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.

Chicken Cacciatore, Hilltown Style

We love chicken cacc, but it (like many homestyle dishes) has many different variations.  We wanted one that retained the flavor but had less of the fat of the traditional breaded versions.  The crunch of the chicken was nice but not necessary, especially as leftovers got it soggy.  This is our result:


Ingredients

• 1 4lb chicken, cut up into 8 pieces and skinned
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large bell peppers, sliced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3/4 cup green olive brine
• 1 ( 28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3/4 cup green olives
• 1 1/2 tsp oregano 

Steps 

1. In a large heavy saute pan, heat the oil over a medium-high heat. 
2. Add the chicken pieces to the pan and saute just until brown, about 5 minutes per side. If all the chicken does not fit in the pan, saute it in 2 batches. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. 
3. Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 
4. Add the brine, the tomatoes with their juice, broth, olives and oregano. Simmer 10 minutes.
5. Return the chicken pieces to the pan and turn them to coat in the sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer. 
6. Continue simmering over medium-low heat until the chicken is just cooked through, about 30 minutes.
7. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a platter. If necessary, boil the sauce until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Spoon off any excess fat from atop the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken
8. Serve over rice or egg noodles.

Dutch Oven Pot Roast

Mind you pot roast recipes are the kind you do on a Sunday, and let it roast (simmer in water with chosen side veggies and herbs) for 3-5 hours or even more -yikes! But on a slow temperature over a long time is what makes this a super tender chunk of beef. This is one of those recipes that a slow cooker comes in super handy - but it is not necessary by all means - but a crock pot, or a deep and large soup pot with lid will easily suffice.

In this posting I share the best pot roast recipe and beef stroganoff recipes I could find and think are worthy should you too be looking at what the heck to do with your bottom roast of beef. I did learn that the bottom roast comes in two types, one has a point on one end and that is called the rump roast and the one I have with is simply a somewhat rounded rectangular slab of beef. Now the bottom round is not the most tender of cuts, hence why it is more affordable. Nor is it marbled, so it is quite lean - but when properly and slowly cooked - or in this case, pot roasted, you will have a tender roast that provides great juices for the perfect pan gravy.

Best Pot Roast Recipe:

Ingredients:

• beef rump roast, about 4 pounds
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoons salad oil
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 8 whole black peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 can (10 1/2 ounces) beef broth, undiluted
• 12 small white onions
• 6 to 8 carrots, peeled & halved lengthwise
• 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
• 3 tablespoons flour

Directions:

1. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or large heavy kettle over medium heat, brown the rump roast with sliced onions, turning, until browned on all sides using olive oil and a little butter.
2. Add garlic, thyme, marjoram, bay leaf, black peppercorns and and salt; cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds.
3. Add beef broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook for about 2 1/2 hours. Add onions, carrots, and parsley; reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes or until vegetables and meat are tender.
4. To make gravy: Transfer meat and vegetables from Dutch oven to warm serving platter. Keep warm, covered loosely with foil. Into 2-cup measure, strain liquid remaining in Dutch oven. If necessary, add water to measure 2 cups. Return the hot liquid to Dutch oven.
5. Combine flour with 1/4 cup of cold water; stir until smooth. Stir flour mixture into liquid in Dutch oven and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer for another 3 minutes. Taste and add salt if desired. Serve with potatoes.
   
   Serves 8.

Slow Cooker Stroganoff

We love stroganoff - it goes back to our Burlington days when we were vegetarian and tried desperately to recreate a good stroganoff with mushrooms and silky tofu to make the whole thing work with a deep flavor and a creamy sauce.  Today, we serve it with our beef and lots of extra mushrooms.  Sorta hybridizing the two ideas - a traditional stroganoff has beef and sour cream and the earthiness of the mushrooom/sherry version.

Plus this one is all about the slow cooker - yea!

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp beef bouillon
• 2 1/2 lbs of steak or chuck, cubed
• 3/4 cup water
• salt and pepper to taste
• 16 ounces of mushrooms, chopped
• 1 tsp of dried dill
• 1/4 cup of dry sherry
• 1/4 cup of corn starch
• 1 cup of sour cream

Steps

1. Saute the onion in 1 tsp of olive oil.
2. Transfer the onion, steak, water and beef bouillon to a slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
3. Saute mushrooms in 2 tsp of olive oil.
4. Add mushrooms, dill and sherry in the last 15 minutes.
5. Remove the meat and thicken the juices with the cornstarch.
6. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream.
7. Serve over egg noodles.

