Mexican Style Shredded Cabbage

I came up with this dish after trying shredded cabbage as a pasta substitute based off a recipe in The Ketogenic Cookbook by Jimmy Moore and Maria Emmerich. I definitely like it done Italian style, and you can use the basic principle of sauteing the shredded cabbage in a little fat for about 15 minutes on medium heat, then add cheese sauce or other pasta sauces as it pleases you. It's pretty versatile it would seem. The cabbage has a nice bite to it and the flavor is really good.


For one serving

2.5 cups shredded cabbage, approximately
1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1/2 a small onion, diced small
2 or 3 cloves garlic, sliced or chopped roughly
1/4 cup strained or crushed tomatoes or low carb tomato sauce
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne
salt

Toppings:
shredded cheese of choice (such as mexican blend, mozzarella, parmesan)
2 Tbsp full fat sour cream
Salsa or salsa verde
hot sauce

1. In a skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. When the pan is hot, add the shredded cabbage, onion, garlic, and a dash of salt.
2. Cook the cabbage, stirring occasionally, until it is fairly tender. This will take a little time, about 15 minutes.
3. Then add in your spices and strained or crushed tomatoes.
4. Cook for a minute or two. Taste and season with salt if needed.
5. Serve hot with the various toppings.

Ethiopian Cabbage and Potatoes (Tikil Gomen)

It was just halloween and we (my Aunt and I) cooked up an Ethiopian feast for our annual pumpkin carving party. I made this dish, along with kik alicha (Ethiopian yellow split peas) and an egg and cauliflower berbere wat. It is one of my favorite Ethiopian foods, although as far as I can recall, I have never had anything Ethiopian that I didn't like. This is a vegan dish that I ate on occasion growing up when we would get Ethiopian from restaurants, and then started making for myself as an adult when Ethiopian restaurants were few and far between. I often serve it with Ethiopian lentils and plain rice to make a nice meal. This recipe is based off of stamarex's Ethiopian Cabbage Dish on allrecipes.com, but I've changed it quite a bit by adding more spices and some heat and complexity from jalapeños.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup olive oil (I use extra virgin)
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 4 carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp turmeric or 1 or 2 Tbsp minced fresh turmeric root
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 or 2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 to 3 jalapeños, halved and seeded, and sliced if you like (optional)
• 1/2 head cabbage or 1 moderately small head cabbage, chopped or shredded (not too small)
• 5 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (I like gold potatoes with this)

Directions:

1. In a large skillet or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Cook the carrots and onions in the hot oil for about 5 minutes. 
2. Stir in the spices (salt, pepper, cumin, turmeric, garlic, ginger, cardamom) and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 
3. Add the chopped cabbage and cook for 15 to 20 minutes more, stirring occasionally.
4. Stir in the the potatoes and cover. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the potatoes are tender and soft (depending on the thickness of your potatoes, about 20-30 minutes). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
5. Optional: Add jalapeno close to 10 minutes before the end of cooking. I sometimes lay halved, seeded jalapenos on top and let them steam,  but I have also stirred 1 sliced, seeded jalapeno into the dish and let it cook until it was tender and it's spiciness was released. 

Spice and Lime Scallops on a Bed of Herbs

Adapted from Scallops with Spice Oil - Bon Apetit Test Kitchen May 2012 (found on epicurious.com)

It's only been in the last few years that I've tried scallops, but I've aquired quite a taste for them. I don't eat them that often though. I first had them at a local restaurant that did a wonderful job at making them, with flavors of cumin, paprika and lime. I wanted to bring in those flavors when I made them at home. I found the Bon Apetit recipe and replaced the lemon with lime, and instead of using the herbs as a mere garnish, I instead made them the bed for the scallops so it would be a salad. When I made this, I only had parsley, so that is what I used, but I feel that cilantro (in the original recipe) would work nicely with it. Some might find it strange to eat that much parsley, but I am reminded of Joan Didion who once served parsley salad to 40 guests. Her recipe is availble on brainpickings.org.

Note: The spice oil would probably cover 4 servings of scallops, so you will have extra if you make it as written. It is quite tasty though and can be used for other things.

