RECIPE: North African Couscous

Couscous is traditionally steamed over the pot in which the meat and vegetables are cooking, and is more toothsome than the instant varieties generally available, but it's become nearly impossible to find.  I FINALLY found some TRADITIONAL, ORGANIC North African couscous at Chefshop!  (They also sell harissa, if you don't want to make your own.)

Rather than steam it in a couscousier, which is a real pain, I followed the recipe on the Chefshop website, purportedly from Joyce Goldstein, and it worked like a charm.  Her recipe uses 3 cups of couscous but I've dropped it down to 1 cup, which is easily scaled up.

How to cook North African Couscous Without Steaming 

Serves 2

1 cup North African couscous (NOT instant!)
1.5 cups water
1 t. EVOO
1/2 t. himalayan pink salt

Spread couscous in a flat bottom pan.  Bring the water to a boil and season with EVOO and salt.  Pour over couscous, cover with plastic wrap, and let it sit until absorbed 10-30 minutes.

Rake with a fork, or break up with your hands, and serve immediately.

RECIPE: Vegetarian Couscous with Seven Vegetables

This recipe, also from Paula Wolfert's book Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco, is usually made with beef or lamb, but I needed it to be vegetarian so I eliminated the meat, doubled the vegetables, and added a few spices to compensate for the lost umami.  I found no meat-free couscous recipes in her book and had to improvise. 

I've made this several times now and use whatever vegetables I have on hand - radishes, green beans, butternut squash, etc....  The only veg you must have are garlic, tomatoes, onions, carrots and zucchini.

Vegetarian Couscous with Seven Vegetables

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 1/2c. butter or ghee
• pinch pulverized saffron
• 1/2 t. ground turmeric
• 1/2 t. ground ginger
• 1/2 t. ground coriander
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• small bundle fresh parsley and cilantro tied with a thread 
• 4 t. salt
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped, or 2 t. garlic powder
• 4-5 ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and quartered (I used canned)
• 4 medium yellow onions, quartered
• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced into 1.5" lengths
• 2 pounds turnips or radishes, peeled and cut into 1.5" lengths
• 2 pounds zucchini and/or summer squash washed and cut into 2" lengths
• 1 pound pumpkin, butternut or potato, peeled, cut into 2" chunks, and steamed
  
• 2-3 quarts water or vegetable stock
• 1 fresh chili pepper
• Handful of black raisins
• 22oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed* 

For serving: 

• 3 cups couscous, cooked using the broth from the vegetables** (I use quinoa for our gluten-free friends)
  
• 1 T. melted butter or ghee
• 1 t. harissa 
• 1 T. lemon juice
• 1 T. EVOO
• Pinch of cumin

In a large stock pot, melt the butter or ghee over medium heat and add the spices, herbs, garlic, onions, and tomatoes.  Cover and cook gently for 10 minutes.  Add 2 quarts water or vegetable stock.

(If you're using dry chickpeas, add the soaked and drained chickpeas here.  Add an additional 1 quart water, cover and simmer for 1 hour.)

Add the carrots and turnips.  Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the zucchini, fresh chili pepper, raisins and canned chickpeas.  Add another quart of water if necessary to keep the vegetables submerged.  Cover and simmer another 20 minutes.

To serve:

Dump the couscous onto a serving dish and toss with 1 T. butter or ghee.  Spread out and form a large well in the center.  With a perforated spoon, transfer the vegetables into the well.  Add the cooked pumpkin/potatoes.  Taste the broth for seasoning, adjust and strain.

Mix one cup of broth with harissa, 1 T. lemon juice, 1 T. EVOO, and a pinch of cumin.

Moisten the grain with the remaining broth.  Serve with Harissa Sauce.

* If you want to use dry chickpeas, soak 1 cup overnight in 4 c. water, then drain and cook for 1 hour in the tomato/onion broth before adding the carrots and turnips.

