I loves me some good food
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009 03:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
serai.
My LJ pal![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
jblaque is a really interesting guy, and his posts have turned me on to many websites and happenings that I wouldn't have heard about otherwise. We don't agree on everything, but he's one of those people who can disagree with you and still make you glad you've heard his point of view, a rare talent (and one I wish I shared, pointy bitch me).
He also loves to cook. This is a significant point in his favor, in my book. Anyone who likes to make his own food and shares a passion for it is alright with me. Cooking good food gives one a hands-on appreciation of life, especially if some of that food is got for oneself, as Jon has just got back from doing. Now, I'm not a meat-eater at this time, restricting myself to only a monthly consumption of fish and otherwise being vegetarian, so most of the recipes he posts on his blog engage my interest in an academic way only. But since I appreciate a fellow gourmand, I hereby present some recipes from my larder, hoping you'll enjoy them, J. (I was gonna email these, but I thought I'd put them up here for others to try out as well.)
These are recipes I or my family have made a number of times, so I can back them up as being really damn good. As said, they are vegetarian, but they are exceptionally tasty, and would make great sides if you're inclined to center your meals around flesh dishes.
Spinach with Garbanzos (Chickpeas)
1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
1 small dried Red Chili
1/2 tsp Black Peppercorns
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 slice French Bread, 2 inches thick, 4 inches in diameter, trimmed
5 cloves Garlic
1 tbsp Paprika
1/2 cup Water
1 tbsp Wine Vinegar or Red Wine
30 oz canned Garbanzos (Chickpeas), drained
10 oz frozen Spinach, drained
Grind the Cumin, Red Chili and Peppercorns in a grinder. Heat the Olive Oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the Bread and 2 cloves of Garlic, until the Bread is golden brown. Remove it and the Garlic, and grind them in a mortar or blender to a rough consistency.
In the same skillet, fry the ground Spices, Paprika and the remaining Garlic cloves. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the Water and Vinegar. Bring to a boil, then add the Bread mixture, Garbanzos, and Spinach. Reduce the heat and simmer until the Spinach is tender and the mixture is thickened slightly.
Serves 4.
This basic recipe from Spain is a staple my mom has made for the family as long as I can remember. It's what I've always thought of when I hear the word "spinach", so I never understood why my schoolmates seemed to regard the word with such horror. It wasn't until I had some of what they called "spinach" at a friend's house one night that I encountered the slimy crap out of a can they had to eat. Boy, did I feel sorry for them!
The consistency of this recipe is widely adjustable to suit your own taste. My sister, who lives in Spain, does not drain the spinach very much, making it more of a thick mass, while I like to squeeze as much moisture out of the spinach as I can before tossing it in, so it retains its separateness and makes it a drier dish. I'll emphasize that you have to use frozen spinach to get the right consistency; I imagine you could use fresh spinach, but you'd get a very different dish.
Gazpacho Andaluz
3 Tomatoes, chopped
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, cored and sliced
3 cloves Garlic, halved
4 leaves Spearmint
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1/8 cup Olive Oil
1/8 + cup Red Wine Vinegar, according to taste
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 slice Bread
1/2 cup Water
Ice Cubes
Diced Cucumber
Whole Spearmint Leaves
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve chilled with one or two Ice Cubes in each cup. Garnish with Cucumbers or Spearmint Leaves if you like.
Most American think of gazpacho as a sort of juicy, chunky salsa, but that is only one form of it, and a very Americanized form, at that. As it's served in the south of Spain, it's not a salad dish at all. It's a drink, kind of a salad in a glass. It's meant to be thick and nourishing, and is one of the most refreshing things on a hot day. The above recipe can be adjusted for taste, but this form will yield a very traditional gazpacho.
Garbanzo (Chickpea) Stew
6 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Turmeric
2 tsps Cumin
2 tbsps Olive Oil
1 large Onion, sliced diagonally
1 large Anaheim Pepper, cored and sliced
1/2 tsp dried Crushed Red Pepper
1/4 cup Stock
30 oz canned Garbanzos (Chickpeas), drained
6 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
3 tbsps Parsley, finely chopped
1 bunch Chard, chopped
In a small bowl, mash the Garlic, Paprika, Turmeric, Cumin, and 1 tbsp of Olive Oil to make a paste. In a large skillet, saute the Onion in the remaining Olive Oil over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the Anaheim and Crushed Red Pepper, then saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the Spice Paste and Stock. Add the Garbanzos, cover the skillet and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the Tomatoes and Parsley. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the Chard, cover and cook until it is wilted and tender, about another 10-15 minutes.
