Holy Crap, This is a good meal!

I feel like I've neglected my vegetarian friends lately, so this is for you and your soft teeth. I really like curry, but after a while, one gets sick of coconut based Thai meals.  So, after some exploring I've discovered meals that 1) use no coconut milk or 2) are not dominated by it. This is a guaranteed meal, brothers and sisters.  It is incredibly tasty and it has some chickpea protein to keep those choppers inside that delicious mouth of yours.

This meal has a lot of canned elements to it, don't let that dissuade you.

What you Need: 
Rice, cooked.
1 C onion, chopped
1 Tbsp ginger, minced.
1 garlic clove, minced.
then . . .
2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp ground red pepper
1 1/2 tsp ground mustard
then . . .
1 can coconut milk
1 Tbsp jalapeno, chopped,; seeded.
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp tumeric
2 cans chick peas, drain and washed
1 (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes, undrained.
1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
and finally . . .
3 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped.

Tomato Chickpea Curry

Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in LARGE skillet.
Add first three ingredients; cook 5 minutes.
Add next three ingredients; cook 2 minutes , stirring frequently.  (see pic)
Add next 6 ingredients; bring to a boil.
Then simmer 35 minutes, uncovered.

photos by: DMG

Remove from heat and add cilantro.
Serve over Rice, that you should have cooked 45 minutes ago..

*This meal is really good.

Total time: 55 minutes
Drink: KJ Cabernet 2008 (a gift).
Music: REM

You say Tomato, I say Shut the Hell Up

The ruby siege continues.   The plant that bears adult fruit signals the begin and end of warm days.  This year is three-quarters gone and what have we done, but eat tomatoes until our tongues are sore?

I don't know if you ever tried to can tomatoes before.  Without the proper tools, the process involves boiling water, burnt fingers; the kind of anger summoned when coffee is too hot.  I don't can anymore so I look for recipes which will make a dent in my growing stores of The prettiest and most salacious daughter of the nightshade family.  Salsa is actually very easy to make and I had all the ingredients all ready.  We made a meal of it by throwing it on some chips, cheese and seasoned meat.

What you Need:

4 C tomatoes, chopped
6 banana peppers, chopped
(about 1/2 inch pieces)
1-3 Jalapeno, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped
1 green and 1 red pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 C tomato sauce
1/2 C Cilantro
1 tsp. red wine vinegar
1/4 C lime juice, no more

Seasonings:
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cumin                * I've added Jalapenos because it came out too sweet for my tastes.
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

Garden Salsa

photos by DMG

Heat Olive Oil in large pan.
Saute Onions, garlic, peppers
for two minutes.
Add tomatoes, including juices
running off cutting board.
Simmer 15 minutes, uncovered.

Meanwhile . . .

Mix tomato sauce, cumin, paprika
vinegar salt and Cayenne in bowl.

Then . . .

Add to pan, simmer 10 minutes.

       Remove from heat and add lime juice, cilantro, cool.
       *Cooling in a container helps bring out the flavor.


      Total time: 30 minutes
      Book:  Christine Schutt
      Drink:  Aqua, with lime

Lydia Lunchless

There is a story here.  We decided to forgo cable for Netflixs and the 20 odd channels you can get for free on basic television.  One day, while watching PBS we came across a balding Italian Chef named Lydia.  Apparently this is the same Lydia of my former hometown Lydia's Kansas City Italian restaurant.   She was making delicious meals with ridiculous amounts of wine.  The thing is-- she didn't give out any of the measurements of anything.

Here's what I think happened.  First, Lydia is actually very small so the proportions looked very big in relation to her tiny frame.  Second, the meal calls for a flat-iron steak; which, not going to an actual butcher, I could only find in a pound and a half.  Third, I think the pan she used was deeper and less wide than my dutch oven, so I ended up with about two gallons of sauce to cover a shrinking pound of meat.  None the less, this recipe rocks.

photos by DMG

What you Need:

2-3 lb. Flat Iron Steak
Olive Oil
3 Garlic gloves, crushed
1 1/2 Onions, chopped
1/8 C Rosemary and Sage, chopped
Flour

Sauce:
2 C Red Wine, Dry
3 C Chicken stock
1/2 C Pine nuts
2 C Tomatoes, crushed

* Flat Iron is the shoulder of a cow



Italian Flat Iron Steak and Red Wine Sauce

Put liberal amount of Olive oil in deep pan
over medium-high heat.

Add Garlic, Onion, Rosemary and Sage
Cook for 3 minutes.

Flour both sides of Steak.

Push onion mixture to one side and brown
steak on both sides (see picture).

 Once browned; thus sealing in juices, add Wine and      Stock.
 Cook 30 minutes.

  Remove liquid into large bowl and puree pine nuts into         sauce in batches.




Return puree to pan with meat and add 2 cups crushed tomatoes  Simmer, covered for 2-3 hours.


*This really is a delectable meal.  We'll probably use the left over sauce to cook up some carrots and potatoes.

Total Time: 3 hours
Music: Soul Coughing
Drink:  Petite Sirah

This is the One

Seriously.  For reals.  I wish I could put a platinum stamp of approval on every meal I cook.  But the reality is most of the recipes I try are first-time, one-off shots into the great culinary abyss. Many meals cooked will return to wince they came and only be rediscovered again by accident, and then be received by a shrug or "Damn, I think I've had this before."

I've cooked this meal once a year, five years running.  It is a glorious day when my tomato plant groans from the weight of her rudy children and all of the sudden I am awash in ruby wealth.  This is a perfect recipe to deal with the sudden crop of too many tomatoes.   Like I said--this is insane.

What you Need:

4-5 Tomatoes, sliced
3 1/2 oz goat cheese
1 egg yoke with a drop of milk
3 Tbsp. breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp. basil leaves, shredded
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Crust
1 1/2 C flour
3 Tbsp. cheddar, shredded
3 1/2 oz cold butter, diced
Salt and Pepper


Tomato and Goat Cheese Pie

Crust
Process flour and butter in food processor until crumbly.

Add Cheddar, 1/2 tsp. salt and 2 1/2 Tbsp. H20
Process again in short bursts until dough just comes together.

Turn mixture onto flour surface and form into a ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.




Then . . .

photos by DMG

Preheat oven to 350.
Roll out dough on lightly floured surface and make
a crust about 14" in diameter.
Brush most of egg yoke onto crust

*Right now would be a good time to move the
crust to a Pizza stone or greased tray

Sprinkle crust with breadcrumbs.
Layer tomato slices in an overlapping circle,
leaving a wide border.
Crumble goat cheese over tomatoes.

Turn up edge of pastry and brush with remaining
egg yoke.
Bake 30-40 minutes, until golden and cheese is melted.
Then dribble with olive oil and garnish with
basil and pinch of pepper for color.

There you have it.

Total Time
40 minutes
Drink
Agua
Music
Wugazi