** Couscous is normally cooked in a colander OVER the simmering vegetables.  Because that requires special equipment, I prefer to cook the grains in a separate pot using the broth from the vegetables.  Once the vegetables are cooked, I skim off enough broth to cook the grains, and keep the vegetables warm while they cook.  In the photo below, they're shown over quinoa.

7-vegetables over quinoa "couscous"

RECIPE: Kuku Sabzi

There has been lots of chard in the farm store lately, so I Google'd for recipes and found this, which sounded delicious to me.  In reality, it was addicting!  I couldn't get enough of it. 

Once again, I combined two recipes, adding the chard from the first, and using the second for the seasoning and easier cooking method.  If you don't use chard, the second recipe is much easier overall.

Original recipes: Splendid Table and The Mediterranean Dish

Kuku Sabzi (Chard and Herb Fritata)

Serves: 4-6

• 2 bunches green chard, washed, stems removed and chopped into 1/4" dice
• 1 large leek, washed and sliced 1/4" thick  (I used green onions)
• 7 T. butter, ghee, or Spanish or Greek EVOO
• 2 cups finely chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems*
• 1 cups finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves and tender stems
• 1 cups finely chopped dill leaves and tender stems
• 6 large eggs
• 1.5 t. baking powder (I didn't use this)
• 1 t. himalayan pink salt
• 3/4 t. grond green cardamom
• 3/4 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t. ground cumin
• 1/4 t. black pepper (I used cayenne)
• 1/2 c. walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)
• 1/3 c. dried cranberries, coarsely chopped (optional)

Position an oven rack in the upper-middle position and heat to 375F.  Fit a piece of parchment paper into an 8" square or 9" round cake pan (original recipe calls for cutting the paper to fit the bottom of the pan, but my cake pans are aluminum and I didn't want the fritata touching the sides so I just folded and pressed the parchment to cover the sides as well.  I didn't coat the paper with EVOO and had no trouble removing it.  The second time I made this, I baked it in a ceramic baking dish with no parchment and had no trouble removing it). 

Saute the chard leaves in 1 T. fat until wilted.  Remove to a strainer.

Add another 3 T fat to the pan and saute the sliced leeks and chard stems over medium heat until tender and translucent.  Stir from time to time, add a splash of water if needed, or cover with a piece of parchment paper to entrap steam and prevent color from developing.

Meanwhile, squeeze the cooked chard leaves dry and discard the liquid.

In a food processor, combine the cooked chard leaves, parsley, cilantro and dill with the remaining 3 T. fat and process until finely ground. 

When the leeks and chard stems are cooked, add them to the greens.  Let everything cool a bit and then use your hands to mix everything evenly.  Taste and season generously knowing you're about to add a bunch of eggs to the mixture.

Recipe can be prepared ahead to this point.  Greens can be refrigerated for 3 days.

In a medium bowl, whisk the baking powder, cardamom, cinnamon, cumin and pepper.  Add 2 eggs and whisk until blended, then add the remaining eggs and whisk until just combined.  Fold into the herb mixture.   Add walnuts and cranberries if using.  Pour into prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake in 375F preheated oven until the center is firm, about 20-25 minutes.

Let the kuku cool in the pan fro 10 minutes.  Invert the pan onto a plate and peel off the parchment.  Slice and serve warm or at room temperature with a dollop of yogurt or labneh (yogurt cheese).

* if you don't like cilantro, eliminate it and increase the other herbs by 1c. each.

Photo courtesy of The Mediterranean Dish

RECIPE: Moroccan Kefta (Beef Meatballs)

The original recipe is from Paula Wolfert's book Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco.  I used her seasoning mix but changed the procedure somewhat.  In Morocco, the meat is kneaded to produce a fine texture; I used the food processor.  You can make these without the breadcrumbs and eggs but they will not be as moist.