Yield 2 servings
Time 20 minutes
Special equipment: spice mill (or clean coffee grinder or, if you really want to work for it, mortar and pestle.

Ingredients:

For the spice oil -

• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt plus more
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• zest of 1 lime (I use a microplane)
• 1 Tbsp or more of fresh lime juice

For the scallops -

• 1 1/2 Tbsp avocado oil (or grapeseed, etc. for high heat cooking)
• 6-8 large or 10-12 medium sea scallops
• kosher salt and pepper
• a little sugar
• 2 cups parsley, chopped or mixed cilantro and parsley with tender stems, rinsed very well
• olive oil for drizzling
• 1 Tbsp fresh lime juice

Directions: 

For the spice oil -

Grind first 4 ingredients with 1/2 tsp salt to a fine powder in spice mill, coffee grinder, or mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small saucepan with the olive oil and place on medium-low heat. Cook for about 2-3 minutes until the oil begins to simmer. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl, adding the garlic and lime zest immediately. After it has cooled for about 5 minutes, then stir in the lime juice. Season with salt, pepper, and maybe more juice to your tastes.

For the scallops -

In a large skillet, heat the avocado or other oil over high heat until the oil begins to smoke. Season scallops with salt and pepper and sprinkle on both sides with a little sugar. Sear on one side until well browned, 2-3 minutes. Using tongs, turn over and cook on the other side until just barely opaque in center, about 30 seconds.

Meanwhile, divide the herbs between two large, shallow bowls and drizzle lightly with olive oil and lime juice. Place half the scallops in each dish and spoon over the spice oil, about 2 Tbsp per bowl.

Bhindi Gosht (Pakistani Okra Meat Curry)

This recipe is adapted from http://www.angelfire.com/country/fauziaspakistan/bhindigosht.html

Mike's housemate's mom came to visit and made something like this, a simple dish of okra and meat. This is a fancier version than what she made. It turned out lovely!

1 lb. ground beef or lamb
3 12 oz. bags frozen chopped okra (bhindi)
3 Tbs. cooking oil
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 larged tomato, coarsely chopped
2 cinnamon sticks
3 large black cardamom pods - broken open with seeds dispersed, or about 1/4-1/2 tsp whole seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric
2.5 to 3 tsp salt
1 cup water
2 jalapeno peppers, coarsely chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (garnish)
1/4 tsp garam masala (added at the very end)

1. In a small food processor, finely chop the jalepenos, ginger, and garlic.
2. In a heavy bottomed pot with lid, fry the onions in oil over medium heat until golden  brown. Turn heat to low, add the meat, and break up with spatula so it is very fine while it cooks to a brown color.
3. Add the ginger, garlic, pepper paste and turn up the heat to medium. Let cook a few minutes while stirring. Add in the spices: cinnamon, cardamom, turmeric and salt, and cook, stirring  and adding some water to prevent sticking, for ten minutes.
4. Add okra and tomato and enough water to make a nice curry consistency - not too thick, not too thin. We use 1 cup water. Stir well and bring to a boil, then turn down heat and cover, let cook until the okra is quite tender, maybe 20 minutes to a half an hour. 
5. Check for saltiness, add garam masala and chopped cilantro, and remove from heat. Serve on a bed of cauliflower "rice" seasoned with butter and salt.

Alfredo Zoodles

I heard about zoodles somewhere and rather than looking up how to make them, I made up my own way. I think they are incredibly delicious and easy enough to make. For those who don't know, they are zucchini noodles made by taking a vegetable peeler and peeling strips of "noodle" off the zucchini. This is my basic one person serving of them.

3 T butter plus 1 T olive oil
1 or 2 cloves finely chopped garlic
2 large or 3 small zucchini (or yellow squash), ends trimmed and peeled into strips with veg peeler
about 1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese (loosely packed)
1/4 cup heavy cream or half and half (might need a little more than this)
lots of fresh grated black pepper
salt to taste
fresh basil (about 1 or 2 T chopped) or dried basil about 1/2 tsp or italian seasoning 1/2 tsp

1. In a skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and olive oil. When hot, add the garlic and saute for about a minute, stirring.

2. Add the zucchini strips and saute, stirring frequently, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until tender.

