Falafel and tzatziki no longer in its comfort zone!!!

Earmarking anything in my house will be of no avail! I would never allow for anything to just have a single purpose. I could never be that rigid, never has been and never will be. So with that said, whether it be kitchen gadgets or specific types of groceries, my mind goes into overdrive just contemplating what I'm going to manipulate next!
" There is absolutely no need for this showmanship!" I am thinking. It is only a Saturday night and my family just wants a simple dinner on the table already, but no, this need to please has become a neurosis that I have adopted from my dear Mother. Preparing something simple just "aint going to happen."
I was eyeballing the falafel mix and decided to coat the chicken kebabs with it instead of breadcrumbs and hey, maybe when I am in the mood for falafel, will I then gladly oblige but for now it has another destiny! The tzatziki, too, is also presented just a little differently.

The result...... nothing less than spectacular! The falafel chicken kebabs were juicy and that alluring spicy aroma sent everyone into a ravenous "tizzy"( Is there such a word?) . Well, they refused to wait another minute for this much prolonged supper! The couscous was so flavorful with the addition of the green chili and the orange juice and the tzatziki, a refreshing finale to a memorable meal! Silence always follows when we sit down to eat and like a rich benefactor, I always come to the rescue of my family's dinner dilemmas. In the end the wait was definitely worth it and the clean plates alone were all the "thanks" I really wanted!

Couscous prepared with oven roasted garlic, bell peppers, green chili and citrus juice. I had to be very careful unmolding this delicate design !




Chicken kebabs dusted with falafel mix and spices
and then baked

Click on the picture!




Cucumber "spaghetti" tzatziki and baked zucchini
on the side





Groceries










Without further ado, here now is the recipe:

Please use organic ingredients when possible.

Do not forget to soak the skewers for an hour in water!

• 3 lbs organic boneless and skinless breast pieces ( cubed)
• falafel mix
• tahini
• roasted bell pepper seeds
• garam masala mix( I make my own mix, toasting all the spices and then grinding them)
• fresh lemon juice
• lots of pounded oven roasted garlic ( roast with the bell pepper)
  
• olive oil
• parsley
  
• pure pickle masala
• red bell pepper( roast in the oven)
• small can green chili
• Orange juice
• fresh lemon juice
• Greek yogurt
  
• couscous ( garlic and olive oil)
• cucumber
• a little miracle whip
  

Sprinkle the chicken kebabs with kosher salt, 2t bell pepper seeds, 2t garam masala and then squeeze with the lemon juice. Stir the pounded garlic( about 2 t) into olive oil( just a little more than quarter cup but not quite a half cup) and then pour over the chicken and let sit for an hour.
Meanwhile chop the bunch of parsley( no stems) and mix into the falafel mix and half teaspoon of pure pickle masala . Dredge the kebabs very heavily in this mix, thread onto the skewers and then bake ( convection bake ) on 375 degrees for 30 mins. Do not forget to pour all the remaining garlicky olive oil over the chicken kebabs prior to baking!

For the couscous:
Remove the skin from the red bell pepper and chop, drain the can of green chili and mix together. Prepare the couscous as per directions on the box but substitute a quarter cup of the water with the orange juice, also use a little less H20 than suggested on the box . Make sure that the liquid is a rolling boil!!!!! I used the little sachet in the box as well and when you add this add some roasted pounded garlic as well ( 1 t) . When the liquid has evaporated add the green chili and roasted pepper mixture, fluff the couscous and then close the lid and let the couscous steam.

For the zucchini;

Slice the zucchini into thin slices, sprinkle with some pure pickle masala( very little) and some bell pepper seeds, brush with olive oil and then bake for about 20 mins until crispy.

Tzatziki:

Cut the ends off the cucumber and rub these ends on the sides of the cucumber. Peel and slice into thin strands. Take some of these strands and chop into small dice and mix into half cup of yogurt , leave the rest for presentation , 2 T tahini , 1 T fresh lemon juice, 1 T orange juice, some bell pepper seeds and some kosher salt. I also added 2T of miracle whip to this mixture.

Nazarina A.


Probeer hierdie resep. Jou hele famielie sal jou liefhe en die wereld van jou dink ! Ek is verseker dat jy sal vriende he wat jy nie eens geken het nie!

Grass-fed, organic beef cooked low and slow and fru-fru potatoes: It's what's best for dinner!!