Moroccan Kefta (Beef Meatballs)

Makes sixty 1.5" meatballs

• 2 pounds ground beef 
• 1/2 c. fresh breadcrumbs (pulse bread in food processor until finely ground) 
• 2 eggs
• 1 medium onion
• 1/2 c. coarsely chopped parsley leaves and small stems
• 1/3 c. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and small stems
• 1/2 t. dried Moroccan mint or 2 T. fresh mint
• 1/4 t. dried marjoram or 2 t. fresh
• 1 t. ground cumin
• 1 t. ras el hanout
• 2 t. himalayan pink salt

In the bowl of a food processor, process the onions and fresh herbs until both are finely minced.

Add the breadcrumbs, eggs and spices.  Puree.

Add the meat and pulse to combine and grind the meat a little finer.  Don't  overdo it - the meat shouldn't be mush!

Set aside for at least 1 hour to let the flavors ripen.

Preheat oven to 400 F and position rack in center.  Line a jell roll pan with parchment or Silpat.

Using a 1.5" disher, drop meat mixture onto the lined pan.  By placing them fairly close together I can get 60 meatballs onto one 12 x 17" pan (they're going to shrink, so they can almost touch).

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove and let cool for a minute or two, then serve.  We like to dip them in Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce or harissa mayonnaise.

RECIPE: Muhammara Roasted Red Pepper & Walnut Spread

This unusual roasted-red-pepper-and-walnut concoction can be used as a dip, a sandwich spread, a pasta/pizza sauce, or a vegetable garnish!   I've wanted to make it for sooo long, and finally have all the required ingredients, like homemade pomegranate molasses and organic EV Spanish olive oil.

Original recipes (I combined them): Ottolenghi's Muhammara, Mediteranean Muhammara, Food52Muhammara

Muhammara Roasted Red Pepper and Walnut Dip 

Makes 4 cups

4 large red bell peppers, roasted, peeled and seeded (OR one 7oz jar roasted piquillo peppers )
1 c. breadcrumbs (pulse dry/toasted bread in food processor until fine crumbs form)
8 oz walnut halves, toasted (or almonds, or cashews, or a combination)
2 cloves garlic, pressed or grated (might be good w black garlic?)
1/2 c. pomegranate molasses
1 T. balsamic vinegar (or lemon juice)
1/4 c. tomato paste
2 t. himalayan pink salt
2 t. ground toasted cumin
2 t. smoked paprika
2 t. sumac
1/2 t. cayenne or Aleppo pepper
1 c. Spanish olive oil, divided

1. Add the breadcrumbs and walnuts to the bowl of a food processor or high-speed blender and pulse until the walnuts are finely chopped. 

2. Add 1/2 the olive oil and the remaining ingredients and process to a puree.  If it's too thick, add the remaining olive oil 2 T at a time.   The dip will be smoother if you use a high-speed blender.

3. Adjust seasoning and serve.

Ways to Use Muhammara (Pinterest)
 

RECIPE: Chicken Fajitas

There were lots of peppers in the farm store today so, when I found two packages of chicken breasts in the freezer (while trying to make room for 1/2 a pig), I decided to make chicken fajitas knowing I had this delicious cilantro-jalapeno-sauce in the fridge to drizzle over them.  The sauce is spicy so the chicken has very little heat.  If you want more heat, leave the seeds and ribs in the jalapenos.  If you don't have banana peppers, leave them out. 

Fajitas are usually grilled, but that's a hassle, so I've found a way to make them on the cooktop.  The chipotle powder adds a bit of smoke flavor.

I buy our chicken breasts from Grassland Beef.

Chicken Fajitas

(The green blob in the center is purchased guacamole because I can't get avocados that ripen*)

Serves 4

• 2 pounds chicken breasts, cleaned of gross bits
• 1 large onion, peeled, quartered and sliced 1/4" thick 
• 4 small or 2 large green bell peppers
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper
• 2 banana peppers
• 2 jalapeno peppers
• 4 T. lard, tallow, or ghee divided
• 2 t. garlic powder
• 2 t. ground coriander seed
• 1 t. whole cumin seed
• 1 t. MEXICAN oregano 
• 1/2 t. chipotle powder
• 2 t. himalayan pink salt
• FOR SERVING:
• warm tortillas
• sour cream, stirred to loosen
• cilantro-jalapeno sauce 
• guacamole
• fresh cilantro

Heat the tortillas (we use the toaster over) and keep them warm, wrapped in a dishtowel.