Thanksgiving Paninis

We love making paninis, especially with leftovers. And when there is turkey and stuffing involved, we get doubly excited.

Ingredients

• 2 slices whole wheat bread or ciabatta
• Turkey breast, sliced however thick you like
• Turkey stuffing (about 1/2 cup per panini)
• Cranberry dressing (about 1/4 cup per panini)
• Mayo for spreading
• Butter or spray oil

Steps

1. Power up the panini press - we use High power setting for panini.
2. Spread mayo over both sides of your 2 slices of bread.
3. Lay turkey and stuffing on one side, cranberry on the other side.
4. Carefully fold the pieces back together.
5. Spray oil on both sides of the panini outsides or butter if you are feeling naughty.
6. Cook the panini for 4-5 minutes.
7. Enjoy!

Sausage Apple Pie

I saw this recipe in a related form over at Simply Recipes (see recipe link below). That version has a lot more cheese (3 cups more!) and a more "set" consistency. We were looking for a recipe to use up the last of a bag of Granny Smiths, then we used them up making Apple Crisp.

But I had the idea in my mind. I searched for something that was savory, but not "breakfast-y". I made this one up based on what we had - but there are some great versions out there.

• Amy's Apple Sausage Pie (many variants, but "apple pie filling"? Nope.)
• Apple and Sausage Pie from Simply Recipes (cheese-crazy)
• Sausage and Apple Pie in a Cheddar Cheese Crust from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

• 1 lb of sausage (pork, chicken, or turkey; ground or in casing)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 3-5 apples (Granny Smith or Empire), sliced well
• 3/4 cup of good applesauce (if storebought, add cinnamon and nutmeg)
• 1/4 cup of cheese (feta, extra sharp cheddar, nothing mild)

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2. Slice or remove the sausage from the casing and saute till browned. Remove the sausage from the pan.
3. Reserve the juices and saute onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Remove and keep on reserving the juices!
4. Next comes the apple - if you use 3 apples, bulk it out with some potatoes (I had a leftover baked potato, I sliced it thin).
5. I mixed the sausage, onion/garlic, applesauce and apple/potato together. Add in cheese at this point. Taste it, add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Drape the pie crust over a 9-inch pie pan.
7. Place the filling inside the crust and "tamp down".
8. Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 F.

Serves 6.

Homemade Cream of Tomato Soup

We both have a strong memory of comfort food built around cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. And after cold, windy days like today (our annual Farm Open House, 45 F in a gusty 20 mph wind), we need a bit of super-warm comfort.

The trick with this recipe is not to fall back on making Campbell's instead. It does take about 30 minutes of simmering, but it is worth it. We use our own quarts of tomato puree from the year before. The tomatoes are all gone by then, but I have 14 oz cans of Muir Glen diced tomatoes handy to give it some texture.

The 30 minute simmering time is to allow the basil time to get well-mixed.

And finally, we don't buy cream this way (unless it is going into whipped cream). So I used 1/2 cup of whole milk - not from the store which may have some cream removed, but absolutely fresh off the udder, whole goat milk. The cream there is part of the allure of the texture and gives a nice floor to the sweet tomato flavor.

"Tastes like summer."

Ingredients

• 1 quart of tomato puree, hopefully your own
• 4 medium sized tomatoes, diced OR 14 oz canned diced tomatoes
• 1 Tbsp of dried basil OR 10-15 fresh basil leaves (best)
• 1 broth cube (I used Herb-Ox vegetable bouillon cubes)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream OR 1/2 cup whole milk w/ cream

Steps

1. Add the quart of puree, the diced tomatoes, broth cube and the basil to a medium sized pot. Bring to a fast simmer then down to a low simmer. Hold there for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Once the 30 minutes are up, turn off the heat and stir in the cream/whole milk and serve immediately hot.
3. While the soup is simmering, you might as well start making grilled cheese sandwiches!

Serves 4.

Vietnamese Beef Pho

Vietnamese Pho is pretty much "awesome broth that has lots of crunchy, yummy add-ons." Obviously then, the broth makes the soup. There are two schools of thought here: make a slow cooked beef broth out of good knuckles, oxtail, or other bones plus a mix of almost "garam masala" type spices. You can see a discussion of those spices at Steamy Kitchen's version of Pho.

