I was so sure you were going to begin with your Dad's recipe for greens & yours for hoppin' john, since it generated such a lively discussion on your thread! ;)

>3 ELiz_M: Ah! Should I post that here as well?

I've been keeping my eye on recipes posted in various threads and am happy to see a place where they can be collected!

There was a lively discussion of Hoppin John and Greens in Darryl's first thread, where he was kind enough to provide a link to a recipe and his father's instructions for the greens.

Dilara and Lola swapped a couple of recipes, one for khichri and then one for French green lentils.

Lisa Peet taunted us with a picture of a beautiful chocolate cake, but didn't share the recipe. It did, however, prompt Sally Pursell to post one for Breakfast Seed Bread Recipe.

>5 ELiz_M: Thanks for posting those links, Liz!

Above is a vegan feijoada. I found the recipe on instagram (and translated with Google). My favorite ingredient is “green smell“ which apparently is equal parts chives or green onions and parsley.

VEGAN FEIJOADA WITH SMOKED TOFU AND MUSHROOM

INGREDIENTS:
500 grams black beans

500 grams extra firm tofu
100 ml soy sauce
100 ml water

250 grams mushroom
2 onions
1 carrot
4 cloves garlic
3 tablespoon oil
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon liquid smoke
salt and pepper
cheiro verde (equal parts chives* and parsley)

(*or scallions)

PREPARATION:
1. Soak black beans in water for at least 8 hours in advance. Dry the tofu with the help of a dish towel or paper towel until no more water comes out (squeezing well without breaking up). Chop the tofu into cubes and add in a bowl with the soy sauce, water and liquid smoke. Let it marinate for 8 hours, along with the beans.

2. Sieve the beans, discarding the sauce water. In a saucepan add the beans with 3x the volume of water. Cook over medium heat with bay leaves and salt for about 40 minutes.

3. In a frying pan sauté the onions and chopped garlic in the oil until it is golden brown and brown. Take a scoop of beans and add to the stew. Stir well taking the golden from the bottom and put everything back in the bean pot. Add the chopped carrots and cook for another 10 minutes.

4. Separately, in a frying pan add the oil and when it is very hot, brown the sieved tofu. Decrease the heat and squeeze the tofu with a spatula without falling apart until it makes a "tssss" noise. Turn when golden on each side and crispy. Then add the mushroom and brown for about 5 minutes. Add in the beans and adjust the salt, pepper and green smell.

My notes: the "liquid smoke" was a little too prevalent for my taste, I'd try it with half the amount next time. This recipe makes A LOT. I was eating it with brown rice, so I had 4-5 servings and probably have 6 more in the freezer.

>5 ELiz_M: Oh no, I didn't mean to taunt! It's this Chocolate Chocolate Birthday Cake from the NYT—pretty much followed the recipe exactly as written.

>7 ELiz_M: That looks great, Liz! It's a nice take on the feijoada recipe that meu amiga brasileira Tatiana shared with me a year or two ago.

Did Liquid Smoke give the feijoada a bacony flavor?

>9 kidzdoc: A Bacon Bits flavor, maybe? (It's been a while since I've had bacon).

Liquid Smoke can have a slightly chemical flavor, so I would use less in this recipe, but I have used a Tbs for a salmon pate, where the strong salmon flavor masks the chemically flavor of LS.

>10 ELiz_M: Ick. I haven't tried Bacon Bits in years, but I did not like the artificial taste of them.

>2 kidzdoc:

I bet that's wonderful! I'm another chickpea lover and the chickpea soup I prepare most often is a simple Greek recipe with a strong lemon note.

For my singleton measure...

1 cup of dry chickpeas---> soak in a large bowl of water in the fridge for 6 hours
1 onion
2 large lemons, unwaxed, unsprayed
bay leaf
optional--celery stalk and a carrot, diced
to add by the end: salt, fresh dill, rosemary, olive oil

In a large pot, add a tbs of oil (traditionally olive, but be careful not to burn it), the diced onion +/- celery and carrot. When the onion becomes translucent, add the rinsed chickpeas and cover with water. Grate the zest of both lemons into the soup. Add a bay leaf, and dill and rosemary (if you like). Bring to a boil, then simmer--one hour should be ample, but make it shorter or longer as necessary, until it's easy to smush the chickpeas against the pot walls. At that point add salt to taste, and the juice of both lemons. Here I should note I love lemon so much I often use three, both for the zest and the juice.