Core and de-seed all the peppers.  Quarter the bell peppers and slice 1/4" thick.  Halve the banana peppers and slice 1/8" thick.  Slice the jalapenos 1/16" thick.

In a large saute pan, melt 2 T fat over high heat and add the onions and peppers.  Stir to combine and then let them fry, stirring only once or twice until they're slightly charred and slightly softened; you don't want them limp.  The bottom of the pan will also be slightly charred.  Turn off the heat and let the onions and peppers sit in the charred pan while you prepare the chicken.

Mix all the seasoning together in a small bowl or custard cup and set aside.

Slice the chicken AGAINST THE GRAIN into 1/4" slices.

Push the onions and peppers to the side of the pan and turn the heat to medium.  Add the remaining 2 T fat to the middle of the pan.  When it's melted, add the chicken.   Sprinkle the seasoning mix over everything in the pan, the chicken and the onions and peppers.

Leaving the onions and peppers at the side of the pan, cook the chicken in the center, flipping and stirring, until it's barely cooked - don't overcook it or it will be tough!  You should see small areas of pink-ness.

Mix the onions and peppers into the chicken.  The chicken will finish cooking while you do this.  Reduce heat to low and keep warm while you serve it:

Place a warm tortilla on your plate, mound the fajitas on top, drizzle with sour cream,  cilantro-jalapeno sauce, and guacamole, and sprinkle with fresh coriander.


* Due to the drought in California, there is a shortage of avocados, so producers are picking them too early and they rot before they ripen!  I've started buying prepared guacamole even though it is inferior and not healthy (I cannot find organic).

RECIPE: Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce

Original recipe: Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce

Wow!  This sauce is delicious!  I drizzle it on everything!  I stumbled on the recipe a few weeks ago and just tested it.  The original recipe didn't work for me - there wasn't enough mayonnaise for the blender to do its job - so I doubled the amount and ended up with a delicious condiment!  I didn't want it overly spicy so I used 2 jalapenos (including the seeds) and two mild peppers.

Cilantro Jalapeno Sauce

Makes 2 cups

• 2-3 ounces washed and dried cilantro including stems (about 4 cups loosely packed)
• 4 small hot peppers (I used 2 jalapenos and 2 green cayenne)
• 5 medium cloves garlic, peeled and chopped OR 2 t. garlic powder
• 1 scant c. mayonnaise
• 2 T. fresh lime juice
• 2 T. avocado oil  OR 2 T. water for a thinner, pourable sauce
• 1/2 t. salt

Slice the peppers 1/4" thick, removing the seeds and ribs if you don't want the sauce to be spicy.

Wash and spin dry the cilantro, then weigh it.

Load everything into a high-speed blender, in the order listed, and blend until smoothly pureed.

Adjust seasoning and serve.

NOTE:  Although this 'sauce' uses a lot of cilantro, and our homemade mayonnaise isn't stiff,  the sauce isn't drizzle-able and I suspect it's the avocado oil.  If you need a thinner sauce, use water instead or add a little water before serving.  The photo below is the sauce over some pasta salad.

Cilantro 'Sauce' over Pasta Salad

The photo below is the sauce diluted with a little water, then drizzled over bean barbacoa:

RECIPE: Cucumber Salad with Sesame Oil and Garlic

Here's another refreshing cucumber salad that my husband deemed, "just as good as the sweet-sour one but in a different way."  This one is smashed, rather than sliced, and seasoned with sesame oil and garlic.  I cut the recipe in half and used pickling cucumbers.