It really benefits from remembering that this is "jumped up street food" and so our recipe is fairly flexible based on what is in the fridge that needs to get used super-fast. At its core, the Pho needs a solid beef-y broth, sprouts, beef, and something from the onion family (leeks, onion, scallions, etc). Top with lime juice and cilantro/basil and we are ready.

Even Bri will eat this soup.

Ingredients

• 6 cups of broth from cubes
  
• 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon of fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon of lime juice
• 1/3 cup of an Oriental sauce (stir-fry sauce, plum sauce, even gravy!)
• 1 inch of grated ginger root
• 1 dash of red pepper flakes
• 1 cup of sliced onion family (leek, onion, or scallions)
• 1 cup of carrots sliced
• 1 lb of flank steak, chilled then sliced very thin against the grain
• 8-10 oz of rice noodles
• 2 cups of sprouts
• 1/2 cup of cilantro, diced

Steps:

1. In a large pot, heat the broth water to high simmer.
2. Add sauces, ginger and red pepper. Stir well and simmer until uniform.
3. Add onion, carrots, steak and cook for 20 minutes.
4. Add rice noodles and cook 6-8 minutes (read package carefully).
5. When the noodles are done, serve immediately by ladling into bowls. Top with sprouts, cilantro (basil is also good). Make sure there is more hoisin sauce and hot pepper sauce available on the table.

Shrimp and Vegetable Paella

This is an old recipe for us, pre-dating "us" but I honestly don't know where I found it. I love paella in its many versions and this one does it for me - lots of flavor from the garlic, wine, and carrot (of all things, that carrot stands out here) and most importantly the marinated artichoke hearts.

There are many times when paella is great, especially as a spring or early fall dish - but today was 10 F with crazy gusts, a driveway that filled with snow, and nothing but low gray clouds. Paella worked today too.

Ingredients:

• 6 scallions, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp of fresh parsley - or 1 1/2 tsp of dried parsley
• 1 cup of rice
• 1 1/2 cup of water (or better broth)
• 1/2 cup of white wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 lb of medium shrimp, thawed and shelled
• 4 carrots, sliced into 1/4 inch rings
• 1 jar marinated artichoke hearts, each quarter sliced into 3s

Steps:

1. Saute the scallions, pepper and garlic in some olive oil for 5 minutes.
2. Add the parsley and rice, saute for 1 minute and stir often to coat the rice.
3. Add the broth, wine, shrimp and carrots and simmer 20 minutes, covered.
4. Finally, add the artichoke hearts (plus all juices from the jar) and stir well.
5. Serve hot to 4 hungry people.

Marinated Pork Shoulder

We had to make room in the freezer for the 1/4 cow parts and found a pork shoulder from one of our own pigs. Shoulders here are also called "picnic hams" and being from the front end of the pig, they are tougher and need longer, slower cooking.

Ingredients

• 4-5 pounds pork shoulder
• 1 tablespoon fennel seed, finely ground
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns, cracked
• 2 tablespoon thyme leaves, lightly chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, lightly chopped
• 4 medium garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 tablespoons Kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 medium all-purpose apples (I used Gala)
• 1 medium yellow onion, sliced
• 1 cup dry white wine (or good dark beer)

Steps:

1. Trim all but ¼-inch of fat from pork shoulder. Put the pork on a sheet pan.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the fennel , cracked peppercorns, thyme, rosemary, garlic, 2 tablespoons salt and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Stir until the mixture is uniform.
3. Rub the mixture evenly over the pork shoulder top and bottom.
4. Wrap the pork shoulder tightly in plastic wrap to hold the marinade against the skin and marinate overnight.
5. Next day, preheat the oven to 450°.
6. While the over is heating; peel, halve and core the apples. Cut each half into 4 equal wedges. Place the wedges in a medium bowl.
7. Peel and trim the onion. Cut in half and cut each half into thin wedges. Mix with the apples.
8. Toss the apples and onions with the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
9. Place in the bottom of a Dutch oven with a cover and put the marinated pork shoulder on top. (You may also use a regular roasting pan with aluminum foil to cover.)
10. Roast uncovered for 30 minutes.
11. Turn the oven heat down to 325° and add the wine (or beer).
12. Cover the roasting pan and slow roast for 2½ to 3 hours until the pork shoulder is very tender and pulls apart easily when probed with a fork.
13. Transfer the pork shoulder to a serving plate.
14. If the pan juices are very thick, add enough water to loosen, then mash and strain. If more liquid is desired, add a little water. The apples will be so soft that they will break down.
15. Check the seasoning and correct to taste. Serve over potatoes or noodles as a gravy.