Just like a steamy cup of Milo( malted cocoa) and that infamous ritual robe can evoke a fuzzy sense of security on a cold winter's night, so too, can a pot of beef cooked low and slow and not forgetting a crispy potato topping, capture that efficacious effect. Yes, patience is truly virtuous when adopting this mode of cooking. Intense rich gravies, juicy rumps and tender loins are but a few of the many rewards when" slaving over a hot stove." In this case your "pot runneth over" with flavor and goodness and who knows who will join you at the dinner table! I can assure you that even a raucous "obligate carnivore" ha! ha! or even a meat loving motor head for that matter will be on his/ her best behavior just to get a piece of this pie no matter how fru fru!

Here the cook will be graded if you will on this slow cooking method and the love put into the dish and not the intramuscular white fat content found in grain-fed beef which is all the rave with certain restaurateurs and others and frankly may very well be the cause of modern health concerns. For me the slogan"more fat, more flavor" which is revered by so many is far from the truth! I can assure you that you will achieve the same "ta da" with a minimal ingredient list and grass-fed organic beef because here the beef actually taste the way beef is supposed to taste!



A condensed translation for my Afrikaans and Dutch readers:

Net soos n' warme koppie Milo en n' rituaale kamerjas op n' koue wintersaand, so sal n' heerlike en stadige gekookte organiese biefstuk bredie jou troos. Hierdie stadige metode is n' beloning vir enigeiemand wat bereid is om die heeldag voor n' stoof te slaaf. Bo alle twyfel, hierdie ryk en lekker vleissous is waar jy sal gradeer word en die slagspreuk "meer vet meer geer" is nie rerig n' waarheid nie, nie vir my nie. In elk geval, vee wat gras vreet is meer gesond vir ons as vee wat graan vreet. Ten slotte, daar is talle ander bestaandele wat vir jou geer kan verseker maar vir my is liefde die vernaamste. As daar niks liefde is nie, hoef jy nie moeite maak nie.



Beef cooked low and slow in a rich gravy with crispy fru fru potatoes






The potato topping is crispy and has a hint of lemony spicy goodness.
As you bite into it, it just melts in your mouth! The beef is as tender
as can be and that rich gravy will have you singing for more!






This is also known as a "bredie" in South Africa. ( Snyboontjie bredie)

Slow cooked beef, fresh green beans and crispy star shaped potatoes over fragrant basmati rice and mustard seeds.




What are these? They are not what you think they are!




Stuffed with roasted and then pickled beets in a creamy garlic Parmesan sauce




These are actually pear-shaped potatoes ( made from mashed potatoes)







Please use organic ingredients when possible

• 2 big onions, thinly sliced
  
• 2 lbs organic grass-fed stewing beef, cut into cubes, washed and drained in a colander
  
• olive oil
• 1 whole ball garlic pounded
• roasted bell pepper seeds
• 1-2 dried red chilies
  
• about 5 big potatoes( I made fancy cutouts, but you can just peel and slice thick rounds)
• some crack black
  
• 2 T balsamic vinegar
• lemon pepper ( I make the lemon part from scratch, will show in another post)
  
• kosher salt
  

Saute the onions and the garlic in 2 T olive oil until caramelized. This has to be really golden in color but not burnt. Add the beef, roasted bell pepper seeds, chilies and kosher salt and then cook until the meat is tender( about 2 hrs). Keep stirring and add water if the meat looks like it is going to burn. The meat has to reach a deep golden color. Then add the balsamic and a few turns of crack black and cook for 5 more mins more , making sure that there is enough water for the rich gravy to develop. turn off the hot plate and leave to cool. While the meat is cooking, peel the potatoes and slice into thick rounds or cut with a cookie cutter for the fancy shapes. Boil the potatoes until just tender with a little kosher salt and then drain.
Grease a casserole dish with olive oil, spoon the beef mixture into the dish and pack the potato slices on top. Brush the potatoes with olive oil, sprinkle with lemon pepper and bell pepper seeds and bake in a 375 degree convection oven for a further 20 mins or until the tops of the potatoes are golden.



For the green bean version:
Follow the same procedure as for the cubed beef casserole but add the green beans to the cubed beef mixture in the pot and cook further until tender( another 20 mins). Bake the star shaped potatoes in the oven, with olive oil and the lemon pepper and bell pepper seeds until crispy 375 degrees for 25 mins and then just place on top of the meat and green bean mixture when you are ready to serve.


