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.