Serves 4-6 with leftovers.

Pork Loin with Apples and Mustard-y Cream Sauce

Carol found this recipe in the wonderful "The Best of Gourmet - 20th Anniversary Edition" - so many great party ideas packed in one book, we actually bought it after we kept it out of the library for too long.

This is a wonderful autumn and winter recipe - not for the coldest of days, but perfect for those warming snaps when the cold breaks and the snow melts. The sauce is wonderful as a "gravy" over rice pilaf with peas (our traditional side dish).

Ingredients

• 1 (4-lb) boneless pork loin
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 Granny Smith apples (3/4 lb total)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup packed, dried pitted prunes, quartered
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

Steps

1. Put oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Halve pork loin crosswise, then pat dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper(total).
3. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown pork, 1 piece at a time, turning occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes per piece.
4. Transfer to a roasting pan as they brown (do not clean skillet) and roast pork until thermometer inserted diagonally at least 2 inches into meat registers 150°F, 40 to 50 minutes.
5. While pork roasts, peel, quarter, and core apples, then cut into 1/4-inch-thick wedges.
6. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, then cook onion in skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Add apples, prunes, broth, and water and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
8. Stir in cream and mustard and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and keep sauce warm, partially covered.
9. Transfer pork to a cutting board and let stand 10 minutes.
10. Add wine to roasting pan and boil over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until reduced to about 1/4 cup, 2 to 3 minutes.
11. Stir pan juices into cream sauce along with remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 3/4 teaspoon pepper and heat sauce over moderate heat, stirring, until hot.
12. Cut each half of the tenderloin crosswise into 4 slices.
13. Serve pork with sauce - we like to have pilaf and peas on the side, great all mixed together.

Makes 8 servings

Winter Kielbasa Bake

This is our kind of a meal - easy to assemble and when it cooks, it makes the whole kitchen smell delicious. Buy some quality sauerkraut and kielbasa (I like kielbasa that emphasizes "beef" on the label) and you won't go wrong. Great for grim days in winter.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Kielbasa (Polish sausage)
• 10 small to medium red potatoes, halved and sliced lengthwise
• 6 carrots (or 1 lb of baby carrots)
• 1 lb sauerkraut
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp. granulated brown sugar (if you use apple juice, skip for beer)
• 1 cup apple juice or 1 cup flat dark beer
• 1 tsp of caraway seeds (optional, but it really jumps up the flavor)

Steps:

1. Spray a large baking dish (I use a 4 quart Corning ware) with non-stick spray.
2. Drain the sauerkraut then spread across the bottom of the dish.
3. Slice the kielbasa into 2 inch chunks then halve lengthwise, making 2 inch long half cylinders. Arrange the kielbasa on the sauerkraut, skin side up.
4. Scrub those small potatoes (I love red potatoes here), halve them lengthwise too. Place them skin side up over the sauerkraut.
5. Slice the carrots; add them to the dish. I sometimes use the organic baby carrots here - one of those little bags works out well.
6. Thinly slice the onion and sprinkle over all.
7. Dissolve the sugar in the apple juice (or dark beer) and pour over the entire dish.
8. Cover tightly.
9. Bake in a 325°F oven for one hour until It's done when the potatoes and carrots are tender. Easily serves six hungry people.

Mo' Better Drunken Noodles

We had leftover duck, a block of frozen tofu, and an urge to eat something that would drive away the cloudy blues. This mod of a Thai recipe (somewhere between Drunken Noodles and Pad See Ew) took advantage of what we had as fridge leftovers and the produce that our local grocery would stock that wasn't wilted nasty.