If you like the soup creamy, you can take out a portion and run it through a processor, then add it back to the pot. I just break some chickpeas as it's cooking and, occasionally, thicken it with a few tbs of hummus (plain). Serve with more olive oil and dill (and lemon wedges!)

It's called revithia and there are variations, depending on the cook, but this is basically what I had as a kid in Cyprus.

This makes usually a two-day meal for me, if I'm not very hungry, and the best part is that it is even more delicious the next day--even cold!

I made strawberry muffins today using the recipe link below, and they were delicious. (Strawberries are actually in season here in Florida right now.) Not too sweet, made with plain yogurt, and very light texture. I’ve also made them with blueberries, and I look forward to trying them with peaches this summer. I always freeze most of the muffins I make, then my kids take a few to school in their lunches for “muffin Monday.”

https://www.christinascucina.com/best-muffin-recipe-ever-mixed-fruit-yogurt-muff...

>2 kidzdoc: Thanks for getting this thread started! I am going to give this one a try. I like chickpeas, and this is simple enough I can throw it together tonight.

I'll save >12 LolaWalser: for this summer, when a soup I can eat cold will be welcome.

Here is a link to a turkey taco skillet recipe I found on budgetbytes.com. I really liked this one, and served it over fresh spinach with corn chips on the side. My double batch didn't get into the freezer, I at it all.

I made hamantaschen today using Tori Avey's recipe.

They came out really wonky, and most of the jam ones I did burst in the oven, but I was kind of expecting that. This is only my second time ever making hamantaschen, so I haven't got the knack for it yet.

Wonky or not, there's no way the ones I made today will last until Purim, so I'll make another batch next weekend and hopefully those will look better now that I've had the chance to practice.

>14 markon: I make this without meat, just the black beans and half pound of extra firm diced tofu. The market I go to has a ready-made low-salt fresh salsa I use, which already has the spices in it so it's EZ.

Sometimes I put the mixture on enchiladas and bake them with cheese on top. Sometimes I layer it between smushed up corn chips (just like you would with lasagna noodles) and bake it.

Haven't tried it, but I'm guessing this would be pretty good over polenta, too. Because what's not good with polenta? My kid used to put maple syrup on his ...

>15 Julie_in_the_Library: I’m a little out of place in this thread, but tried to help my wife make Hamantashen yesterday - with a non-dairy dough since she is lactose intolerant. First time I’ve tried. I thought they came out good - although without the shortbread cookie texture and a little flat. She told me she’s looking for a better recipe.

>17 dchaikin: Tori Avey's works well for me. I linked to it above, if you want to take a look. It's non-dairy, though she has a dairy one as well on the site. I've only seen a few hamantaschen recipes, but I think they tend to be non-dairy, so that they can be eaten as dessert after a meat-meal.

>14 markon:

Promise to try it warm first, though. :)

>18 Julie_in_the_Library:

I'll try the recipe when I get some fruit tartinade. Haven't had hamantaschen since NYC.

A magnificent recipe found in Vegetarian Viet Nam.

Mixed Mushroom Rice Porridge with Bitter Greens

This is one of those recipes that requires you make several other recipes first:
-Crispy Fried Shallots (thinly sliced shallots fried in vegetable oil until brown & crispy)
-Mushroom Powder (dried shiitake mushrooms ground to a fine powder)
-Rich Vegetable Stock (I cheated and used Imagine No-Chicken broth)

------
-Silky Rice Porridge:
2 inches peeled ginger, cut into 8 slices
3/4 cup Jasmine rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-2.5 quarts light vegetable stock

Rinse the rice and add to pot with vegetable stock and salt. Bring to boil and then simmer for 15 minutes (for thick porridge) or simmer for 45-60 minutes for soupier porridge (the rice breaks down rather than absorbing the stock)
------

Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 pound (225 g) firm tofu, cut into 1-inch (3 cm) cubes, patted dry
- 1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4-inch (6 mm) cubes (~2 cups)
- 4 cups (~2 pound/225 g) assorted whole fresh mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, shimeji, enoki), torn or cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon plus a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon of mushroom powder
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 handfuls watercress or other bittersweet green such as arugula, very roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped cilantro
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 fresh red mild long red chile or two fresh red Thai bird chilies, thinly sliced, or chile garlic paste

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook for about 2 minutes on each side (about 8 minutes in total), until lightly golden brown. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

2. Add the carrot, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt to the skillet and cook, stirring often, until a little darkened and tender, about 5 minutes Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.

3. When the rice porridge has reached your desired consistency, add the sautéed mushrooms, mushroom powder, soy sauce, and 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes.

4. Stir in the watercress and simmer for a minute, until wilted. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Ladle about 1-3/4 cups of rice porridge into individual serving bowls. Sprinkle the ginger, scallions, cilantro, crispy shallots, sesame seeds, and a couple generous grinds of black pepper on top. Serve alongside sliced chilies or chile paste. (The recipe forgets to mention the tofu; I added it to the porridge with the rest of the toppings, but I suppose it could be eaten on the side with the chilies?)

>20 ELiz_M: Ohhh that looks good. Thank you!

I guess this is the best place to drop this but thought others might be interested in Feast Afrique a new digital archive of West African food and cookbooks.

>22 janemarieprice: Thank you! Am reposting on my thread & Litsy. I've been reading some West African history this quarter, so am excited to see this.

>22 janemarieprice: Oooh...thanks, Jane!! I'll definitely try some of the recipes from this website, especially jollof rice and groundnut stews other than the two I frequently make.

>12 LolaWalser: I made this for lunch today (another chickpea lover here) and it was delicious. I'm looking forward to eating the rest (cold, maybe?) tomorrow.

>25 rachbxl:

Oh, that's great to hear--you'll make instant Greek friends if you mention it to them.

Haha, I hope I don't mislead anyone about eating it cold--it's just a "discovery" I made one day when I was too hungry to wait for reheating. Tasted super to me, but maybe it was the wolf in the belly. :)

I'll be making it tomorrow...

>26 LolaWalser: "I hope I don't mislead anyone about eating it cold"

I've found that pretty much any homemade lentils/beans/chickpeas soup/stew that had not been cooked with any animal fat (ask my grandmother...) works just fine cold. Especially in the middle of summer.

>27 AnnieMod:

I can see that! And, people do make salads with chickpeas, beans, so...

I finally tried a new recipe for the first time in at least six months: Huevos a lo Pobre con Patatas, or Poor Man's Eggs with Potatoes, a simple Renaissance Era recipe originally created by Spanish peasants in the 16th century, using a recipe from the YouTube channel Spain on a Fork:



Ingredients:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil 90 ml
3 medium sized potatoes
1 green bell pepper
1 onion
4 cloves garlic
5 cage-free organic eggs
handful freshly chopped parsley
sea salt & black pepper

Instructions:
1. Cut 3 potatoes (washed & patted dry) into small 1 cm (3/8 inch) thick pieces.
2. Heat a large fry pan with a medium heat and add in 1/3 cup (90 ml) extra virgin olive oil.
3. After heating the olive oil for 5 minutes, add the cut potatoes into the pan, mix every 3 to 4 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, cut 1 green bell pepper into thin strips that are 5 cm (2 inches) long, thinly slice 1 onion, thinly slice 4 cloves garlic and crack 5 eggs into a bowl, season with sea salt & black pepper and lightly whisk together for just 5 to 10 seconds.
5. After frying the potatoes for 25 minutes, they should be perfectly cooked, just pierce with a toothpick to ensure they are done, remove the potatoes from the pan and set aside.
6. Using the same pan with the same heat, add in the sliced green bell pepper, sliced onion and sliced garlic, mix with the olive oil.
7. After 6 to 8 minutes and the vegetables are lightly sauteed, lower the fire to a low-medium heat, add the fried potatoes back into the pan, season everything with sea salt & black pepper and mix together, then add in the whisked eggs and continue to mix everything together, cook for 3 to 4 minutes while mixing, then remove from the heat, transfer into a serving dish and sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley, serve at once, enjoy!
__________________________________

I used three Yukon Gold potatoes, five hen's eggs that one of my partners gave me from her farm in North Georgia, and a Vidalia sweet onion (which are readily available in Atlanta, as Vidalia is in South Georgia). This was an easy and very tasty dish, and I'll add this to my regular rotation of breakfast and brunch recipes.

