North African Meatballs with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Date Pearled Couscous

I received a complete surprise on my birthday this year. My daughter Katie purchased me a Tagine. Tagine, is the name of both the dish and the pot it is cooked in.

Birthday Surprise!

 It is traditionally done on the stovetop so the moisture condenses on the cool top and drops back to baste the dish. This particular pot came from Clay Coyote Pottery. Their particular tagine is flameware based so that you can do high temperature pre-cooking like sauteeing onions, garlic, browning meat, then lower the heat to cook the traditionally simmered tagine. You can cook on gas, electric and even glass top stoves and cleanup is a breeze. Tagines are used in many Moroccan dishes, but can be used for any style dish you like.

The following recipe came about because the folks at Clay Coyote Pottery held a contest. The recipe I selected comes from a blog called Elsa Cooks. She only received second place, but after tasting it I think she deserved first.

North African Meatballs with Spicy Tomato Sauce and Date Pearled Couscous
Serving Size = 2 - 3

Meatballs

• 1 lb ground beef (80/20)
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• Cayenne, to taste
• Cinnamon, just a pinch
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (I used fresh)
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Sauce

• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Salt/Pepper, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice (optional)
• Pinch of cayenne, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric (optional)
• 1/4 cup water
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1, 14.5 oz can whole tomatoes, with juice
• 4 tablespoons tomato sauce (could also use tomato paste, about 2 tablespoons)
• 1/2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

1. Place a large, deep saute pan or tagine over medium heat. Add a touch of oil (EVOO).
2. Mix together all of the ingredients for the meatballs, except the beef. Once blended, add the beef and mix with hands as little as possible, just until combined. Roll into golf-ball size meatballs. Once done, add to pan and brown on all sides, turning as little as possible. Remove from pan, drain off excess oil and add a bit of EVOO.
3. Add the onions and cook for a few minutes, until it starts to soften, then add the spices, zest, and mix. Cook about 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup of water to deglaze a bit, then add the rest of the sauce ingredients. Stir and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the meatballs and cover, cook until the meatballs cook through (about 20 minutes), turning once. I also reduce the heat a bit to keep the sauce at a simmer.
4. In the last 15 minutes of cooking, start the couscous.

Orange and Date Couscous
Serving Size = 2 - 3

• 1 cup pearled couscous
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup chopped dates
• Pinch of salt

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the OJ, water, salt, and dates to a boil. Add the couscous, cover, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 8 - 10 minutes.
2. Serve the meatballs and sauce over or next to the couscous.

I used pineapple and pineapple juice instead of the orange. It was great. Thanks again Katie.

Life is good - enjoy!

Salmon Tartare

My fascination with all things small began several years ago when I purchased Hors d'Oeuvre at Home With The Culinary Institute of America. A beautiful book of essential techniques and recipes for creating great small bites. This is my go to book when I feed my friends.  I have also found some beautiful recipes for appetizers in "Bon Appetit Magazine". In May of this year they had a simple recipe for salmon tartare.  I have eaten tuna tartare but not salmon. What really caught my eye for this dish is that they suggest you serve it with thick-cut potato chips.

Salmon Tartare
Prep: 40 minutes  Total: 40 minutes
4 servings
Use the freshest wild or farmed salmon for this dish. Chilling it in the freezer for 20 minutes makes it easier to dice.

Ingredients:

• 1 - 8oz. boneless salmon fillet, skinless
• 1/4 cup finely diced, seeded cucumber
• 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
• 1-1/2 tsp. minced fresh chives
• 1-1/2 tsp. minced fresh cilantro
• 1-1/2 tsp. grapeseed or vegetable oil
• 1-1/2 tsp. minced, seeded jalapeno
• 1-1/2 tsp. minced shallot
• 3/4 tsp. minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/2 tsp. Asian sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp. (scant) lime zest
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• Thick-cut potato or tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Place salmon on a plate; freeze until well chilled, about 20 minutes
2. Thinly slice salmon lengthwise into 1/8" wide sheets. Cut each sheet into 1/8"-long strips. Cut strips crosswise into 1/8" cubes. Place salmon in a medium bowl. Add cucumber and the next 9 ingredients and toss to combine. Season tartare to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer tartare to a bowl and serve with chips.

This tartare is really addictive and the chips are ridiculously good. This is chips and dip all grown up. The next time I make this I'm not sharing.

Life if good - enjoy!

Pan-Cooked Summer Squash With Tomatoes and Basil

Although summer is almost over the tomatoes the squashes and the basil  have yet to be told. They may be a bit smaller perhaps a bit uglier but they are still available and oh so tasty.  On August 16, 2011 Martha Rose Shulman published a recipe for The New York Times. Martha is known as a writer of cookbooks about eating well and she does not miss the mark with this lovely and healthy summer dish.

