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I love this recipe in late summer, when the farmer's markets are full of Japanese eggplants and Thai basil. It's a sweet, gooey, savory treat that's as spicy as you want to make it and I love eggplant far too much. You can use normal European eggplant too in a pinch.   Serve on white rice.      Ingredients 1-2 eggplants depending on size, in thin slices (Japanese and European work fine, Thai would be weird) 1 red bell pepper (cut into small squares) 4 cloves garlic (smashed and roughly chopped) Thai chilis, to taste (minced) Small quantity of shallots or onions (thin sliced, optional, I like the sweet they provide) Protein of your choice, pre-cooked - I've been liking baked tofu, but chicken or pork work well Thai basil (to taste), remove the bigger stems and chop roughly.  Sauce 4 Tbsp soy sauce 1 Tbsp brown sugar (+palm sugar if available) 1 tsp dark vinegar, or white vinegar 2 Tbsp fish sauce  Optional: 1 Tbsp corn starch dissolved in 2 Tbsp co...

Too many peppers! Well, it's that time again! Those peppers you have nurtured all summer, waiting for them to turn a seductive shade of red (or deep green) are coming in fast. Here on the prairie, we seem to have skipped our warm intro to fall, and landed smack dab in the middle of dank, misty rain. Buckets of peppers (and tomatoes) line our kitchen floor, waiting to be turned into something we can enjoy in the deep, dark winter months. One solution is PICKLED PEPPERS ,  a favorite of my youth. My Yiddish grandmother with my mother alongside her would fill gallon jars with these mouth-watering delights, and most years my brother and I could not keep our hands off them for the full time. I am honored to have my mother's hand-written recipe, in her lovely Catholic school handwriting. It is a little dim from time, so I have transcribed it in detail: Cook peppers (roast)* on top of stove over flame (till black all over) Dunk in water and peel (or put in plastic bag w...

Apparently it's been 11 years since I last posted a stuffed peppers recipe ! I am posting a new one, which a) is a different style, and b) I think is more delicious. My previous recipe was more of a Turkish style. This is based on Das Original DDR Kochbuch , which we purchased in Weimar, Germany.  I have added some spice to what would have been a rather stodgy recipe. This is great to make if you are practically drowning in peppers from the garden, as we are at this time of year. We used about 12 peppers of varying sizes, mostly small. If you are using store-bought peppers, 6 will probably do. Before. Note: some extra peppers were placed in my massive Dutch oven as spacers (and not filled with rice).  Bonus picture of Violet's favorite game that she invented--pepper tops! They say "Helloooo!" and jump around a lot. Melt-in-your-mouth taste of summer. Preheat oven to 400° F Filling 6-10 green bell peppers 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 Tbsp. butter 2 c. coo...

It am sure it is no coincidence that the last blog post is about the same age as Zayn and Violet! Tonight I find myself with a lull in the toddler fray to post this lovely dish we had in San Sebastian, Spain. This recipe is adapted from  The Basque Table . The original recipe calls for Biscayne sauce, but that is a pain to make and it says you can substitute paprika. I used  La Dalia agridulce smoked paprika . Delicious and simple: a true 30-minute-meal. 1/3 c. olive oil 1 large onion, diced 2 green peppers, sliced into strips 4-5 Yukon gold potatoes, cut into large-ish bite sized pieces 1-2 Tbsp. smoked paprika 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 1 lb. ahi tuna, cut into bite-sized pieces 3-4 c. chicken broth salt to taste Heat the oil in a cast iron pot. Add the onions and saute 5 minutes until starting to become translucent. Add the pepper strips and cook for 3 minutes. Add the smoked paprika, garlic, and tomato paste and stir to combine,...

This dish is like the mullet of Mexican food: it tempers the healthful protein of chicken breast with the decadent fattiness of chorizo. Everyone wins! I grilled the chicken, but you could cook it any way that works for you. Most restaurants drown this dish in cheese, but it really only needs a little bit to tie the dish together. Would also be delicious with a fried egg on top. From the left: yellow rice, pico de gallo, chori pollo, avocado, and black refried beans. 4 chicken breasts 2 links or ~1/2 pound loose chorizo 1 red bell pepper, sliced 1 onion, sliced 3 Tbsp. oil 2 Tbsp. lard 1 Tbsp. Mexican oregano 1 Tbsp. black pepper 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. Adobo seasoning 1/2 tsp. cayenne salt to taste 1/2 c. grated Queso de Oaxaca or Monterrey Jack, if desired If the chicken pieces are irregularly sized, pound until they are flat and uniform in thickness. Salt the chicken breasts to taste. Combine the oregano, black pepper, garlic powder, adobo, and cayene, then r...

