Tagine for Dummies

I love exotic foods and places and nothing says exotic to me like the culturally rich country of Morocco. Morocco has one of the most diverse culinary cook books of the world. It is defiantly worth picking up a Moroccan cookbook from your local bookstore. So! You can't talk about Moroccan food without talking about the wonderful culinary tool called the Tagine (or Tajine).

What is a tagine? It is a diverse earthenware (or ceramic) pot used to slow cook. It looks like this:

Tagine also refers to the food cooked inside of this dish. This is usually lamb or poultry with fruits, vegetables, and spices. Kind of like a stew. As exotic as it may look, its actually easy to use in a modern American kitchen. You can use them in the oven or, with the assistance of a heat disperser, right on the stove top. Don't limit yourself just to typical tagine fare either. I've used mine to make some tasty home made 'brick oven' pizza, as well as steaming vegetables and more.

So this is one of my favorite recipes for a Tagine of Lamb. Don't be afraid of lamb. And don't worry if you don't have a tagine. A soup pot works fine too. Its really tasty if done correctly. Also, lamb shoulder is a lot cheaper and works great for slow cooking recipes like this. If you hate lamb you can substitute chicken or beef. Also this is a quick cook recipe. Traditional tagine recipes take hours to simmer just as a heads up for future tagine exploring! :)


Tools:
Tagine (or soup pot)
Large pot
Knife

Ingredients:

Marinade
3 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
4 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, chopped fine
15 peeled garlic cloves, lightly crushed
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Tagine
2 1/4 pounds Yukon gold creamer potatoes (small), halved
1 1/2 pounds medium-sized carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups red wine
7 1/2 cups chicken stock (if using canned use low sodium)
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, about 3-inches long
2 cups spring onions, root and stem trimmed
2 tablespoons Italian parsley leaves, chopped fine
1 tablespoon lemon zest

Box of Instant couscous

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Toss the lamb with the rosemary, garlic, oil, and the vinegar and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

While the lamb is marinating, blanch the potatoes and carrots. In well-salted boiling water cook the potatoes for 5 or 6 minutes then transfer with a skimmer to a platter or sheet tray. Cook the carrots for 2 or 3 minutes and reserve with the potatoes.

Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan on medium-high heat until the oil begins to smoke. While the oil is heating, remove the lamb from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the lamb with the flour and toss to coat. Shake excess flour from the meat and add half to the pan in a single layer so as to sear the meat on all sides, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate. Repeat with remaining lamb.

Carefully place the potatoes and carrots in the pan used for the lamb. (The olive oil will have lots of flavor from the lamb.) Season with salt and pepper and saute until lightly caramelized, about 4 minutes. Stir from time to time and regulate the heat so the vegetables do not caramelize too much on one side. Transfer to a platter or large plate so that they can be spread out in a single layer.

Pour off and discard the residual oil in the pan. With the pan still on medium heat, deglaze with the wine and reduce by half then add the stock. Bring to a simmer and reduce again by half. Add the seared lamb to the pan and gently toss to incorporate with the pan sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.

In a large pot or your tagine, add the lamb, wine and broth mixture and rosemary. Cover then place in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.

Add the potatoes, carrots and spring onions to the stew. Mix carefully to incorporate. Add a little stock or water, if necessary, to keep the stew moistened. Continue to cook in the oven, covered, until the meat and vegetables are tender, about 10 more minutes.

At this point you want to cook the couscous according to the directions on the package.

Stir in the parsley and lemon zest. Taste and add salt and fresh ground pepper if needed. Serve directly from the baking dish.

A good Rioja wine has been paired with Lamb Tagine for ages. Very good together. Another recommendation would be a nice Cabernet Sauvignon. This matches well with lamb and is a crowd pleaser.

Meatloaf Patties with Smashed Taters

Finally! New foods! Today is a nummy (and healthy!) take on the age old classic of mashed potatoes and meatloaf. Meatloaf patties are topped with a pan gravy and served with smashed potatoes. This goes great with a tossed green salad and steamed carrots. Give yourself about an hour for prep and cooking.




Tools:

Knife
Skillet
Medium saucepan
large bowl
cutting board
Potato masher (or a strong fork)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground sirloin (Makes about 4 patties) 90% lean is best. Enough fat in the mix for flavor and cooking without clogging your arteries or thighs.
1 slice white bread, spread with softened butter, then cut into small cubes
1/8 C milk
1 egg
2 tsp coarse salt and pepper
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tbs tomato paste
1 medium onion, finely chopped, reserve 1/4 amount

2 lbs small red potatos
2 tbs butter or margerine or any other butter related stuffs
2 tbs fat free sour cream
2 scallions, chopped, whites and greens
1/2 c. milk

2 tbs butter
1 C (or one box) Sliced Mushrooms (Omit if you dont like them. It wont hurt anything)
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped, reserved from meatloaf mixture
handfull all-purpose flour
1 to 1 1/2 cups beef stock

Directions:

Quarter potatoes and cover with water in saucepan. Bring to a boil and cover. Cook till fork tender. While boiling...

