by Krista | Jan 7, 2010 | Winter
I have been fascinated with the Middle East for as long as I can remember. My shelves are filled with books expounding on the culture, history and food of such places as Egypt, Israel and Iran. Slowly but surely I’ve been tasting and learning the foods of those storied lands.
My brother Ryan and I made a Lebanese feast for Easter, my Jewish friends invited me to celebrate Hanukkah with an amazing feast, and this fall Ryan, his girlfriend Melissa and our sister-in-law Kendra went to Munich, Germany and had a fantastic Persian meal in a lovely, dark little restaurant.
Thus it was with great delight that I met Remy and Heather at CEC this week. They are such a fun couple and make me laugh and think – a great combination! Remy is from Israel and shared a dish that surprised all of us: Mujaderra.
It is a humble looking dish of lentils, rice and onions in varying shades of brown accompanied by an equally neutral white yogurt sauce. It may not look or sound flashy, but don’t let its simplicity fool you.
It’s A M A Z I N G.
In fact, it was so good that I went home and made a batch the very next day. I was so impatient that I didn’t even wait for Remy to share his recipe, but searched online for “lentils and rice with yogurt” and found something that at least looked like the right thing. 🙂
I started out with a whole lot of oil and a whole lot of onions bubbling together in a saucepan.
I cooked them until they were gorgeously brown and sweet with charred edges.
I set the onions aside and rinsed and sorted the green lentils.
Then set them to cook while I measured out the rice. I understand that white jasmine rice is traditional, but I didn’t have any so I used Bhutanese Red.
When the lentils were partially cooked I added the rice and let them simmer until both were tender. Then I folded in the onions, topped with plain yogurt and dug in. Sigh. It was wonderful. Not as wonderful as Remy’s, but still tasty as all get out. 🙂
When I got Remy’s recipe that night, I could see that the extra “something” in his dish was the seasonings he added to both the Mujaderra and the yogurt sauce. Cumin, garlic, onion and bay leaves. Perfection. 🙂
Remy’s Variation of Mujaderra
“Traditionally this is made with caramelized onions instead of fried ones, but this version is faster and also very tasty.” – Remy
Ingredients for Mujaderra:
1 cup green/brown lentils
2 cups white jasmine rice
3 cups of water (for rice)
3 large onions, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled
2 bay leaves
oil-vegetable or olive
1-2 tsp. cumin
salt to taste
Ingredients for Yogurt Sauce:
plain yogurt (non-, low- or full- fat)
garlic powder and cayenne pepper
salt
other spices you may desire (cumin and onion powder work well too)
Directions:
Sort lentils to make sure there are no little stones.
Put lentils, garlic and bay leaves in a pot with enough water to cover plus a couple of inches. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer covered until lentils are soft (but not mushy), approx. 1/2-3/4 of an hour. When cooked drain the lentils in a colander or sieve, and fish out the bay leaves and the garlic cloves.
In a separate pot heat up about a tablespoon of oil. When hot add 2 cups of white jasmine rice. Stir around till all the rice is well coated with the oil. Add 3 cups of water and salt to taste. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cook, covered, for 20-30 min. or until the water has disappeared and the rice is soft.
Chop two to three large onions (you’ll want lots of onions, as this is where most of the flavor comes from). Put 2-3 tablespoons of oil (don’t skimp) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot add onion and some salt. Fry the onion until nicely brown, stirring often, then add a teaspoon or two of cumin.
When the lentils, rice and onions are all done mix them together in a large bowl or pot, reserving some of the onions to mound in the center as a garnish. Serve with yogurt sauce (below)
For the yogurt sauce, mix some plain yogurt with salt, garlic powder and some cayenne pepper. Add spices and salt slowly and taste as you go- you’ll want the sauce to be just a little more spiced than if you were eating it by itself- the rice and lentils can be a little bland. Mix till smooth and taste to get the right seasoning.
Simple Mujaderra
(From All Recipes)
Ingredients:
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, sliced into rings
1 1/3 cups uncooked green lentils
3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream (optional)
Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions, and cook about 10 minutes, until browned. Remove from heat, and set aside.