We liked it - the fried tofu is awesome - the girls liked it. And it only took 25 minutes.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lb of extra firm or firm tofu, frozen and thawed, drained
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 inch of ginger, peeled and minced
• 1 hot Thai pepper or 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
• 6 scallions, chopped
• 8 ounces of cooked chicken, duck breast, pork or beef, sliced
• 1 lb of bok choy or napa cabbage, sliced thinly
• 2 carrots, cut thickly on the bias
• 1/2 cup of cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup of basil leaves, chopped
• Lime juice to taste

STIR-FRY SAUCE:

• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. fish sauce or substitute 2 Tbsp. oyster sauce
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp. Thai chili sauce OR 1/2 tsp crushed dried red chilies

Steps:

1. Cook 8 ounces of noodles (wide rice or wide egg noodles) until al dente - cool off with cold running water and set aside.
2. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl. Taste for balance - it should be sweet, sour, spicy and hot simultaneously.
3. Fry the tofu in 1/2 inch of canola or peanut oil until crusty and golden. Drain on towels and set aside.
4. Set up a wok with 3 TBSP of oil and stir fry the garlic, ginger, and red pepper. Let it fry for 1 minute.
5. Add the bok choy (or cabbage), meat, and carrots. Stir fry for 3 minutes.
6. Add the sauce to the wok and stir for 1 more minute.
7. Remove from wok and add to a bowl with noodles. Add cilantro and basil.
8. Toss to coat evenly. Taste test and add more hot pepper flakes if you are brave!

Corning Your Own Corned Beef

OK, I never had corned beef often as a kid - maybe once a year (hey, we weren't Irish-Americans). Had my share of boiled red cabbage though :D

Anyway, two years ago, Carol had this one week course development job that we scheduled for the week of my Spring Break so I cared for the kids and she pulled 14 hr days working. Ugh. But my end of the deal was a never-ending supply of food, tea, and snacks. Luckily St. Patrick's Day fell on the week, so the kids and me made corned beef, cabbage, soda bread with hand-made butter, and something chocolate-y for dessert.

We bought the corned beef from Eagle Bridge Custom Meats (now USDA certified) and it was fantastic - moist and well-spiced and the same price as that nasty stuff from the big grocery store. This year, we are making our corned beef from our portion of a quarter cow named Burgess from the Masons' at Long-Lesson Farm (here in Johnsonville).

from Simply Recipes, fab recipes and photog!

This is from Alton Brown's excellent recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 quarts water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons saltpeter
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken into several pieces
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
• 8 whole cloves
• 8 whole allspice berries
• 12 whole juniper berries
• 2 bay leaves, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 pounds ice
• 1 (4 to 5 pound) beef brisket, trimmed
• 1 small onion, quartered
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, coarsely chopped

Steps

1. Place the water into a large pot along with salt, sugar, saltpeter, cinnamon stick, mustard seeds, peppercorns, cloves, allspice, juniper berries, bay leaves and ginger.
2. Dissolve the salt and sugar on high heat, stirring often.
3. Cool using either ice or refrigeration until the temp is less than 45 F
4. Once the brine is cooled, place the brisket in a 2-gallon zip top bag and add the brine. Seal and lay flat inside a container, cover and place in the refrigerator for 7-10 days.
5. Check daily to make sure the beef is completely submerged and mix the brine.
6. After the 7-10 days, remove from the brine and rinse well under cool water.
7. Place the brisket into a pot just large enough to hold the meat, add the onion, carrot and celery and cover with water plus 1 more inch.
8. Set over high heat and bring to a boil.
9. Reduce the heat to low, cover and gently simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until the meat is fork tender.
10. Remove from the pot and thinly slice across the grain. Enjoy with boiled cabbage, soda bread, and easy hand-made butter!

Cuban Black Beans and Rice (plus Mojo Criollo)

I have to admit a guilty pleasure - we love to watch the breezy spy-do'gooder series "Burn Notice" on the Interweb. I have learned that there is a remarkable:

1. number of exploding things you can make with the help of a hardware store or cell phone (not your mother's MacGyver)
2. amount of yogurt being eaten by spies on surveillance duty (perhaps all that Fiona does eat)
3. love affair with Miami out there, especially to Cuban cuisine (though the main characters never are seeing actually eating those Cuban sandwiches).

So today, a 20 F cold day with a west wind that just wouldn't quit, we hung a 10 ft gate and latch. We were shivering on the way in. I suggested we use up the rice by making bean burritoes - Carol countered with enchiladas (no cheese!) - I volleyed with Cuban Black Beans - and Carol said "Mojo sauce!"