Pear- shaped baked potatoes:

• 1 lb floury potatoes
• 1 egg plus an egg yolk
• 3 oz grated Parmesan
• 3 T fresh chopped cilantro
  
• some bell pepper seeds
• some raw spaghetti to represent a stalk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3 cloves chopped garlic
• 1T grated Parmesan
• 1 extra beaten egg
• some panko
• some flour

Peel and cook the potatoes until tender 7 mins. Do not forget to salt the water with a little kosher salt. Drain and mash thoroughly. While the mashed potato is still hot, gingerly add the all the beaten eggs, 3oz Parmesan, bell pepper seeds and the cilantro. Divide into 12 portions on a tray and refrigerate for an hour. Flatten each portion on the palm of the hand, place one teaspoon of the beets in the center and then close this filling tightly.
Shape these portions into a pear shapes , dust with flour, dip in the beaten egg and then the panko, stick a small piece of spaghetti into the potato for the stalk and refrigerate for another 30 mins.
Drizzle with olive oil and bake in a pre-heated 375 oven until golden( about 25 mins.)



Creamy Parmesan sauce:

Cook the cream and the, 3 cloves of chopped garlic until reduced down just a little and then add the Parmesan and cook until creamy about 10 mins. Spoon over the baked pear shaped potatoes.



Pickled beets

• 1 jar organic small dice beets/ or you can roast 2 in the oven
  
• chopped green chili
• 2 chopped shallots
• 1 T balsamic
• 3 T rice vinegar

Prepare the beets by draining all the red liquid and add to the chopped shallots and the green chili. Add the vinegars and a little kosher salt and set aside.


I never make all these dishes on one day. One dish per day!


Please enjoy!
Nazarina A.

Chicago Sun-Times

A superlatively sensational shrimp curry fest!

Shrimp curry with dried chili mangoes in a fragrant basmati rice ring










Shrimp curry over lightly fried flour sticks( "Pancit Canton" product of Philippines)








Dried chili mangoes (these chili mangoes are not spicy at all has more of a sweet Hungarian paprika taste available at Sunflower Farmer's market) and flour sticks (available at Asian markets)







Shrimp curry with roasted citrus over colorful basmati rice & pappadoms ( pappadoms aka urad available at Indian stores)







Often a dish can go from mundane to just ostentatiously irresistible! Look closely before breezing by my method of making this flavorful curry and deciding that this is just another curry-in-a-hurry. It is all this "lagniappe"( meaning that little bit "extra" ) , in other words, all the bells and whistles that elevate this dish! It reminds me of my microbiology professor who hailed from New Orleans and who used this term "lagniappe," another form of extra credit, to encourage us to excel and as you can see it shows in gastronomic proportions in all of my culinary ventures. The dried chili mangoes partially dissipate and impart a sweet and sour element of surprise to the sauce. Crazzzzzzy good!

Ingredients ( Please use organic ingredients when possible) :

Together with 5 green onions, cut an orange or tangerine, lemon and a head of garlic in half , brush with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and roast in the oven at 375 degrees until caramelized. This takes about 30 mins and set aside to cool.

• 2lbs peeled and deveined shrimp (lightly washed and packed on ice)
  
• 6 med. tomatoes cut in half and grated on the fine side of grater. Discard the peel.
• kosher salt to taste
  
• 1 small onion chopped fine
• couple slices of green bell pepper
  
• 3 strips of the dried chili mangoes, sliced in smaller pieces or use quince sliced
  
• 1t ginger paste ( pound small piece ginger )
  
• 1/2 c chopped cilantro
• 1t turmeric
• 1t garam masala( I make my own roasted mix)
• 1t seafood masala mix
• couple curry leaves
  

Method:

Saute the chopped onion and the green bell pepper until caramelized. Add the grated tomato and half of the roasted garlic, the chopped roasted green onions and the ginger paste and cook for 20 mins until you have a luscious sauce with just a little bit of texture. Add all the spices, dried mangoes and curry leaves and cook for 5 mins. Now only add the juice of the roasted citrus and half of the cilantro and cook for another 5 mins. Last but not least, add the shrimp and the remainder of the cilantro and cook until the shrimp are just pink about 7 mins.
Serve with flavorful basmati rice or lightly fried flour sticks and pappadoms.
Please do not for one minute think that this dish is overly spicy because I cannot tolerate too much heat even though my family can. I know that I give the indication with fiery red chillies as presentation, but these chillies are only used as a garnish and not in the curry itself. This dish does absolutely score high in taste! Please enjoy. it is my pleasure to serve you!

Check out on Reuters newswire

NazarinaA

Identity-not-so-unknown! A lasagna cake.

A new spin on your regular lasagna

Prep for lasagna: Please use organic ingredients whenever possible.

I love that "prrt, prrt, prrt" sound the tomato sauce makes when it cooks!

Our garden

Basil, peppers and tomatoes.

