Thursday, November 13, 2014

A Catch-Up Melange of Recipes

I made this fish dish back in May and it is truly fantastic! 

Grilled Mahi Mahi
1 lb. mahi mahi fillets
1/4 c. grated parmesan
1/2 tbsp. butter, room temp
1 1/2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 scallion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch salt
Dash hot sauce

Mix everything but fish. Lay fish in foil and cover with the parmesan mixture. Place on a grill (or broil for about 10 minutes), until cooked through. Serves 2-4.

This very good ragout of white beans and Tuscan kale is an Emeril Lagasse recipe from his wonderful Farm to Fork cookbook. I have tinkered a little bit to make it vegetarian/vegan-friendly. It would make a good main course, although I served it as a side. It's also good with fennel in place of the kale and no tomatoes!

Tuscan Kale & White Bean Ragout
1-2 tbsp. olive oil
1 bay leaf
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 small red onion, sliced
1 large bunch Tuscan kale, cut into ribbons about 1" wide
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
30 oz. canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
14 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 c. veggie broth

Heat oil in large skillet on medium-high. Add bay leaf, garlic, red pepper, and onion. Cook 3-4 minutes. Add kale, salt, & pepper. Cook another couple minutes. Add everything else. Cover and cook until kale is wilted and everything is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil. Serves 4-6.


This Somali dish is one I first had at a Lebanese restaurant. It was better at the restaurant, but my (probably wildly inauthentic) version was still pretty terrific. 

Sambusek
Oil for frying
1 onion, finely-chopped
1/2 lb. burger (96% lean is what I usually use, even if it seems a little silly when I am frying it, anyway)
A handful chopped parsley
2 tsp. curry
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 pkg. wonton wrappers

Heat 1 tbsp. oil and cook onion in it until the onion is soft, but not browned. Add burger, parsley, curry, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Cook to brown the meat. Adjust seasonings. Allow to cool to room temperature. Place about a teaspoon of meat mixture on a wonton wrapper. Brush edges of wrapper with water and press to seal along edges. Repeat until the ingredients are all used. Heat an inch of oil in a heavy skillet and fry the little packages until they are golden on both sides. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a 250 degree oven. Serves 4-6.

This traditional rice salad is really scrumptious and makes a good accompaniment for the above recipe or the one below!

Dilly Rice Salad
1 c. rice, cooked
1/2 red onion, chopped
3 tbsp. apple cider or red wine vinegar
Zest & juice of 1 lemon
2-3 tbsp. olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt & pepper
A scant handful chopped dill weed

Mix the onion and vinegar and let steep 5 minutes. Strain, discarding the vinegar. Whisk the lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, & pepper into a dressing and mix into rice. Add onion, lemon zest, and dill. Mix well. Serves 4-6.

This light burger is perfect for summertime, but pretty delicious for this time of year, as well. You can cook these on the grill, if you like, but be careful because it's easy for them to burn or dry out.

Chicken Spinach Sliders
1 lb. ground chicken
6 oz. baby spinach
5 scallions, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 tsp. cumin
Salt & pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
12 slider buns
Greek yogurt, red onion for topping

Mix chicken, spinach, scallions, garlic, cumin, salt, & pepper, making sure not to overwork it. Shape into 12 slider-sized, half-inch-thick patties. Heat oil & cook the sliders until they are golden brown on both sides. Serve on buns with toppings. Serves 4. 

This dish is a wonderful choice for vegetarians, but also will be satisfying to non-veggies who simply like cabbage. If you want to amp it up to a main course, just toss in some beans, perhaps pinto or cannellini beans. Tofu, stir-fried or baked, would also be a nice addition. My mom and I made this on my last visit to her home, Hickory Hill. I suspect it will be a lot easier to do at my house, where I have electric light instead of kerosene!

Cabbage Sauté with Brown Rice
2 tbsp. olive oil
 1/2 small head green cabbage
2 tsp. minced ginger
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. brown rice
Salt & pepper
2 tsp. rice wine vinegar
3 tbsp. sesame seeds

Cook cabbage, ginger, and garlic in olive oil until wilted. Set aside. In same pan, lightly toast the rice. Add 1 1/2 c. water and 1 tsp. salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook for half an hour on low heat. Let stand off heat for 5 minutes before fluffing. Heat cabbage mixture through. Stir into rice. Serves 4. 





No comments: