Moussaka December 7, 2009

For me, this dish has two main advantages: it’s easy and you can make a huge pot and refrigerate it for a week. You can also add more veggies – for instance, you can replace the potatoes (or one of the potato layers) with eggplants.  For the basic version, you’ll need: 400 gr minced meat (I use a mixture of pork and beef, but if you want the healthy option, go for chicken or turkey), 6 large potatoes, 1 onion, 4 garlic cloves, 3-4 tomatoes and 1 small can of tomato sauce, 2 carrots (grated), cooking wine, oil, salt, pepper, basil, parsley (plus any other spices you like with your meat).

Instructions Prepare the meat: saute chopped onion and garlic. You can either put the meat in the frying pan, add spices and cooking wine and sear for 2-3 minutes, or simply mix in a bowl the meat with the onion, garlic, spices and cooking wine. Add grated carrots for extra taste. Set aside. Peel potatoes and slice them (big, round slices). In a big oven proof dish, arrange potatoes into one layer. Spoon one layer of meat over the potatoes.

Slice tomatoes and layer them on top of the meat. Finish with a second layer of potatoes. Add tomato sauce. If needed, use some more water (you want the whole dish to have enough liquid, otherwise it will dry up in the oven). Put in the oven for 45 minutes to one hour (or until potatoes are tender). My advice is to keep the lid on, otherwise the top layer will get really dry. Serve warm with cold sour cream or yogurt on top.

Cauliflower and Potato Curry October 27, 2009

I got the recipe for this side dish from a recipe book (Cooking for Today. One Pot. Parragon Publishing) and adapted it to my taste. The original was meant to be very spicy, as it included 4 dried chillies. The dish itself is very flavory and works well with any type of meat (maybe except fish). You’ll need: 4 red potatoes, 1/2 cauliflower (flowerets), 1 onion, garlic, and a range of spices like turmeric, cumin, gingerroot (I used ginger powder, which the recipe explicitly warned against, but it worked well in the end), paprika, salt and pepper.

Instructions:

1. Soak cauliflower flowerets in cold water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and cut potatoes into cubes. Slice the onion and set aside.
2. In a wide pan, heat some oil and add some cumin (the recipe said white cumin seeds, i used powdered cumin). Mix thoroughly and after 1 minute, add the onion. Cook for 3-5 minutes (or until onion becomes translucent). Remember to mix constantly.
3. Add ginger, garlic, paprika, salt and turmeric and cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add potatoes and cauliflower, mix well and add 2/3 cup water. Cover and simmer until the veggies are tender, adding more water if needed.

Zucchini Stew August 31, 2009

Got those fall yellow and green zucchini and don’t know what to do with them? Try a stew – you can then pair it with meat, or just eat it on its own, or with, say falafel. It’s not difficult at all to make it and it stores well in the fridge for up to a week. You’ll need some 5-7 zucchinis, 2-3 cooking tomatoes (or canned diced tomatoes), 1 onion, basil, parsley, salt, pepper and a bit of oil.

Zucchinis by maesejose

1. Peel and cut zucchini into cubes. Set aside (but don’t leave for too long, as they change color. If you need to store for a few hours or so, cover them with cold water or milk).
2. If using raw tomatoes, sink them in boiling water for a couple of minutes, then remove skin and cut into pieces. Set aside.
3. Peel and cut onion. In a cooking pot, add a bit of oil and saute the onion until translucent.
4. Add zucchinis, little by little, mixing to incorporate them. If needed, add a bit of water.
5. Add diced tomatoes, salt and pepper.
6. Let boil. Towards the end, add basil and parsley.

Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce August 29, 2009

This recipe is quite easy to make: you boil the cauliflower, then you toss it with the sauce in the oven for some 30-40 minutes, and you’re done! You’ll need: 1 big cauliflower (or 2 small ones), feta cheese (hard to say how much, you’ll probably need some 300 gr), breadcrumbs, 1 tsp white flour, 150 ml milk, 2 tbsp butter, 2 eggs, 2 tbsp sour cream, salt and pepper.

Instructions:

1. Wash cauliflower under cold water. With a knife, remove stem and leaves, then separate the florets by cutting the stems.
2. Boil in a big pot until cauliflower is tender.
3. Grease an oven dish some of the butter, save the rest for the sauce. Arrange the cauliflower florets in the dish, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, salt and pepper.
4. Prepare the sauce: melt the rest of the butter, then mix with the eggs and the sour cream. Add the flour. In a separate dish, crumble the cheese using a fork. Incorporate in the sauce.  Add the milk, mix thoroughly.
5. Pour the sauce over the cauliflower and bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes, or until golden.