3. Stir in the cream/half and half and the parmesan cheese. Let cook, stirring some, for another 2 minutes or so until warmed through and cheese is melted and blended in.

4. Season to taste with plenty of black pepper, some salt, and herbs as desired. Serve nice and hot.

Palak Paneer

This is loosely based on how I made Palak Paneer, aka Indian spinach and cheese, not too long ago, but the recipe isn't perfected yet. Putting it here so Mike can try to make it.

What you'll need

2 Tbsp butter or ghee or coconut oil

3 bags chopped frozen spinach (not sure the ounces on these) (update: four 12 or three 16 oz bags work for this)

2 onions, chopped

6 cloves garlic

1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped

2-3 chili peppers such as jalapenos, seeded or not to your tastes (Mike, when I made it last I did 3 jalapenos, 2 without seeds and one with seeds)

1 package paneer cheese, which I believe is 16 oz. or equivalent homemade, cut into cubes

3-4 tsp garam masala

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander
1 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp turmeric

a few cups water

1/2 cup heavy cream

2-3 tsp salt
pepper

1. Melt butter/ghee/oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent.

2. Meanwhile, with your super duper handy little food processor, chop the chili peppers, ginger, and garlic together. When the onion is ready, add this hot gingery mixture to the pot and cook for a minute or two.

3. Now stir in your spices and let them cook for a minute (I find it is easiest to put all the spices together in a bowl before hand and add them all at once so nothing burns).

4. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir well. Add your frozen spinach. Cover the pot and cook until the spinach is thawed completely. If it looks like you need more water to reach the consistency you like, add some. Mike says about 2 to 2 and 1/4 works for him.

5. Take your trusty and indespensible immersion blender and start going at it with the thing. Vroom vroom. Get it as smooth as you like. Now let all this cook together at a light simmer for 7 minutes or so. Do it on about medium or medium low heat and stir occasionally. I just picked 7 out of my arse. Five will do in a pinch.

6. Now you can add your cubed paneer. Continue to simmer for about 7 more minutes or until you think it's done.

7. Take it off the heat, stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper. You're going to need a lot of salt - all that spinach! But be careful (Mike) not to over salt it.

Now you have to eat it, what a chore. Poor you.

I really feel bad for you.

Cheesy Biscuits made with Coconut Flour

I've adapted this recipe from Heavenly Homemaker's Coconut Flour Cheddar Drop Biscuits. It's a low carb and gluten free recipe. You can make it with either butter or bacon grease. These are fairly eggy, with a slight dried coconut texture and hint of coconut flavor that is barely noticeable. I've served the butter version to my parents and they loved them even though they aren't on any special diet. Mike is now infatuated with the bacon grease ones. This recipe can be halved (I doubled Heavenly Homemaker's recipe because Mike goes through these really fast). These goes really well with breakfast.

1/2 cup melted butter or bacon grease (really recommend bacon grease!)
2/3 cup coconut flour
8 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 cup mixed shredded cheese such as sharp cheddar and mozzarella (you can add more cheese if you like)

You can add other seasonings to these as well, like garlic powder, cayenne pepper, black pepper, or herbs.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.
In a large bowl, whisk together everything but the cheese. Make sure there are no lumps. This will take a few minutes. It should look thoroughly blended. Then, with a spoon or your hands, mix in the cheese. Form batter into 12 biscuits, placing on a parchment lined baking sheet as you go. Bake for about 20 minutes or until starting to turn golden brown in spots. Enjoy!

Borani Bademjan - Eggplant with Tomato and Yogurt

I used to have a hard time with eggplants. I was never sure what to do with them. Other than ratatoille and eggplant Parmesan, I suppose. I do like those. This might be better. There's a Afghan restaurant in Charlottesville that Mike and I go to for their excellent lunch buffet. It's called the Afghan Kebab Palace. They always seem to have this dish out. I tried it and fell in love. I looked up recipes online and only found two that seemed close. This is my version. Instead of frying the eggplant, which I tried and found difficult since eggplant seems to love to suck up oil, I opted to brush the eggplant with olive oil and broil, which seems a much easier option. This dish does have a lot of oil in anyway though, but that's how it's supposed to be. 