Place lentils in a medium saucepan with enough lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer about 15 minutes.
Stir rice and enough water to cover into the saucepan with the lentils. Season with salt and pepper. Cover saucepan, and continue to simmer 15 to 20 minutes, until rice and lentils are tender.
Mix half the onions into the lentil mixture. Top with yogurt or sour cream and remaining onions to serve.
by Krista | Jan 6, 2010 | Winter
In honor of the lovely Kat’s birthday, the theme at CEC was a saucy one, filled with recipes “where the sauce makes the dish.”
It was also our biggest crowd yet with 15 chattering, laughing, cooking people crammed into the kitchen whipping up all sorts of marvy delights.
We started out with glasses of wine from Kristin accompanied by Don’s Spicy Chicken Wings and Cameron and his friend’s Crispy Fried Tofu with Tahini Sauce.
First out of the oven was Toby’s gorgeous Sweet Potatoes with Brandy sauce, studded with pecans and marshmallows. Followed shortly by Selwyn’s creamy and tart Apple Jack Chicken.
Meanwhile, Darren churned out gluten-free pasta while Kat, Heather and Mike made chicken and alfredo sauce for Chicken Fettucine Alfredo. Deb made a wonderfully creamy Garlic Chicken with Balsamic Cream Sauce. Annie and Aaron made a zesty and refreshing Spinach Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette. Remy made his version of Mujaderra (more on this tomorrow!) and I wrapped things up with Hot Fudge Pudding Cake with Creme Fraiche.
It was such a fun evening filled with much hustle and bustle, resulting in a Saucy meal that did our birthday girl proud. Happy Birthday, Kat! 🙂
Gluten Free Handmade Pasta
(From Group Recipes)
Ingredients:
½ cup tapioca flour or sweet rice flour
½ cup cornstarch
⅓ cup potato starch or arrowroot
⅓ cup fine brown rice flour, more for rolling out
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons xanthan gum
4 eggs or 1 cup flax gel (see below)
2 tablespoons oil of choice
FLAX GEL: 1 tablespoon flax meal + 3 tablespoons hot water. (Let stand, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes or until thick. Use without straining.)
Directions:
Put the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer. Blend using the paddle.
In a separate bowl, lightly beat together the eggs (or flax gel) and oil.
While the mixer is on, slowly add eggs and oil mixture to dry ingredients. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Dough will be soft like play dough. If it’s not, add water, one tablespoon at a time.
Lightly dust your counter with cornstarch. Cut the dough into 8 pieces and cover 7 with a tea towel or plastic wrap.
Lightly dust a piece of dough with rice flour and flatten. Roll through the widest setting of a pasta machine. Continue to roll it through, folding it in half each time and lightly dusting with rice flour if the dough is tacky. Do this until the dough begins to hold together and seems smooth. It may take 5 to 6 times. Then decrease the thickness one notch at a time and roll through until desired thickness is achieved. Cut into desired shapes or leave as sheets. Place pasta flat on a cookie sheet. If layering the pasta or cutting it into shapes, dust it with rice flour. Cover and refrigerate until ready to cook.
To cook the pasta, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a dash of salt. Drop pasta into boiling water and stir. Cook until al dente. Fresh pasta cooks in just a few minutes. When the pasta is done, drain and rinse it under hot water. Toss with a little extra-virgin olive oil. Use immediately or cool and refrigerate for later use.
Garlic Chicken with Balsamic Cream Sauce
(From All Recipes)
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons butter
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon seasoning salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
Directions:
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with garlic powder, seasoning salt and onion powder. Saute about 10 to 15 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.
Balsamic Cream Sauce
(From All Recipes)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 onion, minced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Heat olive oil and butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
Stir in the onion, and cook until it has caramelized to a dark, golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Stir in the balsamic vinegar, and cook for 1 minute before stirring in the chicken bouillon and cream.
Bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted.