So this isn't really a recipe of our own so much as a link, since Melanie and I don't change the recipe at all, let alone enough to justify reposting it. We did use some herbs de provence last time, which was nice too. This is one of those really simple one-dish meals that turns out amazingly every time, it's got a nice mix of veggies, starch and protein, and it's gluten free. Obviously, you don't need to use the brand name sausage from the recipe, especially if you live down the street from Kramarczuk's, but it is pretty tasty. Here's the Sausage Potato Bake from Recipe Girl.

This is not exactly the dish from our childhood, since it's a bit more complex than the "quick, we need some food" version that's in the Melting Pot cookbook. However, the freshly roasted poblano pepper really gives it a lot more flavor than if you use canned chilies, and roasting them really doesn't take that long. I recommend gloves for processing the pepper.   Ingredients 2 poblano peppers (or if you're spiciness adverse, 1 poblano and 1 Anaheim pepper), roasted, skinned, and cut into thin 1-2" long strips 1 can black beans, drained 1/4 onion, minced finely 1 c. grated cheddar (for filling) and 1/2 c. for topping 2 Tbsp. minced cilantro 1/4-1/2 c. salsa (depending on desired juiciness) (Optional) 1 cooked chicken breast, shredded 1-2 tsp. salt Corn tortillas Diced tomatoes for garnish   Instructions Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Whomp together everything except 1/2 c. of cheese, which you'll use for the topping. Check the seas...

Pozole is a hearty Mexican soup or stew that come in several different styles (with pork or chicken, red, white or green). This recipe can be made either as a pozole, using hominy, or as a white chicken chili, using cannellini beans (or heck, use both). The tomatillos are optional, but add a nice tartness and more color.  You will be surprised that all the green chiles don't make it very hot, so feel free to up the spice level if you like. This serves 6 hungry people.  This is the chicken chili style, which uses beans instead of hominy.   3 lbs bone-in chicken, skin removed 2 large red onions, one half reserved for garnish 3 jalapeño chiles, one reserved for garnish 3 anaheim chiles 2 poblano chiles 5-6 tomatillos, husked 7 garlic cloves, crushed 1 heaping Tbsp. ground cumin 2 tsp. ground coriander 2 cans white beans or hominy, rinsed and drained 1/2 bundle cilantro, chopped Salt and black pepper Oil or lard Garnishes : 3 limes, quartered (reserve jui...

I never would have expected that one of the best meals I ever made would be a sandwich. Of course, the roast beef could be served as-is or with a sauce, but combined with the aioli (garlic and olive oil mayonnaise) and served on a roll with some roasted red peppers it's outstanding. This is a case when 'slow food' really pays off. The white bits on top are real provolone, which doesn't slice well, but tastes great. Roast Beef 3 lb. rump roast, rolled with butcher's twine ~1.5 quarts of warm water 3 Tbsp. wine 3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1/2 c. Kosher salt 1/4 c. brown sugar 2 cloves garlic, smashed 2 bay leaves 5 allspice berries 10 black peppercorns, lightly crushed 1/4 tsp. celery salt Dissolve the salt and sugar in the warm water, wine, and Worcestershire sauce to make 2 gallons of brine. Add the spices. Place the rump roast and brine in a one-gallon ziploc and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the oven to 325°. Pat the roast dry and then coat ...