Place meat in a large mixing bowl and create a well in the center of the meat. Fill the well with the bread cubes and dampen them with a splash of milk. Pour 1 beaten egg over bread and add seasoning or salt and pepper, allspice, tomato paste and onion to the bowl.

Combine the meat, bread, and salt and pepper and form mixture into 4 large oval patties 3/4-inch thick. Pan fry meatloaf patties in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat 7 minutes on each side. Remove meat loaf patties to a platter and return pan to heat.

When potatoes are done, turn heat under pan off; drain potatoes and return to hot pan and warm stovetop to dry potatoes out. Add butter, sour cream, scallions, and milk to potatoes and smash to your desired consistency. Season potatoes with salt, to taste.

Reduce heat to medium and add butter, mushrooms, and onion to your skillet. Cook 3-5 minutes and sprinkle pan with flour. Cook flour 1 minute and whisk in 1 cup beef stock. Bring broth to a bubble. If gravy is too thick, thin with additional stock. Add a little steak sauce to the gravy if you want to spice it up a bit.

Plate meatloaf patties and drizzle with gravy. Pile smashed potatoes along side and make a well in the center for sour cream or gravy. Serve meatloaf and smashed potatoes with baby carrots, or with a tossed salad dressed with oil and vinegar.

Wine might should try a Sauvignon Blanc, a soothe Merlot, or a Cabernet Sauvignon with this tasty dish.

Jamaican Jerk BBQ

The Yummy of today is Jamaican Jerk BBQ. You can do this with Chicken or Pork but I have also heard of good results in beef and fish. Now this is traditionally done over a grill or bbq pit but you can also use an indoor grill (like a foreman), or even a broiler.

Another thing I want to mention is that this recipe calls for scotch bonnet (aka habanero) peppers. They are HOT! If you prefer less heat to your food then please use another type of pepper. Also be very carefully when handling the habaneros. Their juice and seeds can burn and will burn your eyes if you rub your face after cutting one. So just be careful :)

Tools:

Knife
Grill or broiler
large bowl
Whisk
2qt or larger Pot
cutting board

Ingredients:

1 tbl ground allspice
1 tbl dried thyme
1 1/2 tbs cayenne pepper
1 1/2 tbs pepper
1 1/2 tbs ground sage
3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbs garlic (garlic powder can be used but fresh is better)
1 tbs sugar
1/4 cup oil (olive is best)
1/4 cup soy sauce
3/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
1 Lime juiced
1 tomato
1 Scotch bonnet pepper (habanero)
3-4 Green onions finely chopped
1 small onion finely chopped
4 to 6 chicken breasts or pork chops
1 box rice (10 min boil in bags make things easy!)
vegetable of choice (I used cream spinach from the freezer isle but you can use whatever)

Directions:

Carefully seed and finely chop the habanero and trim the fat and icky bits from the chicken breasts/pork. In large bowl mix allspice, thyme, cayenne pepper, pepper, sage, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, garlic powder and sugar. Slowly whisk in olive oil, say sauce, vinegar, orange juice, and lime juice. Add habanero and onion, mix. Finally add your chicken or pork. Cover the bowl and let the meat marinade for at least 1 hour. Overnight (or all day if you make it in the morning) is better.

Prepare the rice by the directions on the box.

Start up your grill or broiler. Cook meat about 6 min on each side. Baste with marinade while it cooks to keep the meat from drying out. You can boil the leftover marinade in a sauce pan to server on the side as dipping sauce.

Plate up and enjoy! Wine pairings for this spicy dish is difficult. You need something that can muscle the heat into submission. I'd go with a strong Cotes du Rhone Villages or a Crozes Hermitage.

Burnt Toast: Mediterranean Roasted Chicken

Ok so I had requests for chicken. Here is a very flexible chicken dinner that is filling, healthy, and easy to make. If you are worried about the amount of leftovers you might have by using a whole chicken, you can easily use instead boneless chicken breasts. Try to use skin-on thick kind. It will do better in the oven. Oh and if you hate olives (or just this type), it won't hurt anything to omit them or substitute them for a different kind.

Tools:

Roasting pan (glass or metal is fine or you can use disposable foil ones. Really though its more economical to invest in a roasting pan!)
Mixing Bowl
2qt or larger pot
Aluminum foil
Sharp knife
Mixing tool


Ingredients:

1/2 cup oil (olive is best)

2 lemons

4 cloves garlic (more if you like it)

8-10 fresh rosemary sprigs (you can use dried spice if you want)

salt and pepper

Whole chicken rinsed well and patted dry

1 1/2 lbs new potatoes

1 cup kalamata olives

1 onion

package baby carrots

1 box rice or couscous (instant is fine!)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll lemons on a flat surface with the palm of your hand. This loosens up the meat of the fruit and squeezes it to make it easier to juice. Slice one lemon in half and squeeze both halves to drain juice into bowl. Throw away unused lemon and seeds. Stir in oil, garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper.

