Week #22: Bosnia and Herzegovina



In honor of the wonderful Bosnian nurses from Utica, NY, who helped my family recently, we're taking our tasty travels to the Balkans this week!

According to Wikipedia, "Bosnian cuisine is balanced between Western and Eastern influences. The food is closely related to Turkish, Middle Eastern, and other Mediterranean cuisines. However, due to years of Austrian rule, there are also many culinary influences from Central Europe.

"Bosnian cuisine uses many spices, but usually in moderate quantities. Most dishes are light, as they are cooked in lots of water; the sauces are fully natural, consisting of little more than the natural juices of the vegetables in the dish."

Sounds good to me! I'm on the road and away from my kitchen, so I won't be cooking till Tuesday or Wednesday, but I'll still try to prepare three dinners by Saturday.

Stay tuned!

A Brief Hiatus...

Hi, folks!

Sorry that I disappeared for a while... I was called out of town unexpectedly in the middle of our "trip" to California on an urgent family matter. But, things have begun to settle down again, so I'll pick things up again next week.

I'll announce our destination on Sunday but probably won't be able to cook until Tuesday or Wednesday due to prior commitments that will keep me out of the kitchen.

Stay tuned!

Sweet & Spicy Salmon

While this dish isn't attributed to a particular place in California, it's very much in that state's style. Orange, honey and chili feature prominently in the glaze, and the finished product will knock your socks off.

We served ours simply on a bed of mixed greens - truly, that's all it needs. We also used ground chipotle powder instead of ancho chili powder, since we already has it on hand. Also, we subbed agave nectar for the honey. It has a "greener" taste that I thought would pair nicely with the fresh herbs, and the lower glycemic index doesn't hurt either. Lastly, we had some honey ginger balsamic vinegar that we bought at Gustare on a recent trip to Cape Cod, so I just had to use that here.

If you'd rather not heat up the house during these warmer months, you could probably grill this dish instead. For fish (ooh, swordfish or tuna steaks would be great...), just be sure to get the grates smokin' hot to help avoid sticking and keep the skin on so it doesn't fall apart. Scallops or shrimp skewers also would be outstanding with this glaze, I bet. Even pork is mild enough that I could envision a grilled tenderloin benefiting from it.

Hands down, this is my new favorite glaze that I'll definitely use again for chicken and other seafood. Hopefully, I've convinced you to give it a try.

Here's how I made it:

3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small shallot, minced
1 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp Gustare honey ginger balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp agave nectar
2 Tsp ground chipotle powder
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Canola oil
1 lb salmon, skin on
Fresh cilantro and chives, minced

In a saucepan, saute the shallot and garlic over medium heat till lightly golden and softened. Pour in the orange juice, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer till reduced to about a quarter cup, about 30 minutes. Add the agave, chipotle, salt and pepper.

Meantime, in the last 10 minutes that the glaze is reducing, preheat the oven to 400. Heat the oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the salmon, skin side up. Flip and baste the cooked side with half the glaze. Bake uncovered for 8-10 minutes, then baste with the remaining glaze. Garnish with cilantro and chives, and enjoy!

Cobb Salad

Tinseltown provided the recipe for tonight's dinner.

Legend has it that late one night in 1934, Bob Cobb, the owner of the famous Brown Derby restaurant at Hollywood and Vine, was hanging out with Sid Grauman, who apparently wasn't needed over at his Chinese Theater. They got hungry, so Cobb decided to make a salad and raided the fridge for as many ingredients as he could find, even swiping some bacon from a busy chef nearby.

Grauman enjoyed it so much, he ordered one of "Cobb's salads" when returned to the restaurant the following night, and it was officially added to the menu not long after. The Cobb salad was born.

We tried a few markets in the area and couldn't find any watercress, which really stinks because I love the stuff. So, since it wasn't going to be authentic, I didn't worry about buying the precise lettuces either. You couldn't see it under all those delectable toppings anyway! Guess I should have used a bigger bowl...

I made the dressing cited in the article, too, but didn't follow that recipe to the letter for that either. I also didn't make nearly as much in volume. So, I won't bother reporting it here, mainly because I didn't really keep track of measurements and couldn't begin to guess now what they were. I will say, though, that I used garlic powder instead of fresh and Dijon mustard instead of dry English, since that's what we had on hand. And, it came out wonderfully!

As for the salad, the eggs were still warm and I used grilled chicken (also warm) instead of boiled or poached, which imparted more flavor in my opinion. It's a hearty salad and easily made a fresh and satisfying meal.

Here's how I made it:

Iceberg lettuce
Baby Romaine
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, diced
1 avocado, diced
6 strips of bacon, chopped
1 grilled chicken breast, sliced
Crumbled blue cheese
Fresh chives, minced
Original Dressing, to taste

Spread all the ingredients in rows on top of the lettuces. Drizzle with dressing, sprinkle with chives and dig in!

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!