This is a simple-yet-flavorful meal, perfect for a weeknight dinner. It helps if you can season the porkchops an hour or more ahead of time, but not required. Here I serve them over couscous, with Couve Mineira on the side. I used boneless pork chops, but you could use bone-in. In fact, this would probably be good with chicken breasts too. Make as many as you would like for dinner and leftovers--this is for 4 chops. Serving Suggestion 1 Serving Suggestion 2 4 pork chops 3 Tbsp. Kosher salt 2 tsp. ground coriander 2 tsp. Aleppo pepper flakes 1 tsp. ground black pepper 2 medium red peppers, diced 3 shallots, minced 1/4 c. white wine 1/4 c. water or chicken broth 1 tsp. sugar salt and pepper to taste olive oil Combine the seasonings and rub it on the pork chops (honestly, I just eyeball the seasonings and sprinkle them on directly). If you have thin chops, score the fat & silverskin layer on the edge at 3/4" intervals so that they don't warp and cook u...

All the recipes I've found for this claim it's a standard American recipe--perfect for when you're rummaging around for an idea and don't have much on hand. I guess it didn't make it into our family, because I don't remember having it. It's basically a paprika-heavy chicken fricassee--perfect week-night comfort food. You could probably use any cut of chicken, including bone-in, but breast fillets are very easy to use. 3-4 chicken breasts 1-2 onions, diced 2 bell peppers, ideally red ones, diced ~1 can low-sodium chicken broth 1/4 c. white wine or vermouth 2 Tbsp. tomato paste (and red pepper paste, if you have it) 2-3 Tbsp. sweet Hungarian paprika 1/2 c. sour cream 2 Tbsp. butter 2 Tbsp. oil 2 Tbsp. flour or cornstarch 1 tsp. marjoram 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes salt & pepper pinch sugar fresh parsley (optional) Cut the chicken into 2-3 mini cutlets per breast, but slicing them into 3/4" thick diagonals. Pound with something heavy to flatten to a uni...

When peppers are on sale, it must be time for pizza! We got 8 big red ones and proceeded to roast them. There are two rules to this: (1) it won't work on an electric stove, so don't even try (you can, however, roast them on a barbecue grill); (2) do not do this right after you have just cleaned your range. Begin by putting each pepper above a medium-high flame. I was able to group two or three together on each burner. (I am really enjoying our "new" stove with the extra long burner in the middle. The pancake griddle that fits over it is seeing a lot of action). Using long tongs, turn peppers often. (I finally found the perfect application for my huge tongs with the silicone coated tips). You will begin to see the burn pattern from the flames and can turn them accordingly. The object is to blacken as much of the skin as you possibly can. As each pepper is done, place it into something with a cover. I often see recipes that suggest putting them in a plastic bag, but ...

This recipe will knock your socks off and clear your sinuses out! It requires a couple of special ingredients, but once you have them you can make this all the time. No need for a trip to Tea House when you can make Ma Po Tofu at home! You can see the chili black bean sauce in the upper left. Please excuse the lack of a Delft chafing tureen. 1/2 c. ground pork (or chicken or beef) 2 packs soft tofu, drained and cut into 3/4" cubes 1 Tbsp. oil 1 Tbsp. red pepper flakes 2 Tbsp. Chili Black Bean Sauce 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 c. hot water 1 Tbsp. rice wine or sherry 4 green onions, finely sliced into rounds 1/4 c. corn or tapioca starch + 1/4 c. cold water 1 Tbsp. ground Szechuan pepper In a large saucepan or wok, heat up the oil until it begins to shimmer. Add the pork and cook, breaking up chunks into small bits, until there is no pink left. Add the red pepper flakes and Chili Black Bean Sauce and stir for one minute. Add the cooking wine and put the lid on and cook for one minute...

I got this wonderful recipe from the Almost Turkish recipe blog. Bastirma is a salted, highly seasoned, pressed beef product that you can find at the deli counter in Holy Land. I think it fulfills the role a pork product like bacon would fill in non-Muslim (or Jewish) cuisine. It has a complex, salty flavor, with a lot of paprika in it. It's well worth buying and is also very good in scrambled eggs and fried potatoes. Here's a domestic brand of bastirma. They have several at Holy Land, so you might find a pack that doesn't look exactly like this. They are probably all tasty, though I hear that the stuff imported from Turkey is more intensely flavored. 1 lb. cannellini beans, soaked overnight (or 2 cans, drained) 1/2 pack of bastirma strips (10-12 pieces), shredded butter or olive oil 1 medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 2-3 banana peppers, chopped 1 Tbsp. pepper or tomato paste 2 tomatoes, diced (or 1 can petite diced tomatoes) 1 tsp. crushed pepper 1 tsp. dried...