Open your chicken, wash, and pat dry. Make sure to remove the extras baggy from inside of the bird. If you are into making giblet gravies or soup stocks these can be bagged and stored in the freezer. For those who have kitties, chop these bits up raw and serve to kitties. This is a tasty and very healthy treat for cats. Dogs sometimes enjoy it too.

Place the cleaned chicken breast up in the roasting pan. Now the gross part. Using the knife, cut a small slit in the skin between the neck of the chicken and the breast. We are going to prepare the chicken to be seasoned so that the seasoning mix sits above the meat and beneath the skin. To do this we will do what is called a blunt dissection. Its not hard and its not even that gross. Using your hand, slide it around under the skin to separate it from the meat around the breast and legs. When you have made a good pocket, put about 2/3 of the oil mix inside. Using your hand, smooth it around so that it covers most of the meat evenly. Ok, gross part over! Pull the skin back up to the neck and if you want you can secure it there with a toothpick or two.

Quarter the potatoes and chop the onion. Put these in the roasting pan around the chicken. Open your package of carrots and put a few handfuls of these into the pan as well. Toss in the olives (you can buy pitted ones if you don't want to pit them yourself) Put the rest of the oil mix over the veggies and mix them up with it. I like to add a bit more oil at this point to the vegetables or if you prefer you can give them a good spray down with a cooking spray like PAM.

Half the other lemon and stuff the cavity of the chicken with these.

Put the pan into the oven on the center rack and cook until juices run clear (about 1 hour). Check every so often and mix the veggies around so they cook even.

Cook rice or couscous by the directions on the package.

When the chicken is done set it out to rest for a few min. This lets the juices settle back into the meat before carving.

Serve up and enjoy! This goes great with a nice green salad.
Suggested wine: Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache, or Zinfandel

Burnt Toast: Summery Salmon Meal

I’ve always loved to cook and as it turns out, I’m pretty good at it! I opted not to go to culinary school when I graduated from high school but I did continue with it as a hobby. I also think that everyone can be a great chef they just don’t always know how or just don’t think about it. Eating in is cheaper, healthier, and can be a lot of fun. So I decided to do a cooking piece as my contribution to the Koreshan blog and I hope you like it.

My first meal that I want to share with you is filling, light, and nice for hot weather. It is Salmon with cucumber sauce, steamed mix vegetables, and rice.

Tools:

2 pots (2qt or bigger with lids)
A metal steamer insert
Baking pan or cookie sheet
Large mixing bowl
Cooking utensils
Sharp knife
Peeler
Aluminum foil

Ingredients:

2-4 Salmon Steaks (or as many as you need)
Salt & Pepper
Brown Rice (10 min bags or quick cook works well)

8oz Sour Cream (regular, reduced fat, or fat free all work well. I use reduced fat)
8oz PLAIN yogurt
Dijon mustard
1 Cucumber
Dried or fresh dillweed

1 head broccoli
1/3lb (or a few handfuls) green beans
Zucchini (yellow, green or both)
½ lb baby red skin potatos
Package baby carrots
*You can substitute or omit these vegetables for any others. Same with the amounts. These are just estimates of what I usually use but go ahead and make it your own*

Directions:

Fill one pot about half way with water and the other only covering the bottom of the pot. Start both pots of water boiling over med-high heat. Adding a few pinches of salt to the water helps it boil hotter and flavors the water.

Set your oven to broil. Line your baking pan with aluminum foil to make cleanup easier. Season salmon steaks with salt and pepper then sprinkle each side with dill. Place each steak on the pan a few inches apart.

*Check the instructions on your box of rice and follow them. I like to use the boil-in-bag types they are easy and hard to overcook. Just drop the bag in a pot of boiling water and leave it alone for 10 min or so.*

Put the pan of salmon into the broiler. The rule of thumb for broiling salmon is 10 min per inch of thickness. Generally 10 min is going to do it. Salmon doesn’t need to be turned to cook through.

Wash and pat dry your vegetables to be steamed. With a sharp knife and cutting board, cut them into desired size. It is best to quarter the potatoes length wise so they cook evenly. Drop the metal steamer insert into a pot of boiling water where the water just comes to the bottom of the steamer. Put your veggies in and lid it up! These should be done in about 5-10 min. You can test with a fork. If it pierces the potatoes easily then they are good.

While everything is boiling, steaming, and broiling away…

Empty the yogurt and sour cream into the mixing bowl. Add about a tsp. of mustard and about 2 tbs dill. Mix. Wash and peel cucumber then cut into thick-ish slices. Stack the slices short (2-3 slices high) and slice lengthwise. Turn the stack and slice lengthwise again. This is an easy way to dice them! Once the cucumber is diced, add desired amount to the yogurt/sour cream mixture and mix that in well. Your gourmet sauce is done! Now all you have to do is wait for the rice, salmon, and veggies to be finished and plate them up and enjoy!

For those making this as a special meal that might want to pair this with a good wine, I suggest a Pinot Noir or Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Bonny Doon Riesling work well also!