Serves 6.
Another garbanzo recipe; we Spaniards love our chickpeas! This is another one I've been eating pretty much forever. My mom would whip it up every couple of weeks, as it's pretty damn easy once you get the hang of it. You can use whatever stock you like. I use vegetable stock, but traditionally chicken is used for this one. You could use beef, I suppose, but it would darken the taste, I think.
Spinach and Artichoke Casserole
Olive Oil for greasing
12 canned Artichoke Hearts, drained and pulled apart
30 oz frozen Spinach, drained and squeezed
1 lb Mushrooms, sliced
9 oz Cream Cheese, softened
4 tbsps Butter
6 tbsps Milk
Pepper, Paprika, and Cayenne to taste
Grated Jack Cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, beat the Cream Cheese and Butter until smooth and fluffy, while gradually adding Milk. Set aside.
Oil a 10-inch casserole dish. Press the Artichoke Hearts into the bottom and sides of the dish to cover the whole surface. Add a layer of the Spinach, then top with the Mushrooms. Pour some Cream Cheese Sauce over this, then sprinkle with Pepper, Paprika and Cayenne. Top this with another layer of Spinach, then pour the remaining Sauce to cover it the Spinach completely. You should be pretty much at the top of the dish by now. Top with enough Grated Jack Cheese to cover the whole thing, and sprinkle more of the seasonings on top. Bake 40 minutes, until the Cheese on top is golden.
Serves 6.
This is a recipe I came up with about 20 years ago, and I've served it numerous times. It's always been a hit, I'm glad to say. I use the water-packed artichokes rather than the oil-packed, as they're less expensive and they also yield a cleaner taste. (The oil kind would be too greasy, I think.)
Hot and Spicy Green Beans
2 tsps Tamari
2 tsps Vinegar
2 tsps Honey
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 tbsps Olive Oil
2 Shallots, minced
2 cups Green Beans, steamed
1/4 cup Pine Nuts
Combine the Tamari, Vinegar, Honey, Garlic, and Cayenne in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a skillet, heat the Olive Oil. Add the Shallots and cook briefly. Add the Green Beans and saute for 2 minutes. Add the Sauce mixture and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in the Pine Nuts.
Serves 2-4.
Not much comment on this, other than it's a very tasty side dish and a great variation on the usual Green Beans. The spices give it a really nice kick.
Very Spicy, Delicious Chickpeas
2 tbsps Vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp Black Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Tomato, peeled and finely diced
1 tbsp Coriander
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp ground Cardamom
1 stick Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Clove Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 lb Mushrooms, sliced
2 cans Chickpeas, drained
1 Serrano Pepper, finely diced
1 tbsp Turmeric
1 cup Water
In a saucepan, heat the Oil over medium heat. When it's hot, add the Black Mustard Seeds and fry until they pop. Add the Cumin Seeds and again fry until they snap, then add the Garlic. Fry, stirring, until the Garlic turned golden brown. Add the Tomato, Coriander, Cumind, Cardamom, Cinnamon Stick, Clove, Cayenne, Black Pepper, and Nutmeg. Cook all this for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn. Add the Mushrooms. Stir well, lower the heat and let simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add the Chickpeas, Serrano Pepper, and Turmeric. Stir well, then add the Water. Let simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes.
Okay, one last garbanzo recipe. This one is an Indian recipe I learned from one of Madhur Jaffrey's books. There are a lot of ingredients, but it's very simple to make, and its name is well earned - it's one of the tastiest things I've ever eaten. Serve it with Basmati Rice to help cool your tongue!
Okay, that's it for now. I hope you all will try some of these, as I can vouch that they really are wonderful dishes, very flavorful and filling.
Enjoy!