>29 kidzdoc: Oh that looks really good—and yes, easy, which is a big plus. Thanks!

Yeah, I too was inspired by >29 kidzdoc: to use up my lone two ageing potatoes yesterday. (I don't cook much with taters...) Had to sub red for green bell pepper, reduced eggs to three, and added also a little mint and rosemary. Nice lunch, not much that's "poor" about it...

A yummy, comfort-food recipe found in North Wild Kitchen

Fish and Mashed Potatoes with Roasted Carrots

PLUKKFISK
Serves 4

FOR THE ROASTED CARROTS
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut lengthwise into quarters
- Mild-flavored oil for roasting
- Salt and pepper

FOR THE POTATOES
- 1.5 pounds (675 g) starchy potatoes, peeled and cut in half
- 3 tablespoons lightly salted butter, plus more for frying
- ½ cup (120 ml) milk
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound (450 g) boneless cod fillet
- A couple slices bacon or other cured meat, chopped (optional)
- 2 leeks, washed and thinly sliced
- chopped parsley

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
For the carrots, arrange them on a baking sheet, drizzle with the oil, season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Bake for 15 minutes or until nicely browned and tender.

In a large pot, cover the potatoes with cold salted water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are barely tender when pierced with a knife. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot. Add the 3 tablespoons butter, along with the milk, heavy cream, and salt and mash until creamy; the potatoes will thicken as they stand.

Fill a medium pot with cold salted water and bring to a boil. Add the cod, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until cooked through but not falling apart. Drain and set aside to cool.

If using bacon, fry in a pan with a little butter until crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. then break into small pieces and stir into the potatoes. Add the leeks, and if not using bacon add more butter to the pan, and sauté for 3 minutes or until soft.

Divide the plukkfisk among bowls and top with the leeks, carrots, and bacon. Sprinkle with the parsley, top with more butter if you're feeling indulgent, and serve.

-------------

The only problem with this dish is when I heat it up for lunch, the cat wakes up from his nap and comes to meow _very insistently_ at me.

Hello! Long-time lurker here...



La figue (Fig) by François-Régis Gaudry is a small book about figs - their varieties, their history, where they grow, how they grow, what they mean in local cultures. There are also recipes, including this one for a type of Corsican biscuits (cookies) called canistrelli, made with white wine, oil and (here) dried figs. I tried it for lunch today. They were a bit mishapen but otherwise OK. Well, they tasted a bit soapy because I made half a batch, but stupidly forgot to halve the amount of baking powder... I liked the fact that they melt in the mouth, but start with a nice crunch. They could have done with more figs, though. This half-batch makes a decent amount of canistrelli, yet fits perfectly on my oven sheet.

Here is the recipe (in metrics) for half a batch

250g flour (type unspecified - I used spelt - but I think wholemeal flour or a mixture of wheat and chestnut flours would work well with this type of biscuit)
90 g sugar (I used 50g)
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
9 cl sunflower oil or a very mild olive oil
9 cl white wine
6 dried figs, roughly chopped (I'd actually double the amount - you could also use raisins)

Mix all the dried ingredients.
Add the oil and the hot wine (30 seconds in the microwave did the trick). Mix but do not knead.
Roll the dough to a thickness of approximately 0.5 cm. Cut into 3x4 cm rectangles.
Bake at 200°C for 15 minutes.

I've seen recipes where the dough is flavoured with lemon zest or aniseed, but this one isn't.