Original recipe: Smashed Cucumber Salad

Cucumber Salad with Sesame Oil and Garlic

Makes 2 cups

• 3 large pickling cucumbers OR 1 english cucumber
• 1 t. white sugar (I used biodynamic)
• 1 t. himalayan pink salt
• 1 clove garlic, finely crushed (would be better grated on a microplane)
• 1 T. rice vinegar
• 1 t. soy or 2 t. tamari sauce
• 1 t. toasted sesame oil
• red pepper flakes to taste (I used a pinch, it gets hotter as it sits)
• 2 t. toasted sesame seeds

Wrap the cucumbers in a dish cloth, place on a cutting board, and pound with a flat object (I used my meat pounder) until they break.  Unwrap, transfer to cutting board, slice each one lengthwise, than in half lengthwise again.  Slice into 1" pieces.

Cucumbers smashed in dishcloth

Transfer to a strainer set over a bowl.  Mix with sugar and salt and leave to drain for 40-60 minutes.

Whisk together the garlic, vinegar, tamari, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes.  Transfer cucumber to a bowl and mix with the sauce.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for flavors to mingle.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame and serve. 

RECIPE: Hakurei Turnip Risotto with Arugula (or turnip greens)

In searching for a vegetarian risotto made without the umami of meat broth, I made this one (almost) exactly as written and was disappointed.  As the author says, the end result is very watery and needs the egg yolk to firm things up.  I didn't believe her - I've never made watery risotto - and I thought she must have done something wrong.

So... I made the recipe, except that I didn't add the miso until the end, reasoning that since it was 'raw' I didn't want to cook all the goodness away.  Up until that point, the risotto was perfect!  As soon as I stirred in the miso, the whole thing broke down into a watery mess!!!  There must be something in the miso that interferes with the starch in the rice.

I didn't want to use the egg yolk to thicken the mess, so I strained the rice out of the pan, reduced the liquid, and poured it over. The meal was salvaged but I wasn't going to make that recipe again!

Hakurei risotto without the beef

Fast forward two weeks I had some beef broth made from 4 ribeye bones and trimmings, plus the fat skimmed from that broth.  I still had turnips but no greens; however, I did have arugula and thought it would make a good substitute.  I also had some garlic scapes, since I had just processed them for the freezer, and I had some leftover sauteed onions.

When I went out to harvest some rosemary I discovered we didn't have any, but we did have tarragon.  Another substitution.  This is how I 'develop' a recipe....

Fortunately, the end result was so good my husband asked me to save the recipe!  I think it would be just as good without the ribeye meat but NOT without the broth.

Hakurei Turnip Risotto with Arugula

Serves 6-8

1/4 c. fat from ribeye broth OR ghee OR EVOO, divided
1 ribeye sliced thinly across the grain (as for stroganoff) (optional)
1 onions sliced 1/4" thick
1 c. garlic scapes sliced 3/4" (or 6 cloves garlic, sliced thinly)
500gms carnaroli rice (about 2 cups)
10 medium hakurei turnips, quartered and sliced 1/8" thick
8 c. beef broth* made from ribeye bones and trimmings
2-3 t. himalayan pink salt
2 t. fresh tarragon
2 t. garlic powder (omit if you used fresh garlic instead of scapes)
1 t. cayenne
3-4 c. arugula sliced 1/4" thick (or turnip greens)
1/2 c. cream or grated parmesan**

In a large saute pan, melt 2 T. fat over med-high.  Add ribeye and stir for 1-2 minutes until cooked medium-rare.  Remove to a bowl and set aside.

Add the onions and saute them until softened and lightly browned.  Remove to the bowl with the meat.

Add 2 T. fat to the pan, add the garlic scapes, and saute until lightly browned. (If you're using garlic instead of scapes, saute on medium-low so it doesn't burn).

Reduce heat to medium, add the rice to the pan and stir constantly until opaque, 3-4 minutes.

Raise heat to high!

Add 4 cups of the broth, 1/2 c at a time, stirring constantly after each addition and adding more when you can see the bottom of the pan as you stir.  Rice should now be half cooked.  Turn heat to low.

Add the salt, turnips, tarragon, garlic powder and cayenne.  Stir to combine.

Raise heat to high again!

Add the remaining 4 cups of the broth, 1/2 c at a time, stirring constantly after each addition and adding more when you can see the bottom of the pan as you stir.