Mojo (according to WikiP) "In Cuban cooking mojo applies to any sauce that is made with garlic, olive oil and a citrus juice, traditionally sour orange juice." Sadly, we don't have any sour orange available, so we mod below according to the "3 Guys from Miami" website, to whom we defer on all questions about Cuban cooking.

Mojo goes great here, but use it as a marinade too, if you dare. Garlic is the point, not an addition, keep that in mind. The oil is left out here, but if you were using it for a marinade of meat, then follow the version here (3 Guys) with oil.

This is related to our own "Vampire Marinade" (which if you follow the WikiP link on Mojo above lists the cilantro-heavy variant of Mojo as a typical Puerto Rican choice).

Ingredients

Black Beans and Rice

• 1 onion, chopped (not too finely, it is fun as texture)
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 2 14 oz cans of black beans (Goya makes a nice organic)
• 1/2 cup of mojo criollo
• 1 tbsp of cumin

Mojo Criollo

• 1.5 cups of orange juice (use a good one, no green orange flavor Need Apply)
• 1/2 cup of lime juice
• 1/2 cup of lemon juice
• 1 tsp of sea salt
• 2 tsp of oregano
• 1 head of garlic, minced (we use a strong garlic we grow called "Music")

Steps

1. Start with the mojo - add the juices, salt, oregano and garlic to a jar. Shake the bejeesus out of it and then let it sit at least 1 hour. Refrigerate any extra up to 7 days (time to plan more cuban dishes this week).
2. Saute the onion and green pepper in olive oil until they are nearly clear.
3. Add the beans, cumin, and mojo criollo. Heat it up and let some of the juices boil off.
4. Serve hot with rice.

Makes about 6 servings (4 if you love mojo).

Our Spaghetti and Meatballs

So, for us, spaghetti has never been a big deal - Carol is not a big fan of just spag-and-sauce. I used it as an excuse to deploy the "focaccia-of-doom". But there were always leftovers...

Until I found this meatball recipe from Simply Recipes. I don't use the sauce - we use our own (this year's blight knocked our tomato sauce production down to zero, so I sub in Newman's Sockarooni Sauce (with red and green peppers!).

We throw these on top of linguine (best) or spaghetti, top with the meatball(s) and then drizzle sauce over top. Yummie! And if you can stand the extra garlic, try adding in the "focaccia of doom" and dip those bread slices into olive oil studded with minced garlic. Vampires beware!

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (I use 90% lean, plenty of fat from the cheese and pork)1
• 1 lb fresh sweet Italian pork sausage (I like the local Geno's)
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil (or 1/2 Tbsp dried basil)
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (or 1/2 Tbsp of dried parsley)
• 2 eggs
• ¾ cup bread crumbs
• ¼ cup grated parmesan
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. Mix together meats and herbs in a medium bowl (I use the KitchenAid!).
3. When well combined add the eggs, bread crumbs and parmesan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix for 1 minute till really well combined.
4. Roll the mixture into golf-ball sized meatballs (should make about 20).
5. Place the meatballs on a cookie sheet (I line mine with aluminum foil to keep them from sticking) and cook them at 400 F for 20-25 minutes.

Winter Oden Soup

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp miso paste
• 2 cups of beef broth
• 4 Tbsp of mirin
• 1 5x5inch square of nori or 1 3-inch length of konbu
• 1 Tbsp of furikake (optional)
• 8 ounces of mushrooms, torn into chunks
• 4 cups of water
• 1 lb of beef - your choice of cut, although I like tougher cuts here
• 1 lb of tofu, coarsely chunked
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 1 bunch of green onions, coarsely chopped
• 1 bunch of kale or spinach, stemmed and coarsely chopped
• 6 ounces of udon noodles

Steps

1. In a large pot, add the water, miso, mirin, broth, seaweed, and furikake (optional).
2. Let the broth simmer for 10 minutes.
3. Add the sliced beef to the broth and simmer 20 minutes. Tougher cuts should go longer, which is awesome since this smells up the kitchen so fast.
4. Add tofu, carrots, and greens. Simmer 30 minutes.
5. When there are 10 minutes before dinner, add the udon noodles.
6. Garnish with green onions. Serve hot!

Between 6-10 servings, depending on slurpings!