Photo credits: Muffet

Stuffed Peppers and Tomatoes May 22, 2009

Three pepper by chefranden

Stuffed peppers and tomatoes are more easier to make than it may sound. You’ll need: 3 bell peppers, 3 large tomatoes, 3 Roma tomatoes, 1 onion, 2-3 garlic cloves, 300-400 gr. ground meat (I prefer a mixture of pork and beef, but it works well with any meat or, if vegetarian, with rice and mushrooms), basil, thyme, oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, oil and chicken/ vegetable stock (if you don’t have stock, just dissolve 1 maggie cube in water or use vegeta).

Instructions:

1. Prepare the bell peppers and the large tomatoes: remove tops, then discard seeds (with the tomatoes, use a teaspoon and spoon out the contents). Put aside.
2. Prepare the meat: finely cut onion and fry it for 1-2 minutes in a large pan with a bit of oil. Add the garlic, finely chopped or crushed, then add the meat and stir for 2-3 minutes.
3. Remove from oven and put in a large bowl. Add all the spices (basil, oregano, thyme, parsley) and salt and pepper and mix well.
4. Spoon meat mixture into hollow peppers and tomatoes (if using a mixture of rice and mushrooms, follow exactly the same steps, but do not fill your peppers and tomatoes completely, because rice will expand a bit). Place them in a cooking pot.
5. Remove skin from the remaining Roma tomatoes (put them in boiling water for 1-2 minutes), then cut and add to the pot.
6. Add stock to cover the peppers.
7. Cook on stove for 30 minutes, medium heat. After it has boiled, move to oven (350F) for some 30 minutes.
8. Serve hot with sour cream on top.

Rosemary Pork with Mushrooms and Rice May 12, 2009

This dish works wonderfully with beef as well. Get the meat already cut into small cubes or strips, and marinate it over night. You’ll need: 300-400 gr meat, 7-10 white (or a combination of white, wild and portabella) mushrooms, 3-4 minced garlic cloves, olive oil, 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, 1 tbsp fresh thyme, 1 tsp parsley, salt, pepper, cooking wine, 1 minced onion, 1/2 cup rice, 3-4 sundried tomatoes.

Instructions:

1. For the marinade: in a cup, mix thoroughly some 2 tbsp olive oil with 1 tbsp cooking wine, the minced garlic cloves, the fresh rosemary and thyme (make sure you chop them to release the flavor), the parsley,  salt and pepper. Pour over meat and let stand in the fridge for 3 -24 hrs.
2. Heat a bit of olive oil into a big frying pan, then fry the meat (make sure you pour all the marinade) for 5 minutes. Remove from stove, and remove the meat.
3. Add into the remaining juices the mushrooms, cut into pieces. Return to stove, and add cooking wine. Lower the heat (under medium) and put a lid on to get the juices from the mushrooms out. Mix every 2-3 minutes.
4. When there’s plenty of juice in the pan, pour everything into a pot, add the meat and cook until everything is tender (for some 10-20 minutes).
5. In a small cup, soak 3-4 sundried tomatoes in hot water for 5 minutes.
6. In a separate pot, heat a bit of olive oil and fry the finely chopped onion for 2 minutes or until translucent. Add 1/2 cup of rice and a bit of cooking wine.  Stir and leave for a few seconds, then add 2 cups of water (or stock if you have any). Add the soaked tomatoes.
7. When the rice is soft, put it in the same pot with the meat and the mushrooms and let on the stove for 5 more minutes. If there’s not enough liquid, add some cooking wine and some water/ stock. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Mushroom Pasta with Sour Cream Sauce April 7, 2009

If you get those white mushrooms (not the colorful ones from the photo!) and don’t know what to do with them, you can try this recipe for a sour cream sauce. You can also add pasta to the recipe.

Ingredients: 400-500 gr. mushrooms, 1/2 cup cooking wine, 2 tbsp butter (or oil), 1 cup sour cream, 2 tsp white flour, salt and pepper. Optional, pasta, 2 tbsp grated cheese.