This might be the first sandwich recipe on the blog. When Dan returned from a daytrip to New Jersey, he admitted that he'd had a sultry and unforgivable lunchtime affair with a Garden State native who "had more meat than I could get in my mouth". Some asshole named Vesuvio. Turns out Vesuvio is a sandwich. Our family has never been big on sandwiches, and it's a bit odd to think of a 'recipe' for one, but this is a fantastic combination of ingredients that deserves posting . The key is to use fresh, high quality bread. I recommend something like a mini ciabatta roll, which has a springy, airy texture, but without the mouth-shredding crust of some other European-style breads. Assemble: deli slices of smoked turkey roasted red peppers from a jar provolone cheese a fresh ciabatta roll Try to have a ratio of cheese:meat of about 1:5. No need to add any other kind of condiment, especially if your bread is fresh. Enjoy! PS: When I posted this I checked to see if th...

I made this dish up a couple years back. It's really easy, but tasty as well. Large quantity okra, rinsed, then chopped. Or from a freezer bag. Jalapeno(s), diced (to taste!) Large quantity(3-6 cloves, depending on size) garlic Onion, diced Tomatoes, diced Boneless skinless chicken, in chunks Chicken broth (preferably real, but you can get away with cubes. Just not as tasty) Sweat onions in pan, add chicken, jalapeno, and garlic and tomato. Cook on low until chicken is mostly cooked. Add okra and enough chicken broth for a stew-like consistency, cook until okra is no longer woody. Serve over rice.

Another Arabic recipe - Muhammara. This is a dip, much like hummus, and can be served in the same contexts - with bread, carrot sticks, etc. I've adapted it from this recipe with fairly insignificant alterations. Requires a food processor,but otherwise almost entirely brainless. 3 large roasted red peppers (it may be cheaper to buy a jar of roasted red peppers depending on the season). The original recipe recommends roasting them in a cast iron pan in the oven so you can preserve their liquid, which you'll need to keep things juicy. If using the jarred peppers, pour their liquid into the recipe when you add them. 1-1.5 cups walnuts 2 cloves garlic 1 cup bread crumbs 1/3 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon cumin or to taste 1 Tablespoon pomegranate molasses 1 teaspoon salt red chili flakes to taste (this is supposed to be spicy to some degree. This is the main reason we ordered it in Syria, since very little is spicy) Toast walnuts for a couple minutes on medium. During that ...

This recipe has countless variations, so I present the version that mom taught me. Some people add tahini, but I think that ruins it--I like the zingy flavor this version has. This recipe is best made in late summer, when you have the grill going. 2 or more pounds eggplant, preferably small tender ones 3 bell peppers, green or red 1/2 red onion, diced finely 1 lemon, juiced 1/3 c. good olive oil 2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped finely salt and pepper - be generous with both 1/2 tsp. ground coriander pinch of sugar pinch of cayenne Place the eggplants and 2 of the bell peppers on the grill and roast until blackened all over. You can use a gas stove or a broiler, but make sure to pull the batteries out of the smoke detector! Remove from the grill and place in a plastic bag for several minutes until they're cool enough to handle. Remove the roasted skins from the eggplants and peppers, and chop them finely into a bowl. Rinse the onion in cold water to reduce its stinkiness, then add to...

For my final performance of the weekend, I made stuffed green bell peppers. The farm share included the most tender, juicy little peppers, so I knew this would be a good choice (since the grocery store peppers are often oversized and leathery). I combined a few recipes (using the one in almostturkish as the backbone) to arrive at my own, and they turned out adorable and delicious. You will need: 7-8 small peppers, stems carefully removed to make little 'lids' and hollowed out 1 lb. ground beef (or lamb if you can find it) 1.5 plain white or jasmine rice (soak this in water while you core the peppers) 3 medium onions 4 cloves garlic 1/2 bunch parsley 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 Tbsp. fresh or dried dill + 1 tsp. for sauce 2 tsp. fresh or dried mint + 1/2 tsp. for sauce 1 tsp. oregano 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 1 tsp. ground black pepper 1 Tbsp. salt 2 c. chicken broth 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 3 Tbsp. butter 1/2 c. heavy cream (optional) Chop the onions and garlic very fine using a ...