My LJ pal
jblaque is a really interesting guy, and his posts have turned me on to many websites and happenings that I wouldn't have heard about otherwise. We don't agree on everything, but he's one of those people who can disagree with you and still make you glad you've heard his point of view, a rare talent (and one I wish I shared, pointy bitch me).He also loves to cook. This is a significant point in his favor, in my book. Anyone who likes to make his own food and shares a passion for it is alright with me. Cooking good food gives one a hands-on appreciation of life, especially if some of that food is got for oneself, as Jon has just got back from doing. Now, I'm not a meat-eater at this time, restricting myself to only a monthly consumption of fish and otherwise being vegetarian, so most of the recipes he posts on his blog engage my interest in an academic way only. But since I appreciate a fellow gourmand, I hereby present some recipes from my larder, hoping you'll enjoy them, J. (I was gonna email these, but I thought I'd put them up here for others to try out as well.)
These are recipes I or my family have made a number of times, so I can back them up as being really damn good. As said, they are vegetarian, but they are exceptionally tasty, and would make great sides if you're inclined to center your meals around flesh dishes.
Spinach with Garbanzos (Chickpeas)
1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
1 small dried Red Chili
1/2 tsp Black Peppercorns
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1 slice French Bread, 2 inches thick, 4 inches in diameter, trimmed
5 cloves Garlic
1 tbsp Paprika
1/2 cup Water
1 tbsp Wine Vinegar or Red Wine
30 oz canned Garbanzos (Chickpeas), drained
10 oz frozen Spinach, drained
Grind the Cumin, Red Chili and Peppercorns in a grinder. Heat the Olive Oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Fry the Bread and 2 cloves of Garlic, until the Bread is golden brown. Remove it and the Garlic, and grind them in a mortar or blender to a rough consistency.
In the same skillet, fry the ground Spices, Paprika and the remaining Garlic cloves. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the Water and Vinegar. Bring to a boil, then add the Bread mixture, Garbanzos, and Spinach. Reduce the heat and simmer until the Spinach is tender and the mixture is thickened slightly.
Serves 4.
This basic recipe from Spain is a staple my mom has made for the family as long as I can remember. It's what I've always thought of when I hear the word "spinach", so I never understood why my schoolmates seemed to regard the word with such horror. It wasn't until I had some of what they called "spinach" at a friend's house one night that I encountered the slimy crap out of a can they had to eat. Boy, did I feel sorry for them!
The consistency of this recipe is widely adjustable to suit your own taste. My sister, who lives in Spain, does not drain the spinach very much, making it more of a thick mass, while I like to squeeze as much moisture out of the spinach as I can before tossing it in, so it retains its separateness and makes it a drier dish. I'll emphasize that you have to use frozen spinach to get the right consistency; I imagine you could use fresh spinach, but you'd get a very different dish.
Gazpacho Andaluz
3 Tomatoes, chopped
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, cored and sliced
3 cloves Garlic, halved
4 leaves Spearmint
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Pepper
1/8 cup Olive Oil
1/8 + cup Red Wine Vinegar, according to taste
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 slice Bread
1/2 cup Water
Ice Cubes
Diced Cucumber
Whole Spearmint Leaves
Combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. Serve chilled with one or two Ice Cubes in each cup. Garnish with Cucumbers or Spearmint Leaves if you like.
Most American think of gazpacho as a sort of juicy, chunky salsa, but that is only one form of it, and a very Americanized form, at that. As it's served in the south of Spain, it's not a salad dish at all. It's a drink, kind of a salad in a glass. It's meant to be thick and nourishing, and is one of the most refreshing things on a hot day. The above recipe can be adjusted for taste, but this form will yield a very traditional gazpacho.
Garbanzo (Chickpea) Stew
6 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Turmeric
2 tsps Cumin
2 tbsps Olive Oil
1 large Onion, sliced diagonally
1 large Anaheim Pepper, cored and sliced
1/2 tsp dried Crushed Red Pepper
1/4 cup Stock
30 oz canned Garbanzos (Chickpeas), drained
6 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
3 tbsps Parsley, finely chopped
1 bunch Chard, chopped
In a small bowl, mash the Garlic, Paprika, Turmeric, Cumin, and 1 tbsp of Olive Oil to make a paste. In a large skillet, saute the Onion in the remaining Olive Oil over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the Anaheim and Crushed Red Pepper, then saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the Spice Paste and Stock. Add the Garbanzos, cover the skillet and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the Tomatoes and Parsley. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add the Chard, cover and cook until it is wilted and tender, about another 10-15 minutes.