Instructions:

1. Wash and slice mushrooms, then put them in a bowl and sprinkle the cooking wine and a pinch of salt.
2. In a cooking pan, heat the butter (or the oil). Add mushrooms and put a lid on to get the water out of the mushrooms. Remember to stir every now and then (if the water evaporates too quickly, add a bit).
3. When the mushrooms are cooked (tender) and the water is almost evaporated, add the sour cream and the flour. Optional: add cheese. Leave until it boils once, then remove and serve hot.
4. If you want to add pasta, boil it while you prepare the mushrooms as described above. Drain the water, then dump the mushrooms on top of the pasta. Add the sour cream, white flour and cheese as described above.

Photo credits: love janine

Marinated Cross Rib Steak March 23, 2009

A cross rib (beef shoulder) steak is a good choice of a week’s lunches. In my experience, beef can be quite problematic, especially when roasted in the oven, because it tends to get dry and hard to chew on. This recipe ensures that the beef stays tender and moist, and it’s very easy to follow. You’ll need: a cross rib steak, 1/2 cup cooking wine, 1/2 cup oil, 1 tbsp. thyme, 2-3 garlic cloves, salt and pepper.

Instructions:

1. Prepare the marinade: mix cooking wine, oil, thyme, salt and pepper, and 1 garlic clove. Put it in the fridge for 20 minutes.
2. Prepare the meat: wash it with cold water, then make small incisions and stick the garlic cloves (peeled and cut in 2, lengthwise) in them.
3. Pour the marinade over the meat and let stand in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. Put in the oven (400F), covered with aluminum foil for 45 minutes. Remove foil and reduce heat to 350F, allowing the steak to roast for some 30 minutes more,  constantly brushing it with the marinade. Turn once or twice.

Stuffed Vine (Grape) Leaves Rolls February 5, 2009

You may have tried the cabbage rolls and liked them. If so, this one is not very different, except you use vine (grape) leaves instead of (sour) cabbage. Of course, the taste is different, but the principle is the same… I like the pork and beef mixture, but you can easily change it to any type of meat you like – or simply vegetarian (for this, replace meat with mushrooms).

You’ll need: 1 jar vine leaves (find them at the European food stores around Calgary), 300 gr minced meat (as I said, I do the half pork/ half beef combination), 1/4 cup of white rice, 1 big can diced tomatoes, 1 small can tomato sauce, 1 onion, dry parsley, basil, oregano, oil, salt and pepper.

Instructions:

1. In a frying pan,  put a bit of oil and fry the finely chopped onion for 2 minutes.
2. Add minced meat and spices (parsley, basil, oregano, pepper) and salt. Fry for some 5-7 minutes (the meat does not have to be fully cooked). Drain oil and set mixture aside.
3. Optional: using the oil from the meat, cook the rice for 3-4 minutes. Drain and incorporate in the meat mixture. If using rice, make sure you do not fully stuff the vine leave, as the rice will grow.
4. On a plate, unfold the vine leaves. Use a spoon to take some meat, place it on the vine leaf, and then roll. My way of rolling the leaves is to put the meat right in the center, fold the left/ right margins, then roll.
5. In a big pan, stack the rolls. Add the diced tomatoes, the tomato sauce and some water. The liquid has to fully cover the rolls. Add as much water as needed.
6. Boil on the stove for some 20-30 minutes, then put in the oven. Leave covered for the first 20 minutes, then remove lid and bake for 20 minutes more.
7. Serve hot with sour cream and polenta.

Mushroom Stuffed Salmon February 4, 2009

Another tasty way of cooking salmon: stuff it with mushrooms, olives and green onion! To preserve the flavor, cover the pot with aluminum foil when you put in the oven.

Ingredients: 1/2 salmon (the fish, not fillets or anything else, so that you can stuff it), 200 gr mushrooms, 1 bunch green onion, 100 gr pitted black olives, bread crumbs, oil, 1/2 lemon, cooking wine, salt, pepper, and any spices (like basil, parsley, oregano, thyme…).

Instructions: Wash fish, season with salt and pepper, a bit of olive oil and the juice from the lemon. Set aside. Wash and cut green onion, mushrooms and olives. In a frying pan (large enough to put all ingredients in), fry the green onion for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms, salt, pepper and other spices. Add a bit of cooking wine. Leave for 5-7 minutes. Add black olives, remove from stove and incorporate enough bread crumbs to make the mixture sticky. With a spoon, stuff the salmon with the mixture. In an oven-proof dish, sprinkle a bit of olive oil and add cooking wine (just enough to have a liquid film covering the dish). Place salmon, add any remaining mixture on the fish, and cover with aluminum foil. Put in the oven (350F) for20-30 minutes, or until fish is ready.