I found out last month that this past Saturday, May 29th, was International Coq au Vin Day. I had heard about it, and that it was one of Julia Child's signature dishes, and after a brief Google search I found a recipe from The Endless Meal that looked tasty and seemed relatively easy to make.

  

Julia Child's Coq au Vin

INGREDIENTS

4 chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
1 1/2 cups red wine
1 cup chicken stock
Optional: 1/4 cup brandy
3 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 medium onion, quartered then thinly sliced
4 medium carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
8 ounces mushrooms, thickly sliced
8 ounces pearl onions, peeled
Beurre manié (see notes for the options)

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the chicken thighs and drumsticks in a medium-sized bowl and pour the wine, chicken stock, and (if using) the brandy over the top. Prep the vegetables.

Add the bacon to a large skillet or braiser over medium-high heat. Cook until the bacon is crispy, about 8 minutes, then remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon.

Remove the chicken from the wine marinade (save the wine) and dry the chicken with paper towels. Working in 2 batches if needed, place the chicken in the pan, skin side down. Sear until it is golden on both sides (about 5 minutes each side) then remove the chicken from the pan. Pour all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon/chicken oil into a heatproof dish and set it aside.

Add the sliced onion and carrots to the pan and let them cook until the onion is golden brown, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and let it cook for 1 minute.

Push the vegetables to the side of the pan and add the tomato paste. Cook the tomato paste until it is fragrant and begins to darken. Pour the reserved wine marinade into the pan, scraping the bottom to remove any stuck on bits.

Nestle the chicken into the pan and sprinkle the thyme over top. Cover the pot, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Pour 1 tablespoon of the reserved oil (or use olive oil) into a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until brown, about 10 minutes.

Add the pearl onions to the pot with the chicken and cook for 10 minutes more.

In a small bowl mix together your choice of beurre manié. Remove the chicken from the pan then add the beurre manié. Stir it into the sauce and let it thicken. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken back into the pan and top with the cooked bacon and mushrooms. Sprinkle with a little fresh thyme.

NOTES

BEURRE MANIÉ OPTIONS:

Traditional beurre manié: 2 tablespoons flour + 2 tablespoons softened butter

Paleo and gluten-free beurre manié: 2 tablespoons tapioca starch + 1 tablespoon softened butter

Dairy-free beurre manié: 2 tablespoons flour + 2 tablespoons dairy-free margarine
______________________________

I made it exactly as the recipe specified, except that my package of chicken drumsticks had five, which fit nicely into my Dutch oven along with the four chicken thighs. This was absolutely fabulous, and although it took me two hours to make it won't take me nearly as long the next time I do. A friend of mine at work told me about Coq au Reisling, and since I bought a bottle of Reisling wine earlier this week I'll plan to give this recipe a try in the next week or two.

Yesterday I tried another new recipe, Spring Pasta Bolognese with Lamb and Peas, which I saw on a post from NYT Cooking on my Facebook timeline last month:



INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 cup finely chopped carrot
6 garlic cloves, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 pound ground lamb (or ground beef, pork or veal)
Kosher salt and black pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
1 large fresh rosemary sprig
1 pound spaghetti
1 cup thawed frozen peas (about 5 ounces)
5 ounces fresh baby spinach
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (about 2 ounces), plus more for garnish
¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

PREPARATION
In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Add onion and carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add lamb, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until no longer pink, about 3 minutes. Stir in broth, heavy cream and rosemary, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer, partly covered and stirring occasionally, until mixture is thickened, about 30 minutes. (The sauce may look broken at first, but it will emulsify as it cooks.) Discard the rosemary sprig.

As the sauce cooks, make the pasta: Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water and drain the pasta.

Over medium heat, add the peas and spinach to the sauce and stir until spinach is wilted. Add the cooked pasta, butter and 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta cooking water to the sauce. Toss vigorously until sauce is thickened and coats the pasta, about 2 minutes, adding more pasta water if a looser sauce is desired. Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice, cheese and parsley. Season with salt and pepper.