If you like, you can halve the recipe since this makes a 9 x 13 inch pan worth. But it's so good, leftover too. Just be sure to wait to add the yogurt to the whole batch so you can reheat the eggplant part of the dip before serving.

Borani Bademjan - Persian/Afghan Eggplant with Tomato and Yogurt

1 cup Greek yogurt

3 cloves minced garlic, one kept separate

2 large eggplants, sliced into about a 1/2 inch thick rounds

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil for brushing eggplant (or more if needed), plus 1 Tbsp

1 28 oz can tomatoes, crushed or chopped - or - 3 or 4 tomatoes (peeled if desired and chopped)

1 Tbsp dried mint (or 2 Tbsp fresh mint, minced)

1/2 tsp turmeric

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne or red pepper flakes

1 onion, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Immediately, mix the yogurt with the separate one clove minced garlic and set aside to to let meld in fridge.

Brush the eggplant slices on each side with extra virgin olive oil and place on a baking sheet (or two if needed). Broil on high for 5 minutes or until golden on top, then flip and broil another 5 minutes or until golden brown all over, checking frequently to avoid burning and removing finished ones as needed.

Once all the eggplant has been cooked, set oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a skillet heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat and sauté the chopped onion until soft. Add the 2 remaining cloves minced garlic and cook 1 minute or so. Stir in the spices except mint. Cook briefly, about a minute, then add the crushed or chopped tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened somewhat, 5 - 10 minutes. Stir in mint and remove from heat.

Place the eggplant slices in a glass or ceramic baking dish in several layers. I use a 9 x 13 inch pyrex caserole dish. Pour over the tomato mixture and spread to cover the eggplant. Bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until the eggplant slices break apart when stirred gently. It can take longer. Remove from the oven, let cool some, stir to break it up into a dip consistency, and transfer to a serving bowl if desired. Then swirl in the yogurt and serve while it is still warm (do not mix all the way). Or you can wait and add the yogurt later if you plan to reheat the dip.

Serve with rice or pita, lavash, or other bread or chips, and any other Afghan or Persian fare.

Ethiopian Doro Wat

My dad lived in Ethiopia for a while and my grandfather has a huge connection to that country. I grew up eating Ethiopian food from DC area restaurants as a kid, but only ever the vegetarian options. The spicing and flavors were always great, taking something that seemed simple and elevating it to a new level. I started eating meat a few years back and now am happy to eat and try new meat dishes. When I visited my dear friends Tyler and Kate in Washington State, they cooked for me a version of doro wat that just plain rocked. It was incredibly hot and delicious. This version is based off of their recipe which came from the Penzey spice company. Beware - this recipe is quite an undertaking and takes several hours of attentive cooking to make. But it is so worth it!

Doro Wat:

10 chicken thighs or equivalent drumsticks or mixture with bones and skin
one lemon or lime cut into wedges
1.5 tsp salt (to taste)

6 large red onions, chopped or about 2 bags medium and small onions
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup plus one T berbere and 3 T cayenne
water
5 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 cup minced ginger or 1-2 tablespoons powdered
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice
3 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp salt to taste
10 hard boiled eggs pricked all over with a fork or sliced somewhat with a knife 

Recipe:

Put chicken in large bowl, add enough water to cover it. Add lemon or lime slices (squeeze them) and salt, marinate for 2 hours or so (or overnight). Cook onions over medium heat until browned (yes, dry with no oil). This step usually takes about 1 hour for me. Add the olive oil and stir in the berbere and cayenne. Cook for 30 mins, adding a little water gradually (two tablespoons at a time), only enough to keep it from burning. Drain the marinated chicken and add it to the pot, stirring in some water with it, up to about 2 cups (or skip this). Cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring some (Add small amounts of water like before if you skipped adding the extra 2 cups water). Add the butter, garlic, cardamom, and ginger. Cook for 20 more minutes or so, adding water like before if needed. Lower the heat, add the nutmeg, allspice, black pepper, and salt. Cook for 15 minutes. Turn heat to very low and add the hard boiled eggs and let it rest, covered, for an hour or so. Serve warm with rice or injera and shiro wat, an Ethiopian chickpea and spice gravy like dish, and, as we have taken to doing, coleslaw. This is a moderately spicy dish that has been toned down for company. Feel free to increase either the berbere or cayenne for more traditional flavor.