Apple Jack Chicken with Bacon
Ingredients:
1 pound bacon, chopped
4 chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 cup apple jack brandy
1 Tbsp butter
1 apple, sliced thinly
2 cups heavy whipping cream
Directions:
Fry bacon until crispy, set aside 1 Tbsp fat.
Add chicken breasts and fry for a few minutes.
Add 1/4 cup apple jack brandy and cook until chicken breasts are done. Remove from pan but leave drippings.
In a separate pan, fry apples in bacon fat and butter until caramelized.
In pan with drippings, add remaining brandy and scrape off drippings. Pour in whipping cream and reduce.
Add apples, chicken and bacon.
Serve warm.
Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
(From Campus Cooks)
Ingredients:
1 cup flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp cocoa
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp oil
1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 3/4 cup hot water
Directions:
Sift first 5 dry ingredients into bowl.
Stir in milk and oil. Blend in the nuts.
Spread in prepared 9″ square pan.
Sprinkle with mixture of brown sugar and cocoa.
Over batter pour 1 3/4 cup hot water.
Bake 45 mins at 350 degrees. Cake will rise to top and sauce will form underneath. Serve warm.
by Krista | Jan 4, 2010 | Winter
It’s Sunday evening and I’m tucked up in bed, slurping noodle soup and thinking I’ll keep my Christmas tree up for a while longer just cuz it makes me happy to see it there all twinkly and serene.
It’s been a wonderfully restful weekend spent in my pjs reading books, watching movies and getting extra sleep. Just what I needed to get rejuvenated and re-focused for this first week of 2010.
I’ve been reading voraciously the past few months, usually having at least 4 books on the go. At the moment I’m working through the hilarious and thought-provoking “The Year of Living Biblically: One Man’s Humble Quest to live the Bible as Literally as Possible”, soul-nourishing “Traveling Mercies”, goal-refining “The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging” and “The Pianist” the heart-rending book on which the movie was based. Books are such a comfort, opening my heart to new ways of thinking, believing and experiencing, tearing down wrong conceptions and false teachings, freeing me to be myself. I love them. 🙂
I’ve been eating noodle soup every day, a habit sparked by a visit to my folks’ house a while back when we indulged in Top Ramen for the first time in ages. 🙂 I suppose “indulged” doesn’t seem the right word for such common fare, but when you add a few shots of soy sauce, a couple drops of Tabasco, and a sprinkling of green onion, that simple bag of petrified noodles becomes transcendent.
Of course, being almost completely devoid of any health-giving properties, Top Ramen is last minute, emergency ration fare, and I’ve been making healthier versions with soba noodles or whole-grain angel hair pasta.
I start with the broth, either hearty beef or chicken. My latest discovery is a divine concoction by College Inn featuring chicken broth infused with a blend of coconut, curry, garlic and coriander flavors. DELISH!
I add a sprinkling of green onion to the broth and set it to simmer while I get the noodle water boiling.
While soba noodles are my noodle of choice these days, tonight’s option is limited to thin whole wheat spaghetti. Yep, I really need to get to the grocery store. 🙂
While the noodles cook I chop more green onion, cilantro and grab the bottle of soy sauce.
Once the noodles are done, drained and dumped into a soup bowl, I ladle in steaming broth, sprinkle scallions and cilantro, dash in some soy sauce and give it a stir. Mmm. I love the ease of preparation and simplicity of ingredients. The hot, salty broth, hearty, grainy noodles and fresh toppings make it a perfectly satisfying, perfectly light evening meal. Just what I want to kick off the New Year on a healthy note.
And, as a little bonus, several of you requested the Dijon Butter recipe I used for the Brussels Sprouts the other day. Here it is 🙂
Dijon Butter
(From Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone)
1 garlic clove, put through press
1/4 pound butter
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard (I like grainy style)
1 large shallot finely diced or 2 Tbsp minced scallion
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Soften butter and blend with remaining ingredients. For the Brussels Sprouts I melt the butter. It makes it easier to coat.