Divide pasta among bowls. Garnish with more cheese, parsley and black pepper.
____________________________

I subscribe to the print and online editions of The New York Times, and since I'm able to use the NYT Cooking app on my mobile devices I usually look at the most helpful comments from other readers, which was especially useful this time. Several people mentioned that the recipe had far too much chicken broth, and I only used one cup of it instead of the three called for in the recipe, and added 1/2 T of red pepper flakes. The version I made had far too few peas, so I added the remaining 8 oz of frozen peas in my bag (which I heated in the microwave before adding them to the pasta, of course). This is a very tasty pasta, but next time I'll leave out the spinach, and use 2 cups of peas and 1-1/2 or 2 cups of carrots instead.

Tomorrow I'll make a strawberry rhubarb custard pie, along with salada de polvo, Portuguese octopus stew.

>35 kidzdoc: Ooh, reminds me of my sisters crustless rhubarb pie! I'll have to see if she'll make some when I visit next week.

Last Sunday I made Moqueca baiana, the Afro-Brasilian seafood stew which Ardene (markon) made in December. Similar to her, I used multiple recipes, one from a friend at work who is from Rio de Janeiro, and the other from the recipe Moqueca (Brazilian Seafood Stew) by Yewande Komolafe from NYT Cooking.



Moqueca baiana (Afro-Brasilian seafood stew)

Ingredients:
3 T azeite de dendê (red palm oil) (available in specialty markets or online)
6 cloves diced garlic
1 diced medium sweet or yellow onion (I used half of a Vidalia sweet onion)
2 diced bell peppers, preferably of different colors (I’d suggest one red and one green pepper)
1 finely diced chile pepper (not too hot, as you don’t want the chile to overwhelm the stew)
1 lb tomatoes, diced into 1 inch pieces
1 can (13.5 oz) coconut milk
12-16 oz of a firm whitefish (halibut, cod, bass, etc.), cut into 1-1.5 inch pieces
12-16 oz jumbo shrimp or prawns (preferably unpeeled and deveined by hand, although I used frozen peeled and deveined jumbo shrimp with tails on)
¼ cup chopped cilantro
Kosher salt
2 limes (or 4 T of lime juice)
Cornstarch (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Directions:
1. Season fish and prawns separately with 1 t of kosher salt and the juice of one lime (2 T of lime juice), along with 2 T of chopped cilantro for the prawns; set aside
2. Heat 2 T of azeite de dendê in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven on medium heat
3. Add diced garlic, cook for 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring constantly
4. Add diced onion, cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently
5. Increase heat to high, add bell and chile peppers and tomatoes, season with kosher salt, cook for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables begin to evaporate, stirring frequently
6. Reduce heat to medium, add coconut milk, cook for 10 minutes until stew has thickened, stirring frequently; add salt and (optional) freshly ground black pepper to taste
7. If you wish to thicken stew further, remove ½ cup of stew, add to a glass or metal bowl, add 1-2 t cornstarch, stir vigorously with a fork, add back to stew (I highly recommend this step!)
8. If using unpeeled prawns, add to stew, cook for 2 minutes on each side before adding fish.
9. If using jumbo shrimp, add to stew simultaneously with the fish, cook for 4-5 minutes
10. Remove from heat, add 1 T azeite de dendê and 2 T cilantro

Notes:
1. Vegetarians can substitute extra firm tofu or yellow plantains in place of the seafood
2. Serve with rice, yucca or another side of your choice.
____________________________________

I just finished another bowl of moqueca baiana for dinner, which reminded me to post the recipe here. This recipe comes from the Brasilian state of Bahia, where many West Africans were brought as slaves to harvest sugar cane, and, unlike Moqueca capixaba, it includes azeite de dendê and coconut milk. I love seafood, and especially seafood stew, and this is easily the best seafood stew I've ever made, and one of the best I've ever had. Despite its multiple ingredients and numerous steps this is not a hard or overly lengthy recipe to make, as it took me just over an hour from start to finish. I'll make this a lot more often from now on, starting next week when I visit my parents.