My husband is a passionate amateur gardener and everything he touches turns to green. Lucky for me all the fruits of his labor are the highlight of all my culinary endeavors. However, regardless of passion, growing conditions dictate the type of yield and gardening in Denver can be quite challenging.Temperatures could fluctuate 50 degrees or more in a day and the soil here is highly alkaline and in most parts, heavy clay. This year especially we experienced a longer winter hence more snow with a resultant shorter growing period. This year is also the debut for our yellow tomatoes and I decided to include it in this dish.

The recipe: Makes one 7 inch round springform and a smaller 9 inch round pyrex.

Aubergines:

Peel and slice 2 aubergines, brush with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt, pure pickle masala( or Hungarian sweet paprika), chopped fresh basil and oregano, and then bake for 20 mins at 375 degrees. This amount will only cover the base of the sprinform and the base of the pyrex.

Tomato sauce:

Make a little x with a sharp knife in 8 red and 4 yellow tomatoes( I picked these from the garden) and soak in hot water for about 15 mins and then pull off the skins. You could skip this step if you prefer to do so ( I do not like tomato skins in the sauce) and then blend all the tomatoes. Meanwhile, saute' a small onion with about 10 cloves of pounded garlic in a little olive oil until caramelized, add the pureed tomatoes, little kosher salt, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes and 1 teaspoon of organic sugar and cook for about 15min. Add a quarter cup of chopped oregano and basil and set aside to cool.

Ricotta mixture:

Mix 2 containers( 15oz ea.) of ricotta with a quarter cup of chopped basil and oregano, 3 beaten eggs, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes and set aside.

Chicken:

Sprinkle 3 chicken breasts( About 2 and a half pounds with skin on ) with kosher salt, garam masala, pure pickle masala or Hungarian sweet paprika, and chopped chives. Drizzle with olive oil and panko breadcrumbs and roast in the oven for about 35 mins. Remove, cool and then shred into pieces.

Assembly:

Lightly butter the springform pan and line the bottom with the baked aubergine and save the rest for the 9 inch pyrex. Completely cover the aubergine layer with a layer of won tons and then cover this layer with some of the ricotta mixture, sprinkle with fresh grated parmesan, cover with another layer of won tons, and then a layer of shredded chicken , spread a layer of the tomato sauce directly over the chicken and repeat the whole process. Try to end with a layer of ricotta and sprinkle with parmesan. You can prepare the 9inch pyrex with the leftover ingredients. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 -50 mins until golden. Cool for about 5 mins and then remove the ring. I decorated the sides with mozzarella and sweet milk cheese cut with a small square cookie cutter and then just put it back in the warm oven for 10 mins. The residual heat melted the cheese around the circumference just a little.

See also:

http://giddygastronome.blogspot.com/2008/03/only-other-man-i-knew-that-was-so.html

Enjoy!

Nazarina A.

Feedback from my family: We never want to go back to the regular old lasagna ever again! I must concur each and every bite of this lasagna was surprisingly light, creamy and savory. The tomato sauce had a very 'fresh' taste ( fresh and juicy from the garden taste) and just think of all that lycopene! What is a body to do?

Lasagna made with won tons and little antioxidant jewels from the garden is a grrrrrreat thing!

This is my entry for Andrea's Grow Your Own ( Bi-monthly blogging ) event. She encourages you to commit to a garden and later enjoy the fruits of your labor.

A bucket of orange glo!

A simple preparation and into the oven!

People just do not have the time to cook a decent meal anymore, so they head straight for the fast food chains and in this case you know which one! However, this method is so easy and the end result nothing short of spectacular and under $7.00 ! Please use organic ingredients whenever possible.

Instant Gratification....by Nazarina

We live in an instant era,

where deferred gratification and tolerance are rare,

and instant tempers always flare,

just look at them spin and down they fall,

except for a few who decided to stand tall,

and look at the rest and be amused at them all!

I know that life can be pretty hard and that we expect instant meals for instant efforts but what good is all this "instant food?"