Serves 6.
Another garbanzo recipe; we Spaniards love our chickpeas! This is another one I've been eating pretty much forever. My mom would whip it up every couple of weeks, as it's pretty damn easy once you get the hang of it. You can use whatever stock you like. I use vegetable stock, but traditionally chicken is used for this one. You could use beef, I suppose, but it would darken the taste, I think.
Spinach and Artichoke Casserole
Olive Oil for greasing
12 canned Artichoke Hearts, drained and pulled apart
30 oz frozen Spinach, drained and squeezed
1 lb Mushrooms, sliced
9 oz Cream Cheese, softened
4 tbsps Butter
6 tbsps Milk
Pepper, Paprika, and Cayenne to taste
Grated Jack Cheese
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, beat the Cream Cheese and Butter until smooth and fluffy, while gradually adding Milk. Set aside.
Oil a 10-inch casserole dish. Press the Artichoke Hearts into the bottom and sides of the dish to cover the whole surface. Add a layer of the Spinach, then top with the Mushrooms. Pour some Cream Cheese Sauce over this, then sprinkle with Pepper, Paprika and Cayenne. Top this with another layer of Spinach, then pour the remaining Sauce to cover it the Spinach completely. You should be pretty much at the top of the dish by now. Top with enough Grated Jack Cheese to cover the whole thing, and sprinkle more of the seasonings on top. Bake 40 minutes, until the Cheese on top is golden.
Serves 6.
This is a recipe I came up with about 20 years ago, and I've served it numerous times. It's always been a hit, I'm glad to say. I use the water-packed artichokes rather than the oil-packed, as they're less expensive and they also yield a cleaner taste. (The oil kind would be too greasy, I think.)
Hot and Spicy Green Beans
2 tsps Tamari
2 tsps Vinegar
2 tsps Honey
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 tbsps Olive Oil
2 Shallots, minced
2 cups Green Beans, steamed
1/4 cup Pine Nuts
Combine the Tamari, Vinegar, Honey, Garlic, and Cayenne in a small bowl. Set aside.
In a skillet, heat the Olive Oil. Add the Shallots and cook briefly. Add the Green Beans and saute for 2 minutes. Add the Sauce mixture and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Stir in the Pine Nuts.
Serves 2-4.
Not much comment on this, other than it's a very tasty side dish and a great variation on the usual Green Beans. The spices give it a really nice kick.
Very Spicy, Delicious Chickpeas
2 tbsps Vegetable Oil
1/2 tsp Black Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
3 cloves Garlic, chopped
1 Tomato, peeled and finely diced
1 tbsp Coriander
1 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp ground Cardamom
1 stick Cinnamon
1/8 tsp Clove Powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
1/8 tsp Nutmeg
1/2 lb Mushrooms, sliced
2 cans Chickpeas, drained
1 Serrano Pepper, finely diced
1 tbsp Turmeric
1 cup Water
In a saucepan, heat the Oil over medium heat. When it's hot, add the Black Mustard Seeds and fry until they pop. Add the Cumin Seeds and again fry until they snap, then add the Garlic. Fry, stirring, until the Garlic turned golden brown. Add the Tomato, Coriander, Cumind, Cardamom, Cinnamon Stick, Clove, Cayenne, Black Pepper, and Nutmeg. Cook all this for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn't burn. Add the Mushrooms. Stir well, lower the heat and let simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Add the Chickpeas, Serrano Pepper, and Turmeric. Stir well, then add the Water. Let simmer uncovered for 20-30 minutes.
Okay, one last garbanzo recipe. This one is an Indian recipe I learned from one of Madhur Jaffrey's books. There are a lot of ingredients, but it's very simple to make, and its name is well earned - it's one of the tastiest things I've ever eaten. Serve it with Basmati Rice to help cool your tongue!
Okay, that's it for now. I hope you all will try some of these, as I can vouch that they really are wonderful dishes, very flavorful and filling.
Enjoy!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 12:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 12:52 am (UTC)Now you remind me, I left out the toppings for the gazpacho. Will add now.
no subject
Date: Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 06:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 08:24 pm (UTC)