As a daily subscriber to The New York Times I can use the NYT Cooking app, which gives me access to nearly 20,000 recipes and is my favorite "cookbook". This morning I received the weekly 'What to Cook This Week' email from NYT Cooking, and one of the recipes looked particularly easy and appealing, Summer Shrimp Scampi With Tomatoes and Corn. A quick check of my kitchen confirmed that I had all the ingredients needed to make this pasta, and I just had a bowl for lunch:



INGREDIENTS

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels (from 4 ears)
5 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes
¼ cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon), plus wedges for serving (optional)
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces
3 tablespoons chopped parsley or chives, or torn basil leaves

PREPARATION

1. Pat the shrimp very dry and season with salt and pepper. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high. Add the shrimp and cook until pink and lightly golden in spots, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a plate.

2. Add the tomatoes to the skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring just once or twice, until they start to blister in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the corn, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring just once or twice, until the tomatoes burst and the corn is golden in spots, 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add the garlic and red-pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until you smell garlic, about 1 minute.

4. Reduce heat to medium, and add the wine and lemon juice, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until nearly evaporated, then add the butter and stir until melted. Add the shrimp and its juices and stir until warmed through. (If the sauce breaks and looks greasy, add 1 or 2 teaspoons of water and stir until emulsified.)

5. Remove from heat, add the herbs, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve with extra lemon for squeezing over, if you like.
______________________________________

I had this on top of bucatini, my favorite pasta. The recipe indicates that it serves 4 and can be made in 15 minutes; it took me nearly an hour to make, but given that I'll get at least four servings this was both well worth it, and very tasty.

I had meant to make Alligator Sauce Piquante yesterday, but since I'm not working this week I made it today instead.



"Alligator is cooked up in a spicy piquante sauce and served over rice for a hearty meal. If you can find it, alligator tail meat is the preferable cut to use here."

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup olive oil
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
3/4 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
4 bay leaves
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour
4 cups seeded and chopped plum tomatoes
3 cups Chicken Stock or
canned low-sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Emeril's Red Pepper Sauce or other hot pepper sauce
1 1/2 pounds alligator meat, cut into 2-inch strips
1 1/2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
1/2 cup chopped green onions (green and white parts)
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Perfect Rice, hot

DIRECTIONS

Heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil in large heavy nonstick pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Stir in the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, crushed red pepper flakes, cayenne, and bay leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft and lightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of the flour and cook, stirring, to cook the flour without browning, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, Worcestershire, and pepper sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low.

Place several pieces of alligator meat at a time on a work surface covered with plastic wrap. Cover the meat with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet until 1/4 inch thick. Cut into 2-inch strips.

Combine the remaining 1/2 cup flour and the Essence in a medium bowl. Dredge the alligator pieces in the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the meat and fry until golden brown, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet and repeat with the remaining alligator.

Add the meat to the sauce. Increase the heat under the sauce to medium-high and bring to a gentle rolling boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, about 2 hours. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

To serve, spoon the rice into soup bowls, top with the meat and sauce, and garnish with the green onions and parsley.
_________________________________________

I used two pounds of alligator tail meat, so I increased the proportions of the other ingredients accordingly. I love this fiery recipe, as the alligator meat practically melts in your mouth after it simmers for two hours. I'm sure that Jane (janemarieprice) has cooked this stew, and I'm curious to know if the other ex-New Orleanians in Club Read have had it or also made it.

I have so many lemons from my lemon tree right now. I have tried many lemon recipes, both savory and sweet, but nothing has blown me away. Does anyone have any particularly favorite lemon recipes to suggest?

You could try making preserved lemons with some of them, which can then be used as an ingredient in other dishes (after about a month). Some directions on the process:

https://foodinjars.com/recipe/preserving-lemons/
https://www.thespruceeats.com/preserved-lemons-recipe-5211987
https://adriennekatzkennedy.com/2018/05/06/homemade-preserved-lemon-puree/

>41 shadrach_anki: I actually just preserved some last night for the first time, in a half gallon jar:). I’ve never cooked with preserved lemon before, so I’m curious to try it out.

>41 shadrach_anki: I’m intrigued by the third link you posted, which uses olive oil. I will try that one, as well, thanks!

I hope yours turn out well! A half gallon is a lot of lemons!

>44 shadrach_anki: Yes, I should have halved or quartered the recipe…