Pan-Cooked Summer Squash With Tomatoes and Basil
Serves: 4 to 6

• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds medium or small zucchini or other summer squash, thinly sliced or diced (depending on what shape squash you use)
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes, grated on the large holes of a box grater, or peeled, seeded and diced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped or slivered fresh basil (to taste)

1.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a wide, heavy skillet. Add the zucchini. Cook, stirring or shaking the pan, until the zucchini is lightly seared and beginning to soften, three to five minutes. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
2. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan, then the garlic. Cook stirring, just until fragrant - less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes. Cook, stirring, until the tomatoes have begun to cook down, about five minutes. Return the zucchini to the pan, add salt and pepper to taste, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, stirring often, until the zucchini is tender and translucent and the tomatoes have cooked down to a fragrant sauce. Stir in the basil, and taste and adjust seasonings. Remove from the heat and serve hot, or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

We ate this as a side dish with chicken. Ms. Shulman suggests it would go well with fish or cooked grains. 

Life is good - enjoy!

Naked Tomato Sauce

Today's post will be different from any that I have done in the past. It won't have a recipe, it won't have a picture and it won't scream "look at what I just cooked"!  Today is a link to one of the most lovely cooking blogs that I have had the honor to follow.   This blog is called smitten kitchen.  It is written by New Yorker Deb Perelman.  Not only is she a delightful writer, who doesn't take her self to seriously, but a fantastic food photographer, wife and fine cook. She describes "[t]he smitten kitchen in its latest physical incarnation as a 80 42 square foot (whimper) circa-1935 sort of half-galley kitchen with a 24 foot footprint, a single counter, tiny stove, checkered floor and a skylight on top a noisy window at the end to the avenue below. When you check out her food you have to be amazed and awed that she can produce what she does in 42 square feet while most of us have monstrous kitchens and can't cook a thing.

Several days ago I received my weekly email from smitten kitchen announcing Deb's latest creation. The blog for the day was for naked tomato sauce.  In her continuous effort to make the best "gravy" for spaghetti she adapts a recipe from a New York City restaurant called Scarpetta. In this post she describes Scarpetta as a restaurant "...that boasts duck and foie gras ravioli, olive oil braised octopus and innumerable four star reviews, it should say something that the spaghetti with tomato and basil is the most famed dish on the menu."

Having never been to Scarpetta I can't say if Deb really nailed their spaghetti with tomato and basil. What I can say is that she has given all of us one of the most delightful, sexy, creamy, and sweet ways to eat spaghetti that I have ever had in my life.

Make this, make this, make this....  It requires no special equipment and a small list of ingredients. When she says the butter is optional I believe she lies.  Here is the link: http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/08/naked-tomato-sauce/#more-7755  You can thank me later.

Life is good - enjoy!

Jerk-Spiced Catfish

"Cuisine At Home" magazine in their August 2011 issue brought tears to this southern girls eyes. Catfish with a kick, grilled not fried.  Granted the best way to eat catfish is soaked in buttermilk, coated in Zatarain's, deep fried, hand dipped in catsup and eaten until you are so stuffed that you realize you have forgotten to touch the obligatory sides of slaw and fries.

Last night, while trying to eat a tad better I decided to give this new way of cooking catfish a try. The New Food Lover's Companion describes Jamaican jerk seasoning as "[a] dry seasoning blend that originated on the Caribbean island after which it's named, and which is used primarily in the preparation of grilled meat. The ingredients can vary, depending on the cook, but Jamaican jerk blend is generally a combination of chiles, thyme, spices (such as cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves), garlic and onions."

Once you have your spices mixed and your grill heated this fish takes 6 to 7 minutes from grill to table. What's not to like about that?

Jerk-Spiced Catfish

Store fresh fish on ice. But make sure as the ice melts, that water can drain so it doesn't pool around the fish, water logging it.

Calories: 177
Makes 4 servings
Total time 30 minutes

GRILL
4 catfish fillets (8 oz each)
1/4 cup Simple Jerk Seasoning

Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush grill grates with oil.
Sprinkle both sides of each fillet with seasoning. Coat fillets with nonstick spray.
Grill fillets, covered, until fish flakes easily with a fork, turning once, 3-4 minutes per side.

Simple Jerk Seasoning
Makes about 1/3 cup

1 Tablespoon each brown sugar, and ground coriander
2 Teaspoons each granulated garlic and dried thyme
1 Teaspoon each kosher salt, ground allspice, and ground ginger
1/2 Teaspoon each ground cinnamon and cayenne pepper

Combine brown sugar, coriander, garlic, thyme, salt, allspice, ginger, cinnamon, and cayenne in a small bowl. Store seasoning in an airtight container for up to 6 months.

Mike and I could hardly speak while eating this. The combination of the spices and brown sugar were different, spicy and savory and the aroma was delightful. I can't wait to try it on chicken and Mike's future holds a pile of jerk ribs. Labor Day weekend here we come!

Life is good - enjoy!

Steak House Salad Pizza with Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing

Since I like food, and especially like looking at pictures of food it generally doesn't take me too long to decide to make something new.  When I came across the picture for a steak house salad pizza I knew I had to have it and to have it right away.  Check this out.

