Shakshuka!

This is one of those classic Middle Eastern recipes that every nation claims and every nation has a different version of.  Our variation is based on the David Lebovitz's hybrid recipe (I have read both of the source recipes he cites and neither is as good as his version).  So, good, even the next day, so make sure you save half a loaf of crusty bread or baguette for the next day.

Also, we sub different greens - collards, spinach (fresh or frozen), and kale all work well here.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 Anaheim chile pepper, stemmed, diced
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp chile powder
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1 quart of tomato puree, OR 1 quart of diced or crushed tomatoes
• 1 pint of chile-heavy salsa (no simple salsa need apply)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp cider vinegar
• 1 cup greens  kale, collards, or spinach), coarsely chopped
• 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
• 4 to 6 eggs

Steps

1. In a wide skillet or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onions and the garlic and cook for 5 minutes, until soft and wilted. 
2. Add the chile pepper, the salt, pepper, and spices. Cook for a minute, stirring constantly, to release their fragrance.
3. Add the tomatoes, honey, and vinegar, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened somewhat but is still loose enough so that when you shake the pan it sloshes around.  Stir in the chopped greens.
4. Turn off the heat and press the cubes of feta into the tomato sauce. 
5. With the back of a spoon, make 6 indentations in the sauce. Crack an egg into each indentation, then drag a spatula gently through the egg whites so it mingles a bit with the tomato sauce, being careful not to disturb the yolks.
6. Turn the heat back on so the sauce is at a gentle simmer, and cook for about 10 minutes, taking some of the tomato sauce and basting the egg whites from time-to-time.

We get leftover sauce here - next day we add more puree or good chile-heavy salsa to boost it out.  Either way serve it ladled into bowls with plenty of crusty bread or baguette slices available.

Chipotle Chicken Casserole

This is adapted from a SimplyRecipes recipe of a similar name.  We even got the daughters to eat this by being careful about the amount of chipotle I added.

Ingredients

• 15-ounce can of roasted, canned whole, diced, or crushed tomatoes 
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup of cilantro
• 2 chipotle chili peppers in adobo
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each cut in half
• 4-6 ounces sliced Monterey jack cheese
• 1 tsp salt

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. Blend tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, chipotle peppers and adobo, lime juice and salt in a blender or food processor.  Pulse a few times till just chunky.
3. Place the chicken pieces in a 9" x 13" casserole dish.  
4. Spread the chipotle salsa over the chicken pieces
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. 
6. Remove the foil, and sprinkle or layer the cheese over the chicken. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes more.
7. Serve over rice, pasta, or with tortillas on the side, along with chopped avocado, more cilantro, and sour cream.

Lemon Verbena Pesto

We've started growing this in our new herb garden - took the old circle garden and broke it up into 4x4 raised beds.  I was scouting for something unusual and being mid-July, lemon verbena was one of the scraggly leftover herbs at the garden center.  It is a sub-tropical (zone 8-10 only), so I am going to let this grow till September then start cuttings indoors to overwinter them in my office at school.

There are lots of possibilities for lemon verbena (here are 5).  I would include as an additive to lemoncello, as a pesto, and as a flavor additive for mead (I am thinking of a dry lemon-infused mead, yum!).  Probably could do this with baked fish (especially foil-wrapped fish), roasted chicken (garlic and verbena leaves), and for summer teas (just floating in the infuser).

Here is lemon verbena pesto (based on this one).

Ingredients

• 1 cup of lemon verbena leaves (stripped from stems)
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 4 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese
• 4 tbsp of olive oil
• 4 tbsp of pecans
• Salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Add verbena, garlic, cheese, and pecans to a food processor.  Pulse till the pecans are nearly unrecognizable.
2. Start up the processor on a medium speed and slowly drizzle in the olive oil to well combined.
3. Scrape the pesto into a lidded container and store in the fridge for 7 days, freezer for up to 6 months.

Berries and Mousse on the Biscuit

This is a very recent invention here at the Manor (thanks to Carol).  We had some leftover biscuits (a traditional butter-based version of baking powder biscuits) and a hankering for something sweet.  That coupled with a box kit of mousse and strawberry season providing us with more preserves lead to this concoction.

Ingredients

• batch of homemade baking powder biscuits
• Chocolate mousse (we use Dr Oetker's mousse mix)
• Strawberry preserves (ours is frozen, low-pectin, and is a little loose)
• Chocolate syrup
• Whipped cream

Steps

1. Slice a biscuit in half and lay both halves on the plate.
2. Spoon a 1/2 cup of chocolate mousse on the biscuit.
3. Spoon a 1/4 cup of strawberry preserves over top.
4. Drizzle chocolate syrup over the whole thing.
5. Top with whipped cream.

Chipotle Chicken Casserole

Tried this one last night for the first time - thank you, Simply Recipes!  And it was a hit, even with the "less-than-comfortable with spicy food" daughters.  Served it with guacamole (no avocadoes were ripe), sour cream, and a generous bag of tortilla chips.  Left out the lime juice (made it too Tex-Mex flavored) and salt (didn't need it).

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup  of chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 chipotle chili peppers in adobo, plus 1 teaspoon adobo sauce
• 1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs), trimmed of excess fat, cut into 3-inch wide pieces
• 4 ounces grated or sliced cheese (cheddar, monterey jack)

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 
2. Place tomatoes, onion, garlic, cilantro, chipotle peppers and adobo in a blender or food processor.  Pulse a few times so there are no more large chunks of anything, but not so much so that the salsa is completely smooth.
3. Place the chicken pieces in a casserole dish, just large enough to fit them all in a single layer.  Pour the chipotle salsa over the chicken pieces, turning the chicken pieces to coat them all over with the salsa.
4. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. 
5. Remove the cover, and sprinkle or layer the cheese over the chicken. Bake uncovered for 10 minutes more.

Ranger Cookies

These are a brilliant cookie - mythically named as an all-around food that you would want to eat as a Ranger, out in the forest with nothing but a swiss army knife and a tin of these to eat.  Lots of yummy crunch on the outside and moistness inside with coconut, raisins and butter.

OK, that part about the forest may be a bit far-fetched, but with just a tin of these and I will brave any classroom!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 cups rice crispies
• 2 cups oats
• 1 cup coconut
• 1 cup raisins

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven to 375.  
2. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.  
3. Add eggs and vanilla and mix in slowly.  
4. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, rice crispies, oats, coconut, and raisins and beat until mixed thoroughly.  
5. Cook for 10-12 minutes.