Simple Noodle Soup
1 carton broth
2 handfuls of soba noodles or thin whole grain pasta
2-3 scallions, thinly sliced
handful of cilantro, chopped
soy sauce to taste
Combine broth and half of scallions, bring to boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Cook noodles and drain (rinse if using soba noodles), pour into soup bowls. Cover with broth, sprinkle with remaining scallions and cilantro, and add soy sauce to taste.
by Krista | Jan 1, 2010 | Winter
As a girl it was desperately important to me to have the holidays go as they were “supposed to.” I wanted all our family with me, all our traditions intact, and I would dissolve into tears if things weren’t just right. Oddly, they were tears of grief, not frustration, as if something precious had been lost, never to be recovered. The happiest times in my life revolved around those traditions and when something upset them I felt the loss deeply.
I wanted to preserve and remember every joyous moment. I wrote copiously in my journal documenting everything and when I got a camera I snapped away capturing brothers, cousins and friends in our mirth and jollity. And I collected water every New Year’s Eve. That’s right. Water. Heaven only knows where that idea sprouted from, but every year just before midnight I would fill one of Mum’s empty jars with water from that year, seal it, label it carefully and set it on a shelf in my room. I was a funny little creature. 🙂
Safe in the cocoon of my family the holidays were beautiful, chock full of happy traditions that we all love to this day. But then I grew up, left home and life happened. There were beautiful moments, yes, lots of them, but also searing pain that made the hurt of a missed tradition seem like Christmas in comparison.
As a teenager I found myself in a religious cult masquerading as a Christian ministry. They promised to provide a home-away-from-home where we could safely be trained in all sorts of good things. They lied. The years that followed are mostly a blank to me now, punctuated by memories of abuse, neglect and brain-washing. When my parents realized what was happening – they’d been lied to as well – they were horrified and did everything they could to protect and restore my shattered heart and body.
For years I couldn’t face what happened there, but three years ago I couldn’t hide from it anymore and it hit me like a tidal wave. The time since then has been one of deepest darkness for me, mind-numbing pain, incapacitating fear, and boiling rage towards God and my abusers. I wanted desperately to just die but something inside wouldn’t let me. I couldn’t let the bad guys win.
So I fought back, trying to find something beautiful each day to delight in – fairy lights, a good book, herb garden, new song, and wonderful food. I found safe friends, safe family who loved me, cried with me, and told me I was going to be OK. That I was OK. I stopped feeling guilty for despising the Old God. He was despicable.
A brave friend and fellow cult survivor encouraged me to write, to blog. I couldn’t for a while, I was too scared, my emotions too raw, but one day, just when I needed it, the bravery came. I started this little blog, ramblingtart, and began to write, and write, and write. I met other bloggers and as I read and as I wrote my heart expanded and I saw that life really was beautiful, hopeful, and happy again.
I wasn’t in the darkness anymore.
So this New Year’s Eve I abandoned all tradition. No party, no cork-popping at midnight, just me, my folks, Brit murder mysteries and comfort food. It was perfect. 🙂
Mums and I made Poutine – our favoritest Canadian comfort food of all time: French fries topped with mozzarella cheese, beef gravy and LOTS of black pepper. AMAZING! 🙂 Pops brought us “bubble water” aka – Perrier- Eggnog, Salt and Vinegar chips, and German Chocolate Little Debbie cookies. 🙂 We got cozy under quilts and watched Inspector Lynley mysteries until we were too tired to stay up any longer. Then we hugged good bye, I drove home, sat in my bed and wrote by fairy light, tears streaming down my smiling face as I reflected on this horrible, beautiful year.
Happiest of New Year’s, dear ones! May this year be filled with love, beauty and sunshine. I love you all. 🙂
Slather with hot gravy, sprinkle lavishly with pepper and enjoy! 🙂
by Krista | Dec 31, 2009 | Winter
I got home from work the other night cold, tired and positively ravenous.
I was dying to crash on the couch with a bowl of popcorn and an old movie, but then I saw my acorn squash, which reminded me of Joanne of Eats Well With Others, and suddenly I simply had to make her recipe for Roasted Corn Pudding in Acorn Squash Cups which she had adapted from her good friend Heidi who had found it in The Vegetarian Compass. Phew!