My Version of a Steak House Pizza

I have to say this is one of the best things I've eaten all summer. I'll post the calories at the end, but I have to tell you this pie is worth every one.

Steak House Salad Pizza

Use your favorite homemade pizza dough recipe, or to save time purchase fresh dough from your favorite pizza parlor, or use a prepared pizza crust.

Makes 4 servings

Total Time: 15 minutes

BRUSH

2 New York strip steaks, trimmed (8 oz. each)

Olive oil

Salt & Black Pepper

DIP

1 lb. fresh pizza dough, all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella

TOP

5 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 1/2 cups chopped tomato

1/3 cup minced red onion

Chunky Blue Cheese Dressing to taste

Preheat grill to medium-high. Brush grill grate with oil.

Brush steaks with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill steaks, covered, to desired doneness, 3 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain.

Dip dough in flour and roll into a 16" round. 

Lightly brush dough with oil and season with salt. Grill dough covered 2 minutes.

Flip dough, sprinkle on mozzarella, cover, and grill until cheese melts and crust blister and crisps, about 2 minutes.



Top grilled dough with romaine, tomato, onion, and steak slices. Drizzle pizza with chunky Blue Cheese Dressing.

Thank you "Cuisine At Home", Issue No. 88 August 2011 for coming up with this idea. This was so good. The crust was crisp and the toping were some of summers best bounty.  I have to admit I messed up with the directions. I was trying to cook this for the two of us and somehow didn't half the dough. I did use half the ingredients just twice the dough. Oh well this pie has 643 calories per serving with 12 grams of saturated fat and that doesn't cover the fact that we ate twice as much dough as we should have. I guess our bike ride tomorrow will have to be twice as long.

Life is good - enjoy!

Summer Tomato Soups

It's the season for all things tomato.  I can literally eat them at every meal.  There are so many ways to devour them. Unfortunately, in the mid-west, they are only with us for a short time - perhaps that is why they are so special.  On August 5, 2011 Mark Bittman published an article titled "Recipes: The Proper Ways to Treat an Heirloom", in the "New York Times Magazine". Included was a recipe for Cold Cream of Tomato and Peach Soup. Doesn't this sound like nirvana? Cream, tomatoes and peaches - oh my...

I belong to a wine club and last Saturday was Mikes and my night to host.  The hosts, for the evening,  serve  the guests a table full of different appetizers. I wanted to include a cold soup, but I wanted to do something different from a gazpacho having never been a fan of uncooked soup. Mark Bittman came to my rescue.  I normally try to do a recipe just how the cook publishes it, but Mark didn't peel or seed his tomatoes or add any salt, so this one has been adapted to suit my taste.

Cold Cream of Tomato and Peach Soup
Serves 6 in 6oz containers or serves 18 as appetizers in 2oz. shot glasses!

At the start...

• 1 onion chopped
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 2 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1/2 pound peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped
• 1/2 cup cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Tarragon for garnishing

Thanks to my friend Bonnie for a great photograph

1. Cook onion in butter for 5 minutes.
2. Add prepared tomatoes and peaches.
3. Simmer until the tomatoes break up.
4. Add cream and salt, puree and chill.
5. Garnish with chopped tarragon.

This soup is delightful hot or cold with a smooth creamy texture and a touch of sweetness that you don't normally find in a tomato soup.

My next soup comes from the catalogs of Williams-Sonoma. They are  one of my favorite places to find a recipe. I don't think I have ever made anything, that they published, that wasn't good. (Can you imagine if the recipes were bad? How would they ever get you to buy a $245.00 Dutch oven to make tomato soup in?) Every summer I make their Summer Tomato Soup, and every summer I swear I'm going to put some up for the winter. I never do and in January I'm so disappointed when I open up my can of Campbell's Cream of Tomato Soup to accompany my grilled cheese sandwich. So here is their version, - I wouldn't change a thing.

Summer Tomato Soup

Serves 4

At the beginning...

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup dry vermouth (optional)
• 2 pounds plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 4 cups chicken broth
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh fines herbs (combination of parsley, chervil, tarragon and chives)
• Creme fraiche for garnish

In Dutch oven (WS  - "please by ours") over medium-high heat, warm oil. Add onion, fennel and garlic; cook stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. Add vermouth; cook until evaporated. Add tomatoes and tomato paste; cook, stirring occasionally until tomatoes begin to bread down, 8-10 minutes. Add broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer about 20 minutes.

Using an immersion blender (WS - "please by ours"), puree soup, leaving some texture. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in fines herbes just before serving.

Ladle soup into warmed bowls; drizzle with creme fraiche.

I love this soup, and I love the things at Williams-Sonoma. For this recipe my Dutch oven came from Aldi's for $19.95 and my immersion blender from amazon.com. Save your money for their croissants and linens both are to die for.

Life is good - enjoy!