Ingredients for the orange chicken:

• About 12 drumsticks
• Kosher salt
• My home made garam masala mix( which has toasted cumin, coriander, etc...) I make this ahead of time and then grind them in a coffee grinder. But for you that do not have the time, just use cumin and paprika
  
• Masala (my home made spice bend for chicken
• sesame seeds
  

Method:

Sprinkle the drumsticks with salt. Mix together 2 T of the garam & 1 T of the rest of the spices & sprinkle this on the drumsticks and last but not least sprinkle very lightly with the chopped cilantro. Drizzle gingerly( not too much) with olive oil and bake in the oven at 375 degrees for one hour. After about 45 mins into cooking time pour the orange glaze over the chicken and sprinkle with some sesame seeds. Cut a few slices of an orange and arrange over the chicken and bake until golden

Orange glaze:

Boil 2 cups of orange juice with 1 t honey and 1 t tamari( soy sauce) . Add a few orange peels, try not to put in the pith(white part) of the orange. Mix 1 t arrowroot powder into another 1/2 c orange juice. The arrowroot keeps the liquid clear( or you could use cornstarch) . The liquid has to cook until you have about one cup , then mix in the arrowroot mixture and stir. You will notice that the liquid will thicken and look like a syrup.

Enjoy!

Nazarina Andrychow.

Reuters newswire

"Boerewors"( South African sausage), peri peri spice chips

Boerewors, homemade chips and Mrs Balls bladjang! Yummmmeeeeeee!!!

Boerewors sausage, egg and homemade barbecue sauce on a bread roll.

I make this boerewors from scratch twice a year, (4Th of July and December). There is just too much work involved and when I do make it, it disappears right from under my nose. It is also a two day process for me and I use only 80/20 ground beef or turkey or sometimes even chicken.
I only make about 8lbs a time because that is what my biggest bowl can hold. Homemade sausage rolls, paella, quiche are amongst the other dishes I make with sausage (I will show these in future posts).
This Boerewors sausage is so tasty and does not have a lot of fat at all. The roasted flavorful veggies and all the fresh roasted spices that goes into the ground beef make the meat tender and superlatively scrumptious!

Oh! do not forget to dip the boerewors into the spicy and yet sweet apricot chutney( Mrs Balls bladjang) and the malt vinegar for the chips) this is a British fetish!

Nazarina A.

Ground turkey timbales with a hoisin and Mrs Balls chutney sauce

Mmmmmm good! This is a party in your mouth with all the different flavors and textures.This hoisin sauce is fruity, a little spicy and very smooth. It reminds me of dark onyx!It has hoisin , sesame oil, and orange juice and Mrs Balls bladjang. These ground turkey timbales and everything for that matter was baked until golden brown and delicious. As you can see I ladled the hoisin sauce over the turkey and the mushrooms. The mushrooms are stuffed with a red bell pepper, kalonji( onion seeds, my new found love), garlic, tarragon panko mixture and the chips are coated in that same panko mixture and then baked.


Enjoy!


Please e-mail me for the recipe

Masala salmon with a sweet potato croquette

A recollection of my Grandparents and my Mom teaching us not to be afraid of all the warm spices. I think I would make them proud!

My special garam masala mix, turmeric, fish masala, pounded garlic and ginger, green chilies( seeds removed), chopped cilantro, fresh lemon juice are all made into a paste and smeared on the fish, dipped into panko and seared to obtain that yummy crust.Sweet potatoes are roasted in the oven, the flesh mashed with ginger, garlic, beaten egg and my special spice mix, dipped in panko and also seared on both sides.Don't be bashful, go ahead and enjoy!

Nazarina.

Malaysian beef satay with a spicy peanut sauce.

I am absolutely nuts......................nuts about peanuts.

For the peanut sauce: small onion chopped, garlic, 3 T tamari, 2T peanut oil, ginger root, red chillies, sugar, juice of a half of a lime, one cup H2O, and one cup roasred unsalted peanuts and blend all these together. I like it a bit crunchy. Bring this mixture to a boil, then simmer on low for 40 mins and just add water and stir if it thickens.

Marinate the beef skewers in a mixture of chopped onion, garlic. tamari, peanut oil, lemon zest, turmeric, fennel. coriander, cracked black, cumin and Mrs balls bladjang.

E-mail me if you are stuck!

You can serve this with the Asian pear salad and some sauteed baby bok choi

Nazarina.

A facelift.....even Joan Rivers would be proud of: Black bean shrimp

Ostentatiously Oriental!

Black bean sauce and Mrs Balls bladjang shrimp with a sambal oelek, red bell pepper chutney on the side.

This is ostentatiously oriental! I have deviated a little from the norm. The ingredients are shallots, sesame oil, roasted red bell pepper seeds and my special spice mix, tangerine juice, chopped red bells, cilantro, Mrs Balls bladjang and then of course your usual suspects like fermented black bean sauce, tamari etc... First sautee the baby bok choi ( 5 mins) then the shrimp in the sauce ( fond) that is the little bits in the bottom of the wok.

You know the ramifications of messing with a good thing! Yeah! I know some really crazy good results. Changing the norm was a good thing!

Nazarina.