Where this wave of inspiration and energy catapulted from I have no idea, but suddenly I was a whirling dervish of industry and creativity, churning out not only the Roasted Corn Pudding, but also Brussels Sprouts with Dijon Butter and Plymouth Style Baked Beans.
No doubt my efforts were made easier by the sublimely ridiculous old Disney movie “North Avenue Irregulars” that entertained me whilst I chopped and stirred and waited for things to roast.
The Brussels Sprouts with Dijon Butter were finished first, and I downed them happily, delighting in the strong garlicky mustardy butter sauce that pairs so beautifully with cabbage and Brussels Sprouts.
The Roasted Corn Pudding in Acorn Squash Cups came out next and oooeee, where they ever good!! I love the sweet, clean taste of the squash next to the creamy pudding studded with corn and scallions, the whole lot dripping with sharp cheddar cheese.
Then it was time for the beans. I’m not sure what makes them Plymouth Style, but I was intrigued by the recipe calling for grated apple. First I rinsed, quick-soaked and cooked the beans. While they simmered I chopped an onion and grated an apple, added lovely, thick molasses to the spices, tomato sauce and juice.
I fried up the onion, then the grated apple, and added both to the sauce mixture, stirring in the cooked beans. Baked for 45 minutes the beans soaked in all the fabulous flavors of the sauce, emerging soft, sweet and savory, just the way baked beans ought to.
Happy New Year’s Eve, dear ones! 🙂
Plymouth Style Baked Beans
(adapted from the back of a bean bag that I accidentally threw away :-))
5 cups cooked Great White Northern beans
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 or 2 apples, cored, peeled and grated
2 tsp dry mustard
3 Tbsp molasses
1 can tomato sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup red fruit juice (I used Hibiscus Cooler)
Fry onion in oil for 5 minutes, add grated apple and cover tightly. Cook on low heat for 5 minutes. Add to remaining ingredients, cover tightly and bake at 375 degrees for 45-60 minutes.
by Krista | Dec 30, 2009 | Winter
I usually spend every Monday night cooking delish things with my fabulous friends at CEC, but this week I missed it because I was spending one last evening with my brother Ryan who flew in from Amsterdam for the holidays.
I didn’t miss out on good eating though, for Ry poured us glasses of red wine and fixed a fantastic dinner of glazed ahi tuna steaks with a veritable fiesta of a baby greens salad tossed with roasted beets and bell peppers, pears, corn niblets, Gorgonzola cheese and candied walnuts. Oooeee!!!
Afterward we had a jolly time playing Chicken Foot Dominoes with Mums, and were thrilled to bits when Daddy-O stayed up late and joined us for a couple of rounds. He is neither a night person nor a game person so we were thoroughly impressed and marked the momentous occasion with photo-taking to prove to my other sibs that it really did happen! 🙂 So happy you joined us, Pa! 🙂
Since I can’t rely on this week’s chronicling of CEC’s culinary adventures, I will go back in time a little bit and share photos and recipes from our Simple Italian Night, with Crab Cakes.
Cameron brought gorgeous strawberries and juicy apples to nibble on while Kat turned freshly caught crab from her parent’s beach house into the most tender and flavorful little crab cakes.
Darren shelled shrimp and threaded veggies onto skewers for savory kebabs on the grill.
I fried up wedges of polenta and topped them with marinated roasted peppers and garlicky mascarpone cheese. I love the crispy, buttery edges, the creamy polenta a perfect base for vinegary peppers and tart mascarpone.
We ended our meal with the simplest of desserts: plump raspberries and vanilla ice cream drizzled with balsamic vinegar.
Raspberries with Vanilla Ice Cream and Balsamic Vinegar
1 pint raspberries, washed
1 carton good quality vanilla ice cream
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
Scoop ice cream into dishes, top with raspberries and sprinkle with 1-2 Tbsp of balsamic vinegar.
