Week #21: California, USA

Like, grab your sunscreen and Daisy Dukes and join in the fun! We're headed for The Golden State!

I'm sure many cities and/or regions there have signature dishes, and some rad Cali recipes immediately come to mind - including the California Roll, of course!

I'll have fun researching this week's menu. Narrowing down my choices will be tricky, though... But, I'll take on that challenge!

So, stay tuned. It'll be a delicious week - totally!

Chicken Tagine with Potato Croquettes

I found several Algerian chicken stews to choose from, and I'm not sure why this one won out, but it's really tasty so I made a good choice!

I'm a big fan of chick peas, so perhaps that's why I picked it. And, the seasonings used in this tagine are wonderful. (I don't have an actual tagine, by the way, which seems like such a luxury! But, my Dutch oven worked just fine.)

The croquettes are delicious, too! Lightly seasoned and fluffy inside, they make a great side for this meal. And, I made a gravy out of the cooking liquid, which made them even better. They were perfect for sopping up every drop and cleaning my plate.

Honestly, it's not as complicated to make as it sounds, just leave plenty of time for prepping the ingredients and boiling (and cooling) the potatoes. You'll be rewarded with a flavorful, satisfying meal.

Here's how I made it:

Olive oil and butter
3 pounds chicken (we used halved boneless breasts for less fat; but a cut up roaster would work too)
1 large red onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup water

2 lbs potatoes, boiled, cooled and mashed or riced
2 eggs
½ cup gruyere cheese
1 small onion, grated
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
Pinch of nutmeg
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Flour, for dredging
Canola or vegetable oil, for frying

Heat the oil and butter over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven and brown the chicken on all sides. Remove from pan and keep warm. Saute the onions till golden. Then, add the garlic and spices, return the chicken to the pan, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the chick peas and water, cover again and simmer on low for an hour.

Meanwhile, heat the oil for frying in a deep pan to 375. Mix the potatoes and all other ingredients in a medium bowl. Roll into 2" balls (wet or grease your fingers to help prevent sticking), and dredge them in the flour. Shake of the excess and set them aside on a plate. Fry them a few at time, so the oil doesn't cool too much. Drain them on paper towels, and keep warm till you're ready to serve them.

When the chicken is done, remove the meat and chickpeas from the pan leaving the liquid behind. Bring the liquid to a boil. Make a roux using a 2 Tbsp each of butter and flour (or whisk the flour into a little of liquid to remove lumps and avoid the extra fat), and add it to the pot. Season with a little extra salt and pepper, if needed. Continue to boil for a few minutes till it thickens into a rich gravy.

Slk Fel Kousha

What an exotic name for baked spinach with cheese!

This dish is so simple it barely needs a write-up. Whether you serve it with your favorite starchy side or enjoy it alone for a light meal, you're going to love this recipe.

Add some extra seasonings to punch up the flavor if you prefer, but it honestly doesn't need it. We even made ours with ground turkey instead of beef, because we had some in the freezer, and I don't think we sacrificed anything in terms of taste.

Here's how we made it:

2 lbs spinach, chopped
½ cup cooking water, reserved
Olive oil
1 onion, diced
½ lb ground turkey
Salt and freshly cracked black peper, to taste
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, minced
2 oz gruyere cheese, grated
Preheat the oven to 350.
Boil spinach for just a couple minutes, reserve a ½ cup of the cooking liquid, and drain the rest. Squeeze out all the excess water. (If you use baby spinach, you could skip this step and just add it raw to the pan.)

Heat the oil in a large pan, and saute the onion till golden. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the meat and brown for 4-5 minutes. Stir in the parsley and spinach, cook for a couple minutes (enough to wilt the spinach, if it's not pre-cooked), and then transfer to a baking dish. Sprinkle the cheese on top and bake for 10 minutes till it's melted.

God Save the Qu...Wait, Where Are We?

So, I'd planned to cook my second Algerian dish tonight, but I forgot I was missing a couple ingredients and I've already changed into my comfy clothes... OK, so I'm just being lazy. But, it's raining again and I just don't want to go back out.

While randomly researching something insteresting to write, I came across a nugget of info that seems especially pertinent this week: Algeria has applied for membership in the Commonwealth of Nations (formerly known as the British Commonwealth).*

In case you've missed it, news reports over the last several days have featured numerous snippets about the Diamond Jubilee celebration across the pond, as the United Kingdom's Queen Elizabeth II celebrates 60 years on the throne.

But, what exactly is the Commonwealth of Nations? This voluntary collective of 54 independent nations - one member, Fiji, is currently suspended due to a coup d'etat in 2006 - have a combined population totaling 2.2 billion people in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania. That's almost a third of the world's population, and more than half live in India alone.

The Commonwealth was formed in 1931 to promote democracy, human rights, free trade, egalitarianism and world peace, among other lofty goals. It's described on Wikipedia as "an intergovernmental organisation in which countries with diverse social, political and economic backgrounds are regarded as equal in status, not a political union." In theory, it's a forum in which all countries, large or small, rich or poor, contribute equitably.

It gets its fair share of criticism for not upholding those ideals - perhaps most notably with Zimbabwe, where President Robert Mugabe's government began wreaking havoc in the 1990s before walking out of the Commonwealth in 2003 on its own accord.

Still, if countries still seek to join it, then it must be doing something right.

*Interestingly, last week's country Maldives also is a member!