Potato Corn Chowder

This is one of our oldest recipes - we only have it written down in one place on a notecard. I don't even know where we got it from, but it has been a stand-by for as long as I can remember us being together.

It is a straight ovo-lacto vegetarian recipe, but you could add some sausage to it (I know Bri would like that) or some chicken. I even saw a variant of this with lobster. Lobster! Riiiight.

Or version is big on the potatoes and corn, fresh is best, but where do you get fresh corn when it is cool enough to eat soup? Not around me, at least not with local.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3 red (or Yukon Gold) potatoes, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• broth to cover (about 1 quart)
• 3 cups of corn
• 2 cups of crushed tomatoes (14 oz can)
• 1 tsp of dried thyme
• 1 tsp of marjoram or oregano
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup of milk, soy-milk or yogurt

Steps

1. Saute the onion for 5 minutes under medium-high heat.
2. Add the carrots and celery and saute 2 minutes more.
3. Add the potatoes and bay leaves, then cover with broth. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
4. Add the corn kernels (still frozen is fine) and the tomatoes. Bring to a low boil, then add the herbs and simmer for 25 minutes.
5. Remove and mash about 1 cup of potatoes (I inevitably bring along some corn and tomatoes... mush 'em all). This will thicken the soup and make it more chowder-like.
6. Finally, add 1 cup of milk or yogurt and simmer 5 more minutes.
7. Serve immediately with a great bread.

Makes 10 servings.

Baked Shrimp Scampi

We were desperate for some dinner during the fencing project - Carol found shrimp and salmon, both frozen, in the freezer. We have a couple of quick shrimp dishes (Peanut Shrimp and a "Cajun" shrimp recipe from Cooking Light that I should post some day soon). But we have an enormous 3 quart container of harvested garlic (gotta love the "Music" variety). So Shrimp Scampi came to mind quick.

We found this recipe quickly on the web - it is from a Barefoot Contessa recipe, slightly modded for a simpler kitchen. We have fresh rosemary in the house (potted plants rock) and the parsley is still holding on outside (after several nights of 22 F lows). And this is born - and it is good. We have had this one twice this week. Yum.

Ingredients

• 1 lb raw shrimp
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 Tbsp dry white wine or sherry
• salt and pepper
• 2/3 stick of butter, room temperature
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup onion, minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
• 1 tsp fresh rosemary, minced
• 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/3 cup panko

Preheat oven to 425º.

1. Peel the shrimp and then put them in a bowl.
2. Add olive oil, wine or sherry, and pepper. Let sit at room temperature while mixing the rest.
3. In the stand mixer, add the butter, garlic, onions, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, egg yolk, and panko. Mix this "topping" at medium speed until well combined.
4. Place the shrimp in a single layer in a glass pie pan.
5. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp and then sprinkle the topping over the shrimp.
6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (the shrimp will be thoroughly cooked and pink).
7. Serve over pasta (spaghetti or shells) or rice.

Makes 4 servings.

Peanut Grilled Shrimp

This is one of our favorite new recipes - it makes a slimmed down version of our Pad Thai recipe. Pad Thai is more a principle than a recipe, but ours relied on the peanut sauce (lots of lime juice, ketchup, peanut butter and spice).

This recipe allows you to make a simple grilled (or broiled) shrimp then top dress it with some peanut sauce. We like to have it with steamed broccoli and then over some rice noodles. Toss the peanut sauce over the shrimp, brocc and noodles... very nice, simple, and fast (15 minutes from start to finish).

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 Tbs of lime juice
• 2 Tbs of sesame oil
• 1/4 cup of peanut butter (natural if you can get it)
• 1/4 cup of orange juice
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp of hot sauce
• 3 Tbs of ketchup (or to taste)

Steps:

1. Mix the lime juice and sesame oil together.
2. Marinate the shrimp with the juice/oil for 2-8 hrs in the fridge.
3. Mount the shrimp on skewers.
4. Grill the shrimp, 2 minutes per side. Or... turn on the broiler for 5 minutes. Place the skewers over a 9x13 pan on the top shelf of the oven. Broil 2-3 minutes per side.
5. In a small pan, heat up the peanut butter, orange juice, garlic, ketchup and hot sauce. Mix well until it has the consistency of a sauce.
6. Take the shrimp off the skewers and drizzle the peanut sauce over it.