The rice should now be cooked and surrounded with a creamy 'sauce'.  Turn heat to low and stir in the arugula.  Add the reserved beef, sauteed onions, and the cream/parmesan.  Stir to combine, adjust seasoning, and serve.

*The best risotto is made with beef broth, usually the broth from a pot roast.  This broth is almost clear and adds no color to the rice, unlike the veal demiglace I normally use which turns it light brown.  To make the broth, I covered the raw bones and trimmings with RO water, added a pinch of salt and 1 t. ACV, brought to a simmer (don't let it boil!), simmered on low for 24 hours and then strained. 

**I usually use cream instead of parmesan because cream is easier (no grating) and I can get healthy raw cream from our farm.  We think it tastes just as good.

RECIPE: Veggie-Heavy Pasta Primavera

Pasta Primavera is "Springtime Pasta" made with spring vegetables.  Whenever I order Pasta Primavera in a restaurant, it's always light on the vegetables and heavy on the pasta!  This recipe is my attempt to overcome that using as many of the vegetables currently in our farm store, plus a few that aren't.  Additional veggies that would be awesome in this dish would be asparagus and artichoke hearts.

Veggie-Heavy Pasta Primavera

Serves 8-10

1 pound noodle-shape pasta (elbows, shells, penne, fussili, bowties, whatever...)
2 cups shelled peas
2 cups green beans cut into 1" pieces
2 cups carrot coins
2 cups broccoli florets
OPT: 2 t. red pepper flakes
2 cups sliced mushrooms
6 garlic cloves, sliced paper thin
4 green peppers, cut into 1/2" dice
2 cups small yellow summer squash/zucchini
4 large scallions, green parts sliced 1/2" thick, white parts sliced 1/4" thick
2 cups chopped tomatoes
2 T. chopped fresh herbs: parsley, basil, chives or a combination
1 c. EVOO, divided
salt

I decided that the easiest way to cook the vegetables and not have them overdone was to cook each one separately in boiling water until they were crisp-tender, and then combine them all at the end.  I then used the veggie-flavored water to cook the pasta.  The times noted are for farm-fresh vegetables.  Adjust them if your vegetables are frozen or from a grocery. 

Bring 6 quarts of salted water to boil in an 8-quart stock pot with a pasta insert.  Add the peas to the water and cook for 7 minutes or until almost soft.  Remove the pasta insert with the peas inside letting all the water drain back into the stock pot.  Set peas aside in a large bowl and return pasta insert to stock pot.

Repeat with green beans, cooking for 7 minutes, adding to the bowl with the peas.

Repeat with carrot coins, cooking for 5 minutes.

Repeat with yellow squash cooking for 3 minutes.

Repeat with broccoli cooking for 4 minutes.

Turn off heat under water.

In a large saute pan heat 2 T. EVOO over med-high and saute the mushrooms until lightly browned.  Remove but do NOT add to the bowl with the other vegetables.

Reduce heat to med, add 2 T. EVOO to the pan, and saute the garlic, green peppers, and the whites of the scallions until softened.  Add the mushrooms back into the pan, and the pepper flakes if you're using them, and keep warm over low heat.

Bring the water back to boil and cook the pasta until al dente (follow directions for timing on the package).  Add the reserved vegetables back into the water and cook until pasta is done and vegetables have been reheated - about 1 minute max!   Drain immediately reserving 1 c of the cooking water.

Add the pasta and vegetables to the saute pan with the garlic, peppers, and mushrooms.  Add the tomatoes, the scallion greens, the chopped herbs, and the rest of the EVOO and toss to combine.  If it's too dry, add some of the cooking water.

Adjust salt and serve.

NOTE: I used a tri-color pasta made with spinach, beets, and turmeric which adds to the colorfulness (and nutrition) of the dish.  Although there is only 1 pound of pasta, it makes a HUGE amount.  Fortunately, the leftovers can be eaten cold. (If you use gluten free pasta, it probably cannot be eaten cold, as we've found that the Tres-Omega pasta we use is very tough unless it's warm.)