Vegetarian Chili

Turns out I was able to cook tonight, after all! And it's a gray, rainy day here in the northeast, so I decided to brew up a batch of Algerian Chili.

As usual, I took a couple short cuts and made some substitutions, so I could use items already in my pantry. But, no worries - it still tastes incredible!

I used less oil overall and mixed some chipotle oil with extra virgin olive oil for a little more heat. I ran out of fresh herbs, so I substituted dried. I used Goya small white beans instead of dried navy beans, and I opted for a can of fire roasted tomatoes instead of a couple large fresh ones.

I ended up with a smoky, spicy chili that makes a hearty vegetarian meal - served over couscous, of course. And, I opted for a spoon. Here's how I made it:

A few Tbsp olive and chipotle oil
1 large onion, diced
10 cloves garlic, minced
2 cherry peppers, minced
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
4 tsp ground cumin
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 can (14.5 oz.) fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 box (32 oz.) vegetable broth
2 cans (15.5 oz each) small white beans
2 bay leaves
1 tsp coriander seed
Pinch of ground cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dried cilantro

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions till browned. Add the garlic, peppers, paprika and cumin, and cook for a couple minutes. Next, add the tomato paste and cook for another couple minutes till it thickens. Stir in the tomatoes and about a cup of the broth, and bring to a boil. Then, add the beans, remaining broth, bay, coriander, cayenne, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer with cover ajar for 30 minutes. Check the seasonings, stir in a splash of red wine vinegar and the cilantro, and serve over prepared couscous.

Week #20: Algeria

Photo: lonelyplanet.com

This week, we're traveling to the land of couscous! 

The cuisine of Algeria, on the Mediterranean Sea in northern Africa, typically features hearty meats and stews served over a bed of couscous, a semolina-based, fine-grained pasta introduced by the Berbers, who settled there as far back as 30,000 years ago. Lamb and beef are popular meat choices, although seafood is popular in the coastal region, and many dishes and desserts feature fresh fruit. Dates are consumed frequently, since the trees grow even in the inland Saharan desert regions.

Often, meals are served at low tables, around which folks sit and eat with their hands. Only the thumb and first two fingers of the right hand are used. The left hand is considered unclean, and using more fingers symbolizes overeating.

My first meal will likely be prepared on Tuesday, so stay tuned till then. Cheers!

Kulhi Boakibaa (Umm, sort of...)

So, tonight's meal was a traditional Maldivian recipe. Or, well, it was supposed to be...

I prepared kulhi boakibaa, basically a large fishcake made with tuna, the islanders' favorite fish. The ingredients include many of my favorites: curry, ginger, coconut, lemon, garlic, chili peppers... But, the final preparation was seriously lacking. So, what's that? Blog failure #3? Not a bad record overall, but a big bummer nonetheless.

The cake is bound together with rice, like smaller crab or fish cakes use bread crumbs. I soaked the rice overnight - for 24 hours, in fact - so it ground up nicely and nearly cooked completely while baking. But, it stayed a bit gritty and the flavors didn't blend well.

Well, such is life! I'm hugely disappointed, though, because I'm not able to cook again before the end of the week - the next two nights are booked and I won't be near the kitchen! That means, I've only made one Maldivian recipe and it wasn't even the traditional one... Not a very successful "visit" to this week's country.

My sincere apologies to you all. Hopefully, next week will be better.

Chicken Casserole

I found this recipe on a site devoted to Maldivian cuisine that includes dishes that originated outside the islands but have been "...adapted to suit the Maldivian palate and are now favorites..." There are loads of interesting recipes on this site, both traditional and adopted, so I decided to make one of each.

Tonight's casserole is meant to be cooked for an hour or so, using par-cooked potatoes that will soak up the pan juices. We actually had some boiled, red-skinned potatoes leftover from our picnic last weekend, so I modified the recipe to cook faster.

Luckily, my changes didn't seem to affect the flavor at all. What a wonderful go-to chicken dinner! Extremely simple to prepare and ready in 30 minutes, you definitely should add this recipe to your favorites. If you don't have leftover potatoes, then just steam or boil them while you gather your ingredients and chop your veggies; they'll finish cooking in the oven.

Here's how I made it:

Olive oil
2 boneless chicken breasts, halved
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 can (about 15 oz) diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
 tsp fennel seeds
Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375. In an oven-safe Dutch oven or casserole, heat a little oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onions till golden. Then, add the garlic and mix. Next, sear the chicken so that you get nice coloring on each side. remove from the heat. Layer the bell peppers and tomatoes over the chicken. Season with the oregano, fennel, salt and pepper, then sprinkle the cheese on top. Cover the pot with foil and bake for about 25 minutes. Remove the foil, switch the oven to low broil, and continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

Technical Difficulties

Sorry I haven't cooked yet, folks! Seems like the sun comes out and the calendar explodes with activity. We had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend, spending the first half partying with friends and the second half paddling on Cape Cod beaches, getting back late last night.

Unfortunately for this little venture, that means we have yet to hit the grocery store! But have no fear: I'll be getting back on track shortly and my first dish should hit the interwebs tomorrow night. Thanks, all!

Week #19: Maldives



Graphic: en.wikipedia.org

This week, we're headed to the Maldives, a country of 1,190 coral islands - of which about 200 are inhabited - spread across about 35,000 square miles of the Indian Ocean.

Maldivian cooking typically uses three primary ingredients: tuna, coconut and starches. But, I'll try to mix in a few other items as well.

So, get your taste buds ready... It's going to be a tropically yummy week!