Scrambled Eggs with Spinach and Feta

So recently I have been trying the Mediterranean diet at least part time. I have become particularly intested in recipes and the lifestyle of the Greeks before they were introduced the the American way of eating. The diet is rich in vegetables, olive oil, and even red wine. For the most part I don't find it too hard to follow. However, lately I have been eating a few too many sweets like vanilla ice cream in my coffee and homemade cherry pie, which the diet would not allow. The only sweetener I want to be eating is good local honey. Here is a recipe I came up with a while that makes a great breakfast. It is gluten free, low-carb, aaaand Mediterranean diet friendly and the flavors work really well together. Spinach and feta together reminds me of my momma's spanikopita, which I haven't been able to eat since I had to start eating gluten free for health reasons. Boy, do  I miss that.

Here goes. This serves one but is easy to increase.

1. In a medium non-stick skillet, sauté 1/2 a chopped onion or one small onion in about 1 T olive oil (or butter) over medium heat until quite soft and even a bit golden.
2. Meanwhile, lightly beat with a fork 2 eggs with a touch of herbs if desired (such as oregano, mint, or marjoram) and some salt and pepper. Don't add very much salt because you will also be adding feta which is quite salty.
3. When your onions are cooked, take a large handful of fresh baby spinach and either tear it or roughly chop it and add it to the pan, stirring some.
4. Stir in your egg mixture, then cook stirring occasionally.
5. When the eggs are almost set, stir in about 1 or 2 heaping Tablespoons crumbled feta cheese and finish cooking the eggs.
6. Serve hot.

Arugula and Pine Nut Greek Salad

This is just lovely. After a night of watching Yotam Ottolenghi visit the Mediterranean and cook there on Youtube, I spent a day shopping and concieving of this salad.

For one serving:

Take a bowl and fill it with arugula. I used and somewhat peppery baby arugula, but a more mature spicier one would be even better. Slice one small tomato and arrange over the greens. If you want, add some sliced and quartered cucumber and a handful of kalamata olives for sheer perfection. Then crumble a fine Greek feta over top, preferably a sheep and goat milk variety. Sprinkle with pine nuts, about 1 or 2 Tablespoons. Drizzle with plenty of extra virgin olive oil and a touch of fine wine vinegar or lemon juice. Lastly, a hint of salt and plenty pepper.

This is excellent served with mussels cooked in a little white wine with plenty of garlic and parsley.

Also, if you enjoy travel cooking shows, Rick Stein has some nice ones that are posted on youtube such as French Odyssey.

Cauliflower Clam Chowder

A gluten free, low carb New England style clam chowder with plenty of flavor. Nice and chunky, but overall lighter tasting without the potatoes and flour thickener. If you don't have cajun seasoning or don't want to use it, maybe try a bay leaf, celery salt, and a little paprika and cayenne.


1 head of cauliflower, chopped and steamed for about 14 minutes
3 cans chopped clams, drained and the juice kept separate
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3-4 stalks celery, chopped small
2 tsp minced garlic
1.5 tsp cajun seasoning
1 T fresh thyme
2 T chopped fresh parsley
3 thick slices bacon, chopped (I used a thick sliced pepper bacon which was excellent)
5 cups water (approx.)
1 to 1.5 cups heavy cream
salt and pepper

In a soup pot, cook the chopped bacon until done over medium heat. Drain on paper towels. Leave most of the bacon grease in the pan, or all if desired, and add in the onions, peppers, and celery. Cook until quite soft, about 15 minutes. Add in the garlic and cajun seasoning, stir, and cook about 1 minute. Then add in the clam juice and water. Let come to a simmer. Meanwhile, take about 3 or 4 cups of cooked cauliflower (maybe about half the cauliflower) and purree in a blender or food processor with the heavy cream until nice and creamy like riccota. Then add it to the pot. When it is simmering, add in the rest of the cauliflower pieces, the fresh herbs, the reserved bacon, and the chopped clams. Simmer for about 5 to 7 minutes, allow to cool slightly and meld, taste and season with salt and pepper, then eat.